The Carolina Hurricanes with their 32-18-4 record will face off against the Minnesota Wild with their 31-19-4 record at Xcel Energy Center tonight and out of the 9-game slate, this is one of our favorites. The Hurricanes, despite being road favorites at -165 on the moneyline, have a fairly tough challenge against a Wild team that has played well at home all season. Both of these teams are hot this season which makes for some really good bets.

Hurricanes vs. Wild: Odds and Game Breakdown

The Hurricanes enter tonight’s game with a recent run of inconsistency. They’re going 3-7-0 in their last 10 games which is very uncharacteristic of them.

One big factor is that scoring hasn’t been their strength as of late. They’re averaging 2.36 goals per game during this stretch which is well below their season average of 3.26 goals per game.

However, their defense and goaltending, led by Pyotr Kochetkov with a 2.48 GAA and a .903 save percentage, still remain solid. Even their backup netminder, Frederik Anderson, looks great as well with his 2.12 GAA and .913 SV%. So, the Canes have some options.

Minnesota has also been up and down recently as well. They’re posting a 4-6-0 record in their last 10 games, which like the Hurricanes, is pretty uncharacteristic of them as well.

Their offense, anchored by superstar Kirill Kaprizov with his 52 points and 23 goals, has been more productive than Carolina’s lately, but they’ve struggled defensively for the most part, allowing nearly 3 goals per game in that span. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson with a 2.68 GAA and .913 save percentage will need to be as sharp as a tack against a Hurricanes team desperate to regain their form.

The Wild already hold a psychological edge for tonight — having beaten Carolina 4-0 in their first meeting this season. However, this is a new game and both teams look different from their game last month, and the Hurricanes will be determined to avoid a season sweep.

Offensive Battle: Kaprizov vs. Necas

Both teams lean heavily on their top offensive stars. Though the Hurricanes no longer have Martin Necas, they do have someone slightly better — Mikko Rantanen and his 66 points on the season. He is unquestionably Carolina’s new driving force, while Kaprizov leads the Wild in goals and assists. Rantanen hasn’t yet proven himself with the Canes as he’s only racked up 2 points over the 5 games with them, but he’s still getting acclimated to their style of play.

Kaprizov’s dynamic ability to create big scoring opportunities gives the Wild an edge in this department, especially on home ice.

Goaltending: Kochetkov vs. Gustavsson

While we don’t yet know who will be in the crease for either team until closer to game time, we think it’ll be Kochetkov and Gustavsson given that this is a big matchup.

The Hurricanes’ Kochetkov has shown flashes of brilliance this season but has struggled with consistency. Defense could play a role as well, but Kochetkov has to do more to keep the puck out of the net.

Gustavsson, meanwhile, has been fairly reliable for the Wild. He’s ranking in the league’s top 15 in save percentage. If Minnesota can keep Carolina’s offense off-balance early, which we think they will, Gustavsson is more than capable of backstopping them to victory.

Special Teams

Carolina boasts one of the league’s best penalty-kill units at an incredible 85.4%. This could easily be a deciding factor for tonight’s game.

Minnesota’s power play, sitting at just 18.8%, has been inconsistent but can definitely get the job done.

If the Wild can find success on the man advantage, we think it could tip the scales in their favor. Unfortunately for them, Carolina is one of the more disciplined teams and tends to stay out of the box.

Prediction and Best Bet

The Hurricanes are the clear favorites on paper, but the Wild at +140 moneyline odds does give you some excellent value. 

Minnesota has the offensive weapons to take advantage of a Carolina team that hasn’t been at its best since they picked up Rantanen. Couple that with Gustavsson’s steady play between the pipes and the Wild’s confidence from their previous win, and it’s hard to bet against the home team here.

The Hurricanes’ recent road struggles (keep in mind they’ve lost 2 of their last 3 games) and their dip in scoring efficiency make them a risky bet despite having the favored odds. Minnesota, on the other hand, has the momentum, home-ice advantage, and the confidence of already shutting out Carolina once this season. The Wild just have too much going for them to bet against them.

• HelloRookie’s Prediction: Wild 4, Hurricanes 3
• Best Bet: Minnesota Wild on the ML (+140)

For those eyeing the total, the over 5.5 goals look mighty tempting. Given both teams’ recent trends of higher-scoring games and the low 5.5 bar, we think putting up a combined 6+ is no problem for tonight’s game. However, the Wild moneyline is the safer and more rewarding play.

We are expecting a hard-fought game, but with Kaprizov leading the charge, the Wild should come out on top and make it 2-0 in the season series.