The St. Louis Blues will battle the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center. It will be a Central Division showdown as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Blues-Wild prediction and pick.
The Blues lead the head-to-head series 50-49. Yet, the Wild are 6-4 in the past 10 games against the Blues, including 4-1 in the past five games at the Xcel Energy Center. So far, the Wild have won all three games against the Blues this season. The Wild will attempt to sweep the Blues for the first time ever.
Here are the Blues-Wild NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blues-Wild Odds
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-300)
Moneyline: -110
Minnesota Wild: -1.5 (+235)
Moneyline: -110)
Over: 5.5 (+110)
Under: 5.5 (+110)
How To Watch Blues vs Wild
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, FanDuel Sports North, FanDuel Sports Missouri
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Blues Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Blues did nothing on trade deadline day, signaling a decision to stand pat instead of mortgaging their future for a first-round exit. It has not been an easy season for the Blues. Unfortunately, it worsened as Colton Parayko will miss weeks with an injury. The Blues also have struggled to beat the Wild, not even covering the spread in any of the games.
The Blues have had moderate offensive success against the Wild. In these three games, they have averaged 2.33 goals per game. They scored four goals the last time they were at the Xcel Energy Center. Offense was not the problem. Significantly, Jordan Kyrou has one goal and one assist through three games against the Wild. Meanwhile, Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway each have a helper in three games. Unfortunately, that is simply not enough to beat the Wild.
Getting more chances on the powerplay could help. So far, they are 2 for 5 on the powerplay, scoring on 40 percent of their chances. But they need to also avoid taking penalties. Alarmingly, they have had to kill 15 powerplays. Unfortunately, they are just 10 for 15 on the penalty kill. Jordan Binnington has not played well, going 0-3 with a 4.67 goals-against average and a save percentage of .837. In the last game, he was especially bad as he contributed to blowing a 4-2 lead and losing 6-4.
The Blues will cover the spread if they can generate more chances on offense while also getting more powerplay chances. Then, they must defend the crease while avoiding taking more penalties.
Why the Wild Could Cover the Spread/Win
Grabbing Gustav Nyquist at the trade deadline has helped the Wild as it netted them a player who can make some moves on the ice. However, it still cannot account for Kirill Kaprizov’s absence, who has been out for nearly two months. Despite Kaprizov’s absence, the Wild have continued to play well.
The Wild have had some explosive offense against the Blues. But can they replicate that without Kaprizov? They need Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi, and Mats Zuccarello to do more. Unfortunately, Boldy struggled against the New York Rangers on Thursday and could not generate more than a lone shot. That will not work if you are the Wild and need offense.
Creating space and making good passes will help them. Therefore, setting up clear shots starts with good transitions past the blue line. Once they get there, the Wild must avoid making critical mistakes that will turn the momentum back the other way.
The defense is still the key factor for the Wild. Ultimately, defense can create turnovers which can then generate some offense. Filip Gustavsson has been effective for the Wild, generating a .941 save percentage and a two-goals-against average against the Blues this season. He has been one of the main reasons the Wild dominated the Blues this season.
The Wild will cover the spread if their top lines can find some space and generate some offense. Then, they must continue to defend the crease and not allow Kyrou and friends to have chances.
Final Blues-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Blues are 37-28 against the spread, while the Wild are 31-34 against the spread. Additionally, the Blues are 19-13 against the spread on the road, while the Wild are 9-21 against the spread at home. The Blues are 27-34-4 against the over/under, while the Wild are 28-35-2 against the over/under.
The Blues have struggled against the Wild. However, I think they can compete against a Wild team that has only won three games since the injury. While I am not going to give the Blues the win, I do think they will do enough to keep it close. Therefore, I am expecting the Blues to find a way to cover the spread on the road.
Final Blues-Wild Prediction & Pick: St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-300)
The post Blues vs. Wild prediction, odds, pick – 3/15/2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
