Stars vs. Predators Odds, Picks, Predictions: Young Star, Strong Goaltender Give Underdog Value (March 8)
Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Jason Robertson.
- The Predators are slight favorites at home tonight against the Stars.
- Jason Robertson has been stellar of late for Dallas, propelling it toward a playoff berth.
- Carol Schram breaks down the matchup and makes her betting pick below.
Updated Stars vs. Predators Odds
| Stars Odds | +110 |
| Predators Odds | -135 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-115 / -105) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
A Central Division matchup with big potential playoff implications is set to go down at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday, when the Nashville Predators host the Dallas Stars.
Just one point currently separates these two teams in the standings, with both trying to reel in the third-place Minnesota Wild and further solidify their playoff positions.
The Stars are on a roll, winners of their last four games and 7-2-1 in their last 10. And while the Predators iced out San Jose with an 8-0 win in their last game, they're just 3-6-0 since the All-Star Break.
Here's the latest on both clubs, and your best bet for Tuesday's game.
Robertson Propelling Dallas Offense
Job 1 for the Predators will be corralling Jason Robertson. The 22-year-old Stars sophomore was just named the NHL's first star of the week after posting back-to-back hat tricks and scoring the game winner in a pair of road games. He's now up to 29 goals and 54 points for the year.
Robertson's production is most welcome. The Stars remain in the bottom half of the league, offensively and have seen Roope Hintz go cold since All-Star Weekend, with just three goals in 12 games.
Whether you're looking at goals per game, Corsi For per 60 at 5-on-5 or Expected Goals per 60, the Stars' offensive stats make them look like a playoff bubble team at best.
Even the power play is middling, at 18.5% for the year. But it has been better in recent games, going 4-for-14 for 28.6% during the small sample size of the current four-game winning streak.
The Stars are finishing off a three-game road trip in Nashville on Tuesday. With their games nicely spaced out, it seems probable that they'll turn back to Jake Oettinger in net. The 23-year-old has started eight of his team's last nine games and has now established himself as Dallas's No. 1 stopper, with a .922 save percentage, 2.30 goals-against average and 6.2 goals saved above expected.
The Stars have won their last two games despite a significant hole on their blue line, with Miro Heiskanen sidelined due to illness.
Nashville Led By Elite Netminder
After an early-season surge that was fueled primarily by otherworldly goaltending by Juuse Saros, the Predators have now come back to earth.
Saros sits third in the league, behind only Igor Shesterkin and Freddy Andersen, with 21.5 goals saved above expected this season. He posted a shutout in his last outing on Saturday, and rarely lets games get out of hand. But lately, he has been giving up three or four goals a game on most nights — and that's more than Nashville can overcome to earn wins.
For the season, the Predators are averaging 3.13 goals per game, and their power play is connecting at a respectable 24.1%. But their expected goals per 60 at 5-on-5 is just 2.34, which ranks them 24th in the league, and they're 22nd in Corsi For per 60 at 52.97.
From the blue line, captain Roman Josi continues to lead his team, with 59 points in 53 games this season. Filip Forsberg is a scoring threat anytime he's on the ice, and Matt Duchene has bounced back to become a point-a-game player again.
The Preds are also a tough team to play against — leading the league in fighting majors and total penalty minutes. But they also have the third-worst penalty-minute differential in the league, and their penalty killing isn't great. They've given up 39 power-play goals this season, tied with Chicago for seventh-worst in the league.
Stars vs. Predators Pick
Tuesday will mark the fourth and final meeting of the year between Dallas, in a series that has been almost dead even. Each team has one regulation win, and Mikael Granlund played hero in a 2-1 shootout win for the Predators in the clubs' most recent meeting, also in Nashville on Feb. 24.
Head to head, the Stars' current four-game winning streak carries more weight when sizing up this matchup than the Predators' blowout win over the Sharks. In net, Oettinger has been more consistently reliable than Saros in recent weeks. Robertson's phenomenally hot hand is a bonus.
So is the fact that Dallas is being offered at plus money as of Monday night. Look for the Stars to finish out their road trip with a third straight win.
Pick: Stars +105 (play to -110)
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