Golden Knights vs Wild Odds, Lines, and Picks on March 10th
- The Vegas Golden Knights, owning the NHL’s second-best winning percentage of .750, are 1.5-goal favorites on the road vs the Minnesota Wild on March 10, 2021
- NBC Sports Network will broadcast the game starting at 7 PM EST
- Here are the odds, lines, picks, and analysis for the game
The numerous game cancellations caused by COVID-19 outbreaks this season made it challenging to sort out the NHL standings. Some NHL teams have played three to five fewer games than other teams in their division. But here’s what we know for sure: the Vegas Golden Knights have been among the NHL’s most consistent teams, and their .750 win percentage ranks second only to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s .783. The Golden Knights’ +23 goal-differential ranks third in the NHL behind the Lightning (+35) and Toronto Maple Leafs (+23).
That’s why the Knights are still favored against the Wild for their March 10th meeting, even though the Wild beat the Golden Knights 2-0 Monday. The Vegas odds to win the Cup have stayed consistent from +833 to +800 all season
Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegas Golden Knights | -110 | -1.5 (+230) | O 5.5 (-103) |
| Minnesota Wild | -105 | +1.5 (-286) | U 5.5 (-120) |
Odds taken March. 9th at DraftKings
Fleury Problem Has Been Blessing for Vegas
When the season started, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon looked like he made a major managerial blunder by ending up with $12 million in goalie on his salary cap.
After signing Robin Lehner, McCrimmon couldn’t find a way to trade Marc-Andre Fleury.
Now that looks like a brilliant move because Lehner is injured and Fleury is getting the job done with a 12-4 record and .943 save percentage. Fleury has a 1.57 goals-against average, and his team ranks second in the NHL with a 2.04 goals-against average. That’s noteworthy because the Golden Knights have a Top 10-rated offense.
Marc-Andre Fleury leading all @NHL goalies with a ridiculous 19.15 Goals Saved Above Expected. #GoalieAnalytics #Workhorse #Flower🌸 pic.twitter.com/KfIdi730Gg
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) March 8, 2021
Wild Surge Strengthens Playoff Outlook
The Wild are tracking toward earning the third or fourth playoff spot in the Western Division with the NHL’s No. 8 defensive team (2.61 goals per game) and No. 12 offensive team (3.09 per game).
With a 7-3 mark in their last 10 games, they have been playing as well as the Golden Knights have for the past three weeks. Dynamic rookie forward Kirill Kaprizov (19 points in 23) has given the team a spark, as he continues to be the betting favorite in the Calder Trophy odds.
But their playoff spot is far from guaranteed. The Avalanche have been dealing with injuries to Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, but will eventually return. The Coyotes also won’t go away, although their struggles to score could be their ultimate undoing.
This Kaprizov assist is wild 😮#NHLonSN #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/tw9oezIWey
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 6, 2021
Golden Knights/Wild Injuries
Anyone betting this game needs to pay attention to morning skate on Wednesday to check the status of defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Mark Stone.
💻 DeBoer on Stone and Pietrangelo: Neither one skated today and they're still in the evaluation process. pic.twitter.com/dAXdbxuUut
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 9, 2021
Both players are out with day-to-day injuries. Pietrangelo is the Golden Knights’ No. 1 defenseman, and Stone has become the team’s flag carrier. He does everything pretty well, and the Golden Knights look to him when they need a big play.
The Wild injury report shows Marcus Johansson still out with an undisclosed injury. He did skate on his own this week.
Wild Not Necessarily the Underdog
The Wild and Golden Knights have similar records over the past 10 games, and that is significant considering the NHL schedule is all divisional play this season. The Wild have received strong goaltending from Kaapo Kahkonen. He has won seven games in a row. If Pietrangelo and Stone can’t play, that’s another significant disadvantage for the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights are 2-1 against Minnesota, and 10-12 against the spread this season.
Pick: Wild Moneyline (-105)
Kevin Allen has covered most major events, including the Olympics, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final. He covered the NHL for USA Today from 1986-2020, receiving the Lester Patrick Award in 2013 and was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 with the Elmer Ferguson Award.
