Washington Capitals at Minnesota Wild odds, picks and predictions
The Washington Capitals (47-15-9) visit the Minnesota Wild (40-27-5) Thursday with puck drop from Xcel Energy Center set for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NHL odds around the Capitals vs. Wild odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Wild lead 1-0; won on the road 4-3 in a shootout on Jan. 2
Washington's 4-game win streak came to an end Tuesday night in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets as a +137 road underdog. The Under 5.5 hit. LW Andrew Mangiapane found the net for his 14th goal of the season in the loss.
Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin scored his 889th career goal Tuesday to move just 6 away from tying Wayne Gretzky's NHL record. He scored in the Jan. 2 game and has 20 goals in 24 games against the Wild and is +115 to score on Thursday night. He's at +750 to score twice.
Minnesota lost its second straight game Tuesday night, falling 5-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights as a +194 home underdog as the Over 5.5 cashed. LW Marcus Johansson netted the team's only goal, marking their only score across the last 6 periods.
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Capitals at Wild odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 5:32 p.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML) : Capitals -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Wild +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
: Capitals -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Wild +120 (bet $100 to win $120) Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS) : Capitals -1.5 (+170) | Wild +1.5 (-210)
: Capitals -1.5 (+170) | Wild +1.5 (-210) Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -102 | U: -118)
Capitals at Wild projected goalies
Charlie Lindgren (16-11-3, 2.63 GAA, .901 SV%) vs. Filip Gustavsson (28-16-4, 2.47 GAA, .918 SV%)
Lindgren picked up a win in his last start Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, stopping 27 of 28 shots. He's been sharp in March, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.21 GAA and .923 SV%. His last meeting with Minnesota on Jan. 2 didn't go as well, allowing 3 goals on 33 shots in a loss.
Gustavsson took a loss Monday against Dallas but still played well, stopping 26 of 28 shots. He's been outstanding in March, posting a 6-3 record with a 1.69 GAA and .940 SV%. His last start against Washington on Jan. 23, 2024, was a win, where he turned aside 30 of 33 shots.
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Capitals at Wild picks and predictions
Prediction
Wild 3, Capitals 2
BET WILD (+120).
I like the value on Minnesota at home as a slight underdog. The Wild have a solid home record and have won 3 of their last 4 at Xcel Energy Center. Meanwhile, Washington is coming off a tough overtime loss in Winnipeg and had to travel, which could lead to some fatigue. Minnesota has also dominated this matchup, winning 7 of the last 10 meetings. I'd back the Wild to win, but I also like the idea of sprinkling a little on Ovechkin to find the back of the net. Minnesota gets it done at home—take the Wild.
PASS.
I'm not going to play around with the puck line in this one, I'll keep my wager to the moneyline.
BET UNDER 5.5 (-118).
The Capitals are 4-1-1 against the Under in their last 6 games, while the Wild have stayed Under in 4 of their last 5. With both goaltenders playing at a high level this month, expect a low-scoring battle. The Under is the play tonight.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
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Dan Muse has won wherever he's been. The new Pittsburgh Penguins head coach got his start as an assistant coach for Yale University, where he piloted the defense and focused on team structure. Yale's 2013 national championship win propelled him to become head coach for the USHL's Chicago Steel. The Steel won the 2017 Clark Cup, the first in their history, by playing a dynamic, fluid style focused on speed and puck support. That was enough to make Muse the first-ever USHL head coach to jump directly to an NHL assistant coach. Under Muse, the Nashville Predators penalty killing finished sixth in the league in back-to-back seasons. Muse then landed with the United States National Team Development Program, where his 2023 U18 squad ripped off a record 16 wins against NCAA Division I opponents and won gold over Sweden at the 2023 U18 World Championship. That landed him back in the NHL with the New York Rangers, whose penalty kill finished third in the league under Muse. 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3 hours ago
- New York Times
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New York Times
3 hours ago
