The third-seeded Minnesota Wild will look to get back in the series against the top-seed Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their second-round 2026 NHL playoff series on Saturday.
Colorado is up 2-0 in the series after protecting home ice with a pair of three-goal wins, taking Game 1, 9-6, and Game 2, 5-2. The teams split their four regular-season matchups.
Game 3start time and location
Face-off from Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minn., is set for 9 p.m. ET.
Avalanche vs. Wild betting odds
The Avs are the -130 favorites (risk $130 to win $100), while the Wild are +110 underdogs.
The over/under for total goals scored is 6.5.
Puck line: Avalanche -1.5 (+176)
SportsLine model prediction
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times. After simulating Wild vs. Avalanche, the model is going Under on the total (6.5).
Offense was plentiful in the first two games, but the model is projecting that Colorado's high-flying attack could face more resistance on the road. The Avs were a 58% Under team this season and a 61% Under team on the road in 2026-27.
The model projects that both goalies — Scott Wedgewood for Colorado and Jesper Wallstedt for Minnesota — will have a save percentage of around 90%. The teams combine for 5.9 goals in the simulations as the Under hits 60% of the time.
Key trends
- Avalanche lead series 2-0
- Series schedule: Game 1 (9-6 COL), Game 2 (5-2 COL)
- Regular season: Teams split four meetings
- Avalanche: 58% Under at home, 61% Under on road