NHL Playoff Betting Odds Being Flipped By Underdogs

The NHL playoffs are always a struggle for top teams, and this year has been no different. While most sports are relatively easy for odds makers to predict, upsets in the NHL have become commonplace at playoff time.

The Rangers and Vancouver Canucks have been hands down the best teams in the league during the regular season. Each team won the most points in their conference with relative ease, and were expected to meet in the finals. The odds makers had each team as heavy favorites to come out of their conference.

In the next two days, both the Rangers and Canucks could be ousted from the post season in the first round. The Rangers received an unlucky break when they were slated to play one of the only teams that has a winning record against them this season, Ottowa. Out West, Vancouver has ran into a determined Los Angeles team.

Several years ago, the roles were reversed out West, with Vacouver shocking Los Angeles and going all the way to the finals, Now, it is the Kings that has a chance to return the favor when they step on the ice for game six. Los Angeles is up 3-1 in the series.

Rangers fans have been claiming all season long that this was their best team since the last New York championship. Ottowa, however, has been on an even playing surface with the Rangers all series long, and they will get a chance to close out the top seed in Ottowa Monday night. The winner of the series will face Philadelphia, another upset winner in the first round.

The Flyers were up against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that odds makers had as one of the favorites coming into the season. The Penguins had poor goaltending throughout the series, and the Flyers finished off the 4-2 series win this afternoon with a 5-1 win at home.

The other Eastern Conference series' are currently going accroding to seeding, with the Florida Panthers up 3-2 on New Jersey, and Boston and Washington headed for a game seven. The Bruins were heavily favored over the Capitals, but had to survive an overtime thriller today to force a game seven back in Boston.

Out West, the Chicago Blackhawks are down 3-2 to Phoenix. The Coyotes will have an opportunity to close the series in Chicago. If the Blackhawks can survive, Phoenix will have game seven on their home ice.

St. Louis and Nashville have already won their series, over San Jose and Detroit, respectively.

April 22, 2012
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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