Tag: NHL betting

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.

Stanley Cup Race Looks Wide Open in Exciting NHL Season

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

We are now into the business end of the NHL regular season and several leading teams are battling to reach the playoffs. There are some frontrunners but what makes this season so fascinating is that no overwhelming favourites have emerged and the fight to reach the Stanley Cup looks wide open. That means there is plenty of value to be had when betting on who will win each conference and who will claim this year’s Stanley Cup. Here we run through the contenders for each and preview some upcoming games.

Eastern Conference

The Montreal Canadiens are on a three-game losing streak and have lost seven of their last eight games, leaving their lead at the top of the Atlantic Division looking extremely perilous. The Ottawa Senators have won the same number of games – 31 – but have played two fewer, so should soon claim the mantle at the top. The real form team of the division, however, is the Florida Panthers, with eight wins out of 10, while the Boston Bruins are also doing very well of late. Any of them could make it into the playoffs, but the winner of the Eastern Conference is highly likely to come from the Metropolitan Division.

The Washington Capitals are leading the division and have the best record in the NHL this season (they have won 39 games, the same as the Minnesota Wild, but they have a better goal difference) and are currently favourites to win the Eastern Conference at 11/4 with Betfred and Boyle Sports. The two teams behind them, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets, are the second and third favourites for the east at 9/2 and 6/1 respectively with Ladbrokes. Only then do you come to a team from the Atlantic Division, where the Canadiens are out at 7/1 with Betfred. The Capitals may have lost their last two games, but they are seven in 10 and in the best form in the division right now, so they deserve to be favourites ahead of the Penguins, who won the Stanley Cup last year. The Blue Jackets are an interesting long shot, having pulled off some great wins this year, and the New York Rangers also look good at 15/2 with Boyle Sports.

Western Conference

The Minnesota Wild have opened up a comfortable lead at the top of the Central Division and are in great form. They lead the Chicago Blackhawks and both look nailed-on for a playoff spot. They could well meet in the Western Conference Finals, as no team from the Pacific Division looks good enough to challenge them. Last year’s Western Conference winners, the San Jose Sharks, who lost to the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals, lead the division and should hold off the charge of the Edmonton Oilers. But the Sharks are not playing well of late and have lost six in 10. At this time of season, you want to look for teams that are building momentum, and in the Western Conference, it is hard to look past the Wild. They are the favourites, but you can still get a very generous 9/4 with Betfred – great when many bookmakers will only go to 6/4 – so that looks a good bet right now.

Stanley Cup

The Wild and the Capitals have been the two best teams in the league so far and head up the betting, with the Caps at 6/1 and Minnesota 17/2 with 888 Sport. It is hard to argue with that, and there is little to choose between the two at present, but the Caps shade it due to a devastating offence. A good long-shot could be the Rangers at 15/1 with 888 Sport. They have muscled their way into contention in the Metropolitan with seven wins from 10, with Henrik Lundqvist leading the charge.

Upcoming Games

Thursday sees the Caps travel to Philadelphia to face the Flyers. They should be confident after beating Philadelphia 5-0 last month and can repeat the feat here, with Coral offering 6/4 on a Washington win. The Ducks have been much improved of late and should beat the Bruins on the same day, with Sky Bet offering 10/11.