New York Rangers vs Dallas Stars Betting Pick & Prediction 12/20/24

Betting on today’s Rangers and Stars game? Catch the action at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, as the Stars hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 6 goals, with the Stars being the favored by -1.5 goals against the Rangers.

NEW YORK RANGERS VS DALLAS STARS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Dallas Stars -1.5

This game will be played at American Airlines Center at 8:00 ET on Friday, December 20th.

WHY BET THE DALLAS STARS:

• Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Rangers winning this game by a score of 4-3.
• We like the Rangers on the moneyline (+154)
• The Rangers are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will the Rangers Find a Way to Win in Dallas?

With a 5-2 win over the Islanders, the Rangers moved to 15-15-1 this season. The Rangers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

Four different Rangers scored in the game, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with 2 goals. Chris Kreider opened the scoring at 16:16 in the first period with a short-handed goal.

Artemi Panarin led the Rangers’ offense with two goals in their 5-2 win over the Islanders, including his 9th of the season on an empty net. Chris Kreider kicked off the scoring with a shorthanded goal, his 8th of the year, while Vincent Trocheck added his 4th goal. Adam Edstrom also found the net for the first time this season.

The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal, with Panarin’s 8th goal coming on a power play. Mika Zibanejad contributed with his 8th assist on Panarin’s empty-netter, and also picked up his 7th assist earlier in the game.

Defensively, the Rangers will look to carry over their 3rd period performance from their last game, where they didn’t allow a goal to the Islanders. They gave up two goals in the 2nd period, including one with just 8 seconds remaining, but they shut the door in the 3rd. Igor Shesterkin finished with 35 saves and a 94.6% save percentage, while the Rangers’ defense had 10 takeaways and 19 hits.

Will the Stars Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Dallas dropped to 19-12-0 after a 4-2 road loss to the Panthers. The Stars, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 6 fell short of that mark.

After trailing 2-0, Dallas tied it up with two goals in the second period. However, the Panthers pulled ahead in the third, adding an empty-netter to seal the win.

In their recent game against the Panthers, the Stars managed 25 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Evgenii Dadonov scored his second goal of the season, while Matt Duchene added his seventh. Duchene also picked up his eighth assist on Dadonov’s power-play goal.

The Stars were held scoreless in the first period before netting both of their goals in the second, with the first coming at 8:38. Dallas recorded 32 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Stars gave up the opening goal at 5:15 in the first period, followed by another at 14:45, putting them in a 2-0 hole. After tying the game at 2-2, they allowed two more goals—one at 2:32 in the third period and an empty-netter at 19:00. Casey DeSmith finished with 21 saves and a save percentage of 87.5%.