Trent Reinsmith
- What: Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche
- Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2023
- Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: TNT
Tonight’s nationally televised NHL game sees the top two teams in the Western Conference’s Central Division face off in a game that could have repercussions at the top of that division’s standings. In that game, the Minnesota Wild, who are the No. 1 team in the division with 95 points, travel to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche, who enter tonight’s contest with 94 points.
The Wild have a 43-22-9 record for the 2023 NHL season. Minnesota has played one more game than the Avalanche, and the club is 7-1-2 in its past 10 games. The Wild have a 19-11-6 road record this year. Minnesota enters its matchup with Colorado on a two-game winning streak.
The Avalanche, who have played 73 games at this point in the 2023 NHL season, have a 44-23-6 record. Colorado has been excellent over its past 10 games, going 9-1. The team has a 20-12-5 home record and enters tonight’s game with three consecutive wins.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s NHL matchup between the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche picks for March 29, 2023
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| Minnesota Wild | +135 | +130 | +130 | +130 |
| Colorado Avalanche | -149 | -150 | -150 | -150 |
Minnesota Wild breakdown
Of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild have one of the smallest goal differentials, and the lowest goals scored total. The Wild have 225 goals on the season and allowed 199. The other teams in the Central Division race, the Avalanche and Stars, are plus-44 and plus-47, dwarfing the plus-25 of the Wild. On the plus side, the Wild have been scoring more often in March, with seven games where they scored at least four goals.
Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild in scoring with 74 points. His 39 goals are also tops on the club, and while those numbers are good, it has to be noted that Kaprizov has not played since March 8, and there is no indication that he will return from the lower body injury that knocked him out of the lineup any time soon. As a plus, three other players on the Wild have more than 20 goals this year: Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello. Boldy has nine goals in the Wild’s past five games.
Goaltending has been a bright spot for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson is second in the NHL in goals against average at 2.01. He also has the second-best save percentage in the league at .932. His partner, Marc-Andre Fleury has a 2.81 GAA and a SV % of .909.
Colorado Avalanche breakdown
The Colorado Avalanche hit a rough patch near the end of 2022, but they have rebounded and are trending in the right direction. The reigning Stanley Cup champs went 1-6-1 between December 27 and January 12, but they are on a 24–6-3 run since then. The Avalanche enter tonight’s game against the Wild on a 9-1 run.
The Avalanche have been without Gabriel Landeskog for the entire 2023 NHL season. That has hurt the team a bit, as he has been a point-per-game player. Star defenseman Cale Makar has also missed a fair amount of time. As has Artturi Lehkonen, who was having a career year with 20 goals and 29 assists before a finger injury knocked him out of the lineup in mid-March.
Despite missing some key pieces, Colorado is still scoring at a good clip, with Mikko Rantanen leading the way. The right wing has 48 goals and 88 points on the season. Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche in scoring with 95 points (32 goals, 63 assists). MacKinnon has seven points in the Avalanche’s past five games.
Best bet for Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche
Tonight marks the third meeting between the Wild and Avalanche for the 2023 NHL season. The Avalanche are 2-0 on the season series, and with the way they are playing heading into this matchup, the best bet is to pick the Avalanche to beat the Wild on home ice in this pivotal Western Conference matchup.
Pick: Colorado Avalanche to beat the Minnesota Wild.
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