The St. Louis Blues will take on the Dallas Stars on Friday at the American Airlines Center. This Western Conference Central Division contest features a Stars team sitting in second place in the division, while the Blues are sitting at the bottom of the Central standings. Here, I take a look at both of these teams and bring you my Blues vs Stars prediction before Friday’s action begins.
Our Blues vs Stars Pick
Pick: Stars moneyline
Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: St. Louis Blues vs Dallas Stars
- Date & Time: Friday, January 23, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent Form
Dallas enters this game on the second night of a back-to-back after playing in Columbus on Thursday. The Stars are playing much better hockey than the Blues this year, but the rest disadvantage for Dallas could be a major factor here. St. Louis has struggled with inconsistency, coming off a 5-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and a 3-1 defeat in Winnipeg. The Blues have settled at the bottom of the Central Division and need wins in games like this one to have a chance to move out of the basement.
Goaltending
Goaltending will be a major factor with the Blues relying primarily on Joel Hofer, who has had a much better season than Jordan Binnington in net. Dallas’ netminding has been steadier overall with Jake Oettinger, and they have been able to limit quality chances even when facing opponents with potent offenses. The question will be whether the Stars go with Oettinger here, or if they go in another direction in their second straight night of action.
Key Skaters
For Dallas, Jason Robertson continues to lead the way offensively and remains the primary scoring threat on the Stars’ top line. His ability to create and finish chances, especially on the power play, gives Dallas a reliable weapon. St. Louis is missing its points leader due to injury, which has placed more pressure on the supporting cast like Jake Neighbours and others to generate offense. The absence of Robert Thomas has weakened the Blues’ attack and could cost them dearly in this game as well.
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Blues defeated the Stars 3-1 in their first meeting of the season in St. Louis.
- The Stars are 20-30 on the puckline this season.
- St. Louis is 23-27 in the puckline market for the year.
Blues vs Stars Model Projection
Score Projection: Blues 2 – Stars 4
Win Probability: Blues 39%, Stars 61%
Final Thoughts
Dallas being on the second game of a back-to-back is a little bit of a concern going into this game. But the Blues are playing so poorly that it is hard to have any real confidence in them to take advantage of the lack of rest for the Stars. The Blues have been outscored 8-1 over their last two games and I expect them to continue to struggle here, as the Stars should come away with a win on their home rink.
