Stars vs. Predators Odds
| Predators Odds | +130 |
| Stars Odds | -150 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 |
| Time | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
On Jan. 1, 2020, the Dallas Stars beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 in front of a massive crowd of 85,630 at the Cotton Bowl — in what turned out to be the NHL's last supersized event before Covid-19 rocked the sports world.
This Wednesday, the same two teams will meet again in Dallas. And while average attendance for the Stars' three home games so far this season has been a comparatively tame 17,997, the Stars have been operating at just over 97% of their capacity — better than many other NHL markets.
With a 1-1-1 record on home ice so far this season, the Stars will be looking for their fans to help spark them to success following a ho-hum road trip.
Here's why the smart call on Wednesday could be to expect a low-event affair.
Dallas Stars
The Stars are back home after going 1-1-1 on a spin across Western Canada. The high point was the 4-3 overtime win against the surging Calgary Flames, but they followed up with an ugly 6-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Sunday's defeat was Dallas' worst defensive effort of the season, and it magnified some ugly trends. The Stars have now given up three goals or more in each of their last six games and the penalty kill has given up goals in four-straight games, including three goals against the Canucks.
Dallas is also the last team in the league not to have recorded a regulation win. With a 4-5-2 record, all four of their wins have come in overtime or a shootout.
On a more positive note, captain Jamie Benn is riding a three-game scoring streak. And after being crushed by injuries for the better part of two seasons, the Stars' roster is healthy. Even goaltender Ben Bishop is practicing with the club after missing all of last season due to injury.
After starting the season with 8-of-11 games on the road, the Stars will be home for the better part of the next month. They'll play nine of their next 11 at American Airlines Center.
Nashville Predators
The Predators have started the season with a respectable 6-5-1 record, but Wednesday's game in Dallas will be their fifth on a six-game road trip. Last week, Nashville went 2-1-0 in Western Canada before falling in overtime in Chicago on Sunday, in Derek King's first game as the Blackhawks' head coach.
The Predators, like the Stars, come into Wednesday's contest after two days off. But they'll also play Thursday night in St. Louis, which means the goaltending duties will likely be split between Juuse Saros and David Rittich. As of Tuesday afternoon, it's not clear which goalie will get which game.
On Tuesday, Nashville put Filip Forsberg and Nick Cousins on their injured list, saying both forwards are week-to-week with upper-body injuries. Michael McCarron and Mathieu Olivier have been recalled from the AHL, and could make their NHL season debuts. Defenseman Mark Borowiecki has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but practiced with his team on Tuesday.
Stars vs. Predators Pick
The Stars are stumbling and the Predators are tired, so both teams will have some vulnerability on Wednesday night. And while neither team tends to generate a ton of offense at even strength, both clubs are near the top of the league on the power play — and in the bottom half on the penalty kill.
But even with Dallas' recently porous defense, this game features two teams that struggle to score. Nashville has exceeded three goals just twice this season, and Dallas has only done it once.
As division-mates, these two teams played each other eight times last season. The Stars held the 3-0-5 edge but perhaps more importantly, only three of the eight games featured six goals or more.
With a good chance that Wednesday's game could be short on pop, expect offensive woes to outweigh mistakes on defense and in net.
At minus-120 on the over/under of 5.5, BetMGM believes there's a 54.55% chance that these two teams will score a total of five goals or fewer. I like those odds.
Pick: Under 5.5 (-120, play down to -140)
