The Pittsburgh Penguins (35-26-10) wrap up a 2-game, 2-day road trip against the Dallas Stars (38-19-14) Thursday. Puck drop from American Airlines Center is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Penguins vs. Stars odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Penguins grabbed a much-needed 5-2 win at the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday in the front end of the back-to-back set against top Western Conference foes.
The Stars suffered a 5-4 loss in overtime Tuesday, their second consecutive outing that required extra time. Dallas won 6-5 in OT Saturday, and the Over has cashed at a 10-1-1 in the past 12 games overall.
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Penguins at Stars odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:02 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Penguins +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Stars -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Penguins +1.5 (-190) | Stars -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Penguins at Stars projected goalies
Casey DeSmith (13-14-4, 3.12 GAA, .907 SV%) vs. Jake Oettinger (30-10-11, 2.51 GAA, .916 SV%, 4 SO)
DeSmith allowed 2 goals on 7 shots in a relief effort Saturday on the road against the New York Rangers in his most recent showing. His last start came last Saturday at home against Philadelphia as he stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced.
Oettinger was tagged for 5 goals on 27 shots against the visiting Seattle Kraken Tuesday. He is 6-2-1 with a 3.53 GAA and .883 SV% in 9 starts in March.
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Penguins at Stars picks and predictions
Prediction
Stars 5, Penguins 2
Moneyline
The STARS (-160) are worth a look on home ice, even as moderate favorites.
The charter flight of the Pens arrived at Dallas Love Field at 1 a.m. CT according to flightaware.com, so the team didn’t likely get into the hotel until very late. It’s quite a quick turnaround for the Penguins, playing fewer than 24 hours later against another tough team. That’s a very tough spot to be in, especially with a backup goalie.
Puck line/Against the spread
The STARS -1.5 (+145) are worth playing lightly, although there is some risk.
Oettinger has been very giving lately, allowing 4 or more goals in 4 of his last 7 starts.
Dallas has managed just a 1-3 mark in the past 4 games as a favorite on the puck line but it gets to play against a tired Pens team in front of an equally erratic DeSmith.
Over/Under
The OVER 6.5 (-110) is the lean, but go with a half-unit wager at most.
While the Under is 5-2 in the past 7 games for the Penguins, the Over did cash in Denver last night.
And, as mentioned above, the Over is a whopping 10-1-1 in the past 12 games overall for the Stars.
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For sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Plus, try out the USA TODAY Parlay Calculator and please gamble responsibly.
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