NHL Betting Articles

 
 
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NHL Report: Marian Hossa injury and more

The Chicago Blackhawks say that they knew Marian Hossa was injured when they signed him to a massive 12-year contract this offseason; but it came as news to most of the league's fans when it was reported that he would need surgery on his shoulder and wouldn't see action until November at the earliest. How did this affect the Blackhawks odds? Also, are the LA Kings and San Jose Sharks worth taking a look at?

 
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Blackhawks, Canucks among offseason winners

Not much has changed on the Vancouver ice this offseason, and that's a very good thing.  For the Canucks, keeping goaltender Roberto Luongo and the Sedin Twins has the team in position to not only return to the playoffs, but go deeper into the run for the Cup.  The 2010-11 postseason is also where the Chicago Blackhawks will be heading after signing Marian Hossa and John Madden.

 
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Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers Good Pre-Draft Gambles

The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed the Stanley Cup in 2009 and will look to defend their title next season. But 29 teams stand in their way, and all 30 teams already have futures prices up for who will lift Lord Stanley's Cup in 2010. With a wealth of young talent and tradeable assets, the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers seem awfully tempting at these early prices.

 
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Penguins force Game 7 with Detroit Red Wings

It's just as Lord Stanley would want it.  Pittsburgh's 2-1 win over the Red Wings in Tuesday's Game 6 means the NHL season will come down to one final skate in Detroit on Friday. If the Wings can hold Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in check again, Detroit should land their second straight and 12th Stanley Cup overall.  And if Marc-Andre Fleury has a repeat of Game 6, it's No. 3 for the Pens.

 
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Pittsburgh Penguins hope to avoid elimination Game 6

The Detroit Red Wings dominated Game 5 from start to finish, leaving Pittsburgh one loss away from falling short for the second straight year. Can Pittsburgh keep the home team streak alive to at least stretch it to Game 7?

 
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Crosby, Penguins look to tie up Detroit Red Wings

Down two games to none and outplayed through the first two periods of Game 3 on their home ice Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally got their act together in the final period for a 4-2 win over the Red Wings.  Sidney Crosby & Co., after cashing as heavy -170 chalk, now face another must-win situation on Thursday night in Game 4 to avoid going back to Detroit this weekend down 3-1 in the series.

 
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Pittsburgh Penguins to upset Detroit Red Wings

The stage has been set for a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals; the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is the first time since 1984 that the same two teams have met in the finals in back to back seasons. Last year the Red Wings won this series in six games, but the Penguins have come a long way since then, and I expect them to have their names engraved in the Cup this time around.

 
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Crosby leads the Pittsburgh Penguins into the finals

Last year, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins set the bar pretty high for themselves. After making it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals and coming up just short, they came into the 2008-09 campaign with only one way to improve on last season; winning it all. After successfully defending their Eastern Conference championship, the Penguins are just four wins away from accomplishing that feat.

 
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Red Wings and Penguins one game away from Finals

When both the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins jumped out to 2-0 series leads, it looked like it was only a matter of time before they put their opponents away and met for the second straight year in the Stanley Cup finals. Now that reality looks even closer with both teams just one win away. Can Carolina or Chicago do anything to stop these well oiled machines, or will both of these series end without a hitch?

 
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Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins up 2-0

If history is any indication, it looks as though a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup final is imminent. Teams that take a 2-0 series lead in the NHL go on to win the series over 85% of the time. Then again, Washington came back from 0-2 to beat New York, and then PIttsburgh came back from 0-2 to beat Washington. Is it Carolina's turn to continue the trend? And can the young Blackhawks find a way to stop the veteran Wings?

 
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Red Wings and Penguins ready for Conference Finals

We started with 16 teams, all with dreams of hoisting the Stanley Cup. Now only four teams remain. Getting this far is familiar territory to three of them; Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 2006, Detroit won it last year, and Pittsburgh was the team they beat to do it. For Chicago, it marks the first time in 15 years they have been this far. Can they beat their fellow Original 6 opponent? And who will prevail in the East?

