Flames vs Stars Game 7 Odds, Pick, and Prediction

The Dallas Stars have surprisingly evened the series and now head back to the Saddledome Scotiabank Arena for Game 7, where they will play the Calgary Flames to decide who faces either the Los Angeles Kings or Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the NHL playoffs. This has been a back and forth series, which was expected; however, I don’t think many people thought the Stars would take the Flames to 7. Predictably Calgary, who is heading home for game 7 is the favourite in the Flames vs Stars game 7 odds and have been for the entire series. In Game 6 the Flames were -167 favorites at BetRivers Ontario and had a rough start to the game going down 2-0 early in the second period. They quickly fought back to tie it at 2-2; but, late in the second the Stars went back up 3-2 and sealed it late in the third with an empty net goal from Seguin to force a single elimination Game 7. Close contests have been the name of the game for this series as almost every game has been closed out with an empty net goal and I wouldn’t expect anything different in Game 7. With all that being said, let’s take a look at the Stars vs Flames game 7 odds courtesy of our friends at BetRivers to help determine which side to take when trying to make the best bet for this single elimination game.

Stars vs Flames Game 7 Odds

Odds courtesy of BetRivers Sportsbook This series has been a chess match with each team going up by one game at least once in the series. Home ice appears to be a slight advantage as both teams have won twice at home and once on the road. This suggests that the home team should be favoured in this matchup, especially with the ruckus crowd that Calgary has in their barn. The New York sports betting odds state that the Flames are the best place to put your money; however, there is little return so it might not be worth it to bet them outright. So let’s take a deeper dive and see how we could improve this bet, while still maintaining our strong odds.

Calgary Large Favorite in Flames vs Stars Game 7 Odds

Both teams have been lights out defensively as they rank one and two in the playoffs for Team Defense, only allowing an average of two goals per game. These stellar defensive performances have started with outstanding goaltending. Oettinger and Markstrom have both been at the top of their games through the first 6 games of the first round as you can see in the table above.

Projected Starting Goalies

These statistics rank both goalies in the top 5 for GAA, SV%, and Goals Saved Above Expected so far in these 2021-2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It is expected that this high level of defense will continue into Game 7 as both teams will be focused on shutting down the other teams star players and forcing them to have the supporting cast beat them.

Where Is the Betting Value?

Clearly both teams have been playing a stingy defensive focused game throughout this series. This will likely continue into Game 7 as both teams will be focused on avoiding a big mistake, which typically reduces the goals scored in the game as the fast paced back and forth action is decreased. Furthermore, the Under in Game 7’s have gone 41-27-13 since 1996 and when you ignore the 13 pushes you come out with a 60% win rate. This is very intriguing considering you can get the Flames at + money on the Under.

Highest save % by a goalie age 23 or younger when playing their team's first 6 games of a playoff year:
.954- @DallasStars Jake Oettinger (2022)
.948- Martin Brodeur (1995)
.946- Steve Penney (1984)
.944- Marc-Andre Fleury (2008)
.942- Carey Price (2011)
.940- Felix Potvin (1994) pic.twitter.com/WpjtvlGgQn

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) May 14, 2022

Darryl Sutter the head coach of the Calgary Flames is also 7-3 in Game 7’s in his coaching career, which tells me that he has experience in these situations and knows how to put his team in the position to win big elimination games. What is even more is the Flames were a great home team during the regular season finishing with a record of 25-9-7 at home, while the Stars weren’t a great road team as they had a record of 19-20-2 when they were the away team. This points to the Flames having a large upper hand as they try to defend home ice in Game 7 and move on to the Second Round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the experience of Darryl Sutter and the defensive mindedness of both teams I fully expect a low scoring, defensive battle between these teams in Game 7, where Calgary is barely able to edge out Dallas and punch their ticket to the next round.

Flames vs Stars Game 7 Pick and Prediction

Looking at the odds for this game, betting the Flames outright as a moneyline doesn’t present much upside; however, I believe they will win. Betting the Under 5 is another bet that I think will pay great dividends. Now what if we were to get a little freaky and parlay both the Under 5 goals and Flames to win Moneyline. Parlaying these two bets will give you +240 odds at BetRivers and remains lower risk but still has the opportunity to make good money. As I have previously mentioned the Under has a strong success rate in Game 7’s since 1996. This isn’t surprising as teams typically tighten up defensively as the series progresses and this will likely come into play Sunday night. Moreover, the Flames are great at home, while the Stars struggle on the road, which strengthens the likelihood of the Flames closing out the Stars in Game 7. If that wasn’t enough, I think there is something to be said about the head coaching battle and the success that Darryl Sutter has had not only in the playoffs but in Game 7’s as well. If I was a betting man and I am, I would lock in the Flames and under 5 goals to get +240 in the Flames vs Stars game 7 odds.

Pick: Parlay – Flames ML & Under 5 (+240) at BetRivers

For more NHL and sports betting content be sure to follow our NHL page!