The Ottawa Senators (18-15-2) travel to face off against the Minnesota Wild (22-10-4) on Sunday, December 29th. This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

Senators vs Wild

The Ottawa Senators Are Coming Off A Win

With a 3-0 win over the Kraken, the Senators moved to 18-15-2 this season. Ottawa covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 3 fell well short of that mark.

All three of Ottawa’s goals came from different players, with Adam Gaudette opening the scoring at 5:28 in the first period. The Senators’ final goal was an empty-netter by Tim Stützle at 17:46 in the third period.

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 22-10-4. Minnesota, favored on the puck line, didn’t cover, and the total was set at 6 goals, with the combined score falling short.

Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy each scored for the Wild, who took the lead at 9:41 in the first period. The Maple Leafs tied it at 19:08 in the first, but Boldy’s goal at 2:14 in overtime secured the win for Minnesota.

Ottawa Offense Breakdown

In their 3-0 win over the Kraken, the Senators had 11 giveaways, but still managed to score three times, with each goal coming from a different player. Adam Gaudette opened the scoring in the first period, netting his 7th goal of the season. Brady Tkachuk followed with his 7th goal as well, while Tim Stützle added his 6th on an empty net.

Ottawa took 23 shots on goal, with none of their goals coming on power plays. The Senators scored at 14:32 in the first period, 8:49 in the second, and 2:14 in the third. Tim Stützle also picked up his 10th assist of the season.

Wild Offense Breakdown

Ryan Hartman got the Wild on the board with his third goal of the season, while Matt Boldy netted his sixth in overtime to secure a 2-1 win. Jared Spurgeon picked up assists on both goals, bringing his season total to three, and Marco Rossi added his seventh assist on Boldy’s game-winner.

The Wild fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods. They recorded 15 giveaways in the game.

Ottawa Team Defense

On the defensive side, the Senators will look for a repeat performance from their last game, where they shut out the Kraken 3-0. Anton Forsberg made 22 saves, finishing with a 100% save percentage. The defense also contributed 2 takeaways and 25 hits.

Minnesota Team Defense

Defensively, the Wild will look to carry over their performance from their last game, where they allowed just 1 goal to the Maple Leafs. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves and posted a 96.4% save percentage, and the Wild’s defense totaled 7 takeaways and 22 hits. The only goal they allowed came on a power play late in the first period.

Senators vs Wild Trends

• Through their last ten road games, Ottawa has an puck line record of just 3-7. However, their overall record was 5-5 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• In their last three games at home, the Wild have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 0-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Wild have a straight up record of 3-7. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 5-5.
• Through their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Senators have a good straight up record, but their puck line mark is just 1-2.

Senators vs Wild Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Senators to defeat the Wild while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at +123, I’m placing a wager on the Senators to win outright.

Our projections have the Senators pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Senators, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.