Sharks have to take a bite out of Chicago

San Jose did pretty much what they wanted but one thing in their Western Conference finals opener against Chicago, win the game. The Sharks suffered a 2-1 loss despite outshooting the Blackhawks 45-40, committed no penalties compared to Chicago’s five and controlled the contest for long expanses of time.

Still it wasn’t enough with San Jose was 0-5 on the power play as Hawks goalie Antti Niemi was the difference-maker. “He’s been good for us all year,” Chicago forward Kris Versteeg said. “Everyone seemed to be doubting him except us. We’re confident in him. We have to give him a lot more help than we did tonight.”

The Blackhawks will take a split but have higher ambitions now and are 22-8 against offensive teams scoring three or more goals a game this season.

“The good news is there’s a lot of things we can improve on and that we can do better,” Jonathan Toews said. “When we looked at Game 1 watching the highlights on TV, it looks like they absolutely outplayed us. It didn’t feel that way on the ice. But we know our goaltending was huge keeping us in that game.”

San Jose isn’t devastated by the loss and they know that have clean up miscues and get back to playing how they are capable.

“For the most part we played pretty well,” Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. “We made a few defensive mistakes. But again, to get 45 shots against a team like that, keep them at two goals. It could have gone either way.” The Sharks are 35-16 when playing against a team with a winning record.

San Jose is a -140 money line pick on home ice for Game 2 with total Ov5.5. The Sharks are 25-7 after allowing two goals or less in consecutive games and are 5-2 OVER in last seven contests. Chicago keeps peppering the net and is 7-1 on the road after five straight games with 30 or more shots on goal. The Hawks are 14-6 OVER having won four of their last five outings over the last two seasons.

This West Finals has a 10:00 Eastern start on VERSUS and TSN and the underdog has won four in a row in these meetings.

NHL Western Conference Preview

With no disrespect to Detroit, this is the matchup most hockey fans wanted to see and large factions believe the winner will go on to win the Stanley Cup the way the Eastern Conference has played out. Chicago’s loss to Detroit on the last day of the regular season gave San Jose the top seed by a single point and home ice advantage in this series.

These teams have many similarities, including sportsbooks having both of them as +160 wagers favorites to bring the Cup home to their city when the postseason concludes.

Chicago has 60 wins this season and San Jose has 59. Both have 32 wins this year on home ice and each has played well on the road with the Blackhawks having one more triumph than the Sharks at 28.

Both bring ample offensive firepower that will test the others defense and goaltending. San Jose’s “Big Three” of Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau awoke after disappointing series against Colorado and overwhelmed the Red Wings with eight goals and 12 assists. This was especially important for Thornton (eight points) whose playoff appearances mostly have had a David Copperfield feel of disappearing.

The most consistent scorer for the Sharks has been Joe Pavelski, who followed up five goals against the Avalanche with four more against Detroit. Pavelski has carried the power play with five in the net and have three game winners. San Jose is 35-15 against teams that have winning records.

Chicago has a myriad of scorers as evidenced by 11 players having 10 or more goals during the regular season. In fact, nine different forwards tallied a goal in Vancouver series. Prominent names like Jonathan Toews (4 goals), Patrick Kane (3) and Kris Versteeg (3) all help carry the scoring load and massive Dustin Byfuglien (4) was like a tank in front of Canucks goal in last series, proving the Blackhawks are at their best when being able to keep the opposing goalie and defense busy in front of their own net.

The Hawks defensemen are more offensive-oriented, swiftly taking the puck into the other end to exploit weaknesses, however are vulnerable occasionally being caught up ice. San Jose has a better blend of two-way defenders and guys that shutdown opposing teams at the blue line.

Both netminders have been solid between the pipes. The Sharks Evgeni Nabokov has been sharper in net this playoff campaign and is among the reason why his team returns to West Finals for the first time since 2004. “We're going to go as far as Nabby takes us. He's been the backbone of this team all year long," Thornton said after the clincher against Detroit.

Chicago’s defensive lapses are why goaltender Antti Niemi has allowed four or more goals six times in the playoffs. When given normal protection by his defenders, he’s risen to the moment. Chicago is 23-9 against good passing teams averaging five or more assists per game this season.

The Blackhawks have been stronger in special teams play converting 25 percent against Vancouver and they have kept opponents out of the net 88.7 percent of the time and cashed in with three shorthanded goals as well.

San Jose has been average in both situations by comparison (19.3 percent with man advantage and 84.2 percent in penalty kills). If the Sharks expect to win this series, they have to be better on the road, where they are below average in each instance.

The Blackhawks won three of four meetings this season.

“Simply put, we didn’t play very well against Chicago and we’ll have to play a lot better to win,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. “We need quicker starts against Chicago. We always seem to be behind the eight ball. For us to get into a track meet with this team won’t be very productive for us throughout the series.”

San Jose can advance to Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history if they stay disciplined and maintain edge in special opportunities (+19 in power play chances) and find ways to break thru against Blackhawks’ penalty killers. They cannot lose a home game as Chicago has worn down opponents as the series went further along.

Chicago is the deeper team, with more varied scoring options. The Hawks can’t take as many silly penalties, especially with how deadly Joe Pavelski has been. The Blackhawks outshot the Sharks 157-98 this season, which shows what kind of pressure they can maintain. If they can continue this, they play for the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1992.

3Daily Winners Pick - Chicago (-105) in six over San Jose (-115)

NHL Western Conference Playoff Preview

All four series favorites captured their first round conflicts and moved on to the next round. This sets up a pair of excellent matchups and each is expected to be a long series. Oddsmakers really have these teams bunched to emerge as finalist in the Stanley Cup from the West. Off their still unsteady play, San Jose is no longer the favorite in the Western Conference, as they and Detroit are both +250 to play for Stanley Cup. Chicago is the new choice at +200 with Vancouver all not the far behind at +300.

(1) San Jose vs (5) Detroit

San Jose might be the series favorite, but that is only because they would have four home games if the series went the limit.

These are two teams that know each other well, as coach Todd McLellan was on the Detroit staff until taking the San Jose job two years ago. McLellan installed the puck-possession style that has made the Red Wings so difficult to beat for more than decade.

If the Sharks really expect to make the West Finals, their top line cannot continue to be faulty like they have been for several years in the spring. Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton once again added almost nothing and linemate Danny Heatley was not or is not 100 percent. Joe Pavelski’s line saved the Sharks from upset (22 points in series), however Detroit is world’s better than Colorado, especially at playoff time.

Veteran netminder Evgeni Nabokov was beaten twice by his own teammates, yet still conceded just 1.76 goals allowed with .926 save percentage. San Jose needs fast start and is 31-14 playing against a team with a winning record this season.

The NHL didn’t do the Red Wings any favors, having them start this next series less than 48 hours after finishing off Phoenix in Game 7. Thou Detroit had a couple of off games on home ice, they out-scored the Coyotes 17-6 winning the last three contests in the desert and they will have psychological edge over San Jose, based on performance after the regular season concludes.

While clichés are frowned upon into today’s world, they still work. Detroit’s best players have knack for playing their best when needed (something San Jose’s don’t), with Henrik Zetterberg’s 11 points being the finest example.

Netminder Jimmy Howard had plenty of uncomfortable moments against Phoenix, but when he made snap glove save on the first shot from the Coyotes in Game 7, it was apparent he was locked in. San Jose has a great deal more talented snipers that can bury the puck in the net and Howard will need Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and other defensemen to keep the pressure off him. Since the Olympic break, the Wings are 20-8.

Detroit took three of four during the regular season and has won six of last eight at HP Pavilion in San Jose dating back to playoffs on May 2, 2007. This is where pedigree counts and the Red Wings have it.

3Daily Winners Pick- Detroit (-105) in six over San Jose (-125)

(3)Vancouver vs (2) Chicago

A pair of Western Conference division champions will clash in this round. This is a rematch from one season ago and both teams believe anything less than visit to the Cup finals would be a major disappointment.

Thus far the two teams have been a mirror image of one another. Each started the playoffs sluggishly losing two of three and went on to win the last three contests and bring momentum into this round.

Vancouver can live up to their dreams as long as the Sedin brothers stay at their best. Just a few seasons ago Daniel and Henrik were considers postseason pushovers, no more, as they scored five goals and added 13 assists between them. They were involved in every meaningful goal against Los Angeles and will have to continue to dominate if they want to extract revenge on Chicago.

Roberto Loungo has a Gold Medal in 2010 to help him forget when he was open door, allowing the Blackhawks to score seven times in single contest last May. Loungo had a similar flashback in Game 3 against the Kings, as they lit the lamp five times; however he appears to have regained his composure and wants prove he’s the better goalie in this series. Vancouver starts round two 20-6 after two or more Over’s.

Chicago fate in this series might not rest with the Canucks; it might be right in the mirror. Too often the obviously more talent Blackhawks were unwilling to do the dirty work against Nashville and dug a hole for themselves. This could happen more easily with larger repercussions as Vancouver is upgrade ability-wise. When it counted, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa came thru and they will be counted on again for Chicago to press on.

Rookie Antti Niemi was solid between the pipes with 2.15 GAA, which included keeping the Preds out of the net twice in the series. He’ll need the help of defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to keep the Sedin’s busy away from the goal. The Hawks are 40-18 when they register three goals.

These teams split four battles, each winning once on the road. The first two games went Under and the last two went Over the total. Vancouver’s greatest weakness is the blue line. They couldn’t harness good Kings power play unit (seventh in the regular season), permitting 10 goals. Though Chicago’s man advantage crew isn’t as strong as L.A.’s, this could become deciding factor in tight series.

3DW Pick- Chicago (-145) in seven over Vancouver (+115)

NHL Home Underdogs Must Win or See Ya

For lowered seeded Colorado and Ottawa the task is simple – Win or enjoy your vacation. The Senators have already survived one elimination contest going to the third overtime to keep the NHL grim reaper away, as Matt Carkner scored at 7:06 to give Ottawa a 4-3 upset win as whopping +255 money line underdogs.

“There’s a lot of belief and trust in this room,” said the Senators’ Matt Cullen who created the screen for game winner. “We maintain a positive attitude and good feeling in here that we’re still in it.” Ottawa is back on home ice where they have lost twice already to Pittsburgh and is 3-9 in home games after allowing three goals or more in three straight tilts.

Pittsburgh for the second consecutive year let a wonderful opportunity slip thru their gloves, losing a Game 5 home contest with 3-1 lead.

“A lot happened (in the overtimes) with penalties and chances and posts, but that’s just the way it works out,” Sidney Crosby said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done here, but we’ve got to find a way to regroup and be ready to go to Ottawa.” Pittsburgh is 26-8 off a home loss over the last two seasons.

Bookmaker.com has Ottawa as +150 home underdogs with Ov5.5 total and they are 12-18 in their own rink having lost two of three. The Senators are 8-2 OVER in all games this month.
This is Pittsburgh second chance to end this series and the last thing they want is a Game 7 off two losses and the Pens are 13-7 in road games revenging a loss where opponent scored four or more goals.

Colorado will try to live another day playing at the Pepsi Center, taking on San Jose who is starting to play like the top seed of the Western Conference. The Avalanche has two goals in the last three contests and things could be heading downhill.

San Jose's game plan for this series was to commence hitting the smaller and less experienced Colorado crew, with the hope of wearing them down physically. The Sharks have controlled the puck for long periods of time in winning three of the last four contests and in the 5-0 shutout in Game 5, they finally penetrated goalie Craig Anderson's armor.

Avalanche coach Joe Sacco doesn't want to believe that the Sharks have worn down his young team, which is missing several injured forwards, including Milan Hejduk and Peter Mueller.

"This is playoff hockey," he said. "We shouldn't be tired this time of the year. We should be re-energized. The level of play picks up in the playoffs, and at this time of the year you need to find a way to battle through it." Maybe the coach is right, nonetheless his squad is 10-20 home games after two or more consecutive losses.

Colorado is +160 underdog with the total hovering at Un5.5. The Avs are 8-3 revenging a zero on the scoreboard and San Jose has a long history of failure in Game 6 setting with 1-11 mark.
The Sharks will still be dangerous and are 17-4 after permitting two goals or less three games in a row and are 12-5 OVER off a home win by two goals or more this season.

NHL high seeds try and break bad juju

One of the most feared predators on the planet is the shark. They come in all sizes and shapes in the water, from the 50-foot whale shark, to the fiercest meat-eating monster, the Great White. Not every shark is consider a danger to man, like the pygmy ribbontail catshark, which is 6 to 7 1/2 inches in length or the oft times docile San Jose Sharks, who are almost timid when April and May come around.

If this team were based in New Orleans, an exorcism would be preformed to break the curse, because no team could be as continually brilliant year after year in the regular season and fold like a cardboard box in the postseason. Maybe the these Sharks need one of the teams from CSI or the gang from Criminal Minds to determine a profile as what the - H E double hockey sticks - is wrong with this team.

In Game 1 against outclassed Colorado club, the Avs Chris Stewart fires centering pass into toward the goal and San Jose’s Rod Blake’s skate redirects the puck past helpless goalie Evgeni Nabokov with 50 seconds in the game to give the Avalanche unexpected 2-1 road win.
Game 2 the Sharks out-shoot Colorado 52-22, but need goal with 32 seconds to tie and eventually win in OT.

Game 3 was tense scoreless struggle thru regulation, although all the pressure was on Avs netminder Craig Anderson, with San Jose putting on relentless pressure with incomprehensible 42-7 edge in shots on goal the last two periods. Just as fans were getting back in their seats for OT, San Jose’s Dan Boyle’s errant pass managed to beat his own goalie and Colorado led in series 2-1.

“We didn’t beat their goalie,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “We found a way to beat ours.”
Exasperation can’t describe the emotions San Jose players and fans have to be feeling, as they have seen this remake of Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day” before and they are 4-10 in road games after losing their previous game in overtime.

Colorado is playing like they are walking around with four-leaf clovers under their sweaters and are 10-1 on home ice after winning in extra session. San Jose is a -160 money line favorite with total of 5.5 at Bookmaker.com and has to feel they are firing the puck into 1x1 black hole area, with Anderson stoning everything. The Sharks are a very lonely 3-9 in last dozen road games.

Another team that needs a hug is second seeded New Jersey, who must hate orange and black. If hockey periods were like boxing scoring, the Devils would probably be ahead 5-2-2 on points thru three games, yet trail 2-1 to Philadelphia after Daniel Carcillo’s overtime goal in Game 3.
New Jersey is now 2-7 against Philly this season and just don’t seem to matchup up well against them and the Flyers have great confidence facing the Devils.

That feeling of confidence has extended to goalie Brian Boucher, who is playing only because of injuries to top two Philadelphia netminders and is seeking the most improbable of journey’s, trying to lead the Flyers to East Finals, like he did a decade ago.

Philadelphia is 8-3 on their pond over New Jersey the last three seasons and is currently a +100 underdog, with the Devils 2-8 as road favorites.

Unless New Jersey can break the spell the Flyers have over them, they might be headed back home down 3-1 in the series.

