Online Belmont betting players figure they’re going to get a race right down to the wire on June 11^th at Belmont Park, and they can only hope for a finish as exciting as the one we should get in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final on Friday in Boston.

Lightning Bruins Betting – Friday, 8:00 PM ET

The Lightning went 3-of-4 on the power play in a 5-4 win over the Bruins at home in Game 6, and they got eight points from Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier on the night. They still didn’t get a good performance from Dwayne Roloson, who had just 16 saves, but the Lightning overcame it.

Tim Thomas had his worst game of the series with 21 saves, but he was due after carrying the team for a lot of this series. David Krejci had a hat trick, while Milan Lucic added a goal for the Bruins, who made it interesting in the third period by not giving up when they were down by two goals. Now, they get a chance to close out the series at home.

The Bruins are -150 NHL betting favorites on Friday night at home, where they’ve won two of three against the Lightning in this series, and Boston eliminated Montreal at home in Game 7 of the first round, while Tampa Bay got the best of Pittsburgh on the road in the first round, so this is going to be a tight game. You have to go with the team that has the better goalie, so take Boston in your online sportsbook.

Kentucky Derby betting players will be looking at the favorites for the “Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports” next weekend, and NHL betting players are in the same boat. Vancouver were the overall favorites, but they barely made out of the first round against their bitter rivals from Chicago. Boston also got rid of their most hated rivals, and now are plotting revenge against the team who completed a historic comeback in last year’s playoffs.

Vancouver won the first three games of their series with Chicago, then lost the last three, and the city of Vancouver was on pins and needles for Game 7, especially when Jonathan Toews knotted the game late in the third period to send it to overtime. However, Alex Burrows’ second goal of the game came in the extra period, and the Canucks exorcised some demons. Now, they move onto the next round where they will be a huge favorite against Nashville.

The Bruins also needed seven games and overtime to beat their rivals from Montreal, and they did it with three overtime wins, and they lost the first two games of the series at home. Along with Vancouver-Chicago, Boston-Montreal was the best of a wild first round, and now the Bruins will look to take on Philadelphia, who became the third team in history to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs when they stunned Boston last year. This will be a tough call, but the Bruins should still meet Vancouver in the finals, which means you should take them against the banged-up Flyers when you’re sports betting online.

NHL betting players have a big weekend lined up with the stretch run starting to high gear, and here are three games that you have to keep your eyes on this weekend.

Bruins Maple Leafs Betting – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET

This is a tough game to guess the line for in Toronto as the Maple Leafs are looking to move into the playoff picture, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Boston favored on the road as they’re 3-2 in their last five trips to Toronto. Four of those games were decided by a goal, and the other game was decided by two goals, so it should be a close game.

Ducks Kings Betting – Saturday, 10:30 PM ET

The Kings should be favored at home in this NHL betting contest, as they’re 3-2 SU in their last five meetings at the Staples Center against the Ducks, with four of those games going over the posted total. As of Thursday, the Kings were in fourth place, but only four points ahead of eighth-place Anaheim.

Rangers Penguins Betting – Sunday, 12:30 PM ET

Again, this will be another close line as the Rangers are a better team on the road than at home, and they’re 3-2 SU in their last five trips to Pittsburgh, with four games going under the posted total. The Rangers are currently in seventh, but they don’t have much breathing room at the bottom of the East playoff picture, so this will be a big game for their best online sportsbook chances.

With the 2011 NHL trade deadline looming, it’s a good time to look at the Stanley Cup odds to figure out who may be good value, and who could stand to improve their standing in your sportsbook.

Philadelphia (+400) and Vancouver (+450) are leading the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively, although the Canucks are currently with injuries on their blue line. The Flyers picked up Kris Versteeg from Toronto and didn’t have to give up much to get him. Versteeg was in Chicago when the Blackhawks beat the Flyers in last year’s Cup final, so the players will be very familiar with him. But you can never count out Detroit (+700), a group of veteran players who have been there before and know how to pace themselves throughout the season. Pittsburgh (+700) may be out of the race as injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin robs the Penguins of their two biggest weapons.

