NHL Panthers vs Wild Picks and Odds, December 18, 2024

Two powerhouses take the ice in Minnesota. The Florida Panthers will head to St. Paul to take on the Minnesota Wild. Both teams are off to hot starts and will to continue. They met once this season already and the Wild won 5-1.

Minnesota is 20-7-4 this season and 2nd in the Central Division. They’re 8-5-1 at home and 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. The Wild come into this game off a loss to the Knights on Sunday night. Coming off 2 days rest should get them back on their feet.

Kirill Kaprisov has been absolutely terrorizing the league. He has 22 goals and 25 assists to start the season. He is 2nd in the league for both categories. This team has been finding ways to win as they aren’t ranked in the top 10 for goals scored or shots on goal per game.

Defense is where they get you. This Wild team only allows 2.5 goals per game which is 3rd best in the league. They will need to not commit penalties as their penalty kill is terrible and the Panthers power play is rather good.

Goalie and future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury has been confirmed to start. The flower is 6-1-1- this season with a 2.51 GAA and a .909 save percentage. He is 4-2-0 in his last 7 games vs the Panthers.

Florida will have a tough task in front of them as they try to win 2 in a row

The Florida Panthers teammates celebrate after scoring a goal.

Florida is 19-11-2 this season after making it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. They’re currently 2nd in the Atlantic Division and 10-6-1 on the road. The Panthers are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and are coming into this game off a loss to the Oilers Monday night in a barn burner.

The Panthers have been firing on all cylinders, ranking in the top of the league for goals scored and shots on goal per game. Their power play is fantastic, converting 26% of the time, ranking 7th in the league. Florida is also 5th in the league for shooting percentage and that’s huge given the number of shots they take a game.

Defensively, the Panthers keep the shot count down from their opponent but aren’t defending the goal well. They are allowing 3.25 goals per game, which ranks 25th in the league. This team is great on the penalty kill though, something their opponent isn’t good at.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is expected in net. He has a 14-6-1 record with a 2.98 GAA and a .889 save percentage. Bob is going to have his work cut out for him with this Wild team. Let’s check out the odds and get into the picks.

Florida Panthers vs Minnesota Wild Betting Odds and Game Information

Panthers vs Wild Betting Odds

Puck Line

Florida Panthers -1.5 (-140)
Minnesota Wild +1.5 (-225)

Moneyline

Vegas Golden Knights -140
Minnesota Wild +116

Totals

Over 5.5 (-138)
Under 5.5 (+112)

Odds courtesy of BetOnline – Get 50% up to $1000 on your first deposit

Panthers vs Wild Game Information

Venue: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Date: Wednesday December 18, 2024
Puck Drop: 9:30pm EST
TV: TNT, TruTV, FDSN

Florida Panthers vs Minnesota Wild Prediction and Picks

Wild forwards Kirill Kaprisov and Matt Boldy embrace after scoring a goal.

Panthers vs Wild Picks and Predictions: Minnesota Wild Moneyline (+116) Get 50% up to $1000 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

After their loss last game at home, this is a good bounce back spot for the Wild. Another game in front of the home crowd and just lost a close game to a good team. Time to get one back and get on course.

Kiril Kaprisov will be hard to contain. If he can get his normal 4 shots on goal and possibly a goal, this game could go very well for the Wild. Their defense will need to step up like they have this season to slow down that fiery Panthers offense.

The Wild will also need to shoot a lot or at least make the most of their shots. Florida allows the 6th least number of shots on goal to their opponent per game. I think Minnesota finds their way around that to win this game.

As mentioned, I love Kirill in this game. He should record 4 or more shots on goal and this line should come out around -125. I also like for him to score a goal at +110. Kaprisov has netted 2 goals in each of his last 2 games.