NHL Betting Trends - Thrashers vs. Rangers

NHL betting and sports wagering fans will fondly remember the ultra exciting clash between the Atlanta Thrashers and New York Rangers from the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ah yes, the neutral-zone traps, the sluggish veterans, the scarce crowds in Georgia—the excitement!

Thankfully, more or less everything from that series has been completely reversed. Gone are the strict defensive philosophies, and in are free-wheeling transition offenses. Also missing are the sluggish veterans, and in are exciting youngsters—or in the Thrashers' case, glorified AHLers. As for the crowds, well, they're still not anywhere to be found in the "Peach State."

The "Empire State" has enjoyed plenty of success this season however, despite losing star winger Jaromir Jagr to the rival KHL over the offseason. At press time, the Rangers led the NHL with 19 points, a franchise record. Jagr's production has been made up for by…Aaron Voros?!

Yes, the hulking winger, better known for his tendency to get involved in fisticuffs during his days in Minnesota, has sprung out of the gate with nine points. Voros' role is very much the same as Sean Avery's—park in front of the net. Except Voros is much, much bigger. Wingers Chris Drury and Markus Naslund have done a wonderful job getting the puck to the net, with 10 points respectively.

The Thrashers, meanwhile, are well on their way to leading the NHL in goals against. Atlanta has addressed some of their goal scoring woes (yes, they were dead-last in goal scoring in ’08), with youngsters such as Bryan Little stepping up and putting the puck in the net. However, the issue for the Thrashers once again has been an undersized, under-talented defense corps. Outside of Tobias Enstrom, the Thrashers don’t have anyone on their blueline capable of handling 25+ minutes a night, which makes them easy prey for opposing teams.

That being said, this is a fantastic sports betting opportunity for those who like to bet on hockey. Any time you can get the best team in the league, at home, against the worst team in the league, you’d be foolish not to take it. Oddsmakers may not stack the NHL betting line against the Thrashers too heavily either, considering they did win the season series with the Blueshirts in ’08.

The play:

Before you pick a winner, bet the over! The Thrashers defense is so porous that the over in nearly every game they take part in is a strong play. Kari Lehtonen is simply not strong enough yet to steal games, and if Johan Hedberg is between the pipes—forget about it. Bet the Rangers plus the points, or on the moneyline as part of an NHL parlay on Thursday night!