Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars Game 1 Prediction, NHL Odds
We’re officially at the midway point of the 2025 NHL playoffs and for the second straight season, Dallas and Edmonton will meet in the Western Conference Final. The Stars punched their ticket to the west Final with two hard fought series’ over Colorado and Winnipeg, while the Oilers steamrolled L.A. and Vegas.
Dallas is a -125 favourite to win Game 1 on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.0.
Oilers vs. Stars NHL Betting Odds
The Stars took two of three games in the regular season series, but it’s last year’s playoff matchup that everyone is looking at. Edmonton won that series in six games, with Dallas also holding home ice advantage.
The Oilers clearly have less wear-and-tear at this point in the playoffs, which could be a huge advantage. Edmonton has earned a little more rest thanks to wins in eight of their last nine games, while the Stars battled through a seven-game series against Colorado and a six-game series against Winnipeg.
The Oilers open the Western Conference Final as slim -120 favourites to win the series on the NHL futures board, while Dallas is a +100 underdog. The favoured exact series result is a repeat of last year, with Edmonton winning in six games at +400. The biggest long shot is a Stars sweep at +1600.
If you’re looking for player props, Leon Draisaitl is a +275 favourite to lead the series in goals, followed by Mikko Rantanen at +450. That makes sense given Draisaitl led the regular season with 52 goals, while Rantanen is currently leading the playoffs with nine goals.
Edmonton Oilers
Zach Hyman led the way against Dallas in the regular season, recording four points (3G, 1A), while Connor McDavid (1G, 2A) and Evan Bouchard (3A) each had three points. Stuart Skinner started all three games, posting a 3.99 goals-against average and .841 save percentage. McDavid, who is second in playoff scoring with 17 points (3G, 14A), and Draisaitl, who has 16 points (5G, 11A), will obviously be huge factors in this series. In fact, McDavid also has 17 career points (6G, 11A) in conference final games, which already ranks seventh in Oilers franchise history.
The goaltending is still a question mark for Edmonton. Skinner was replaced by Calvin Pickard early in the second round, but with Pickard hurt, Skinner returned to the net and went 2-1 with a 1.28 GAA and .944 SV over the last three games, including back-to-back shutouts to close out the series against Vegas.
If you’re looking for an X-factor in this series, you can count on former Stars winger Corey Perry to make an impact. This should be a physical series, which Perry thrives on. The recently-turned 40-year-old has also provided clutch depth scoring as he’s tied with Draisaitl for the team-lead in goals (five).
Dallas Stars
Jason Robertson (4G, 2A) and Roope Hintz (1G, 5A) led the Stars with six points each in the regular season against Edmonton, while Jake Oettinger went 2-1-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .912 SV. Dallas will rely heavily on the newly formed top line of Finnish stars Rantanen, Hintz and Mikael Granlund. Rantanen leads the playoffs with 19 points (9G, 10A) and the trio has provided the bulk of the Stars’ offence through two rounds.
Dallas will have a clear edge in net as Oettinger has yet to lose two games in a row. He’s been rock solid through two rounds, posting an 8-5 record with a 2.47 GAA and .919 SV. Oettinger has been particularly clutch in bounce-back games, going 5-0 with a .929 SV in games following a loss.
Circle Miro Heiskanen as the Stars’ X-factor. The superstar defenceman missed the final 32 regular season games and the first 10 playoff games with a knee injury, but he looks like he’s back at full force after logging 23:40 of ice time in Game 6 against Winnipeg. Heiskanen has combined with Thomas Harley, who is second on Dallas with 11 points (4G, 7A), to form the best defensive unit in the playoffs.
EDM
DAL