The Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars will wrap up what’s been an exciting season series at American Airlines Center on Thursday night.
The Wild – winners of 11 of their last 14 overall – led off the series with a 7-2 victory over the Stars but Dallas – fighting for their playoff lives in this one – followed up by handing Minnesota losses of 7-4 and 6-3.
Which team will come out on top on Thursday night, and can Over bettors go back to the well here? Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Wild vs Stars on Thursday, April 14.
Editor's note: Ontario! Welcome to the world of regulated sports betting. Visit our Ontario sports betting page for the best legal betting sites available to you and all the information you need about this emerging industry.
Wild vs Stars odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Wild were listed as -111 road favorites when odds opened for this game on Wednesday morning. They’ve since moved to about -120 at nearly every major sportsbook.
The consensus total opened at 6 goals and has remained at that line at the majority of sportsbooks, with the Over juiced anywhere from -115 to -120.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Wild vs Stars predictions
Predictions made on 4/14/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NHL season, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) Stars to win + Under 6 total goals BOOSTED to +335 at Unibet! Claim Now
B) Scott Wedgewood Over 29.5 saves + Joe Pavelski to record a point BOOSTED to +250 at Caesars! Claim Now
*Eligible USA locations only
Wild vs Stars game info
• Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• Date: Thursday, April 14, 2022
• Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Wild vs Stars betting preview
Key injuries
Wild: Jordan Greenway (Doubtful), Matt Dumba (Questionable), Nicolas Deslauriers (Questionable), Jon Merrill (Out).
Stars: Vladislav Namestnikov (Questionable), Alexander Radulov (Questionable), Joel Kiviranta (Questionable), Braden Holtby (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Wild vs Stars head-to-head record
Wild: 4-6-0 SU, 32 goals for.
Stars: 6-3-1 SU, 35 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Wild are 9-30 straight-up in their last 39 meetings with the Stars in Dallas. Find more NHL betting trends for Wild vs. Stars.
Wild vs Stars picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The Stars are 9-4 in their last 13 games and have a good chance to build on that record Thursday night.
Dallas is fresh off a 1-0 upset victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, where backup netminder Scott Wedgewood picked up the shutout. Though nothing has been made official as of Thursday morning, bettors should expect Jake Oettinger (2.53 GAA, .914 save percentage) back between the pipes in this spot.
Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, and Tyler Seguin are off to matching hot starts in April, as each Stars forward has amassed three goals and four assists through seven games this month. Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn are close behind with six points apiece, so the offense could come from just about anywhere for Dallas on Thursday night.
The trends don’t favor the Wild, who are 2-6 in their last eight games against Central Division opponents. Furthermore, the home team has won 50 of the last 74 meetings between these two teams. The Stars are 22-9 in their last 31 home games – back them again tonight.
Prediction: Stars moneyline (+104 at BetRivers)
Over/Under analysis
Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury have alternated starting duties over Minnesota’s last 11 games, and Thursday will be the latter’s turn if the pattern holds true.
Fleury has a 2.44 GAA and .926 SV% in five starts since joining the Wild at the trade deadline. He pitched a 29-save shutout of the Stars when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks on February 18, so he’s more than capable of keeping his club in the game.
The Wild boast one of the best offenses in the NHL, but their production dips noticeably when they take their show on the road.
Minnesota has scored 4.03 goals per game at home, but just 3.30 outside the Xcel Energy Center. Last year’s Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov has realized a noticeable dip in production in enemy territory this season, scoring only 39 points over 37 road games, compared to 52 points in 34 home contests.
On the other side, Dallas is no offensive dynamo, scoring just 2.89 goals per game. That ranks 19th in the NHL.
Under bettors might want to be patient and seek out any potential 6.5-goal lines that may pop up before puck drop. Alternative lines can also be had at many sportsbooks.
Prediction: Under 6 (+102 at BetRivers)
Best bet
In a game that figures to be close and low-scoring, having some insurance is always nice.
Taking the Stars on the traditional +1.5 puck line at -240 odds might be wholly unappealing for some bettors, but there are sportsbooks offering the +1 puck line, meaning a one-goal loss for Dallas would result in a push. The odds bettors are offered for this wager are significantly higher, while keeping the risk the same.
The Stars’ defense should be able to keep a lid on the Wild offense, as they’re allowing only 28.97 shots against per game at home. Minnesota is typically outshot on the road, mustering just 31.38 shots for, compared to 32.86 shots against. They’ve been outshot in their last 10 games overall by an average of 32.6 to 31.6.
Dallas should control the offensive flow of the game but could find it difficult to put pucks past Fleury. That’s what makes taking the puck line insurance with the Stars more tempting than the moneyline bet.
Pick: Stars +1 (-165 at UniBet)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NHL Wild vs. Stars picks, you could win $55.18 on a $10 bet?
Use our NHL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