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New York could also choose to send its pick to Pittsburgh (via Vancouver) because of the J.T. Miller trade, which would allow it to hold on to its 2026 first-round pick. If the Rangers don't send Pittsburgh this year's pick, the Penguins will get New York's unprotected first in 2026. — Peter Baugh Eklund doesn't have the size factor in his favor as a smaller winger, but he competes quite hard to go with great speed and an impressive shot. That makes him enough of a fit for the Red Wings' drafting ethos to overlook his frame. Eklund's offensive ability would bring some needed sizzle to the top of Detroit's system. — Bultman With Mrtka and Aitcheson off the board, the Blue Jackets won't force the issue and draft a defenseman. They'll take the player, regardless of position, who excites them most, and who couldn't use a skilled, tenacious, combative forward like Bear. (Have you been watching these Stanley Cup playoffs?) Bear strengthens an already deep roster of young forwards, but they could use some more grease. The pipeline defenseman or goaltender will have to be considered at No. 20, the pick the Jackets acquired from Minnesota. — Aaron Portzline Vancouver trades No. 15 pick and F Nils Höglander to Boston for C Pavel Zacha and F Marat Khusnutdinov. Boston is wary of dealing Zacha, an important multi-position forward. But landing the No. 15 pick is a critical opportunity to add to a thin prospect pool. The Bruins are no longer in win-now mode. Smith's all-around upside as a defenseman makes him a valuable prospect with time to grow behind Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Mason Lohrei. There is no rush for Smith to turn pro. — Shinzawa Why Vancouver traded the pick: What you thought the Canucks would actually use their first-round pick? Vancouver needs help now. The organization is all-in on getting back to contending this season, and needs size and productivity from the middle of the forward group more than anything. Landing Zacha addresses the Canucks' need for a 'top two line center,' and at a reasonable price, with term, cap-wise. This is a deal that permits Vancouver to focus its resources on adding a legitimate top-of-the-lineup goal threat to try to replace what the club lost when it dealt J.T. Miller (and may lose more of in the likely event that Brock Boeser signs elsewhere in free agency). — Drance After unsuccessfully trying to trade these picks for more established, immediate help, the Canadiens take a swing on the hulking Lakovic. There are questions about his compete and vision — something the Canadiens value enormously — but you can't teach 6-foot-4 and Lakovic's skating is a plus attribute for a team that looks to play a fast game.— Arpon Basu If the draft fell this way, there would be enormous pressure on the Canadiens to take the Québec-born Carbonneau, so I took him second just to add some drama. Birthplace aside, Carbonneau is a high-compete scorer who could add some offensive punch in Montreal down the line. I don't love taking two wingers in a row here, but aside from a lack of depth down the middle, the Canadiens' prospect pool is diverse enough to allow for a true best-player-available selection. — Basu I swayed back and forth between Reschny and Braeden Cootes for this pick. Both are smaller players who can play center. But Reschny has more skill and goal-scoring ability, while still committing to both ends of the ice. Those attributes led me to take him in the end. There seem to be fewer questions about Cootes' viability at center, but Reschny's upside — even if he translates to a winger at the NHL level — was too good to pass up. — Julian McKenzie I debated between Cameron Reid and Hensler, but ultimately went with the right-shot Hensler, who has more size. I know the Blues took a right-shot D with their first-round pick in 2024 (Adam Jiricek). He may turn out to be a solid NHL defenseman, but he's been limited by injuries, and it wouldn't hurt to add another high-end pick on that side. Goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen was tempting, but the highest the Blues have drafted a goalie under GM Doug Armstrong was Colten Ellis in the third round (No. 93) in 2019. On the flip side, they haven't taken a single goalie in the last four years, so perhaps this is the year. — Jeremy Rutherford Full disclosure: We discussed a trade that would have sent the No. 20 pick to the Flyers for veteran right-side defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Alas, there was no deal made, but I find it hard to believe GM Don Waddell goes to the podium with each of his two first-round picks. The Ravensbergen selection, however, would make sense, as he's a goaltender with significant attributes who could be a game-changer in the NHL. Yes, the Blue Jackets are excited about the potential of last year's second-round pick Evan Gardner, but there's nothing wrong with stockpiling high-level young goaltenders and increasing the odds that you land a franchise player. The Blue Jackets haven't drafted a goalie in the first round in 24 years (Pascal Leclaire, 2001), but it's a position that's been in flux since Sergei Bobrovsky departed following the 2019 season. — Portzline A two-way forward who has been commended for his skating and compete level and has shown he can be used on special teams. He'll be at Michigan in the fall, where he'll fine-tune his game some more before hopefully jumping to the NHL level. Considering the Sens don't currently have a first-round pick in 2026, this is a pick they need to get right. Spence's upside seems