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The Minnesota Wild will host the Edmonton Oilers at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday. The Wild are looking to make it two wins in a row, with the Oilers seeking to extend their streak to four wins. We tell you the best bets to place when we name our latest NHL betting picks.
- What: NHL
- Who: Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers
- Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- When: Thursday, December 12th, 2024
- Time: 8.30 p.m ET
The big picture
Minnesota has a 19-5-4 record overall and is 7-3-1 in home games. The Wild sit atop the Central Division with 42 points from 28 matches. They are on the same points as the Jets, but Winnipeg has played two more matches (30).
The Wild have a goal differential of +22. They have scored 91 goals and conceded just 69. Along with the Dallas Stars, Minnesota has the joint-best defensive record in the Central Division and the Western Conference.
Edmonton has an overall record of 16-10-2 and an 8-4-1 record in road games. The Oilers sit third in the Pacific Division with 34 points from 28 matches, five behind leaders the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers have a goal differential of just +4. They have allowed 80 goals while scoring 84. Only the Flames (78) and the Ducks (64) have scored less goals in the Pacific.
The match on Thursday is the second clash between the two Western Conference rivals this season. The Wild won the first encounter 5-3 at Rogers Place on November 21st.
Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers match betting.
Despite being the home team, the Wild are not the favorites. That accolade goes to the Oilers.
Edmonton is -125 to win on the money line, with the Wild at +105.
As a result, Minnesota is getting the 1.5-point handicap start. To win with the spread, the Wild are -230. To cover the 1.5-point spread, the Oilers are +190.
The total spread is 6 goals. Over 6 is the favorite at -115, with under 6 at -105.
More betting options are on our Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers betting odds table. All our odds are taken from the best NHL betting sites. You can read more about these sites and about betting on the NHL on our How to Bet on Hockey Online page.
| Wild vs. Oilers |  |  |  |
| Wild | +105 | +105 | +105 |
| Oilers | -125 | -125 | -125 |
| Wild (+1.5) | -230 | -230 | -230 |
| Oilers (-1.5) | +190 | +190 | +190 |
| Over 6 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Under 6 | -105 | -105 | -105 |
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild completed a 5-4 shootout win over the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday night. The victory was the best way to respond after the Wild’s five-match winning streak ended with a 4-1 defeat to the LA Kings on Saturday.
In his first full season in charge, head coach John Hynes has done a great job rebuilding the Wild. The team suffered a disappointing 2023/24 season, where they finished sixth in the Central Division and missed out on the playoffs.
One of the main pillars of the Wild’s success this season has been their defense. The Wild has only conceded 69 goals this term, the joint-best defensive record in the whole of the NHL.
Minnesota is 7-2-1 over their last ten matches, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.3 assists, and 3.1 penalties per game. They also only gave up 2.2 goals per game across this period.
The Wild are the +190 betting favorites to win the Central Division. The Jets are their closest rivals at +200.
Minnesota is +850 to win the Western Conference and +1700 to win the Stanley Cup.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are 7-3-0 across their last ten, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 penalties per match. The Oilers have given up just 2.2 goals per game across this period.
In their most recent outing, the Oilers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 at Rogers Place. The victory extended Edmonton’s streak to three after wins over the Blues (4-2) and the Blue Jackets (6-3).
After a suspect start to the season, the recent pick up in results means the Oilers have begun to look more like the team many picked to win this season’s Stanley Cup.
Edmonton is +175 to win the Pacific Division. According to the bookmakers, they are in a two-horse race with the Golden Knights (+170). The Oilers are the +375 favorites to win the Western Conference and the +750 favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers Betting Picks and Predictions
Both teams have similar records over their past ten matches.
The standout difference is that the Oilers are averaging .5 more goals per game than the Wild, and Edmonton is also conceding less than their season average of 2.85 goals per game.
Minnesota also has a better defensive record (2.2 goals per game) across their last ten matches than their season average of 2.46 goals per game.
The Oilers look like the better team. They are in good form, and with the goals starting to fly in lately, we are backing them to win on the spread.
We appreciate the Wild are defensively one of the best teams in the NHL. But the Oilers have won six of their last seven.
With the Oilers in such good form, it is worth a small risk to back them on the spread rather than the money line.
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