NHL futures odds: Stars to face Wild in first round of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

SportsLine NHL analyst Scott Erskine gives an overview of the Western Conference matchup between Dallas and Minnesota in the first round of the postseason

Scott Erskine

Apr 8, 2026

5:57 pm ET

•

2 min read

Imagn Images

We're at least 10 days away from the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but we already know one of the first-round matchups in the Western Conference.

The Dallas Stars, who spent the first 26 seasons of the franchise's existence in Minnesota as the North Stars, will take on the Gopher State's current NHL team, the Wild. That first-round series was set on Tuesday, when the Colorado Avalanche clinched first place in the Central Division.

Home-ice advantage for the showdown has yet to be decided as the Stars lead the Wild by two points for second place in the division, with each team having four games remaining on their regular-season schedules. The clubs face off for the fourth and final time this campaign Thursday in Dallas with Minnesota having won two of the first three meetings, including one in overtime.

The Stars posted a 5-2 victory at home in their first encounter on Oct. 14 as Roope Hintz recorded a goal and two assists while Esa Lindell and Wyatt Johnston each netted a tally and set up another. Minnesota returned the favor in its own building on Dec. 11, when Marcus Johansson scored twice and Matt Boldy registered a goal and two assists.

The Wild gained the upper hand in the season series with a 2-1 overtime win at home on Mar. 21. Bobby Brink tallied for Minnesota in regulation before setting up Vladimir Tarasenko's winner in the extra session.

Dallas and Minnesota will be meeting in the postseason for the third time. The Stars won both of the previous matchups, defeating the Wild in six games in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016 and 2023.

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The NHL futures odds at most major sportsbooks see the Stars as the favorites in the first-round series, with odds in the -110 to -140 range, while the Wild are priced from -110 to +120. FanDuel Sportsbook has the matchup as a pick'em if Minnesota gains home-ice advantage but lists the Wild as underdogs should Dallas earn the honor.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST-ROUND SERIES

TEAM

DRAFTKINGS

FANDUEL (IF STARS HAVE HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE)

FANDUEL (IF WILD HAVE HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE)

CAESARS

Dallas Stars

-140

-118

-110

-115

Minnesota Wild

+120

-102

-110

-105

Pick: Stars to advance

No matter which team finishes second in the Central and gains home-ice advantage, I like the Stars to advance to the second round. Minnesota hasn't won a playoff series since 2015, while Dallas has reached the Western Conference Final each of the last three postseasons. Yes, Wild goaltenders Filip Gustavsson and rookie Jesper Wallstedt entered Wednesday tied for third in the NHL with four shutouts apiece and Jake Oettinger of the Stars has a .899 save percentage but he is a proven postseason performer. Oettinger also was in the crease for the Stars when they faced the Wild in 2023, allowing only three goals on 85 shots - and posting his second career playoff shutout in Game 5 - over the final three contests of the matchup as Dallas rallied from a 2-1 series deficit. Both teams have a pair of 40-goal scorers, but the Stars have a potent playoff offensive weapon in Mikko Rantanen. The 29-year-old Finnish right wing has eclipsed the 20-point plateau three times in the postseason including last year, when he recorded at least three points five times in a span of six games against the Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets and finished with 22 in 18 overall playoff contests.

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