Ice Hockey | Friday, May 19, 2023 8:59 AM

Vegas Golden Knights vs Dallas Stars Best Bet: Game 1 of the WCF

IMAGO / Larry MacDougal

US Sports Expert

Vegas Golden Knights vs Dallas Stars Best Bet: Friday, May 19th

The Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars have reached the Western Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the series begins on Friday night in Sin City. The Stars were a perfect 3 – 0 in the regular season series against the Knights but can they carry that success over to this series that will eventually send one of these two organizations to the Stanley Cup Finals?

Our resident pucks expert Ej Garr is up to his old tricks again and for those that know what that means you are about to get your hands on the best bet for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals that is full of value!

In this article:

Vegas Golden Knights vs Dallas Stars Preview

May 20, 01:30 (UK time)

Well, if you followed my Game 1 Eastern Conference Finals best bet, you got your hands on a 4.65 offer with more value than you can shake a hockey stick at! By now if you haven’t been privy to the Mayor of Value City’s bets you have missed out on quite an NHL season here at BettingExpert.

The Vegas Golden Knights have reached the Conference Finals four times now, yet they have only existed for 6 seasons. To see an expansion franchise be so intense since the beginning of their tenure in the NHL is impressive but we all know that there is one goal and one prize to claim!

Lord Stanley’s Cup has eluded the Knights, and they were almost the first franchise to win a Stanley Cup in their opening campaign in the league but some dude who wears #8 in Washington would go on to win his first Stanley Cup instead. Vegas appeared in the 2020 and 2021 Conference Finals but failed to advance to the Finals while missing out on the post-season together last year.

The Golden Knights dismissed the Winnipeg Jets with ease in the opening round of this year’s playoffs, and an impressive 4 – 2 series win over the Oilers landed them in this spot. As a result, the Knights will host Games 1, 2, 5, and what could be an all-important Game 7 at T-Mobile Arena against the Stars.

While Vegas is listed as mild favourites to win Game 1 at 1.80, that is not a line that screams out to me like something to make a play on because the value isn’t there. As you likely know, I have yet to post a bet on this site with odds above 1.87, which will not end anytime soon.

The Stars have a single Stanley Cup win in their history that dates back to the 1999 campaign, but this team was in a position to win their second trophy just a few years ago. In the pandemic season of 2020, the Stars reached the Finals but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 games, 4 – 2.

The Stars enjoyed playing against Vegas in the regular season winning all three of their matchups to sweep the series which included two wins right here in this building. The Stars are not scared to go on the road and find wins and I am of the mindset that Game 1 will go in favour of the Stars.

To think that Jason Robertson has only scored 2 goals in the entire post-season and yet here are the Stars on the brink of the NHL Finals is pretty damn impressive from a team standpoint. Robertson has been depended on all year to provide the scoring for the Stars after splashing home a team-leading 46 goals in the regular season, and he only has a total of 12 points with 10 assists to go with the pair of goals.

I expect that to change even though the Knights will certainly key on Robertson, but what did that get Minnesota and Seattle? Early exits out of the playoffs are what got them because the Stars are poised to win this game with defense and timely scoring. So, with that said it is time to reveal the bet for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals and it may come as a surprise to some.