The Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars are set to collide in the Western Conference Final. Which team has the edge in the upcoming series? Dallas and Vegas both led their divisions for large portions of the regular seasons, but Vegas ultimately came out on top. Dallas made up for that by winning back-to-back rounds to kick off their postseason and now find themselves back in the final four. Vegas has competed in four of the last six Western Conference Finals, while the Stars last did so back in 2020 when they made a run for the Stanley Cup Final. 

All odds courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Dallas Stars (+120) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-145) 

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas continues to be built like a team responsible on both sides of the puck but also has some bonafide stars. Jack Eichel has had a coming out party in his first stint in the postseason, which has seen him tally 14 points in eleven playoff games. Eichel and Mark Stone have formed a potent one-two punch for the Golden Knights, and that’s been a significant factor in their overall success. 

The Golden Knights finished the regular season as the top seed in the West and took down the Winnipeg Jets in five games in the opening round of the playoffs, followed by the Edmonton Oilers in six games. Vegas have been able to succeed yearly in the playoffs and have done an excellent job of mixing up its core. They’re favored in this matchup for a good reason and are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their inaugural season. 

Dallas Stars 

Dallas has a great combination regarding how this team is built. Jake Oettinger is a legitimate high-end starter, while they have a Norris-caliber defenseman on the backend in Miro Heiskanen. Up front, veteran forward Roope Hintz has carried much of the playoff load, while we’re also expecting more from Jason Robertson. If Oettinger can find the form we know he’s capable of here, the Stars can undoubtedly put the Golden Knights on upset watch. 

To get to the Western Conference Final, the Stars went through the Minnesota Wild in six games in the first round, followed by the Seattle Kraken in seven games in Round 2. Dallas continues to be a team built to find postseason success, and they’ve done just that in 2023. This series with Vegas will undoubtedly present a unique challenge but don’t count out what this Stars team is capable of. 

Verdict 

Vegas is a great team. Let’s get that straight right off the bat here. Dallas will present a unique challenge for them, much different than they faced in Round 2 against Edmonton. The Stars have the perfect recipe to pull off the upset in this series, and we like them to do just that. Taking them outright alone has value at +120, but we like this to be a tight and long series, meaning backing the Stars to come out on top in seven games has a ton of value at +550. 

Best Bet: Stars to Win Series 4-3 (+550)