NHL playoff betting has seen a lot of upsets over the first couple of days, but the underdog came out on top in only one of the three matchups we have slated for Saturday. Here’s a look at how Game 2 will shake out for these teams.

Bruins vs Sabres odds – Saturday, 1:00 PM ET

The Sabres should be favored at home after a 2-1 win in a scrappy Game 1, and Ryan Miller was a monster in the pipes for Buffalo, stopping 38 of 39 shots. The Bruins knew it was going to be tough to beat Miller, the probable Vezina winner and the MVP of the Olympics, and the fact they scored the second-fewest goals in the NHL can’t help matters. Miller had a 2.13 GAA at home during the regular season, and we don’t see that changing against the low-scoring Bruins. Take the Sabres for a 2-0 lead in your NHL betting book.

Canadiens vs Capitals odds – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET

The Capitals will be favored to rebound from a 3-2 overtime loss at home in Game 1, and this was an up-and-down game that you figure would favor the Capitals, who outshot the Canadiens 47-38. But Montreal did an amazing job on Alex Ovchekin, who was largely double-teamed and didn’t even manage a shot on goal. The Capitals will figure out a way to solve that on Saturday night as Ovchekin also got off to a slow start in last year’s playoffs, but picked up the pace. In fact, the Capitals lost their first two at home against the New York Rangers last year, and ironically, Scott Gomez played a huge role for the Rangers. It was Gomez who tied it up on Thursday for the Canadiens, setting up Tomas Plekanec’s overtime winner. But they won’t go down 0-2 this year: go with the Capitals in your sportsbook.

Kings vs Canucks odds – Saturday, 10:00 PM ET

Mikael Samuelsson’s second goal of the game was the overtime winner in a 3-2 win for the Canucks, who outshot the Kings 44-27, but ran into a hot Jon Quick between the posts for Los Angeles. Quick kept the Kings in it, and they even had a chance to win just before Samuelsson’s goal, if not for great reflexes from Roberto Luongo, who had to reach behind him to slap the puck away after a Jack Johnson shot. The Kings showed a lot of heart and guts in this game, and being such a young team, they never looked overwhelmed. The shot discrepancy isn’t a big deal because the Canucks are an excellent team at home, but they’re going to need more from Drew Doughty, who spent most of the night chirping with Alex Burrows. Look for the Canucks to take a 2-0 lead with a sportsbetting win on Saturday.

The playoffs are a time when sportsbook experts look at a team’s regular season record and determine how they may perform in the playoffs. The Buffalo Sabres had a quietly effective season. For the first 40 games of the season it looked like the Sabres were going to win the President’s Trophy again, but in the second half of the season the team fell asleep and while they were able to hang on to the Northeast Division, they failed to put together a consistent effort on any given night.

The sports betting vibe on the Boston Bruins is much different. The Bruins beat the Sabres four out of the six times the teams met this season, and the Bruins have won six of their last 10 games. When you bet NHL playoffs games, you need to look at the whole regular season to determine how a series will play out. This series between the Sabres and the Bruins will be physical, low scoring and it could very well go seven games. The Bruins proved that home ice is not a comfort as they won in the Sabres’ building during the regular season.

The difference in this game, and the whole series, could be speed. The Bruins are missing three starting defensemen due to injury. Mark Stuart is out with a finger injury, Dennis Seidenberg is gone due to arm surgery and Andrew Ference is hobbled with a groin injury. With half of their starting defense out, the Bruins will need to figure out how to contend with new Sabre speedsters such as Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe. The Sabres may find themselves able to get behind the Bruin defense on a regular basis.

The NHL odds makers have the Sabres at 15 to 1 to win the Stanley Cup, and they have the Bruins at 35 to 1. One of the reasons for the gap between the two teams is goaltending. While the Bruins have found their answer in Tuukka Rask, it took them half the season to figure it out. That may not be fair to the Bruins as  Rask has put up the best goaltending numbers in the league and is challenging Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie.

Ryan Miller has been as steady as a goalie can be. The new American Olympic hero has posted a 2.22 goals against average for the season, and he has had another 40+ win season with 41 wins. Miller is the reason that the Sabres defense can pinch in the offensive zone and allow defensemen like rookie sensation Tyler Myers to put 48 offensive points on the board which includes 11 goals.

The Bruins are without their scoring ace Marc Savard, but the slack is being picked up by scorers such as Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Don’t forget captain Zdeno Chara and his 44 points as well. The Bruins also still have their top goal-scorer Marco Sturm in the lineup as well.

If the Bruins defense cannot figure out the Sabre offense then this could be a short series. But the Bruins may decide to physically punish the Sabres as a way of counteracting the Sabres speed. The only question is; can the Bruins catch the Sabres to punish them?

