NHL Series Wager
Minnesota +105 over Vancouver

Pinnacle +102 BET365 +105 SportsInteraction +105 5DIMES +103 888Sport +105

Posted at 1:30 PM EST

Minnesota +102 over Vancouver (Series)

Qualifying Round - NHL Best of 5 - Rogers Arena, Edmonton, AB

Series opens on Sunday, August 2. 

10:30 PM EST. Why Minnesota is so under the radar is puzzling. Minnesota remains one of the least talked about teams and we’re the beneficiaries of a market that is heavily influenced by the media. Right now, said media is overlooking the Wild but we are not and here’s why:

Minnesota had the numbers to back their great play just before the pandemic hit. Over its last 20 games before the virus hit, the Wild scored three or more goals in 16 of those contests. Since Nov. 5, the Wild led the NHL in road goals per game at 3.81. Since November 1, Minnesota had allowed the fewest scoring chances in the entire league. Not only was this team getting it done offensively, but their defense corps remains one of the best in the league. Minnesota’s top four d-men of Ryan Suter, Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin are probably the best group of puck-moving defensemen in the league. The Wild have no superstars but they are the epitome of a team difficult to play against.

It is worth repeating that before play was stopped, no team had allowed fewer scoring chances against, fewer high scoring chances against or or had a lower expected goals against mark than the Minnesota Wild. In goal, we don’t trust Devan Dubnyk but chances are he won’t start. You see, Alex Stalock unseated Dubnyk after the All-Star break and never looked back. Stalock has only started four playoff games but his .931 save percentage over that stretch combined with Dubnyk’s horrible performances this year suggests that the former will get the call to start. 

The Canucks certainly have more market appeal with two game-changing players in defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson. Pettersson especially scares the heck out of us. The Canucks were pegged by every publication to miss the playoffs while every expert said they were a year or two away from being competitive and now they’re a favorite in the first round because why? Defensively, the Canucks bled shots all season, ranking 27th out of 31 teams in shots against. They ranked second in blocked shots, suggesting they were defending a lot more than they were attacking. The Canucks were a bottom-10 team in puck possession during five-on-five play and if they are going to win this series it’ll be because of a hot goaltender and not because they are going to outplay the Wild. We absolutely trust that the books got this one wrong by making the inferior Canucks the chalk in this series. Opprtunity knocks.

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Our Pick

Minnesota +105 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.10)

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Chicago +167 over Ottawa