Archive for January 17th, 2012

NHL Game Preview for Wednesday January 18, 2012: Washington Capitals @ Montreal Canadiens

Online Betting Overview

The Montreal Canadiens are having a very strange season. Earlier in the year, the Canadiens used one of its assistant coaches as a scapegoat and fired him during the morning skate. Then the Canadiens fired head coach Jacques Martin and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth. The pay per head sportsbook experts in Montreal ignored the Canadiens’ desperate need for a better direction and focused solely on the fact that Cunneyworth could not speak French. That seemed like a big deal to the Montreal press. Then the Canadiens’ traded Mike Cammalleri in the second intermission of a game and pulled him from the locker room. Strange things are going on in Montreal.

The Capitals have not had an easier time this year. The Washington management tried to pin the team’s lack of success on head coach Bruce Boudreau and fired Boudreau earlier in the season. The problem is that rookie head coach Dale Hunter is not having any more success with the team than Boudreau did. But the sports bookie software is starting to notice a change in the Capitals that has not occurred with the Canadiens. Despite all of the personnel moves that Montreal has made, the Canadiens are still floundering in the basement of the Northeast Division. The Washington Capitals, on the other hand, is only one point out of first place in the Southeast Division.

Montreal Canadiens

The overriding problem in Montreal is not the coaching, even though the coaching staff has been taking the fall for the issues the team has been facing. A sportsbook.com review of the Canadiens’ roster shows small forwards and slow defensemen. Cammalleri was not traded because it made the team better, he was traded because he spoke out against the way the team was playing. Randy Cunneyworth is not going to have any success in Montreal so long as the Montreal front office remains more focused on the team’s image than the product on the ice. Goaltender Carey Price is struggling and the Canadiens cannot score goals. You need more than good coaching to solve those problems.

Washington Capitals

The Caps have suddenly come to life and seem to be responding to Dale Hunter’s system. In the last 10 games, Washington has gone 7-3-0 and that includes a three-game winning streak. But the Capitals are still being victimized by inconsistent goaltending. Tomas Vokoun was supposed to wrestle the starting job away from youngster Michal Neuvirth. Every time it seems like Vokoun has himself under control, he stumbles and Neuvirth needs to come in to save the day. That is something that the Capitals have seen before and it has hindered the team’s playoff success.

The Bottom Line

For all of its problems, the Washington Capitals are at least showing a glimmer of hope. The glimmer in Montreal is being clouded by insignificant bickering and decisions made based on emotion as opposed to what is best for the team.

Pick: Washington Capitals

Sports Betting Sites – What To Bet On This Week

It’s no BetOnline scam if you find your sportsbook to be hoops-heavy this week as basketball takes over the landscape until the NFL playoffs resume on the weekend. The Los Angeles Lakers will bookend the week, while a state rivalry brews in college hoops and a few interesting storylines converge in New York.

Monday – Mavericks Lakers Odds, 10:30 PM ET

Lamar Odom returns to Los Angeles after a messy offseason split with the Lakers, and some sportsbook.com reviews will point out that this is the first meeting for the two since the Mavericks steamrolled the Lakers in a sweep en route to the title. Kobe Bryant has scored 40 points or more in four straight games, so the Mavericks have to figure out a way to slow down the Lakers’ superstar.

Tuesday – Michigan State Michigan Odds, 7:00 PM ET

These two may have been looking forward to this game as the Spartans lost at Northwestern, while the Wolverines were stunned at Iowa. Still, players that work with sportsbook software should check out this rivalry game as the Big Ten is up for grabs; Ohio State isn’t running away with the conference like most people expected, so not only are bragging rights on the line, but a chance to move up in the Big Ten as well.

Wednesday – Suns Knicks Odds, 7:30 PM ET

This matchup is interesting because New York coach Mike D’Antoni is under fire due to his team’s ineffectiveness, and he is also a former coach of the Suns. Phoenix’s Steve Nash is probably the only player in the league that could help the Knicks out of their funk as New York is falling out of favor with those that work with price per head sports software.

Thursday – Lakers Heat Odds, 8:00 PM ET

The game of the week comes from Miami, where there will be a slew of stars on the court, even though the Heat could be without the injured Dwyane Wade. It’s always an occasion when Bryant and the Heat’s LeBron James are on the court at the same time, and this will be advertised as a possible NBA Finals preview.

Friday – Lakers Magic Odds, 8:00 PM ET

Finally, the Lakers end a tough week in Orlando, where the storyline will surround Dwight Howard. The big center has been rumored to be on his way to Los Angeles for a while now, but the Magic held fast with their trade demands and now Howard is reportedly off the table, although we’re they could be talked into a deal if the Lakers made an offer. The matchup in the middle between Howard and the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum should decide this sport betting contest.