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The Dallas Stars will face the Minnesota Wild in an NHL playoff rematch at Xcel Energy Center. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Stars-Wild prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Stars defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Saturday. Initially, it was a scoreless game. But the Stars exploded for three goals in the second period. Then, they held on for a one-goal win in the third. Wyatt Johnston led the way with a goal and an assist, while Matt Duchene added a goal. Significantly, Scott Wedgewood made 31 saves to preserve the win.
The Wild lost 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Initially, they played behind the 8-ball the entire time, trailing twice and never holding the lead. Joel Eriksson Ek had a powerplay goal to cut the deficit with 7:33 left in the game. However, Minnesota could not tie the game. Kirill Kaprizov had one goal and one assist on four shots on goal. Meanwhile, Mats Zuccarello added two assists while shooting it six times. Eriksson Ek had a goal on seven shots. Ultimately, goalie Filip Gustavsson made 22 saves to keep the Wild in the game. The Wild fired 35 shots. Also, they won 73 percent of the faceoffs, went 2 for 5 on the powerplay, and killed off four penalties. The Wild leveled 26 hits and blocked 18 shots. However, they didn't get the bounces they needed.
The teams split the regular-season series in 2022-2023. However, the Stars beat the Wild 4-2 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Wild have gone 6-4 in the last 10 regular-season games against the Stars and 6-4 in the past 10 at the Xcel Energy Center.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Stars-Wild Odds
Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+202)
Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-250)
Over: 6.5 (+116)
Under: 6.5 (-142)
How to Watch Stars vs. Wild
Time: 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Wisconsin, and Bally Sports Southwest
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Stars Will Cover The Spread
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The Stars have had a good start to their season. They hope to continue the momentum against a team they eliminated from the playoffs last season. It all starts with the offense.
Joe Pavelski is their top player, with five goals and seven assists. Likewise, he has had plenty of faceoff chances, winning 58 and losing 65 in the circle. Roope Hintz has five goals and six assists, including two powerplay goals. Also, He has won 51 draws in the circle while losing 57. Jason Robertson is starting to pick it up after a slow start, with three goals and seven assists. Yet, he is still searching for his first powerplay goal. Johnston now has five goals and five assists. Moreover, he has 36 faceoff circle wins and 42 losses. Jamie Benn has scored three goals and six assists. Amazingly, he has been exceptional in the draw, winning 74 faceoffs and losing 56.
Jake Oettinger will be in the net today and comes in with a mark of 6-2-1 with a 2.10 goals-against average and a save percentage of .933. Overall, he will play behind a defense that has allowed 32 goals, which is fourth-best in the NHL.
Why The Wild Will Cover The Spread
The Wild have gotten off to a poor start because of mediocre defense and poor goaltending. Therefore, they will have their hands full as they attempt to figure out their issues in this one.
Zuccarello leads the team with three goals and 12 assists. Also, he has fired 41 shots on the net. Eriksson Ek has eight goals and six assists, scoring on a 16.7 percent conversion rate on 48 shots. Additionally, he has won 148 faceoffs and lost 139. Kaprizov has five goals and nine assists. Likewise, Ryan Hartman has seven goals and four assists, scoring on an 18.4 percent conversion rate. Hartman has struggled in the faceoff circle, winning 77 and losing 91.
The Wild have allowed 55 goals this season, which ranks second-to-last in the NHL. Unfortunately, the defense has been bad, and the goaltending has not helped. Marc-Andre Fleury will attempt to stop the bleeding as he takes the net. So far, he is 3-3-1 with a 2.75 goals-against average and a save percentage of .898.
The Wild will cover the spread if they can score early and then block all the scoring lanes. Additionally, they cannot get into penalty trouble.
Final Stars-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Wild have been improving their defense lately. Also, the Stars have been excellent all season. Something tells me this tilt on Sunday will not feature a lot of goals, as the Stars play their best while the Wild show they are capable of doing it.
Final Stars-Wild Prediction & Pick: Under: 6.5 (-142)
