You Hab to Bet on Young Canadiens Against Wild

Minnesota Needs to Get Wilder

It has been a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type of showing for Minnesota thus far. First, it shut out Florida at home. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson stood on his head and led Minnesota to a win despite getting outshot. But in their trip to Toronto, Gustavsson allowed seven goals on just 33 shots. Minnesota outpossessed Toronto but got blown out 7-4.

I came in like a wrecking ball 😎 pic.twitter.com/mLDvqd6TPb

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 15, 2023

That’s just a small sample of how Minnesota has been at home and on the road. The Wild are just 2-6 in their last eight road games. Counting just the regular season, Minnesota is 21-21 (21-14-7). To its credit, the Wild did score four goals and nearly overcame a three-goal deficit.

But losing Boldy (and Patrick Maroon) hurts. Boldy is their second-best scorer and a key cog in the power play. Minnesota will need more depth scoring to replace his production. It could be a shrewd NHL bet prediction to bank on someone from the bottom six to step up and fill the void. They’ll need it.

Canadiens Don’t Lack Firepower

It’s only been two games. But the Canadiens can score across different lines and situations and can get it done on the NHL lines. Cole Caufield has a pair of goals and continues to blossom into an NHL star. Tanner Pearson is working out well as a new addition, and Juraf Slafkovsky, last year’s first overall pick, has been solid.

What’s even more notable is that Montreal’s top line has arguably been its worst when considering two-way play. And yet, the likes of Caufield and Nick Suzuki can still make opponents pay via the power play. There are a lot of moving parts here, but Montreal has proven to be a solid NHL pick.

Still, Montreal has to put it together. Jake Allen or whoever is in net will need to continue playing well. Allen made 37 stops against Toronto but could not hold it down when it mattered. But if Montreal’s depth is “legit,” it may not be as big of an issue.

Trend Shows Minnesota Owning Montreal

The Wild have won five straight and nine of their last 10 games against the Canadiens. Minnesota has held Montreal to 1.5 goals per game despite Montreal averaging over 30 shots.

Wild vs Canadiens Game Information

• Game: Wild (1-1-0) vs Canadiens (1-0-1)
• Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 16, 7:07 p.m. ET
• Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
• Wild vs Canadiens Live Stream: NHL.TV 

Wild vs Canadiens Bettin Odds

Wild vs Canadiens Game Prediction

Predicted Score: Canadiens 4, Wild 3

Buck the Trend, Bet Montreal

There is a lot to unwrap with those stats. But a lot of that is due to hot goaltending on Minnesota’s end. But we like the matchup here for Montreal. The Habs have better scorers across its team. Thus, Montreal is worth betting on our NHL odds.

NHL Pick: Montreal Canadiens ML (+120)

Get the Goal Party Started

Minnesota games are typically low-scoring. Five of its last seven meetings with Montreal went under the total. But that won’t be the case here. A potent Canadiens offense coupled with the Wild peppering a shaky goaltender could combine for a high-scoring game.

NHL Pick: Wild, Canadiens Over 6 (-115)

What are some of the best props for the Wild vs Canadiens game?

A bet on one of Minnesota’s bottom six forwards to score a goal could pay a big return.

Which team is most likely to score the first goal in the Wild vs Canadiens game?

Montreal is a solid choice as the team to score the first goal given its young and offensively-minded roster.