Stars vs. Predators Game 1 Prediction: NHL Playoffs Betting Odds
Last season, the Predators won the Presidents’ Trophy and their first-ever Central Division title with a franchise-record 117 points. However, they were knocked off in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals by Winnipeg.
Stars vs. Predators Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Analysis
This season, Nashville’s 100 points were the fewest of any division champion. The team is looking for its first Stanley Cup title; it reached the Finals in 2017 but lost to Pittsburgh. At Sports Interaction, the Predators are +500 to win the West and +1300 to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Under first-year coach Jim Montgomery, a Montreal native who played briefly for the Canadiens among a few other teams, Dallas is in the playoffs for the first time since winning the Central Division in the 2015-16 season. The Stars’ 93 points were good or the West’s top wild-card spot. The franchise has one Stanley Cup title, coming in 1999. Dallas is +1000 to win the West and +2800 to win the Cup.
On the series line, the Predators are -238 favourites with the Stars at +167. Our early projection is Nashville in six games.
Dallas Stars
Dallas closed the season winning five of its final seven games. It has three terrific forwards in Tyler Seguin (33G, 47A), Alexander Radulov (29G, 43A) and Jamie Benn (27G, 26A). The team acquired winger Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers around the trade deadline. He scored in his first game with Dallas on Feb. 24 but also broke his arm. He did return for one game April 2 and should be in the lineup Wednesday. It will be Ben Bishop in net. He was 27-15-2 with a 1.98 goals-against average (second in NHL) and .934 save percentage (first) this season. He shut out the Wild in the regular-season finale, Bishop’s seventh shutout of the season.
Dallas lost three of five matchups vs. the Preds this year with two of the games going to overtime. Bishop played in just one, allowing five goals in an OT loss. Anton Khudobin started the other four. Blueliner Esa Lindell led Dallas with five points (1G, 4A) vs. Nashville.
Nashville Predators
The Predators closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak to overtake the Jets and St. Louis Blues for the Central title. It’s going to be tough for the Predators to win the Cup if they don’t improve on the power play, ranking last at 12.9 percent. However, it’s a terrific defensive team in ranking third in GAA (2.59) and sixth on the penalty kill (82.1 per cent).
Pekka Rinne won the Vezina Trophy last season and wasn’t quite as good this year with a 30-9-4 record, 2.42 GAA and .918 SV. He was 1-2-0 vs. Dallas with a 2.77 GAA and .916 SV. Defenseman Roman Josi led Nashville with six points (3G, 3A) vs. the Stars. He finished second on the team overall in scoring with 56 points. Ryan Johansen led with 64 (14G, 50A).
DAL
NAS