Red Wings Mired in Skid
The Detroit Red Wings started the week having lost three straight games and six out of their last eight. Next up is a matchup against the Minnesota Wild, who have won six of eight.
On paper, this looks like a pretty straightforward matchup for those who bet online – especially since Detroit is in the second half of a back-to-back. Will the Minnesota Wild win and cover on the NHL betting odds as expected or will the Red Wings surprise?
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports and NHL lines for Red Wings vs Wild. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Detroit Sliding
The Red Wings only won 32 games last season, so a 13-9-6 start through 28 games is quite a positive. The challenge is that they’ve really been fading since starting 7-3-2. They dropped 10 of their last 16 contests.
They entered Tuesday’s game against Carolina ranked 17th in both goals scored per game and goals allowed per game. They’re just 2-6 against teams with a winning record, though.
In addition to their third straight loss on Tuesday, the Red Wings lost leading scorer Dylan Larkin due to a hand injury. It’s unclear how long he will be sidelined, but he will definitely miss Wednesday’s matchup against the Wild.
Goaltender Ville Husso has worked wonders in the net for them this season. He’s 11-5-4 on the year with a 2.48 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
He’s given them a far better chance to win games compared to when Alex Nedeljkovic gets the nod. He’s just 2-4-2 with a horrendous 4.09 GAA and an equally bad .880 save percentage. Because Husso played in Tuesday’s loss, Nedeljkovic will likely get the start on Wednesday. Double-check who is in net before making your NHL picks.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Goaltending Must Improve for Minnesota
Minnesota is coming off a big win, and it can send thanks to the goaltending department for that one. The Wild picked up a tight 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Despite all of the Oilers’ talent on the offensive end, Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 20 out of 21 shots to help his team get the victory.
This was actually his 10th win of the season, marking the 18th time in his career that he’s been able to break the double-digit wins mark.
Minnesota fell into a stretch of time where it had allowed five goals in three straight games before putting together two tighter defensive performances. The Wild shut out the Vancouver Canucks and allowed just one goal to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The challenge is that Fleury still has a paltry .879 save percentage this month. Hopefully, the win versus the Oilers turns things around, but he’s otherwise been struggling.
Red Wings vs Wild Game Injuries
Red Wings vs Wild Head-to-Head
These two teams met up earlier in the season, with the Red Wings coming out on top in a low-scoring 2-1 game.
Red Wings vs Wild Game Information
- Game: Red Wings (13-8-6) vs Wild (15-11-2)
- Location: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
- Day/Time: Wednesday, December 14th, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Red Wings vs Wild Live Stream: NHL.TV
Red Wings vs Wild Betting Lines
Red Wings vs Wild Picks & Prediction
The battle between Detroit and Minnesota is going to be an interesting one. You might think Detroit has a good shot at upsetting the Wild and offers value in the sportsbook. That’s because the Wild always have a question mark in net.
However, Detroit has been a fading commodity over the last couple of weeks and is in a back-to-back situation.
The Minnesota Wild are listed at -250 in our Vegas NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Wild, you have a chance to win $40. Detroit is +210, offering a chance to win $210 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Minnesota Wild a 71.43% chance to win, with the Detroit Red Wings at 32.26%.
Red Wings vs Wild Trends
Red Wings vs Wild Edge
Red Wings vs Wild Results
Red Wings vs Wild Game Summary
