Pittsburgh Penguins vs Minnesota Wild Betting Pick & Prediction 3/9/25
The Penguins and Wild are set to face off at 3:30 ET on TNT. The Wild will host the game at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 6 goals, with the Wild being the favored by -1.5 goals against the Penguins.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS MINNESOTA WILD BETTING PICK
The Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5
This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center at 3:30 ET on Sunday, March 9th.
WHY BET THE MINNESOTA WILD:
- With the Wild being favored by 1.5, our NHL analytics models has this one playing out 4-3 in favor of the Wild.
- Take the Wild on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Penguins (+1.5)
Do the Penguins Have What it Takes in St. Paul?
The Penguins improved to 24-31-10 with a 3-1 road win over the Canadiens. Pittsburgh, favored by -1.5 goals, covered the puck line. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.
Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, and Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter to seal the win. The Penguins kept the Canadiens scoreless until the third period, when Christian Dvorak found the net for Montreal.
Sidney Crosby led the way for the Penguins, scoring twice in their 3-1 win over the Canadiens. He netted his fourth goal of the season at 4:03 in the first period, followed by his fifth on a power play at 1:20 in the second. Blake Lizotte added his second goal of the season on an empty net with 45 seconds left in the game.
Pittsburgh took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his third assist on Lizotte’s empty-netter, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were credited with assists on Crosby’s second goal, giving Letang his third assist of the season and Karlsson his seventh.
Defensively, the Penguins will look to build on their previous performance, where they gave up just one goal to Montreal. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves, finishing with a 96.2% save percentage. Pittsburgh’s defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 19 hits.
Do the Wild Stand a Chance at Home?
With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 36-23-4 this season. Minnesota, favored by -1.5 goals, failed to cover the puck line. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the teams combined for just 3.
Ryan Hartman opened the scoring at 10:19 in the first period, but the Maple Leafs tied it up with a goal at 19:08. Matt Boldy netted the game-winner at 2:14 in overtime.
Ryan Hartman opened the scoring for the Wild at 9:41 in the first period, netting his third goal of the season. Matt Boldy followed up with his sixth goal, which came 2:14 into overtime to secure the win.
Jared Spurgeon picked up two assists, bringing his season total to three. The Wild took 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods before Boldy’s OT winner.
Defensively, the Wild will look to carry over their performance from their previous game, where they allowed just one goal to the Maple Leafs. Filip Gustavsson recorded 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage. The only goal they gave up came on a power play late in the first period. Minnesota’s defense also contributed 7 takeaways and 22 hits.