Sports Betting Overview

The Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers are the two best teams in what is turning out to be the worst division in hockey. The Capitals are in first place in the Southeast Division but would not have enough points to be in the playoff hunt if it was not a division leader. The Florida Panthers have the same amount of points as Washington, sit in second place in the division but are still out of the running for a playoff spot. The Capitals will take the first place status in the division, but this is hardly the dominating team that fans have been seeing for the past few years. This battle for the division lead could be where the Caps start to separate itself from the rest of the division.

Sports fans in Florida are probably doing a lot of Superbowl betting but very little hockey betting. Both Florida teams, the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, are playing poor hockey and neither Florida team looks to be making a move towards the playoffs. The Panthers were riding the great play of goaltender Jose Theodore early in the season, but there is only so much that Theodore can do without a defense in front of him. The luckiest thing for the Panthers is that it plays in the worst division in hockey. That alone gives the Panthers hope for a playoff berth in April.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals do not seem to have any problems scoring goals, but the team is not getting the kind of play it expected to get from its goaltending. Newly acquired goalie Tomas Vokoun is doing well with a 20-12-0 record and a .916 save percentage. But Michal Neuvirth is obviously not enjoying the role of backup as he has posted a 6-7-3 record this season and has a .892 save percentage. The price per head bookie experts do not have a lot of faith in the Capitals when Neuvirth is in net and the Capitals seem to love to play its backup more than most other teams. As Vokoun plays more, the Capitals seem to gain stability. The fans are hoping that interim head coach Dale Hunter can see that and keep Vokoun in the nets.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers’ problems are not so much the lack of defense, it is more a lack of balance that plagues this team. Sportsbook reviews of games earlier in the season show a team that leaned way too much on a hot goalie. Once Theodore started to crack under the pressure, the offense could not pick up the pace. The Panthers need to start balancing their attack and bring their forwards back to start playing defense. If Florida does not make some changes to the way it plays, then other teams will just continue to skate around them.

The Bottom Line

NHL fans in Washington are frustrated and fans in Florida are apathetic. There is a feeling in Washington that the Capitals had its shot at the Stanley Cup but are past that and back into rebuilding. The Capitals players need to start picking up the pace to bring hockey excitement back to Washington.

Pick: Washington Capitals

Sport Betting Overview

Few teams were more disappointed to see the All-Star break than the Pittsburgh Penguins. After being hit hard by injuries that caused the Penguins to nose dive in the Eastern Conference standings, the Penguins found itself on a seven-game winning streak that the All-Star break effectively stopped in its tracks. While some sports fans in Pittsburgh were hoping to have a hometown interest in this year’s Super Bowl betting, others were wondering how the Penguins would do without superstar Sidney Crosby. Aside from that stretch of games that the Penguins just could not seem to win, Pittsburgh has shown that it can win without Crosby in the regular season. A Crosby-less Pittsburgh team did not fare so well in last year’s playoffs, but at least the team made the post-season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were the toast of the Northeastern Division for the first part of the season. Toronto was battling with the Boston Bruins for division supremacy until the Bruins pulled away and the Leafs started to tumble. The price per head sportsbook experts were extremely surprised by the Leafs’ start and are even more surprised to learn that goaltender Jonas Gustavsson had wrestled the starting goalie spot from James Reimer. Nothing ever seems to be consistent in Toronto and the landscape is always changing. But as long as the Leafs keep winning, the fans do not mind needing a program to determine who is on the ice and starting the game.

Pittsburgh Penguins

A 5 dimes review of the Penguins’ season to this point shows a roller coaster ride that has seen extreme highs and lows. The team thought it was back on track when Sidney Crosby was able to come back around Christmas, but that was short-lived as Crosby was out again within 12 games and he has not returned. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was also having issues for a stretch of games that saw him give up goals he does not normally give up. But the team has hung together and worked through the problems. After losing three consecutive games earlier in January, the Pens went on a 7-0-0 run to bring its record up to 7-3-0 in the last 10 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs have a two-game winning streak of its own going, but a record of 6-4-0 in the last 10 games shows that Toronto is having problems with consistency. The Leafs keep jumping back and forth between starting goaltenders which does not give the defense a chance to settle in to any kind of comfortable routine. The Leafs are a talented team that plays hard. But it will need to get back to the things that worked earlier in the season if it wants to make the playoffs.

The Bottom Line

Toronto and Pittsburgh were just starting to turn things back around when the All-Star break stopped them. The Penguins are the most likely to be able to pick up again and keep winning, but the Leafs won’t make it easy.

Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins

Sports Betting Overview

It would be a mistake to underestimate the Detroit Red Wings just because a game happens to be played outside of Joe Louis Arena. At home, the Red Wings have won 17 straight games and are approaching the all-time consecutive home win record of 20 posted by the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers. Since the Superbowl betting in Detroit lost its luster when the Lions got knocked out of the playoffs, the sports attention of Detroit has been turned to the Red Wings. The Red Wings have had competitive teams for many years, but none of the recent teams has even approached the level of regular season success that this team is enjoying.

The Montreal Canadiens are the only team in the Eastern Conference with a losing home record at 8-9-7. Even the last place Buffalo Sabres have a home record of 11-9-5. Montreal’s problems at home and on the road have been well-documented, and the variety of solutions the front office has employed to get the team going have been mystifying. From trading a player in the middle of a game to firing an assistant coach for seemingly no reason during the morning skate, the price per head bookie experts are wondering if the Montreal Canadiens have the know-how and ability to pull themselves out of this slide it is in. As always, the pressure to win in Montreal is intense. But things get much worse when bad decisions are being made.

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings have lost only two games at home all season long, but it has lost 13 games on the road. The Red Wings are clinging to a 13-13-0 road record and trying desperately to make sure that the Western Conference playoffs have to go through Detroit for all of the rounds. The Red Wings do not want to have to rely on winning road games to win the Stanley Cup. A 5 dimes review of the stats for the regular season so far show that the Detroit Red Wings have a +48 in goal differential this season, which is second in the league behind Boston’s +71. Detroit has a balanced attack and plays a solid game. It just needs to learn how to translate that to road games.

Montreal Canadiens

When the wheels started coming off of the Montreal Canadiens’ train, it was a complete loss of wheels. Everyone from the head coach to the goaltender could not seem to do anything right. When the Canadiens brought in new head coach Randy Cunneyworth, he was criticized by the local Montreal media for not being able to speak French. It is a said and degenerative condition that pervades the Montreal Canadiens. The team needs to be completely re-tooled and the current front office may not be qualified to do that.

The Bottom Line

The Red Wings need a win on the road to boost its confidence and the Montreal Canadiens need a complete overhaul. This does not look like it will be a good night for the Montreal Canadiens in front of its home fans.

Pick: Detroit Red Wings

NHL Pay Head News: Original Six Clash Closes Out Shortened Week

An Original Six showdown between the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday will highlight a shortened week in the NHL. While the Red Wings are flying high at the top of the Western conference, the Canadiens are barely alive in the Eastern conference and fighting for something to hold on to. If Montreal is going to have any chance at turning their season around they will need to go on an extended run, and stringing together consecutive wins against Original Six opponents before the All Star break is a good place to start.

NBA Betting News: Lakers, Clippers Meet For Second Time Wednesday

The battle of Los Angeles has heated up in recent weeks with the Clippers emerging in the Western conference ahead of the Lakers, and with the two set to meet for a second time this Wednesday, it should get a ton of attention. Kobe Bryant’s 42 points weren’t enough for the Lakers in the first meeting between these teams, a 102-94 win for the Clippers, and Bryant will need his teammates to step up in a major way if they are going to have a chance to win the second meeting. A couple of other intriguing matchups for this week include the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics meeting for the second time this week on Thursday, and the New York Knicks heading to South Beach to take on the Miami Heat Friday.

Super Bowl Odds News: Patriots, Giants Rest With Pro Bowl Sunday Upon Us

While all of the coverage will be focused on a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, there will be over 100 of the most talented NFL players gathering in Honolulu, Hawaii for the 2012 Pro Bowl this Sunday. The Patriots and Giants will use this week to rest and get some practice in after New England opened up as three-point favorites for the biggest game of the year, and other than something noteworthy happening a those practices the line shouldn’t change much as weather conditions will not have an effect on the game at Lucas Oil Stadium. There should be more prop bets made available as the week progresses.

College Basketball Betting News: Tar Heels Host Wolfpack For In-State Showdown

The ACC schedule will feature an in-state showdown between the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels and North Carolina State Wolfpack on Thursday as two of the four one-loss teams in the conference meet for the first time this season. The Tar Heels bounced back from a devastating loss to the Florida State Seminoles with a win over Virginia Tech, but they lost Donald Strickland in that game with a torn ACL, and he will be out for the remainder of the season. North Carolina has the depth to push forward without him, and should be a good test for a Wolfpack team that has yet to play any of the other top four teams in the ACC.

