Category: Ice Hockey

Washington Capitals the Team to Beat?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Washington Capitals have embarked on a five-game winning streak at just the right time and now look the team to beat going into the playoffs. With just seven games left, the Caps have the highest points tally in the NHL, the most wins, the most goals for and the fewest goals against. That is an emphatic set of statistics and they deserve to be the favourites for the Stanley Cup.

Divisional Futures

The quirk of the NHL this season is that the team with the second highest points tally, second highest number of games won, second highest goals for and second fewest goals against plays in the same division as Washington. The Columbus Blue Jackets are on a roll, having gone 7-2-1 in their last 10, and are just three points behind the Caps in the Metropolitan Division. Still, the Caps have won five in a row and there are just seven games left, so they should hold off the challenge and win the division (1/4 with William Hill). The Blackhawks have all but sewn up the Central Division, while there is no value in backing the Canadiens over the Senators in a poor Atlantic Division. There is plenty of intrigue in the Pacific, though, where the Anaheim Ducks are two points clear of the San Jose Sharks with two games to go. Bet365 has 1/2 on the Ducks and 11/4 on the Sharks. The Sharks lost six straight and are 3-7 in the last 10, while Anaheim is 8-1-1, so the momentum is with the Ducks and Anaheim-Washington could be a good double.

Stanley Cup

Right now it is hard to look past the Caps for the Stanley Cup as they have the stats and the form to back their claim. The 6/1 at Ladbrokes and Coral looks good. Joint-favourites the Minnesota Wild have really fallen apart in the closing weeks of the season, while a 7-0 loss to Florida for the Chicago Blackhawks sets alarm bells ringing. The injury-ravaged Pittsburgh Penguins are on a three-game losing streak and have fallen behind Columbus. The Blue Jackets look a decent outside bet at 10/1 with Bet Victor and Stan James, particularly attractive when many bookmakers will only go to 7/1. Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is in outrageously good form and the Blue Jackets are 9-0-2 in his last 11 games. A longer shot could be the Ducks at 20/1 with Stan James. They have momentum at a crucial time and Ryan Getzlaf is playing sensational hockey.

Upcoming Games

The Ducks are in Winnipeg to play the Jets on Thursday night and should win that one at odds of around 14/19. You should find similar odds on the Blue Jackets to beat the Carolina Hurricanes at the same time, and that could make a nice double. Saturday sees the Blue Jackets take on the Blackhawks in Chicago, where they will be underdogs, but given the way both teams have played recently Columbus could win it.

Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks soaring towards Stanley Cup playoffs

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

A month ago the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals looked destined to face off in the Stanley Cup Final, such was their dominance in each conference. What a difference a month makes as both teams are now struggling badly and a raft of new contenders has emerged. The Chicago Blackhawks are flying, while the form of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been superb, and dark horses are arising, from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Calgary Flames. It is all shaping up to be extremely exciting, with just 10 points left in the regular season.

Futures

The Caps’ lead in the Metropolitan Division has been cut to just one point as Washington is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games. The Penguins have now accrued 101 points, the second highest in the NHL, bettered only by the Caps’ 102. But The Penguins are in much better form – 8-1-1 in the last 10 – and they have the momentum to overtake Washington. Pittsburgh, the 2016 champion, is now a real threat and looks an interesting bet at 2/1 to win this division with Bet365.

The Montreal Canadiens are 1/2 with Paddy Power to win what looks a pretty weak Atlantic Division. They have a three-point lead and should maintain it.

In the Pacific Division, the San Jose Sharks are on a four-game losing streak but are still four points ahead of the Oilers and Ducks with 10 games to go. They should hold them off, but the threat may come from the Calgary Flames, who are 8-2 in their last 10, compared to 4-6 for San Jose, and are just five points behind. Still, the Sharks should cling on and the 5/13 at Bet365 on them winning it looks reasonable.

It is remarkable to see the odds in the Central Division, where Chicago is now 1/4 favourite with William Hill and Bet365 to win it. The Wild were odds-on just a few weeks ago, but have now gone out to 10/3 with Ladbrokes on the back of a miserable run that has seen them lose seven of their last 10 games. It is now hard to fancy them for the Stanley Cup, where they are 7/1 with 888 Sport. The Caps are still favourites at 6/1 with Ladbrokes, but the interesting choices are surely the Blackhawks (7/1 with William Hill) or the Penguins (8/1 with 888 Sport). The Blue Jackets also look a good longer shot at 10/1 with Bet Victor.