Wednesday's Top Info

Picked ourselves up and nailed a 2-1 Tuesday and have a totals system in MLB tonight that is over 80 percent. The White Sox were almost no-hit last night, check out the Top Trend and see how they might respond. Today’s top Free Play is in the rink. Good Luck

What I thought today- Though not a hot sport, the NHL Playoffs are awesome entertainment. I’ve dabbled in hockey for years, mostly with mediocre results, however I’m going to take some of my CBB winnings and set up a playoff budget and see how I do, kind of a challenge of sorts.

In case you missed it, the owner of Eye on Gambling website and the person who started the RX.com has died. Lots of things surrounding his death, including the reports of murder/suicide with his wife. Though an infrequent reader of his site, I know he was well respected in his area of expertise. Sad story.

On Twitter at: http://twitter.com/3Dailywinners

Free Baseball System -1) Play Over when the total is 8 to 8.5 with poor NL offensive team (Astros) scoring 4.1 or less RPG, against a team (Cards) with a good bullpen (ERA 3.75 or less), with a poor bullpen whose ERA is 4.50 or worse on the season. In the last four years this system is 34-8, 81 percent.

Free Baseball Trend -2) The Chicago White Sox are 11-2 after a game where they stranded three or less runners on base.

Free Hockey Pick -3) Michael of the LCC has started the week 6-0 and likes San Jose in the opener.

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NHL Playoff Preview – Western Conference

The best part of the NHL season has arrived, the Stanley Cup chase. Eight teams from each conference all believing they are the team of destiny. The opening round is often treacherous territory as 12 lower seeds have won the last four years and three other went to a game seven, as the higher seed used its home ice edge to conquer opponent. Goaltending is such a huge part of the Stanley Cup dynamic and five of the seven regular starting netminders in the Western Conference have no previous postseason experience, which will just add to the craziness. All lines courtesy of Bookmaker.com.

(1) San Jose vs (8) Colorado

The West has five legitimate teams capable skill-wise of making the Stanley Cup Finals and the top one at least from talent standpoint is San Jose. The Sharks have five 20-goal scorers, but are more thought of as lion from the Wizard of Oz, lacking courage at crunch time. Among the reasons is San Jose’s inability to outwork the opposition in April and May (let alone June) as past playoffs have shown and though Evgeni Nabokov is among the Top 10 goalies in the game, he is 32-31 in the postseason and did nothing to enhance is status with disappointing Olympic performance.

Youth was served in Colorado this season as remade roster was coached by first year coach Joe Sacco. The grind of a long season appeared to wear down the young Avs players, losing 10 of final 13 contests. Their top point producers were mostly first year players like Matt Duchene. Goalie Craig Anderson was 10-4 SU in October, but he too saw his play slip, after facing the most shots of any netminder in the NHL.

San Jose is the third choice to be Stanley Cup champions at +390 and have to take advantage of Colorado’s penalty-killing that has surrendered 15 goals in previous 14 games. San Jose is 5-1 on home ice against the Avalanche and 8-4 in the last three years. If the Sharks are truly hungry as they claim, they dominate Avs at home and at worst split in the Rockies.

3DW Pick- San Jose (-400) in five over Colorado (+330)

(2) Chicago vs (7) Nashville

The Blackhawks are actually the top betting choice to be in Cup Finals; however they will have to navigate a potentially treacherous opponent in Nashville. This will be the last series to commence, starting on Friday and the Predators have blue-line talent like Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. They also have netminder who can turn into stone wall in Pekka Rinne, whose had personal win streaks of four or more games three times to go along with seven shutouts. Nashville is offensively challenged but coach Barry Trotz rings out every bit of talent out of this frugal franchise.

Chicago has splendid offensive players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith and is stellar as possessing the puck to keep the pressure on opposing defenses. The Blackhawks will look to keep this advantage and force Nashville mistakes, which could prove fatal with the Preds 28th in penalty kills. Chicago’s question mark is between the pipes with Finnish rookie Antti Niemi. The 26-year old has been the nearly impregnable, handing out seven zeroes in only 38 starts and is riding six-game winning streak. How long can it last?

Chicago won four of six, but these Central Division rivals couldn’t be any less familiar with one another, having not met in 2010. These teams only averaged 4.5 goals a game in their meetings, thus the Under and Chicago looks like the best bet.

3DW Pick- Chicago (-410) in five over Nashville (+340)

(3) Vancouver vs (6) Los Angeles

Unlike the 4 vs.5 matchup, Vancouver and Los Angeles will play in the same time zone for the duration of their series, playing every other day. The Canucks organization (to sound Canadien, pronounce it organ-EYE-zation) thinks of itself more than just a fringe player out West. They see themselves as real contenders with NHL's point’s leader Henrik Sedin leading a deep, balanced offense that can apply continual pressure. In net, Robert Luongo is regarded as one of the best keepers in the game, but can melt down like an ice cream cone on a warm summer’s day, leaving a mess. The Canucks were 30-11 on home ice, but face an under the radar Kings club that could be troublesome.

Though Los Angeles is a sixth seed compared Vancouver at No. 3, they only finished two points behind the Canucks in final standings and reached the 100-point total for the first time in 19 long years. The Kings have quality youngsters like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty and have no real expectations, thus can perform pressure-free compared to Vancouver. The Kings stay in the post-season will correspond with the play of goalie Jonathan Quick. The 24-year old was having brilliant campaign, but lost his final eight starts.

L.A. was 24-17 SU on the road, but lost both contests at Vancouver scoring a total of two goals. They will need Quick to be extra quick and score early to make Canucks breathe with greater uncertainty. This could go the distance with upset potential.

3DW Pick- Vancouver (-240) in seven over Los Angeles (+200)

(4) Phoenix vs (5) Detroit

Without a doubt the most compelling first round matchup of all. Phoenix was the most engaging story in hockey all year. A franchise owned by the league trying to find an owner to keep it in the desert, bringing in a coach just days before the start of the regular season, yet miraculously the Coyotes ended up with the 50 wins (fourth best) and are in the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Coach Dave Babcock is a back of the net choice for coach of the year and netminder Ilya Bryzgalov is a legitimate candidate for the Hart (best player) and Vezina (top goalie) trophies this year. Phoenix is the only higher seed not to be favored in a series and realistically for good reason.

It was not that long along Detroit was fighting just to earn the final spot in the West to make the postseason. However, the Red Wings got healthier week by week after the Olympic break and are on serious roll at 17-3-2. They Red Wings have the players known for high-level performances this time of year. Detroit will look to play keep away with the puck to slow down defensive-minded Phoenix and don’t have to fear the ‘Yotes prowess in shootouts (14 of the Coyotes wins came by this method) since regular overtime will decide winners.

These teams split four conflicts and if Phoenix wants to go beyond Cinderella fairy-tale dressed up as dogs, no better team to prove it against. Red Wings rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard has NO experience this time of the year; however Bryzgalov has just 16 playoff games under his sweater. Coyotes have to stay out of the penalty box and play their game to continue dream season.

3DW Pick- Detroit (-185) in six over Phoenix (+165)

Half Season NHL Report

The National Hockey League will soon be taking a break due to the Olympics and with most at or past the halfway point of the season, determined this would be a good time to check in wagering aspects of all the teams. We’ll blend the team thoughts along with betting units for each team to create a perspective.

Eastern Conference

New Jersey (41-12, +17 units) The Devils have rekindled the magic, thanks to a group of hard-working players who rededicated themselves to playing New Jersey hockey and the front office replenished the depth. The Devils come at teams in waves and goalie Martin Brodeur is as sharp as ever. New Jersey’s 15-5 road record speaks to mindset.

Buffalo (28-16, +6.7 units) Buffalo was one of the first teams to adjust to the rule changes a few seasons ago, having faster players that could really work. They never got beyond being a good regular season team, however this season a case could be made presently that net-minder Ryan Miller is the league MVP for team on the rise again. This club is solid wager.

