In the sports betting world the student sometimes becomes the master. When you make your March madness predictions, you base your picks on what the teams are doing now and not what teams had done two and three years ago. The Detroit Red Wing team that won the Stanley Cup in 2008 is now a shell of its former self, and the Nashville Predators are a team on the rise. This NHL game preview is about a change in fortunes.
The fortunes of the Detroit Red Wings have taken a noticeable slide downwards since the 2009-2010 season started. At the beginning of the season the Red Wings’ reputation was enough to make them a 6 to 1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup. As reality set in and became apparent that the Red Wings’ defense is indeed too old to play an 82 game season and the goaltending problem has not been solved, the team has dropped to its current position as a 12 to 1 favorite.
The Nashville Predators are still a work in progress. When the season started they were a 40 to 1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup and now they are a 35 to 1 pick. The super casino odds makers are not convinced that the Predators have staying power as a Stanley Cup contender, which is understandable considering the promise the Predators showed in 2006-2007 when they put up 110 points in the regular season and finished 4th in the Western Conference. The next year the Predators barely made the playoffs and last year they missed the post season completely.
The days of the Red Wings living on their reputation are over. The Red Wings will have to begin rebuilding and they need to start in goal. Jimmy Howard could be the long term answer as Chris Osgood has been rightfully delegated to back-up status. Howard is on a three game winning streak and is in the top five in goals against average and save percentage. The only problem is that Howard cannot play 82 games and Osgood is close to retirement. In order to truly solve their problems in goal the Red Wings need a good backup.
The Predators are a good hockey team. They are in the middle of the pack in scoring and goals against. Pekka Rinne is their number one goalie and he is having a respectable season with six shutouts and 29 wins. Backup Dan Ellis is solid and has added 14 wins of his own to the Predators’ fortunes.
The Predators have won eight of their last 10 and they are fighting with the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche for the fifth playoff spot. While the Red Wings would like to add to their four point lead over the Calgary Flames for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Flames are making it easy on the Red Wings by continually losing key games.
When you consider your March madness odds before you bet you try to consider a team’s motivation. The Red Wings are holding off a weak Calgary team for the final playoff spot while the Predators are in the thick of a battle for the highest playoff ranking they can get. The Predators will want this much more than the Red Wings.
Pick: Nashville Predators 4-1
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