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Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames Prediction and Pick - ExpertPicks
- Calgary Flames are allowing 4.62 goals per game and have one of the NHL's weakest defenses.
- Kirill Kaprizov has 11 goals in 10 games, with a seven-game point streak, making him a key player to watch.
- Minnesota Wild's solid defense and goaltending give them the edge in this matchup.
Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames Prediction
Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames Picks - Kaprizov Meets a Flames Defence in Freefall
Calgary sit last in the NHL and are conceding 4.62 goals a game, and Kirill Kaprizov arrives with 11 goals in 10 games.
The Minnesota Wild visit the Calgary Flames at 9 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Saddledome. My Wild vs Flames prediction starts in goal, where Jesper Wallstedt's .915 save percentage sits well above anything Calgary have had this season.
Minnesota are only 2-2-2 on the road, which is the one reason to hesitate. Calgary have scored first just twice in eight games, though, and this lineup doesn't have the scoring to chase. At 1.49 the Wild are about as short as I'd take them, and I wouldn't go below 1.45.
Kaprizov has scored in seven of his 10 games, including four straight, and he's putting 4.2 shots a game on net over his last five. That volume against a struggling Calgary crease is why he's the bet.
Matt Boldy leads Minnesota with 44 shots and has gone over 3.5 in six of his 10 games. Calgary give up 29.6 shots a game, and a team chasing the score leaves more room for his release.
For more player bets, check out our Best NHL Props for tonight's hockey slate.
Key Stats and Trends
- Kaprizov has a seven-game point streak and three power-play goals.
- Calgary have scored one goal or fewer in three of their eight games.
- Minnesota allow 26.1 shots per game, while Calgary average just 2.12 goals.
- Boldy put eight shots on net and scored a hat trick against St. Louis on October 15.
Wild Form
Minnesota score 3.1 goals and allow 2.5 a game, with a 29% power play doing much of the damage.
Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss in Edmonton turned on special teams, with Leon Draisaitl scoring twice on the power play before Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman erased a 3-1 deficit in the third. Sunday's 2-1 win over Columbus was one-way traffic, with Minnesota outshooting the Blue Jackets 35-15.
Jared Spurgeon and both Folignos are among six absences listed in ESPN's preview for Minnesota, which thins the bottom six and the right side of the blue line. Wallstedt (6-1-2) is expected to carry most of this road trip, and a Pickard start (.800 in one game) would make the moneyline thinner but leave the player bets intact.
Flames Form
Calgary are 2-6-0 and 1-3 at home, and five of their six losses have come by three goals or more.
Sunday's 3-2 win over Carolina came from late second-period goals by Matvei Gridin and Morgan Frost, before Yegor Sharangovich won it in the third. Three days earlier they lost 6-2 in Vegas.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Samuel Honzek are out, and Mikael Backlund is day-to-day in the NHL status report with Frost moving to top-line centre if he sits. Dustin Wolf (.834) or Devin Cooley (.868, 34 saves against Carolina) will start, and neither has given Calgary a reliable night yet.
Verdict
Minnesota's finishing and Calgary's goaltending point the same way, and Kaprizov is the clearest route to it.
Jeremy Darke
Sports Editor & Betting Analyst • Sports Writer & Expert Betting Analyst
Jeremy is a sports journalist and analyst covering major US leagues including NBA, NHL and NFL, seeking out player props and value.
From playing rugby, ice hockey, tennis and soccer in his home country of Australia to travelling the world covering US sports, he has found a niche in betting expertise.
His interest in analytics and statistics helps him find the edge while writing previews and being a regular tipster here at ExpertPicks.com.