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The Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars have both reached the Western Conference Finals in three of the past four seasons, and this will be the second straight year that they'll be facing off with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. The Oilers advanced last year -- can the Stars get their revenge with new threat Mikko Rantanen in the fold? Or will Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl once again power their way to the Final? 

Here are the top NHL picks for Game 1 between the Oilers and Stars, and a look at how new bettors looking to get into NHL betting can wager on this contest with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code "CBSDYW." 

Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

SportsLine Projection Model's top picks

  • Stars -129
  • Mikko Rantanen Under 1.5 points (-215)

Edmonton dispatched Dallas in six games in last year's Western Conference Final, however the Stars made a major midseason acquisition to try and improve their fortunes this time around. Dallas traded for Rantanen, who has been nothing short of spectacular this postseason. He is the current Stanley Cup Playoff leader in both points (19) and goals (nine), with three of them coming in the third period of Game 7 against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, in the first round. The SportsLine projection model, however, only projects 0.5 points for Rantanen in Game 1, making his points prop one of three 5-star recommendations for this clash. 

Dallas is a -129 (wager $129 to win $100) home favorite in the latest SportsLine consensus odds, while Edmonton is +109 (wager $100 to win $109) on the money line. The Stars win in 62% of the SportsLine projection model's simulations, bringing value at these odds and deeming that money line a B-graded pick. The total resides at 6, with the Over slightly favored at -115 after opening at -110. You can find the model's latest projections, along with expert picks for Oilers-Stars Game 1, at SportsLine.

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