The NHL betting action continues with Wednesday night’s three-game card, so we’re taking a closer look at the Central Division showdown from Gila River Arena in Glendale to get you the best Minnesota Wild vs. Arizona Coyotes betting pick and odds.
Minnesota and Arizona open their three-game regular-season series and the Wild search for their seventh straight victory over the Coyotes. Arizona is a +179 moneyline dog for Wednesday’s clash, while Minnesota is a -199 road fave with a total of 5.5 goals on BetOnline Sportsbook.
The Wild aim for their fourth win in a row
The Minnesota Wild (8-3-0) are coming off a 5-2 home victory to the New York Islanders this past Sunday. They overcame a 2-1 deficit, bagging four unanswered goals in the third period. The Wild outshot the Islanders (39-21), while Kaapo Kahkonen posted 19 saves for his first win in 2021-22.
Cam Talbot is expected to guard the cage Wednesday against the Yotes, and he’s 7-2-0 with a 2.85 GAA and a .904 save percentage this season. The Wild surrender 3.27 goals per contest (25th in the NHL) while posting the tenth-worst penalty-killing percentage (75.6%).
On the other side of the ice, the Wild tally 3.27 goals per game (tied-8th) on a 9.0 shooting percentage (tied-20th). Defenseman Mathew Dumba and winger Kirill Kaprizov have accounted for nine points each, while winger Ryan Hartman has already scored six goals so far this season.
The Yotes finally got one in the win column
The Arizona Coyotes (1-10-1) grabbed their first win of the season last Saturday, outlasting the Seattle Kraken 5-4 as massive +170 home underdogs. They overcame a 3-1 deficit, while Lawson Crouse scored a couple of goals, including the game-winner with 1:05 left on the clock in the 3rd period.
Scott Wedgewood patrolled the crease against the Kraken and posted 27 saves. He’s now 1-2-1 with a 2.89 GAA and a .894 save percentage this season. It’s still unknown who’ll get the starting call Wednesday, though Karel Vejmelka is expected to guard the cage after getting a rest day against Seattle.
Vejmelka is 0-7-1 with a 2.84 GAA and a .913 save percentage. The Coyotes surrender 4.00 goals per contest (32nd in the NHL) while posting the third-worst penalty-killing percentage (65.8%). They score only 1.58 goals per game (32nd) on a 6.3 shooting percentage (also 32nd).
Trends:
Minnesota:
- 10-4 in the last 14 games overall
- 10-1 in the last 11 games against Arizona
Arizona:
- 1-11 in the last 12 games overall
- 2-8 in the last ten games at home
Minnesota Wild vs. Arizona Coyotes Pick
The Wild shouldn’t have any problems outlasting the lowly Coyotes. Minnesota doesn’t have serious selection problems, while Arizona is without center Nick Schmaltz and wingers Ryan Dzingel and Alex Galchenyuk.
The short-handed Coyotes have been terrible so far this season. As I’ve mentioned above, they own the highest-scoring defense and the lowest-scoring offense in the league, so give me the Wild to win straight up.
Pick: Take Minnesota Wild at -199
The Total:
Minnesota’s defense hasn’t impressed at all, which is the main reason why I’m backing the over on the totals. The Wild should score three or more goals with ease, but their defense could easily surrender a couple of goals even against the Yotes’ struggling offense.
The under is 4-1 in Arizona’s last five games, but the over is 5-2 in the Coyotes’ previous seven meetings with the Western Conference. Six of Minnesota’s last nine games went in the over, as well as five of the last six duels between the Wild and Yotes at Gila River Arena.
Pick: Go over 5.5 goals at -113
