Wild vs Stars Game 5 Prediction & Picks: Dallas Doesn’t Take Foot Off Gas Pedal

The 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Tuesday, April 25 with a schedule that includes Game 5 between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars. The series returns to the Lone Star State tied 2-2 after Dallas picked up a narrow victory on Sunday, leaving time to tell how the latest Wild vs Stars chapter will unfold.

SCREAM AND SHOUT!!! STARS WIN!!!#BudLightCelly | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/9FVgWlgZNw

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 24, 2023

Momentum is on the Stars’ side following a hard-fought effort in Game 3 that resulted in a 3-2 victory over the Wild. Tyler Seguin scored twice — including the game-winning goal — while Jake Oettinger made 32 saves on 34 shots to seal the victory for Dallas.

Can the Stars take the series lead on home ice? Or will the Wild do what it takes to regain control?

Here’s a look at everything you know heading into Game 5 of the Wild vs Stars series, from the latest betting odds to a prediction with the best betting recommendation.

Minnesota Wild vs Dallas Stars Game 5 Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars (Series tied 2-2)
• Venue & Location: American Airlines Center (Sunrise, Florida)
• Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2023
• Game Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
• Wild vs Stars TV Info: TBS

Wild vs Stars Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Monday, April 24 at 11:00 p.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Minnesota Wild +1.5 (-205)
• Dallas Stars -1.5 (+168)

Over/Under

• Over 5.5 Goals (-102)
• Under 5.5 Goals (-120)

Moneyline

• Minnesota Wild +122
• Dallas Stars -146

Wild vs Stars Betting Trends

• Minnesota is 6-12 straight up in its last 18 games as the underdog.
• Dallas is 6-2 straight up in its last eight games against the Western Conference.
• The total has hit the over in six of Minnesota’s last nine games against the Western Conference.
• The total has hit the under in seven of Dallas’ last nine games played on a Tuesday.
• The total has hit the under in eight of the last 12 Minnesota-Dallas matchups at American Airlines Center.

Wild vs Stars Game 5 Preview

The Stars’ win two nights ago was exactly what they needed to get their mojo back.

For starts, Oettinger finally had an impressive performance. He finished Games 2 and 3 with sub-.900 save percentages, so the fact that he played to a .941 SV% on Sunday should give the Stars some extra confidence.

Playing at home also gives Oettinger a better shot at having another strong showing. It’s a small sample size, but the Dallas goaltender has played to a 1.51 goals-against average and .946 SV% with a shutout in his last six home games.

Meanwhile, the Wild hope that Filip Gustavsson can rebound between the pipes. While he played well in his first two appearances this series, Gustavsson gave up three goals on just 24 shots in Game 4.

Having said that, all signs point to a bounce-back performance given that the Swedish netminder is 8-2-3 with a 2.12 GAA, .935 SV%, and one shutout in his previous 13 road games.

It’ll also be interesting to see which side wins the special teams battle. Neither penalty has played well, leading to power-play success for both the Wild and Stars. Minnesota’s PP is operating at a 23.5% success rate while Dallas has cashed on seven times on 16 power-play opportunities (43.8%).

Seguin paces his teammates with three PP goals thus far while Roope Hintz is right behind him with two.

In fact, the Stars have been getting solid play from most of their top players. Hintz leads the team with eight points while Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson have four apiece. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen has been a stud with five assists — four of which have come on the man advantage. That’s not even to mention how Evgenii Dadonov has three goals, which is the same number he had in 23 regular-season games with the Stars.

While the Wild’s offensive production has been spread out, there are a few players who’ve barely shown up. Gustav Nyquist and Matt Boldy have yet to score this series. Kirill Kaprizov only has one goal without an assist. The lack of top-end scoring isn’t helped by the fact that Joel Eriksson Ek has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

At the end of the day, momentum is clearly on the Stars’ side. The Wild are talented, but recent trends point to this being an uphill battle.

Wild vs Stars Game 5 Prediction and Picks

Wild vs Stars Prediction: Stars 3, Wild 2

Wild vs Stars: Stars ML (Best Value: -146 at BetOnline) & Under 5.5 Goals (Best Value: -120 at BetOnline)

Momentum gives the Stars an edge ahead of Game 5. Not only that, but their top players are showing up and the power play looks nearly unstoppable. The Wild’s best players just aren’t showing up as consistently. On top of that, Minnesota is an abysmal 6-12 straight up in its last 18 games as the underdog, whereas Dallas is 7-1-1 SU in its last nine outings as the favorite.

Aside from a Stars victory, I recommend backing the under on the 5.5-goal total. Including the regular season and playoffs, five of the eight Wild vs Stars matchups this year have finished with fewer than 5.5 goals. If that isn’t convincing enough, the under is 8-4 in the last 12 matchups between these teams at American Airlines Center.

Oettinger looks like he’s returned to form while a bounce-back performance is more than likely for Gustavsson. With both goaltenders being among the league’s best when they’re on their game, don’t expect a ton of goals tonight.

Other Wild vs Stars Betting Resources

• Wild vs Stars Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats (will be updated when available)

Other NHL Stories on Betting News (April 25)

• Stanley Cup Winner Odds and Best Bets