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.
Our Wild vs Ducks Pick
| Pick: | |
| Confidence: | 3/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Minnesota Wild vs Anaheim Ducks
- Date & Time: Friday, January 2, 2026, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent Form
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.
Goaltending
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.
Key Skaters
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.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Matt Boldy | |
| Cutter Gauthier |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Wild defeated the Ducks 2-0 in their first meeting of the season.
- The Wild are 22-19 on the puckline this season.
- Minnesota is 20-21 to the over so far this year.
- The Ducks are 20-20 in the puckline market going into Friday night.
- Anaheim has seen 26 of its 40 games go over their respective totals.
Wild vs Ducks Model Projection
Final Thoughts
