The Dallas Stars will play the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals for the chance to see who earns a shot at playing for Lord Stanley's Cup. We are in Sin City sharing our NHL odds series, making a Stars-Golden Knights Game 1 prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.

The Stars are in the Western Conference Finals and will look to make an impact in this series. Significantly, they got here by defeating the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in the first round and the Seattle Kraken 4-3 in the second round. The Stars endured a grueling two series to get here and will have their toughest opponent yet. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights have made light work of their first two opponents. Vegas took down the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 in the first round and the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 in the second round. Ultimately, they are seamlessly getting the job done.

The Stars are making their sixth appearance in the Western Conference Finals in their team's history. Substantially, they have gone 3-2 in the five conference finals matchups. The Golden Knights are making their third appearance in the Western Conference.

The Stars will attempt to make their fourth trip to the Stanley Cup, and first since 2019-2020. Meanwhile, the Knights will attempt to make it to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time. The Stars and Golden Knights are meeting in the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four years and will look to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their inaugural season in 2017-2018.

Here are the Stars-Golden Knights Game 1 NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Playoffs Odds: Stars-Golden Knights Game 1 Odds

Dallas Stars: +1.5 (-245)

Vegas Golden Knights: -1.5 (+198)

Over: 5.5 (-106)

Under: 5.5 (-114)

How To Watch Stars vs. Golden Knights Game 1

TV: ESPN and ESPN+

Stream: NHL

Time: 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT

*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Stars Could Cover The Spread

The Stars have an explosive offense and a solid defense. Now, they need to put it all together and win four games against a gritty and tough Vegas team that can skate circles around many teams.

Roope Hintz is the playoff leader, with nine goals and 10 assists. Also, he scored four goals and three assists in the second round against the Kraken. Jason Robertson now has two goals and 10 assists. Significantly, he notched five goals and five assists in the second round against Seattle. Max Domi has three goals and eight assists in the playoffs. Ultimately, he contributed two goals and six assists against the Kraken. Joe Pavelski has eight goals and two assists. Additionally, he had a goal and five assists against Seattle. Jamie Benn now has two goals and eight assists. Moreover, he had a goal and five assists against the Kraken. The Stars showed what they were capable of against the Kraken.

Jake Oettinger is the man defending the net. However, he has had an up-and-down playoff, including some struggles against the Kraken. Oettinger is 8-5 with a goals-against average of 2.75 and a save percentage of .903 in the playoffs. Furthermore, he allowed four goals in three of the seven games he played against the Kraken. The Stars will need more from him.

The Stars will cover the spread if they can score early. Then, the defense must block shots in front of Oettinger, who must also make better decisions.

Why The Golden Knights Could Cover The Spread

The Golden Knights are back in familiar territory. Amazingly, they have excelled thanks in part to a player that has not played all season and delivered great results over these first two rounds.

Mark Stone did not play a single regular-season game. Regardless, he has thrived in these playoffs. Stone has five goals and seven assists. Moreover, he notched three goals and four assists in the second-round series against the Oilers. Jack Eichel continues to shine, with six goals and eight assists in the playoffs. Also, he had three goals and six assists against the Oilers. Jonathan Marchessault now has five goals and five assists. Meanwhile, he notched two goals and three assists in the series against the Oilers. Chandler Stephenson has six goals and four assists. Likewise, he had two goals against Edmonton.

Laurent Brossoit has not played since Game 3 of the series against the Oilers. Therefore, Adin Hill has taken the reigns in Vegas. Hill is now 3-3-1 with a goals-against average of 2.19 with a save percentage of .934. Now, the Knights need him to continue to play at a high level.

The Golden Knights will cover the spread if they can capitalize on their chances. Then, the defense must close the lanes.

Final Stars-Golden Knights Game 1 Prediction & Pick

This series feels like it will go seven games. However, the Knights learned their lesson from the first round and took out the Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round series. Expect the same in this showdown.

Final Stars-Golden Knights Game 1 Prediction & Pick: Vegas Golden Knights: -1.5 (+198)