This Wild vs. Jets prediction covers a Central Division game the market cannot separate. Minnesota sits first in the Central at 4-1-1. Winnipeg is third at 3-1-1. Even so, the full-game moneyline reads Wild -108 and Jets -112, which is about as close to even as hockey pricing gets. The reason sits in both creases. Neither club is dressing the goaltender anyone would have penciled in back in September. The total has already come down once, from 6.5 to 6.0. Below we work through the goaltending, the rest, the special teams and the market before landing on two plays.
Last Updated: October 13, 2026
Minnesota Wild vs. Winnipeg Jets — Game Info
| Where | Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| When | October 13 – 8:15 PM ET |
| TV | TSN3 (Canada), MINNHL (United States) |
Minnesota Wild vs. Winnipeg Jets Betting Preview
Start in goal, because that is where this game turns. Jesper Wallstedt has started all six Minnesota games and carries a .933 save percentage with a 1.82 goals-against average. He went the full 60 minutes on Monday. Filip Gustavsson remains on long-term injured reserve after offseason hip surgery. That leaves Calvin Pickard, who is confirmed for his first appearance of the season. His last NHL game came on January 8. He finished 5-6-2 with a .871 save percentage in 16 games for Edmonton a year ago.
Winnipeg’s crease is unsettled for an entirely different reason. Connor Hellebuyck was suspended by the Jets after failing to report to training camp and has not played a game. Stuart Skinner, who signed a two-year contract on July 1, is expected to start but has not been confirmed. Skinner is 2-0-1 with a .920 save percentage and last started on October 7. Clay Stevenson is the alternative at .872 across two outings. Winnipeg has alternated the pair, so the question stays open until the morning skate.
The résumés favor Minnesota. The Wild have scored 19 goals and surrendered 11, the second-stingiest mark in the league. Winnipeg has been outscored 15-13. The underlying play tells a flatter story, however. Minnesota controls 50.0 percent of five-on-five expected goals, which ranks 19th. Winnipeg sits at 43.0 percent, 26th. Neither club is dictating territory. Minnesota’s start has been built on goaltending and special teams, and tonight it gives back the goaltending half.
Both lineups are thin. Brock Faber had surgery for a skull fracture and is out indefinitely. Nico Sturm went to a hospital for evaluation after a teammate’s shot struck his helmet during Monday’s 4-2 win over Vegas, and coach John Hynes said he was not likely to travel. Marcus Foligno is on injured reserve and Nick Foligno is out. Winnipeg misses Josh Morrissey, who remains day to day. The calendar tilts as well. Minnesota played Monday night and traveled. Winnipeg has not played since October 9.
Minnesota Wild vs. Winnipeg Jets Odds
| Puck Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild | +1.5 (-275) | -108 | O 6.0 (-125) |
| Jets | -1.5 (+225) | -112 | U 6.0 (+105) |
Odds accurate as of October 13, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NHL Odds – Futures – Props
Minnesota Wild vs. Winnipeg Jets — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Wild | 36% | 64% | Jets |
See the latest NHL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Wild vs. Jets Prediction — Does Three Days Off Beat First Place?
Hockey handicapping starts with the crease, and the gap there is wider than the standings. Minnesota is handing the net to a goaltender who has not played an NHL game in nine months, behind a defense missing Brock Faber, on the back half of a back-to-back, in its fifth road game out of seven. Winnipeg has had three days off. Its expected starter has had six. Rust is not a character flaw, but it is a real variable, and the Wild have no way to know how Pickard looks until the puck drops.
The special teams flow points the same direction. Winnipeg takes fewer penalties than any team in the NHL at 3.00 per game and has been shorthanded only 11 times in five games. Minnesota has taken 27 penalties, 4.5 per game, and has killed 22 of them in six. Minnesota’s power play has carried the offense, producing seven of its 19 goals, and tonight it meets the thinnest menu of opportunities it will see. Winnipeg’s unit, meanwhile, draws a Minnesota side that hands out more chances than most. Kyle Connor has three of the Jets’ four power-play goals.
