Posted on 5/9/2008 12:52:55 PM

NHL Online Ice Hockey Betting - Conference Finals Get Underway

By BetUS Staff

The Philadelphia Flyers have paid off for those doing any NHL sports betting on them through the first two rounds of the NHL playoffs, but do they have what it takes to get past the state-rival Pittsburgh Penguins and be crowned this year’s Eastern Conference champs? We’ll start to get an answer to that question when their hard hitting online betting series starts on Friday.

Philadelphia began their playoff run in the first round against the Washington Capitals, who were expected to ride the hot scoring of Alexander Ovechkin to a series win. Instead, the Flyers prevailed in overtime in Game 7 to set up a second-round set with the Montreal Canadiens. That online sports betting series proved easier; the Flyers won it in just five games.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, didn’t run into any trouble in the first round – they handily swept the imploding Ottawa Senators and got a bit of a break before taking on the New York Rangers in Round 2. The Pens then ran up a 3-0 lead in that series before picking up their first loss of the playoffs in Game 4. An OT win in Game 5 then clinched the set.

The Flyers and the Penguins met eight times during the regular season, with Philadelphia winning five of those games (including all four contests at the Wachovia Center). However, the Pens did win three of their last four meetings, and the BetUS oddsmakers have them listed at -210 odds to win the Eastern Conference with a victory over the Flyers this round. Philadelphia is pegged as the +170 underdog on that future, and that line could still move with news Thursday night that shutdown defenseman Kimmo Timonen is likely out for the rest of the playoffs with a blood clot in his left ankle.

The Western Conference final got underway on Thursday night, and the Dallas Stars and the Detroit Red Wings will play Game 2 of that series on Saturday night. The Stars weren’t expected to be in this position when the playoffs got underway, but 4-2 series victories over the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks pushed them into Round 3.

The Red Wings were the top team in the West during the regular season, and anything less than a berth in the Western Conference final would have been considered a huge disappointment for them. Detroit held off the Nashville Predators to get a 4-2 series win in Round 1, and they ran roughshod over the Colorado Avalanche in a Round 2 sweep.

Detroit and Dallas met four times during the regular season, with the Red Wings winning three of those games; the Stars’ only success was a 1-0 shutout win in their own rink on February 17. The BetUS oddsmakers had the Red Wings listed as -220 favorites to win the conference before this series began, with the Stars behind at +180.

As for the BetUS Stanley Cup odds, they looked like this heading into the third round: Detroit +140, Pittsburgh +200, Dallas +320, Philadelphia +500. Watch for those lines to move around as the conference finals progress over the weekend, and check the BetUS NHL odds section for all of the latest games lines and totals for the upcoming matchups.

Score big with online sports betting in the BetUS.com sportsbook, where you’ll find NHL odds and lines for every NHL hockey game of the year. If you like to bet on NHL hockey, you’ll love the NHL player and game props in our online sportsbook. Join BetUS today!