The Edmonton Oilers evened up the Western Conference finals with a 3-0 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 2 on Friday night.
It was the third shutout for Stuart Skinner and the Oilers in their last four games, as the veteran netminder responded after struggling in Game 1.
The Oilers are now a -164 favorite to win the best-of-seven series, and they’re sitting at -155 odds to take Game 3 at home Sunday afternoon.
Stars vs. Oilers Game 3 betting preview
The Oilers have proven to be a lot more versatile than people thought during the playoffs.
After struggling down the stretch of the regular season, it seemed like Edmonton would go as far as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could take them.
That narrative has all but vanished in the playoffs, as the Oilers have won nine of their first 13 games in the postseason and have received contributions from all over the lineup.
McDavid and Draisaitl are still driving the bus with 20 points apiece, but Edmonton has six other players with at least seven points, and that doesn’t include players like Jake Walman, John Klingberg and Brett Kulak, all of whom have been excellent during the first three rounds.
Dallas boasts plenty of depth, as well, but the Stars need to find some more offensive rhythm at 5-on-5.
Dallas has just two goals at full strength in this series so far, and they only have four in their last five games overall.
Betting on the NHL?
Stars vs. Oilers Game 3 pick
The moneyline for Game 3 looks quite fair. The Oilers should be favorites on home ice, but it’s a lofty price to pay considering Skinner’s inconsistency in goal and how close these two teams are on paper.
Meanwhile, the Stars have not shown enough offensive punch lately to make anybody excited about betting them at +134 odds.
Instead, we’ll look at a prop bet for value in Game 3.
The first two games of this series have been the inverse of what you’d expect. Dallas won a high-scoring contest in the opener, while Edmonton shut things down in a win Friday.
While it’s good to be able to win in different ways in the Stanley Cup playoffs, you’d have to imagine that both teams will try desperately to get Game 3 on their preferred script.
Dallas will do everything it can to slow things down and turn Sunday’s tilt into a rock fight, while Edmonton will try to do the opposite.
Those clashing styles should lead to a scrappy contest, especially out of the gates.
I think Game 3 will take a while to get going, which makes the Under 0.5 goals for the first period a tempting price.
The Play: Under 0.5 goals (+490, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.