The Dallas Stars have won three in a row to move into the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference and can separate themselves further from the ninth-place Avalanche on Thursday when the Central Division rivals collide at American Airlines Center. Sportsbooks opened the Stars as -130 home favorites with a total of 5.5.
Avalanche vs Stars Game Center
Standout Stats
- Stars defenseman John Klingberg boosted his point total to eight (two goals, six assists) in his last eight contests after scoring an early goal in the second period of Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over the New York Rangers. On the season, Klingberg has 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 48 games.
- Colorado picked up a rare overtime win in its last outing thanks to a goal in the extra frame by Nathan MacKinnon to give the Avalanche a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The triumph improved Colorado’s overtime record to just 2-11 in 2018-19.
- Speaking of MacKinnon, the Nova Scotia native has made a habit of carving up the Stars this season. In the first meeting of the year between the clubs on November 24, the 23-year-old scored and set up a goal in Colorado’s 3-2 victory. In the last matchup between the Western Conference clubs on December 15, he erupted for a season high-tying four points (one goal, three assists) in a 6-4 win for the Avalanche.
- Stars goaltender Ben Bishop turned aside all 28 shots against the Rangers and 57 of 58 in his last two games overall. Bishop takes a 5-1-0 mark with a 1.50 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in his last six starts into tonight’s game.
- Fading Dallas on the puckline as a home favorite has been a profitable strategy of late. In the Stars’ past nine contests as home faves, they’re 1-8 on the puckline. Sportsbook was dealing the Stars’ -1.5 number for a price of +210 as of this writing.
- It’s rare for Colorado to string together wins on the road, as the Avalanche are 2-10 SU in their previous 12 away from home after losing the most recent road game. Colorado is also 3-8 SU in its past 11 as a road underdog.
My best bet for Avalanche-Stars
UNDER 5.5 goals
The 5.5 number is low for today’s NHL standards, but it’s been set that low for a reason. Oddsmakers have caught on to how good an UNDER team the Stars are and they’re no stranger to seeing 5.5 totals as a result.
In 2018-19, Dallas is 20-39 OVER/UNDER, making it one of the top UNDER teams in the league. The Stars are averaging only 2.5 goals per game since the all-star break and Bishop is on fire right now. Based on those factors, another UNDER could be in store in the Big D tonight.
