The Winnipeg Jets face the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in Game 4 of the postseason’s first round. The matchup gets started at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 17, and you’ll be able to see the game live on CNBC, RSN, TVA2 and FSN.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Minnesota Wild Odds
Each team currently has an identical -110 money line for this matchup, and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
Winnipeg is 54-31 straight up (SU) and has earned 17.8 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 85 regular season outings, 42 of its games have gone over the total, while 41 have gone under and just two have pushed. As a road team in 2017-18, the Jets are 20-22 SU.
After sporting the fifth-best power-play unit in the regular season (converting 23.4 percent of all opportunities), the Jets have been able to score on 22.2 percent of their extra-man advantages in the early stages of this postseason.
Winnipeg’s offensive attack attempted 32.4 shots per game in the regular season, resulting in 3.4 goals per contest (ranked second overall in the NHL). In the playoffs, the team is risen to an average of 38.3 shots on goal ( 3.0 goals per game).
Averaging 27.7 saves per game with a .922 save percentage, Connor Hellebuyck (46-24-9) has been the top option in goal for Winnipeg this year. If Winnipeg chooses to rest him, however, the team might roll with Steve Mason (5-9-1), who has a .907 save percentage and 3.15 goals against average this year.
The visiting Jets have relied on Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine heavily this year. Wheeler (93 points) has tallied 24 goals and 69 assists, and has recorded two or more points 25 times. Laine has 46 goals and 28 assists to his name (and has registered at least one point in 53 games).
Minnesota is 46-39 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.4 units for moneyline bettors this year. 42 of its matches have gone over the total, while 39 have gone under and just four have pushed. It’s 28-14 SU at home this year.
Minnesota has converted on 21.0 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 13th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.1 percent of all penalties.
Minnesota players have been sent to the penalty box 3.8 times per game in total this season, and 5.2 per game over their last five games. The team’s been forced to kill penalties a whopping 15.2 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Devan Dubnyk (27.5 saves per game) has been the top option in goal for Minnesota. Dubnyk has 37 wins, 26 losses, and seven OT losses and has registered a 2.55 goals against average and a .918 save percentage this year.
Eric Staal (43 goals, 35 assists) will pace the offensive counter for the Wild.
Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild Betting Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Wild, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
The total has gone over in three of Minnesota’s last five games.
The Jets are 24-11 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 35-20 when they serve fewer than 10 penalty minutes, in total.
Minnesota is ranked 25th this season with 5.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as it has created 4.6 takeaways over its last 10 games and 3.8 takeaways over its last five.
Winnipeg is putting up 3.0 goals per game over their five-game winning streak.
Winnipeg has averaged 5.8 takeaways per game over its last five road games, a drop-off from its season average of 7.1 takeaways per game (ranked 16th overall).
Winnipeg could hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s an impressive 23-14 in one-goal games, while Minnesota is 12-16 in such games.
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