The Colorado Avalanche (47-22-6) and Minnesota Wild (36-28-10) tangle Thursday in Minneapolis. The opening faceoff at Xcel Energy Center is slated for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Avalanche vs. Wild odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Avs lead 2-0 after winning a pair of 1-goal games
Colorado lost 4-1 at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. The now-in-2nd-place-in-the-Central Avs are just 1-2-1 over their last 4 games and have been surpassed by the streaking Dallas Stars for the top spot in the division.
Minnesota, which is 0-1-1 against Colorado and and 1-3-1 across its last 5 games against the Avs, is playing its 5th straight game at home. The Wild last played Tuesday, taking down the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Minnesota is 2-0-2 on its homestand.