This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks for January 16: Stars vs. Golden Knights
The Dallas Stars (25-12-7) kick off a three-game road trip through Nevada and California, starting with Monday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights (28-14-2) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
This is the first of three regular-season meetings between these Western Conference combatants. Vegas edged Dallas by a 2-1 margin last season, while two of the meetings were not decided in regulation. In the only meeting in Las Vegas, VGK picked up a 5-4 win on Dec. 8, 2021 in regulation as the Over hit.
Dallas is coming off a 6-5 loss at home to the Calgary Flames on Saturday, and it is just 2-3-1 across the past six games overall. The good news for the Stars is that they are 6-2-2 over the previous 10 games on the road.
The Stars have posted just one victory in the past five tries against teams inside the Pacific Division. They're also a dismal 2-5 in the previous seven trips to Vegas.
Vegas was dropped 4-3 on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, and VGK is just 1-2-0 in the past three outings. The Golden Knights have covered five of the previous seven games at home, while going 7-0 in the past seven games against Central Division foes. Vegas is also a stellar 22-10 in the past 32 games when playing on just one day of rest.
Jake Oettinger (19-6-4, 2.28 GAA, .924 SV%, 2 SO) is projected to start for the visitors, while Logan Thompson (18-11-1, 2.71 GAA, .913 SV%, 2 SO) is the likely start for the home side.
Oettinger has been on fire lately, going 2-1-1 with a 1.72 GAA and .943 SV% in four starts so far in January, and he is 6-1-1 across the past eight eight starts dating back to Dec. 23, yielding two or fewer goals in seven of those outings.
Thompson has dropped each of the past two starts, both at home against the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, yielding seven goals on 56 shots.
As such, playing the road team is worth a roll of the dice, especially since the road team is 5-1 in the past six meetings, too.
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NHL Moneyline Bets for Stars vs. Golden Knights
- Stars ML (+110 at BetMGM)
We have some conflicting trends between the two teams, but for Dallas, it's all about the Under.
The Under is 5-1 in the past six games overall for the Stars, while going 19-6-4 in the past 29 games on the road. In addition, the Under has hit at a 17-6-3 clip in the past 26 games against teams with a winning overall record. And, for what it's worth, the Under has hit in seven straight games played on a Monday.
For the Golden Knights, the Over is 5-1-1 in the past seven games at home, while hitting at a 3-1-1 pace in the past five against winning teams. However, the Under is 6-1-1 in the past eight in this series, and VGK should have some difficulty solving Oettinger.
NHL Totals Bets for Stars vs. Golden Knights
- Under 6 (-115 at Caesars)
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NHL Player Props for Stars vs. Golden Knights
As far as props are concerned, there are a handful of solid players to check out for Monday's Western Conference tilt.
Jason Robertson of the Stars has been on an extended tear, going for six goals and 11 assists across the past 13 outings, including a goal and six points on the man advantage. He has been blanked in each of the past six outings on the power play, so he is definitely due. At this price, Robertson is worth a roll of the dice.
- Jason Robertson Over 0.5 Power-Play Points (+152 at FanDuel)
Robinson doesn't see very many shots he doesn't like. He has rolled up 176 shots on goal (SOG) across his 44 games, a shooting percentage of 16.5%. He has posted four of more SOG in four of his six outings in January, and eight of the past 12 games overall.
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- Jason Robertson Over 3.5 SOG (-115 at FanDuel)
You'll get some decent odds playing Nicolas Roy to register at least one point. He has two goals and three points in five games since the ball dropped to ring in 2023. It's an impressive turnaround after a 13-game scoreless skid to end the month of December.
- Over 0.5 Points (+142 at FanDuel)