Washington (27-17, +3.2 units) Top scoring team in the league, led by Alex Ovechkin who is playing like a man on a mission. Goaltending is very suspect, which makes them a so-so bet for a top flight squad.

Pittsburgh (28-19, -0.7 units) The defending Stanley Cup champions have not been known for big first half efforts since they became elite team. They are burdened with inflated money lines, making each lost costly and they will go thru the motions for a stretch of games. They were four seed last year and won it all, will likely settle in same area and look to save energy for playoff run.

Montreal (22-25, -1.9 units) Fans of the Canadiens yearn for the days of the up and down the ice high-flyers. This team is in the bottom 15 percent of goals scored per game and goalies Jaroslav Halak or Carey Price essentially have to stand on their heads most night to give Montreal a chance.

Florida (18-27, -2.9 units) No name team that hasn’t make the postseason since 2000. The only reason they are a halfway decent wager is because they are almost .500 on the road, receiving heavy numbers from oddsmakers.

N.Y. Islanders (19-27, -3.5 units) The Eastern Conference is not stuffed with many good hockey teams, which is why the Isles still have a opportunity at the playoffs. To have any chance, the Islanders have to improve -26 goal differential.

Ottawa (22-24, -4.9 units) The Senators have hung in their despite losing their best scorer from last season and crummy goaltending. Credit coach Cory Clouston for keeping this afloat. Watch carefully however, this team could go south with more holes than Dunkin Donuts.
Atlanta (19-25,-5.9 units) Nothing like a nine-game losing streak to ruin what was shaping up to be a good first half of the season the Thrashers. It’s hard to tell what is worse right now, the defense or the goaltending.

N.Y. Rangers (22-23, -6.1 units) Think the Rangers have trouble scoring? Since Nov. 24, the Blueshirts have scored more than three goals three times (22 games). If Marian Gaborik were to get injured, the Rangers would likely be on a two goals max limit. Doesn’t goalie Henrik Lundqvist really deserve this?

Philadelphia (22-22, -6.3 units) Easily the most disappointing team in the East. Continual non-efforts cost John Stevens his coaching job and things haven’t improved much. Talented squad mired in mediocrity makes this a “stay away” from wager unless they collectively decide to play.

Boston (22-22, -7.3 units) If the Bruins had a consistent attack to light the lamp, they would be a super wager, since defensively they are among the best. For the most part they just pepper the net with mediocre shot attempts that high school goalie could stop and waste defensive efforts most nights, making them unsafe bet.

Tampa Bay (17-27, -7.9 units) Lousy record doesn’t tell the whole story. The Lightning is 2-10 in OT, including unlucky 0-6 in shootouts. If Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis start playing up to capabilities, this becomes dangerous play on team in hunt for playoff berth.

Toronto (15-31, -16.1 units) The Maple Leafs needed eight games to register initial victory and five more contests to reach two wins. Who has the league’s worst penalty killing outfit and allows the most goals, you don’t have to read the Hockey News to figure that out.

Carolina (13-31, -16.5 units) Did this team really win the Stanley Cup three and half years ago and make the East Finals last season! There had been talk this team was running on fumes last year, turns out to be true.

Western Conference

Nashville (27-19, +10 units) The biggest surprise for hockey bettors is the play of the Predators. Nashville doesn’t score a lot of goals, however receives contributions from a smorgasbord of players. Back-stops Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis are like a dependable restaurant, good every time and there is no apparent reason why Nashville can’t keep winning and building bankrolls.

Colorado (26-21, +8.7 units) First year coach Joe Sacco deserves all the credit for molding this young squad into cohesive unit, with most experts seeing them in the Northwest Division basement by now. Not certain the youngsters can hold it together for the second half, more likely a play on-play against team depending on the streak.

Chicago (31-15, +7.5 units) Blackhawks fans can hardly believe their eyes; they have one of the best teams in the NHL after years of spendthrift ways. Chicago has exciting young talented snipers, a stingy defense and the best penalty kill unit in the game. Stanley Cup contender without injuries.

Phoenix (26-20, +7.0 units) Let’s get this straight, this team was in bankruptcy court, hired their present coach one week before the season started, while presumably headed for relocation and only four teams have more points than the Coyotes! Now it makes sense. If Shane Doan can start playing as well as netminder Ilya Bryzgalov, this might be another Miracle on Ice.

Los Angeles (25-21, +3.7 units) The Kings have suffered key injuries to some of its veteran players and still produced a winning record. With these players close to 100 percent, Los Angeles could match their early season success the rest of the way.

Vancouver (27-19, +3.3 units) The Olympics are in Vancouver, which could ruin a good season for the Canucks. Starting at the end of this month, Vancouver has to play eight road games before the break, after the Olympics, six more road games for a total of FOURTEEN straight games away from home. They are 9-11 on the road thus far.

San Jose (29-17, +1.8 units) From talent perspective, the best team in the West and probably the NHL. The problem is the Sharks are boring to bet. Heavy money lines mean soft wins and losses are like beaten eaten by sharks. Similar to New York Yankees, play on when in hot streak to show a profit before the losses hit.

Minnesota (23-23, +1.2 units) Minnesota’s 3-9 start really put them behind the curve and they have rebounded nicely to be .500. Distinct wagering qualities about the Wild - 15-7 at home and 8-16 on the road.

Calgary (26-20, -0.5 units) Jarome Iginla leads two good scoring lines for Calgary who has been somewhat forgotten in the Northwest Division with the play of Colorado. Miikka Kiprusoff is having his best year in net since the lockout and the Flames should be a consistent team in the second half.

Anaheim (20-26, -5.9 units) Too many personnel losses on the blue line have robbed this team of what used to be a reliable defense. The goaltending has been below average, complicating the situation. Even the ability to score is no help from a team that was this close to being in the Stanley Cup Finals last June.

Detroit (23-21, -6.9 units) Perhaps no team has been bitten by the injury bug to its most important players than the Red Wings. If most everyone can come back healthy by March, Detroit suddenly becomes a club nobody wants to face and could string a number of wins together at a fairer value for bettors.

Dallas (19-26, -7.9 units) Dallas is ordinary at best, picking up points in overtime losses, which only helps on the puck line at +1.5. Nothing points to rally or slipping further into the abyss, just continued triviality.

St. Louis (18-26, -8.9 units) It looks like the Blues second half surge from a season ago was a mirage and coach Andy Murray was recently jettisoned. With one of the poorer offenses around, this club is like a bad stock, dump it.

Edmonton (16-28, -11.2 units) What’s the best same to sum up Oilers? Inferior at home with 9-14 mark and rotten on the road with 7-14 record. Oh yea, one more thing, one of the worst defenses in the NHL. That about sums up Edmonton.

Columbus (18-29, -13.5 units) Columbus made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season and has followed up that joyous occasion by stinking up the joint at almost every turn. Even the home ice has yellow tint.

Know all your Betting Terms

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary is one of the handiest tools to have if you write stories for a living. Within its confines are words none of us have heard of along with many that are very familiar, which we use every day. Over the last week, the dictionary has come in quite handy to describe several situations that have made life better or worse for the sports bettor.

Choke (noun) –If you happened to make series bets or individual game wagers on San Jose or Washington in hockey, you are gagging as much as the teams you placed them on. The Sharks in particular are appalling, being well known for postseason failures, which are further enhanced by having the best record during the regular season in 2008-09. Washington was supposed to be offensive juggernaut finishing third in the NHL in scoring. Thus far the mighty Caps have four goals in two games.

Elimination (n) –Calgary, Montreal, St. Louis, Columbus and the aforementioned other two NHL teams are on the brink, without a win the Stanley Cup playoffs. Less than 13 percent of the time, teams down 0-2 have come back to win series this time of year. Only twice in NHL history has a team comeback to win a series down 3-0, the last time was 33 years ago.

