Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers Prediction, NHL Odds
The Panthers maintained their recent high-scoring ways with a decisive 5-2 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, and have now posted victories in six of seven outings. The Stars travel to Florida on the heels of Wednesday’s 5-2 home win over Seattle, but are winless in six straight road dates.
There has been no shortage of line movement since the Stars opened as +160 underdogs. The line experienced wild fluctuations in early betting before tilting in Florida’s favour. Dallas now sits as a diminished +171 underdog, while the Panthers have vaulted to -205 favourites, backed by 93% of sports bettors. Conversely, the total has remained steady at 6.5, with the UNDER now pegged as a slight -115 favourite.
Stars vs. Panthers NHL Betting Odds
Friday night’s matchup at FLA Live Arena marks the second and final scheduled meeting of the season between these two teams. The Panthers dropped a 6-5 shootout decision when they visited Dallas eight days ago, but have avoided consecutive losses while going 7-2-1 over their past 10 head-to-head clashes. These teams faced each other eight times last season. Total goals topped 5.0 just once through their first seven dates last season. However, the OVER has easily prevailed in their two most recent clashes.
High scoring has also been commonplace during the Panthers’ current overall surge. Florida shooters have averaged 5.43 goals per game during its 6-0-1 run, fueling a steady 8-1-0 run for the OVER. The Panthers have also been the most dominant home team in the league this season, piling up a sparkling 19-2-0 record. The Stars have filled the net during their current 5-1-0 run, potting 4.33 goals per game over that stretch. However, Dallas tops only the Montreal Canadiens with a dismal 4-10-1 away record, and has been limited to one or fewer goals on three occasions during their current four-game road slide.
Dallas Stars
The Stars have maintained their recent winning ways despite enduring a 16-day pause over the holidays and a continued battle with COVID-19. On Thursday, goaltender Jonas Johansson became the latest player to enter COVID protocol. However, Mason Marchment, Patric Hornqvist, and Spencer Knight all return to practice this week after spending time in protocol. Recent disruptions have not slowed down Joe Pavelski. The veteran forward is coming off a five-point performance in Wednesday’s win over Seattle, and has tallied six goals and seven assists over his past seven outings.
Florida Panthers
The spotlight has been fixed on the Panthers’ recent impressive offensive production, and with good reason. Florida now ranks second in the NHL in goals scored per game and total shots on goal. Jonathan Huberdeau has led the attack, scoring four times and adding 11 helpers over his past six outings. But the stellar performance of Sergei Bobrovsky cannot be understated. The Panthers netminder has earned five of the club’s six recent wins. Bobrovsky has also stopped 89 of 93 total shots faced in his past two home appearances, capped by a 42-save performance in Tuesday win over the Canucks.
DAL
FLA