The young 2025-26 NHL season hits full swing on Thursday night with a loaded slate and plenty of games throughout the night. As one of the playoff rematches on deck, the Dallas Stars travel across the border to take on the Winnipeg Jets in a Central Division rivalry tilt.
Here’s a Jets vs. Stars prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Thursday’s contest.
Jets vs. Stars prediction, preview
Last time we saw these teams battle it out, the Stars emerged with a 4-2 series win in the Western Conference Semifinal. It was a hard-fought series that saw some excellent play from both sides, but the playoff collapse of reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck did Winnipeg in and ended its season. Now, he looks to right the ship and start strong, and as one of the best goalies in the NHL, he instantly gives his team an advantage in net. The Jets brought back most of their core in their goalie, Kyle Connor, Cole Perfetti, Mark Scheifele, Josh Morissey and Gabriel Vilardi. They’re going to be a very good team, but the loss of Nikolaj Ehlers hurts a ton as he finished third on the roster with 63 points last season. The Jets did add Jonathan Toews as the franchise’s biggest signing this offseason, but the former superstar hasn’t played an NHL game since April 2023 and his status is uncertain for this game with an undisclosed injury. A bit of a step back for Winnipeg feels like a certainty, but they should still compete for a playoff spot thanks to a strong top six.
In Dallas, change came this offseason with the ousting of Pete DeBoer and hiring of Glen Gulutzan for his second stint as the franchise’s head coach. He brings experience on the Oilers’ bench and a more physical style of play to his new team, which fell in the Western Conference Final to Edmonton once again last postseason. The core of this Stars roster remains the same — Mikko Rantanen now has a full offseason with the team under his belt and Jason Robertson is still here after contract extension drama (though a resolution hasn’t been reached). Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene round out the remainder of the top names at forward, and defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley are both among the sport’s best. However, salary cap crunch led to the trade of Mason Marchment, a standout of the last couple seasons, and a handful of new names step in with complimentary roles. Of course, Jake Oettinger remains the starting goaltender and will challenge Hellebuyck as the top netminder in this game.
Jets vs. Stars pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Stars as slight -115 favorites on the Moneyline tonight, but the Jets aren’t far behind at -105. The total sits at 5.5 combined goals.
These are two well-built rosters with fantastic goaltenders, so if one thing is for certain, bettors should expect a hard-fought duel. Things got testy last time these squads faced off and there may yet be some harsh feelings between the sides. Notably, the Stars are healthier than last time they matched up with Robertson and Heiskanen having a full summer to recover from injuries both arguably rushed back from in the postseason, and with Ehlers now on another team, the Jets aren’t quite as high-powered. Still, there’s some quality talent on both sides, whether up front, on the blue line, or in the crease.
The showdown between Hellebuyck and Oettinger always brings an added element of drama as each compete for the top spot as Team USA’s top goalie, so it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on that matchup in particular. Both are awesome, but it’s difficult to deny just how much of a shutdown presence Winnipeg’s netminder truly is when locked in. Expect a close game in this one which likely stays under 5.5 goals.
