NHL Best Bets, Predictions & Expert Picks Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Analysis

Colorado comes in as heavy favorites for good reason. They score 3.6 goals per game while allowing just 2.4. Minnesota puts up 3.3 but gives up 2.9, so the Avs matchup perfectly here. Model sees a -1.4 spread, close to the -1.5 line, with books mostly matching that at 85% while 15% sit softer at -0.7. That's your edge right there. Offense rankings scream Colorado. They're number one league wide against Minnesota's sixth ranked defense. Flip it, and the Wild's eleventh ranked attack faces Colorado's third best blue line. Brutal spot for Minny. Special teams tilt further Avs way too. Colorado's power play sits at 17.1% versus Minnesota's 79.8% penalty kill, good for about 0.56 power play goals per game. Wild PP is 25.2%, but Colorado kills 84.6%, limiting them to roughly 0.61. Head to head, Avs own this season series 3-1 with a 1.3 average margin. Recent form helps. Colorado rides a three game win streak. Sure, ATS trends show them covering just 35% at home and Minny 50% on road, but those don't sway the model. Numbers say Avs win by two or more. Confident lean here.

Public Fade

Public loves backing the Wild as road dogs, thinking grit beats skill. Wrong. Colorado's top offense shreds that narrative, especially with H2H dominance. Fade the trap.

Analysis

Carolina rolls into Philly as road favorites, and this screams blowout potential. Flyers sit at 43-27, Hurricanes at 53-22, but injuries gut Philly. Noah Cates out. Owen Tippett out. Nikita Grebenkin out. Ty Murchison out. That's depth decimated. Model leans Carolina covering the puck line hard here. Think back to Colorado's game, but flip injuries. Hurricanes boast superior record and form entering this. Philly's home, sure, but missing four key pieces changes everything. Carolina's structured game plan feasts on depleted rosters like this. Their speed and forecheck overwhelm second units. No exact spread model here, but edge mirrors the 3.6% from the board's top spots. Confidence high at 79%. Public might see Philly's home edge, but overlook the outs. Hurricanes win by two plus easy. They've got the horses. Flyers scramble. That's the story. Lay the puck confidently.

Public Fade

Bettors pile on Philly at home, ignoring the injury carnage. Four outs? That's not value. Public sleeps on Carolina's superior record and firepower. Easy fade.