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The Dallas Stars will face the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. It’s a Central Division showdown as we share our NHL odds series and make a Stars-Wild prediction and pick.
The Stars destroyed the Boston Bruins 7-2 in their last battle on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Wild blanked the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 at home.
The Stars beat the Wild 7-2 in their last battle on January 11, 2024. They also swept the Wild last season. The Stars are 6-1-3 over the past 10 games against the Wild, including 4-0-1 over the past five games at Xcel Energy Center. Amazingly, the Stars have not lost to the Wild in regulation in nine games.
Here are the Stars-Wild NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
NHL Odds: Stars-Wild Odds
Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+172)
Moneyline: -146
Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline: +122
Over: 5.5 (-132)
Under: 5.5 (+108)
How To Watch Stars vs Wild
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: FDSW, FDSN, ESPN+ and Victory +
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Stars Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Stars destroyed another team, and Tyler Seguin reached 800 career points, becoming the first player from the 2010 NHL Draft class to accomplish that feat. Remarkably, the Stars have leveled 14 goals over the past two games.
The Stars raised their stock and are now 15th in goals and 12th in assists. Furthermore, they are now 19th on the powerplay. After stumbling on offense to start the season, their best players have picked it up.
Matt Duchene has been the best player on the ice for the Stars, with nine goals and 11 assists, including two tallies on the powerplay. Meanwhile, Mason Marchment has tallied four goals and 11 assists over 14 games, with one conversion on the extra-man attack. Logan Stankoven has been great, notching four goals and 10 assists, including one tally on the powerplay. Also, Seguin has remained consistent, with seven goals and six assists over 11 games.
Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson must pick things up. Unfortunately, Hintz has just six goals and four assists over 15 games and Robertson has tallied four goals and four assists over 15 contests.
The defense and goaltending are elite. Amazingly, they are the best team in the NHL in goals against. Jake Oettinger is the glue that holds everything together, as he is 8-2 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a save percentage of .914. Additionally, he has dominated the Wild, going 5-0-1 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a save percentage of .913 in his career against them.
The Stars will cover the spread if they can continue staying hot on offense and generating numerous chances. Then, the defense must continue to play solid and prevent the Wild from garnering scoring opportunities.
Why the Wild Could Cover the Spread/Win
Despite a good start to the season, the Wild still have some flaws they must address to sustain that success throughout the season. While they have played well, there is room for improvement.
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The Wild come into this game ranked 10th in goals and assists. Additionally, they have been consistently solid on the power play, ranking 10th on the extra-man attack.
Kirill Kaprizov is one of the best players in the NHL. Remarkably, he has batted in 10 goals and 20 assists. Matt Boldy continues to do well. So far, he has 10 goals and seven assists. Mats Zuccarello suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday and may not play. Therefore, others like Marco Rossi must step up.
The defense and goaltending have been elite to start the season. So far, they are second in goals against. Despite those numbers, they have struggled on the penalty kill, ranking 24th in killing penalties. Filip Gustavsson has been elite, going 8-2-2 with a 2.08 goals-against average and a save percentage of .924. Ridiculously, he has thrived against the Stars, going 3-1 with a 1.73 goals-against average and a save percentage of .950 in his career against them.
The Wild will cover the spread if their offense can get the jump on the Stars early. Then, they must avoid taking penalties to give the Stars too many chances.
Final Stars-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Stars are 8-7 against the spread, while the Wild are 10-6. Additionally, Dallas is 2-5 against the spread on the road, while Minnesota is 2-4 against the odds at home. The Stars are 5-8-2 against the spread when it comes to the over, while the Wild are 7-7-2 when it comes to hitting the over. Lastly, the Stars are 3-3-1 against the spread when it comes to hitting the over on the road, while the Wild are 2-3-1 against the odds when it comes to hitting the over at home.
The Stars are on fire right now. Somehow, their offense has come ablaze at the right time. While I don’t expect them to score seven goals for the third straight game, I do believe they will stay hot and roll over the Wild.
Final Stars-Wild Prediction & Pick: Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+172)
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