Pick: Buffalo Sabres 3-1

As online betting for The Masters begin to take shape on the golf course, the NHL enters its last weekend of the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs are holding up the basement of the Eastern Conference while the Montreal Canadiens are involved in a battle for position among the bottom playoff teams in the conference. The sportsbook experts know that the Canadiens need this game, but the Leafs never give in to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Leafs have two things going against them in this game; they have no scoring punch any more since players like Lee Stempniak were traded and they are playing in Montreal. Just like NBA betting, in the NHL the arena can make a difference. But this NHL game preview is about a storied rivalry that dates back to a time when the parents of many current players were not even born. The bad blood here is thick, and that makes for a very interesting game.

The best the Montreal Canadiens can hope for is to finish sixth in the conference, but with the Boston Bruins having a game in hand over the Canadiens it may be difficult for the Canadiens to move up. The Canadiens do have more wins this season than the Bruins, and that may enter in to it when the season ends.

The sports betting world gave up on the Leafs early when the Leafs opened up the season with a long string of losses. The Leafs didn’t win a game until their ninth game of the season. They could not score and their goaltending was suspect at best. Some trade deadline moves helped a little, but what has really helped the Leafs is the emergence of goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, also known as “The Monster”. But just like every other player on the Toronto team, the Monster is inconsistent. He will hold teams to one and two goals for a few games, and then let five or six past him for the next few games.

The Canadiens do not have any problems in net. Jaroslav Halak has emerged as the number one goalie, and he will be the man the team leans on in the playoffs. It is very probable that Halak will not play this game as the team may rest him for the playoffs. Carey Price is a capable backup, but he can be shaky when he has not played for a few games. A Toronto / Montreal game is not for the weak of heart, and if Price is shaky early then it could be a long night in Montreal.

We will get to see what the Canadiens are really made of in this game. Regardless of who starts in goal, the atmosphere will be electric before the game starts. The Canadiens need this game and they do not want to leave points on the table at the end of the season to the worst team in the conference. If the Canadiens play their big guns such as Michael Cammalleri and Brian Gionta for regular shifts in order to win the game, then the Leafs will be in trouble.

Toronto will not sit back in this game, but in the end it may not matter. In order to score goals a team has to create pressure and the Leafs offense is not capable of doing that against a fast and strong defense like what the Canadiens have. The only thing that is guaranteed is that this will be a good hockey game.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens 5-3

Take a break from the masters betting to enjoy tonight’s NHL game of the Maple Leafs vs the New York Rangers. Sportsbook betting or not, tonight should be a fast paced and enjoyable game to watch.

NHL Game Preview

Here are two teams that are in completely different situations as the NHL season winds down.

The Maple Leafs

The Map Leafs are not in a good place at the end of this season. They are sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference and are second-last in the entire league. While other teams in a similar place can draw some positives from this situation, like having a top pick in the draft, the Maple Leafs traded their first round draft pick to the Bruins. This leaves them at the bottom with no bonus points to collect at the end of the season.

The only positive aspect of this entire situation is that the Leafs need to play hard to the very end in order to help sell next year’s tickets and display their individual and team abilities to management. Plus, giving away a top pick to the Bruins is not something that Leafs want to do. Therefore, they will be playing hard to the very end. Their pride is on the line. The best way to start the next season right is to end this one on a high note.

The Rangers

The New York Rangers are desperately fighting for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Burins are three points ahead with three games remaining. At this point, things are not looking too bright for the Rangers, but there is still a chance.

The Rangers botched their Tuesday night game against the Buffalo Sabres; a game the Rangers desperately needed to win. Why even mention desperately? All teams fighting for the last playoff spot are desperately trying to win.

Goaltending was an issue in Buffalo when Henrik Lundqvist was replaced by Alex Auld. This is definitely not a good time for the Ranger’s number one goalie to go on a cold streak. They need him desperately to perform at the top of his game as their NHL playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Those who enjoy hockey betting would have a tough time picking the rangers to make it at the end.

Even with a valiant effort in the next three games, the season is no longer entirely in New York’s hands. All Boston needs to do is hold on, and the Rangers will not be able to do anything about it. Philadelphia has a point on Boston, but they have also played one extra game. Whatever does end up happening, the Rangers are now simply hoping that either, Boston or Philadelphia loses their remaining games and somehow the Rangers win. A long shot, but possible.

