Wild vs. Coyotes Odds
| Wild Odds | -115 |
| Coyotes Odds | -105 |
| Over / Under | 6 -110/ -110 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Minnesota Wild vs. Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, February 14 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Minnesota and Arizona aren’t completely out of the playoff picture, but time is running out for these two squads to convince their respective front offices that they should be anything but sellers at the trade deadline.
With those being the stakes, let’s preview the upcoming contest and offer a Wild vs. Coyotes preview and prediction.
Minnesota Wild
Between the two squads, Minnesota has slightly more hope for its playoff aspirations. The Wild at 24-23-5 have a modest edge in the standings over the 23-24-4 Coyotes, but more importantly, Minnesota is trending in the right direction, having won six of its last eight contests while Arizona is on a six-game losing streak.
Minnesota's recent success is thanks in large part to its offense, which has averaged 3.75 goals per contest over that eight-game span. The Wild have been led by Kirill Kaprizov, who has eight goals and 13 points over the past eight contests, and Joel Eriksson Ek, who has eight markers and 14 points in his last 10 outings.
However, a total of seven players have recorded at least five points and 13 have contributed at least one goal over the past eight games, so the Wild's resurgence has truly been a team effort.
The goaltending hasn't been as impressive, but it's been good enough. Filip Gustavsson has posted a 2.80 GAA and .912 save percentage in his past seven appearances, which is a step up from his 3.19 GAA and .897 save percentage through 31 outings overall.
The 25-year-old was a key figure in the Wild's path to the playoffs last year, providing a 22-9-7 record, 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage in 39 games. By the same token, his sharp decline this season is a key factor in the Wild's shortcomings, and his recent return to something resembling normalcy is important to the team's long-term prospects.
Arizona Coyotes
Gustavsson's struggles this season include a Jan. 13 embarrassment at the hands of the Coyotes in which he surrendered five goals on 18 shots before being yanked early in the second period. Arizona went on to win that contest 6-0. Gustavsson is projected to get a chance at revenge Wednesday, so we'll see if his recent play is a sign of things to come.
A repeat of that contest isn't likely when factoring in the strength of Arizona's attack. The Coyotes have averaged just 2.94 goals per contest, tying them for 20th offensively, and they've dipped to an average of 2.50 over their current six-game skid. High-scoring games like they had against Minnesota are rare to say the least.
Arizona just doesn't have star power or a lot of depth up front. Clayton Keller is having a solid campaign with 21 goals and 49 points in 51 appearances this year, but he's the only Coyotes player with even 35 points.
In net, the Coyotes are likely to turn to Connor Ingram, who was responsible for the 38-save shutout against the Wild last time. He's managed an impressive five perfect games this campaign; however, he's floundered lately with a 5.26 GAA and an .857 save percentage, dragging him down to a 2.76 GAA and a .912 save percentage through 34 contests overall.
Arizona will need him to rebound in order to have any shot against the hot Wild offense.
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Wild vs. Coyotes
Betting Pick & Prediction
Not much separates these two teams.
On paper, the Wild look better, but they haven't played up to their potential. Minnesota's problem has been inconsistency. The Wild got off to a disastrous 5-10-4 start, bounced back with an 11-3-0 run, collapsed again by going 3-8-1 and now are suddenly playing like a top team once more.
It's hard to count on a team like the Wild in the long run when their season looks like that much of a roller coaster.
However, during stretches like this when they are clicking as a whole, the Wild are worth taking a chance on.
Pick: Minnesota Wild Moneyline -118 (Play to -130 | FanDuel)