Opportunistic (adjective) – The Florida Marlins have set blistering pace coming out of the gate the Kentucky Derby champion would be proud of. The Marlins have four come from behind wins in first dozen played, including three in the ninth inning to tie the game or go ahead, which they eventually won. For backers of Florida, another word comes to mind in what appeared to be glum betting situations, euphoria.

Illusion (n) – As of today, Toronto, Seattle, Kansas City and Florida (to a lesser degree) are all in first place. If one could make such a wager, it would not be a great idea to bet them to be there on May 20.

Pinnacle (n) – The San Diego Padres are either right with or ahead of the Marlins for the biggest surprises in baseball to start the season. The Padres have been the second best in baseball at +7.7 units of profit; however NOBODY expects them to remain anywhere close to where they are as the season continues. They are 10th in runs allowed thanks to the entire pitching staff throwing unbelievably. Nevertheless, beyond Jake Peavy and Chris Young, the starting staff in more unknown than the cast of “Big Bang Theory”. Heath Bell has been terrific as closer, but will he be able to stay at same apex later in the season? Even the Padres radio announcers have said David Eckstein is the team MVP to start the year. That’s not good!

Luscious (adj)- Watching the Cleveland Indians this spring, it was obvious they were going to hit and score a voluminous number of runs. They hung crooked numbers on the Yankees (22) and are among the highest scoring teams early, with 9-3-1 Over record. The Tribe could be top totals play because the pitching staff looks like they can match the offense run for run.

Miscalculation- (n) The New York Yankees ownership spent 1.5 billion dollar to replicate the old Yankees Stadium visually when you walked towards your seat. They tried to gouge the public with prices and have received a fair amount of backlash. By all accounts the park is a sight to behold, but one thing the management didn’t count on was the configuration being inadequate. Granted, the Bronx Bombers and Cleveland have bountiful long ball hitters, but 20 home runs in four-game series, all of the sudden this might have been The House Ruth REALLY wanted to build. Exactly 70 percent left the yard to right field, which is the prevailing wind off the nearby Harlem River and the new joint is not equipped to curtail it.

The other problem is high priced free agents CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, along with late signee Andy Pettitte could have gone to Colorado, Philadelphia or Texas if they wanted to carry around ERA of 5. It’s early, but it is worth watching.

NHL Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Being a higher seed has meant very little since the strike season in the West. In the 12 first-round series, only five of the teams seeded one-four have advanced to conference semi-finals, which included 2006, when not one team survived the opening round. While most would agree that is unlikely to happen, little doubt an upset or two and long series’ are expected to be the norm. All lines courtesy of Bookmaker.com.

(1) San Jose vs (8) Anaheim

It’s not like San Jose doesn’t know the drill, another successful regular season and this year they won the President’s Trophy for having the best record, great, super, whatever, how will the Sharks do in the Stanley Cup playoffs. San Jose has been as good as any team in NHL the last five seasons and the furthest point of advancement is one conference final, not close to good enough. For San Jose, they need to play like real sharks, be coldly efficient, spot the prey and go in for the kill. That is not the mentality of this team, which is why they brought in six players who all have Cup jewelry. San Jose has dynamic power play, ranked third and goalie Evgeni Nabokov is just the sixth backstop to post back to back 40+ win seasons, though is 30-27 in the postseason.

San Jose drew a brutal opening assignment as the top seed in Anaheim. This is the first All-Cali postseason matchup in four decades and the Ducks fly into the playoffs with 13-3 record if you throw after Game 82 after clinching. Anaheim isn’t the same team that won the Cup two years ago; however the roster is still dotted with many of the same stars like Chris Pronger, Francois Beauchemin, Teemu Selanne and the Niedermayer brothers. Many of the flock from these Ducks are wily vets and they won’t fold under pressure.

The Sharks were league best 32-5-4 at the HP Pavilion, but will face hated division rival Anaheim, who buzzed to 7-0-2 close on the road. San Jose won four of six meetings and the road team won last three conflicts. Joe Thornton’s team is 9-3 at home against teams with winning road record, but the Ducks have taken last four of five away from home. This should be a wonderfully played and excruciating series out west.

Pick- San Jose (-290) in seven

(2) Detroit vs (7) Columbus

For those that can’t stand all the success Detroit has enjoyed for years, the Red Wings drawing playoff newbie Columbus is a sickening feeling. Detroit won 50 or more games for the fourth consecutive campaign and has more talent and depth than a typical party at the Playboy Mansion. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are exceptional playmakers and nobody is more frustrating to play than Detroit as they can play “keep away” with the puck. Each year the goaltending is brought up, yet Chris Osgood knows how to elevate his game or Ty Conklin is capable. Thou the Wings closed the season an untidy 2-6, they still are Detroit.

Columbus players trusted coach Ken Hitchcock and he helped direct them to first ever playoff appearance. The Blue Jackets are unknown to even hockey fans, but captain Rick Nash is a keeper, having netted 40 goals and still only 24 and goalie Steve Mason is just 20 and bagged 33 wins with 2.25 goals against average. Mason and his line-mates are going to have to be on high alert, facing the challenge of the league’s best power play in Detroit.

Detroit won’t have an easy time trying to keep the Stanley Cup in Hockey-town, as they have been more inconsistent this season. The weaknesses they have probably won’t manifest themselves against Columbus, who has the worst power play at conversion rate of 12.7 percent. Detroit has won eight off 11 on home ice when interested.

Pick- Detroit (-500) in five

(3) Vancouver vs (6) St. Louis

Picture having to choose between swimsuit hotties Marisa Miller (cheap ploy) or Brooklyn Decker and that gives you an indication how simmering Vancouver and St. Louis have played. The Canucks record on Jan. 31 was 22-20-8 and they were about as close to contending for the Northwest Division as Terrell Owens was to being a Buffalo Bill. Behind the best goaltender in the NHL, Roberto Luongo, Vancouver parlayed his superior play (33-13-7 and nine shutouts) and a wise move by coach Alain Vigneault to 23-7-2 finish. He took Alexandre Burrows and worked him in with the Sedin twins, which placed Ryan Kesler with Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra. This gave the Canucks two effective scoring lines for the first time in eons.

St. Louis wasn’t exactly playing great hockey at the same time as Vancouver either, being eight games under .500, with youth showing and an inordinate amount of injuries. As the season wore on, the Blues got healthier and this youthful squad, whose top four of six scorers are under 26 years old, found a groove and finished 21-7-6 to earn sixth seed. With all the injuries, this team needed goalie who had courage and have him make “stand on his head” efforts and Chris Mason delivered. Almost three months ago to the day, Mason is 17-6-3, with five posted zeros in net.

Mason is playing as well as Luongo at the moment and the Blues have superior special teams, ranking third in penalty kills and eighth in man-advantage situations. St. Louis has a nice mix of veterans and did win once this year in Vancouver, with the teams splitting four contests. The Canucks have better players, yet their forwards have not been clutch players. With two Cinderella’s meeting, backing the one from Saint Louie.

Pick- St. Louis (+190) in six

(4) Chicago vs (5) Calgary

On Mar. 5, Calgary opened a long road trip with a pair of victories, slowing building lead in the Northwest Division. Since that time, the Flames have flamed-out with 7-11 record and fell all the way to fifth seed. Calgary was fired up to initiate trade for center Olli Jokinen from Phoenix and he and captain Jarome Iginla immediately clicked. Since all the early joy, Jokinen has gone from desert hot to Canada cold, with no goals in 13 contests. Remember when Miikka Kiprusoff was the best goalie you never heard of? Well, he’s slipped considerably the last two seasons to ordinary and the Calgary front office has done little to give Kiprusoff some rest that might restore him.

