Minnesota Wild - San Jose Sharks predictions and free betting tips [29/03/2024]

National Hockey League. Regular season 2023/2024. One more game for the day and here we have a Western Conference faceoff, a team which still theoretically has a shot at the playoffs against a team most probably destined to finish last in the whole league. The Minnesota Wild will be hosting the San Jose Sharks in their den.

Minnesota Wild 

Team captained by Kirill Kaprizov clings to the theoretical and mathematical odds for a playoff spot. As of now, they are nine points behind from the second wild-card round spot with only 11 games leftover in the regular season — that implies they need to win nearly half of the remaining games, while the opponents lose all theirs, and as we understand, the chances of such an occurrence are extremely low.

Minnesota Wild has to their credit 77 points following 71 games, thanks to 34 victories and 5 one-point losses. The rest, 28 games, ended without additional points for Wild. They currently have a -10 goal difference, the seventh-worst figure in the conference. Over the last ten games, Minnesota had only one-game without any points earned, six wins, and three losses in overtime. Their most recent game resulted in an overtime loss.

San Jose Sharks 

They are the ultimate outsiders not just of the Western Conference, but of the entire league. Quite incomprehensible, what San Jose aspires to now, because the team has been in a restructuring mode for quite a few years, and we're all waiting when it is finally going to end. But it just gets worse and worse. Regardless, now that they've offloaded almost all their substantial contracts, and looking ahead, they are forecasted to receive Celebrini in the upcoming draft, the collective may turn around. Nonetheless, faith in that is virtually absent.

At this stage, they would probably allow more playtime to the youth and await the draft. After 71 games, the Sharks have earned 40 points. These points were obtained from 16 victories and 8 one-point losses. San Jose lost the remaining 47 games without earning additional points. And of course, Sharks have the worst goal-difference in NHL, -133. In their last ten games, Sharks managed only one victory, eight losses in regulation time, and another one-point loss. Notably, their current streak consists only of one loss in regulation time.

Head-to-head meetings

Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks have contested just one game this season, where Minnesota ascended victorious with a score of 4:3.

Forecast

It certainly makes sense to back the Minnesota win, as they are simply stronger and do have some tournament ambitions.

Total Forecast

However, that's too short an odd and I'd like to find something with a higher return; thus I fancy the option of TO (5.5). Yes, a great choice at a good price, I sincerely believe these two teams combined can smash at least six goals.