Minnesota Wild vs Anaheim Ducks Preview & Prediction - 1/2/2026
Updated January 1, 2026
Updated January 1, 2026
Friday’s Western Conference game between the Minnesota Wild and the Anaheim Ducks will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Both teams are in the top three in their respective divisions going into this game, meaning they would be in the playoffs if the regular season ended today. The Wild arrive with one of the better road records in the league, while the Ducks are desperate to halt a four-game losing streak. Here, I break down this contest and give you my Wild vs Ducks prediction on the ice.
Pick: | Over 6.5 |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
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Minnesota enters this game with positive momentum, having amassed points in each of its first three games of a season-long road trip and a 7-1-2 record over its last 10 outings. The Wild’s most recent two games saw them take a shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks and earn a 5-2 victory over a struggling Vegas Golden Knights squad, with Marcus Johansson recording a four-point effort and Filip Gustavsson delivering a solid showing in goal.
The Ducks have hit a rough patch, dropping four straight games and allowing an average of over four goals per game during that stretch. Anaheim’s defense has been leaky, and despite occasional flashes from scorers like Cutter Gauthier and Troy Terry, they have fallen to third place in the Pacific Division standings. Their recent poor play has put pressure on the Ducks to tighten things up if they intend to get back on track here.
We should see Filip Gustavsson in net again for the Minnesota Wild in this contest. Gustavsson has a GAA of 2.47 and is one of the main reasons for the Wild's success on the road this year. Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal has struggled to find consistency, sporting a .888 save percentage while struggling in recent games. I give the goaltending edge to the Wild in this contest.
Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov have been central to Minnesota’s success, each contributing significantly to the team’s scoring all year long. Marcus Johansson has also emerged as a multi-point threat in recent games. For Anaheim, Cutter Gauthier leads the team in goals and remains one of the few Ducks consistently threatening to score. Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish also have scoring potential, but with the Ducks’ dip in form, their production has been inconsistent.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Matt Boldy | Over 0.5 Points |
Cutter Gauthier | Over 0.5 Goals |
Score Projection: Wild 4 – Ducks 3
Win Probability: Wild 57%, Ducks 43%
My best bet for this matchup out west is for the over to cash at 6.5 goals. The Ducks have struggled on defense during their recent losing streak, but Minnesota hasn't been great on that end of the ice either. No matter which team wins this game, I think we are in for a high-scoring and entertaining affair from California.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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