The Minnesota Wild (46-25-11) visit the Dallas Stars (47-21-14) on Monday for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals. Puck drop from American Airlines Center is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Wild vs. Stars odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Wild stumbled down the stretch, posting a 2-3-2 mark in the final 7 games. That might not seem like a big deal, but Minnesota was in the mix for the Central Division until the final few games. Instead of winning the division, it not only didn’t finish 1st, it fell to 3rd, losing home-ice advantage in this opening series.
The Stars missed out on the Central Division title by a single point. Dallas won each of its final 4 regular-season games, while going 7-3 in the final 10 games against winning teams. The Stars won 6 in a row to close out the season, too.
These teams split the 4 regular-season meetings, with the home team winning the final 2 battles. The Under cashed in the final 3 meetings, too, and 2 of the games were decided by 1 goal.
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Wild at Stars odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:37 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Wild +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Stars -140 (bet $140 to win $110)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Wild +1.5 (-250) | Stars -1.5 (+190)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Wild at Stars projected goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury (24-16-4, 2.85 GAA, .908 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Jake Oettinger (37-11-11, 2.37 GAA, .919 SV%, 5 SO)
The 38-year-old Fleury stumbled down the stretch when it mattered most, dropping all 3 of his starts in April. While he had a 3.42 GAA in the 3 outings, he also received just a total of 3 goals of offensive support.
Fleury was 1-1-0 with a 3.87 GAA and .896 SV% in 2 regular-season meetings against the Stars.
Oettinger was amazing last season in a 1st-round series against the Calgary Flames, winning 3 games while posting a 1.82 GAA and .954 SV% with a shutout.
The Minnesota native, Oettinger, is likely to be pumped to face the Wild. He went 2-0-1 with a 1.87 GAA and .937 SV% against the Wild in the regular season.
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Wild at Stars picks and predictions
Prediction
Stars 3, Wild 2
Moneyline
The STARS (-140) are a solid play in Game 1 against the Wild (+115).
American Airlines Center has been a house of horrors for the Wild, as Minnesota has won just 11 of its past 42 trips to the Metroplex. The Wild is also 0-4 in the last 4 tries against winning teams, as Minnesota really struggled in the final couple of weeks of the regular season.
The Wild are also 4-13 in the last 17 games on the conference quarterfinals round.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Wild +1.5 (-250) will cost you 2 1/2 times your potential return, if you require insurance and can’t pull the trigger on betting Minnesota straight up. That’s too much risk and not enough reward, and it’s a poor long-term betting strategy.
AVOID.
Over/Under
The UNDER 5.5 (-120) is the lean in Game 1.
The Under has cashed at a 7-3 clip in the last 10 meetings between these teams in Dallas, while going 4-1 in the previous 5 in the series.
The Under is also 11-5 in the last 16 conference quarterfinals games for the Wild.
For Dallas, the Under is 5-0-1 in the last 6 home games, while going an impressive 34-14-5 in the previous 53 games against teams with a winning overall record.
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