2 Best NHL Bets and Player Props for Stars vs. Oilers in Game 3

Even with the Stanley Cup Playoffs now underway, we still have plenty of betting options for the NHL.

On top of your typical moneylines and totals, we can also dabble in the player prop market for things such as shots and goal-scorers.

Which bets stand out across today's playoff action?

Let's dig in and lay out the best bets based on FanDuel Sportsbook's NHL betting odds.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

Today's Best Stanley Cup Playoff Bets

Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Moneyline (-164)

For just the third time this postseason, the Edmonton Oilers were outplayed in Game 2 of their Western Conference Final versus the Dallas Stars. Still, those types of results are pretty typical for a team that plays with the lead for most of the game. With the series now shifting back to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4, the Oilers will attempt to put some distance between themselves and their Central Division counterparts.

Through two periods on Friday night, the Oilers had out-chanced the Stars 10-6 in high-danger and 18-17 in scoring chances. But the Stars turned the tide in the third period, attempting five high-danger chances to the Oilers’ one. In doing so, Dallas tilted the expected goals-for rating in their favor, albeit by a small margin. While the Stars held a modest advantage by the end of the game, the Oilers were clearly in control for most of the contest.

Further, the Stars have had no answers for Edmonton’s relentless attack. Now up to 20 high-danger chances in two road games, the Oilers can re-assert their dominance on home ice. The defending Western Conference Champs have averaged 13.0 quality opportunities per game at home in the playoffs. Predictably, that high-end production correlates with elite scoring. The Oilers are up to 4.6 goals per game at Rogers Place, with the bulk of that scoring coming at five-on-five.

Even when the Stars could use last change, they couldn’t find a way to neutralize the Oilers’ attack. That disadvantage becomes even more apparent now that Edmonton can turn to its top guns under more ideal circumstances at home. We’re forecasting another dominant performance from the Oilers, leaving an edge in backing them on the moneyline.

Leon Draisaitl to Record 2+ Points (+112)

Balanced scoring has been the difference for the Oilers in the playoffs, but that doesn’t diminish the effort from their top two superstars. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to take over games, and we’re expecting another game-changing effort on Sunday afternoon. McDavid is a chalky favorite to record two or more points in Game 3, but there’s still immense value in backing Draisaitl to join him.

Drai is amongst the team leaders in every analytics category. He ranks third in scoring opportunities and expected goals-for rating, while topping the Oilers in high-danger chances. Altogether, he’s averaging a robust 6.4 quality chances per game, adding 15.8 scoring opportunities and 3.3 shots per game. Further, Draisaitl has attempted no fewer than two shots in any game this postseason, and is up to 11 over his last three.

As expected, Draisaitl’s elite production correlates with ample output. The German center has four points across the recent three-game sample, and has tallied 20 points in 12 playoff games. Still, there are indicators pointing toward increased scoring in the short-term. Most notably, Draisaitl is operating over six-points below his regular season shooting percentage. So far this postseason, he’s scoring on 15.4% of shots, a significant departure from his 21.7% regular season average. Further, his scoring over his last four games doesn’t match his expected output, implying that we should see a surge in scoring as those metrics balance out.

Draisaitl and McDavid drive the Oilers’ analytics success, and we expect them to be rewarded on home ice. While we expect both to put forth mammoth efforts in Game 3, the most prominent edge lies in backing Draisaitl to record two or more points.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NHL Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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