Tonight’s Game

The Rangers are favorites to win tonight against the Leafs, but not by all that much. It will be Jonas Gustavsson taking on Henrik Lundqvist. Gustavsson is still young and appears shaky at times. It seems like a hit and miss with him for now. On the other hand, watch for Lundqvist to come out strong tonight. He is the seasoned veteran and will be expected to carry the team in these final three games.

The Rangers have more riding on this game and should show more desperation than the Leafs. For the sportsbetting fan, the Rangers are likely to pull it off. Will they cover the spread? If Gaborik has his say, they will.

The Rangers are likely to win.

The sports book websites are heating up with NHL betting now that the playoffs are less than two weeks away. Some teams are fighting for their playoff lives, some are just trying to stay healthy until the playoffs and some teams are trying to play the role of spoiler.

 In this NHL game preview we look at the Carolina Hurricanes visiting the Montreal Canadiens. The Carolina Hurricanes started the season as a 20 to 1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup. They were solid in goal with Cam Ward, and Rob Brind’Amour was supposed to carry the team to the post-season. Throughout the season Cam Ward was first a disappointment, and then he got hurt. The Hurricanes cannot score goals and they are -29 in the difference between goals for and goals against. Now the Hurricanes are 200 to 1 to win the Cup and it is doubtful they will make the playoffs.

The Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins were supposed to battle it out for the Northeast division as the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators were left for dead by the hockey world. Then the season actually started and Montreal goaltender Carey Price did not deliver. The Canadiens started the season as 25 to 1 favorites, but their play throughout the season has dropped them to a 40 to 1 bet to win the Stanley Cup.

The Canadiens are fighting with the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers for the sixth, seventh and eighth playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Only two points separate the teams. It is doubtful that either of those three teams will catch fifth place Ottawa, but they are all looking in their rearview mirrors at the Atlanta Thrashers who are only two points out of a playoff spot and on the move.

It is difficult for a team to be battling for a playoff spot so late in the season because you are not afforded the luxury of being able to evaluate your talent to see who will play in the playoffs and who will sit. The Canadiens seem to still be jumping back and forth between Price and goaltender Jaroslav Halak. While it is expected that Halak will be the playoff starter, he is not getting all of the starts and that has to concern Canadiens fans.

While betters are considering the Final Four odds, the Carolina Hurricanes are trying to play spoiler. The NHL odds are less than 1% that the Hurricanes will make the playoffs, so now they are just playing for pride. Cam Ward is back from his injury but he is rusty and not winning just yet.

The Canadiens have found a focus in the last two weeks winning six of their last ten games. Their scoring has picked up and so has the play of Halak, when he is in net. If the Canadiens sit Price and ride Halak the rest of the way they could very well win out their remaining games. They are playing very well and they are playing with a purpose.

It does not appear as though the Hurricanes have enough to play spoiler against a Montreal team in their own building and focused squarely on the post-season.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens 4-2

Take a break from those March Madness odds for a minute and check out this NHL matchup on the horizon in San Jose, where two of the top three teams in the Western Conference will meet when the Sharks host the Canucks, and both teams have been up and down as of late, looking for a spark to take them into the playoffs.

Canucks vs Sharks odds – Saturday, March 27, 10:00 PM ET

Sportsbook players could see that the Canucks were looking ahead to their Wednesday game against Anaheim when they lost 3-2 in Edmonton on Tuesday, so they spanked the Ducks 4-1 behind goals from Christian Ehrhoff, Daniel Sedin, Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler. The Sedin twins combined for six points on the night, while linemate Burrows added his goal, and their production has to be one of the biggest surprises of the season. Everyone knew they were solid players, but now the Sedins are bonafide stars, and they’re two of the keys to the Canucks’ sportsbook odds to lift the Stanley Cup. The other key, Roberto Luongo, sat this game out, but Andrew Raycroft stepped in nicely to stop 30 shots.

After losing five in a row, all on the road, the Sharks have now won two straight after a 3-0 shutout of Dallas at home on Thursday. Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves for the 50^th shutout of his career, and he got support by goals from Rob Blake, Dan Boyle and Logan Couture. This will be the second of a three-game homestand for the Sharks, who then head out on the road for four more games, and they’ll have to sort out their problems away from home if they want to feel like they can emerge out of the tough West.

The Sharks should be favored at home by your sportsbook odds (sportsbook reviews), and the Canucks have lost their last four trips to San Jose. Even though they’ve won two of their last three against the Sharks, the Canucks had lost seven straight to the Sharks prior to that, and it seems that this is just one of those matchups where one team has the number of the other. The gold-medal Canadian will be well represented, as Luongo will face Boyle, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau on the other side. Luongo hasn’t played well since the Olympics ended, and the Canucks need him to be at his best if they want to be a factor in the playoffs. The Sharks are tough to beat at home, so you should take San Jose on Saturday night before making your NCAA basketball betting picks.

