Oilers vs. Stars Odds
| Oilers Odds | +120 |
| Stars Odds | -140 |
| Over/Under | 6 (-120/+100) |
| Time | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Pacific Division's third-place Edmonton Oilers travel to Dallas to take on the Central Division's fifth-place Stars. This is the second meeting between these two teams as the Stars won the first matchup 4-1.
Will Dallas take care of business against Edmonton again, or can Edmonton pull off the road upset?
Can the Oilers Keep Winning Despite Their Defense?
The Edmonton Oilers enter this contest on the second half of a road back-to-back following Monday's battle against the Avalanche. Colorado snapped Edmonton's five-game win streak with a 3-2 overtime win.
While Edmonton has been playing much better hockey under interim head coach Jay Woodcroft, I expect the Oilers to come back down to earth over the next few weeks. Their five-game win streak came during a soft spot in their schedule which saw home games against Detroit, Buffalo, and New Jersey.
Now the Oilers hit the road again as an underdog, a spot in which they are just 3-6 over their last nine games. Edmonton's biggest problems have been their defense and their goaltending, which could be a huge issue when facing a strong Stars lineup.
Currently, Edmonton ranks 20th in the league in five-on-five Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (xGA). Mikko Koskinen is the projected starting goaltender for the Oilers and possesses a mere 0.899 Save Percentage over his last six starts.
Stars Have Been Protecting Home Ice
The Dallas Stars return home following a four-game road trip where they went 2-2. Dallas is a completely different team when playing at the American Airlines Center as the team is an incredible 20-8-1 on home ice.
I like Dallas to continue its home dominance against an Edmonton team that is coming off of a tough loss to Colorado just last night. Dallas definitely has the ammunition to suppress Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as the Stars currently rank ninth in the league in five-on-five Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (xGA).
Not only has Dallas' blue line done a terrific job this season, but projected starting goaltender Jake Oettinger also enters this contest in terrific form. Over his last four starts, Oettinger boasts an impressive 0.917 Save Percentage.
This is an important game for the Stars as they are just one point shy of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Time is ticking on the season, and the Stars certainly can not throw away home games against teams they are more than capable of beating.
Oilers vs. Stars Pick
A more-rested Stars team returning home should be enough to take down Edmonton on the second half of a road back-to-back. Dallas has the depth and the goaltender advantage in this matchup, which showed in their 4-1 victory over Edmonton back in late November.
In this matchup, I like the Stars to take care of business against the Oilers once again.
Pick: Dallas Stars ML (-140) | Play up to (-150)
