Wild vs Ducks

Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild roll into Anaheim with points in four straight (2-0-2) and a 7-1-2 run over their last 10, while the Ducks are trying to halt a 0-3-1 slide and just 2-6-2 over that same stretch, creating a sharp contrast in current form before puck drop. Minnesota’s historical dominance in this matchup is hard to ignore: the Wild have taken the last six meetings and are 19-1-0 against Anaheim in their last 20, with core pieces like Mats Zuccarello, Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes and Ryan Hartman all owning strong career production versus the Ducks, and they already blanked Anaheim 2-0 earlier this season. Goaltending and health tilt this spot further toward Minnesota: Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson have combined to keep the Wild at just 2.59 goals against per game, while Anaheim is conceding 3.53 per night and riding a recent rough patch from Lukas Dostal, and ESPN’s injury report shows Anaheim missing Frank Vatrano (shoulder, IR) and possibly Radko Gudas (day-to-day) while Minnesota has only depth concerns like Daemon Hunt. With the Wild sitting third in the Central and the Ducks holding a Pacific playoff seed, both have plenty of motivation at roughly the midway point, but Minnesota’s stronger two-way structure, healthier roster and sustained head-to-head edge make -130 on the Wild moneyline a solid blend of win probability and price, worthy of an A- confidence grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 02/01/2026 09:28([cbssports.com](https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gametracker/preview/NHL_20260102_MIN%40ANA/?utm_source=openai))

With Anaheim averaging 3.33 goals for and 3.53 against per game and Minnesota at 3.07 for and 2.59 against, the baseline profile for this matchup lands right around the 6.5 total, but recent trends push subtly toward offense: over their last 10, the Ducks have been leaking more than four goals per game while still generating chances, and the Wild have been driving play enough to allow only about 2.4 goals from under 30 shots, which suggests Minnesota can get to three or four on their own if Anaheim’s defensive slide continues. Special teams also lean toward a few extra goals; the Wild’s 22.6% power play goes up against a Ducks penalty kill sitting in the mid-70s, and with Anaheim chasing a skid in front of a home crowd, their aggressive push in the third period could open up counterattack chances the other way. The main risk to the Over is Minnesota’s ability to smother opponents, as seen in their 2-0 shutout of the Ducks earlier this season and Wallstedt’s excellent numbers, but the combination of Anaheim’s defensive form, the Ducks’ need to claw out of their slump, and both teams’ midseason playoff positioning nudges this toward a more open, whistle-heavy game than that first meeting. At 6.5 with -110 on each side, the Over offers respectable value but still carries meaningful variance tied to whether Anaheim can solve the Wild’s goaltending, so I rate Over 6.5 at -110 as a B-grade play. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 02/01/2026 09:28([nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/game-preview-at-anaheim-ducks-010226))

Given that Minnesota has covered multi-goal margins often in this matchup—riding that 19-1-0 run against Anaheim with several shutouts, including this season’s 2-0 win—the Wild -1.5 puckline at +196 is an intriguing way to leverage their superiority while taking on more risk than the moneyline. Anaheim’s current form amplifies the case: they enter on a four-game winless streak and 2-6-2 in their last 10, conceding well over four goals per game in that span, and they now have to navigate the absence of Frank Vatrano and a banged-up Radko Gudas, thinning both their finishing depth and their physical, defensive presence on the back end. Minnesota, meanwhile, is relatively healthy, getting big head-to-head production from Zuccarello, Kaprizov and Hughes against the Ducks historically, and features goaltending strong enough to protect leads once they get in front, which matters for pull-away scenarios in the third period. The main concern is Anaheim’s solid 12-7-1 home mark and the Wild’s ongoing seven-game road trip, which could create just enough fatigue for a one-goal grinder rather than a blowout, so the probability of the puckline cashing sits meaningfully below the moneyline even if the Wild are the more likely winner. Still, the combination of matchup dominance, current trajectories and plus-money at 196 justifies a B-grade on Minnesota -1.5, with the understanding that you are trading some win rate for a strong payout if they extend the Ducks’ skid in decisive fashion. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 02/01/2026 09:28([nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/game-preview-at-anaheim-ducks-010226))