Posted at 3:00 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  +159   BET365 +150 Sportsinteraction +150  888Sport  +150

Winnipeg +159 over Dallas

8:07 PM EST. OT included. The Stars have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having lost just one of their last 11 games, and they can clinch the Central Division title with a win tonight. However, Dallas is not the only team playing for something; the Jets are trying to secure second place in the Central to ensure their first-round series with Colorado will begin in Winnipeg and not Denver. Even if the Stars don’t win tonight, their spot atop the Central is all but guaranteed as they are a full five points up on Colorado with each team having played 79 games. Any combination of a Stars win or an Avs loss the rest of the way will put the stamp on that regular season accomplishment, which means there is little need for urgency here from the home side.

Meanwhile, the Jets will rest starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in advance of their all-important showdown in Colorado on Saturday night, but that does not mean they are throwing in the towel here. While “Helle” gets all the accolades, and deservedly so, let’s not forget that Brossoit helped lead the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup last season.

Brossoit is one of the best backups in the league, and he’s a borderline starter who has put up some really solid numbers this season, going 13-5-2 while posting a 2.09 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. Both marks, by the way, are superior to those of Dallas starter Jake Ottinger, who brings a 2.81 and a .903 save percentage into this game tonight. The Stars opened as a -145 favorite today, but after the announcement of Hellebuyck’s getting the night off, the efficient market pounced, and now the Stars are spotting -175 or thereabouts. We cannot predict if Ottinger will remain hot or if Brossoit will continue his quality play, but we do know that we are in a position to potentially profit by taking advantage of an unsuspecting market that has driven up the takeback on the Jets to the inflated price you see posted. That’s value, friends.

Sherwood

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