Penguins vs Stars Prediction & Picks (March 23): Pittsburgh’s Stars Shine in Dallas

The Pittsburgh Penguins take to the road for the second time in as many nights when they face the Dallas Stars on Thursday, March 23. The first Penguins vs Stars matchup of the 2022-23 NHL season resulted in a 2-1 victory for Pittsburgh, leaving Dallas looking to avoid the series sweep tonight.

The @penguins stars are stepping up at the right time 😤#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/zEQNEa88bE

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 16, 2023

It was only less than 24 hours ago that the Penguins notched a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Jeff Carter ended an 11-game goal drought with a pair of goals while Sidney Crosby reached the 30-goal mark for the 11th time in his career.

On the other side, the Stars were victims of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. Despite Jamie Benn tying the game with less than a second remaining, Dallas couldn’t get the job down, experiencing defeat for the third time in its last four games.

If you’re searching for betting opportunities for tonight’s action, look no further. Betting News has you covered with BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest Penguins vs Stars odds, as well as a prediction and the best bets for the game.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Dallas Stars Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins (35-26-10, 16-15-5 Away) vs. Dallas Stars (38-19-14, 17-9-9 Home)
• Venue & Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)
• Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023
• Game Time: 9 p.m. Eastern Time
• Penguins vs Stars TV Info: ESPN

Penguins vs Stars Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, March 23 at 8:27 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-178)
• Dallas Stars -1.5 (+146)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-108)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-112)

Moneyline

• Pittsburgh Penguins +132
• Dallas Stars -160

Penguins vs Stars Betting Trends

• Pittsburgh is 9-6 straight up in its last 15 games against the Western Conference.
• Dallas is 5-3-1 straight up in its last nine games as the favorite.
• The total has hit the under in five of Pittsburgh’s last seven games.
• The total has hit the over in nine of Dallas’ last 10 games.
• The total has hit the under in seven of the last 10 Pittsburgh-Dallas matchups.

Penguins vs Stars Game Preview

The Stars have gone cold at one of the worst possible times. Losing three of their last four games has caused their Central Division lead to shrink, highlighting how important a victory is tonight.

If the Stars are to turn things around, they need better defensive play and goaltending. They’ve allowed four-plus goals in each of their last four games and the one outing that they won saw them blow a 3-1 lead after the first period.

Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger hasn’t been his usual self lately. While he’s won four of his previous seven starts, his 3.81 goals-against average and .877 save percentage over that stretch show that he could afford to improve his play.

It’ll also be interesting to see how the Stars perform on home ice. After all, they’ve dropped seven of their last nine games at American Airlines Center, allowing an average of 3.78 goals in each contest.

Unfortunately for the Stars, they must now face a Penguins squad buzzing with confidence after a win against the Avalanche. While Crosby and Jake Guentzel scoring was huge enough, the fact that both Carter and Bryan Rust snapped lengthy goal droughts could lead to the rest of Pittsburgh’s forward group waking up at the right time.

The Penguins also went 2-of-4 on the power play against the Avalanche. The good news for them is that the Stars’ penalty kill has been inconsistent at home, allowing four PP goals on the last 16 opportunities.

It’s also going to be hard for the Stars to keep pace with the Penguins without Tyler Seguin. While he’s yet to be ruled out, Seguin is still questionable with a leg injury and likely won’t be available until later this week, as per Dallas head coach Peter DeBoer.

Even then, Seguin’s return is far from set in stone.

The Penguins’ lineup is healthier at the moment and they won’t be missing any key fords tonight. Now that each of the floor lines is waking up and clicking, Pittsburgh is capable of being one of the most dangerous teams in the NHL.

Penguins vs Stars Prediction and Picks

Penguins vs Stars Prediction: Penguins 4, Stars 3

Penguins vs Stars Picks: Penguins ML (Best Value: +132 at BetOnline) & Over 6.5 Goals (Best Value: -108 at BetOnline)

After an impressive win against the Avalanche, I’m siding with a confident Penguins squad. The Stars have been just too inconsistent as of late for my liking and until Oettinger turns things around, it’ll be hard for them to stop an offensively charged team like Pittsburgh. The Pens’ top players will continue stepping up, paying off with another road win.

With neither side’s goaltending being flawless, I’m taking the over for tonight’s Penguins vs Stars contest. After all, the total has gone over in five of Dallas’ last six home games and with Pittsburgh’s star players clicking at the same time, I see a solid amount of offense on the way.

Other Pittsburgh vs Dallas Betting Resources

• Penguins vs Stars Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats