Central Division Showdown in Minnesota
Playoff Hopefuls Meet as the Wild Welcome the Stars
TNT is the place to watch some hockey on Sunday, and there is a big game set to take place in Minnesota as the Wild play host to the Dallas Stars. Two points separate these teams in the Central Division standings, and that adds some drama to this NHL matchup.
Dallas comes into this game with 65 points, but the Stars have won four of their last five games. Minnesota has racked up 67 points, but the Wild have lost four of their last five games.

The NHL betting lines for this game at BetUS Sportsbook have the WIld as the betting favorites at -145 on the moneyline.
Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild
Dallas Playing Some Defense
The Dallas Stars are allowing nearly 2.9 goals per game, but it has been the defense that has carried them during this recent run. Jake Oettinger has been the top goaltender for Dallas this season as he has gone 18-6-1 when in net for the Stars.
The Stars have been playing some good offensive teams of late, and they have been able to hold those teams down. Dallas can’t afford to get into a fast-paced game against Minnesota, and they will try to control the puck in this one.
Dallas has also picked up the scoring of late, but they are still scoring just 2.9 goals per game. The Stars are terrific on the power play as they have converted nearly 23 percent of the time.
Center Joe Pavelski has 57 points, and that included a team-high 36 assists. The Stars will have to put some pucks in the net if they want to win.
Wild Wanting to Score
Minnesota has gone just 2-7 in its last nine games, and a lack of defense has really become a problem for this team. The Wild are allowing nearly 3.2 goals per game, and that has just put too much pressure on the offense.
A bad break did the Wild in on Friday night as they suffered a stunning loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Wild coach Dean Evason said of the recent loss, “We get up there and we thought we’re in a pretty good spot. But teams don’t quit. We know that.”
The Wild are scoring 3.7 goals per game and they want to play fast on both ends of the ice. Kirill Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 42 assists and 26 points, and he will give Dallas some trouble in this game.
Minnesota can score with the best of them, but at some point, this team has to lock in on the defensive end of the ice.
Wild Dominate Dallas in Showdown
Both of these teams are going to give up some goals, but Minnesota has been the much better offensive team this season. Dallas wants to slow down the pace, but that’s hard to do against this Minnesota team.
With so much on the line in this game, home-ice advantage is going to be a difference-maker on Sunday. The Wild have not been playing great of late, but they will break out of their slump in front of their home faithful.
This game will be close for a while, but the Wild will pull away late for a convincing win. If you are going to bet online for this game, then taking the Minnesota Wild -1.5 is the way to go.