NHL Playoffs 2020: Monday Vegas Odds, Schedule and Predictions

The Dallas Stars are one win away from playing in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000.

Dallas has found success through its defense against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. In each of their three victories, the Stars held the Golden Knights to two goals or fewer. Even when the Stars lost Game 2, they contained Vegas' attack by conceding three goals.

Despite Dallas' 3-1 series lead, it is considered the underdog on the moneyline to win Game 5. One of the reasons for that logic could be the Stars' inability to close out their last series against the Colorado Avalanche in Games 5 and 6.

NHL Playoffs Monday Schedule

Game 5: Dallas vs. Vegas (Dallas leads series 3-1)

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): Vegas (-175; bet $175 to win $100); Dallas (+148; bet $100 to win $148)

Prediction

Vegas 3, Dallas 1

A few factors could lead to Vegas cashing in on its favorite status for Game 5.

Dallas may be without two of its forwards, as Radek Faksa and Roope Hintz are dealing with injuries. Faksa did not appear in Game 4, and Hintz was injured early in the previous contest. If neither player is active or not at 100 percent, it could affect how Dallas manages its depth and line combinations over 60 minutes.

Stars head coach Rick Bowness did not provide much insight as to which direction the decisions on Faksa and Hintz would go, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

"We'll get together later when we know who's ready to go as a staff and we'll discuss that, who is going in," Bowness said. "We'll figure that out when we know exactly what we're working with."

The Stars will have their top attacking forwards in place, and they will likely rely on Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski once again to create the bulk of the scoring opportunities.

The pair of experienced players scored a goal each in Game 4, and they each produced a tally in Dallas' first clinching opportunity against Colorado in the previous round.

Dallas' problem in its last Game 5 was the concession of a five-goal barrage in the first period to the Avalanche. Pavelski and Miro Heiskanen stabilized the game a bit with back-to-back tallies in the second period, but the Stars could not recover from the rough start.

Vegas does not have to score five goals to take the advantage Monday, but one or two tallies while shutting out Dallas would be nice.

The Golden Knights have not scored in the first period against Dallas. In their Game 2 victory, they had to wait four minutes and 53 seconds into the second period for their opening tally.

Defensemen Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore could be the keys to unlocking the defensive stranglehold Dallas has on the series.

Schmidt and Theodore lead Vegas with 14 and 13 shots, respectively, in the series. If they blast shots on net from the point that either force Anton Khudobin into saves or cause deflections in front of net, the momentum could swing in their team's favor.

If they do not put shots on target, Schmidt and Theodore can at least grab attention from Dallas' defenders and set up attempts for players that Vegas needs to get going. Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have only a single point between them, and if one or both of the forwards breaks their scoring drought, Vegas will be in much better shape Monday.

If Vegas produces a more balanced offensive approach and takes advantage of Dallas' lack of health across its forward depth chart, it should be able to keep the Western Conference Final going for at least one more game.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference.