Wild vs Devils Prediction & Picks (March 21): New Jersey Can’t Solve Minnesota’s Goaltending

The New Jersey Devils aim to put their recent home woes behind them when they host the Minnesota Wild for some NHL action on Tuesday, March 21. Minnesota already picked up a 3-2 shootout victory over New Jersey last month, leaving time to tell if Dean Evason’s club has what it takes to sweep the Wild vs Devils season series.

The Devils and @Marvel.

The Super Hero alliance the world needs right now… See you tomorrow. ?

?️: https://t.co/su9bp33Gw8#NJDevils | @RWJBarnabas

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 20, 2023

The Wild return to the road after picking up a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals at home on Sunday. Minnesota’s victory was made possible with help from Matt Boldy’s second career hat trick while Marcus Johansson added a pair of assists.

The Devils, on the other hand, are coming off a 5-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena two nights ago. The win snapped the Devils’ three-game losing streak as Jesper Bratt tallied a hat trick of his own — the very first of his career.

Tonight’s Wild vs Devils showdown features some interesting betting opportunities worth considering. The good news is that Betting News has gathered the matchup’s latest odds, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make.

Minnesota Wild vs New Jersey Devils Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Minnesota Wild (40-22-8, 18-11-5 Away) vs. New Jersey Devils (45-18-7, 19-13-3 Home)
• Venue & Location: Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey)
• Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Wild vs Devils TV Info: ESPN+

Wild vs Devils Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Tuesday, March 21 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Minnesota Wild +1.5 (-170)
• New Jersey Devils -1.5 (+140)

Over/Under

• Over 5.5 Goals (-140)
• Under 5.5 Goals (+114)

Moneyline

• Minnesota Wild +146
• New Jersey Devils -178

Wild vs Devils Betting Trends

• Minnesota is 6-1 straight up in its last seven games against New Jersey.
• New Jersey is 4-2 straight up in its last six games against the Central Division.
• The total has hit the over in each of Minnesota’s last six games.
• The total has hit the over in five of New Jersey’s last seven home games.
• The total has hit the under in three of the last four Minnesota-New Jersey matchups.

Wild vs Devils Game Preview

Although playing on the road is supposed to be a disadvantage, that hasn’t been the case for the Wild. They’ve picked up points in eight consecutive road games, going 6-0-2 over that stretch. The last time the Wild lost in regulation on the road came in the form of a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 15.

There’s a good chance that the trend will continue if history is any indication. After all, the Wild have won four of their last five trips to the Prudential Center, holding the Devils to exactly two goals in each contest.

Fortunately for the Wild, goaltending has been a strength lately. Marc-Andre Fleury has won each of his last seven starts, backstopping to a 2.13 goals-against average and .936 save percentage with a shutout.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has picked up points in 10 of Filip Gustavsson’s last 11 starts. On top of the Swedish netminder’s 6-1-4 record in those contests, Gustavsson also racked up a 1.75 GAA, .940 SV% and a pair of shutouts.

Filip Gustavsson is no stranger to stopping the puck. ?‍♂️

Save Analytics powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/HYP4GPQVuM

— NHL (@NHL) March 17, 2023

On the other side, the Devils have had issues stopping goals. Before Sunday’s win over the Lightning, the Devils had allowed four goals in each outing on their three-game skid. What’s worse is that only two goals scored during that stretch came on the power play, showing that New Jersey must be better at even strength.

Home ice also hasn’t given the Devils much of an advantage lately. They’ve dropped three of their last four games at the Prudential Center, allowing four goals in each defeat as well.

In other words, Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek must be better. He has a 3.38 GAA and .869 SV% in his last eight appearances and while he won five of those games, that’s not a sustainable path to victory.

It doesn’t help that the Wild’s top forwards are living up to their potential. After a slow start to the 2022-23 NHL season, Ryan Hartman has 14 points in his last 15 games. Boldy is coming off a hat trick, giving him 11 points in his last eight games. Kirill Kaprizov has also been his usual self, tallying 35 points in his last 35 games while scoring 12 goals in his last 17.

Meanwhile, Jack Hughes has just one goal in his last 11 games for the Devils. Ondrej Palat has only scored twice in his previous 20 outings. Even depth players like Miles Wood and Michael McLeod have struggled to find the back of the net.

With the way that the Wild’s goaltenders have been playing, it’s hard to imagine the Devils’ goal-scoring woes coming to an end tonight.

Wild vs Devils Prediction and Picks

Wild vs Devils Prediction: Wild 4, Devils 2

Wild vs Devils Picks: Wild ML (Best Value: +146 at BetOnline) & Over 5.5 Goals (Best Value: -140 at BetOnline)

The Wild’s recent road play has led to my siding with them tonight. The Devils just haven’t been getting consistent play lately, whether it’s on offense or between the pipes. On top of that, New Jersey has failed to handle Minnesota at the Prudential Center. As long as the Wild don’t shift their game plan, victory won’t be an issue.

I also expect the total to go over 5.5 goals. Minnesota has seen that total surpassed in each of its last six games while each of New Jersey’s last three has done so. Even if it’s just the road team doing most of the heavy lifting, expect more goals than projected in tonight’s Wild vs Devils clash.

Other Minnesota vs New Jersey Betting Resources

• Wild vs Devils Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats