The Minnesota Wild’s decision to hang on to Jason Zucker at the trade deadline is paying dividends, as the American registered his second career hat trick in Thursday’s 3-0 victory over Tampa Bay to help the Wild remain within four points of St. Louis for the third spot in the Central Division. Minnesota hits the ice for the second time in as many nights tonight in the Sunshine State against the Florida Panthers. Sportsbooks opened the Wild as -120 road favorites with a total of 6.5.
I think oddsmakers have set this total a little too high, but with the way scoring is up in the league this year, it’s understandable to see a number of 6.5 there. Minnesota plays a defense-first brand of hockey that may not be the most appealing to watch, but it’s effective when it comes to keeping games low-scoring. The Panthers’ offense hasn’t been anything to write home about lately, and I expect this one to stay below the total.
The total has gone UNDER in eight of the Wild’s last 10 games (avg. combined score: 4.9).away The Panthers are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 games.home The Wild are 7-0 SU in their last seven games as favorites vs the Panthers.