Stars-Wild national predictions: Who comes out on top in 'dead-even' first-round matchup?

Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) checks Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5) during the first period of an NHL hockey game at American Airlines Center on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News) The Dallas Stars are set to take on the Minnesota Wild in what both local and national hockey experts expect will be a "dead-even" matchup between the two rivals.

Check out predictions on the first-round series from around the hockey world below, plus the moneylines for both the series and for Saturday's Game 1. Stars vs. Wild national predictions Moneyline, series: Stars -118, Wild -102 (via FanDuel) Moneyline, Game 1: Stars -118 The Athletic Prediction: Dallas wins series Comment: "[Kirill] Kaprizov, [Quinn] Hughes and [Matt] Boldy are game-breaking talents who’d be enough to push Minnesota past plenty of opponents, but Dallas has top-end players who provide a counterbalance along with superior depth.

That gives the Stars the edge in a tight series that, no matter what, should be taking place sometime next month . " RELATED: As Stars prep for daunting slate, NHL playoff format's flaws feel especially pronounced CBS Sports Prediction: Dallas wins in 7 games Comment: "This is a coin-flip matchup between two legit contenders. Dallas made it to the Western Conference Final in each of the past three seasons, and I value playoff experience, especially in the early rounds.

I'm giving them the slight edge because of that. " Daily Faceoff Prediction: Minnesota wins in 6 games Comment: "Even if [Miro] Heiskanen is close to 100% by this weekend, many of the finer details of this seemingly dead-even matchup point to the Wild; they’re meaner on the forecheck, they’re healthier from top to bottom, and they’ve had an easier time working deadline additions into their lineup. Look for Minnesota to finally break through without leaving the door open for any more Game 7 magic.