The Florida Panthers return to action on Friday night with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL as heavy favorites in the NHL odds.
The Cats have suffered three straight losses following their nine-game winning streak, but their most recent two defeats came in overtime. Meanwhile, Minnesota has lost five of its past six games and is coming off a 7-3 loss in Tampa Bay just last night.
This is the final game of a five-game homestand for the Panthers, while the Wild are in the midst of a short three-game road trip.
Can the Panthers conclude their homestand with a win? Read on for our Wild vs. Panthers NHL picks and predictions for Friday, January 19.
Wild vs Panthers odds
Wild vs Panthers predictions
The Florida Panthers barely squeaked into the playoffs last season before going on an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final. The Cats are proving that last year’s postseason success wasn’t a fluke.
Florida sits at 27-13-4 on the season, five points behind the Boston Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers have been defending home ice well with a 13-6-2 record.
The most impressive thing for the Panthers is that they’ve done a lot of their damage while recovering from some bumps and bruises from that long playoff run. Top defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour missed the start of the season but the Cats didn’t miss a beat. Matthew Tkachuk was battling the effects of a broken sternum suffered in the spring, and it finally looks like he’s fully healthy.
On the other side, the Minnesota Wild have had a rough year. They’re 18-21-5 overall and just 7-12-2 on the road. Kirill Kaprizov recently returned from injury, which is bound to help, but the Wild have been struggling as of late. Minnesota is 2-8-1 in its last 11 games.
Things went from bad to worse on Thursday for the Wild as it was announced that team captain and top defenseman Jared Spurgeon will be out for the season due to a hip injury. They then went out and got blasted 7-3 by the Lightning in Tampa Bay.
Marc-Andre Fleury took sole possession of second place on the NHL all-time wins list earlier this week, but it’s been a rough season for the veteran netminder. He’s 8-9-3 with a 2.97 goals against average and .897 save percentage.
On the other side, Sergei Bobrovsky is confirmed to start in net for the Panthers. He’s 21-10-2 this season with a 2.46 GAA and .911 SV%.
Back-to-backs haven’t been too kind to the Wild recently. They lost both halves of one last week — 4-3 in overtime to the Flyers then 6-0 to the Coyotes — and got swept by the Winnipeg Jets in a home-and-home to end the 2023 calendar year.
The Panthers have rest, home ice, and overall talent on their side tonight. Sometimes it’s hard to lay a number close to -200, but it’s worth it tonight.
My best bet: Panthers moneyline (-190 at BetMGM)
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Wild vs Panthers same-game parlay
Panthers moneyline
Sam Reinhart to score
Sam Reinhart 3+ shots on goal
The Panthers are my best bet to take care of business at home against the Minnesota Wild. They’re anchoring my parlay alongside star winger Sam Reinhart.
Reinhart is red-hot right now with 10 goals during his eight-game goal streak. He also has 16 goals in his last 14 games, finding the back of the net in all but two of those contests.
The first-line winger already has 33 goals in 44 games this season, two more than last year’s total and tied with his career-high set two years ago. He’s shooting an astounding 27.7%, and while that certainly won’t stay that high forever, the Wild aren’t exactly the best defensive team.
Minnesota has allowed the seventh-most goals per game (3.39) this season, including 24 goals in its last five games. In fact, the Wild have allowed four or more goals in four of those contests, including seven goals twice.
I’m also banking on the Sam Reinhart odds to shoot the puck a bit tonight. He’s recorded 3+ shots on goal in 12 of his last 13 games and there’s no reason to think he’ll slow down now against a struggling Wild team.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Wild vs Panthers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Panthers opened around -185 but they’re as high as -198 at DraftKings now. You can still get Florida at -190 at BetMGM. The Wild are up to +164 at DraftKings after opening around +154.
The total is set at a flat 6 at most books with FanDuel offering Over 6.5 (+105) and Under 6.5 (-130).
Wild vs Panthers betting trend to know
The Florida Panthers have hit the Moneyline in 61 of their last 101 games (+12.40 Units / 8% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Wild vs Panthers.
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Wild vs Panthers game info
| Location: | Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL |
| Date: | Friday, January 19, 2024 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | BSWI, BSFL |
Wild vs Panthers latest injuries
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