Stars vs Sharks

The Stars have already handled the Sharks twice this season, winning 4-1 in Dallas and 5-3 at SAP Center behind big nights from Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz, and the underlying profile still leans their way: Dallas is top-tier in goals for per game and comfortably better than San Jose defensively and on special teams, while the Sharks couple an energized attack with bottom-third goals against. With Dallas just snapping a six-game losing streak and San Jose riding a two-game win streak, there is some form-based volatility, but key injuries tilt things back toward the favorite — the Stars are missing Jamie Benn and depth winger Adam Erne, while the Sharks are down multiple regulars on the back end plus long-term absentee Logan Couture, weakening a defense that already gives up plenty of volume. Add in that Dallas has banked 60 points and is in a tight Central Division race with Colorado and Minnesota, whereas San Jose is scrapping for a wild-card spot after years out of the postseason, and the combination of higher ceiling, deeper roster and proven matchup edge makes laying the -182 moneyline reasonable, though not cheap, hence the B+ grade rather than an A. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 10/01/2026 09:31

This matchup quietly profiles as a track meet: through 44 games, Dallas is scoring about 3.4 goals per night and allowing 2.8, while San Jose is at roughly 3.1 for and 3.5 against, which puts the combined season-long scoring environment essentially right on the 6.5 number even before you factor in that both prior meetings this year produced 7 and 8 total goals. The Sharks’ recent surge is offense-driven — Celebrini is on a double-digit game point streak and driving a power play hovering around 20 percent — but their leaky blue line is further compromised by injuries to John Klingberg, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Vincent Desharnais, and Logan Couture’s absence also hurts their ability to manage tough defensive minutes. On the other side, Dallas brings a top-three power play and deep scoring depth even without Benn, and Jake Oettinger’s presence in net is partially offset by the travel and the Sharks’ tendency to push pace at home. Laying -125 on the over isn’t a bargain with two capable goalies in the mix, so this grades out as a solid but not elite B: the number is high, yet the combination of offensive talent, special teams quality and prior head-to-head scoring makes 7+ a realistic expectation. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 10/01/2026 09:31

While Dallas is the superior team overall, the puckline calculus is different, and recent context favors grabbing San Jose at +1.5: the Sharks have won two straight and six of their last nine behind a rejuvenated attack led by Celebrini and William Eklund, and their home-ice efforts versus top teams have generally been competitive even when they fall short on the scoreboard. The Stars have dominated this specific matchup so far — 4-1 and 5-3 wins keyed by Johnston, Hintz and Rantanen — but both games featured stretches where San Jose carried play and forced Oettinger into heavy work, and Dallas is coming off a six-game skid that exposed some defensive wobbles and reliance on special teams. With the Sharks still very much in the Western wild-card picture after years of missing the playoffs, this is a high-intensity home spot, and even with their blue line banged up they have enough scoring and power-play punch to keep things within a goal more often than not; the problem is price, as -154 isn’t especially team-friendly, which holds this to a B rather than higher despite a strong likelihood of a one-goal result or outright home upset. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 10/01/2026 09:31