Minnesota Wild vs Nashville Predators Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 1 2026
The Minnesota Wild visit the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET with coverage on ESPN+. Both teams begin the season 0-0-0. Minnesota is a -149 road favorite, Nashville is +121, and the total is set at 6.5 goals. Be sure to check out our free NHL picks for more NHL predictions throughout the season.
Minnesota Opens as a Road Favorite
Minnesota averaged 3.27 goals per game last season and enters the opener with enough offensive credibility to be favored away from home. The Wild were a playoff-caliber team and generally produced the more reliable two-way profile.
There are some early availability concerns, however, including important absences on the defensive and goaltending sides. That keeps this from being an especially strong moneyline favorite.
Even so, the market is asking Minnesota to win rather than cover a substantial puck line, which makes the -149 price manageable.
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Nashville Gets a Chance to Start Fresh
Nashville averaged 2.95 goals per game last season and opens the new campaign at Bridgestone Arena looking to establish more consistency.
The Predators should be competitive at home, but their scoring baseline was lower than Minnesota’s. Nashville’s best chance may be keeping the game structured and forcing Minnesota to win without turning the matchup into a transition-heavy contest.
That possibility is important because the total has been posted relatively high at 6.5.
Minnesota Wild vs Nashville Predators Picks and Prediction
Pick: Minnesota Wild Moneyline (-149)
Minnesota is the preferred side. The Wild carried the better overall scoring profile last season and are reasonably priced for a road favorite. Nashville’s home ice keeps this competitive, but Minnesota has enough advantages at five-on-five to justify backing the visitor rather than taking the underdog solely for value.
Pick: Under 6.5
Under 6.5 is the stronger total angle. Minnesota and Nashville combined to average roughly 6.2 goals offensively last season, while their combined defensive allowance was also below Thursday’s 6.5 number. Seven goals is a demanding threshold for an opening-night matchup. A 3-2 or 4-2 result stays Under.
Final Picks: Minnesota Wild ML (-149) and Under 6.5
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