The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild will tango for the second time on Friday night. Round one came in Minnesota’s Xcel Energy Center, a game that the Avs won 3-2.
That’s nothing new for Colorado, who is trying to secure a fourth consecutive Central Division title. Their last game was a nice win over the Detroit Red Wings. Having Thursday night off should be an edge for them in this one.
It is also a luxury that the visiting Minnesota Wild won’t get to enjoy. The Wild had a date in Tempe with the Arizona Coyotes before this trip to Denver. Minnesota is trying to stay alive in the Western Conference wild-card race, so every game is important.
When these teams collide, sparks tend to fly. Will the Avalanche overwhelm Minnesota, or is the weekend set to begin with a Wild upset?
(This article was published before the conclusion of Wild vs. Coyotes on Thursday night).
Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild Betting Odds
| Team | Puck Line | Total | MoneyLine |
| Minnesota Wild | +1.5
-142 |
O 6.5
+100 |
+164 |
| Colorado Avalanche | -1.5
+120 |
U 6.5
-120 |
-198 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings** | |||
Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild Match Details
- Fixture: Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche
- Date and Time: Friday, March 8, 2024, 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Location: Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado
Apex Tale of the Tape
| Colorado Avalanche | vs. | Minnesota Wild |
| 39-20-5 | Record | 29-27-6 |
| 3.70 | Goals Per Game | 3.08 |
| 32.3 | Shots Per Game | 3.32 |
| 11.5% | Shooting Percentage | 10.2% |
| 24.4% | Power Play | 21.8% |
| 48.0% | Faceoff | 46.9% |
| 606 | Penalty Minutes | 712 |
| 3.05 | Goals Against Per Game | 3.32 |
| 29.6 | Shots Against Per Game | 30.1 |
| .902 | Save Percentage | .894 |
| 80.5% | Penalty Kill | 74.5% |
| 4 | Shutouts | 3 |
Key Stats
Colorado Avalanche
- The Colorado Avalanche lead the NHL in goals per game.
- Colorado has a 25-6-0 record at home. The Avs lead the NHL in wins, points (50), P% (.806), goals per game (4.35), and goal differential (+55) in home game.
- Nathan MacKinnon leads all NHL skaters with 109 points. He is fourth in goals (40) and second in assists (69). MacKinnon has an active five-game goal streak
- Cale Makar has more goals than any other defenseman with 17. He is tied for sixth in the league with 53 assists.
- Mikko Rantanen is eighth in points (83) and tied for eighth in assists (52) entering this game.
- The Avalanche have a three-game winning streak at home. They outscored their opponents 17-3 during those games.
- Colorado is 4-0-1 in their last five games.
Minnesota Wild
- Minnesota entered this back-to-back with a better goal differential on the road than at home.
- The Wild are 29th in goals against and 29th in penalty killing.
- Minnesota has a four-game streak where they’ve allowed at least three goals.
- Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild in goals (30), points (67), and game-winning goals (7). He had a hat trick on Sunday. Minnesota’s last four goals were courtesy of Kaprizov after two periods on Thursday.
- The Wild are 2-3-0 in their last five games.
Match Prediction
Unfortunately, Minnesota’s schedule brings them into arguably the toughest road environment in the second half of a back-to-back. Even if that weren’t the case, the Wild have worse numbers than the Avs in almost every way. Colorado, whose high-octane scoring attack only improves at home, should have their way against a porous defense/goaltending situation in Minnesota.
Colorado’s last three home games were wins by the score of 5-1, 5-0, and 7-2, respectively. Two of those opponents are in a playoff position right now. The Avalanche are going to beat the Wild for the second time this year, and because it’s in Ball Arena, it won’t be pretty. Unless you have a stake in the Avs, that is.
Final Pick
Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+120); Over 6.5 (+100)
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Follow Andre on Twitter at @TowerTalkSports. You can also reach out to Andre Ifill via email at andre.ifill.jr@gmail.com. For Andre’s hockey talk, listen to this podcast every weekday. Andre also discusses the NFL, NBA, and MLB here. You can read and follow Andre’s betting picks at Winners and Whiners or read more of his stuff here on Total Apex Sports. He has spent years writing, talking, and picking sports professionally at the highest level.
