Ducks vs Red Wings odds – Ducks will push Red Wings to brink but not beyond

For people making their NHL picks as well as the online sports betting community, the Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings series has been fun to watch. Yet it's hard to forget that the Red Wings are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, and even though the Ducks have pushed them to the brink of elimination, this is where the road ends for the Ducks.

NHL Picks: sportsbook odds list Red Wings as a -250 favorite For Game 7

• Red Wings too experienced to falter in game 7
  
• Red Wings lacked intensity in Game 6 loss
  
• Ducks will need to clear the front of the net for goaltender Jonas Hiller

NHL picks for the Red Wings-Ducks Game 7 will be fairly one-sided. The Red Wings have plenty of experience, they are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, and they are comfortable in the playoff environment. While most teams would feel pressure to perform in a Game 7 in front of their home crowd, Detroit has been here many times before, and bettors making their sportsbook picks won’t consider nerves to be a factor.

The Ducks had early control of this series before the Red Wings took it back in Games 4 and 5, but for one reason or another, they didn’t play with the same amount of intensity in Game 6. A lot of NHL picks had the Red Wings pegged to finish the series on Tuesday night, but the Red Wings failed to do what they did so well in the previous two games: get traffic in front of Jonas Hiller.

The Red Wings have an excellent rotation of players who can crash the front of the net and generate traffic in Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen and Daniel Cleary. But those three players were kept to the outside in Game 5, which led to a 2-1 win for Anaheim. When Hiller has seen the shots in this series, he hasn’t had too many problems stopping them. When he’s had a big body impeding his view, he’s had plenty of problems.

Bettors making their NHL picks know that the Red Wings, who were 27-9-5 at home this season, should have an easier time of dictating the pace and crowding the front of the net back at Joe Louis Arena. The Ducks may not have any pressure on their backs but the Red Wings now how to deal with pressure too well to let it bother them. Pick the Detroit Red Wings to get the first goal and control Game 7 as they advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Don Melrose's Pick: Red Wings -250

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Who better to offer great sports betting and hockey tips than a native Canadian? Like any good Canuck, Don Melrose eats, sleeps, breathes and bets hockey, making him the perfect NHL handicapper. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.