The 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Western Conference Finals is about to open up just three days after the Edmonton Oilers closed out the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 in their second round series. Focusing on the two teams in tonight’s Western Conference final matchup, they are built completely differently. Here we shall discuss why and provide betting odds for various events between the Oilers and Dallas Stars.
Gambling Odds Ahead of Game 1 of the Oilers and Stars
Edmonton will be relying on their two superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to take over games and steal the series from a much deeper Dallas Stars team. What the Dallas Stars lack in superstar talent they more than makeup for with depth. The Stars can roll their top three lines better than anybody. And as we know in the playoffs depth matters. Jake Oettinger is also the better goalie in the series. So given the depth, the goaltending advantage, we are all over Dallas at home in Game 1 of the series.
The pick: Dallas Stars (-130)
The puckline at (+190) is more than in play as well.
Game/Player Props
Zach Hyman Over 3.5 shots (-105)
There has been some speculation that Connor McDavid is dealing with some sort of upper body injury. This is leading him to look to pass even more. There is no bigger beneficiary to that than Zach Hyman. Hyman flanks McDavid on the right side on the Oilers top line and is the net front guy on their top power play. On top of all of this Hyman has gone over this prop six of his last eight games.
Dallas Stars Team Total Over 3.5 (+125)
The Stars can be quite tricky on the player props street. As we mentioned they roll their top three lines pretty evenly. So rather than try and pick off which line or players are going to get the job down, we are going to roll with the team total over here. Dallas is the more rested team and playing at home. Goaltending is a massive question mark for the Oilers. Head Coach Kris Knoblauch inserted Stuart Skinner back into the pipes for Games 6 and 7 last series and he got the job down. However, he truly was not tested by Vancouver until the final ten minutes of Game 7 where he gave up two goals.
SGP Miro Heiskanen + Wyatt Johnston anytime point (+140)
Being all over Dallas in this game leads us to this play. Miro Heiskanen is their horse on the backend top pair and runs the teams top power play. While the top nine forwards on Dallas each see 13 to 16 minutes, Wyatt Johnston, who has been a spark plug for Dallas this playoffs, has consistently been over 18 minutes most of the playoffs.
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Main photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
