I have the slimmest of margins separating these two teams in the Western conference and I'll make the case if you were to blindly bet the dog in every game this series you might make money (just because I say it, don't do it). Edmonton found their stride after dropping the first two games to LA and it was their defensive poise that stood out vs Vegas. Dallas' overall team defense leaves something to be desired for me as I'm concerned about blue line depth. Even with Connor Brown a GTD decision anything on Edmonton +105 or better was going to trigger a bet so it's back to the well (pun intended) we go.

Toss-up in my mind so only a half unit, but I need a reason not to play a home team -- apparently whenever one is facing Florida suffices -- and I don't have a reason not to here. The Stars have the payback motivation, the better goalie and defense. Edmonton netminder Stuart Skinner was fantastic the final two games of the last round but terrible in the three previous. And if he were to get hurt in mid-game, the Oilers are in big trouble with Calvin Pickard still out injured. Shoot, if I'm the Stars I'm taking runs at Skinner for that reason. Hypothetically of course. Dallas was 28-10-3 at home during the RS and has won six straight playoff games there.

Can Stuart Skinner keep up his recent pace in goal for the Oilers? The "good Skinner" was definitely there at the end of the second round vs. Vegas, posting shutouts in Games 4 and 5 to key the Oiler advancement. Staying more disciplined in the net has been a factor throughout Skinner's career; he tends to roam a bit much. He got in trouble doing so in the first two games of the LA series, after which he was pulled for Cal Pickard. In what looks a tight series, we still think there is an edge in goal for the Stars with Jake Oettinger. That is an edge that can carry Dallas in this series. Play Stars on the Money Line.

Plenty of firepower on the ice but this 6.5 on the total looks a bit aggressive in Game One. The X-factor is Oilers' GK Stuart Skinner, who was pulled after a couple of wretched efforts vs. the Kings at the outset of round one, and before Cal Pickard won six straight in the Edmonton nets into the Vegas series. Skinner, however, came back in for Game 3 vs, VGK and has looked at his best, including back-to-back shutouts to end that series. Dallas also slowed down offensively in the later stages of the Winnipeg series and enters tonight having scored just twice in its last two games, though with Jake Oettinger in goal was still able to advance past the Jets. Play Oilers-Stars Under.