Stars vs. Wild Game 1 prediction: Stanley Cup Playoffs odds, picks, best bets
Two of the best teams in the NHL this season will meet in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.It may not be fair that either the Dallas Stars, who finished with the third-best record in the NHL this season, or the Minnesota Wild, who ranked seventh, will crash out of the tournament after this best-of-seven series, but that’s the reality of the league’s current playoff format.The Stars have home-ice advantage and finished eight points ahead of the Wild, but the betting market is pricing this one as a coin flip, with Dallas sitting at -118 to advance at FanDuel Sportsbook.Is that the right approach?The most important note for handicapping this series is to talk about the injuries in Dallas.Miro Heiskanen, the team’s engine and No.
1 defenseman, is questionable for Saturday’s curtain-raiser, and Roope Hintz will miss at least the first two games of this best-of-7 series.For most teams, that kind of news at the start of the playoffs would be a death sentence against an opponent like Minnesota, but the Stars have the depth to survive.
Plus, Dallas has been dealing with injuries all season.Mikko Rantanen, Jamie Benn, Nils Lundqvist, Tyler Seguin, Hintz, and Heiskanen have all missed considerable time in 2025-26, and Dallas still managed to put up 112 points.The Stars are able to thrive through adversity for several reasons.
They are deep, they’ve got an abundance of star power, a strong goaltending tandem, and they’re terrific on special teams.There aren’t too many holes you can poke here.Minnesota also has plenty going for it, but the Wild are lacking in two key areas when compared to the Stars.
The Wild don’t have the caliber of depth down the middle of the ice, even with Hintz on the shelf, and Dallas also packs more scoring punch throughout its lineup.The Stars have three elite scorers at the top of their lineup with Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Mikko Rantanen, but that group is backed up by several productive role-players, and one potenti...