Online Betting Overview

There is something about the way that the New Jersey Devils play on the road that always has opponents concerned. In its last 10 games, the Devils are 7-2-1 but that does include an overtime loss on the road. But the Devils are a different team this year than last year. Jacques Lemaire is not behind the bench and it does not look like he will be ever again. That is just fine for the Devils because whatever Lemaire taught them last season seems to have stuck, somewhat. At this point last season, Lemaire had been behind the New Jersey bench for two weeks and the team was climbing out of obscurity. This season, under Peter DeBoer, the Devils sit in seventh place and are right in the middle of a playoff race. What a difference a year makes.

The Boston Bruins remain a defensive juggernaut with Zdeno Chara on defense and Tim Thomas in goal. According to the price per head sports experts, the Bruins have given up only 68 goals this season in 35 games played. The only other team that is even close to that kind of defensive play is the New York Rangers who have given up 79 goals in 37 games played. The Bruins struggled a little out of the gate, but it has turned up the heat and has become one of the price per head bookie favorites to win the Eastern Conference title this year.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils love to play that slow game that relies on the trap and the ageless skills of goaltender Martin Brodeur. But the Devils are finding that playing defense with an aging group that is slowing down is not easy when the rest of the league is picking up the pace. What has saved the Devils this season is that it has been able to keep games close while also scoring a little more than last year. Guys like Ilya Kovalchuk are starting to contribute a little more consistently than last season. The Devils will need to pick up the scoring pace if it wants to go deep into the playoffs, but the Devils’ style of play is perfect for playing a team like the Bruins. The patience that the Devils have will allow New Jersey to stand toe-to-toe with Boston in this game.

Boston Bruins

A sportsbook.com review of the Bruins’ season shows that the Bruins can score goals as well as prevent them. The Bruins have 123 goals scored in 35 games played, which puts Boston in the top-half of the league in goal production. The Bruins are a potent combination of defense and scoring that one would expect from a Stanley Cup champion.

The Bottom Line

NHL fans that are expecting a boring, defensive struggle in this game are going to be disappointed. This will be a hard-hitting game that will be a lot of fun to watch but probably won’ be too much fun to play. The Bruins’ ability to play defense and offense simultaneously is what gives Boston an edge over New Jersey in this contest.

Pick: Boston Bruins

Sports Betting Overview

If you like grudge matches, then you won’t want to miss this hockey game. When the Washington Capitals visited the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY last week, the team was still trying to adjust to the style of new head coach Dale Hunter. The team was also trying to slow its free fall in the standings as it now sits in third place in the Southeast Division, according to the price per head bookie experts. A team is a reflection of its coach, and Dale Hunter is remembered as one of the premier cheap shot artists in the history of the game. Hunter will always be remembered as the guy that seriously injured Pierre Turgeon after Turgeon had scored an important goal in the playoffs against the Capitals. Hunter was known more for his sneak attacks than his motivation and determination, which is why he is an interesting choice for the head coach of any NHL team.

The Buffalo Sabres are drowning as well. After new owner Terry Pegula all but promised Sabres fans the Stanley Cup when he bought the team, the price per head bookmaking stats show the Sabres currently out of the playoff race and falling fast. But the last time Buffalo played Washington, the Sabres were in complete control of the game for the first period and the third period. It frustrated the Capitals so much that they started taking Dale Hunter-like cheap shots at the Sabres’ players. The biggest offender was team captain Alex Ovechkin. Now the Sabres get a chance to address Ovechkin’s actions in the rematch. It could be that, or the Capitals get to avenge their loss to the Sabres last week. With these two teams, you never know.

Buffalo Sabres

There is nothing consistent about the Buffalo Sabres except for fan disappointment. The Sabres continue to lose games in bunches while throwing in the occasional win here and there. The Sabres’ defense is porous and the goaltending is indecisive. A betonline.com review of the Sabres’ record in the last 10 games shows a pathetic 3-5-2. It is hard to say what can turn this team around, but there are rumors floating around that changes could be in the air in Buffalo. The only problem is that there are so many issues to address that no one can guess as to what the changes will actually be.

Washington Capitals

The Caps look like they just don’t care. The players have already gotten one coach fired and look determined to get a second coach fired before the season is out. The NHL fans in Washington see the disinterested play of the team and that makes the fans disinterested. Dale Hunter was supposed to use his feistiness and energy to revitalize the team. The problem is that you can cheap shot a team into playing better. It requires real coaching skills.

The Bottom Line

These two teams have scores to settle and they both desperately need wins. The Capitals have been through change and it has not had any effect on its play. The Sabres know change is coming, but no one seems concerned. This could very well be the game that wakes both of these teams up.

