Thursday’s NHL slate features a matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center, with the puck dropping at 8:00 PM ET. Whether you’re looking to place a single bet or intend to put together a parlay, you’ll want to take a look at our picks and projections in the piece below.

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Avalanche vs. Wild Picks

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Total Pick

Pick OU: Over 6 (model projecting 6.2 goals)

• Colorado and its opponent have combined for more than Thursday’s over/under of 6 goals 26 times this season.
• In Minnesota’s 41 games this season, 20 have finished with more goals than Thursday’s total of 6.
• These two teams combine for 6.4 goals per game, 0.3799999999999999 more than the over/under for this contest.
• This game’s over/under is 0.2 more than the 5.8 goals these two teams concede per game combined.

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Moneyline Pick

Avalanche Moneyline: -137

• The Avalanche are 22-10 when favored on the moneyline this season.
• When it has played with moneyline odds of -137 or shorter, Colorado is 19-9 (winning 67.9% of the time).
• The Avalanche have a 57.8% chance (based on the moneyline’s implied probability) to win this matchup.

Wild Moneyline: +115

• Minnesota has claimed an upset victory seven times when playing as the underdog on the moneyline this season (in 15 games as the underdog).
• The Wild have won six games with moneyline odds of +115 or longer (in 12 such games).
• Minnesota has a 46.5% implied probability to win this matchup.

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Score Prediction

Prediction:
Minnesota 4, Colorado 2

Avalanche Points Leaders

• One of Colorado’s top offensive options this season is Nathan MacKinnon, who has put up 66 points in 42 games.
• With 24 goals and 34 assists, Mikko Rantanen is one of the top offensive options for Colorado with his 58 points (1.4 per game).
• On 131 shots (for 13 goals) and 36 assists, Cale Makar has contributed 49 points this season.
• In the 28 games Mackenzie Blackwood has played this season, his save percentage is .917, the 10th-best in the league.

Wild Points Leaders

• Kirill Kaprizov has scored 23 goals (0.6 per game) and dished out 27 assists (0.7 per game), taking 3.2 shots per game and shooting 19.2%. That makes him among the leaders for Minnesota with 50 total points (1.3 per game).
• Marco Rossi is crucial for Minnesota’s offense with 37 total points (0.9 per game), including 15 goals and 22 assists through 41 games.
• Minnesota’s Matthew Boldy has 35 points, courtesy of 15 goals (second on team) and 20 assists (third).
• Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson is 18-6-3 this season, amassing 748 saves and allowing 63 goals (2.3 goals against average) with a .922 save percentage (seventh-best in the league).

Avalanche’s Schedule

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Wild’s Schedule

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Colorado vs. Minnesota Game Info

• Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025
• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• How to watch on TV: ESPN+
• Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
• Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
• Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Venue: Xcel Energy Center

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