The Dallas Stars and the Calgary Flames drop the puck for Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton. We analyze the Stars-Flames NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Flames vs. Stars: Projected starting goalies
Cam Talbot vs. Anton Khudobin
Talbot racked up his third consecutive victory in Game 1, stopping 24 of 26 shots. Talbot has settled into the starting job and is running with it, as All-Star David Rittich is relegated to a backup role. There is no reason for the Flames to make any alterations now.
Khudobin is likely to make another start, as he wasn’t bad in Game 1. He coughed up three goals on 26 shots, while Ben Bishop served as the backup. Bishop was previously deemed unfit to play during the final two round-robin games, but he has been rounding into form and is an option, if needed. For now, look for Khudobin to start, but to be on a short leash.
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Flames vs. Stars: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 6:45 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Flames 4, Stars 3
Moneyline (ML)
The FLAMES (-112) were sharp in the series opener. They’re getting good enough goaltending, gritty play from their resident sandpaper player LW Matthew Tkachuk and an unlikely offensive hero to step up in C Dillon Dube. The latter had a career-high two goals, both in the first period, to set the tone in the series opener. D Rasmus Andersson also came up from the defense to wire one past Khudobin for the game-winning tally in a total team effort. The FLAMES ARE A GOOD BET to scratch out another hard-fought win over the Stars (-106) in Game 2.
New to sports betting? A winning $10 bet on the Flames returns a profit of $9, while a winning $10 play on the Stars fetches a return of $8.93.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The Flames (-1.5, +240) are an awfully tempting play on the puck line, but this one will be close, perhaps even decided in overtime. As such, betting the puck line on the favorite is not a good idea. For the Stars, (+1.5, -304), if you like them, just take them on the moneyline. Risking more than three times your potential return is just not good wagering.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 5 (-134) is the play here – I never like betting Unders on totals of a flat 5. Plus, Talbot has been good for the Flames, winning three in a row, but he hasn’t been great. The Stars offense has a total of just four goals in the past three games, but the offense is due to start clicking soon.
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