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- The 2023 Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights begin the defense of their first Cup on Monday, April 22 against the Dallas Stars.
- The Dallas Stars finished the 2024 NHL regular season as the top team in the Western Conference with 113 points.
- The Vegas Golden Knights made the Western Conference NHL playoffs as the second wild card team.
A rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals takes place in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the Vegas Golden Knights face the Dallas Stars in Dallas to begin their series on Monday. Last year, Vegas dispatched Dallas in six games on their way to winning the 2024 Stanley Cup over the Florida Panthers in five games. The Golden Knights and Stars have each raised the Stanley Cup once, with Dallas winning the trophy in 1999.
Dallas finished the 2024 NHL regular season (52-21-9) with the second-most points in franchise history. The team’s best season came in 1999 when it posted 114 points on its way to winning the Stanley Cup.
Vegas scored a franchise-best 111 points in 2023. In 2024, the Golden Knights posted a 45-29-8 record and 98 points, which was the team’s third-best regular season.
Before we look at the first-round matchup of the 2024 NHL Western Conference playoffs between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, check out our guide to betting on the 2024 NHL Playoffs and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights 2024 Western Conference playoff betting picks: first round
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +118 | +120 | +125 | +117 |
| Dallas Stars | -138 | -140 | -145 | -144 |
Dallas Stars betting breakdown
The Dallas Stars were 52-21-9 in 2024. The club went 26-11-4 at home and posted a 26-10-5 road record. Dallas scored 298 goals and gave up 234 for a goal differential of plus-64. The team was second in Western Conference goal scoring, surrendered the fourth fewest goals in the West, and had the best goal differential in the conference. The Stars averaged 3.59 goals per game (second in the Western Conference) and gave up an average of 2.83 goals per game. Dallas’ power play was sixth in the NHL, clicking at 24.2 percent, while the team’s penalty kill was eighth at 82 percent. Dallas averaged 31.6 shots on goal per game and gave up an average of 28.7 shots on their net.
Jason Robertson is the offensive player to watch for the Stars. Robertson had a career-high 109 points in 2023. He fell short of hitting the 100-point plateau in 2024, but the 24-year-old still led the club in scoring with 80 points in 82 games (29 goals, 51 assists). Robertson posted 18 points in the 2023 playoffs (7G, 11A), while Roope Hintz was the team leader in scoring in the postseason with 24 points (10G, 14A) after putting up a career-high 75 points in the regular season. Hintz had 65 points this year.
Jake Oettinger will get the nod in goal for Dallas. He went 35-14-4 this year with a 2.72 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage, and three shutouts. Oettinger played in 54 games with 53 starts.
Vegas Golden Knights betting breakdown
The Vegas Golden Knights were a 45-29-8 team in 2024. The club went 27-12-2 at home while putting up an 18-17-6 road record. The Golden Knights scored 267 goals on the season while giving up 245 for a goal differential of plus-22. Vegas averaged 3.21 goals per game during the regular season and surrendered an average of 2.96 goals per outing. The Golden Knights had a 20.2 percent power play (20th in the NHL) and a 79.3 percent penalty kill (16th in the league). Vegas averaged 31.1 shots per game while giving up an average of 30.3 shots on goal.
Jack Eichel did not lead the Golden Knights in scoring in 2024, but his 68 points (31G, 37A) in 63 games was only one fewer point than club leader Jonathan Marchessault (42G, 27A) scored in 82 games. Eichel will be the offensive player who drives Vegas in the postseason. He was the team leader in playoff scoring last year, putting up 26 points (6G, 20A) in 22 games. Marchessault had 25 playoff points (12G, 12A) in 2023. Marchessault won the Conn Smythe in 2023.
Vegas is one of several teams in this year’s playoffs with two goalies who could get the nod in the postseason. Logan Thompson has a 25-14-5 record, a 2.70 GAA, and a .908 SP% with one shutout in 46 games (42 starts). Adin Hill, who was in net for the Golden Knights when they won the Cup last season, is 19-12-2 with a 2.71 GAA, a .909 SP%, and two shutouts in 35 starts in 2024.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights 2024 season series
Vegas defeated the Stars in all three of their regular season meetings. The Golden Knights won a 3-2 shootout in October, topped the Stars 2-1 in overtime in November, and downed Dallas 6-1 in December.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights 2024 playoff schedule
- Monday, April 22 | 9:30 p.m. | at DAL | ESPN – Game 1
- Wednesday, April 24 | 9:30 p.m. | at DAL | ESPN – Game 2
- Saturday, April 27 | 10:30 p.m. | at VGK | TBS, truTV – Game 3
- Monday, April 29 | TBD | at VGK | TBD – Game 4
- Wednesday, May 1 | TBD | at DAL | TBD – Game 5*
- Friday, May 3 | TBD | at VGK | TBD – Game 6*
- Sunday, May 5 | TBD | at DAL | TBD – Game 7*
*If necessary
Best bets for Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights 2024 playoff series
This will be a great series. Vegas had Dallas’ number in the regular season, but they did not play the Stars near the end of the 2024 regular season when Dallas was playing its best hockey. The betting pick is for the Dallas Stars to beat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