A team who could take the Penguins’ spot amongst the favorites may be Boston (+1200), who are looking to add scoring ahead of the deadline, or even Tampa Bay (+1200), who still have to work out their defensive deficiencies. Lurking in the back are Washington (+1100) and San Jose (+1200), two teams who are known for great regular seasons, but falling short in the postseason. Now, they’re not lighting up the league in the regular season, but you never know; that could be the best thing for their odds when you’re doing your sports betting online.

Those checking out NHL scores this weekend have three intriguing games to watch while the rest of the world focuses on NFL playoff betting, and here are some trends to check for before heading to your sportsbook.

Canucks Capitals Betting – Friday, 7:00 PM ET

The Capitals will likely be favored at home against the Canucks, who currently lead the NHL in points. The Canucks were last in Washington in 2008, and they’re 3-2 SU in their five trips to the nation’s capital, with three of those games going over the posted total. The line won’t likely be that high, given Washington’s inconsistency this season, coming with nine wins in their last 10 for Vancouver ahead of a road game against the Rangers on Thursday.

Penguins Bruins Betting – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET

The Bruins should be favored at home in this contest against the Penguins, who are 2-3 SU in their last five visits to Beantown. Three of those five games have gone under the posted total, with a push and an over as well. The Penguins are still missing Sidney Crosby, which should push the lines more in Boston’s direction.

Flyers Rangers Betting – Sunday, 7:00 PM ET

It’s tough to say who will be favored in this Atlantic Division clash, as the Flyers are tied with Detroit for the most road wins in the NHL. The Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last five meetings at Madison Square Garden against the Flyers, with three games going under the posted total. Despite the Rangers’ record at home over Philadelphia, the Flyers had won four straight as of Thursday, so don’t expect the Rangers to be heavy favorites if you’re betting online.

Those betting on NCAA football are all about momentum, and it’s the same on the ice, and we’ll tell you who to ride with and who to avoid this week.

Hot – Pittsburgh

The Penguins have surged to the top of the Atlantic Division on the back of a seven-game winning streak, and Sidney Crosby has recorded at least a point in his last 13 games ahead of a visit from Atlanta on Thursday night. The Penguins have three of their next four games at home, where they’ve struggled a bit, but now that they’re on a roll they should be favored there. After Atlanta, the Penguins head to Columbus before New Jersey and Toronto head to Pittsburgh.

Cold – Toronto

It’s really not that much of a stretch to say, “don’t bet on Toronto”, but the Maple Leafs have lost three in a row ahead of a visit from Edmonton, then they host a good Boston team on Saturday night. After that, it gets even tougher for the Maple Leafs, who are just terrible on the road, and they’ll find themselves in Washington and Pittsburgh next week before hosting Philadelphia on Thursday. The Maple Leafs can’t do anything right on the road, especially with the man advantage. The losses aren’t even the fault of goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who has kept the Maple Leafs in some games. His defense makes brutal mistakes (the Leafs lead the league in giveaways), and we’re not even sure a return from captain Dion Phaneuf will improve their betting odds.

NHL Betting Odds – Trends For Friday’s Games

Those betting on NFL odds are always looking for trends and tips, and NHL betting players should be doing the same thing. Here are some tips ahead of Friday’s games on the ice.

Kings Sabres Betting – Friday, 7:30 PM ET

The Kings have lost two in a row ahead of a four-game road trip through the Northeast Division, starting in Buffalo where they are 1-4 in their last five trips since 2000. Three of the five games have gone over the posted total. The Sabres are a disappointing 2-6-1 at home this season, while the Kings are 4-4-0 away from home.

Wild Red Wings Betting – Sunday, 7:30 PM ET

The Wild will have a tough time cracking the Red Wings in Detroit: the Wings are 8-1-1 at Joe Louis Arena this season, while the Wild are 3-3-1 on the road. The Wild are also 1-4 in their last five trips to “Hockeytown” and four of those games have gone over the posted total. The Wild will be looking to extend a two-game winning streak, while the Red Wings have won four in a row.

