The Dallas Stars were the better team in Game 1. The Golden Knights had the edge in Game 2. Now, these seemingly even-matched teams vie for the all-important Game 3 win Thursday night in the Edmonton bubble.
- Date/Time: September 10, 8 p.m. ET
- Arena: Rogers Place
- TV Coverage: HNIC, SNET, NBCSN, FS-MW
- Sportsbook Odds: Golden Knights -154 | O/U 5.5 (Line History)
- Golden Knights vs Stars Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The line opened with the Golden Knights as favorites at -154. That number has risen and can be found between -162 and -170 depending on the book. The total has been steady across the board at 5.5.
Vegas News & Notes
In their Game 1 loss, the Golden Knights saw their lowest share of both scoring chances (34.29%) and high-danger scoring chances (36.36%) of the entire playoffs. But in Game 2, Vegas bounced back to the level of play we have become accustomed to, controlling both categories (52.78% and 66.67% respectively).
It seems Dallas has been able to slow down the deadly Vegas attack better than most as the UNDER is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between these teams.
After Marc-Andre Fleury took the loss in Game 1, Robin Lehner was back between the pipes for Game 2. Lehner will almost certainly get the nod for Game 3 following his shutout performance.
Dallas News & Notes
The Dallas Stars had a tough time keeping the puck out of their net against the Colorado Avalanche. But they seem to have found their defensive game as they shut down the vaunted Golden Knights offense in Game 1 and kept things pretty even in Game 2. In fact, in Game 1, Dallas controlled its highest percentage of scoring chances (65.71%) since Game 4 of its series against Calgary almost a month ago.
Dallas has held the Knights to fewer than 20 total scoring chances in each of the first two games, a feat last accomplished by the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of their series way back on August 11.
The Stars will need to maintain that stalwart defense if they are to bounce back in Game 3, as goalie Anton Khudobin was leaky throughout the previous series and has been up and down in the playoffs.
Betting Pick: UNDER 5.5
The UNDER has been a good bet between these two teams in recent history and both games of the series so far have been tight-checking affairs. We like that trend to continue.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 straight games for Vegas.
- Vegas is 7-2 in its last 9 games against Dallas.
- The UNDER is 5-2 in the last 7 games between these teams.
