Everything went right for the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of their best-of-7 series against the Dallas Stars.
The Wild scored first, they scored often, and they’re a win away from putting themselves in a commanding position ahead of Game 3.
The betting market doesn’t seem too moved by Minnesota’s dominant performance in Game 1, as you can get a longer price on the Wild for Game 2.
Dallas, which closed as a -120 favorite in Saturday’s opener, is -135 to even up the series on Monday evening.
Wild vs. Stars odds, prediction
There are a couple of reasons why the betting market is bullish on the Stars ahead of Game 2. The first reason is that bettors tend to back the favorite in a best-of-7 series after they lost the opening contest.
The second reason is that the Stars were not as bad in Game 1 as the final score suggested. Or at least that’s what the numbers say.
According to MoneyPuck, the Stars held a slight advantage in terms of expected goals at 5-on-5, and the high-danger scoring chances at even strength weren’t lopsided, either. The problem with leaning on those stats is that the game went off the rails early in the second period thanks to three quick-strike goals from Minnesota.
Before that, things were tight, and afterward, Minnesota could afford to take a low-risk approach, managing the game for the last 30 minutes.
Betting on the NHL?
Because of how the game played out, it’s hard to take much from what we saw in Game 1, other than Minnesota’s top players looking dynamic. Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Mats Zuccarello, and Quinn Hughes were difference-makers, and the Stars had all sorts of issues keeping a handle on them.
Another factor to keep in mind for Game 2 was Jake Oettinger’s poor play. The American has established himself as one of the best netminders in the NHL over the last few seasons, but he came under intense scrutiny for his performance in last year’s postseason, and is not off to a great start this spring.
The Stars are still a dangerous outfit, but so is Minnesota, so we’ll take advantage of the discount being offered on the Wild for Game 2.
The Play: Minnesota Wild moneyline (+112, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.