The Minnesota Wild (24-11-4) travel to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes (23-13-2) on Saturday, January 4th. This game will be played at Lenovo Center in Raleigh and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Wild vs Hurricanes

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 24-11-4. Minnesota, favored by -1.5 goals, didn’t cover the puck line. The total was set at 6 goals, but the teams combined for just 3.

Ryan Hartman scored first for the Wild at 9:41 in the opening period, but the Maple Leafs tied it with just 52 seconds left in the first. Matt Boldy secured the win with a goal at 2:14 in overtime.

The Carolina Hurricanes Are Coming Off A Win

Carolina improved to 23-13-2 with a 4-2 win over the Capitals. The Hurricanes covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line.

The Hurricanes scored first, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. Carolina then scored three unanswered goals to secure the win, including an empty-netter with 9 seconds left in the game.

Minnesota Offense Breakdown

Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season, opening the scoring for the Wild at 9:41 in the first period. Matt Boldy followed with the game-winner in overtime, his sixth goal of the season.

Jared Spurgeon picked up two assists, bringing his season total to three. The Wild fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods before Boldy’s overtime goal.

Hurricanes Offense Breakdown

Dmitry Orlov led the way for Carolina with two goals on just three shots. Orlov’s second goal came in the second period, while Andrei Svechnikov added his 6th of the season on an empty net with 9 seconds left. Martin Necas scored for the 6th time this year and also picked up his 12th assist on Orlov’s second goal.

The Hurricanes fired 45 shots on goal but were held scoreless on the power play. Carolina scored once in the first period, twice in the second, and added their final goal on an empty net in the third.

Minnesota Team Defense

Defensively, the Wild will look to build on their last performance, where they allowed just one goal to the Maple Leafs. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage. The Wild’s defense also contributed 7 takeaways and 22 hits. The only goal they allowed came on a power play late in the first period.

Carolina Team Defense

Defensively, the Hurricanes will look to carry their momentum from their previous game, where they gave up the first two goals but didn’t allow another after that. Pyotr Kochetkov finished with 19 saves and a 90.5% save percentage, while the defense added 7 takeaways and 10 hits.

Wild vs Hurricanes Trends

• Minnesota has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 3. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.
• The Hurricanes are 3-2 puck line in their last home games and 4-1 straight-up.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Hurricanes have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their puck line record was 3-2 in these scenarios.
• Over the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Wild struggled vs the puck line going just 1-2. However, they still had a straight up mark of 2-1.

Wild vs Hurricanes Prediction

If you’re considering a direct moneyline bet, the Hurricanes is the choice to make. However, with a payout of -191, you might want to use this bet as a building block for a parlay.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Wild to cover. Even if the Hurricanes win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Wild should 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.