Stars vs Golden Knights Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Playoffs Game 1 (Can Vegas Finally Overcome Dallas?)

The 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Friday, May 19 as the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights are set to play Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Stars vs Golden Knights Game 1 Info

• Series: Tied 0-0
• Date: Friday, May 19, 2023
• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: T-Mobile Arena -- Las Vegas, Nevada
• Coverage: ESPN, ESPN+

The Stars went the distance with the Seattle Kraken in the second round, needing seven games to eliminate the latter. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are making their Western Conference Finals return after overcoming the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

Stars vs Golden Knights Odds & Spread

• All NHL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: DAL: (+116) | VGK: (-140)
• Spread: DAL: +1.5 (-235) | VGK: -1.5 (+190)
• Total: 5.5 -- Over: (-106) | Under: (-114)

The Golden Knights enter this contest as home favorites on the spread and moneyline per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 5.5 goals with the Under being favored at -114 odds. 

Stars vs Golden Knights Betting Trends

• Dallas is 14-5 straight up (SU) in its last 19 games.
• Vegas is 4-1 SU in its last five home games.
• The total has hit the Over in eight of Dallas' last 10 road games.
• The total has hit the Under in five of Vegas' last six games against Dallas.

Stars vs Golden Knights Prediction & Pick

The Golden Knights might be the West's best team, but the Stars were one of the clubs that they struggled with. Dallas won all three of the regular-season meetings between the two sides, which included outscoring Vegas 6-2 on aggregate in two games at T-Mobile Arena. Nevertheless, two of the Stars' three wins came in the shootout, meaning the series could've easily gone the other way.

Although both sides are more than capable of filling the net, the Stars have a clear advantage when it comes to special teams. Their power play is clicking at 31.7% in the playoffs, whereas the Golden Knights only have a 17.5% success rate on the man advantage.

Furthermore, Vegas will still likely be rolling with third-string goaltender Adin Hill. With names like Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, and more in the lineup, Dallas has more than enough offensive talent to take advantage of the situation. Meanwhile, the Stars have goaltender Jake Oettinger, who is among the best in the league when he's on his game.

In what will likely be another back-and-forth matchup, expect the Stars to shock the Pacific Division's top team.

Final Score Prediction: Stars: 4 | Golden Knights: 3

Stars vs Golden Knights Best Bet

For this game's best bet, I'm taking the Stars to score more than 2.5 goals at -122 odds. Peter DeBoer's club is averaging 3.6 goals in the playoffs and has finished with more than 2.5 in eight of their last 10 games. As well-rounded as the Golden Knights are, they've given up the Over on this prop four times in their past six contests.

Hill is far from a stone wall in goal, so look for the Stars to do some damage en route to victory.

Bet: Stars Total Goals — Over 2.5 (-122)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.