The Devils host the Wild on Wednesday night at the Prudential Center at 7:00 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook, New Jersey is a -135 favorite on the Moneyline, and the game’s total is set at O/U 5.5 goals. Nico Daws and Filip Gustavsson have been named the starting goaltenders.
Below, I’ll share my top preview, prediction and pick for Wednesday’s tilt between the Devils and Wild.
Devils vs. Wild prediction, preview
Devils preview
The Devils are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, ranking second in goals per game and eighth in 5v5 xGoals%. Jack Hughes has been elite, recording six goals and three assists across six games, but it has been Jesper Bratt who has been the most impressive for New Jersey. Bratt leads the team in both assists (7) and points (10), and has recorded the primary assist on five of Hughes’ six goals. Jake Allen has been phenomenal, posting a 1.91 GAA and .931 SV% across four starts, but the club will turn to 24-year-old Nico Daws for his first start of the season. Daws posted a 1.60 GAA and .939 SV% across six appearances in 2024.
New Jersey has been impressive at each level. It ranks fifth in PP% and third in PK%, and presents an interesting matchup against Minnesota’s league-leading powerplay unit. Daws’ potential upside is very high, and the offense has netted the third-most total goals this season. If there is a concern with this club, it could be the fact that it is operating on zero days’ rest, but it’s too early in the season for fatigue to matter enough.
Wild preview
The Wild enter Wednesday’s tilt on the final game of a five-game road trip. The club has lost three of its last four games, with its lone win coming against the Rangers on Monday night. It ranks 25th in 5v5 xGoals% and 10th in 5v5 goals against above expected, and its goaltending has been disappointing. Filip Gustavsson will start, and is 2-3-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .899 SV%. Among goaltenders with at least one appearance this season, he ranks 33rd in goals saved above expected and 35th in SV% above expected.
The Wild been traveling on the road since October 14, and head into what should be a rowdy Prudential Center tonight. The club has netted 19 goals this season, with just eight of them coming at even strength. The high-danger chances simply haven’t been there, and the goaltending has been lackluster.
Devils vs. Wild pick, best bet
On DraftKings Sportsbook, 65% of the handle and 79% of the bets have been placed on Devils ML. New Jersey has the clear edge on offense, defense and goaltending, and is playing at home, where it has won both games with a +4 goal differential. Minnesota’s lack of even-strength production is very poor, and it will be difficult against a disciplined Devils’ squad that ranks in the bottom-half of the league in penalty minutes per game and is one of the best when it comes to PK%.
I slightly lean toward over 5.5 goals, too, given New Jersey’s offensive firepower against Minnesota’s poor goaltending. The Devils have scored 5+ goals in three games this season, the same number of games that the Wild have allowed 5+ goals. For better odds and because they’ve won all five games in regulation, I’ll pivot to the 3-Way Moneyline, which sits at +100.
