NHL Playoff Betting Online – Taking A Look At The Weekend Slate

Sports betting players are in for a fun weekend as the Stanley Cup playoffs will move into second gear this weekend with a full schedule of games. Here is what you have to look forward to on your television, and in your sportsbooks.

Saturday

Coyotes Red Wings Betting (1:00 PM ET)

Game 1 goes on Wednesday night, so both teams will be good and rested to kick off a full day of NHL betting at Joe Louis Arena, and it’s safe to say that the Red Wings will be the favorites. The most interesting thing to watch for this game is whether or not Henrik Zetterberg will be in the lineup for Detroit. The Red Wings’ star will miss Game 1 with a knee injury, but maybe the extra days off will give him enough time to be ready for Game 2, which is one thing that the Coyotes don’t want.

Sabres Flyers Betting (5:00 PM ET)

The Flyers should be favored at the Wells Fargo Center for the second game of this series, but you never know as it depends on how Game 1 goes, given the Sabres’ history in the City of Brotherly Love. Buffalo would have went into this series with three wins in their last five trips to Philadelphia, and a victory in Game 1 may shift the NHL betting lines for Game 2. Another factor that could come into play is the availability of Chris Pronger, who the Flyers say may miss the first game because of his broken hand. We’re predicting here that Pronger will be in the lineup.

Canadiens Bruins Betting (7:00 PM ET)

One of hockey’s biggest rivalries got stepped up a notch during the Zdeno Chara/Max Pacioretty incident, and the subsequent 7-0 beating that Boston put on Montreal, so after Game 1, Game 2 should be a hotly contested affair. Look for the Bruins to be favored at home and they’ll look to impose their physical style on the smaller Canadiens, who need to show some heart after the beating (both physical, mental and on the scoreboard) they took in Boston after the Pacioretty hit.

Kings Sharks Betting (10:00 PM ET)

When it comes to skill, this could be the best series in the entire playoffs, and the Sharks should be favored at the Pavilion, as known as the “Shark Tank”. However, heading into this series the Kings have showed that they weren’t afraid to go into San Jose with three wins in their last five games there, and we all know that the Sharks haven’t been the most successful team in the postseason. If the Kings managed to win Game 1, this game becomes crucial to San Jose’s NHL betting chances.

Sunday

Capitals Rangers Betting (3:00 PM ET)

This game kicks off the volley of Game 3s in the playoffs, and the Capitals will make a trip to Madison Square Garden. It’s their first visit to the Garden since a 7-0 rout at the hands of the Rangers in December in a game that many figured would end Washington’s season, or at least their hopes at a high seed. The Capitals ended up with the top seed in the East, and they’ll be motivated to erase the memories of that trouncing.

Ducks Predators Betting (6:00 PM ET)

The Ducks make their way to Nashville for the third game of their series with the Predators, and they had lost three of their last five meetings with the Predators on the road. The Predators are aiming for a split over the first two games in Anaheim because they’ve been a good team at home all season long, and they would love nothing more than to make it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time.

Canucks Blackhawks Betting (8:00 PM ET)

The Canucks won two of three in Chicago during the playoffs last season, and they could be in the mix to eliminate their playoff rivals if they can sweep the first two in Vancouver. Chicago was actually a better team on the road than they were at the United Center, but they still should be favored, although it won’t be by much, so don’t expect a huge line in your online betting books.