Up to NHL Betting Trends

posted April 24, 2008 at 15:01 in NHL Betting Trends

Colorado Avalanche (44-31-7) vs. Detroit Red Wings (54-21-7)

Season Series: 4-0

This has to be a hockey bettor’s dream come true. Colorado and Detroit have a storied history, dating back to the vicious, seven-game, Western Conference finals in 2002. Detroit handed the Avalanche a bitter loss, and capped it off with a Stanley Cup victory. Will history repeat itself, or will the age-old Avalanche restore this franchise to the golden days? If the 8-2 SU record Detroit holds over Colorado’s heads is any indication, then Detroit isn’t having it.

Detroit played the best defense in the league, logging only 2.20 goals against per game. Chris Osgood, who gets the nod over Dominik Hasek, played roughly down the stretch, but still averaged only 2.09 goals against per game during the season. He must keep the ship steady for Detroit, especially considering the offensive punch of Colorado.

The problem for Colorado is that Dominik Hasek waits for the Wings in case he is ever called upon. Has there ever been a more fierce and feared playoff goal tender in the league? Hasek was far below par during the quarterfinals, but he’ll be out to redeem himself in the case he gets the opportunity.

For everything negative I’ve said about Jose Theodore, he has been simply outstanding this season. The question marks surrounding Jose are not generated because of his talent. The general consensus around the league is that he is mentally inconsistent, and that could spell disaster for the Avalanche if Jose has one of his trademark meltdowns. His team is good enough to only allow 2.67 goals against, but Jose has to continue to play at the level that once won him the Vezina Trophy.

As far as offense goes, both teams can pack a serious punch. The Avalanche notched 2.8 goals per game, and have been surging in the rankings every since Peter Forsberg came on board. Joe Sakic looks absolutely revitalized with Foppa back at his side.

But that doesn’t mean that the Wings will roll over. Old clashes with new, and you can bet that BetUS.com will have all the Furious Free Picks you can shake your hockey stick at in the upcoming weeks. The one thing you can be sure of is that whomever wins this matchup, is likely going to be a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

BetUS.com Furious Prediction: Detroit in 7

Dallas Stars (45-30-7) vs. San Jose Sharks (49-23-10)

Season Series: TIED 4-4

Dallas and San Jose entered the playoffs with strong odds to win the Western Conference. The Stars dispatched of the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks in six games, while San Jose was given serious fits by a riley Calgary team. Now both are poised to enter the rink to battle for the Western Conference Title. The only thing standing in each other’s way, is each other.

If you’re looking for the main difference between San Jose and Dallas, it’s this – one has a proven playoff asset, the other has a playoff donkey. And Joe Thornton, know that I mean that affectionately.

Brad Richards is one of those guys in the playoffs that can put opposing teams, and their betting investors, in absolute misery when he flips the switch. And with five points in six games against Anaheim, plus a slew of game changing plays in his highlight reel, Richards is going to haunt the Sharks. He was a proven playoff commodity in Tampa, and now he can be one for the Dallas betting investors.

San Jose is 4-4 SU this season against the Stars, and in each game the home team was the favorite. The OVER occurred in 4 of the last 5 games that didn’t hit the O/U on the nose. Defensively, San Jose gets the nod allowing only 2.34 goals per game. But Brad Richards is the kind of player that could flip the script on San Jose.

The problem for Dallas, however, is that if this is a home rink series, then this is San Jose’s to lose in Game 7. And as much as we’ve said Jumbo Joe Thornton will be a difference maker in the past, he’s also vanished in to thin air at times as well. Which Joe will show up?

Ultimately, this is Joe Thornton’s series to lose. Defensively these teams are both astute, and you’d be hard pressed to genuinely argue that Marty Turco is that much better than Evgeni Nabokov, or the other way around. However, it’s Thornton who has the most pressure. With so much talent around him, if he doesn’t get his team to the next level in this series, then everyone will question whether he’s wroth all the regular season hoopla.

I for one, am a pusher for Joe Thornton, and this will be my last straw for him. If San Jose can’t do it with this team, then they need to dismantle and repair from the ground up. I’m not selling Dallas short by any means, but I say San Jose gets this series off to a strong start and puts Dallas in an early hole that they can’t get out of. This is all, of course, thanks to one Joe Thornton.

BetUS.com Furious Projection: San Jose in 6

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!