Free Picks: Dallas Stars vs Florida Panthers

The best sports bet for today is taking Dallas with the puck line (-1.5) (+221) with 10Bet. I know this could be a low-scoring game, but considering Florida’s injury situation, I think Dallas can win by 2 goals. The other bet I like is the Under (5.5) (-118) because I think it’s likely that Dallas wins 3-1 or 4-1, meaning both bets would pay off.

The injury situation could play a big role in this game, I believe. Florida’s Aleksander Barkov and Patric Hornqvist are both questionable for the game with injuries. Those losses would be huge. Barkov has 13 goals and Hornqvist has 12 goals on the season to lead the team in that department. They are listed as day to day.

The Panthers have lost 2 games in a row without Barkov and in their last defeat, Hornqvist suffered a lower-body injury.

When I go about making my NHL picks, I look at the recent performances between the clubs. Dallas has been searching for goals all season, but they may have found the answer in the last game, a victory over Tampa, when Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski were united for the first time this season at even strength.

The trio responded by combining for three goals and five assists. On the season, Pavelski (32 points), Hintz (21 points) and Robertson (20 points) are the team’s three highest-scoring forwards. But Hintz is suffering from a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.

Dallas is in the middle of a five-game homestand, and they’re only 1-2 in the previous three games. But it’s important to mention, they did beat the top-ranked Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Thursday and I’m thinking that this momentum carries over.

One of the best NHL bets you can make for Saturday’s slate of games is betting Dallas with the puck line. I would also consider betting the Under because I don’t expect this game to be any different from the previous ones.

When I’m making my NHL predictions, I look at the players who could be difference makers in this game and there is no one on Florida who is really that hot. On Dallas, Hintz has 3 goals in his last 5 games, but he’s suffering from a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.

Pavelski leads the Stars in goals with 15. But I question whether the Stars can continue to lean on a 36-year-old player to be your scoring leader. Yet Pavelski shows no signs of slowing down.

In goal, I give the edge to Florida. They are expected to start Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a 12-5-2 record and .902 save percentage. Dallas is expected to start Anton Khudobin, who has a 6-9-2 record and .910 save percentage with 3 shutouts.

I think a risky play on these NHL game odds is to bet the puck line. I think the safer bet would be to bet the Under. But you have to consider that Florida could break out at any time. In their 3 losses, the Panthers are averaging 36 shots, but only 1.7 goals a game.

• The Under is 4-1 in Panthers’ last 5 against NHL teams.
• The Over is 8-3-1 in Florida’s 12 last road games.
• The Over is 4-0 in Dallas’ last 4 games following a win.
• Under is 6-2 in Stars last 8 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.