Game 5 Stars vs. Golden Knights playoff picks: Bet on Vegas to end series
The Dallas Stars kept their season alive on Thursday but still face elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5.
The pregame narrative: Dallas played its best game of the series in Game 4, but we’re all over Vegas on Saturday. Additionally, the under continues to be a wager worth making as the series remains an offensive struggle.
NHL odds as of 11:31 a.m. on 05/26/2023.
Stars vs. Golden Knights picks
Best Bet: Golden Knights moneyline (-141)
Dallas punched back in Game 4 after falling behind 0-3 in the series, but we’re not expecting that fighting spirit to carry over into Game 5.
One issue that continues to plague the Stars is a lack of depth scoring. Only six members of the team have a goal in this series, and star player Jason Robertson accounts for 40% of their goals (four of 10).
Contrastingly, nine different Vegas players have scored and none is responsible for more than 25% of the total scoring.
Jake Oettinger’s glaring home-road postseason splits are also noteworthy ahead of this game. Dallas’ puck-stopper has been excellent at home, boasting a .922 save percentage at American Airlines Center. On the road, however, that mark dips to .868.
Unsurprisingly, the Stars have lost four of their last five away games because of that.
Back home at The Fortress, we’re picking Vegas to win and officially book its ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
Key stat: The Golden Knights have won six of their last seven home games.
Quick pick
Under 5.5 goals (-115): The under came through once again in Game 4, marking another low-scoring, conference finals contest.
Looking at both the Eastern and Western Conference finals, the under has successfully hit in six of eight contests. The explanation for this trend is simple: nobody wants to make a mistake.
It also helps when a goalie is playing as well as Adin Hill is. Perhaps the unsung hero of Vegas’ playoff run, Hill owns a .938 save percentage. Even in a losing effort in Game 4, Hill turned aside 39 of 42 shots.
Expect another low-scoring, physical matchup in Game 5.