The March madness odds have hit full stride in Buffalo, NY as the first round of the NCAA tournament was played in Buffalo’s HSBC Arena. Now that the March madness picks have moved to the next round, the Buffalo Sabres can go back to their home and try and lock up the Northeast Division before the playoffs start.

The sportsbook reviews have the Buffalo Sabres’ odds at winning the Stanley Cup at 10 to 1 and the Montreal Canadiens at 50 to 1. The Canadiens and their early season indecision in goal cost them ground in the standings and spots in the Stanley Cup odds. The Sabres have been chugging along winning more than they have been losing since the Olympic break and winning their last three games in a row.

Right now the Sabres stand nine points ahead of the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens in the Northeast Division. More importantly, the Canadiens are fighting with the Boston Bruins and the Atlanta Thrashers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

When you bet March madness you sometimes look for that team with something to prove. The team that seems most desperate, with the talent to back it up, can be an appealing pick. In the NHL playoff run you can use many of the same betting rules in picking individual game winners. The Montreal Canadiens will be a very desperate team coming into this game. They need the points much more than the Sabres do. However, the Sabres just beat two very desperate teams in the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sabres beat the Hurricanes only 22 hours after beating the Panthers.

The Canadiens could be coming into a buzz saw when they take the ice in Buffalo for this game. Players who have laid dormant such as Jochen Hecht and Adam Mair are suddenly offensive machines. Patrick Kaleta is an expert NHL pest, and Ryan Miller is a wall in net.

The Canadiens put up very similar offensive numbers to the Sabres, but what the Canadiens have now is a solid goaltender in Jaroslav Halak. The last time these two teams played on January 3, 2010 the Canadiens were still clinging to Carey Price. The Sabres won that game 1-0 with Price in net for the Canadiens. This game will be different with Halak between the pipes.

The Canadiens have been getting steady offense from scorers like Michael Cammalleri and Brian Gionta all season long. The problem for the Canadiens is that Cammalleri is hurt and they do not have his offense. Gionta scored twice in the Canadiens’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Canadiens will lean a lot on Gionta until Cammalleri comes back.

If the Sabres give Ryan Miller a rest for this game, which they may do because they have a cushion in their division, then the Canadiens may be able to get to Patrick Lalime with pressure. But with Ryan Miller in net, the Canadiens will have to crash the net from the point and that leaves the Sabres free to run towards Halak all alone in the Canadiens’ goal.

Pick: Buffalo Sabres 3-1

Hockey fans looking to watch something other than March Madness odds games on Saturday night will get to watch a classic, original six match up between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Although the result in this one means little for the Maple Leafs non-existent playoff hopes, there will still be consolation for the team’s fans if they can play spoiler and hurt the postseason chances of the seventh seeded Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs

Saturday March 20, 2010 – 7PM ET

Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Online Betting Line: Montreal -110

The Canadiens have been playing their best hockey of the season since the Olympic break, registering a 7-1 record including their current six-game winning streak they will look to defend against the last place Maple Leafs. Even without leading scorer Mike Cammalleri, Montreal has found a way to ignite the offense, which was its Achilles heel for much of the first half of the season. The Habs have scored 24 goals on their current winning streak, an average of four goals per game. A big reason for the offensive success has been the chemistry between Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, and Benoit Pouliot. Gomez and Gionta played together in New Jersey several years back, and look to have found that chemistry. Pouliot has been the perfect complement as the power forward with a scoring touch. Three of the Canadiens’ next six games are against teams currently placed outside a playoff spot, and it will be important to take advantage and gain maximum points in those games to help clinch a playoff spot.

The Maple Leafs have long been out of contention for a playoff spot, but that hasn’t stopped them from actually becoming a more competitive team since the Olympic break. Toronto is two games above .500 in eight games since returning from the break, and what is more impressive is that four of those six wins have come against teams currently holding a playoff spot in the Eastern conference. After trading several veteran players at the trade deadline, the Maple Leafs have thrived as the National Hockey League’s youngest team.

No matter where these teams are in the standings it is always a competitive game when they meet. Montreal has won three of the first four games they have played, but since they all went past regulation, including two overtime wins and one shootout win, Toronto has earned a point in every one of those games with a 1-0-3 mark. Both teams have been playing their best hockey of the season in March, and with Montreal looking to continue their winning streak and become one step closer to clinching a playoff spot, this game should be as exciting as any March Madness predictions come Saturday night. Expect the Canadiens to continue to roll with a road win over their longtime nemesis, in a game that very well could once again go to extra time.

