Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes speaks to reporters after a practice in Salt Lake City on Dec. 9, 2024. We made it four straight victories with last night's shootout winner on the Detroit Red Wings, as they eked out a victory over the Sabres in Buffalo. A lot more to choose from tonight, with 11 games on the card, but the one that stands out most to me is where the betting market - in my eyes - mistakenly is moving on the Utah Hockey Club, as it welcomes the league's co-leading Minnesota Wild. Let's do a deep dive into this one: WHY MINNESOTA: Honestly, what's not to like about the Wild? Sitting atop the league with Washington and Winnipeg - all three with 40 points - the Wild have shown their best stuff away from the Twin Cities, going 11-2-3 on the road this year. One of those losses came Saturday in Los Angeles, and the Wild are 6-2 following a loss this season. Chalk that setback up to the second leg of a back-to-back against a very good Kings team. WHY UTAH: This club is in after a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and could be skating with confidence considering it's won two straight. Utah has won five of its last seven away from home, outscoring its opponents 26-11. The one thing it could use is a boost of the same consistency in Salt Lake City. A win over the league's top team could go a long way. All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. THE PICK: Wild -105 -- This might be the first meeting between the teams since the Utah franchise arrived from Phoenix, but the organization is the same, and the Wild have owned this series. Minnesota has won three straight against this franchise, and 18 of the last 23 meetings. Couple the series domination and the Wild's will to bounce back from Saturday's loss, and this is a cheap price to lay. (Season Record: 9-10-0, Net: -165$, based on 100$ units)
