LiontipsMinnesota vs St. Louis. Prediction and Betting Tips for NHL (January 2, 2022).
Command Analysis
Minnesotacurrently are in the 4th position in the Western Conference standings with a total of 40 points. This season is going well for the team, and the Wild probably will have no problems qualifying for the playoffs. However, after a long winning streak, Minnesota suffered four defeats in a row.
This happened before the teams went on a break, though, and Dean Evason's charges will be looking to get back on the winning track in the upcoming fixture. The Wild are coming into this game in almost optimal line-up with an exception of several injured players.
St. Louis climbed to the 2nd line in the Western Conference table with a margin of one point over their hosts. Unlike Minnesota, the Blues have already played one match after the break. In that game, they confidently defeated Edmonton at home with a score of 4:2.
The Blues are a powerful home team and recorded most of their victories in St. Louis, however, they haven't been so successful on their travels and lost 9 out of 15 away games. Such key players as Barbashev and Buchnevich are still in the COVID protocol, and without these forwards, the Blues aren't so confident on the offensive.
Trends
СтавкаMinnesota IT over 2.5 goals
Minnesota average 3 goals per game at their home court.
Ставка1st period: total over 1.5 goals
In 4 out of 5 games between the clubs, more than one goal was scored in the first period.
Tip and bets
Minnesota were on a string of defeats before the break, and they obviously want to break it and give a good performance in front of their fans. St. Louis still have serious problems with the line-up, while the Wild have all their main players in the ranks. We think that the hosts will get an easy win here.
Our prediction - Minnesota to win
Both teams prefer attacking style of hockey, and this season, the games between them were high-scoring. In the last three head-to-head matches, more than 6 goals were scored, so we suggest betting on the total over.
Second bet - total over 5.5 goals
