Expect Avs stars to make impact in juicy matchup vs. Wild

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.

We have a small but fruitful four-game slate ahead of us on deadline day. Let's waste no time getting to the best ways to approach it.

Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 shots

MacKinnon's shot volume is trending up in a big way. He's averaged 5.73 shots per game since the beginning of February and an absurd 6.5 over his last 10 games. He's returned to the shooting level we saw a season ago.

I don't expect MacKinnon to slow down at all on Friday night. The Wild limit shots pretty well at five-on-five but take a ton of penalties, which should lead to plenty of time and space for MacKinnon to rip pucks.

The Wild are also in the latter half of a back-to-back. They've given up plenty of volume in second legs this season, conceding 30+ shots in six of nine - with one of the exceptions coming against the Sharks. Minnesota has conceded at least 40 shots as frequently as it's given up 29 or fewer.

Look for MacKinnon, who has double-digit shot attempts in five of his last seven versus Minnesota, to feast on the Wild once again.

Odds: -110 (playable to -130)

Mikko Rantanen: Over 0.5 assists

Rantanen is a playmaking machine. He's recorded at least one assist in 56% of his games this season and is reaching new heights as the Avalanche get healthy.

The superstar winger has piled up 12 assists over his last 10 games. MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen, and company are filling the net every night, providing plenty of opportunities for Rantanen to sneak in an assist.

I love his chances of doing so once again versus the Wild. Minnesota is in a back-to-back situation, takes a lot of penalties (feeding into Colorado's lethal power play), and doesn't have reliable goaltending.

Filip Gustavsson continues to struggle mightily between the pipes. His save percentage sits at a woeful .892 and he's conceded at least three goals in eight of his last 10 games.

If that's the case again on Friday, Rantanen should be able to extend his assist streak to nine straight games.

Odds: -120 (playable to -140)

Shayne Gostisbehere: Over 0.5 points

Gostisbehere is quietly having a nice offensive season for the Red Wings. He's registered 40 points through 61 games and is playing his best hockey of the year.

He's found the scoresheet in six of the last seven games, failing only against the powerhouse Panthers.

I don't think getting involved will be a problem against the Coyotes. Ghost excels against bottom-tier competition, putting up at least a point in six of his last eight games versus the bottom 10 goal-prevention teams. The Coyotes fit into that group.

They bleed shots nightly and can't stay out of the penalty box - music to the ears of a power-play specialist like Gostisbehere.

The fact that the Coyotes are in a back-to-back situation and selling players at the deadline should only make life easier on Gostisbehere and the Red Wings.

Odds: +115 (playable to -120)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.