Trent Reinsmith
- The Seattle Kraken enter the second round of the 2023 NHL Western Conference playoffs after eliminating the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games.
- The Dallas Stars eliminated the Minnesota Wild in a six-game series in the first round of the 2023 NHL playoffs.
- The Stars went 2-1 against Seattle in the 2023 NHL regular season. Two of those games went to overtime.
The Dallas Stars fell shy of winning the Western Conference’s Central Divison in 2023. Dallas finished the 2023 NHL regular season with a 47-21-14 record, which put them one point behind the division-winning Colorado Avalanche, who racked up 109 points with a 51-24-7 record on the year. Dallas faced the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2023 NHL playoffs, eliminating the Wild in six games
The Seattle Kraken missed the postseason in their inaugural season in 2022, but the team improved in its second campaign, going from 27-49-6 to 46-28-8 and securing a wild card berth into the 2023 NHL playoffs. The Kraken surprised many with their seven-game series win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round of this year’s NHL postseason, winning three of the last four games of the series.
Before we look at the second-round matchup of the 2023 NHL Western Conference playoffs between the Dallas Stars and the Seattle Kraken, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Dallas Stars vs. Seattle Kraken betting picks for NHL Western Conference Playoff Series
| To Win Rd. 2 of NHL Western Conference Playoff Series |  |  |  |  |
| Seattle Kraken | +165 | +155 | +165 | +150 |
| Dallas Stars | -190 | -180 | -190 | -170 |
Dallas Stars betting breakdown
The Dallas Stars finished the 2023 NHL season with a 22-10-9 home record. As for their time on the road, the Stars were 25-11-5 on the year.
The Stars’ Jason Robertson, had a breakout year for the team in 2023. The 23-year-old played in all 82 games and set career highs in points (109), goals (46) and assists (63). Robertson led the Stars in each of those stats for the year. However, Robertson is not leading the Stars in playoff scoring. Instead, Roope Hintz, who had 75 points during the regular season, is the team leader in points (12) and goals (5). Robertson is second in scoring with seven playoff points (2 goals, 5 assists).
Jake Oettinger has been one of the best goaltenders during the 2023 NHL playoffs. He is in the top three in the league in both goals against average (2.01) and save percentage (.929).
Dallas had one of the best power plays in the first round, connecting on 37.5 percent of their chances. As for the team’s penalty kill, the Stars were also near the top of the league in that department, killing off 81.8 percent of their opponent’s PP chances.
Seattle Kraken betting breakdown
The Seattle Kraken had a 20-17-4 home record during the 2023 NHL regular season. The team went 26-11-4 on the road and finished the season with a 6-4-0 mark in its final 10 games.
Jared McCann had a career-best 70 points to lead the Kraken in scoring for the 2023 NHL regular season. McCann, who had never scored more than 27 goals in a season before 2023, netted 40 this year to lead the team in that stat as well. Colorado’s Cale Makar knocked McCann out of Game 5 of the Kraken’s first-round series with a late hit. McCann has not played since. He is listed as day-to-day. Yanni Gourde is Seattle’s leading scorer with six points. Jaden Schwartz and Oliver Bjorkstrand lead the team with two goals apiece.
Philipp Grubauer started all seven games of the Avalanche series in net for Seattle. He finished that series with a 2.44 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.
The Kraken had the third-worst power play percentage in the first round of the 2023 NHL playoffs, connecting at 14.3 percent. As for the team’s penalty kill, it was second only to the Avalanche at 88.9 percent.
Stars vs. Kraken Playoff Series Schedule
Game 1: Tuesday, May 2: 9:30 p.m., Seattle at Dallas (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 2: Thursday, May 4: TBD, Seattle at Dallas (TBD)
Game 3: TBD
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD*
Game 6: TBD*
Game 7: TBD*
Best bets for the Dallas Stars vs. Seattle Kraken Playoff Series
The Seattle Kraken have not been a high-scoring team during the 2023 NHL playoffs. That’s going to be a problem when they face a club like the Dallas Stars who have an outstanding goaltender. The best bet for this series is for the Stars to head to the NHL Western Conference finals after eliminating the Kraken in six games.
Pick: Dallas Stars to beat the Seattle Kraken in six games.
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