It’s good for hockey to have Original Six teams in the playoffs and Chicago returns for the first time since 2002, making it five total this season. After years of floundering, the notoriously cheap Blackhawks put money into scouting and have drafted wisely with a nice array of young talent. Chicago has youngsters like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who can strike fear into defenses and GM Dale Tallon brought in gritty vets like Sami Pahlsson, to add experience having championship ring from Anaheim. The Hawks blue-liners are as fast and skilled as any of the teams in the playoffs.

Chicago having the home ice edge has to play relaxed at the United Center, since Blackhawks’ fans will be in full throat. The Hawks are 13-4 against offensive teams averaging 29.5+ shots on goal per game in the second half of the season and crushed Calgary in all four games, outscoring them 19-7. Calgary has lost in the first round each time since making Cup Finals in 2004. They have lost nine of last 11 as visitors and look as fragile as fifth-grader having to make first speech in class.

Pick- Chicago (-150) in seven

Hockey Teams to Bet For or Against

With less than 10 games left in the regular season, NHL teams are battling for playoff positions with fervor. Not all teams are being successful, while others are thriving; making their case they belong in the post-season. Here is what clubs to look for over the next couple of weeks for wagering purposes.

San Jose and Detroit are neck and neck for the best record in the NHL. The Sharks coach Todd McLellan and front office has real dilemma about what to do. Currently, San Jose has eight players injured. Do they try and rest these players to be as ready as possible and sacrifice home ice advantage to Detroit to get healthier or go full throttle and hope they don’t lose these players for a longer period? The schedule is rather favorable for the Sharks, with toughest games against Anaheim and Calgary. Watch the prices on San Jose and play on them, when comfortable.

With Detroit having won seven of last 10, they only have two road games remaining and are in great position to win the Presidents' Trophy (Best overall record). The Red Wings are 26-9 at home and are hoping either goalie Chris Osgood or Ty Conklin comes up big as postseason arrives. Detroit is much like the New York Yankees, meaning large money lines and when losses occur that can take a week to make up for. Still, with the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena, hard to not play them.

Quack, quack, that’s right the Anaheim Ducks are making noise having won six of last seven and for the moment are in the Western playoffs. The Ducks picked a swell time to play well and if they can keep it moving, they’ll make the postseason again. Standing in their way is a formidable group, which includes a pair of home and home contests with San Jose and Edmonton, who have their own motivation.

Carolina and Pittsburgh are flying to the finish, winners of seven of last 10 games. Each club has their sights set on passing Philadelphia, for the coveted home ice in the first round of the playoffs. The Hurricanes will play four of remaining six games at home, in arguably the loudest building in the NHL, where they have won nine in a row. The only issue is with the road games, both are at New Jersey.

Pittsburgh is starting to look like the team that went to the Stanley Cup a year ago, which suggests the Eastern Conference is in a whole lot of trouble. The Penguins have all their top level players healthy and playing to capabilities. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been scintillating between the pipes. Fleury is 20-10-4 with three shutouts dating to New Year's Day. He has allowed two or fewer goals over at least 60 minutes in 17 of those games. It’s a pretty good bet Pittsburgh is for real.

Montreal is 10-15 since February began and looks like they are in turmoil. The ownership group is bleeding money and wants to sell the storied franchise. The Canadiens are barely hanging on in the East to final playoff slot, which is attributed to defense that is 11th on goals allowed in the conference. After playing next two games at home, Montreal will be on the road four of next five and closes the season back on home ice with Pittsburgh. The Canadiens are fortunate all the other teams fighting for last playoff position are playing as bad or worse than they are, thus they might sneak, but I wouldn’t want to bet on it.

What to look for Wagering on the NHL

Ron Raymond of Phoenix Sports.com has been a pioneer in the handicapping business when it comes to on-line presence. Ron is a well-known authority when it comes to NHL sports wagering and it only seems like he has been around since it was just the Original Six. With less then 20 games left in the regular season, thought we would converse with Ron about what teams might be good or bad plays the rest of the season and who might be in or out of the playoffs, come the completion of the season.

3Daily Winners: Let’s start in the East, Pittsburgh has moved up to be among the eight teams that would currently make the postseason in the East with a 7-2-1 spurt and is only six points behind Philadelphia for the No.4 seed, what do you see happening?

Ron Raymond: What happened to Pittsburgh is they lost a lot of their “sandpaper”. What I mean by that is guys on the third and fourth lines, who bring that edge to the game. Names like Ryan Malone, Georges LaRaque and Gary Roberts, those were guys that went into the corners and made room for the superstars like Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby on the ice. Pittsburgh just lost too much of their “sandpaper” guys in the off-season. Now, Pittsburgh superstars are fending for themselves and their chemistry looks poor. In those tight checking games, especially in the division, when the opposing team is taking a run at your superstars, you don’t have the players to respond. Plus let’s face it; Pittsburgh went to the Stanley Cup finals last year and any team that goes to the Super Bowl, World Series or the NBA Finals, it’s tough to come back, since every playoff series in hockey is a best of seven and you are playing every other night, it takes a toll on the body. What you end up seeing is teams like Pittsburgh going through dry periods, which in hockey circles is known as the Stanley Cup hangover.

3DW: Do you see Pittsburgh making the playoffs or falling back?

Ron: I see them falling, with Carolina and Buffalo pushing them. The Sabres lost goalie Ryan Miller leaving open the possibility they could sneak in, but I see them finishing eight or ninth. When Pittsburgh has to play those road games the remainder of the season, I see them coming up empty.

3DW: What about Carolina?

Ron: Carolina is coming on strong and had recent win over Washington. Cam Ward has been playing well in goal.

3DW: So you’re thinking Pittsburgh could be playing golf by late April?

Ron: Pretty much.

3DW: Only Ottawa and the Islanders have scored fewer goals than the New York Rangers, can the Rangers survive and make the playoffs with such a lack of offense?

Ron: The Rangers is a funny situation. If you look at all the teams that went to Europe last year, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and the Rangers, all have lost their head coach. The Rangers are bringing in Sean Avery and the big question is how that will affect the dressing room. Guys like Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund have not produced and you can’t expect the defense to carry the entire load. I would not support the Rangers, especially as a heavy favorite.

3DW: In summation, you see Carolina in and Pittsburgh out in the East.

Ron: That is correct.

3DW: One other question about the East, Boston has been very loose in the defensive end and has only three wins in last 10 games, what has happened?

Ron: What happened was Michael Ryder got injured about a month ago in Montreal and Phil Kessel was also injured. When you start losing goal scorers from your lineup and playing at the pace they were (21-5-3 from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), there is no way you can keep up that pace, as they don’t have the talent on that team like the Detroit Red Wings or San Jose Sharks. Boston has fallen back more towards their talent level, being among the top 10 teams in hockey.

3DW: Out in the Western Conference, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Colorado look to be finished with recent slumps, of the remaining teams, Anaheim, Dallas, Minnesota and St. Louis, which would be good plays to pick up points and make the postseason?

Ron: Of the teams to be the best bet to make the playoffs, I’d put my money on Dallas. Goalie Marty Turco has come back and since they have gotten rid of Sean Avery, the Stars have had one of the best records since January. The loss of Mike Modano is set back, but Mike Ribeiro has picked up his game and Dallas proved last year they know how to win on the road. Look for Dallas to make run at the playoffs.

3DW: Nashville is 7-2-1 in last 10 games, what do you see from them?

Ron: In a given week, Nashville could go from 8th to 10th and probably back again.

3DW: Vancouver has made a big move, winning eight of 10, are they for real?

