The Pittsburgh Penguins (24-31-10) travel to face off against the Minnesota Wild (36-23-4) on Sunday, March 9th. This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and televised on TNT. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 3:30 ET.

Penguins vs Wild

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

With a 3-1 win over the Canadiens, the Penguins moved to 24-31-10 this season. Pittsburgh entered the game as -1.5 goal favorites and covered the puck line. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 4 goals fell short of that mark.

Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, while Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter to seal the victory. The Penguins’ defense held Montreal scoreless until the 3rd period.

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-1 overtime victory against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 36-23-4. The game total was set at 6 goals, but the teams combined for just 3. Minnesota, favored on the puck line, didn’t cover.

Ryan Hartman opened the scoring for the Wild, but the Maple Leafs tied it with 52 seconds left in the first period. Matt Boldy scored the game-winner at 2:14 in overtime.

Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown

Sidney Crosby led the way for the Penguins in their 3-1 win over the Canadiens, scoring twice. He netted his fourth goal of the season at 4:03 in the first period and added a fifth on a power play at 1:20 in the second. Blake Lizotte sealed the game with his second goal of the season, an empty-netter with 45 seconds left.

The Penguins took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his third assist of the season on Lizotte’s empty-netter, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were credited with assists on Crosby’s second goal, bringing their season totals to three and seven, respectively.

Wild Offense Breakdown

Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season at 9:41 in the first period, while Matt Boldy followed with his sixth, scoring 2:14 into overtime to secure a 2-1 win for the Wild. Jared Spurgeon added two assists, bringing his season total to three.

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

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Defensively, the Penguins will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just one goal to the Canadiens. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves, posting a 96.2% save percentage. The Penguins’ defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 19 hits.

Minnesota Team Defense

Defensively, the Wild will look to carry over their previous performance, where they allowed just one goal to Toronto. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves, posting a 96.4% save percentage. The Wild’s defense also recorded 7 takeaways and 22 hits.

Penguins vs Wild Trends

• In their last three games away from home, the Penguins have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 0-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 0 goals per game in this stretch.
• Although Minnesota has a straight up record of 3-2 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs. the puck line going 2-3. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Wild have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 5-5.
• As the betting favorite, the Penguins have an puck line mark of just 0-3 in their last three games. Pittsburgh posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.

Penguins vs Wild Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Wild to defeat the Penguins while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at -146, I’m placing a wager on the Wild to win outright.

When it comes to my suggested pick for the puck line, I’d advise taking the Penguins to cover. Even in the event of a Wild victory, this matchup is likely to remain closely contested, and the Penguins should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 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.