Stanley Cup Finals - Ending the March of the Penguins
by Corey E
BetUS sportsbook customers are noticing plenty of familiar sports betting trends in the 2009 Detroit Red Wings to take a commanding lead in a championship series—we as hockey betting sharps have certainly come to expect it. Despite what we knew, plenty of those betting on the Stanley Cup thought that things might be different this time around, that age would catch up to Detroit, and the youth of the Pittsburgh Penguins would overcome the NHL odds.
However, the series thus far can be summed up in a couple of clichés and catch phrases: The march of the Penguins has ended, as the Winged Wheel rolls on.
NHL betting analysts seem to have mistaken certain elements of the Penguins’ makeup for more negative characteristics. “Youthful exuberance,” for example, has proven to simply be a lack of experience. The Pens’ “two powerful lines,” have not been enough, and should have been described by the NHL lines as a lack of depth.
Not a lack of depth overall, but against the Detroit Red Wings, a team must be nearly perfect (i.e. the Anaheim Ducks) to make them budge.
On the flip side, the Red Wings have proven the NHL odds correct, and all of their flaws have either been invisible, or have shown themselves to be advantages in some way. The case of back-to-back games, for example, did not phase the defending champions in any way, and actually turned out to be a big advantage in terms of maintaining momentum coming out of a solid Game 1. In addition, an injury to Pavel Datsyuk has only sprung the emergence of speedster Darren Helm, and the tight-checking Justin Abdelkader, who have caused chaos against the Penguins’ second, third and fourth lines through Game 2.
It would be absurd to think that the Penguins couldn’t squeeze out one game on home ice, and most NHL betting sharps will be banking on that to take place. Stanley Cup betting is often characterized by the losing team getting their first time at home after two road losses, then fading into the dark. NHL lines suggest that the same will happen for Pittsburgh, who is likely to come out smoking in Game 3, but are also liable to burn themselves out in doing so. Case in point: Chicago in the Western Conference Finals.
Game 3 Pick: Pittsburgh
