Utah Hockey Club vs Minnesota Wild odds

Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he covers Friday’s game between the Utah Hockey Club and Minnesota Wild.

Utah vs Minnesota odds

• Utah Hockey Club moneyline: +110
• Minnesota Wild Moneyline: -130
• Puck line: Utah +1.5 (-225), Minnesota -1.5 (+135)
• Game total: 6 (over -105, under -115)

Match odds via Sports Interaction.

Utah Hockey Club Handicap (15-16 SU, 18-13 ATS, 12-16-3 O/U)

The Hockey Club has a perfect 3-0 record since a 5-4 shootout loss at home to Minnesota on Dec. 10 and is 8-2-2 in its last 12 games. Utah has also won eight of its last 11 road games, including its last six in a row, and now has a road record of 10-6-2 this season.

According to Evolving Hockey, Utah ranks 12th in expected five-on-five goals and 10th in shooting percentage this season. However, in the last month, they have improved to 10th and third place in these categories, respectively. Since November 19th, only six teams have scored more 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes, and no team has allowed fewer. Karel Vejmelka’s strong defensive play and excellent goalkeeping were crucial as he ranked fourth in goals saved above expectations and twelfth in save percentage.

Substitute goalkeeper Jaxson Stauber also stepped up in Connor Ingram’s absence. After a rough start to the season for Ingram, Stauber posted a .962 save percentage in two starts, including a win over the Vegas Golden Knights and a solid outing against the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring just two goals on 26 shots. However, since Utah will play three games in four days before the holiday break, Stauber will likely start one of the back-to-back games on Sunday or Monday.

Minnesota entered Thursday as the -155 money line favorite, but with Vejmelka expected to start, the Wild’s odds have now dropped to -130. This improved the odds of the underdog Hockey Club from +130 to +110. While Utah was an excellent underdog bet early on, the betting market quickly adjusted and the value is no longer there.

Handicap of the Minnesota Wild (20-12 SU, 16-16 ATS, 14-16-2 O/U)

Minnesota was the best team in the league when it visited Utah for the first time this season, and the home team was playing its third game in four days. This time, the Wild suffered three losses in their last four games, including a 6-1 home loss to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. In addition, Utah and Minnesota have the same rest period this time.

However, the biggest difference between this clash and the last meeting is that goalkeeper Filip Gustavsson has missed the last three games, leaving Marc-Andre Fleury to take over as starting goalkeeper. Gustavsson last appeared on December 12, allowing five goals on 26 shots against the Edmonton Oilers. He did not play the third period and is currently listed as daily. First-round pick (2021) Jesper Wallstedt also started one game in Gustavsson’s absence, scoring three goals on 27 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

Fleury, who ranks 70th out of 79 goaltenders to score above expectations according to Evolving Hockey, is a big gap to Gustavsson, who ranks seventh in that category. Kirill Kaprizov has also improved greatly, scoring four goals in his last three games. Unfortunately, that’s the same number of goals the rest of the team has scored in their last four games.

The Wild recently got Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin back into the lineup, but Joel Eriksson Ek hasn’t played since December 3 and is arguably the team’s best defensive forward. There is some good news, however, as Brock Faber practiced Friday morning and looked good after being hit by a puck late in Wednesday’s game against the Panthers.

Best bets for Utah vs Minnesota

• Dylan Guenther Anytime Goal (+250) at Sports Interaction

Minnesota remains a strong defensive team, but Fleury will start Friday and his .859 save percentage in his last three games shouldn’t inspire confidence among bettors. Fleury has allowed two goals or fewer in five of his nine starts, but only four teams have scored more goals than Utah in the last month. Dylan Guenther leads Utah in scoring this season, and he’s done most of it in the last 12 games. Günther has scored seven of his 14 goals in the last 12 games and is tied with Clayton Keller for the team lead in shots on goal during this time. I wasn’t initially interested in this player support, but Sports Interaction incentivized me by offering far better odds (+250) than any other sportsbook.

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