The Minnesota Wild (30-17-4) travel to face off against the Montreal Canadiens (24-21-5) on Thursday, January 30th. This game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal and televised on ESPN+. The Wild are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Canadiens are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Penguins. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Wild vs Canadiens

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-1 overtime victory against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 30-17-4. Minnesota was favored on the puck line, but didn’t cover. The total was set at 6 goals, and the game’s 3 combined goals fell well short of that number.

Ryan Hartman opened the scoring for the Wild at 9:41 in the first period, but the Maple Leafs tied it up with just 52 seconds left in the period. Matt Boldy netted the game-winner 2:14 into overtime.

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 24-21-5. The Canadiens entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals. The combined 4 goals fell short of that number.

After falling behind 2-0, Christian Dvorak scored for Montreal in the third period to cut the deficit. However, the Penguins added an empty-net goal to seal the game.

Minnesota Offense Breakdown

Ryan Hartman opened the scoring for the Wild at 9:41 in the first period, netting his third goal of the season. Matt Boldy later secured the 2-1 victory with his sixth goal, coming 2:14 into overtime.

Minnesota fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods. Jared Spurgeon picked up two assists, bringing his season total to three.

Canadiens Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh, managing just one goal from Christian Dvorak, his first of the season. Juraj Slafkovsky picked up his 7th assist, while Emil Heineman added his 1st assist on Dvorak’s goal.

The Canadiens fired 26 shots on goal but were hampered by 20 giveaways. They were shut out through two periods before Dvorak scored at the 14:28 mark in the third period.

Minnesota Team Defense

Defensively, the Wild gave up a late first-period goal to the Maple Leafs but shut them out the rest of the way, leading to a 2-1 overtime win. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage. The Wild’s defense also recorded 7 takeaways and 22 hits.

Montreal Team Defense

Defensively, the Canadiens will look to improve after giving up the first two goals in their previous game, including a power-play goal late in the second period. They also allowed an empty-netter with 45 seconds left in the third. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Wild vs Canadiens Trends

• Across their last three road contests, Minnesota has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 3-0. Their overall mark in these games was 3-0, while averaging 3 goals per game.
• In their last three home games, Montreal has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 3. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Canadiens have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-3.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Wild have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 5-5.

Wild vs Canadiens Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Canadiens to secure a victory over the Wild at home. With the moneyline currently set at -119, I’m locking in my bet on the Canadiens straight-up.

For a puck line prediction, our preference is the Canadiens to secure a win and cover. Anticipate the Canadiens to win this one by multiple goals over the Wild.

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.

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.