The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is heating up, and the action resumes on Monday night with a standalone heavyweight clash between the Colorado Avalanche (2-1) and the Minnesota Wild (1-2). Minnesota finally broke into the win column with a dominant 5-1 victory in Game 3 on Saturday, and we have our top NHL picks for you.
While there's only one game on the docket tonight, there are still plenty of ways to get some skin in the game. Below, I'll touch on the odds, key metrics and trends, and provide you with my top bet for Game 4. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET from Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, MN.
Monday’s Best NHL Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of Hard Rock Bet)
Colorado Avalanche (-130) vs. Minnesota Wild (+110) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120)
Right off the top, I want to mention that the odds in Game 4 are fair. There's nothing too egregious about the President's Trophy-winning Avalanche being small -130 Moneyline favorites on the road. The 6.5-goal total is spot-on, considering we've mostly hovered around there in the first trio of games (15, 7, 6).
As for how to bet Monday's game, I'm going to take a plus-money flier on Minnesota's team total to stay under 2.5 goals. In their seven head-to-head meetings this season, Colorado has held the hosts to three goals or fewer on three occasions.
I'm also confident in Scott Wedgewood and the Colorado defense. Wedgewood was arguably the best netminder in the NHL this season, ranking first in GAA (2.02) and SV% (.921), while sitting third in shutouts (four). The 33-year-old journeyman has conceded two or fewer goals in 13 of his last 15 appearances.
As for the overall defensive metrics, the Avalanche are the second-best 5-on-5 team this postseason, allowing 1.58 goals per 60 minutes. And, on the penalty kill, the Avalanche finished the regular season first overall at 84.62%. They're 6-for-8 (75%) in this series.
Any way you break it down, Colorado is a very sound team defensively. Factor in the nagging injury to Minnesota's Joel Eriksson Ek (lower-body), and I think it could be tough sledding for the Wild offense on Monday. I like the +130 payout on this prop bet.
Bet: Wild Team Total Under 2.5 Goals (+130)
