The Minnesota Wild (5-1-2) and Pittsburgh Penguins (3-6-1) face off Tuesday in Western Pennsylvania. Puck drop at PPG Paints Arena will be at 7 p.m. (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Wild vs. Penguins odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; teams went 1-1 last season
Minnesota is closing out a 7-Game road trip. Game 6 was a 7-5 Saturday loss at the Philadelphia Flyers. That setback snapped a 4-Game winning streak. Prior to yielding 7 goals Saturday, the Wild had allowed just 2.00 goals per Game.
The Penguins are back at home after closing out a 4-game road trip with a 4-3 loss at the Vancouver Canucks Saturday. Pittsburgh lost all 4 road tilts (0-3-1) and is 0-4-1 since Oct. 18.
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Wild at Penguins odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 8:34 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Wild -130 (bet $130 to win $100) | Penguins +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Wild -1.5 (+190) | Penguins +1.5 (-250)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -120 | U: +100)
Wild at Penguins projected goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury (1-0-1, 2.89 GAA, .900 SV%) vs. Alex Nedeljkovic (0-2-1, 3.94 GAA, .874 SV%)
Fleury last played on Thursday, stopping 24 of 26 pucks in a start against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tuesday’s turn at Pittsburgh would mark just the 39-year-old’s third start this season. Fleury spent the first 13 years of his career with the Pens.
Nedeljkovic has struggled over 3 starts this season. The 28-year-old, who last season logged an .894 SV% on the road and a .911 mark at home, is making his first 2024-25 start on home ice.
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Wild at Penguins picks and predictions
Prediction
Penguins 4, Wild 3
Moneyline
Pittsburgh has won 4 of the last 5 series meetings and each of the last 2 at PPG Paints Arena.
Minnesota owns an iNFLated 13.3% shooting percentage so far and could well be closing out its lengthy road trip on fumes. The due-to-retire-at-season’s-end Fleury will likely be up for what figures as his final career start in Pittsburgh. But the veteran netminder has struggled in early-season starts over the last couple years.
The Penguins have had a wonky travel slate so far. Their puck-possession analytics are of a higher quality than their game results, and they are worth a green check mark in this spot at home.
TAKE PITTSBURGH (+105).
Puck line/Against the spread
PASS: No interest here.
Over/Under
Pittsburgh is likely deserving of better GAA numbers than what it has exhibited thus far (4.20 GAA), but the Pens are by no means a tight defensive club. They play a high-volume game with a lot of shots — and high-danger ones — at both ends of the ice.
Minnesota is more responsible defensively, but figures to have some defensive shot and scoring stats that won’t hold up in the long run.
BACK THE OVER 6 (-120).
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