NHL Odds, Pick & Preview: Kings vs. Wild (April 10)
Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Marc-Andre Fleury.
- The Wild are favored on Saturday at home against the Kings.
- Both teams are thriving defensively, getting stellar play between the pipes.
- Tony Sartori breaks down the matchup and makes his betting pick below.
Kings vs. Wild Odds
| Kings Odds | +150 |
| Wild Odds | -175 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-115 / -105) |
| Time | 5 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Pacific Division's third-place Los Angeles Kings travel to Minnesota to take on the Central Division's second-place Wild. This is the third meeting between these two teams this season as the total goals scored have gone under 5.5 in both of the first two matchups.
Will we get another low-scoring affair between these two teams, or will we get more goals this time around?
Kings Thrive With Defensive Prowess
The Los Angeles Kings enter this contest following Thursday night's 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, which was yet another low-scoring contest for the Kings. They've had fewer than six total goals scored in four straight games.
These low-scoring games are largely due to the efforts of projected starting goaltender Cal Petersen. Petersen has allowed three or fewer goals in three straight starts, posting an excellent 0.920 save percentage over that span.
Los Angeles' defense has also been excellent in front of him. This season, the Kings rank 12th in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA).
Over their last four games, the Kings have given up an average of just 2.5 goals. Meanwhile, their offense has gone cold recently as they have just scored 2.33 goals per game over their last six contests.
Fleury-Powered Wild Thriving Defensively
Much like Los Angeles, the Minnesota Wild has seen many low-scoring games recently. Over their last 11 games, seven have gone under 5.5 total goals.
Also like Los Angeles, good goaltending has helped facilitate these low-scoring games. Marc-Andre Fleury is the projected starting goaltender for the Wild and has been excellent since getting shipped over from Chicago.
Fleury has allowed two or fewer goals in three of his four starts with Minnesota, posting a stellar 0.930 save percentage over that stretch. Minnesota's extremely underrated blue line has also helped prevent high-danger scoring chances all season.
This year, Minnesota ranks second in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA). Opposing teams are averaging just 2.18 goals per game over Minnesota's last 11 contests.
Kings vs. Wild Pick
The under has hit in five of the last eight meetings between these two teams, and I think that trend continues in this matchup. With the projected starting goalie matchup between Petersen and Fleury, goals should be difficult to come by.
Both of these blue lines fly under the radar as they are both excellent but usually do not get the attention on either side. That being said, I like the under in this game.
Pick: Under 5.5 (-105) | Play up to (-120)
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