Wild vs. Coyotes Odds
| Coyotes Odds | +290 |
| Wild Odds | -380 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Arizona Coyotes will play their second game in two nights when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Wild.
Arizona is coming off of a 1-0 win against Winnipeg on Monday – a great win to start their week. However, the Coyotes will enter this matchup with a record of just 5-15-2 and are still in the basement of the NHL in what is a rebuilding year for the team.
On the other hand, the Wild find themselves at the top of the Central Division with a record of 14-6-1 and have won three consecutive games.
We've already seen the Wild and Coyotes go head-to-head this season in a game that ended with a score of 5-2 in favor of Minnesota. Will we see a similar performance on Tuesday, or can Arizona pick up another win on the road and start a winning streak?
Arizona Coyotes
Arizona caught the Jets at the right time while they were in the middle of a slump, but even though they escaped with a win, it is still evident that this team has plenty of holes.
As a team, Arizona only managed to put 15 shots on goal against Winnipeg while surrendering 46 shots. If it wasn't for Karel Vejmelka saving all 46 of those shots and having the best game of his career, that game could have had a totally different ending.
Because he started last night, Vejmelka will likely not start this game, and instead we will see Scott Wedgewood. Wedgewood enters the matchup with an SV % of .933, HDSV % of .821 and 4.5 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) in 5-on-5 situations this season. He has been solid this season but has given up a total of seven goals in his last two starts.
Furthermore, in 5-on-5, this Coyotes team is only averaging 1.74 goals per 60 minutes and has scored just 30 total goals, both of which rank in the bottom four of the NHL. The offensive production simply is not there on a consistent basis, and going up against a rested Wild team while Arizona is on a back-to-back will likely make the situation worse.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have gotten off to a fantastic start, leading the Central Division and sitting in eighth place in the NHL with 29 total points.
Scoring the puck has come easy for this team, and this is a huge reason why they find themselves in the position that they are in. In 5-on-5 situations this season, Minnesota has scored a total of 51 goals and is averaging 2.42 Expected Goals For per 60 minutes, both of which rank inside the top-10 in the NHL.
In addition, this squad is generating 11 High Danger Scoring Chances per 60 minutes, showing that this team can get opportunities close to the net. That trend should continue on Tuesday.
The Wild have been solid on the defensive end of the ice too. They have surrendered 42 total goals in 5-on-5, but they are averaging just 2.01 Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes at this point in the season, another metric where they are in the top 10.
Cam Talbot is likely to be the goalie we see start in net, and although his 5-on-5 numbers are not great, he has still been a big reason why this team is winning games. Talbot has an SV % of .919 and -3.6 Goals Saved Above Expected in 5-on-5, but he is 4-1 in his last five starts and has only surrendered more than two goals in one of those starts.
Wild vs. Coyotes Pick
Arizona is already a bad team, and things arguably get worse for them on the road and when they are in a back-to-back scenario.
The Coyotes are just 3-9-1 on the road this season and are averaging just two goals per game when it is their second game in two days. I wouldn't be surprised to see this team come out slow and struggle to find a rhythm.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is 7-2-0 at home this season and is outscoring their opponents 14-5 during their three game win streak. This team has all of the momentum in the world and has already beaten Arizona by more than two goals in their previous matchup. It is likely that they will be able to do that again on Tuesday.
Pick: Minnesota -1.5 (-135) | Play to -150
