Kings vs Wild Prediction, NHL Odds & Picks (Feb. 21)

The Los Angeles Kings aim to sweep their 2022-23 NHL season series with the Minnesota Wild when the two teams collide on Tuesday, Feb. 21. The first two encounters were only decided by one goal each, making it interesting to see if tonight’s Kings vs Wild showdown is also a close-fought affair.

The Kings enter tonight’s contest riding a four-game winning streak. They needed a shootout to pick up a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes in their latest outing. Kevin Fiala led the charge with a three-point showing (two goals, one assist) while Gabriel Vilardi and Adrian Kempe scored for Los Angeles in the shootout.

Meanwhile, the Wild hope to extend their winning streak to three games after back-to-back home wins against the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. Minnesota currently holds onto the Western Conference’s second Wild Card spot, so a victory tonight would help solidify its standing.

Tonight’s Kings vs Wild collision also brings several betting opportunities to the table. Here’s a look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Los Angeles Kings vs Minnesota Wild Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Los Angeles Kings (32-18-7, 15-9-5 Away) vs. Minnesota Wild (30-21-5, 18-10-2 Home)
• Venue & Location: Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, Minnesota)
• Date: Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
• Game Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
• Kings vs Wild TV Info: ESPN+

Kings vs Wild Odds

Game odds are via FanDuel as of Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 9:03 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Los Angeles Kings +1.5 (-245)
• Minnesota Wild -1.5 (+194)

Over/Under

• Over 6 Goals (-110)
• Under 6 Goals (-110)

Moneyline

• Los Angeles Kings +105
• Minnesota Wild -126

Kings vs Wild Betting Trends

• Los Angeles is 9-2 straight up in its last 11 games against the Western Conference.
• Minnesota is 3-8 straight up in its last 11 games played in February.
• The total has hit the over in each of Los Angeles’ last five road games.
• The total has hit the under in 10 of Minnesota’s last 12 home games.
• The total has hit the over in four of the last five Los Angeles-Minnesota matchups at Xcel Energy Center.

Can Kings Extend Winning Ways?

As mentioned before, the Kings are one of the NHL’s hotter acts, heading into tonight’s action on a four-game winning streak.

One of the reasons why the Kings have been able to pile up those wins is their offense. They’ve scored at least five regulation goals in each of those victories. In fact, if you go back a bit further, you’d find that the Kings have tallied at least four goals in seven of their last eight games.

Kempe has played like a man possessed over that stretch, tallying nine goals in as many games. Fiala and Anze Kopitar have also played well over that time, scoring five and six goals, respectively. The trio has also combined for a whopping 40 points over that nine-game stretch, further highlighting just how hot they are.

That’s not even to mention how Drew Doughty and Blake Lizotte are playing at a point-per-game pace over that period, amassing nine points apiece.

The Kings’ impressive offense has also helped the power play go 10-of-27 (37.0%) over the last nine games. It’ll be interesting to see if that success continues against the Wild’s penalty kill, which is currently tied for the No. 6 spot in the league (81.7%).

Considering that the Kings scored seven goals during their last trip to St. Paul, there’s a decent chance that their offensive tear continues tonight.

Can Wild Create Separation?

Although the Wild aren’t on a four-game winning streak, they have won each of their last two outings and have picked up points in four of their last five matchups.

Having said that, the Wild aren’t blowing out opponents like the Kings to find success. Each of Minnesota’s last five contests has been decided by just one goal. Three of those games were decided in a shootout.

The Wild’s offense has been virtually non-existent in those contests, only producing 10 regulation goals. Only five different players have scored over that stretch with four of those goals coming from Kirill Kaprizov.

Names like Mats Zuccarello, Matthew Boldy, Frederick Gaudreau and Jordan Greenway have only combined for one goal over the last five games. The Wild can’t win tonight if that trend continues — especially against an offensively-talented team like the Kings.

If Minnesota wants to win, it’ll likely need Filip Gustavsson to stand on his head again. The Swedish goaltender has started in four of the Wild’s last five games, going 3-0-1 with a 1.65 goals-against average and .941 save percentage.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t had much success in his young career against the Kings. In three previous starts, Gustavsson has gone 0-3-0, tallying a 3.10 GAA and .913 SV%.

Nevertheless, Gustavsson is more than capable of stealing a game when he gets hot. Only time will reveal if that’s the case tonight.

Kings vs Wild Prediction and Picks

Kings vs Wild Prediction: Kings 4, Wild 3

Kings vs Wild Picks: Kings ML (Best Value: +105 at FanDuel) & Over 6 Goals (Best Value: -110 at FanDuel)

Although both teams have played well lately, I’m siding with the Kings. They’re slightly hotter and have been able to fill the back of the net recently. Meanwhile, the Wild haven’t done well at creating separation from the opposition, which could come back to bite them against a team like Los Angeles.

On top of a Los Angeles upset, I recommend taking the over on the projected total. On top of the over being 7-1 in Los Angeles’ last eight games, the over has been hit in four of the last five Kings vs Wild contests at Xcel Energy Center.

Considering how the two foes have averaged 7.7 goals in their last three contests, brace for some offense tonight.