5dimes reviews Pick: Montreal -110

NHL Game Preview: Phoenix Coyotes @ Tampa Bay Lightning (3/16/2010)

During all of the march madness odds it is easy to overlook the fact that the Tampa Bay Lightning have snuck up to within four points of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Ever since the trade deadline the sports betting community has been picking the Phoenix Coyotes to win almost every night, and for the most part the Coyotes have delivered. This game is a story of a team trying desperately to cling to life, and another team looking to establish their new-found dominance.

Goaltending

This will be like a March madness contest between two teams looking to move up in the bracket. The goaltending difference is glaring between these two teams, and could be the difference in the game.

As is the case when figuring odds on NCAA basketball, defense is important in the NHL. The Lightning have been using a platoon of two goalies and neither can seem to get the job done or lay claim to the number one goalie spot. Antero Niittymaki was supposed to be the starter but the Lightning have turned to using Mike Smith as well and neither has played exceptional. Niittymaki remains the de facto number one goalie because he has a winning record, but he has been pulled several times this season and leave instability in the Tampa nets.

The Coyotes have Ilya Bryzgalov and have no problems between the pipes. Bryzgalov is in the top of the league in shut-outs, wins and goals against average. He has also won four of his last five games with two of those wins being shut-outs.

Offense

The Coyotes have 10 players with double-digit goals and one of those players is the recently acquired Lee Stempniak from Toronto. Throw in the other superstar new addition in Wojtek Wolski from Colorado and it is easy to see why the Coyotes are surging at the right time.

The Lightning are getting the majority of their offense from Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Malone and Vincent Lecavalier. That is not enough to establish a winning season and it is showing in the standings.

Defense

The difference between Tampa goals against and goals for is -27. That is really all that needs to be said about their goaltending, their defense and their offense. It is lacking, and it is hard to win games when you cannot put the puck in the net.

The Phoenix production has picked up steadily in the past two weeks to the point where they are +18 in their goals against versus goals for differential. It is good to see a team make the right trades and then benefit from them.

Bottom Line

There is a very good chance that the Lightning will put up a good fight in this game. Their top scorers will put pressure on Bryzgalov and the Phoenix defense, but in the end it may not be enough. With the new high-flying Coyotes on the ice, the team is looking to establish itself for a playoff run. This game will be another statement game by the new Coyotes.

Pick: Phoenix Coyotes 4-2

While Pacquiao Clottey betting and college basketball odds will be hot this week, another powerful pair will meet on Saturday afternoon on the ice in Philadelphia, where the Flyers will host Chicago. Both teams have won seven of their last 10 games, and as we head towards the stretch run, both will be looking to keep up their momentum.

Blackhawks vs Flyers odds – Saturday, March 13, 1:00 PM ET

The Blackhawks ended a four-game homestand with a 3-2 overtime win over Los Angeles at home on Wednesday, powered by a pair of goals from Patrick Sharp. Kris Versteeg notched his 15^th goal of the year for the Blackhawks, who got 28 saves from Antti Niemi as they held a 43-30 edge in shots over the Kings. The Blackhawks sat just two points behind San Jose for the top spot in the Western Conference before Friday’s games, and they would also like to keep their eight-point cushion on third-place Vancouver.

The Flyers were thumped 5-1 by Boston at home on Thursday, although the Bruins were certainly fired up over the loss of Marc Savard, who was knocked out by Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke last Sunday. Jeff Carter’s 32^nd goal of the season was a power-play marker, but that was the only shot that the Flyers could get past Tuukka Rask. The Flyers were outshot 37-32, and at home, these are the types of games you cannot have, especially against a team trying to catch you in the standings. Heading into Friday’s games, the Flyers were tied with Montreal on 74 points in the Eastern Conference in sixth place, but Boston is just two points behind.

The Flyers should be favored at home in this contest according to bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews), and they’ve won eight of their last 10 against the Blackhawks, but the two haven’t faced each other since Boxing Day 2006, when the Blackhawks routed the Flyers 5-1 at home. The Blackhawks are great on the road, but the Flyers will be eager to get back on the ice after their poor effort against Boston on Thursday, and that should fire them up. There are still questions about goaltending on both teams, and whichever goalie plays better will lead their team to victory. The Flyers seem to be settled on Michael Leighton, and it’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back from his worst game with Philadelphia. The Blackhawks will be beginning a tough stretch of four road games in five outings, and they may be looking ahead to Sunday afternoon’s nationally-televised showdown with Washington, another favorite according to Stanley Cup odds. Take the Philadelphia Flyers at home before you make your boxing picks Saturday night, followed by some college basketball betting picks on Sunday.