Previously, the Minnesota Wild were on a sugar rush after firing Dean Evason in favor of John Hynes. However, that brief jolt of NHL betting energy has ended. Minnesota is back in the tank and facing a tall climb to gain the playoffs. Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin is out of bullets. To illuminate, his poor roster construction is being fully exposed for all to see. On Thursday, the Wild face a tough road matchup at the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay is an aging team. However, they are still a playoff contender with a winning record.
Minnesota Wild vs. Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Thursday, January 18, 2024, 7 p.m. ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL. |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN+ |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild | +1½ -210 | 6½ -105 | +120 |  |
| Lightning | -1½ +175 | 6½ -115 | -140 | |
| ||||
Wild at Lightning SBG Odds Overview
On the whole, the offshore bookmaker public is not enthralled with the Wild. Minnesota’s poor recent form and season record is a turnoff. Especially for a road team going up against a respected brand. Tampa Bay remains a popular team with gamblers based on their Stanley Cup championships and 2020 and 2021.
Minnesota Wild Team Overview
The Minnesota Wild are 17-20-5 straight up and 16-20 over/under the total. Also, Minnesota is 13th in the Western Conference playoff standings. Minnesota is eight points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the final Western Conference playoff spot. Late on, Minnesota has covered one out of their last nine games. While the Wild have gone 3-1-1 over the total in their previous five matchups.
Minnesota has NHL rankings of 27th for goals scored and 21st for power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Wild have NHL rankings of 25th for goals against and 30th for penalty killing.
First among Minnesota scorers is Kirill Kaprizov with 13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points, and a +1. Also, Joel Erickson Ek has 15 goals, 13 assists, 28 points, and a +6.
First goaltender Filip Gustavsson has a ..898 save percentage and 3.13 goals-against average. His record is 10-10-2 with two shutouts.
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Overview
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 22-17-5 straight up and 16-22 over/under the total. Also, Tampa Bay is 7th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Tampa Bay is one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Late on, Tampa Bay has covered five out of their last seven games. While the Lightning has gone over the total in two of its previous six matchups.
Tampa Bay has NHL rankings of 14th for goals scored and for 3rd power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Lightning have NHL rankings of 27th for goals against and 14th for penalty killing.
First among Tampa Bay scorers is Nikita Kucherov, with 28 goals, 44 assists, 72 points, and a -3. Also, Brayden Point has 20 goals, 24 assists, 44 points, and a -13.
First goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has a .898 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average. His record is 12-9-0 with a shutout.
Wild at Lightning SBG Free Picks
Indeed, Tampa Bay will not be a cheap NHL betting choice. However, Minnesota is in poor form and without a roster built for consistent success. Tampa Bay is the better team and rates the call.
Wild at Lightning SBG Best Bet: Tampa Bay Lighting.