The most highly-anticipated series in round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs began over the weekend in thrilling fashion, and tonight, the teams run it back in Game 2. We saw a combined 15 goals scored last time out as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 9-6 in the opener, and with both teams truly in the conversation as Cup contenders, we’re in for another treat tonight. Can Minnesota respond to even the series, or will Colorado go up 2-0 before hitting the road later this week?

Here’s a Wild vs. Avalanche Game 2 prediction and pick for Tuesday’s NHL Playoffs action on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Wild vs. Avalanche Game 2 prediction, preview

This second-round series has seen plenty of hype surrounding it, especially after the Wild dispatched an excellent Dallas Stars team in pretty dominant fashion to begin their playoff run. With that in mind, the opening minutes of Game 1 felt… well, wild, given that the Avalanche went up 3-0 before the first period was even over. Yet Minnesota wasn’t deterred, battling back and making it a competitive game once again. The dust settled with a 9-6 final in Colorado’s favor, with 79 combined shots on net and 15 different skaters scoring goals. Whew.

A repeat of that matchup feels unlikely given that both of these defenses are rather good. The Avalanche allowed the fewest shots on goal and goals per game of any team in the NHL this season and Scott Wedgewood is a force in the crease. The 33-year-old veteran amassed a 2.02 GAA and .921 SV% in the regular season and ranked first in SV% above expected among all goalies with at least 10 appearances during the 82-game schedule, coming in at third in goals saved above expected per 60 as well. A better game feels likely after allowing more goals in Game 1 than he did in the entire first-round series against the L.A. Kings.

As for the Wild, they were fourth in goals allowed per game during the regular season and stifled Dallas in 5v5 play during round one. The absence of Jonas Brodin is challenging though, and there’s uncertainty in net with rookie Jesper Wallstedt — who stood on his head in the first round — benched in favor of veteran Filip Gustavsson. The latter’s .904 SV% and 2.69 GAA in the regular season were both worse than his younger counterpart’s, but perhaps his experience will reign supreme tonight.

The respective offenses are what truly stand out though, especially after Game 1. The Avs scored an NHL-best 3.63 goals per game in the regular season and have an embarrassment of riches in skaters like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas and more. The Wild have their own superstars in Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes and Matt Boldy, but they’re not quite as deep and the injury that’ll sideline top-line center Joel Eriksson Ek again tonight is problematic as the roster is weak at his position. Plus, he had five points in six games and plays a key role on the power play.

Wild vs. Avalanche Game 2 pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Avalanche as -198 home favorites to win on the Moneyline tonight, while the Wild come in with +164 odds on the road. The game total sits at 6.5 combined goals.

Betting splits show 77% of straight bets on Colorado to win, 60% of wagers on the Avs to cover the -1.5 puck line, and 54% on the total’s under.

Minnesota has an excellent team and was certainly the better squad in round one, but while Dallas was a worthy opponent, Colorado is miles better this season. MacKinnon won the Rocket Richard and is a top candidate to win the Hart after leading this team on one of the best seasons in franchise history, and wherever you look, he has plenty of support up and down this roster. The two injuries to key Wild players are detrimental for sure, especially in a matchup such as this one. And while the goalie swap from Minny isn’t without its merits, it feels like the type of move that may be coming as an emotional response rather than a logical one. Wallstedt was great in the first round and just had one terrible game; that doesn’t doom him to repeat it. Gustavsson faded hard down the stretch of the regular season and has been waiting for his chance, but it’s been a couple of weeks since he’s seen extended action in a real game. If he’s rusty at all, the Avs will capitalize. Even if he’s not, this still has a Colorado win written all over it.

Best bet: COL Avalanche 60 min line (-125)