too good for the Sens to pass up at 21. — McKenzie Since we bypassed the Flyers' biggest need, center, with the No. 6 pick, we'll go here with Nesbitt, who not only gives the prospect pool some needed depth at that position but also some welcome size and physicality. Nesbitt has something in common with 2024 Flyers first-rounder Jett Luchanko, too, as a player whose stock seemed to rise as his draft-eligible season progressed. — Kurz The Preds would like to add some size to their pool, and the 6-foot-4 Fiddler fills that need while still having the mobility, well-roundedness and character that they covet. It's not hard to imagine Fiddler as a complementary partner to top Preds D prospect Tanner Molendyk on a future second or third pairing in Nashville. — Wheeler The Kings now have some prospects on the left side of their defense after getting 2021 draft pick and KHL product Kirill Kirsanov signed to go with Jared Woolley, Jakub Dvorak and Angus Booth, but they don't have a true high-level puck mover that's a left shot. Boumedienne had a secondary role behind BU star blueliner Cole Hutson in his freshman year, but he busted out at the U18 worlds with 14 points in seven games for Sweden. He'll have time to iron out some of the risk in his game, but he can infuse L.A.'s defense pipeline with a lot of skill. — Stephens It wouldn't be surprising if the Blackhawks tried to use this pick in a trade. If they do keep it, they might as well take a chance on someone like Ryabkin. He's already been over to North America from Russia. He's shown the potential in Russia to be an elite player. He has a lot of traits that project well if he's put in the right development environment and an organization is willing to be patient with him. The Blackhawks could also use more players with his type of edge. Maybe he hits, maybe he doesn't. With as many first-round picks the Blackhawks have had in recent years, they can take some risks. — Powers With Hagens, Fiddler and Gastrin, the Preds walk away from the first round with a high-end talent, a long and mobile two-way D and a well-rounded, competitive, potential future 3C. — Wheeler Reid is an excellent skater and a smart player, which is a great starter kit for a top-four defenseman. He's not the biggest at 6 feet, which is presumably why he's still on the board here. On talent, he belongs higher up, and the Capitals pounce to add a steady defender with puck-moving upside to their prospect pool. — Bultman We debated centers like Mason West and William Moore but ultimately took right winger Ryker Lee, believing in his combination of puck wizardry, high-end release and compete level. The 2025 USHL rookie of the year finished fourth in USHL scoring (first among rookies) and is committed to Michigan State for 2025-26. There are "safer" plays available, but Lee's growth spurt and surge in production are intriguing, as is his rise from probable second-rounder to potential late first-round pick. Lee's offensive wizardry makes him worthy of a swing at top-six upside, especially if his wheels catch up with his growth spurt. — Murat Ates There are several players here who could be targets for the Canes. Benjamin Kindel is a smart, talented forward who fits our mold in Carolina. We considered scoring winger Jakob Ihs-Wozniak. Michigan State commit Eric Nilson is a fit. But Potter, the best skater in the draft, is too appealing to pass up with his speed and skill. — Wheeler After grabbing Misa with the No. 2 pick, it's time to get a good talent who can fill a system need. The Sharks have an overflowing prospect pool, but one area they can beef up is the right side of the defense. Why not grab Sam Dickinson's Memorial Cup-winning teammate here? San Jose is cornering the market on Knights, and Bruzstewicz has a good all-around game where he can defend both positionally and with his stick while generating some transition offense through the zones and having the mobility to jump up into the play. It's possible Brzustewicz could last to the Sharks' next pick at No. 33, and this one spent on tenacious forward Bill Zonnon instead. — Stephens A previous iteration of the Flames wouldn't come away with two small centers as their first-round picks. But with an emphasis on talent for their draft strategy in recent seasons, it's hard to see the Flames passing up the value of Kindel at 31. Not to mention, they likely have a good read on Kindel, considering he plays in their building with the WHL's Hitmen. You can make the argument he's the best player available at 31, too. In Kindel, the Flames get another two-way player who can help in transition. Calgary can care about size with its remaining picks. — McKenzie Horcoff is a bit like our pick at No. 22, Nesbitt, in that he's a center with good size who needs to keep working on his skating. While the Flyers don't end up with any of the truly high-end center prospects in this mock, Nesbitt and Horcoff would immediately bolster their prospect group down the middle. If just one of them hits, that would still be a win. — Kurz (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Michael Misa, Matthew Schaefer and Caleb Desnoyers: Michael Miller/ISI Photos, Dale Preston / Getty Images)
