The Dallas Stars take on the Winnipeg Jets in Game 2 of this best-of-7 series in the Western Conference semifinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Friday. Puck drop from Canada Life Centre is set for 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT / TruTV / MAX). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Stars vs. Jets odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Series: Stars lead 1-0

Dallas took Wednesday’s opener 3-2 as a +102 road underdog with the Under (5.5) cashing. Game 1 belonged to RW Mikko Rantanen as he became the first player in nearly 40 years to have a hat trick in consecutive playoff games — Edmonton’s Jari Kurri did so in the 1985 Western Conference Final vs. the Chicago Blackhawks.

Rantanen has either scored or assisted on the Stars’ last 12 goals. He has 15 points in 8 playoff games thus far. LW Jason Robertson (leg) returned after being out since the regular-season finale. He had 1 shot on goal. D Miro Heiskanen (knee) remains questionable as he has been out since January with a knee injury.

C Mark Scheifele (upper body) returned for Winnipeg, and he responded with a goal on 7 shots. The Jets outhit the Stars 46-24 and outshot them 31-24. G Connor Hellebuyck was just outplayed again — this time on home ice. The Jets were 0-for-4 on the power play. D Josh Morrissey (upper body) missed Game 1 and remains questionable for Game 2.

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Stars at Jets odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:13 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Stars +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Jets -135 (bet $135 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Stars +1.5 (-235) | Jets -1.5 (+190)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: +100 | U: -120)Stars at Jets projected goalies

Jake Oettinger (5-3, 2.75 GAA, .914 SV%, — 2025 playoffs) vs. Connor Hellebuyck (4-4, 3.75 GAA, .836 SV% — 2025 playoffs)

Otter was solid as he stopped 29 of 31 shots in the Game 1 victory. He has seen fewer than 25 shots just once in 8 starts this postseason. Oettinger was not the same guy on the road in the regular season, going 12-11-3 with a 3.16 GAA and .896 SV% vs. 24-7-1, 2.14 GAA and .920 SV% at home. He has a .921 SV% on the road in the playoffs, though.

Hellebuyck stopped 21 of 24 shots Wednesday. It was a “meh” .875 SV%, but it actually improved his playoffs SV% to .836. He is next-to-last with an .844 SV% at 5-on-5. Only Edmonton G Stuart Skinner, who played in 2 games, is worse. Hellebuyck is nearly last in high-danger save percentage, too, at .700 in the playoffs.

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Stars at Jets picks and predictionsPrediction

Jets 3, Stars 2

Dallas came into Winnipeg and accomplished what it wanted to do by stealing home-ice advantage. I look for Winnipeg to counter. The Jets have been good at making adjustments at home, and this is a pretty much a must-win for them — Winnipeg went 0-3 at the St. Louis Blues in the first round. If Winnipeg loses this game, this series is toast.

Take the JETS (-135).

PASS on a PL play since we’re on the ML, but give me Winnipeg LW KYLE CONNOR UNDER 3.5 SHOTS (-160). This is an overcorrection by the books, possibly even a trap to be enticed by the +120 on the Over. Connor isn’t a volume shooter. He has more than 3 shots in just 2 of 8 playoff games.

The Under hit in Game 1 after both teams saw lengthy Over stretches. The Under is 1-9-0 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between the clubs.

Give me UNDER 6 (-120).

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