Pick: Washington Capitals

Sports Betting Overview

The Montreal Canadiens were warned that small forwards combined with a big and slow defense is not going to win a lot of games. The Canadiens thought that it had a team structured much like the Philadelphia Flyers. But Montreal forgot that the Flyers’ defensemen can skate and some of the forwards that play for Philadelphia are pretty huge. According to the pay per head sportsbook experts, the Canadiens’ organization decided that head coach Jacques Martin was the problem, so they fired him and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth. Unfortunately, a different pilot is not getting better results with the same aircraft. The Canadiens is still losing and do not look any closer to improving its situation.

According to the price per head bookie experts, the Chicago Blackhawks are the top team in the NHL. The Blackhawks are riding a five-game winning streak that is part of a stretch in the last 10 games that has seen the team go 8-1-1. But teams all over the league keep waiting for the bottom to fall out on the Blackhawks as the Blackhawks are among the worst teams in the league in playing defense. At this point, the Blackhawks have allowed 98 goals against, which is one of the highest totals in the league. To counteract that defensive weakness, the Blackhawks have scored 111 goals this season, which is tied for second-best in the league. Chicago keeps rolling along and exploiting teams that are set up just like the Montreal Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens

A betonline.com review of the Canadiens shows that firing the head coach was not the answer to the team’s problems. New head coach Randy Cunneyworth has come in and lead the Canadiens to a three-game losing streak. The fans in Montreal are not happy when the team sinks to the bottom of the division and conference standings. Coaching in Montreal is one of the toughest jobs in hockey. With a team that shows little to no chance of showing significant improvement in the near future, the job could be a short one for Randy Cunneyworth.

Chicago Blackhawks

The NHL fans in Chicago are loving the way that the Chicago Blackhawks are playing hockey, but it has to drive head coach Joel Quenneville crazy. The Chicago defense is made up of players that think they are wingers. When the play moves up the ice, the Chicago defense continually finds itself out of position. But goaltender Corey Crawford is just good enough to keep the Blackhawks in most of the games they play. It is a dangerous way to win hockey games, but the Blackhawks will keep using this game plan until it backfires on them.

The Bottom Line

Put simply, the Montreal Canadiens will not be able to withstand the offensive pressure that the Chicago Blackhawks will be putting on in this game. With the Chicago defensemen continually getting involved in the offensive zone, it will make it very difficult for the slower Montreal defense to keep up.

Pick: Chicago Blackhawks

Online Wagering Overview

That sound everyone hears coming from Pittsburgh is the air being let out of the Penguins’ balloon. For 12 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins had their captain Sidney Crosby back and Crosby instantly went on a point streak that had him averaging a point a game or better. After 12 games, Crosby was out of action again with another concussion. Now the Penguins have to try and win hockey games without their captain and with the looming possibility that, at 24 years old, Crosby’s NHL career may already be over. The Penguins have won without Crosby in the past, but the added weight of the potential reality of his condition is obviously starting to wear on the Penguins. Pittsburgh has plummeted from first to third in the Atlanta Division and keeps losing ground in the standings with every game.

The pay per head sportsbook experts did not recognize the Ottawa Senators team that started the 2011-2012 season. At the beginning of the season, the Senators were one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and were playing some very good hockey. In the last few weeks, the Senators have started the downward spiral to the familiar basement of the Eastern Conference and are desperately battling to stay in contention for a playoff spot. The big difference between the Senators this year versus last year is that the team seems to have some weapons to rely on to try and keep playoff hopes alive. But the goaltending in Ottawa is still suspect and that has some NHL fans in Ottawa worried.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The bookie software actually has the Penguins tied with Rangers for second place in the Atlantic Division in points. But tie-breakers put the Penguins in third place. Pittsburgh has way too much talent to stay down. The team was one of the top contenders for the first quarter of the season without Crosby, and it will rebound to be a contender again. The problem was that the Penguins got used to having Crosby available again and started to game plan as though he would be there. For the first few games after his injury, it was tough to adjust. But the Penguins are a talented and determined hockey team with good coaching. This is a team that will bounce back.

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are a different story than the Penguins. Early season enthusiasm carried Ottawa to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. But reality started to sink back in and the Senators started to lose games. A 5 dimes review of the Senators’ last ten games shows a record of 4-4-2. The Senators are barely playing .500 hockey and it is struggling to keep that pace up. Ottawa needs consistent goaltending if it is going to win games and right now, the Senators’ goaltending is anything but consistent.

