It is a Central Division battle as we continue our NHL odds series with a Utah Hockey Club-Wild prediction and pick.
Bryan Logan
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It is a Central Division battle as the Utah Hockey Club visits the Minnesota Wild. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Utah Hockey Club-Wild prediction and pick.
Utah comes into the game at 20-19-7 on the year, placing them in sixth in the Central Division, and just four points out of a playoff spot. In their last game, without a top-scoring option for Utah in Dylan Guenther, they faced the Winnipeg Jets. After a scoreless first period, Olli Maatta scored his first goal of the season in the second period to give Utah the lead. Logan Cooley would extend the lead in the period to two. In the third, Barrett Hayton and Matias Maccelli both scored to make it 4-0. The Jets would get two back, but still, it was a 5-2 win for Utah.
Meanwhile, the Wild are 28-15-4 on the year, sitting in second place in the Central Division. Still, the Wild will be looking to upgrade their roster at the trade deadline. In their last game, they faced the Colorado Avalanche. The Wild took the lead on a Jake Middleton goal in the first period. The Avalanche tied the game in the second period. Then, in the third period, Yakov Trenin scores to give the Wild the lead. The Wild would add another goal in the period, as they went on to win the game 3-1.
Here are the Utah Hockey Club-Wild NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Utah Hockey Club: +1.5 (-180)
Moneyline: +142
Minnesota Wild: -1.5 (+146)
Moneyline: -172
Over: 5.5 (-134)
Under: 5.5 (+110)
Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+/Hulu/Disney +
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The top line for Utah is led by the combination of Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley. Keller leads the team in goals, assists, and points this year. He comes into the game with 16 goals and 34 assists, good for 50 points. He also has four goals and 15 assists on the power lay. Meanwhile, Cooley is second on the team in points, having 15 goals and 17 assists. He also has seven goals and eight assists on the power play. Nick Schmaltz rounds out the line. He is third on the team in points with nine goals and 28 assists.
Meanwhile, Mikhail Sergachev has been solid from the blue line. He is fifth on the team in points, with eight goals and 22 assists on the year. Barrett Hayton is also having a solid year, playing on the second line. He comes into the game with nine goals and 14 assists on the year.
Karel Vejmelka has been great this year and is expected to be in goal for Utah in this one. He is 10-13-3 on the year with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Vejmelka is top 15 in the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage this year.
With Kirill Kaprizov still out of the lineup it is Matt Boldy who leads the way for the top line of the Wild. He is second on the team in points, coming in with 18 goals and 23 assists, good for 41 total points. He also has six goals and six assists on the power play. He is joined on the line by Mats Zuccarello, who is fourth on the team in points this year. Zuccarello has 11 goals and 22 assists this year, good for 33 total points. Finally, Joel Eriksson Ek rounds out the line with his seven goals and 13 assists this year.
Marco Rossi leads the second line for the Wild this year. He is third on the team in points, and third in goals. Rossi comes in with 17 goals and 23 assists, good for 40 points. He also has five goals and four assists on the power play.
Filip Gustavsson is expected to be in goal for the Wild in this one. He is 18-9-3 on the year with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. He is tied for sixth in the NHL in wins, eighth in goals-against average, and 15th in save percentage.
The Minnesota Wild come in as favorites in terms of odds in this NHL game. They are 19th in the NHL in goals per game with just 2.94 goals per game this year but have been solid on defense, sitting tenth in the NHL in goals-against per game. Meanwhile, Utah is scoring just 2.87 goals per game, while sitting 14th in the NHL in goals-against per game. Still, both defenses have had some struggles as of late. Minnesota has given up 17 goals in the last five games, while Utah has given up 16 in the last five. Expect both teams to find ways to score in this one, and take the over.
Final Utah Hockey Club-Wild Prediction & Pick: Over 5.5 (-134)
Bryan Logan is a sports betting writer and analyst for ClutchPoints, primarily covering the NHL, MLB, and NCAA Football. The Liberty University alumni combined his love of analytics and sports to start using models for daily sports picks.
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