Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche Picks and Predictions for Sunday March 8 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 03/08/2026, 12:15 AM ET

The Minnesota Wild travel to face the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 PM start and will be televised on TNT, HBO Max, and truTV. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. For more analysis and daily betting insights, be sure to check out our free NHL picks for additional expert predictions.

Minnesota Wild Looking to Stay Hot on the Road

The Minnesota Wild enter this matchup with a strong 37-16-10 overall record and have been impressive away from home with a 19-9-3 road mark. Minnesota has been playing solid hockey lately as well. They recently won over Vegas 4-2 and had an impressive 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay. The Wild also recently lost to St. Louis 3-1 and Utah 5-2, but they picked up a big win over Colorado 5-2 in their most recent meeting.

Offensively, the Wild have been a productive team this season. Minnesota is averaging 3.31 goals per game while generating 28.7 shots per contest. Defensively they allow 2.86 goals per game and give up around 30.2 shots per night. Their power play has been especially strong, producing 53 goals and converting at a 25.9% rate, making them one of the more efficient teams with the man advantage.

One area that really stands out for Minnesota is their special teams balance. They have allowed zero shorthanded goals all season while also scoring five of their own. Even though their penalty kill sits at 78.0%, the Wild’s ability to capitalize on power plays and protect leads has been a key reason they remain one of the stronger teams in the Western Conference.

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Colorado Avalanche Dominant at Ball Arena

Colorado comes into this matchup with an outstanding 42-10-9 record overall and has been nearly unbeatable at home with a 22-4-4 mark at Ball Arena. The Avalanche have also been in excellent form lately. They recently won over Dallas 5-4 in a shootout, Anaheim 5-1, Los Angeles 4-2, and Chicago 3-1 and have suffered a 5-2 loss to Minnesota.

The Avalanche boast one of the most explosive offenses in the NHL. Colorado is averaging 3.82 goals per game while firing an impressive 34.2 shots per contest. Their defensive play has also been elite, allowing just 2.40 goals per game and limiting opponents to only 26.6 shots on average.

Another key strength for Colorado is their defensive discipline and penalty killing. The Avalanche own an 83.5% penalty kill while allowing only 28 power play goals against all season. Although their power play percentage sits at 15.5%, Colorado makes up for it with their ability to dominate possession and create scoring chances at even strength.

Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche Pick

Pick: Colorado Avalanche Moneyline

Colorado has been one of the most dominant home teams in the league this season, and Ball Arena has been a difficult place for opponents to steal wins. While Minnesota has played well and even beat Colorado recently, the Avalanche’s elite offense and strong defensive metrics give them a slight edge in this matchup. I expect Colorado to control the pace of the game and take advantage of their high shot volume to generate scoring opportunities.

Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche Total Pick

Pick: Take the Over if the total is set at 6

I like the over in this matchup because both teams have shown the ability to score in bunches. Colorado averages nearly four goals per game while Minnesota is also producing over three goals per contest. With both offenses capable of creating high-quality chances and the recent meeting between these teams producing plenty of scoring, I expect another game where the puck finds the back of the net multiple times.

Final Score Prediction: Colorado Avalanche 4, Minnesota Wild 3

This prediction was written before the completion of game play on Saturday.