A couple of clubs facing each other for the second time this year, the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild meet at the Xcel Energy Center. Fox Sports Southwest Plus will broadcast this divisional matchup, and the puck drops at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 1.
Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild Odds
The money line for either team is currently set at an identical -110, and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 5 goals. The odds for betting that total sit at -135 money on the over and +115 on the under.
Dallas is 15-12 straight up (SU) and has earned 2.0 units for moneyline bettors this season. 18 of its outings have gone under the total, while nine have gone over and none have pushed. The Stars are 6-7 SU on the road in 2019-20.
Dallas has converted on just 14.7 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is ranked fourth overall, and it has successfully killed off 86.2 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, Dallas has been penalized 3.6 times per game overall this season, and 2.8 per game over its last five road outings. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays just 6.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 26.4 saves per game with a .928 save percentage, Ben Bishop (11-7-1) has been the primary option in goal for Dallas this year. If Dallas decides to rest him, however, head coach Jim Montgomery may go with Anton Khudobin (6-5-1 record, .931 save percentage, 2.14 goals against average).
Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen will both be relied on to produce for the visiting Stars. Seguin has 21 points via six goals and 15 assists, and has recorded two or more points six times. Heiskanen has six goals and 11 assists to his name (and has registered at least one point in 13 games).
On the other side of the ice, Minnesota is 11-15 straight up (SU) and has lost 4.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. 13 of its games have gone over the total, while 11 have gone under and just two have pushed. This year, the team is 6-3 SU at home.
Minnesota has converted on 19.1 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 16th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Minnesota skaters have been sent to the penalty box 3.6 times per game this season, and 2.8 per game over their last five at home. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 6.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Devan Dubnyk (25.0 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for Minnesota. Dubnyk has four wins, 10 losses, and two overtime losses to his credit and has maintained a mediocre 3.35 goals against average and a poor .893 save percentage this year.
The home team will be led on offense by Eric Staal (eight goals, 11 assists).
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Free Picks
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Wild, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- For both of these teams, the under has hit in three of their past five matchups.
- The Stars are 1-4 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 6-10 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total.
- Minnesota is ranked 25th this season with 6.7 takeaways per game. That figure’s trended upward, as the team has averaged 7.3 takeaways over its last 10 games and 10.4 takeaways over its last five.
- Dallas is ranked 15th in the league this season with 7.6 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward lately, as it’s created 9.6 takeaways over its last 10 games and 11.0 takeaways over its last five.