Stars vs. Oilers Odds
| Stars Odds | +140 |
| Oilers Odds | -165 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (-135/+110) |
| Time | 4 p.m. ET |
| TV | SN |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference go head-to-head for the first time this season when the Dallas Stars visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon.
The Stars sit atop the Central Division with a 7-3-1 record. They have won their past two games even though star goaltender Jake Oettinger is on the injured list with a lower-body issue.
The Oilers are second in the Pacific at 7-4-0. They're 1-1-0 on their current three-game homestand, with a win over Nashville and a loss to New Jersey.
Here's the latest on both teams, and your best bet for the game.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are looking good at both ends of the ice. Oettinger drew most of the early accolades before his injury, but Scott Wedgewood has settled in with the starter sidelined and has allowed just two goals in each of his past two games.
Salary-cap issues prevented the Stars from recalling Anton Khudobin from their AHL affiliate when Oettinger was injured, so the club inked Matt Murray, a 24-year-old undrafted rookie minor leaguer, to an NHL deal and brought him in as Wedgewood's backup.
As of Friday evening, there's nothing new on Oettinger's status, and no declared starter against the Oilers. It seems likely Wedgewood will make his third straight appearance.
Up front, Jason Robertson is showing no ill effects from his long offseason contract negotiation. He's right back at the top of the team's scoring race with 15 points in 11 games, including seven goals. Roope Hintz is second with 14 points and the Stars' veteran group of Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn is also chipping in.
At 5-on-5, Dallas is a middle-of-the-pack team, controlling 50.43% of expected goals. But their special teams are strong as they're tied for sixth on the power play with a success rate of 26.3%. They're also fifth on the penalty kill at 84.8%. The power play has been especially sharp in the past two games, going 4-for-8.
Edmonton Oilers
There has been a lot to like about the Oilers in the early going this season. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl hold down the top two spots in the NHL scoring race, and McDavid also leads the league with 12 goals. After winning six of their past eight games, the Oilers head into Saturday's game in second in the Pacific Division and third in the Western Conference.
Edmonton is averaging an impressive four goals a game and has the league's second-best power play at 34.2%.
Defensively, things are a little shakier. The Oilers are just behind Dallas in terms of 5-on-5 expected goals, controlling 50.20%. Their penalty kill sits 25th at 75% and they're giving up an average of 34.6 shots per game, which is tied for sixth-highest in the league and more than the 33.7 shots a game they're taking.
Oddly, while the Oilers are a perfect 3-0-0 on the road, they're just .500 at home (4-4-0). Their last outing at Rogers Place was a disappointment as they couldn't protect a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3 to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
The Oilers' goaltending situation has also quickly turned interesting. Prized free agent Jack Campbell is 5-2-0, but has a bloated 3.91 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage. Rookie Stuart Skinner has much better numbers at 2.10 and .944, along with a solid 5.6 goals saved above expected. However, his record is just 2-2-0.
Coach Jay Woodcroft has been alternating his stoppers for the past couple of weeks. If that pattern holds, it should be Campbell's turn in net.
Stars vs. Oilers Pick
The oddsmakers clearly favor the home side for this game, but the two teams squaring off on Saturday have looked pretty similar this season.
For the most part, both have been finding ways to win despite challenges. In Edmonton's case, defensive hockey remains somewhat elusive. For Dallas, it's about withstanding the absence of their stellar starting netminder.
If you like momentum, Dallas has the edge. The Stars are riding high after a 7-2 drubbing of the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday and the Oilers couldn't close out their game against the Devils.
If you like value propositions in betting, Dallas also holds the appeal on that front. If you expect the game to be close, taking the Stars +1.5 on the puck line will get you the same odds as an Oilers win (-165) with implied odds of just over 62%. However, if you think Wedgewood can hold the fort and the Stars can prevail, there's a juicy +140 moneyline available.
Pick: Stars Moneyline (+140) | Play Down to +120
