Can Anaheim Build on Strong Finish to First Half?
While Dallas might be 29 points ahead of Anaheim in the standings, the teams were going in different directions heading into the All-Star break. Anaheim won three straight games and Dallas dropped the last three, all by identical 3-2 scores.
Anaheim is seeking to win the season series for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign after the teams traded shutout victories at home.
Thanks in large part to the play of Jake Oettinger, the Stars finished second to the Boston Bruins in goals-against average in the month of January while Anaheim was 31st with nearly four goals per game allowed.
Defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Urho Vaakanainen are both questionable for Anaheim. Forward Justin Kirkland is on injured reserve.
Dallas is in much better shape from an injury department.
According to the NHL playoff odds, the Stars (+1600) are tied for seventh in the odds to win the Stanley Cup title while the Ducks are well back at +100000.
Let’s check the latest NHL news, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for the Ducks vs Stars. We’ve got plenty of NHL picks for you to consider.
Cam’s The Man
While the Anaheim roster is loaded with talented youngsters, it is one of the team’s most experienced players who keyed the three-game winning streak heading into the All-Star break.
Cam Fowler not only was tied with forward Frank Vatrano on the team with five points (two goals and three assists), but had a defensive rating of +7 as the Ducks sandwiched two wins over Arizona around a road win against defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado.
Fowler had back-to-back multi-point games for the first time in mid-November. It wasn’t only about Fowler’s offense. He was on the ice for eight even-strength goals with just one being allowed in those three games.
The NHL betting lines total has gone over in 10 of Anaheim’s last 11 games as well as in each of the last five road games.
Stars Working Overtime
While Dallas begins the second half of the season leading the Western Conference with 66 points, the win and point total could be even higher.
Dallas is just 2-10 in games requiring overtime. That is a big change from the Stars’ run to the Central Division title a season ago when Dallas was 10-6 in overtime games and 5-2 in shootouts.
The Stars ended the first half with three straight overtime losses, all coming at home. The 10 overtime losses are the second most in the league behind only San Jose’s 11.
While the Stars are in a good spot at the top of the Western Conference heading into the break, there’s plenty of room to improve their already solid game.@PNCBank | #TexasHockey
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 28, 2023
Dallas had more shots and more faceoff wins in two of those three losses.
The Stars won only one of its last seven games decided by one goal, and with more than a week since their last game, they will return to reverse that trend.
The Las Vegas odds total has gone under in each of the last five Dallas games.
Ducks vs Stars Game Injuries
Ducks vs Stars Head-to-Head
Anaheim snapped a six-game losing streak to Dallas with a 2-0 win at home on Jan. 4 as Mason McTavish had a goal and an assist and John Gibson had a 35-save shutout.
Dallas held the Ducks to a total of seven goals in the previous five meetings with a pair of shutouts. Jason Robertson had three goals in a Dec. 1 victory. Three of the games during the six-game winning streak for the Stars were decided by one goal.
Six of the last seven games between the Ducks and Stars finished under the total and in five of the last six home contests.
Ducks vs Stars Game Information
- Game: Ducks (16-29-5) vs Stars (28-13-10)
- Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
- Day/Time: Monday, Feb. 6, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Ducks vs Stars Live Stream: NHL.TV
Ducks vs Stars Betting Lines
Ducks vs Stars Picks and Prediction
Dallas has won nine straight home games against the Ducks, and the Stars are favored to make it a perfect 10. Those who bet online should keep in mind that Dallas has suffered just five regulation losses at home, the fewest among Western Conference teams.
Anaheim is the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, averaging 2.44 goals per game. Connecting on 15.9% of its power-play chances hasn’t helped.
The Stars are just 12-12 against the spread at home and another number to consider is that 17 of Anaheim’s 27 road games finished over the total.
The Stars are 21-13-5 as the favorite with the Ducks just 14-33-5 when listed by the sportsbook as the underdog. The money line opened at -320 for the Stars and has moved to -370. Still, there are plenty of reasons why there is such a gap between these teams in the standings, and expect that to become apparent as both the Stars and Ducks begin the second half of the season.
The Dallas Stars are listed at -370 in our Las Vegas odds. This means that if you wager $100 on the Stars, you have a chance to win $28. Anaheim is +310, offering a chance to win $310 on a $100 wager. The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Dallas Stars a 78.72% chance to win, with the Anaheim Ducks at 24.39%.
Ducks vs Stars Trends
Ducks vs Stars Edge
Ducks vs Stars Results
Ducks vs Stars Game Summary
