The opening-round series between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars is arguably the best matchup of Round 1, and Game 1 between the Central Division powerhouses goes down at American Airlines Arena on Saturday, April 18.
My top Wild vs. Stars predictions and NHL picks call for Minny pulling off the upset to open the series.
Wild vs Stars Game 1 prediction
Wild vs Stars best bet: Wild moneyline (+105)
The Dallas Stars limped into the postseason with a 7-5-2 record, and just three of those wins came against postseason teams. More concerning, Dallas ranked 20th in expected goals percentage at five-on-five.
For comparison, the Minnesota Wild ranked fourth in xGF% at 5-on-5 during the same stretch.
As noted, Dallas will be without key center Roope Hintz, and No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen (lower body) is likely to play at less than 100% after missing the final three games of the regular season and being deemed questionable for the series opener.
Stars No. 1 Jake Oettinger is also coming off his worst NHL season with a .899 save percentage and just 23.14 goals saved above expected across 54 starts.
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Wild vs Stars Game 1 same-game parlay
The Wild have played to the Over in 19 of their past 25 road games (+12.45 Units / 45% ROI), and as noted, Oettinger hasn’t been sharp. Of course, Dallas and Minnesota also finished second and third in power-play percentage while respectively averaging 3.33 and 3.27 goals per game.
Turning to the final leg of this same-game parlay, Minny winger Matt Boldy ranked in the 98th percentile of shots on goal while recording three or more in 48 of 76 games. He’s also a primary shooter on the No. 1 power-play unit and posted a solid 51.4 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five to pace Wild forwards.
Wild vs Stars SGP
- Wild moneyline
- Over 5.5
- Matt Boldy Over 2.5 shots
Wild vs Stars Game 1 goal scorer pick
Joel Eriksson Ek (+325)
Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek has only scored twice with a 4.6 shooting percentage across his past 17 games despite piling up an impressive 7.96 expected goals and 29 high-danger scoring chances.
There’s statistical correction coming in the goals column for Eriksson Ek considering he’s been dangerous and also posted an 11.3 SH% across 387 games since the beginning of the 2020 campaign.
Wild vs Stars odds for Game 1
- Moneyline: Minnesota +105 | Dallas -125
- Puck Line: Minnesota +1.5 (-227) | Dallas -1.5 (+227)
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-125) | Under 5.5 (+105)
Wild vs Stars trend
The Dallas Stars have only covered the puck line in 5 of their last 20 games (-9.05 Units / -40% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Wild vs. Stars.
How to watch Wild vs Stars Game 1
| Location | American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX |
| Date | Saturday, April 19, 2026 |
| Puck drop | 5:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN, SN |
Wild vs Stars latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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