Every season in the NHL, we see some fantastic Wild card battles start to gear up as we head into the final few weeks of the season. That is where we are right now, with both the Eastern and Western Conferences about as tight as it gets coming down the home stretch. Teams used the trade deadline to add some strength to their squad, and while some did it as part of an overall plan, others were forced to makes some moves out of necessity. Injuries can often mean the difference between making the postseason and missing out, especially when they come this late in the proceedings. With that in mind, spare a thought for the Carolina Hurricanes, as they were forced to go goaltender shopping after losing both of their guys to injury in the same game over the weekend. The Hurricanes are in the middle of a playoff battle and will try to keep up when they welcome in the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. This is a game with real playoff implications, so it should be a fun one to watch. The Hurricanes are favored by 1 ½ on home ice, with the goal total for this one set at 5 ½. Let’s see how the NHL odds will be for the Stars vs Hurricanes.
Stars vs Hurricanes 2020 NHL Game Preview & Betting Odds
- When: Tuesday, February 25 at 7 PM EST
- Where: PNC Arena, Charlotte
- Radio: Dallas / Carolina
- TV: ESPN+
- NHL Odds: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 / Total 5.5
Why bet on the Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are in a very good position in the race for playoff spots in the Western Conference and are in fact still in with a legitimate shot at winning the Central Division and getting the #1 seed overall in the West. As it stands at the moment, they are 36-20-6 on the season, good for 78 points. That has them just 4 points back of the St. Louis Blues at the top of the division, with Dallas still having a game in hand to the Stanley Cup champions. Dallas are on a very decent run of form at the moment, going 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. They have also been good on the road this season, posting a record of 17-10-4. They have won 5 of their last 7 road games, so well worth a look here.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.69
- Shots: 30.42
- PP/PK Percentage: 21.11
- Goals: 2.56
- Shots: 31.74
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.95
Why bet on the Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes ended their game against the Maple Leafs over the weekend with a 42-year old Zamboni driver in as an emergency goaltender. The biggest surprise is that they won that game 6-3, but the injuries to their starters meant that they had to get busy at the trade deadline in search of a new goalie. They got their man, but it will be interesting to see how the defense steps up in light of those injuries. The Hurricanes have also been playing well of late, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. At home, they have been particularly tough to take out, going 19-10-2 in their own building. The Hurricanes lost 4-1 to the Stars earlier this season, but that was on the road.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.3
- Shots: 33.05
- PP/PK Percentage: 22.16
- Goals: 2.82
- Shots: 29.41
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.05
Stars vs Hurricanes NHL Betting Trends
- Dallas are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games.
- Dallas are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games against Carolina.
- Dallas are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games on the road.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas’ last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina.
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Carolina’s last 11 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina’s last 6 games against Dallas.
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina’s last 5 games at home.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina’s last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas.
Stars vs Hurricanes Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
While I am a little concerned about the goaltending situation in Carolina, this team stood strong over the weekend, with their emergency goalie on the ice. I think Carolina wins a close one.
Dallas Stars 2 Carolina Hurricanes 3
