Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Arizona Coyotes vs Minnesota Wild: Both teams are in the bottom half of the West
The Arizona Coyotes are visiting the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday.
The Coyotes are all over the place
The Arizona Coyotes are 13th in the Western Conference with a 26-34-5 record. After losing 16 consecutive games, the Coyotes have split the last six and are coming off a 7-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Coyotes are 22nd in the league, scoring 2.92 goals per game, and two spots lower, allowing 3.35. Clayton Keller is the best player on the team, with 55 points in the season.
The Wild are still in playoff contention
The Minnesota Wild are tenth in the Western Conference with a 31-27-7 record. They have won three of the last four games and are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Nashville Predators. The Wild are 18th in the NHL, scoring 3.09 goals per game, and are ranked 22nd, allowing 3.28. Kirill Kaprizov is the best player on the team, with 70 points so far in the season.
Betting Trends
Minnesota has won 15 of the last 20 games against Arizona. The Wild are 4-2 SU in the last 6 home games. The Coyotes are 3-17 SU in the last 20 games overall, 2-12 SU in the last 14 games on the road and 2-8 SU in the last 10 games in Minnesota.
Prediction and Conclusion
This is the fourth time these two teams will face each other in less than two months. The Coyotes won the first one by 6-0, and then Minnesota took over with 3-1 and 5-2 victories. Arizona has woken up after getting closer to setting a record for the longest losing streak ever, but they have no legit chance to reach the playoffs. Minnesota, on the other hand, is two places under the line that separates the playoff teams from the rest of the conference and is six points shy. It will be very tough to get there, so games like this must and will be won by the Wild.
