The Vegas Golden Knights will try to eliminate the Minnesota Wild again Wednesday night as the two Western Division teams head to St. Paul for Game 6 with the Knights up 3-2 in the series.
The Wild kept their playoff hopes alive Monday after a 4-2 win in Vegas, despite getting outshot 40-14. This series has the potential to go the full seven games.
Oddsmakers have the visitors currently as -140 NHL betting favorites. Minnesota has closed as the underdog in each of the series’ first five games but has picked up wins of +132 and +154 along the way. The total sits at 5.5 and is trending downwards.
Here are our free picks and predictions for Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild for Wednesday, May 26, with puck drop set for 9:00 p.m. ET.
Golden Knights vs Wild game info
• Location: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
• Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
• Time: 9:00 x.m. ET
• TV: ATTSN-RM, BSN
Golden Knights vs Wild odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NHL Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonVegas opened as -133 favorites with Minnesota coming back at +118. FanDuel sportsbooks are reporting 90 percent of moneyline wagers on the Golden Knights as well as 61 percent of puckline bets laying the -1.5 goals, yet Vegas has dipped to -124 with the Wild set as +112 underdogs. The total opened 5.5 (Under -116) and has since moved to Under 5.5 (-124) with action on the total split.
Check out the full line movement for this gameGolden Knights vs Wild series odds
Golden Knights: -526
Wild: +400
Golden Knights vs Wild betting preview
Injuries
Golden Knights: Max Pacioretty F (Questionable), Tomas Nosek F (Questionable).
Wild: Carson Soucy D (questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 8-2 in Minnesota’s last 10 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Wild.
Moneyline pick
The Wild used an early attack again on Monday and jumped out to a 3-1 first-period lead. Unlike Game 3, where the Wild blew an early 2-0 lead and lost 5-2, the confident Minnesota team hung on to force a Game 6.
Statistically, the Knights dominated the game and finished with a 72.4 Corsi For percentage and 3.87 expected goals, compared to Minnesota’s 1.81. The Wild could have rolled over and died after getting blanked 4-0 in Game 4 and having given up nine straight goals, but what is arguably the best No. 3 seed in the playoffs is not ready to pack it up.
Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury has been the story of the series but Flower stopped just 10 of 14 shots after earning a shutout in Game 4. MAF will likely rebound and be busier on Wednesday, but the 4-2 win has given life to a Minnesota offense that got emotional goals from Kapril Kaprizov — his first playoff tally — and long-time Wild Zach Parise, who was a healthy scratch in the series’ first three games.
If Las Vegas isn’t careful, it could be heading to Game 7 with all the momentum in the Minnesota corner.
The Wild finished the year with a 21-5-2 home record and took seven of a possible eight points versus the Golden Knights at the Xcel Energy Center this season. However, Vegas has outplayed the Wild at home in Games 3 and 4, outscoring Minnesota 9-2. If Minnesota ever needed a home-ice advantage (25 percent capacity for fans), Wednesday is the day.
Cam Talbot has been fantastic in the Wild’s two wins — stopping 80 of 82 Vegas shots — and he'll have to be on his game if the Wild will want to see Game 7. The Golden Knights are averaging 33.6 shots per game and have hit the 40-shot mark three separate times.
We like Talbot carrying over Monday’s performance to Game 6 at home, where the tender was 12-2-2 on the year.
PREDICTION: Minnesota (+120)
Over/Under pick
The Over is just 2-3 in the series and needed an empty-net goal to hit Monday — despite a four-goal first period. But looking at scoring chances, this series has had plenty.
Combined, both teams are averaging 21.1 high-danger chances per game, which is above league average, and 55 scoring chances per match. There have been plenty of opportunities on both sides but the Knights are shooting at 2.4 percent in their losses and 14 percent in victories while Minny is shooting just six percent overall in the series.
With Fleury coming off his worst start, maybe this Minnesota offense that averaged 3.61 goals per game at home during the regular season has woken up.
Only two penalties were called in Game 5 and the game still hit the Over. Both teams are sitting in the Bottom 5 in the playoffs in penalties taken per match and neither power play has really gotten going — but these are two of the best 5x5 scoring teams in the league as each club knows how to get goals at even strength.
Another angle we like the Over with is that this is an elimination game. If Vegas does manage to take a lead late into the third period, we could see the Minnesota bench pull the goalie earlier than usual — and maybe even down three goals. Elimination games are 3-2 O/U so far in the playoffs.
Both goalies have played well but banking on one or both of them to stand on their head every game is a lot to ask. We’d love to see the series’ first no-sweat Over on Wednesday night, hopefully with the Wild forcing a decisive Game 7.
PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (+100)
Golden Knights vs Wild betting card
- Minnesota ML (+120)
- Over 5.5 (+100)
Picks made on 5/26/2021 at 4:47 a.m. ET
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