Stars Need To Turn It On in Anaheim

Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks – Wednesday April 3, 2013 10:00PM EST

The Dallas Stars are in 12th place in the Western Conference, but the online betting sites are far from counting Dallas out of the race just yet. Dallas has been struggling of late as it has only won four of its last 10 games. The Stars are also in the midst of a two-game losing streak as they head over to Anaheim to play the red hot Ducks. But Dallas has had a habit of pulling out critical wins all season long and it needs to call on that magic in this game if it wants to continue to climb the standings and get into the playoff hunt.

After watching the Chicago Blackhawks get off to an incredible 24-game start, the Anaheim Ducks are finally within striking distance of first place in the Western Conference. The online betting experts are taking nothing for granted when it comes to Anaheim and no one is discounting the fact that the Ducks could overtake Chicago for first place in the conference before the season ends. But the Ducks have been playing average hockey lately, compiling a 4-4-2 record in its last 10 games. With a dangerous Dallas team coming to town, the Ducks will need to get back on its toes to stay up with Chicago.

Why the Stars Will Win

Despite its place in the standings, the Stars hold on to an 8-7-1 road record and can be a very dangerous team in another team’s building. The sportsbook experts know that the Stars need to get going if the team plans on making a playoff run because the team only has 13 games left in this shortened season. The Stars have some games in hand on teams in front of them and have lost games in hand to others. At this point, all Dallas can do is win and hope that it is enough to push it into the playoffs.

Why the Ducks Will Win

The Anaheim Ducks have been hot on Chicago’s trail all season long and the Ducks want that first overall spot in the playoffs. Anaheim also has a 13-4-0 record, which makes it one of the best teams at home in the entire league. The Ducks can score goals and play defense, but it will really need to rely on its grit to win this game.

The Bottom Line

This will be a game where both teams will have to show a lot of heart to win. Neither team is necessarily on any kind of roll going into this game, although the Stars do have the two-game losing streak. But the Stars are so unpredictable that it is difficult to see Dallas getting beaten badly in this game. The Ducks will defend their home ice, but the Stars will have more than a few surprises in store for Anaheim.

Pick: Dallas Stars