Minnesota Wild vs Washington Capitals Prediction: Best Bet for Sunday
Minnesota allows 2.33 goals per game and brings the best goaltending on Sunday's slate to Washington, but the Wild are missing both defensemen who anchor their blue line and their other starting goaltender. Washington is 6-2-0 at home and scores 3.58 per game, and Sunday tests whether Minnesota's structure survives without the players who run it.
The Matchup
Minnesota is 9-3-3 with a plus-0.80 differential, scoring 3.13 goals per game and allowing 2.33, and Kirill Kaprizov is playing like the best winger in the league, with 14 goals and 24 points in 15 games. Quinn Hughes has 16 assists from the blue line, which matters more Sunday because of who is missing around him.
Jared Spurgeon is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and Brock Faber is on injured reserve as well, so Minnesota's top defensive pair is out at the same time, and Filip Gustavsson is on injured reserve with a hip injury, which removes the Wild's other starter. Marcus Foligno and Nick Foligno are also on injured reserve, thinning Minnesota's checking line.
Washington is 8-4-0 at plus-0.50, scoring 3.58 per game and allowing 3.08, and the Capitals have won four of their last five. Alex Tuch leads Washington with 10 goals and 12 points, Dylan Strome has 12 points and Jordan Kyrou has 11, a spread of scoring that tests a short-handed defense at more than one spot. Washington's own blue line is missing Rasmus Sandin and Vincent Desharnais, both on injured reserve, so neither defense is at full strength.
Key Factors
Jesper Wallstedt is why Minnesota can survive its injury list. With Gustavsson out, Wallstedt is the starter rather than the understudy, and his 2.14 goals-against average and .916 save percentage are better than anything Washington can counter with, as Logan Thompson sits at 2.78 and .903 and Charlie Lindgren at 2.98 and .888.
Special teams lean Minnesota's way as well. The Wild convert 25.5 percent on the power play against a Washington kill at 79.5 percent, and Minnesota kills 80.9 percent against a Capitals power play at just 18.2, so Washington's likeliest route to a big night is the phase where it has been ordinary. The honest counterpoint is the building and the blue line.
Washington is 6-2-0 at home, Tuch and Strome will get shifts against a Minnesota defense missing its two anchors, and the Wild played into overtime against the Islanders on Friday night before traveling. If Washington's forecheck gets to Minnesota's replacement pairs early, the Wild spend the night defending instead of countering, and Wallstedt has to be the whole story.
Minnesota defends better, its goaltender is playing better, and Kaprizov is the most dangerous player on the ice. Washington's home record is the worry here, not its roster. Take the Minnesota Wild moneyline at -108.
Game Information
| Date | Sunday (11/1) |
|---|---|
| Start Time | 2:30 PM CT |
| How to Watch | NHL |
| Venue | Capital One Arena |
| Total | 6.5 |
| Moneyline | Minnesota Wild -108 |
More Picks This Week
More on Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals
NHL Props and Futures Boards
Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.