It is unbelievable that the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars advanced to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Both teams were down by two goals in the third period of Game 7 in Round 1, but mounted monumental comebacks to get through to the second round.
Dallas got a third-period hat-trick from former Colorado Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen to win, 4-2, while the Jets scored two goals with under two minutes left in regulation to get their do-or-die game with the Blues to overtime before they moved on thanks to an Adam Lowry goal.
Only one of these magical rides will continue to Round 3, however, and the betting market has made it clear who they think will advance.
Dallas is a -170 favorite to win the best-of-7 series, and is -125 to take Game 1 on Wednesday night in Winnipeg.
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Stars vs. Jets Game 1 betting preview
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a war of attrition, and no two teams in this field know that better than the Stars and Jets.
Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson missed all of Round 1 for Dallas, while Winnipeg was without Gabriel Vilardi, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and Josh Morrissey at times in their best-of-7 against the Blues.
Heiskanen and Robertson are both likely to return at some point in Round 2, perhaps as early as Game 1, while the status of Scheifele and Morrissey is unclear.
After being counted out before, and during their series with the Avalanche, the Stars are now a trendy pick to win this series and go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, putting Winnipeg in the position that Dallas was in last round.
But count the Jets out at your own risk. This was a plucky effort from Winnipeg, who not only needed to overcome a rash of injuries to beat the Blues, but also needed to contend with a disastrous performance from star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
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Stars vs. Jets Game 1 pick
Dallas established that it is still one of the heavyweights with its performance against Colorado in Round 1, but the Jets are being overlooked in this series.
Don’t forget, Winnipeg won the Presidents’ Trophy in the regular season and the Jets allowed the fewest goals in the entire league.
I expect Hellebuyck to find his form now that the pressure from Round 1 has been lifted. The Jets have significant value on the series moneyline ahead of Game 1.
The Play: Jets series moneyline +140 (BetMGM)
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
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.
