Minnesota Wild vs Nashville Predators Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Minnesota Wild are on a four-game winning streak.
• The Nashville Predators are 2-3-0 in their last five games.
• The Predators are 3-0-0 against the Wild this season.

Minnesota Wild vs Nashville Predators Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Minnesota Wild vs Nashville Predators Predictions and Picks

The Minnesota Wild will play against the Nashville Predators for the fourth and final time this season. The Predators beat the Wild all three times they have faced them and are going for a series sweep in this game. The Predators scored a combined 17 goals in those three games.

Both of these teams are in questionable positions. The Wild clinched a playoff spot but are trying to hold on to home-ice advantage. The Predators have not clinched a playoff spot but would be very close to clinching a Wild Card position with a win.

The Minnesota Wild are one of the better teams of the second half and have only lost 15 games during this time. They have gone on a handful of winning streaks, which will likely give them solid playoff seeding. They only have one star player and two All-Stars, but they are still a dangerous team with dangerous players.

The Wild have a handful of impressive wingers in Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, and Mats Zuccarello. Kaprizov is an All-Star and a top player in the NHL. His 101 points are the sixth-most in the league, and his 45 goals are the fifth-most. Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello are not as talented as Kaprizov, but they are both great passers and good scorers. Zuccarello will not play in this game but should be ready for the playoffs.

The Wild have a top goaltender in Cam Talbot. He was named an All-Star this year and has 31 wins this season. He allows 2.78 goals per game, which may sound like a lot. However, the Wild defense sometimes struggle, so he has been saddled with a slightly higher than average goals against per game average.

The Nashville Predators have a few impressive players but have not been a top-ten team. They will likely make the playoffs but will probably have a tough first-round matchup.

The Predators have a top defenseman in Roman Josi, an impressive center in Matt Duchene, and an efficient goal-scorer in left-winger Flip Forsberg. Josi leads all defensemen with 90 points, Duchene is a veteran with a penchant for scoring, and Forsberg has missed a few games but has a knack for scoring when healthy.

The Predators have a workhorse of a goalie in Juuse Saros. Saros has played in 65 games and leads the league in wins with 38.

The Predators are almost on the brink of a playoff spot, are playing at home, and have beat the Wild three times this season, so I expect them to win tonight.

Pick:

Nashville beats Minnesota 4-3. Predators cover, Over 6 goals.

Why Might the Minnesota Wild Win?

The Minnesota Wild are the favorites but will only win if they get shots near the net and avoid penalties.

Minnesota will likely go up against Juuse Saros in net for the Predators. Saros is a top netminder in the league and often a brick wall. The Wild need to take a lot of close shots to increase their chance of scoring against Saros.

The Wild need to play intelligent hockey and avoid penalties. This is not because they have a lot of penalty minutes (although, they do). This is because the Predators have an impressive power-play unit that converts on over 23% of their power-plays.

Why Might the Nashville Predators Win?

The Nashville Predators are unsurprisingly the underdogs but can pull out a victory if they avoid penalties and take a lot of shots.

I realize that I also said that the Wild need to avoid penalties. The Predators do too, but for a different reason. It is not because the Wild have a top power-play unit. In fact, they have one of the worse power-play units. It is because the Predators lead the league in PIM. They have 957 PIM, over 100 more minutes than their next closest competitor. They need to avoid penalties to give themselves a better shot at winning the game.

The Predators score over three goals a game and are facing a Wild squad that gives up over three goals a game. They need to make to make life hard for the Wild defensemen and goalie by shooting a lot.

Wild Key Player: (LW) Kirill Kaprizov

This was not a difficult choice. Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild in points (101), goals (45), and assists (56).

Kaprizov is 24-years-old and probably not even in his prime. However, he is establishing himself as an impressive playmaker.

Kaprizov needs to continue scoring and setting up his teammates with scoring opportunities. He is going against a Predators team that knows how to score, so he also needs to score.

Predators Key Player: (D) Roman Josi

This also was an easy choice. Defenseman Roman Josi knows how to set up his teammates.

Josi shoots a lot but struggles to score. However, he makes up for that with his +/- of 16 and 69 assists. Obviously, he needs to lead the Predators defense, but he also needs to continue looking for his teammates.

How to Watch Minnesota Wild vs Nashville Predators