Upcoming Games

The in-form Flames travel to Nashville to face the Predators on Friday and it should be a close-fought game, with Nashville favoured by bookmakers. But the Flames are the most consistent team in the NHL right now and the 19/16 available on them winning this looks great. The Blackhawks play the Dallas Stars on the same day and should beat a team that is second bottom of the Central Division. Chicago is 5/12 so Calgary and Chicago could make an interesting double bet.

NHL Betting Gets Interesting as Divisional Leaders All Falter

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Someone has clearly lit the blue touch paper in Calgary as the Flames are burning brighter than ever and look invincible at present. They have become the fourth team this season to go on a 10-game winning run and have set a franchise record in the process. That recent 10-0 record has sent them second in the Pacific, and they are now hot on the heels of San Jose in the running for the division and looking like an interesting long-shot for the Stanley Cup.

Pacific Division

The Sharks have led the way all season and Calgary have simply been battling to stay in playoff contention. But a 10-game winning streak has seen the Flames move to within three wins of San Jose, with 13 games to go before the end of the regular season. The Sharks are 7-2-1 and it is now game on. The Sharks are best priced at a meagre 1/9 with BetVictor and should be good for it, but a speculative flutter on the Flames at 9/1 looks intriguing. Goaltender Brian Elliott has impressed and if they can keep it going, the 33/1 on offer at SkyBet for them winning the Stanley Cup might be worth a go too. But San Jose is very strong and Brent Burns, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton are in fine form, so they look like the biggest threat from this division.

Central Division

The Chicago Blackhawks have hit form at the perfect time of the season and are 8-2 in their last 10, while Minnesota has slumped and is 4-6. Chicago has now won three of its four games against Minnesota this season and established itself as the leading franchise in the west. The 3/1 on offer at SkyBet, PaddyPower and BoyleSports on Chicago winning the west looks great, and the evens BetVictor has on the Blackhawks winning the Central Division looks good as they are one win ahead of Minnesota, with one game extra played but in better form.

Metropolitan Division

Just like the Minnesota Wild, the Washington Capitals looked like running away with their division, but a poor patch has coincided with the Pittsburgh Penguins going on a great run. Pittsburgh has injury problems in defence but has moved to within two wins of the Caps, with a game in hand, thanks to a superb offence. The Caps endured a four-game losing streak for the first time since November 2014, and that has opened the door for Pittsburgh, which now looks a good bet at 6/4 with PaddyPower for the division.

Atlantic Division

A three-way fight is playing out between the Canadiens, Senators and Bruins. All three are in similar form and picking a winner here looks like a nightmare; so, it is perhaps best to leave this one alone. The winner of the east is highly likely to come from the Metropolitan Division, as three teams – the Caps, Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets – head the betting before you get to the Canadiens, who are 6/1 outsiders.

Upcoming Games

The Flames have home advantage as they bid to make it 11 wins in a row against the Boston Bruins, and the 10/11 at SkyBet on them doing just that looks a great bet. The Bruins, led by Brad Marchand, are in fine form too (11-3 in their last 14) and have consolidated their playoff position, but the Flames have serious momentum right now. The Blackhawks face the Senators in another tough game on Thursday but should prevail at odds of 17/20. The St Louis Blues visit San Jose to face the Sharks on Friday and that should be a win for the Sharks at odds of around 5/7.

Chicago Blackhawks emerge as great value Stanley Cup contenders

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Chicago Blackhawks have emerged as the NHL’s form team going into the home straight of the season and now look set to seriously challenge for the Stanley Cup. The 2015 champions are on a seven-game winning streak, are 9-1 in their last 10 games and are piling pressure on the Minnesota Wild at the top of the Central Division. They now look a good futures bet for the division, the Western Conference and the Stanley Cup.

Central Division

The Wild have spent most of the season heralded as the top team in the Central Division and in the Western Conference, but they are in real danger of being usurped by Chicago. The Blackhawks have now won as many games as Minnesota, although they have played an extra two games, so the Wild have the chance to maintain a lead at the top. Minnesota Wild are in good form, at 7-3 in their last 10, but Chicago is in great form: that 9-1 puts them by far and away the best performing team in the NHL right now. They will be boosted by the return of Johnny Oduya, who rejoined just before last week’s trade deadline, while Patrick Kane is on fire. He easily won the Hart Trophy last season as nobody was close to his level of performance or his stats, but started slowly this time around. Now he is truly playing like the defending champion and 14 goals in 13 games from the start of February, including two hat-tricks, is phenomenal. With him in this sort of mood, Chicago is a danger to anyone. Minnesota deservedly heads the betting in this division at 4/9 with Bet365 and Paddy Power, but the 15/8 William Hill is offering on Chicago looks really interesting right now.