The Bottom Line

The Ottawa Senators could be just what the Pittsburgh Penguins need to start getting back on the winning track. Ottawa is average at home and is average on the road. It does not matter where this game would be played, the Senators are just serving themselves up to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins

Sports Betting Overview

Anyone who would have made the prediction that the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild would be battling it out to see who is the best team in the league on into the middle of December would have been laughed at by the price per head bookie crowd. There was absolutely nothing going on with either team that would have indicated that such a drastic turnaround was possible. The Wild missed the playoffs by a wide margin last season and the Blackhawks barely made it into the post season. There weren’t any major roster changes to either team that indicated potential success and the coaches are the same as well.

One of the things that happened to the Minnesota Wild is the emergence of goaltender Niklas Backstrom. According to the price per head services statistics, Backstrom has a record of 11-5-2 this season. He has a 2.08 goals against average, a .932 save percentage and has recorded two shutouts. The Blackhawks discovered that Corey Crawford can be their starting goaltender, but Chicago also picked up veteran goalie Ray Emery for insurance. Emery is 6-1-2 in his starts this year and had been the defensive boost that the Blackhawks needed. Now both the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild are the top two teams in the NHL. When these two teams get together, you can imagine that goals will be at a premium.

Chicago Blackhawks

There are two significant differences between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild. The first difference is that the Blackhawks can score goals while the Wild rely more on defense to win games. Chicago is the second-highest scoring team in the league with 99 goals. That is only two goals behind the Philadelphia Flyers. A 5 dimes review of the Blackhawks’ roster shows that the scoring is pretty balanced between the forwards and the defensemen. Chicago is not afraid to bring its defensemen into the offensive play.

The other significant difference between the Blackhawks and the Wild is that the Wild does not allow nearly as many goals per game as the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks have given up 92 goals this season while the Wild have only given up 64 goals. That is a significant difference in philosophy.

Minnesota Wild

The NHL fans in Minnesota love a winner and they appreciate a team that works hard. The Wild falls into both categories. Minnesota grinds out wins and focuses more on efficient defense than flashy offense. With a quality goaltender to back up a solid defense, the Wild are hoping that it has the formula it needs for playoff success.

The Bottom Line

The Wild will grind down the Blackhawks and frustrate the Chicago scorers on a regular basis. This will not be a very high-scoring game, but it will be a fun game to watch if you enjoy hard-hitting hockey and world-class goaltending. But the Wild will find a way to neutralize the Chicago scoring attack which will shut the Blackhawks down completely.

Pick: Minnesota Wild

NHL Betting News: Crosby Will Miss Game Versus Red Wings; Out Indefinitely

Following a brief return to the NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby will be out indefinitely as concussion-like symptoms have crept back in to play over the past couple of days. Crosby missed the Penguins’ road trip this past weekend after taking a pair of big hits in his first couple of games back, but said that the symptoms didn’t begin creeping in until practice Monday, at which time he decided to shut things down. The Penguins currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern conference with 38 points, but will face a couple of tough tests with a game against the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday, before taking on the Ottawa Senators Friday.

NFL Sports Betting News: Falcons Look To Tame Jaguars Thursday

After throwing for a career-high four touchdowns in a comeback win over the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday, it will be interesting to see what Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan has in store for us this week as they prepare to host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Atlanta has won three of four, but actually trailed by nine at the break against Carolina before unleashing 24 straight points in a huge comeback win that was crucial in the NFC Wild Card race. The Jaguars meanwhile turned some heads in a 41-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but you have to wonder if we will see more of the same this week, or if they will revert to their same form from their previous primetime appearance when they lost by 24 to the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football two weeks ago.

NCAAB Pay Head News: Buckeyes Look To Bounce Back Versus USC Upstate Wednesday

While the top-ranked Syracuse Orange won’t be back on the court until this Saturday, Jared Sullinger and the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will be in action on Wednesday when they host USC Upstate as they look to bounce back from their first loss of the season. The Buckeyes managed to remain at No. 2 despite the loss with the previously No. 1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats also losing this past weekend, marking the first time since 2010 that the top two teams in college basketball lost on the same day. Kansas meanwhile, will also have the week off following their big win, as well as the rest of the top-five teams.

NBA Betonline News: Paul Could Be On The Move Soon; Howard Next?

While the league’s handling of the original Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was absolutely brutal, it appears as though they are ready to allow him to be moved to the Los Angeles Clippers this week, in exchange for a package that includes both Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon. With the Lakers failing to land Paul, it is possible that they could be preparing a package to acquire Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic this week, a move that might actually work out in better favor for Los Angeles after it is all said and done.