Ron: What happened for Vancouver is they got Mats Sundin. Anytime you get a quality superstar like that, he changes the dynamic of the team. I thought Vancouver was a little too confident after acquiring him. They seemed to think Sundin would their savior. It took Sundin about a month to get his timing, especially overcoming a groin injury. Any time a hockey player has a groin injury, he’s not going to trust it, always wondering if he will re-injure himself. Until the groin was 100 percent, he didn’t trust it. Now Sundin is healthy, got his confidence back and the rest of the team is playing well. Vancouver looks very good right now.

3DW: With San Jose and Detroit neck and neck for most points in the West, who do you see coming out ahead?

Ron: I like San Jose. Even though they are not a strong playoff team with unsure goaltending and Joe Thornton having never proven to a playoff hockey player, Detroit lost Marian Hossa for the second time in a week and their 8-0 loss at Nashville could signal a problem since the Red Wings don’t lose by eight goals. I checked my database at Phoenix Sports and Detroit has only lost by six or more goals twice since 1996.

3DW: In looking at the rest of the regular season, is their any wager or wagers you see that might be worthwhile?

Ron: There is always that one team in the playoffs you don’t understand, they screw up the whole party. I’m telling you right now, people better look out for Florida. If I was a betting man and I am, the Panthers are +1200 to win the East and +3000 at Bookmaker.com to win the Cup. If you have an extra few dollars to play with, might be worth looking into. I remember in 2004, I put nickel ($500) on the Calgary Flames at 44-1 to win the Stanley Cup and they got to the Finals. I hedged my bet once they got there, and I was lucky enough to come out a winner. If you have some fun money, put it on the Florida Panthers and let it ride.

3DW: That is great stuff Ron, I appreciate you wisdom and insights and good luck the rest of the regular season.

Ron: Thanks, Doug it’s been fun and good luck to you also.

Friday the 13th- Non-Movie version

What a difference determination makes. Notre Dame wanted to win so badly and Louisville looked like they would have just as soon played video games and ordered Papa John’s pizzas. I was trying to think of school that has lost more close games in improbable ways at home than Northwestern. How they lost to Illinois was inconceivable.

The express slowed with 1-2 outcome and the action is thinner than a side view of Paris Hilton. Going NHL for today’s Top Trend and have to bring Sal right back for free play as he stays white hot in college basketball betting. Today’s best system is not official play at 78 percent, but worth noting. Good Luck.

Free Basketball System-1) PLAY ON an underdog like St. Peter’s off a close road win by three points or less, playing on Friday nights. This system is 32-9 ATS, 78 percent, with average margin of victory 3.6 points.

Free Hockey Trend -2) The San Jose Sharks are 12-1 against the money line after failing to win four of their last five over the last three seasons.

Free Basketball Selection -3) Sal continues to fill his basket with winners at 27-8 and is playing Butler tonight.

Note- If you prefer to have this sent to you daily instead of having to visit the site, sign up for our FREE mailing list on the right. You will also receive all my personal plays for Free and your name will NEVER be given to anyone.

Winning Hockey Systems offer G-R-E-A-T Profits

With most NHL teams having less than 30 games left on the regular season docket, the juggling for playoff positions is about to begin in earnest, thought now would be an excellent time to pinpoint a narrow group of hockey systems that would be easy to follow and have quite a track record of success. Let’s start the perusing the action with one of the best.

Play Against - Road underdogs against the money line, revenging a road loss versus opponent, who is winning 30 percent or less of their games into the second half of the entire season.

If this underdog is matched up against an inferior opponent, who has already beaten them and the oddsmakers think so little of this hockey team on the road, why should we put what money we have made betting on the NHL on this loser? At this juncture, we are talking about a team that wins maybe one of every three games, being a home favorite. Yet those setting the money line are telling us the road dog is not to be trusted. Since 1996, playing against this droopy road pooch has yielded 26-3, 89.7 percent record.

Play On - Road favorites against the money line, after failing to cover four of their last five against the spread - versus opponent after having covered two of their last three games.

This renowned system takes into consideration the “due” factor and matches it with the oddmakers judgment. If a hockey club is in a minor slump, like virtually all teams will suffer, and is still well thought of enough to be road chalk, this deserves our attention. The home team has played fairly well, but doesn’t impress anyone, especially those setting the numbers as a home underdog. If the home dog would have beaten a San Jose, Boston or Detroit, they would certainly have earned more respect, particularly versus a club down on its luck. Over the last three years, a 21-2 record is more than good; it’s Tony the Tiger G-R-E-A-T!

Play Against - Road favorites against the money line, who are a good offensive team - scoring 2.85 or more goals a game, after four straight wins by two goals or more in the second half of the season.

This system plays to the fact it is hard to keep giving domineering performances, no matter how talented a team may be offensively. This would be similar to a baseball team averaging eight runs a game and winning by four or more over extended time, it can’t last forever. With most hockey totals hovering around 5.5 goals and home teams winning a hair over 56 percent of the time this season, it is extremely difficult for a road favorite to keep winning later in the season as 22-5, 81.5 percent record shows.

Play Against - Any team against the money line, after successfully winning two or more consecutive games - in a game involving two marginal losing teams (40 to 49 percent).

This is not a system that is profitable every NHL season, nonetheless it is this year. A few teams have separated themselves in division races and only Ottawa, Atlanta and the New York Islanders are truly dreadful. This means if a team is below .500, they are unlikely to put together a substantial winning streak, even facing similar competition. In 2008-09, this system has been a winner 15 out of 20 times.

Play Against - road teams against the money line, who are weak defensively, allowing three or more goals a game on the season, after a loss by two goals or more in their previous game, after half the season is completed.

No need to pull that online degree you can buy having a doctorate in Mathematical Sciences, this is merely a case of sieve-like defenses unable to stop the puck in the own end. Whether its poor defensemen or a goalie having another off-night between the pipes, this squad is going to have to play unusually well on defense or score a handful of goals to pull out a win on the road. Since the start of the 2006-07 campaign, this money line system is 47-20, 70.1 percent. At present, a dozen teams meet the criteria of being poor on defense, which is the point of entry for this situation.

Need a Profile for Winning NHL Wagers?

All of us have heard endlessly that defense wins championships, which is fine if you are betting in the postseason of a particular sport or the final game or series of games. However, the vast majority of action occurs during the regular season in any every sport, giving us countless more chances to win. With the NHL on the backside of their regular season, decided to see what characteristics one could find in determining winning hockey wagers.

Other than in Canada, the vast majority of people are now betting the money line in the NHL, based on its simplicity of having winners and losers, without a puck line (spread) to deal with. Here is the list of the Top 5 money-making teams in the NHL at this given moment with their true won/loss records.

1) Boston 38-14 +19 units
2) San Jose 36-12 +13.9 units
3) Washington 33-19 +10 units
4) New Jersey 32-19 +9.7 units
5) Calgary 30-20 +5.7 units

It is not a coincidence that each of these five teams leads their respective divisions. The only team missing is Detroit, who should creep back up in this list; however, they are like the New York Yankees, with bloated numbers placed on them. When the Red Wings lose as -200 to -300 favorites, it takes a toll trying to recoup those losses.

What do these teams do that separates them from the pack to win games and beat betting lines, they score goals. Fine, it’s not solving the current financial crisis; nonetheless it opens the door to potential wagering wealth. Here are the top scoring teams in the NHL.

1) Detroit
2) Boston
3) Washington
4) San Jose
5) Chicago

If you score on a consistent basis, your chances of winning are significantly increased. I know this sounds like Fox’s Tim McCarver in stating the obvious, but too often we can become overindulged in trying to find every edge imaginable, we lose sight of the obvious. Noted baseball expert and historian Bill James, probably said it best, “The idea of team sports is to score more than the other team.” Detroit making this group is not a surprise and Chicago actually has a winning record for the first time in years (28-21), because, they can score.

