The Pittsburgh Penguins will visit the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night in St. Paul. The Pens are off to a better start so far this season, but the Wild are favorites going into this game on their home ice. Here, you can find my breakdown of this matchup, including my Penguins vs Wild prediction for this inter-conference matchup in the NHL.
Our Penguins vs Wild Pick
- Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Minnesota Wild
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 30, 2025, 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul, MN
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
The Penguins enter this game playing at a high level. They have collected points in seven straight outings and secured five wins in that span. They are 4‑1‑1 on the road this season and have averaged over 3.6 goals per game. The Wild have sputtered early. They are just 3‑5‑3 so far and 1‑2‑2 at home. They have lost four games in a row, including two straight overtime games to the Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks.
Goaltending
Neither club is entirely stable in the crease at present, but Minnesota’s goaltending has raised concerns. Filip Gustavsson is 2-5-1 on the season and has a 3.42 ERA. He has to be better in this game if the Wild are going to end their losing streak and get their season back on track.
Key skaters
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are once again leading the Penguins offensively. Malkin leads the team with 16 points and 13 assists so far this season. Crosby leads the Penguins with eight goals so far this year. The Wild are led in points, goals, and assists by Kirill Kasparov. Kasparov has six goals and nine assists coming into this contest.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Evgeni Malkin | Over 1.5 points |
| Kirill Kasparov | Over 0.5 points |
| Tristan Jarry | Over 28.5 saves |
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the Penguins and Wild this year.
- Pittsburgh is 9-2 on the puckline going into this matchup from Minnesota.
- Minnesota is 5-6 on the puckline through their first 11 games.
- Pittsburgh is 6-4-1 to the over entering this contest.
- Minnesota has gone over the total in seven of their 11 games.
Penguins vs Wild Model Projection
Score Projection: Pittsburgh 3 – Minnesota 2
Win Probability: Pittsburgh 57%, Minnesota 43%
Final Thoughts
The Wild enter this game as the favorite and are playing at home. But the Penguins possess better form, an improving offense, and a healthier goaltending situation. Taking Pittsburgh on the moneyline offers value given the way these two teams are playing right now. I’ll take the Penguins to get the win on the road here and to extend the losing streak of the Wild to five games in a row.
