Vancouver is favored in a huge Western Conference Clash
The Stars vs Canucks Lines Has Vancouver As A Rare Home Favorite
Seguin Continues to be Sidelined For Central Division-leading Stars
Will Thursday’s matchup between Dallas and Vancouver be a peek ahead to a potential Western Conference Final? Dallas and Vancouver are both looking to be the first Western Conference team to reach the 100-point mark this season. The Stars vs Canucks lines have Vancouver as a slight favorite in a matchup of Western Conference division leaders.
Dallas snapped a seven-game losing streak to Vancouver with an overtime win in December.
The NHL betting lines have Vancouver priced at -118 to win the game outright, with Dallas having -105 odds to win, so this game could approach Pick’em status by the time the puck is dropped. The total sits at six.
A quick peek at the NHL league standings shows that Dallas moved into sole possession of first place in the Central Division after a 6-3 road win against San Jose. Vancouver is comfortably ahead in the Pacific Division.
Dallas is tied for sixth at +1000 in the odds of winning the Stanley Cup title, while Vancouver is tied for ninth at +1400 in the Stanley Cup odds.
Keep on reading for more on the matchup between the Stars and the Canucks.
Stars vs Canucks 
Records: Dallas Stars 45-19-9 at Vancouver Canucks 45-19-8
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Day/Time:
Streaming: Bally Sports Southwest, ESPN+
Johnston Coming On for the Stars
With veteran forward Tyler Seguin currently out of action and Jamie Benn not producing points at the same pace as he did earlier in his career, 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston has become one of the go-to forwards for Dallas.
Johnston had two goals in the wins over San Jose to give him a team-leading 28 this season.
Dallas is 6-1 in the last seven games when Johnston has at least two points, and that is something to consider when it comes to the Stars vs Canucks lines. Johnston has no goals and has only one assist in the first two games against Vancouver this season.
Vancouver Getting Comfortable At Home
Nine of Vancouver’s first 15 games were on the road, so at some point, things would be evening up. That is currently happening.
This will be the eighth matchup in a nine-game homestand for the Canucks. Vancouver is 4-2-1 in those first seven games, with all three losses coming by one goal.
The Canucks have the third-best points percentage at home this season, and only Winnipeg allows fewer goals per game on home ice than the Canucks. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Stars vs Canucks lines. Although Vancouver is 12-8-3 at home since Feb. 1, the Canucks have given up as many goals as they have scored during that stretch.
The total has gone over in eight of the last 10 games for the Canucks.
Last Meeting
Thomas Harley tied the game with less than four minutes left in the third period, and Matt Duchene won it with only 9.2 seconds on the clock in overtime to lift Dallas to the 4-3 win. Duchene’s goal sent the game over the 6.5-goal total.
It was the fourth time in the last six meetings to go over the total as Dallas evened the season series with the Canucks.
Stars vs Canucks Betting Preview
The winner of this game will hit the 100-point mark, so there will be plenty of eyes on this matchup.
Vancouver has won its last four home games against the Stars and outscored Dallas 19-7 in those games.
Tyler Seguin is out for Dallas, while defenseman Jani Hakanpaa and goalie Scott Wedgewood are out. For Vancouver, forward Elias Lindholm is questionable and No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko is close to returning after he last played on Mar. 9. Keep an eye on the updates for Demko when looking at today NHL predictions.
The Canucks are 7-1 in the last eight meetings against Dallas and 5-1 on the road. However, the Stars have won six of the last seven road games this season.
Vancouver is 7-2-1 over the last 10 games against Dallas, even though the Stars have averaged three more shots on goal during that stretch than Vancouver has.
The total has gone over in seven of the last 10 games against Dallas.
The Canucks are 30-17-5 as the favorite, with Dallas 2-6-2 when listed as the underdog this season.
Dallas is 19-18 against the spread on the road after the win over San Jose, with Vancouver 20-16 ATS at home.
Just 16 of the road games for the Stars have landed over the total.
There is more at stake for Dallas as the Stars look to remain on top in the Central Division race, while Vancouver has more of a margin for error as the NHL regular season winds to a close. The Stars lead the Western Conference with 23 road wins, while Vancouver’s 24 home victories are second among Western Conference teams.
For NHL betting news, NHL odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
