posted August 1, 2008 at 17:10 EST in NHL Articles
NHL Betting Value in the Central Division
by BetUS Staff
Online hockey betting enthusiasts will certainly have their eyes on the other side of the board and a different set of channels this winter. With the exception of the eventual Stanley Cup final result, the Eastern Conference was a decidedly more exciting place to be.
Sidney Crosby and Alexander Oveckhin of course hogged the highlight reels, but there was a hefty supporting cast in between the nightly sports show splicing that made the East the beast for hockey bettors.
Gone were the days of the early 90s when thrilling stars like Pavel Bure roamed the West. However, it seems that the roles have been reversed once again, and BetUS Sportsbook customers should be setting their compasses to the left if they're looking for winning plays this season. The winds of change are blowing westward!
Speaking of the Stanley Cup, BetUS sports wagering hockey odds suggest that the Detroit Red Wings (+450) are the odds-on favorite to reclaim the mug this season. And why not? The Winged Wheel scooped up two of the main reasons that their championship final counterpart Pittsburgh Penguins made it as far as they did.
Backup net minder Ty Conklin, whose magical run in relief of Marc-Andre Fleury skyrocketed the Pens to the top of the standings will now watch the back of All-Star Chris Osgood. More importantly however, the newly playoff tested sniper Marian Hossa will join an already star-studded cast up front, and will headline possibly the most powerful and expensive second line in hockey along with Valterri Filppula and Johan Franzen.
Perhaps the most intriguing bet for BetUS hockey fans will be a futures bet on the Wings to win the Western Conference (+175). Dating back to prior to the lockout, Motown has celebrated the Central Division title a whopping seven consecutive seasons in a row.
It's no secret that Detroit has benefitted greatly from an incredibly weak Central Division, and has cruised to its fair share of Presidents Trophies recently as a result. However, this season might be a flashback to the aforementioned early 90s, as the once futile Chicago Blackhawks are primed to make another run at Western Conference prominence.
Calder winner Patrick Kane, and newly anointed captain Jonathan Toews will now be aided by All-World defender Brian Campbell, and stud goaltender Cristobal Huet. What's odd about the Hawks is that they tend to dominate the Red Wings, and struggle with the weaker teams in the division. One should keep an eye on how the boys donning the nicest sweaters in the NHL fare in their early divisional games now that they have a stronger cast.
Even if they don't win their division, you can assume that they will give the Wings fits in the regular season, and possibly in the playoffs as well. Roll the dice on the Blackhawks-- +1700 to win the Cup, and +1500 to win the West.
As for the rest of the teams in that middle division--they're doing just that, wallowing in mediocrity. Columbus seems to be the only team striving towards improvement, with mastermind Ken Hitchcock pulling the strings behind the bench.
The smartest bets in Ohio aren't on the Blue Jackets however--save your money to wager on the Buckeyes to go to the BCS, or maybe the Browns to win the AFC North. Meanwhile, both the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues are stuck with ownerships that haven't displayed a dedication to a winning product, which is exactly why the Blackhawks were in the cellar for all these years.
As for Tennessee and Missouri--same drill, the Volunteers and Tigers will surely win you some cash on the NCAA gridiron.
Simply put, it's a two horse race in the Central this year. Don't let your money leave the Midwest!