 
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Penguins, Capitals meet in decisive Game 7

After staving off elimination with a 5-4 OT win in Game 6, the Washington Capitals have the comfort of home ice in tonight's seventh and deciding game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the Caps' Alex Ochevin and the Pens' Sidney Crosby will be front and center in media attention for this one, Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury could be the key player on the ice as he looks to rebounde from a poor effort on Monday.

 
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Ovechkin Rules Crosby So Far in NHL Semifinals

Each series in the second round of the playoffs has proven to be extremely well matched; three of the four series are tied at one apiece, and Alexander Ovechkin's Capitals earned the 2-0 lead with a pair of hard fought one goal victories. Each series provides a tricky challenge in trying to cap and predict what will happen next. What can we take from the first two games of each series to help our betting strategies moving forward?

 
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Penguins, Capitals highlight Eastern Semifinals

While Boston and Carolina should provide a fast paced, all eyes in the East are on the Penguins, Capitals showdown including the league's three top scorers in Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin.

 
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Red Wings and Bruins roll into NHL Conference Semifinals

Off sweeps of the Blue Jackets and Canadiens respectively, the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins could be on a collision course to meet up in the Finals for Lord Stanley's Cup.

 
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Canucks off and running in Western Conference Semifinals

The Western Conference has been narrowed down to four teams, each a mere 12 wins away from winning the Cup, with the Canucks now 11 wins away from NHL glory.

 
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Penguins latest to advance to conference semifinals

Pittsburgh's 5-3 win over the Flyers in Philly on Saturday cut the original NHL playoff field in half as the Pens join the Bruins, Canucks and Red Wings in advancing to the next round.  Are the Blackhawks next?

 
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NHL Series Rage On Through the Weekend

While Detroit, Vancouver, and Boston, may have made quick work of their first round opponents with a quick sweep, no one else is moving on that easily. With five series still hanging in the balance, there are still plenty of betting opportunities through the weekend. There aren’t too many things much more stressful than watching your favorite team in the NHL playoffs; trying to figure out who to bet on is one of them.

 
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Sharks favored to even series at Ducks

Anaheim upset the oddsmakers by going on the road and taking the first two games of their series with San Jose.  Evgeni Nabokov and the Sharks then turned the tables on the Ducks by winning Game 3 at the Honda Center on Tuesday and are once again favored in Game 4.  The puck drops at 10:30 p.m. (ET) with Versus handling the broadcast to determine if the series goes back to San Jose 2-2.

 
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NHL Quarterfinals: Home Ice Advantage in Review

The NHL’s top seeds started the playoffs on their home ice against their lower seeded opponents last week with San Jose dropping two to the Ducks.  How did the other home teams fair at the betting windows?

 
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NHL Playoff Weekend: Betting Game 2

Four series got underway Wednesday, and three of the four home teams won. Game 2 sets the tone for the series; 2-0 takes the big lead while 1-1 kills home ice. Which way will these four pivotal Game 2's go?

 
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Sharks, Red Wings start second seasons

From start to finish in the regular season, the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings looked a tier above all others. But now the real test begins; will the two juggernauts advance to the Western Semifinals?

 
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Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers battle in race for Stanley Cup

The Bruins owned the East during the regular season, but all records return to 0-0 now. What four teams will take the next step towards Lord Stanley’s Cup, and what four will go home?

 
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More misery for the Montreal Canadiens

Could things get any worse for the Canadiens, their backers and their fans?  Montreal will now have to make a go at it without Mathieu Schneider for the rest of the season and Andrei Markov for a few weeks after the defensive duo suffered injuries last Saturday in a win over the Maple Leafs.  The Habs have two more regular season games to go and hold a slim lead over the Rangers in the 7-slot of the Eastern Conference.

 
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No joke, a Hanson arrives in the NHL

It took 32 years, but a member of the Hanson Clan is part of the NHL after the Maple Leafs inked Christian Hanson to a two-year contract on Tuesday.  Is there are Reggie Dunlop Jr. somewhere in the league's future?

