NHL Betting Preview – Playoff Races Heat Up For Weekend Battles
Everyone in sports betting knows how important every NHL game is at this point of the season. If you are not betting on college basketball then you are putting your sports betting bonus money on the NHL playoffs. This weekend’s games features several regional rivalries and some divisional games; all with playoff implications. The place to be this weekend is following your favorite NHL team and getting in on some of the pre-playoff action.
Senators Leafs Betting – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
What a difference a month or two makes. A couple of months ago it was Ottawa fighting for the playoffs and the Leafs languishing in last place in the Eastern Conference. Now the Leafs have brought themselves to within six points of a playoff spot and the Senators are completely out of the race. With Ottawa having only one win in its last 10 games, and this game being in Toronto where the Leafs are 13-11-5 this season, this does not look good for the regional rival Senators. These two teams hate each other, and that always makes a Leafs/Senators game fun to watch.
Devils Hurricanes Betting – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
It is more likely that the Carolina Hurricanes will relinquish the eighth and final playoff spot to the Buffalo Sabres this weekend than the New Jersey Devils making up the 12 points needed to get into the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. But the Devils are on a five-game winning streak and the team has only lost one of its last 10 games. The Hurricanes are struggling at 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and are going to have problems with the up and coming Devils.
Panthers Lightning Betting – Saturday, 7:30 PM ET
The Florida Panthers were making a move on the Eastern Conference playoff race, but recent results have pushed Florida further away from the playoff hunt than ever. The Panthers are 3-5-2 in its last 10 games and have fallen seven points out of a playoff spot. The Lightning are 6-3-1 in its last 10 games and just trying to maintain a four-point lead over the Washington Capitals in the Southeast Division. This should be a Lightning win, but it won’t be easy.
Stars Canucks Betting – Saturday, 10:00 PM ET
It looked, for a while, like the Dallas Stars would be the team to threaten the Vancouver Canucks for the lead in the Western Conference. But in their last 10 games the Stars are 2-7-1 and part of the log jam for the last couple Western Conference playoff spots. The Canucks are running away with the Western Conference and almost unbeatable at home. This year the Canucks have a 20-4-5 home record and the Stars have been just awful on the road lately.
Penguins Blackhawks Betting – Sunday, 3:30 PM ET
These two championship teams are experiencing their own struggles. The Penguins are still without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but they are hanging in there in the Eastern Conference standings. The Blackhawks had a fire sale after winning the Stanley Cup that has left the team a shell of what it used to be. Chicago is 4-4-2 in its last 10 games and four points out of a playoff spot. They need this game a lot more than the Penguins, but the Blackhawks may not be able to stand up to the physical play that the Penguins are using these days. Stick with Pittsburgh on this one.
