The Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars were looked at as the most closely contested series in the opening round of the NHL Playoffs, but Game 1 didn’t live up to those expectations with the underdog Wild running away with a 6-1 win on the road.
The two teams will face off in Game 2 on Monday night, and if the Dallas Stars want to prevent this series from running away from them, tonight’s game is as close to a must-win Game 2 as you’ll see.
Let’s dive into the odds and my best bets for it.
Wild vs. Stars Odds, Puck Line, and Total
Run Line
Wild +1.5 (-220)Stars -1.5 (+176)
Moneyline
Total
OVER 5.5 (-130)UNDER 5.5 (+106)Wild vs. Stars Starting GoaliesMinnesota: Jesper Wallstedt (1-0, 1.00 GAA, .964 SV%)Dallas: Jake Oettinger (0-1, 5.12 GAA, .821 SV%)Wild vs. Stars How to WatchDate: Monday, April 20Time: 9:30 p.m. ETVenue: American Airlines CenterHow to Watch (TV): ESPNSeries: Wild lead 1-0Wild vs. Stars Best Prop BetJoel Eriksson Ek OVER 0.5 Points (-102) via FanDuel
Joel Eriksson Ek recorded three points in Game 1, while also leading the team in expected goals at 1.3. He was red-hot to close the year, leading the Wild in expected goals with 6.2 through their last 10 games of the regular season. I’m surprised to see he’s set at just -102 odds to record a point tonight.
Wild vs. Stars Prediction and Pick
In today’s edition of Betting $100 Every Day for a Year, I wrote about why I’m backing the Wild to pull off the second straight upset:
I bet the Wild at +105 in Game 1, so I see no reason why I wouldn’t bet them at +112 in Game 2. This is a true coin flip series, and while the Wild won convincingly on the scoresheet, the expected goals numbers were much closer than you’d expect. I think we’re in for another close game tonight, making the Wild an interesting betting option as +112 underdogs.
Pick: Wild +112 via FanDuel
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