 
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Minnesota Wild a good bet to surprise in West playoff push

Unlike a recent article here at SBR that included the Stars and Kings in the Western Conference playoff hunt, Vegas Dave is taking no Chance's on those NHL also-rans.

 
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Dallas Stars skating on thin ice as playoffs near

With just over two weeks remaining in the NHL regular season, several Western Conference playoff hopefuls are facing an uphill skate trying to push their way into the Top 8 with banged-up rosters.  The Dallas Stars are going to be without center Brad Richards, the Minnesota Wild will miss Mikko Koivu for the next week and the Los Angeles Kings are minus their leading goal scorer, winger Alexander Frolov.

 
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Brodeur sets new goaltending standard

Stopping 30 of 32 shots, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur helped the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks Tuesday night, setting a new record for goaltenders with his 552nd career win.  Assuming the 36-year-old Montreal native can stay healthy, 700 is not out of reach.  But does that make him the all-time greatest, or is his profit margin since returning from injury the only stat that really matters?

 
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NHL Betting: The other March Madness

The decision by Montreal's Bob Gainey to fire coach Guy Carbonneau and take over behind the bench himself is still generating a lot of buzz in the NHL.  The Canadiens can be currently located in the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, and getting healthier as the madness of the race to the postseason heats up, beginning with tonight's contest that finds Erik Cole and the 'Canes paying the Blackhawks a visit.

 
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NHL trades and their effects on betting

The NHL's trade deadline will hit today at 3:00 p.m. (ET), and several deals have already gone down that will impact the rest of this season as we skate towards Lord Stanley's postseason action.

 
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Are the Maple Leafs about to unload?

A couple of trades have already gone down with the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators on the buying end of the shopping, the Islanders and Thrashers doing the selling off. With the deadline just a week away now (Mar 4), rumors have the Toronto Maple Leafs about to hold a fire sale of their own that could see Tomas Kaberle, Nik Antropov and Pavel Kubina shipped out of town to greener pastures.

 
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Calgary Flames among Stanley Cup value picks

There's a big gap on the NHL futures list between the Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins at the top of the chart and the rest of the league trailing them, and that has Chance shopping for some 'middle shots.'  The New Jersey Devils at 10/1 look nice, as do the Calgary Flames at 15/1, and let's not forget about last year's champs from the East, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

 
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The Rise and Fall of the Montreal Canadiens

One of the NHL's top franchises, the Montreal Canadiens are once again fading away in February with eight defeats in their last 10 contests as injuries are taking their toll.  The Habs aren't alone in the freefall category as the New York Rangers, who cannot blame injuries on their slide, and Vancouver Canucks are also in danger of seeing their seasons come up short.  Will any of the three get it together before it is too late?

 
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Dallas Stars heating up on NHL betting front

As goalie Marty Turco's season has gone, so has the season for the Dallas Stars.  Turco's recent run tending the net, allowing just seven goals over his last five games and starting the last 20 between the pipes, coincides with a five-game win streak and six triumphs in their last seven skates.  The stretch has lifted the Stars to the No. 6 slot in the Western Conference and closing in on Anaheim.

 
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NHL Betting: Now you see 'em, now you don't

Nothing is more frustrating in sports than when a player has a great season only to return the following year a mere shadow of their former self.  Sometimes it is a case of a player just reaching the end of their career and not retiring soon enough.  Other times it can be a minor, nagging injury that slows them just enough to fall off.  Whatever the reasons, here's a look at five disappearing acts on the ice this season.

 
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NHL Betting: Boring defenses net wins

In the case of the NHL, boring can be very good...and very profitable. While most like to see goals being scored, plain old boring defense is still the most effective way to add wins in the standings.

 
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NHL Betting News: Fade Canada

There's no questioning the history Canada brings to the ice, nor the passion Canadians have for the sport.  But in terms of betting, backing teams from north of the border is very much a losing proposition.

 
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NHL Betting: Injuries twisting the plot

Injuries are beginning to take their toll on some teams as the NHL slides through the halfway point of the season. From Marian Gaborik in Minnesota to Adam Foote in Colorado, teams will see their depth tested.

 
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NHL Betting: Hired guns, will travel

Roger Clemens started the trend in Major League Baseball, and Peter Forsberg brought it to the ice last season when he signed with Colorado late in the campaign.  Now Mats Sundin and Claude Lemieux are returning for shortened season action, with Forsberg reportedly shopping himself once again.  Sundin's reappearance has already shrunk the Stanley Cup odds for the Vancouver Canucks from 30-1 down to 18-1.

 
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NHL Betting: Sharks!

Cue the theme from Jaws.  With the NHL idle for a couple of days, the story so far this season has been San Jose who moved to 27-4-3 on the season with a 5-0 win at home on Tuesday against the Canucks. With a moneyline profit this year at nearly 15 units and counting, their backers are enjoying a happy holiday indeed.  And those who bought futures on the Sharks when they were 10-1 earlier are looking for Christmas to come once again next spring.

 
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NHL Betting Recap

The top two teams in the NHL met in Hockeytown in a highly anticipated match that wound up one-sided as the Detroit Red Wings slapped the San Jose Sharks by a 6-0 count.

 
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NHL Betting: Put some ice on it

Injuries are beginning to mount in the NHL and a few teams are eyeing the two-day Christmas break on the horizon in hopes of getting some key contributors back on the ice.  From goalies Roberto Luongo in Vancouver and St. Louis' Manny Legace, to wingers Marian Gaborik of the Wild and the Avalanche's Marek Svatos, health is on the mind of clubs this holiday season.

 
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NHL Betting: San Jose Sharks in winning frenzy

In case you didn't know, the San Jose Sharks have raced to a 22-3-2 record on the season, their nine-game win streak recently snapped by the Edmonton Oilers who had to go to OT for the 3-2 victory.

 
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NHL Betting Review

The Sharks fell behind early to the Blue Jackets but rallied as heavy chalk with a couple of third period goals as San Jose remained hot with a 3-2 home triumph vs. Columbus.

 
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NHL Betting: Avery, Stars on thin ice

Sergie Zubov and the Dallas Stars will be without Sean Avery indefinitely after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suspended the controversial forward for recent comments deemed "detrimental to the league." Avery's career has been dotted by events when he didn't quite seem to have his brain engaged before his tongue went to work, but is Bettman and the NHL going too far with this one?

 
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NHL Betting Review

It was all about defense in Anaheim on Friday as the Ducks nipped the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0 at the Honda Center.  Ryan Getzlaf's goal in the second was the lone score of the game.

 
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NHL Betting Review: Sharks continue skating frenzy

San Jose added to their league-leading record last night with a 3-2 win at home over the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime.  The Sharks now total 37 points, tops in the NHL.

 
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NHL Betting Review: Bruins best ATS

They just did squeeze into the playoffs a year ago before being sent home in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens.  Now the Boston Bruins are one of the best in the Eastern Conference with a 14-3-4 record and 32 points on the campaign.  And their backers have been reaping a grand reward with the Bruins' solid play as the Beantown skaters are 17-4 at the window, good enough for more than 19-units.

 
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Puckline a tricky venture in NHL betting

It wasn't all that long ago that the puckline was the industry's betting standard, but the more user-friendly moneyline has taken over at NHL betting windows from Las Vegas to the Caribbean.

 
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NHL Betting: Finding green on second string

There's gold to be mined between the pipes in the NHL, and sharp cappers know just when and where to find it when it comes to starting assignments for back-up netminders.  From Panthers No. 2 goalie Craig Anderson in Florida across the continent to LA and Kings back-up Erik Ersberg, paying close attention to who is given the start in goal from night to night is key to turning a profit.

 
 
 
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