Florida Panthers vs Minnesota Wild Prediction, Odds & Best Bets: Opening Night in Minnesota

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12 October 2023

Florida Panthers vs Minnesota Wild Prediction, Odds & Best Bets: Opening Night in Minnesota

We are back and it feels so good. The 2023-24 NHL season kicked off Tuesday night and it’s the greatest time of the year. We will finally have nonstop hockey for the next few months!

The defending Eastern Conference Champion Florida Panthers will take on the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. This is the first game of the season for both teams.

The Panthers finished 42-32-8 and were the 2nd seed Wild Card. They made their way to the Stanley Cup Finals but couldn’t get the job done against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Minnesota finished 6th in the Western Conference with a record of 46-25-1. They were eliminated in the first round series 4-2 to the Dallas Stars.

Florida surprised everyone last season by sneaking into the playoffs and making it all the way to the cup. Their addition of Matthew Tkachuk paid off in so many ways as he played an almost MVP season.

Captain Aleksander Barkov returns with their cast of shooters. Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe all will be firing again this year. The Panthers made a great addition by getting Evam Rodrigues and he should fit right in.

The Panther's run was also led by the fantastic play of goal tender Sergei Bobrovsky. He caught such a hot streak which led them all the way. They unfortunately could not get the job done, but they will be looking to replicate last year's performance.

Now let's talk about the Wild and what they bring back this year. NHL star and Wild leader Kirill Kaprisov will be looking to have another big year. He managed 40 goals and 35 assists last year in only 67 games. When healthy, he put up 47 goals and 61 assists the year prior, so should be a big 4th year for him.

The Wild also have Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello all returning. Each guy is such a huge role player for this team. Boldy really emerged as a key member of this team last year. They also will have Marc-Andre Fleury returning between the pipes.

This Wild team is now coming together and has developed a core. They played well last year and with Fleury back in net, they have just as good a chance as any to compete for the Cup.

Betting Odds

Puck Line

Florida Panthers +1.5 (-215)
Minnesota Wild -1.5 (+176)

Moneyline

Florida Panthers +110
Minnesota Wild -132

Totals

Over 6.5 (+114)
Under 6.5 (-124)

Game Information

Venue: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota
Date: Thursday, October 12, 2023
Tip-off: 9PM EST
TV: BSN, BSFL, BSWI

Florida Panthers vs Minnesota Wild Prediction and Picks

Prediction and Pick: Total Under 6.5 (-124)

Both teams are electric on offense and have great goaltenders. We should see a high volume, offensive game. The goal tenders could both get peppered, but both are so good that they can keep the score close.

First game of the year will have both teams on their toes. Both of these teams match up well together, so they could keep each other in check and make each other grind it out.

Now we could see the opposite as both teams have great offenses, but that means both goalies have to collapse. I don’t think we see that. Both goalies are sharp, and I expect them to play that way. I lean Minnesota, but I see a possible 3-2 final score.

Player Prop: Kirill Kaprisov Anytime Goal (-110)

Kirill Kaprisov is an absolute stud. From his speed to his stick handling, this kid is really good. He’s only going into his 4th season and has 2 40+ goal seasons.

He plays on the 1st line and the 1st power play line. The power play is where he can do a lot of damage because he is always firing. The Panthers allowed 272 goals last year, which ranked 21st in the league.

I really expect Kirill to have a big year as long as he stays healthy. At home, this team is going to be buzzing. Look for him to be shooting on the power play and get the any time goal for us.