Blackhawks Flames Betting – 9:00 PM ET

The slumping Flames have dropped three straight ahead of their visit from the Stanley Cup champions, who have won two in a row. The Blackhawks are 3-2 in their last five trips to Calgary, including the last three in which they’ve outscored the Flames 14-3. If you’re looking to take a team on the road, the Blackhawks should be your betting choice.

While NFL betting players are gearing up for the second half of their season, the NHL betting season is only a month or so old, so there aren’t many changes in this season’s Stanley Cup odds right now.

Washington (+500) and Pittsburgh (+530) are still the favorites to lift the Cup, due to their star power. Alex Ovchekin and the Capitals are starting to find their goal-scoring form, which is a problem for the rest of the league, while Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are also getting their game together. The defending champions from Chicago (+800) haven’t missed a beat despite a number of changes to their roster in the offseason, while a veteran Detroit (+900) team is always lurking in the background, and they can never be counted out. Vancouver (+800) is also hanging around with the favorites.

Los Angeles (+1200), San Jose (+1200), and Boston (+1200) lead the second tier, and the Kings are dealing well with high expectations, as well as injuries. The Sharks, well, they’ve got too many playoff collapses under their belt for NHL betting players to take them seriously right now, but they’re still extremely talented and can’t be counted. The Bruins are powered by a rock-solid defense, and Tim Thomas has gotten off to a fantastic start between the pipes as he’s wrestled the No.1 spot away from Tuukka Rask. Still, until they can prove that they can consistently score, the Bruins will be on the outside looking in on the sports betting favorites.

You know how much I love hockey. You know how much I adore the NHL. All of this does not need to be stated more than once. I spent a pretty large amount of time last season writing about NHL odds, and since we’ve just finished the 2009-10 preseason, I’m more stoked than ever for the actual season to kick off on Thursday. Bring it on, hockey goons!

Alright, so here’s who I like to dominate the league – and who I’ll be doing some online sports betting on, once the lines come around – judging by their preseason performances:

Toronto Maple Leafs. Look, I don’t care. I don’t care about the negative naysayers, the jaded critics and the disbelievers. This is their year. I’m not so crazy to think they’ll be your best Stanley Cup pick, but with Burkie leading the charge and the blueline flattening anyone in their way (can’t wait to see them taking on Boston!), they’ll definitely make it to the playoffs this year. If they keep newbie Victor Stalberg as a regular on the team, watch for him to light up the scoreboard. I like that kid.

Boston Bruins. Speaking of Boston, the Bruins are one of my top two picks to make it to the final show. They got so achingly close last year, but now I’m betting they took the time in the offseason to fix the little mistakes that held them back. Chara is awesome, Tim Thomas is a force in net and I have a soft spot for Lucic. Keep an eye on these guys — especially Marc Savard, who’ll have another banner year even without Phil Kessel.

Vancouver Canucks. Yes, another Canadian team, and the only other one I favor to make a mark in hockey betting. (Sit down, Habs.) They’ve been looking stronger than ever in their preseason matchups, coasting high on the skills of Roberto Luongo (who looks like he’s thankfully shaken off any self-esteem issues after last year’s implosion) and the uber-skilled Sedin twins. Alex Burrows will be a consistent scoring machine, and if Sami Salo can stay healthy this time around, he’ll make a mark. Again, like Toronto, they’ll make a good playoff run but I don’t think it’s their time for the Cup just yet. But watch for the fireworks.

Chicago Blackhawks. They’re young, they’re fast, they’re feisty, and they’re ready to take back their 20 cents change. Jonathan Toews, Patricks Kane & Sharp, and impressive new acquisition Marian Hossa will definitely blow the roof off. They’ll miss Martin Havlat, though I think Dustin Byfuglien will step up in his place. I’m sort of iffy on their goal – Cristobal Huet has never really proven himself to be a steady #1 netminder, under pressure especially – and this could be the Hawks’ only weakness — that is, if they let their opponents get close to the net. Which is a serious “if”.

Other teams on my radar: Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils.

Teams so far off the radar they might as well be in Timbuktu: New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche.