Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are set for Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinals playoff series Monday night at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul.
The Avalanche jumped out to a 2-0 series lead by winning Games 1 and 2 in Denver, but the Wild responded with an emphatic 5-1 win in Game 3 to bring the series to 2-1.
Given the high-flying performances through each of the first three games, Game 4 is sure to deliver plenty of fireworks. Puck drop is slated for 8:10 p.m. ET.
Avalanche vs. Wild betting picks and predictions
Wild ML (+115)
The Wild were able to claw back into this series with a strong 5-1 win in Game 3, and now we have a series on our hands. The home team has won the first three games of this series, and I expect that trend to continue in Game 4.
The Wild handed the Avalanche their first loss of the postseason with that Game 3 victory. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Colorado responds.
Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt was roughed up in Game 1 by allowing 8 goals on 42 shots, and after getting Game 2 off, he responded with an impressive performance in Game 3. Wallstedt led Minnesota to victory by stopping 35 of the 36 shots he faced. That bounce-back performance should give him plenty of confidence heading into a pivotal Game 4.
The key for Minnesota in Game 3 was getting the power play going. After going 0-for-5 on the man advantage in Games 1 and 2, the Wild went 2-for-3 on the power play in Game 3.
They seem to have figured some things out, which bodes well for their Game 4 performance. It’s also worth noting that they still scored eight total goals in Games 1-2 without a power play tally, so it’s clear they are not too reliant on the man advantage to find the back of the net.
Playing at home with plenty of momentum, back the Wild on the moneyline in Game 4.
Over 6.5 (+100)
This series has featured no shortage of goals. Game 1 featured 15 total goals in a chaotic contest that ended in a 9-6 Colorado victory. After that, Game 2 saw seven total goals while Game 3 featured six. The high-scoring results in this series is not necessarily surprising, as both Colorado and Minnesota lead all playoff teams, averaging 4.0 goals per game so far in the playoffs.
After being held to just a single goal in Game 3, the Avalanche should bounce back in a major way offensively in Game 4. The Avs are simply too talented, too well-rounded, and have too much scoring depth to be down for long.
The Wild are still down Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin, which hurts in multiple ways. Eriksson Ek is a great 200-foot player, while Brodin is Minnesota’s most physical defenseman. Not having the available opens the door for Nathan MacKinnon and company even more.
The Wild have now scored 13 goals through three games in this series. Their shot total has dropped in each game, going from 36 to 31 to 26, but don’t be surprised if there is an uptick in that number in this contest.
With a total of 6.5, look to the over.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the NHL on site.
Avalanche vs. Wild odds
Avalanche | -130 |
Wild | +110 |
Puck Line | MIN Wild +1.5 |
Total | O/U 6.5 |
Avalanche vs. Wild player props
Anytime goalscorer
Nathan MacKinnon (COL Avalanche) | +110 |
Kirill Kaprizov (MIN Wild) | +125 |
Matthew Boldy (MIN Wild) | +135 |
Martin Necas (COL Avalanche) | +180 |
Ryan Hartman (MIN Wild) | +270 |
Nazem Kadri (COL Avalanche) | +300 |
