As we all prepare for the fun that the NHL All-Star Break always delivers, GM’s across the league will be preparing for their own version of the skills competition. Once the break is over, the trade deadline will be just a matter of days away, which means that the front offices of every single team in the league will have some decisions to make. For the teams currently holding a playoff spot or sitting in the race, the decision to add a couple of extra pieces is usually a no-brainer. The tougher task is for the teams that have no shot at being a part of the postseason.
Do they give up players in hopes of winning a trade with a contender that could help them next season and beyond, or do they stay the course and continue with current rebuilding efforts? The Detroit Red Wings are one of the teams in that position, while the Minnesota Wild are caught somewhere in the middle. These two teams will play the final game of the first half on Wednesday night, with the Wild favored by 1 ½ at home. The goal total for this one is set at 6.
Red Wings vs Wild NHL Betting Spread & Expert Analysis
- When: Wednesday, January 22 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota
- TV: NBCSN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Betting Spread: Minnesota Wild -1.5 (Total 6)
Why bet on the Detroit Red Wings?
You don’t have to be a statistician or a huge fan of hockey to immediately see just how bad the Detroit Red Wings have been this season. They have set the benchmark for futility in the NHL in the first half, going just 12-34-4. There have been very few high points for the Wings to this point in the season, which makes it very tough to find a decent betting angle that you can exploit.They come into this game having now lost 5 in a row to fall to 4-5-1 in their last 10, a record that is actually not that bad when compared to the rest of their season. They have been bad everywhere, but they have been particularly poor on the road, going just 4-18-3. In those games, they are 10-14 ATS.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.14
- Shots: 28.02
- PP/PK Percentage: 14.37
Defense
- Goals: 3.90
- Shots: 32.60
- PP/PK Percentage: 26.58
Why bet on the Minnesota Wild?
Through the first 49 games of the season, the Minnesota Wild have massed just 50 points, a pace that is going to keep them well out of the playoff picture if it continues into the second half. The Wild are currently rooted in the cellar of the Central Division, but they are not so far removed that they need to be counted out completely, as they are just 7 points back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
That said, they are simply not doing enough to show that they have what it takes to dig out of their current hole, going just 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. They have not been great against teams from the Eastern Conference, losing 4 of their last 5. At home, the Wild are 13-6-4 SU and 10-13 ATS.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.10
- Shots: 29.39
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.51
Defense
- Goals: 3.35
- Shots: 31.02
- PP/PK Percentage: 24.83
Red Wings vs Wild NHL Betting Trends
- Red Wings are 0-7 SU in their last 7 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit’s last 6 games played on a Wednesday
- Wild are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the East conference
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota’s last 9 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
Neither of these teams are playing particularly great hockey, but you do have to like the Minnesota Wild on their home ice against a Detroit teams that already looks to have packed it in for the season.Score: Detroit Red Wings 1 – Minnesota Wild 4
