Red Wings vs Blackhawks odds - experience will trump youth in the west
If you’ve been making online sports bets for a while now, you know the importance of having an experienced squad, and the defending Stanley Cup champions from Detroit have that in spades as the oldest team in the league. They’ll need to call on all of their experience in the Western Conference final when they take on Chicago, the second-youngest team in the league. The series kicks off the series on Sunday, May 17th at 3:00 PM ET.
Red Wings vs Blackhawks odds – Red Wings –235 to win the series
- Red Wings are the more seasoned team in the playoffs
- Blackhawks have something to prove
- Goaltenders will make a difference
The Red Wings held off a pesky Anaheim team to win their seven-game series with a 4-3 victory in the clincher at home, and Daniel Cleary continued his fine postseason with the series-winning goal. Johan Franzen leads the way with 15 points, while Pavel Datsyuk has been quiet with only five points in the Red Wings’ 11 games. Chris Osgood has settled down in goal with a .921 save percentage and a 2.06 GAA, which came as a relief to Detroit – their goaltending situation was their biggest worry coming into the postseason.
The Blackhawks turned on the style in their six-game win over Vancouver in the second round, as they ended the series with a 7-5 win. Chicago’s biggest players are leading the way as Martin Havlat has 13 points, followed by Patrick Kane’s 11, which including a hat trick in the series-winning game over the Canucks. Captain Jonathan Toews had a slow start to the series, but he has since rebounded and is fourth on the team with 10 points. No one is happier to see the Canucks gone than goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, who has struggled throughout his career against Vancouver, and while he wasn’t the best, the “Bulin Wall” stood tall when his young teammates needed him to. Khabibulin has a 2.76 GAA and a .896 save percentage in 12 playoff games this year.
Sports betting odds are backing the Red Wings at -235 to get back to the Stanley Cup. Detroit won four of their six meetings with the Blackhawks this season, including two games in Chicago in which they scored six goals. The Red Wings’ defense, powered by perennial Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom, are a very smart and physical bunch that know how to play the angles, while the speedy Chicago forwards will aim to make the older Red Wings chase them around. The Red Wings are very deep at forward - all four lines can hurt you - and the best part about Detroit’s high-scoring playmakers is that they are also phenomenal in their end of the ice. You’ve also got to give the nod to Osgood over Khabibulin, who is more prone to get shelled. The Blackhawks will make it interesting, but the Red Wings are used to this kind of pressure, while Chicago showed some chinks in the armor against Vancouver. Bet on Detroit as your hockey betting pick.
For more NHL odds, visit the sportsbook at BetOnline.com.
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.
