The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets begin their second-round NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs series tonight across the northern border. Both teams come off hard-fought, seven-game series victories in the first round, so with a couple of injuries and some tired legs, Game 1 truly feels up for grabs.
With puck drop set for 9:30 p.m. EST tonight, here’s a Stars vs. Jets prediction and best bet for Game 1 in Winnipeg.
Jets vs. Stars Game 1 prediction, pick
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Stars are -112 on the Moneyline as slight favorites to win Game 1 despite playing on the road. They’re +220 to cover the -1.5 puck line. As for the Jets, the home team comes in as -108 Moneyline underdogs while they’re -270 to cover the +1.5 puck line.
Here’s the deal. Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has struggled greatly throughout his seven postseason games thus far. His .830 SV% is the second-worst mark of any goalie to make at least one start in these playoffs, while his 3.85 GAA also ranks second-to-last among the same sample. While the Stars’ offense hasn’t quite excelled in the absence of Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson, the latter is a game-time decision tonight. If Robertson returns, Dallas’ scoring potential takes a massive leap.
While Hellebuyck has played better at home than on the road, he’s still in shaky form. With that in mind, taking the Stars to lead at the 60-minute line looks like solid value at +135 odds, especially if Hellebuyck comes out flat. Dallas isn’t out-shooting opponents very often, but Robertson’s possible return notably adds a left-handed shooter who can target Hellebuyck’s glove hand, a weakness through this postseason so far.
Best bet: 60 Min Line: DAL Stars (+140)