Next I took a gander at the importance of fast starts in a game and looked at from two angles. The first part of this study was to understand importance of scoring first and secondly, what scoring goals in the first period meant.

Scoring First
1) Detroit
2) San Jose
3) Vancouver
4) Boston
5) Philadelphia

In the 2008-09 campaign, seeing three of the top four teams here is not earth-shattering, as they pounce on opponents and keep the pressure on for 60 minutes. Philadelphia is close to showing a profit, with Vancouver the only anomaly. New Jersey and Washington are one goal behind Philadelphia, thus right in the mix.

Goals Scored 1st Period

1) San Jose
2) Chicago
3) Washington
4) Detroit
5) Boston

Very similar to above, as the more talented squads are able to secure an early lead and force the competition to play catch-up, which has been shown this season, the opposing teams don’t do very well.

The next category was team’s abilities to either close out games or come from behind which either did or could lead to victory. Deeper, more talented clubs have the resources to wear down inferior opposition and win presumably close games. Here are the best teams for goals scored in the 3rd period.

1) Boston
2) Washington
3) Detroit
4) Atlanta
5) Calgary

By now, the picture should start to look like a Vizio flat panel HDTV.

To wrap up our study of profiling winning bets in the NHL, we addressed the segment of power play goals. Since the strike season, a greater emphasis has been placed on special teams, meaning those that can either score with man advantage situations or are skilled as penalty killers, have a distinct edge in most games. Staying with our theme of scoring goals, hockey teams that can put the pressure on in the offensive zone have a real advantage. This can lead to opposing teams being out of position, playing scared, trying to not make a miscue. This can lead to goals or taking penalties, which leads to more scoring chances for these offensive-minded clubs. Here are the top 5 teams in power play goals scored this year.

1) Detroit
2) San Jose
3) Washington
4) St. Louis
5) Boston

Living in a very complicated world, sometimes taking the easiest route can be the most profitable.

NHL Mid-Season Betting Report

With the NHL All-Star Weekend in Montreal in the coming days, thought now would be a good time to take stock of what might lie ahead in the coming months. The subjects will be varied and not necessarily in any order, but for those counting, don’t worry we’re just trying to figure out how to win a few hockey wagers.

Who are the Best Teams to Wager On?

The Boston Bruins have been arguably the biggest surprise in the NHL leading the Eastern Conference in points with 71. Boston has had the best offense in the East in scoring 164 goals and has given up the fewest goals as well. Goaltending has been a big reason with Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez splitting time. Both have loads of experience being in their mid-30’s and have been helped immensely having defensemen with speed and skill. What should concern bettors is the premium price now on the head of Boston by linemakers, despite being a league best +15.6 units. Last year the Bruins snuck into the playoffs and this is widely thought of as the maturation process, yet one has to wonder if this team doesn’t have a little Tennessee Titans in them and are not quite ready to be a major player.

San Jose, after its phenomenal 22-4 start, has come back to this solar system, though still leads the Western Conference. The Sharks are still the second best wager in the league at +12.9 units, but have been caught a few more times lately. Their seems to be little reason to believe San Jose won’t keep winning, however as former Jim Mora Sr is being introduced to a whole new generation of fans because of Coors Light commercial asking the question, “Playoffs?”, the Sharks will have to proven themselves when that time arrives. San Jose is pure money at home with 21-3 record.

What are other good home teams to play on?

Besides San Jose, Boston is solid at 17-5, but a sleeper for many is Washington who quietly has put together a very good year and leads the Southeast Division with 63 points. At home, the Capitols are 19-4 and have two wins on home ice over Boston, handing them two of their eight road defeats. Detroit at 16-5 is not a shock; problem with the Red Wings in Hockey Town is absorbing the losses. In spite of winning over 76 percent of games on home ice, they have only manufactured +5.02 units of profit being such heavy favorites. Calgary is back to playing well at home at 16-8 and leading the Northwest Division. One stunner is the Phoenix Coyotes at 15-8, being below .500 otherwise on the straight money line.

What is more important, scoring Power Play goals or stopping them?

As of this writing here are Top 5 teams in each category and their records.

Five Best Power Plays
1) Detroit 31-14
2) Philadelphia 24-21
3) San Jose 33-11
4) Boston 33-13
5) Washington 30-17

Collectively they are 151-76, +43.8 units of profit.

Five Best Penalty Killing Teams
1) Minnesota 23-22
2) N.Y. Rangers 27-20
3) Buffalo 24-22
4) Calgary 27-18
5) San Jose 33-11

This group is 134-91, +12.2 units of profit.

This is not an exact science; however the numbers bear out being able to take advantage of opponent’s mistakes is more critical to success than curing miscues at the top of each category.

Is there an edge to look for after the All-Star break?

Yes, there certainly is. Because the NHL has a heavily weighted schedule towards conference play, opportunities exist. From now until the middle of March, teams will still have games involving the other conference. After that point in time, it is almost exclusively conference action until the end of the regular season. Because of unfamiliarity, certain clubs might just have too much talent for others or just be able to create matchup problems.

The West has dominated inter-conference play with 89-71 record. Teams that have contributed the most are the Sharks are 9-1, Minnesota at 10-3 and Calgary with 6-2 mark. Columbus is very strong at 7-3 against the East and the Red Wings are 8-4.

This doesn’t mean the West has all the fun, though it is real close. Montreal has performed extremely well at 6-2 and the battling Bruins are 7-4. Staying away from the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lighting is a good idea anyway, but it is even truer when they take on the Western Conference, with the Isles 3-8 versus the money line and Tampa Bay 4-8.

Are there any hot teams that might have uprising?

Each season is different, with no way to know specifically, however keep in mind what happened last year. Of the eight teams in position to make the postseason at the All-Star break, seven in each conference did so, showing little movement. That is not to say a team in the eighth position could not move up to fifth or higher with big second half. Pittsburgh would fit as such a team, seeded eight presently, yet only nine points out of first place in the Atlantic Division, if they can get healthy.

What we have seen in the past is “you are what you are” and if you haven’t played very well by the break, chance are you probably won’t in the latter part of the season either and are not a good wager.

The West has more teams that have the potential to break through with the worst team in the conference St. Louis, only nine points behind No.8 Minnesota.

Pre-Thanksgiving Wagering Info and Insight

I guess a new coach is all the Washington Wizards needed in order to turn, of course the always stellar Golden State defense contributed, as our best system went down. The best trend baled us out for 1-1 day officially and we have another impressive Top Trend, this one on the ice. Our Top System play takes college basketball bettors to Hawaii, looking at the total and two teams playing one another both qualify for the same system that is 87.5 percent. Good Luck.

Patience can be a virtue if you can wait it out. I mentioned last week about not getting hooked by the hook on key numbers. Yesterday, Ball State was -10.5 and I liked them for a 2* play (see below how to get these plays), but was not going to put myself into position to lose by half point. Instead, I saw the a numbers of handicappers were giving out Western Michigan and waited until about an hour before kickoff to grab a -10. As it turns out I didn’t need it, but it was comforting knowing I had a push instead of loss on the right number.

Free Basketball System-1) PLAY UNDER on neutral court games, involving teams where the total is greater than or equal to 160 after scoring 75 points or more two straight games. This system is 28-4, 87.5 percent, including 4-0 this season. As luck would have it, Maui finalists Notre Dame and North Carolina both fit this system.

Free Hockey Trend -2) The San Jose Sharks are 11-1 on the money line at home this season and have defeated Chicago Blackhawks nine in a row.

Free Basketball Selection -3) This play is official, eight LLC members are on Purdue tonight.

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