Stanley Cup Futures

Despite the sensational form of Chicago, it is hard to discount the Washington Capitals as Stanley Cup frontrunners. At 44-14 they have the best record in the league and are 6-3-1 in their last 10. What really sets them apart is their goal difference. The +73 is remarkable, particularly when you consider that the Montreal Canadiens – leading the Atlantic Division – are only on +18. The Wild are relatively close, at +63, while the Blackhawks are only on +34.

Quite simply, the Caps have scored more and conceded fewer than anyone else in the league. Having the best offence and the best defence is highly unusual, and it makes them definitely the leading contenders. The bookmakers agree: the Caps are 11/2 favourites with Ladbrokes and Boyle Sports, followed by Minnesota, which is 6/1 with Bet Victor and Paddy Power. But the Blackhawks have emerged as a real threat and have overtaken 2016 champions the Pittsburgh Penguins as third favourites. They are now down to 9/1 with Boyle Sports, but that still looks an attractive price on a team surging with confidence and led by a genuine superstar in Kane.

Upcoming Games

On Thursday the Penguins travel to Winnipeg to face the Jets, who are among the league’s worst teams defensively. Pittsburgh really should win this game. On the same day, the in-form Boston Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings, bottom of the Atlantic Division and really struggling of late, and Pittsburgh-Boston could make a nice double. Friday sees Chicago host the Anaheim Ducks, a strong team that is quietly plugging away in the Pacific Division. But it is practically impossible to oppose the Blackhawks right now and the odds on them winning this one outright are very enticing: bookmakers are set to go to around 4/6 on Chicago and that looks a great bet.

Battle to win NHL divisions intensifies

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The trade deadline has now passed and the leading NHL teams are gearing up for a hectic February as the playoffs loom. The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, with two wildcards in each conference, and the battle to qualify is really ramping up. Here we run through each division, providing odds and predictions as to who will win, along with a roundup of some of the most intriguing upcoming games:

Atlantic Division

The Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins have pulled away from the chasing pack in the Atlantic Division, and it looks like turning into a three-way fight between them to win it and therefore gain a favourable playoff schedule. A revival by the Florida Panthers turned into a three-game losing streak, so the Canadiens, Senators and Bruins should all qualify. The Canadiens are leading the way on 34-21, but Ottawa is hot on their heels on 33-22, and Ottawa has the momentum. While Montreal has stumbled in recent weeks, Ottawa has looked strong and more consistent, and have been bolstered by the arrival of Canucks star Alex Burrows. The Canadiens are the even favourites with Paddy Power, but Ottawa looks good at 4/1 with Sky Bet.

Metropolitan Division

The Washington Capitals has been the best team in the league this season. They have won more than anyone else and are deservedly joint favourites with the Minnesota Wild to win the Stanley Cup (both 5/1 with Sky Bet). They are in the same division as 2016 champions the Pittsburgh Penguins, but look set to finish above them, and the 3/10 that William Hill is offering on Washington looks a banker.

Central Division

The Wild has won 40 and the Chicago Blackhawks has won 39, but Minnesota has played two games fewer. The Wild are the heavy favourites to win the Western Conference (9/4 with Betfred) but they have a fight on their hands to win the division as Chicago is on fire. Minnesota is 7-2-1 in its last 10, while Chicago is 9-1, making the Blackhawks the league’s form team. That makes the odds on Minnesota winning the division – 3/10 with Paddy Power – looks risky and unattractive. A speculative punt on Chicago at 9/4 with Sky Bet might be more rewarding. The Blackhawks just need to stay healthy, which is a big if.

Pacific Division

The Pacific Division is led by last year’s beaten Stanley Cup finalists, the San Jose Sharks, and they should maintain that position between now and the end of the regular season. Their recent form has been poor, but so has that of their chief rivals – the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers – and they have a comfortable cushion at the top, on 36-18 versus 32-21 for the Ducks. They are 2/5 with Sky Bet to win the Pacific and that looks a very good bet. An interesting double would be the Sharks and the Washington Capitals.

Upcoming Games

A huge game on Thursday sees the Penguins travel to Chicago for a showdown with the in-form Blackhawks. It should be a close one but Chicago has great momentum at present and can be expected to scrape a narrow victory, with odds of 4/5 looking pretty appealing on the Blackhawks. The big game on Friday sees the Wild face the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets are battling it out with the New York Rangers for a playoff place and have it all to play for, but the Wild are in superb form and should edge it. On the same day, the Ottawa Senators will be expected to beat Colorado, and the Canadiens should comfortably beat the Nashville Predators in Montreal, so that looks a great treble.