Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche Picks and Predictions November 28th 2025

Game Preview: Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild

Two of the NHL’s hottest teams collide Friday afternoon as the Colorado Avalanche take their league-best record into Saint Paul to face the surging Minnesota Wild. Colorado enters on a remarkable 10-game winning streak, matching franchise history with three straight shutouts, while Minnesota has ripped off six consecutive victories and a 10-1-1 stretch over its last 12 outings. With the Avalanche sitting at 17-1-5 and the Wild at 13-7-4, the matchup is positioned as a premier post-Thanksgiving headliner featured across the NHL previews hub.

Colorado’s defensive dominance has been exceptional, allowing no goals in three straight contests. Their most recent outing, a 6-0 win over San Jose, showcased the structure behind their run. Mackenzie Blackwood has delivered consecutive shutouts, crediting the commitment his teammates display in the defensive zone. The Avalanche’s scoring depth remains the league’s gold standard, led by Nathan MacKinnon and buoyed by elite playmaking from Cale Makar and Martin Necas.

Minnesota, meanwhile, staged a 4-3 overtime win over Chicago on Wednesday despite trailing twice. The Wild followed back-to-back shutouts over Pittsburgh and Winnipeg with a resilient comeback effort, drawing praise from coach John Hynes for their ability to grind through imperfect performances. Minnesota’s defensive metrics have stabilized, and their top-line production continues to drive one of the league’s most effective stretches of hockey.

With both clubs thriving and the home crowd expected to provide an energetic backdrop, this matchup carries high stakes for Western Conference positioning and strong interest among bettors tracking daily movement through the NHL scores and odds page.

Odds and Key Information

Colorado opened around -171 as the road favorite, a nod to its unmatched record but also to Minnesota’s strong home-flight tendencies being accounted for by oddsmakers. The Wild sit at approximately +144 on the moneyline, a number that has seen measured support due to Minnesota’s recent defensive form and their 13-7-4 record. The total lands at 6.0, fairly typical for a game featuring two streaking teams with high-end talent.

Bettors looking across the broader NHL betting board through the NHL picks section will notice that both clubs bring elite defensive form into the contest. Colorado’s streak of clean sheets is historic, and Minnesota has shut out two of its last three opponents. Yet offensive firepower on both ends tempers expectations for a low-scoring game.

Coaches expect full rotations in goal. Colorado is projected to start Scott Wedgewood, who is 13-1-2 with a 2.09 goals-against average. Minnesota may alternate between Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, who have combined to stabilize the Wild’s crease through their 13-7-4 start.

Colorado Avalanche Outlook

Colorado’s offense is the most explosive in the NHL. Nathan MacKinnon leads the league with 39 points, including 18 goals in 23 games, and continues driving possession with elite pace and transition threat. Makar and Necas both have 30 points, giving the Avalanche three of the league’s top scorers. Their ability to sustain pressure shifts the ice and creates layers of difficulty for opponents trying to handle their cycle game.

Defensively, Colorado’s structure has taken a significant leap. Their three consecutive shutouts highlight improved neutral-zone shape and reduced high-danger chances against. Blackwood’s back-to-back clean sheets reinforce the team’s commitment to closing down space, although Wedgewood is expected to start here to manage workload. He has a strong 2.09 GAA and .918 save rate this season, offering steady advantages in backstopping.

Colorado’s depth remains essential, but injuries have impacted forward rotation. Updates on missing pieces can be monitored through the Avalanche injury report. Their overall health remains strong relative to league averages, enabling Colorado to sustain their run-heavy attack. Bettors reviewing data through the NHL team index have consistently seen Colorado top the league in nearly every efficiency metric.

Minnesota Wild Outlook

Minnesota’s surge to 10-1-1 over its last twelve games has been driven by balance. Their two shutouts earlier this week highlighted the stability the Wild have regained on the defensive end, and the comeback win over Chicago showed resilience and late-game finishing ability. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov remain co-leaders with 28 points each, while their ability to interchange positions and create shooting lanes keeps opponents guessing.

Filip Gustavsson has had mixed success historically against the Avalanche but enters this game with improved rhythm. Jesper Wallstedt is unbeaten in regulation, posting a .935 save percentage and offering Minnesota one of the league’s most promising young goaltenders. Their combined rotation allows Minnesota to thrive through high workload stretches. Key lineup losses such as Marco Rossi and Vladimir Tarasenko are tracked closely through the Wild injury report.

On the backend, Minnesota’s system under Hynes emphasizes structure, board battles and physicality in front of the net. Their penalty kill has tightened, and their transition counters have created opportunities for forwards like Kaprizov to generate multi-shot sequences. Analysts reviewing situational play via the NHL previews portal note that Minnesota’s recent success stems from their ability to limit extended defensive-zone shifts.

Key Matchup Table

Category	Colorado Avalanche	Minnesota Wild
Record	17-1-5	13-7-4
Recent Form	10 straight wins; 3 straight shutouts	6 straight wins; 10-1-1 last 12
Key Scorers	MacKinnon 39 pts; Makar/Necas 30 pts	Kaprizov/Boldy 28 pts each
Goaltending	Wedgewood 13-1-2 (2.09 GAA)	Wallstedt 6-0-2; Gustavsson 7-7-2
Special Teams Strength	Improved defensive structure	Tightened PK; effective counterplay
Injury Considerations	Several forwards out	Multiple top-six injuries

Betting Trends

Colorado has been unstoppable, winning ten straight and going 8-2 on the puckline across that stretch. Their ability to close games and generate multi-goal separation has made them one of the league’s most profitable teams for bettors tracking performance through the NHL odds board. They have trended under in three straight games due to defensive dominance.

Minnesota has matched Colorado in shorter form with five straight wins and a 3-0 puckline record in their last three. Their recent under trend also aligns with tightened defensive structure. Bettors examining predictive edges through the NHL picks listings have noted that both teams generate high-quality chances but limit secondary shots effectively.

The Lean

Colorado’s offensive ceiling and elite defensive form give the Avalanche the edge, even against a Minnesota team playing its best hockey of the season. The matchup likely stays competitive early, but Colorado’s pace, scoring depth and stable goaltending profile project a slight advantage. With the total set at 6.0, offensive talent on both benches creates potential for late scoring.

Projected Score: Colorado 4, Minnesota 2
Best Moneyline Pick: Avalanche ML
Total Lean: Over 6.0

Evaluating comparable matchups through the NHL previews hub reinforces Colorado’s projection as the top team in the NHL with strong late-game control.

Why You Need Expert Picks

With both teams riding long winning streaks, evaluating matchup edges requires more than raw statistics. Bettors often consult the Handicappers Leaderboard for performance-tracked insights from analysts who specialize in identifying sharp-side indicators across volatile slates. Experts consider pacing patterns, goaltending rotation tendencies and situational fatigue—essential components in this back-to-back-heavy portion of the schedule.

The expert betting guide also provides frameworks for interpreting model variance and leveraging comparative data across NHL totals and sides, making it particularly useful for high-profile games like this one.