Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars Betting Preview/Prop Picks

Central Division rivals meet up on the ice Thursday night when the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Dallas is trying to make another late season push to the playoffs while Minnesota is trying to hold onto its strong playoff position.

Minnesota comes into this one having won two straight games, including an impressive 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The Wild now have 96 points on the year and that’s good enough for second place in the Central Division.

Dallas has picked up 88 points on the year, and they are right in the hunt for a Wild Card berth. The Stars have also won two straight games, and another strong finish could actually improve their playoff seed. 

The Minnesota Wild are the betting favorites in this matchup at -121 on the moneyline. 

Kaprizov Continues to Shine

The Minnesota Wild have put together a terrific roster, but it is a young superstar that is leading the way for this team. Kirill Kaprizov has a team-high 42 goals and 91 points on the year, and he continues to be a problem for opposing teams.

Minnesota is scoring 3.65 goals per game this season, and they score on the power play 20 percent of the time. This Wild team wants to play extremely fast, and they will take shots when they have them.

The acquisition of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has brought a calming influence to a team giving up over three goals per game. Minnesota now has the ability to win games on defense as well, and that makes them dangerous. 

Stars Searching For Consistency

The Dallas Stars are scoring 2.89 goals per game this season, but they are actually allowing 2.95 goals per night. Those stats point to the inconsistency of this team, and it’s strange that this team is still in the playoff hunt.

The play of Jake Oettinger in net is a big reason that the Stars are still in it as he has gone 26-13-1 this season. Oettinger should draw this starting assignment, but he will need some help from his defense. 

Center Joe Pavelski leads the team with 46 assists and 73 points on the year. Dallas is scoring on the power play 22 percent of the time, and that unit needs to be productive in this game. 

Wild Win in Dallas

Both teams are coming into this game with some momentum, but the Wild have been the better team all season long. The Stars just continue to have inconsistent play at times, and Minnesota is a team that just never stops attacking.

Dallas has been better on the defensive end of the ice of late, but they are still allowing close to three goals per game. Minnesota is going to find or create holes in that Dallas defense and that will lead to a big night on offense. 

This game will be tight for the first 40 minutes, but the visitors will pull away in the third period. Bet the Minnesota Wild -1.5 as they go into Dallas and pick up an impressive win by at least two goals over the Stars. 

Prop Picks

Minnesota (+180) OVER 3.5 Goals

The Wild are averaging 3.7 goals per game on offense, which ranks No. 4 in the league. Scores have gone OVER in nine of Minnesota’s last 14 road games.

With Dunkel predicting a Minnesota road victory by the score of 5-3, take the Wild (+180) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 3.5 runs goals against the Stars.

Kirill Kaprizov (-235) OVER 0.5 Points

Kaprizov has 91 points, which ranks No. 1 on the Wild and No. 7 in the league. He has 9 points in 3 games versus the Stars this season and 61 points in 44 win for Minnesota.

With Dunkel predicting a Minnesota win against Dallas with the Wild going OVER their Vegas team total, take Kaprizov (-235) to finish OVER 0.5 points against the Stars.

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