The Minnesota Wild (27-15-4) travel to face off against the Colorado Avalanche (28-18-1) on Monday, January 20th. This game will be played at Ball Arena in Denver and televised on ESPN+. The Wild are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Avalanche are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Predators. Puck drop is set for 3:00 ET.
Wild vs Avalanche
The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win
Minnesota improved to 27-15-4 with a 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs. The Wild were favored on the puck line, but didn’t cover. The total was set at 6 goals, but the game stayed well under, with both teams combining for just 3 goals.
Ryan Hartman scored first for the Wild at 9:41 in the first period, but the Maple Leafs tied it up with only 52 seconds left in the period. Matt Boldy secured the win for Minnesota with a goal at 2:14 in overtime.
The Colorado Avalanche Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
With a 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche now sit at 28-18-1 this season. Colorado led 1-0 early in the second period, but Nashville responded with five unanswered goals. The Avalanche were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.
Cale Makar opened the scoring at 17:06 in the second period, but the Predators tied it up just 8:31 later. Nathan MacKinnon added a goal for Colorado in the third, but Nashville had already built a 3-1 lead by that point.
Minnesota Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, the Wild fired 33 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Ryan Hartman opened the scoring with his third goal of the season, while Matt Boldy secured the win with his sixth goal, coming 2:14 into overtime.
Jared Spurgeon picked up two assists, bringing his season total to three. The Wild had 15 giveaways in the game.
Avalanche Offense Breakdown
In their 5-2 loss to Nashville, Colorado’s offense was held to two goals, with Cale Makar netting his 5th of the season on a power play and Nathan MacKinnon adding his 6th. MacKinnon took 6 shots on goal, while Makar had 3. The Avalanche fired 30 shots on goal but were limited to just two scores.
After a scoreless first period, Makar got the Avalanche on the board 2:54 into the second. MacKinnon’s goal came with 2:17 left in the game. Colorado recorded 23 giveaways and 11 takeaways.
Minnesota Team Defense
Defensively, the Wild will be looking to build off their previous performance, where they allowed just one goal to the Maple Leafs. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage, and the defense added 7 takeaways and 22 hits. The only goal they allowed came on a power play late in the first period.
Colorado Team Defense
Colorado took a 1-0 lead at 17:06 in the 2nd period, but their defense struggled after that, allowing five goals to Nashville, including two empty-netters. Justus Annunen made 21 saves with an 87.5% save percentage. The Avalanche also had 11 takeaways and 26 hits.
Wild vs Avalanche Trends
- Although Minnesota has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 1-2. The team averaged 2 goals per game in these games.
- Across the Avalanche last three home games, the team averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 2-1 straight-up.
- Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Colorado has an puck line mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
- Through their last five games as the favorite, the Wild have an puck line record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 4-1.
Wild vs Avalanche Prediction
If you’re searching for a moneyline bet in this matchup, our analysis favors the Avalanche as the likely winner. Nevertheless, considering the current odds at -222, I’d suggest exploring the puc line bet, as our projections indicate the Avalanche winning by more than a single goal.
When making a puck line pick, we’re backing the Avalanche to win and cover. Watch for the Avalanche to win this game by multiple goals over the Wild.
For those looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* 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.
Last updated:January 20, 2025 Avalanche, Wild