The case against is genuine and worth saying plainly. Minnesota is the better five-on-five team by expected goals, and Winnipeg has been worse at home than on the road, going 1-1-1 at Canada Life Centre while conceding 11 goals in those three games. The market is not confirming the Jets either. Public money sits 64 percent on Winnipeg’s puck line, yet that number drifted from +205 to +225 since opening, which means the money is not following the tickets. That is mild reverse line movement against the popular side. The edge here is modest rather than emphatic, and it leans on an unconfirmed starter.
The Pick: Winnipeg Jets Full-Game Moneyline (-112)
Wild vs. Jets Prediction — Who Absorbs the 26 Minutes Faber Used to Play?
Faber’s absence reshaped Minnesota’s blue line, and the load landed on Quinn Hughes. He is averaging 26 minutes and 41 seconds per game, more than three minutes clear of anyone else on the roster. He quarterbacks the top power-play unit. He has 19 shots on goal through six games, a rate of 3.17 per night, and he has nine points, tied for the team lead. None of that is an accident of form. It is a role, and the role is not going away while Faber is out.
The risk is straightforward. Winnipeg’s discipline cuts both ways, and a team that surrenders barely two power plays a night limits the minutes where a defenseman piles up attempts from the point. A second game in two nights can also trim a 26-minute workload. Six games is a short window for any shot rate, so this read rests on the role rather than the sample. Still, the number asks for less than his current pace, and in a tight game a trailing Minnesota club will put more pucks toward the net, not fewer.
The Pick: Quinn Hughes 3+ Shots on Goal (+125)
Our Final Word on Wild vs. Jets
This is the first of four meetings between these clubs. They split the series 2-2 last season, and three of those four games were decided by a single goal, including a 3-0 Minnesota shutout in Winnipeg. That history fits a game priced within four cents of a coin flip. Both reads below are modest rather than emphatic, and the first one changes shape if Winnipeg names Clay Stevenson instead of Stuart Skinner.
We will take the Winnipeg Jets on the full-game moneyline at -112, because a rested home side with the better goaltending situation tonight should not be priced behind a team on the second half of a back-to-back with its backup making a season debut. We will also take Quinn Hughes for three or more shots on goal at +125, since Faber’s absence has pushed him to nearly 27 minutes a night and the number sits below his current rate.
NHL Wild vs. Jets FAQ: October 13, 2026
What time does the Wild vs. Jets game start?
Puck drop is set for 8:15 PM ET on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. That is 7:15 PM local time in Winnipeg. The game is a regular-season Central Division matchup and the first of four scheduled meetings between the two clubs this season.
What channel is the Wild vs. Jets game on?
TSN3 carries the game in Canada, and MINNHL carries it in the Minnesota market in the United States. Wild+ streams the broadcast for subscribers. There is no national United States network on this particular game.
Where are the Wild and Jets playing?
The game is at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the home arena of the Winnipeg Jets. Minnesota is the visiting team. This is the Wild’s fifth road game of the season and Winnipeg’s fourth home game.
Who is starting in goal for the Wild?
Calvin Pickard is confirmed to start for Minnesota, making his Wild debut and his first appearance of the season. Jesper Wallstedt, who has started all six games to this point, sits for the second half of a back-to-back. Filip Gustavsson is on long-term injured reserve.
Who won the last meeting between the Wild and Jets?
Winnipeg won the most recent meeting 6-2 on January 15, 2026, in Minnesota. That was the only lopsided result of the four-game 2025-26 season series, which the teams split 2-2. Minnesota took the previous visit to Winnipeg 3-0 on November 23, 2025.
Where do the Wild and Jets stand in the standings?
Minnesota leads the Central Division with nine points from a 4-1-1 record and ranks sixth in the overall NHL standings. Winnipeg is third in the Central with seven points at 3-1-1 and sits 12th league-wide. Utah separates them in second place.