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- What: Game 3 NHL Western Conference Finals
- Who: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars
- Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
- Location: American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN, ESPN+, CBC, SN, TVAS
The 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals are headed to Dallas with the Vegas Golden Knights holding a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Stars. The first two games of this 2023 NHL playoffs series, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, went to overtime, with Vegas winning Game 1 4-3 and triumphing by a score of 3-2 in Game 2. The loss in Game 2 marked the first time during the 2023 NHL playoffs that Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger was in net for back-to-back losses. Before Sunday’s overtime setback, Oettinger’s record following a loss in the 2023 postseason was 5-0-0.
The 2023 NHL playoff series between the Stars and Golden Knights is a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference Finals, which the Stars won in five games. Dallas’ current coach, Peter DeBoer, was Vegas’ coach that year.
Before we look at the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals series between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights, check out the best bets for the 2023 NHL Eastern Conference Finals and our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars betting picks for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals
| To Win Game 3 NHL Western Conference Finals |  |  |  |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +125 | +120 | +120 |
| Dallas Stars | -138 | -140 | -140 |
Vegas Golden Knights betting breakdown
The Vegas Golden Knights have been resilient this year in the playoffs. The team has trailed in each of the past eight games it has played, but they have finished those games with six victories, including Game 2 against Dallas, where they were down 1-0 and 2-1 before tying the game late in the third period before winning early in the first overtime period. On Sunday, the team set a franchise record with 10 comeback wins this postseason. Only two other teams have hit that mark in the past two decades, the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.
Jack Eichel and Mark Stone share the playoff scoring lead for the Golden Knights with 15 points each. The team’s leading goal scorers are Chandler Stephenson and William Karlsson, with seven goals each. As for the Stars series, Stephenson and Stone are the top scorers with three points each, and Karlsson leads the team with two goals. Vegas’ power play is operating at 33 percent in the current series, and the team’s penalty kill is at 80 percent.
Adin Hill has played well for the Golden Knights in net. He has a .922 save percentage in this series and a 2.45 goals against average.
Dallas Stars betting breakdown
The Dallas Stars are in unfamiliar territory heading into Game 3 of the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals. The Stars fell to the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken in Game 1 of their previous series this year with both games ending in overtime. Like those series, the Stars repeated that start in Game 1 of the 2023 Western Conference Finals. However, in each of those series, the Stars bounced back with a win in Game 2. They head into game three of their series against Vegas in a 2-0 hole.
Roope Hintz leads the Stars, and the NHL, in playoff scoring this year. Hintz has 22 points this postseason, and his 10 goals are the most among players still involved in the 2023 NHL postseason. His teammate Joe Pavelski is second among active goal scorers in the playoffs with eight. Hintz had three points in Game 1 against Vegas, and Pavelski had two points. Neither player picked up a point in Game 2. A positive for the Stars is that Jason Robertson has two goals in the Vegas series. Robertson had gone without a goal in eight games prior to the Western Conference Finals.
The Stars’ power play is operating at 20 percent against Vegas in this series, and the team’s penalty kill is at 66.7 percent. Both those numbers are down from the previous series.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars Western Conference Finals schedule
- Tue., May 23: Golden Knights at Stars, 8 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Thu., May 25: Golden Knights at Stars, 8 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- *Sat., May 27: Stars at Golden Knights, 8 p.m.; ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS
- *Mon., May 29: Golden Knights at Stars, 8 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- *Wed., May 31: Stars at Golden Knights, 9 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
* = If necessary
Best bets for Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars – Game 3
The Dallas Stars are excellent at rebounding from losses. During the 2023 NHL regular season, the team only had two stretches where they lost three or more games. Both those runs came early in 2023 when the team fell into a slump and went 3-3-6. With the way the team has played Vegas, the best bet for Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference Finals is for the Dallas Stars to rebound on home ice and defeat the Vegas Golden Knights.
Pick for Game 3 of the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals: Dallas Stars to beat the Vegas Golden Knights.
See below the top NHL sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
