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The Dallas Stars will travel north to face the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. It will be a potential playoff preview in Minnesota as we continue our NHL odds series with a Stars-Wild prediction and pick.
The Stars lead the head-to-head series 54-33-5. Likewise, they are 8-1-1 in the past 10 games against the Wild. including 5-0 in the last five games at the Xcel Energy Center,
Here are the Stars-Wild NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Stars-Wild Odds
Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+164)
Moneyline: -156
Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: +130
Over: 5.5 (-104)
Under: 5.5 (-118)
How To Watch Stars vs Wild
Time: 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
TV: TNT and truTV
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Stars Will Cover the Spread/Win
The Stars will play the Wild on the tail end of a back-to-back after they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Therefore, if their game on Saturday is particularly taxing, the Stars might have tired legs. Regardless, they will still face a team that might give them trouble in the playoffs. Of course, they must play out this game and the rest of their schedule.
Mikko Rantanen is a star and continues to put up major records with the Stars. Likewise, it will be another chance for him to shine. Going into the weekend, Rantanen had a combined 83 points with the Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, and Colorado Avalanche. So far, he has four goals and nine assists through 13 games with the Stars and is growing into his role with the team.
Matt Duchene has remained one of the best players in the game. Significantly, he came into the weekend with 29 goals and 48 assists. While the Stars have some weaknesses, Duchene is not among them. Meanwhile, Jason Robertson continues to produce, scoring 33 goals and 44 assists through 77 games. Wyatt Johnston has remained solid. Ultimately, he has 31 goals and 37 assists.
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The Stars are fifth in the NHL in goals and second in assists. They are also fourth in shooting percentage. However, they have been inconsistent on the power play, ranking 14th on the extra-man attack.
Jake Oettinger is the man in the net and likely will play on Sunday. Casey DeSmith will likely face his former team on Saturday. Significantly, he is 36-15-3 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a save percentage of .912. The defense is third in the NHL in goals against. Furthermore, they have the best penalty kill in the NHL.
The Stars will cover the spread if their star players can continue producing points. Then, they must defend the crease and not let the Wild find some room to maneuver.
Why the Wild Will Cover the Spread/Win
Kirill Kaprizov may return soon after missing some significant time since January. For now, the Wild will have to make do without him. Matt Boldy has been inconsistent but has led the team in scoring. So far, he has 25 goals and 39 assists. Marco Rossi has been solid, with 23 goals and 33 assists. Likewise, Mats Zuccarello has tallied 18 goals and 29 assists.
The Wild have struggled to score without Kaprizov, ranking 25th in goals and 26th in assists. Furthermore, they are just 24th in shooting percentage. The Wild have also struggled to score on the power play, ranking just 21st with the extra man.
The defense and goaltending have been keeping this team afloat. Filip Gustavsson has held the line, going 29-18-6 with a 2.55 goals-against average and a save percentage of .915. His defense has been inconsistent, ranking 15th in goals against. The penalty kill has been awful, ranking 31st when shorthanded. That must change if the Wild are to have a chance against the Stars.
The Wild will cover the spread if they can swing the puck freely and give themselves more chances to fire pucks at the net. Then, they must defend the crease and not let the Stars get too many golden opportunities at scoring.
Final Stars-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Stars are 37-38 against the spread, while the Wild are 38-39. Additionally, the Stars are 16-22 against the spread on the road, while the Wild are 14-24 against the spread at home. The Stars are 30-40-5 against the over/under, while the Wild are 33-42-2 against the over/under.
The Stars have dominated this series recently. However, the Wild covered the spread in two of three games this season, including a 2-1 loss to the Stars at home earlier. I think the Stars have the momentum. Yet, I also believe the Wild can make this a close game and give the Stars a tough time. Therefore, I will roll with the Wild to cover the spread at home.
Final Stars-Wild Prediction & Pick: Wild +1.5 (-205)
