Oilers vs Stars Odds & Picks
Two top contenders in the NHL’s Western Conference will do battle on Saturday Afternoon Hockey. The Dallas Stars (34-14-6) host the Edmonton Oilers (31-18-1) fresh off one of the most dominating performances of the season. Puck drop is at 3:00 pm EST at American Airlines Center.
Oddsmakers are buying in on the Stars following the team’s thrashing of Nashville Thursday night. According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Stars are slight moneyline favorites against the Oilers for this nationally televised showdown.
Let’s get into the Oilers vs Stars odds, as we offer you our prediction for Saturday afternoon.
Oilers vs Stars Odds
In the Oilers vs Stars odds, Dallas is a slight -115 favorite on the moneyline at BetMGM, giving them 54% implied win probability. However, this game has no true underdog, as the Oilers have 51% implied win probability based on their -105 odds.
Oilers vs Stars will be broadcast nationally on ABC at 3:00 PM EST.
Odds as of Feb. 16, at BetMGM Sportsbook. Claim the BetMGM sign up promo to unlock a unique offer for Oilers vs Stars on Saturday.
Oilers vs Stars History
The Stars and Oilers rivalry has been fairly even of late, with the two squads splitting the past 10 meetings. The first time these two teams played this season was in November 2023, when the Stars defeated the Oilers 4-3 in Edmonton thanks to Roope Hintz’s two goals.
The last time the teams faced off prior to that was March, 2023, a 4-1 Oilers victory in which Connor McDavid racked up a goal and an assist.
While the Stars typically play in lower-scoring games, there has been no shortage of goals when they’ve taken on Edmonton. The “over” has cashed in five of the last six meetings between the two Western Conference foes.
Oilers Looking to Bounce Back
Edmonton is seeking to get back into the win column Saturday after falling to the St. Louis Blues by a 6-3 score Thursday night. The Oilers have alternated wins and losses in their past five games following a near-historic 16-game winning streak.
A reason Edmonton has hit a bit of a lull is their penalty kill. The Oilers have allowed seven goals on 15 opposing power plays after killing 18 straight in their previous seven outings. Edmonton’s power play, however, remains a strength, operating at 26.5% efficiency.
Connor McDavid, a contender once again for the Hart Trophy odds, has been on a playmaking tear, with 12 assists in his past five games. He’s now up to 80 points in 48 games, helping the Oilers average 3.50 goals per game. Leon Draisaitl also has 26 goals and 63 points in 50 contests this season.
The Oilers’ projected starting goalie for Saturday is Stuart Skinner, who is 24-12-1 with a .906 save percentage and 2.56 GAA. Skinner has played great through large stretches of the season, although the Edmonton defense is only allowing 28.16 shots per game, fifth-best in the NHL.
Stars Are on a Roll
The Dallas Stars enter Saturday afternoon hockey following one of the most dominant performances of the 2023-24 NHL season. The Stars put on a clinic against the Nashville Predators on Thursday, scoring nine times in a 9-2 rout. The Stars’ fourth line scored the first three goals.
Dallas has won eight in their past 10 games, propelling them to the top of the Central Division standings in the NHL Playoff Bracket. The Stars were five points behind the Jets on Jan. 20, the start of the current run of success.
Despite typically being known for being an elite defensive team, the Stars now lead the entire league in goals scored, averaging 3.8 goals per contest. This stat is even more impressive when you consider the team is only converting on 22.4% of their power plays (13th).
Defensively, Dallas is middle of the pack, allowing three goals per contest. A key matchup against the Oilers will be Miro Heiskanen vs Connor McDavid. This is a battle of two elite players at their positions, with McDavid arguably the best forward in the league while Heiskanen is a top-pairing defenseman.
Saturday’s projected starting goalie is Jake Oettinger, who is 20-9-2 with a .906 save percentage and 2.90 GAA so far this season.
Oilers vs Stars Prediction
Despite coming back to reality, the Oilers still rank fifth in expected goals percentage over their last five games at 58.25 xGF%. In fact, Edmonton actually outshot the Blues 38-30 and have outshot all but one of their past five opponents.
The Stars haven’t been quite as impressive lately when it comes to the advanced metrics (54.39 xGF%) but they are playing with all kinds of momentum. Dallas has suffered just one loss in their last eight games, which was a wild 5-4 loss to Toronto on the road on Feb. 7.
Before considering backing the Oilers to bounce back Saturday, consider that Edmonton is 1-8 in their last 9 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game. The Stars have taken 14 of the past 20 meetings between these two teams in Dallas, and we predict them to keep rolling Saturday.
