San Jose Sharks vs Minnesota Wild

With Kirill Kaprizov surging through a six-game point streak and the Wild fighting tooth and nail for a Western Conference Wild Card spot, Minnesota looks determined to handle business at home against the floundering Sharks. The “State of Hockey” squad has won four of its last five, while the Teal have dropped six of their last seven, continuing a season-long struggle. Adding to San Jose’s woes is the ongoing absence of top-pair defenseman Mario Ferraro, thinning an already-papered blue line. Rookie Macklin Celebrini has shown flashes, but without consistent support, the Fish have floundered, especially against teams with composed top-six groups like Minnesota. Historically, Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek have lit up the scoreboard versus San Jose, with Kaprizov averaging over a point per game against them over the past two seasons. With playoff urgency in the air and the Sharks long eliminated, the edge clearly skews toward Dean Evason’s disciplined group. However, given the low payout at -305, there's limited value unless used in a parlay. Our recommendation: take the Wild on the Moneyline as a relatively safe bet, though the low odds yield a B grade rather than an A pick. Odds and availability are subject to change.

Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild have been surging, riding a three-game winning streak as they push for a last-minute clinch in the Western Conference playoff picture, while the floundering Sharks continue their free fall with a five-game losing streak. The Teal has little to play for besides pride, and with Logan Couture still sidelined and goaltending depth being tested, San Jose’s defensive issues remain glaring. Meanwhile, the Wild offense has come alive recently, with Matt Boldy finding chemistry with Joel Eriksson Ek, and historically, Kaprizov has torched the Sharks, notching 10 points in his last 6 games against them. Add to that San Jose’s inability to protect the crease—they currently allow the most goals per game in the league—and Minnesota’s incentive to pile on in their playoff hunt, and it points toward a game that could sail past the six-goal mark. However, any puckline bet is diluted by the unknown of whether San Jose can contribute even marginally to the scoreboard. This Over gets a B+ rating—high probability behind Minnesota's firepower, reasonable odds, and solid value against one of the West’s weakest squads. Odds and availability are subject to change.

The Teal have struggled all season with defense, and with Mario Ferraro sidelined due to a nagging upper-body issue, they’ll once again be heavily reliant on rookie goaltender Magnus Chrona—who’s facing a Wild offense that dropped five goals on him in their last meeting. Meanwhile, minny's Matt Boldy has six points in his last four games and continues to wreak havoc on San Jose’s porous penalty kill. All signs point to the State of Hockey skating away with a confident win — and covering the puckline in front of their home crowd. Given the Sharks' continued spiral, key injuries, and a Wild club with much more to play for, this puckline pick gets a solid B rating for expected outcome and value. Odds and availability are subject to change.