Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Game 2 Preview, Picks & Odds for Monday, April 20, 2026

By Kody Malstrom | Apr 19, 2026, 7:08pm

From the opening puck drop, the Minnesota Wild were able to steadily pull away on the scoreboard while overwhelming the Dallas Stars on both sides of the ice. Matt Boldy was incredible in their win, finishing game one with two Goals and one Assist while generating 0.93 Expected Goals.

While Minnesota’s win on paper looks impressive, it’s worth noting the score was far closer than it seems with game one’s Expected Goals clocking in at 2.92-2.73 in favor of the Wild. Barring another horrific display from Jake Oettinger, expect positive regression to swing back towards the Stars way in game two, resulting in a close scoring defensive slugfest.

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Betting Analysis

After a slow start to the year, the Minnesota Wild front line were able to round back into competitive form, ending the season ranked in the top-10 in Expected Goals For in All Situations. Their first two lines have played a major role in their turnaround, fielding four players who average more than 0.30 Expected Goals per game.

In game one, the Wild front line had no issue with lightning the lamp, setting a scoring pace far too fast for the Stars to keep up with. Even with his back line actually doing a good job at smothering Minnesota’s Shots on Goal, Oettinger was unable to wall them off, conceding five Goals Against while averaging a Save Percentage of .821.

A stunning low level of play from the Stars goalie when factoring how consistent he has been this season, averaging 2.59 Goals Against per game in 54 games. Luckily for the Stars, they can afford to give Oettinger a break to help regroup as his backup goalie Casey DeSmith has quietly been more productive, outranking him in Goals Against per game and in Save Percentage.

Whether it is Oettinger or DeSmith, both goalies will get the benefit of being protected by a dominant back line, a group who ranks near the top of the board in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. With the Wild suffering a severe drop off in production once their bottom lines hit the ice, they will be vulnerable to falling into a scoring lull, making it easier for the Stars goaltender to find their footing.

On the other end, the Wild back line have been nearly just as productive as the Stars on defense, ranking ninth in Expected Goals Against. With regression looming over the Stars offense while dealing with injuries, expect the Wild to continue to bottle them up, turning game two into a low scoring thriller.

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Under 6 (-102)
Score Prediction: Stars 3, Wild 2

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Game Odds

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Game Information

Date: Monday, April 20, 2026
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
Location: Dallas, Texas
Venue: American Airlines Center – 6 goals per game; 20-21-1 O/U
Series Score: Wild 1-0

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Betting Resources

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Key Players

Minnesota Wild

Kirill Kaprizov – Last Game: (1 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 Shots on Goal)
Matt Boldy – Last Game: (2 Goal, 1 Assists, 8 Shots on Goal)
Jesper Wallstedt – Last Game: (1.00 Goals Against, 27 Saves)

Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson – Last Game: (1 Goals, 0 Assists, 6 Shots on Goal)
Wyatt Johnston – Last Game: (0 Goal, 1 Assists, 4 Shots on Goal)
Jake Oettinger – Last Game: (5.00 Goals Against, 23 Saves)

Photo Credit: AP/Julio Cortez

Kody Malstrom

Kody is a professional sports bettor and sports betting journalist with eight years of experience in the industry. He covers a wide range of sports, including NFL, NCAAF, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, MLB, and UFC. What started as a side gig has turned into a full time job, spending a majority of his time staring at odds screens and market movement. When away from the computer, Kody enjoys spending his time outdoors relaxing at the beach or golfing with friends.