Minnesota Wild vs Winnipeg Jets Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24
The Wild and Jets are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Jets will host the game at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, MB. The over/under for this game is set at 5.5 goals, and the Jets are favored by -1.5 against the Wild in a Central division matchup.
MINNESOTA WILD VS WINNIPEG JETS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Winnipeg Jets -1.5
This game will be played at Canada Life Centre at 7:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE WINNIPEG JETS:
- The Jets enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
- Take the Jets on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Wild (+1.5)
Will the Wild Secure A Victory as Road Underdogs?
With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 20-9-4. Minnesota was favored on the puck line, but didn’t cover. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined score of 3 fell well short of that mark.
Ryan Hartman opened the scoring for the Wild at 9:41 in the first period, but the Maple Leafs tied it up with just 52 seconds left in the period. Matt Boldy netted the game-winner at 2:14 in overtime.
Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season, scoring 9:41 into the first period. Matt Boldy followed with his sixth goal, which came 2:14 into overtime to secure the win. Jared Spurgeon contributed with two assists, bringing his season total to three.
The Wild fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods. They finished with 15 giveaways and were unable to convert on any power play opportunities.
Defensively, the Wild will look to build off their last performance, where they gave up just one goal to Toronto. Filip Gustavsson recorded 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage, and the defense added 7 takeaways and 22 hits. The only goal they allowed came on a Maple Leafs power play late in the first period.
Can the Jets Deliver Being Favored at Home?
With a 7-4 win over the Lightning, the Jets improved to 23-10-1. Winnipeg covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.
Winnipeg fell behind 2-0 in the first period, but seven different players scored to help the Jets come back. The Jets took the lead for good with 12:22 left in the third period.
Winnipeg’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their 7-4 win over Tampa Bay, with each of their seven goals coming from a different player. Vladislav Namestnikov got things started with his 3rd goal of the season, while Alex Iafallo added his 1st on a power play. Nikolaj Ehlers netted his 9th, including an empty-netter, and Cole Perfetti closed out the scoring with his 4th, also on an empty net.
The Jets took 34 shots on goal and recorded 10 assists. Josh Morrissey picked up his 13th assist on Perfetti’s empty-netter, while Mark Scheifele earned his 10th assist on Ehlers’ goal. Dylan Samberg scored his 3rd goal of the season, and Logan Stanley found the net for the first time this year.
Winnipeg’s defense got off to a rough start, allowing two goals in the first period and another in the third, which tied the game at 4-4. However, they held firm after that, helping the Jets to a 7-4 win. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves with an 86.7% save percentage, while the defense recorded 5 takeaways and 31 hits.