The Minnesota Wild (27-12-4) travel to face off against the Vegas Golden Knights (28-11-3) on Sunday, January 12th. This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

Wild vs Golden Knights

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild moved to 27-12-4 this season. Minnesota, favored by -1.5 goals, didn’t cover the puck line. The total was set at 6 goals, but the combined score of 3 fell well short.

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 scored the game-winner 2:14 into overtime.

The Vegas Golden Knights Are Coming Off A Win

Vegas improved to 28-11-3 with a 4-3 overtime win against Utah. The Golden Knights trailed 2-0 before rallying to score four unanswered goals. Vegas was favored on the puck line, but failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 7 goals went over.

Four different players scored for the Golden Knights, with Brett Howden netting the game-winner at 2:15 in overtime. Vegas didn’t score until the 15:06 mark in the second period, when Pavel Dorofeyev found the net.

Minnesota Offense Breakdown

Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season, scoring at 9:41 in the first period. Matt Boldy followed with his sixth goal, which came 2:14 into overtime to secure the win.

Jared Spurgeon picked up 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 had 15 giveaways in the game.

Golden Knights Offense Breakdown

After a scoreless first period, the Golden Knights got on the board with Pavel Dorofeyev’s 7th goal of the season. Noah Hanifin followed with his 2nd goal and later added his 4th and 5th assists. William Karlsson netted his 2nd goal of the year, and Brett Howden, who now has 6 goals, scored the game-winner in overtime.

Vegas fired 35 shots on goal but also had 13 giveaways. They didn’t score on the power play, and all four of their goals came at even strength.

Minnesota Team Defense

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

Vegas Team Defense

Vegas’ defense will look to improve after allowing the first two goals of the game and a late equalizer in their previous matchup. The Golden Knights conceded the opening goal at 8:08 in the first period and another at 8:00 in the second, falling behind 2-0. After taking a 3-2 lead in the third, they gave up a tying goal at 13:10. Adin Hill finished with a save percentage of 84.2% on 19 shots from the Utah Hockey Club.

Wild vs Golden Knights Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Minnesota has an puck line mark of 6-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 7-3 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• Although Vegas has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 1-2. The team averaged 1 goals per game in these games.
• Vegas has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 puck line in their last five games.
• In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Wild have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their puck line record was 3-2 in these scenarios.

Wild vs Golden Knights Prediction

If you’re interested in a pure moneyline wager, then the Golden Knights is the preferred option. However, with a payout of -175, it might be worth considering this bet as a component of a larger parlay.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Wild to cover. Even if the Golden Knights manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Wild should cover the puck line.

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.