Anaheim Ducks vs Detroit Red Wings Prediction: Expect a productive match

Prediction for the NHL match which will take place on January 8. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Anaheim is once again very far from the playoff zone. In recent years, the Ducks have been a hopeless underdog in the league, capable of breaking out and producing decent results only during short stretches of the regular season. This season is no exception, as the Californians got off to a good start and even delighted their fans with a six-game winning streak at the juncture of October and November. But then they started to lose in packs, which they continue to do. At the junction of 2023 and 2024, they managed to beat only Vegas - 5:2, after which they lost again, and in the standings of the Western Conference, Black and Orange take only 14th place.

Detroit is gradually starting to come to its senses. The Wings had a great start to the regular season, scoring 11 of a possible 14 points in seven starting meetings, but things went downhill. They improved slightly in November and December when they won six of seven games, but then went into another slump that resulted in seven losses in the next five contests. The Red and White beat Nashville 5:4 in their final game of 2023, then lost to Boston 3:5, but they still managed to beat San Jose and Los Angeles in their last two games, 5:3 and 4:3, respectively. Detroit sits 12th in the Eastern Conference standings but is only one point behind the top 8.

Anaheim and Detroit are currently outside the playoff zone of their respective conferences, with the Wings only one point behind the coveted Cup Eight. Therefore, they have plenty of tournament motivation, while the Ducks are hopelessly stuck among the league's underdogs with no serious goals in mind. In addition, the Californians are in bad shape right now, having lost five of their last six games, while the Red and White have slowly started to find themselves, winning both of their previous two games on the California tour.

Detroit recently began to not only actively cling to points but also, in almost every game, arrange a real feast of goals. In the eight previous battles involving the Red and White, there were 66 shots on goal (8.25 per game on average), which is very high even by NHL standards.