NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Wild vs. Jets (February 16)
Via David Berding/Getty Images. Pictured: Matt Boldy.
- The Winnipeg Jets host the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night as home underdogs.
- The Wild have won four of their last five games, but their lone loss in that span came against the Jets.
- Our analyst breaks down whether you can trust the Jets to pull the upset again or if you should back the Wild and their prolific offense below.
Wild vs. Jets Odds
| Wild Odds | -140 |
| Jets Odds | +120 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Minnesota Wild have become one of the league's most exciting teams to watch. They have won four of their last five games with their only loss in this span against tonight's opponent, the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets have a very strong team on paper, but they haven't been consistent this season. They are coming off of a bad loss at home against the Chicago Blackhawks in a game where they were pretty dominant but couldn't get much by Marc-Andre Fleury.
These two teams met in Winnipeg not too long ago on February 8th. Connor Hellebuyck was the x-factor, stopping all of the 27 shots he faced, and led the Jets to a 2-0 shutout victory.
Can the Wild Still Win the Central Division?
Minnesota is still trailing Colorado in the standings, but they do have a couple of games in hand.
The Wild have been very hot as of late and have had a youngster emerge on the scene. Matt Boldy joined the team in January and has put up seven goals and seven assists in his first 13 career games. He is coming off of a three-goal and one-assist performance on Monday night when the Wild beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-4 after coming back from down 2-0.
Minnesota's offense has really set them apart this season. The Wild have the third-best scoring rate in the league as they are averaging 3.8 goals per game and generating 32.6 Shots on Net (12th). They have been outperforming their expectations as of late as they are only expected to score 2.76 goals per 60 minutes. The Wild may have been shutout the last time they were in Winnipeg, but that should not happen again with the way they've been clicking.
Kaapo Kahkonen and Cam Talbot have basically split the net this season, but Talbot has been the clear cut number one guy. Talbot should get the start in this one, and he has posted an impressive 19-8-1 record on the season with a .915 Save Percentage and a +2.3 Goals Saved Above Expected.
Jets Need to Find Consistency
The Winnipeg Jets would find themselves on the outside of the playoffs if the season ended today. They are in sixth place in the Central division with a 20-18-8 record on the season.
The offense has been super streaky all season long. Kyle Connor has carried the weight up front with 26 goals and 24 assists in 46 games, but the rest of the forwards haven't been able to keep up with the University of Michigan product. The Jets currently rank 22nd offensively, only scoring 2.83 goals per game, while their xGF/60 is a 3.16. This team is due for some positive regression, but they need to find it every night.
It has been a frustrating season for the Jets net-minder, Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is considered to be on of the top goaltenders in the league, and he has played well, but his record does not show it. Hellebuyck is 16-16-7 on the season with a .913 Save Percentage and a +14.9 GSAx. He is a guy who can steal games, but he needs his forwards to start producing at a more consistent rate.
Wild vs. Jets Pick
Minnesota is really starting to pick up the pace, and they still have a strong chance to win the division as Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello have looked like a dynamic duo on the Wild's top line. The Wild will have their loss against the Jets from two weeks ago on their minds on Wednesday.
The Jets have the potential to be one of the top teams in the league, but for some reason they just can't seem to put it together night in and night out. The Jets didn't have a strong start on Monday against the Blackhawks, so I think they will focus on their first 10 minutes in this one, but Minnesota might be too much for them.
It's very hard to beat a team twice in a row in the National Hockey League, the Minnesota Wild especially. Minnesota is the clear cut better team going into this matchup, and I think they come into Winnipeg and leave with two points.
Pick: Minnesota Wild ML -145
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