Bruins vs. Wild Odds
| Bruins Odds | -137 |
| Wild Odds | +114 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -120 / -102 |
Here's everything you need to know about Bruins vs. Wild on Saturday, December 23 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
The Bruins lost for the eighth time in 13 games Friday in Winnipeg, and have seen their lead in the Atlantic Division dwindle to only six points after an incredible start to the season. They will look to get right before the break in this tough traveling back-to-back spot against a red-hot Wild team that has gone 9-3-0 under new coach John Hynes.
Let's preview the latest NHL odds as well as my Bruins vs. Wild prediction.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have quietly stumbled over the last month, as they have played to a record of only 5-5-3. In those 13 games they own an xGF% of 48.76, and a goal differential of -10. Those numbers illustrate a stark drop off in form from the Bruins compared to what we have come to expect.
Several games from that sample were with top center Pavel Zacha and elite defender Charlie McAvoy out of the lineup, and both have since returned.
Even with Pavel Zacha back in the lineup, Boston's center depth is a clear concern relative to other top teams. Their weakness down the middle did look significant entering the season, but Matt Poitras strong early play, and the team dominating through a soft schedule helped us forget.
It is entirely possible the Bruins will continue to be less dominant than we saw at the start of the season. They are not as bad as the last month suggests, but it does seem fair to downgrade their power-rating at this point.
Linus Ullmark is likely to get the start in this back-to-back situation after resting yesterday in Winnipeg. He has played to a +5.3 GSAx and .913 save % across 13 appearances this season. He has allowed three or more goals in five straight outings, but for a change his numbers have actually suffered from relatively poor defensive play from the Bruins in a number of those contests.
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Minnesota Wild
John Hynes took over the Wild at a great time, as he was always likely to garner credit for a team that was statistically due to turn it around anyways. In the ten games directly prior to his hiring, the Wild played to a 54.18% expected goal rating, but was shooting at only 8%. This was also a proven core that had gone 169-90-30 over the previous three regular seasons.
In 12 games under John Hynes the Wild own a record of 9-3-0, with a +14 goal differential. He has seemingly helped top stars Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy find confidence in front of goal, and both enter this matchup in notably better form than we saw early on this season.
The Wild are suffering through a number of key injuries, as Captain Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Mats Zuccarello will all remain sidelined for this matchup.
The loss of top defenders in Spurgeon and Brodin has allowed a chance for rookie sensation Brock Faber to shine on the blue-line. Faber is averaging over 30 minutes of time on ice over the last five matchups. Despite such a hefty workload, he has managed to have a positive effect and the Wild are thriving in those minutes.
He is the clear second favorite in the Calder Trophy race, and could potentially have a legitimate case against Connor Bedard if the Wild keep winning games while playing him an absurd amount of minutes.
The Wild will have their lesser goaltending option in Saturday as Marc-Andre Fleury is confirmed as the starter. Fleury has played to a -4.6 GSAx and .892 save % in 12 appearances.
Bruins vs. Wild
Betting Pick & Prediction
Boston's play has dropped off recently, and this number seems to still giving them a little too much respect. Looking at the Bruins' current center depth, it is entirely possible that they are not going to be as outright dominant in the near future as we saw at the start of the season.
The Wild enter this matchup in strong form with wins in 10 of 13 games under John Hynes. The talent of the roster suggests their awful start to the season was more of an anomaly than anything else, and their recent underlying results suggest this is a legitimately good team.
The Wild are set to play without some key skaters, but that has allowed some other key pieces to shine, and are well accounted for with these betting numbers. Considering the scheduling spot, I believe the Wild are mispriced as +115 underdogs in this matchup. Anything better than +105 is a play for me on the Wild.
Pick: Minnesota Wild Moneyline +115 (Play to +105)
