The Wild started the season on fire, going 18-4-4 through their first 26 games. Back then, they were sitting at the top of the NHL standings and life was good, even while injuries began to torment the roster. But then, Kirill Kaprizov suffered a lower body injury that has cost him all but three games since Christmas.

Over their last 46 games (since Jan. 7), the MN Wild have gone 22-23-1, losing Joel Eriksson Ek, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Marcus Johansson and Marcus Foligno (among others) for extended stretches throughout this below-.500 run. The latest injury updates have both Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek skating this week, in preparation for an eventual return before the start of the NHL Playoffs.

With 72 games in the books, the Minnesota Wild are holding onto the first wild card spot with 85 points. Right behind them, the St. Louis Blues sit at 83 points, claiming the second and final spot, for now. But the race is far from over, as the Flames, Canucks, and Utah Hockey Club are all within striking distance.

Western Conference Wild Card Standings

Five teams are vying for the final two wild card spots in the West. To the untrained eye, Wild fans should be nervous, especially given how much ground they’ve surrendured over the past week. Could this team really miss the playoffs for the second-straight season for the first time since 2011-12 and 2012-13?

Now, these standings can be deceiving, especially in the NHL. So, one must ask: is this something MN Wild should be concerned about? Well, who better to turn to than those who have the most money on the line… Vegas.

Current Minnesota Wild playoff odds

And when we do that, Wild fans may find themselves pleasantly surprised by their findings. Because according to all the major sportsbooks, there is pretty much no doubt that the Minnesota Wild are making the 2025 NHL Playoffs.

DraftKings has the MN Wild’s playoff odds currently listed at -1000, as does ESPN Bet. That means, if you want to place a bet on Minnesota making the playoffs, you’d have to bet $1000 just to win $100. FanDuel is so sure of the Wild as a playoff team that they have the odds set at -1600!

The Wild still hold a solid 6-point lead, which is a good cushion with just 10 games left. However, with teams like the Flames and Canucks closing in, they’ll need to find a way to grind out a few wins to finish the season strong and make the playoffs.

With Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek expected to start skating again this week, there’s a good chance they’ll be back in the lineup for the final games of the season, in April. That is likely playing into the current playoff odds. But really, what has oddsmakers so confident in the 2024-25 Minnesota Wild as a playoff team is the math of what it would take to make them miss.

Related: More Good News Minnesota Wild Injury Updates…?

For example, if the Calgary Flames went on to finish their season with a very respectable 6-3-1 record (13 points), the Wild would have to essentially fall off a cliff — to the tune of 3-6-1 — in order for the Flames catch them in the standings. That means, even given the injuries Minnesota is dealing with, missing the postseason would be a fall from grace that even the 2024 Twins would be embarrassed by.

The oddsmakers and millions of gamblers pushing the line on this weekend’s game, however, have no interest in such context. What started as Minnesota (-3.5) earlier this week, has now moved all the way to Minnesota (-7), at certain sportsbooks. That’s right. Touchdown favorites ON THE ROAD.

Not only are the Gophers playing a ranked team on the road. But that ranked team’s 2nd-year head coach, Bret Bielema, is 8-0 in his career vs Minnesota. That includes an upset win over the Gophers last season. A loss that cost Minnesota a chance to play in the Big Ten Championship. Earlier in his coaching career (2006-2012), Bielema was 7-0 vs the U of M as Wisconsin’s head coach.

What do the sportsbooks know?

Really, I cannot justify what’s transpiring in Vegas, regarding the ridiculous lines/spreads on this game. I do believe the Gophers will win on Saturday and I’ll tell you why in the paragraphs below. Still, there’s no justifiable reason for Minnesota to be a touchdown favorite going into this game. It’s straight-up disrespect against Bielema’s Illini.

Illini starting QB, Tommy DeVito is questionable to play. That’s part of it. DeVito (1163 YD, 9 TD, 2 INT) has been a great compliment to Illinois’ dominant rushing attack.

It’s possible that bettors and oddsmakers see the Illini defense, which has been the team’s biggest strength so far, as built on a house of cards. They’ve held opponents to just 8 PPG on the season but 2/3 of their big ten schedule, so far, has consisted of teams that suck at offense (Wisconsin, Iowa).

Slow Chase Brown

And if the Fighting Illini aren’t fighting out a close game or playing with a lead, they could be in trouble because their offense revolves around star running back, Chase Brown, who has already amassed 879 yards and 4 TDs on the season.

If the Minnesota Gophers defense can slow Brown and the offense can expose Illinois’ defense as statistically overrated… then Vegas might end up right. But that’s a lot of if’s for a spread like what we’re seeing in this game.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan