As per usual, the sportsbooks have a full menu of props
and NHL betting option for a major event and this time, we’re taking a closer
look at the Stanley Cup Finals. Good luck with your wagers.
We’ve sifted through their cornucopia of props and
betting odds and narrowed it down to a handful where we’ll get some good NHL betting
value. Here’s a look at our pared down list with all the lines available from
Bodog:
Total number of
road wins in the series: Under 2.5
When it comes to hockey, home-ice advantage can sometimes
be a tad overrated. After all, the best home team in the regular season
(Vancouver Canucks) won only 66% of their home games, which pales in comparison
to, say, the Chicago Bulls of the NBA, who won 88% of their home games this
year, or the New England Patriots of the NFL, who won all of their home games.
But as the playoffs progress – and as each series
progresses – home-ice advantage becomes more of a factor.
While the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks were both
excellent road teams this season, it’s hard to envision the two teams dropping
three home games in the Cup finals. While a split in both Boston and Vancouver
is possible, both teams have shown they can protect their home ice as the
series extends.
Here’s a look at the history throughout these playoffs so
far:
- Boston Bruins-Montreal Canadiens: four road wins
- Boston Bruins-Philadelphia Flyers: two road wins
- Boston Bruins-Tampa Bay Lightning: two road wins
- Vancouver Canucks-Chicago Blackhawks: two road wins
- Vancouver Canucks-Nashville Predators: five road wins
- Vancouver Canucks-San Jose Sharks: one road win
The under has connected four times in six tries for these
teams, which is a 66% clip. If it’s a short series because one team dominates,
it will be tough for either side to pick up three road wins in a short span. If
it’s a long series, these teams have shown they’ll do a good job of holding
serve.
On top of that, we’re getting the ‘under’ as an underdog
in this spot, so it’s the play here.
Pick: Under 2.5
Road Wins
Total Power Play
goals in the series: Under 7
The Boston Bruins power play has been simply pathetic
this postseason. Overall, they are a paltry five-for-61 (8.2 percent).
What’s worse is that they now have to go up against the
best penalty-killing team in the Western Conference: the Canucks.
Vancouver killed off 85.6% of the man-advantages in the
regular season and after facing a potent unit like San Jose’s, they are going
to have a breeze containing the Bruins dysfunctional unit. Beyond that, the
Canucks are expected to get back Manny Malhotra, who has missed all of the
playoffs with a scary eye injury. He’s one of the team’s best face-off men and
penalty killers, so that should further hamper this over.
The Canucks have averaged just over one power play goal
per game in the playoffs, so they’ll need some help from the Bruins to get over
seven goals but it doesn’t look like they’ll get much.
Pick: Under 7
Who will win the
Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP?
For starters, the Conn Smythe Trophy will go to a player
on the team that wins the Stanley Cup. Now you just have to determine who you
think will win it.
In my opinion, the Canucks are a shoe-in because their
speed on offense will be too much of a problem for the Bruins. Boston has
struggled with speedy teams in the playoffs so far (see: Tampa Bay, Montreal).
On top of that, the Bruins offense tends to struggle at
times, so don’t be surprised if a Canucks blue liner wins the award – or even
goaltender Roberto Luongo.
It’s hard to overlook defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who has
been outstanding in the playoffs so far. The unrestricted free agent to be has
been scoring key goals and shutting down top-liners throughout.
He has nine points in 18 playoff games along with five in
his last five. He leads the team in plus-minus (+10) and average ice time,
which means he’s already got the resume to do it.
The Canucks have so much depth up front that different
players have carried them through different series. That means nobody has a
better all-around resume going into the Stanley Cup Finals than Bieksa. At 20-1, he’s
offering some pretty sweet value to bring it home.
Pick: Kevin Bieksa
+2000
Will Roberto
Luongo be replaced as goaltender at any point during the 2011 Stanley Cup
Finals?
While Luongo had a rough ride in the opening round
against the Chicago Blackhawks, the demons have been exorcised and he has been
very reliable since.
In the opening round of the playoffs, Luongo coughed up
17 goals in seven games while allowing four or more goals twice. Since then, he
hasn’t allowed more than four goals in the last two rounds while permitting a
total of 24 goals in the last 11 games. His GAA is 1.96 in that span.
Remember that thought of backup Corey Schneider replacing
him? Yeah, that’s an afterthought now.
The Canucks have come this far with Luongo and they are going
to stick with him until the wheels fall off. He won’t be benched for Schneider
at this point and the Bruins don’t have the offensive weaponry to chase him.
Pick: No