Stars vs Ducks

Jason Robertson and the Stars arrive in Anaheim having won six of their last eight, while the Ducks have been more uneven at 5-4-1 over their last 10 but remain a handful with an 11-4-0 home record. Dallas still looks like the more bankable side: they’re 23-7-5 overall with a 12-2-4 road mark, driving play through efficient five-on-five defense and an offense that scores 3.34 goals per game while allowing only 2.60, whereas Anaheim’s 3.44 goals for are offset by 3.29 against and a leaky penalty kill. ESPN’s latest rosters and injury reports confirm Tyler Seguin, Adam Erne and Lian Bichsel all out for the Stars versus a fully healthy Ducks lineup, but Dallas’ top-end talent (Mikko Rantanen, Robertson, Wyatt Johnston) and elite power play north of 30% still create a clear quality gap. Historically, Jamie Benn, Rantanen and Roope Hintz have all produced heavily against Anaheim, and Dallas has controlled this series over the last several seasons even with a couple of recent Ducks upsets. With the market treating this almost like a coin flip at -115 despite Dallas’ defensive and special-teams edge, I’m backing the Stars on the moneyline and grading it an A- for a strong blend of win probability and price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 19/12/2025 09:34

The raw scoring profiles scream offense—Dallas sits around 3.34 goals for and 2.60 against per game with the league’s most efficient power play, while Anaheim checks in near 3.44 for and 3.29 against with one of the NHL’s higher shot volumes—but the context tilts me slightly toward the Under at 6.5. The Stars are on the second leg of a road back-to-back after a 5-3 win in San Jose, which often leads Pete DeBoer teams to play more conservatively, lean on structure, and protect the middle rather than trade rush chances for 60 minutes, especially against a Ducks team that thrives in chaos. With Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith giving Dallas a strong tandem and Lukas Dostal stabilizing Anaheim’s crease, both sides have capable goaltending behind mostly healthy blue lines; that, paired with Dallas’ top-10 penalty kill and ability to suppress high-danger looks (about 28 shots against per night), can keep the Ducks’ high-tempo attack from turning this into a full-on track meet. Recent projections and handicaps cluster around 4-2 or 4-3 type scores, and I think Dallas’ defensive maturity nudges the distribution slightly toward the lower side of that range, so I’ll play Under 6.5 at -110 and grade it a B+, a solid but not elite edge in a matchup where one sloppy period could still push it over. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 19/12/2025 09:34

Dallas’ combination of current form and scoring depth makes their puckline intriguing: they’ve gone 12-2-4 on the road and won six of eight overall, often creating multi-goal separation when their power play and forecheck get rolling, while Anaheim’s 11-4-0 home record has come in spite of allowing over three goals per game and leaning on high-risk, high-reward hockey. Even with the Ducks fully healthy and rested compared to a Stars team missing Seguin, Erne and Bichsel, Anaheim’s style—built around Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Troy Terry pushing pace—tends to open up space for opponents, and that’s dangerous against a Dallas group that can roll three scoring lines and owns a massive special-teams edge. Recent head-to-heads have often been tight, but they’ve also produced 4-2 and 4-3 type finals, and with Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Mikko Rantanen all carrying strong career production against Anaheim, the Stars have plenty of candidates to cash an empty-net dagger if they’re nursing a one-goal lead late. Because the Ducks’ home record and rest advantage make a one-goal game very live, I see Stars -1.5 at +205 as a higher-variance, supplemental play rather than a core position, but the plus-money payout justifies a B grade for bettors looking to leverage a projected Dallas win into bigger upside. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 19/12/2025 09:34