The Anaheim Ducks (62-25-5-5) and the Chicago Blackhawks (59-32-4-3) are each just one step away from the Stanley Cup Finals. The Ducks are the -120 favorites in this most pivotal of games, but most will believe that the veterans of the NHL playoffs from Chicago will have the upper hand. But who will have the edge in the tricky task of live betting the hockey playoffs?
WE'RE GOING STREAKING
No team has been able to put goals in the back of the net as quickly and as efficiently in these playoffs as the Blackhawks have. They have averaged 3.19 goals per game in the second season, and though that isn't the best mark in the league, it might be the most impressive considering how difficult their schedule has been to reach this point.
What really makes Chicago so dangerous is the fact that it can score goals in bunches. Just go back to Game 5, for example. The Blackhawks were down 4-2 with under two minutes left to play, and you could have gotten them at 40 to 1 to win the game at that point.
Granted, as we know, they didn't ultimately do so, losing in overtime, but Jonathan Toews, whom we will speak more about in a second, scored two goals in short order to push the game to overtime.
The same spurts happened in Game 6 as well. Chicago scored three goals in less than four minutes in the second period, and then it scored two more goals in the third to blow a 3-2 lead up into a 5-2 blowout.
Know that for live betting purposes, one Blackhawks strike doesn't necessarily mean that betting against the trend is the way to go. Lightning has struck twice very quickly at times in this series.
FRAGILE FREDDY
Statistically speaking, Frederik Andersen has been remarkable here in these playoffs. He has a 2.18 GAA, and the first time he was beaten in regulation in a game was in Game 6 after 14 straight examples of either SU victories or overtime losses.
That said, we hate the way that he looks right now heading into the biggest game of his career. The Dane has allowed eight goals in his last two outings, including giving up six goals on his last 26 shots faced, and there are really only two of those goals in which we place no blame on him for conceding.
Let's call it for what it is: Andersen has been soft. Very soft. The goals which have been getting past him in these last few games haven't been good goals. When you're playing against a team like Chicago, you have to step on the throat when you have the chance to do so. Andersen and the Ducks haven't, and they might pay the ultimate price.
For the purposes of live betting, we just hate Andersen in this game. We don't believe that he is going to get a ton of work, but we think he needs to get a few really good saves early on, or we just can't support him in live betting.
TOEWS & KANE CONNECTION
Toews really came alive late in Game 5 when he was paired with Patrick Kane for the first time in these playoffs. All of a sudden, passes were crisper, gaining the offensive zone was easier, and ultimately, the puck ended up in the back of the net easier.
For some reason though, Joel Quenneville went away from that line combination both in the brief overtime in Game 5 as well as in Game 6.
We can't see him not at least sprinkling in those two together in Game 7. If that turns out to be the case, be on the lookout. Live betting on the Hawks when their two best players are on the ice together could be a brilliant idea, especially if they are doing so against any other line aside from the Corry Perry/Ryan Getzlaf line for Anaheim.
BookMaker sent out the NHL spread for Game 7 at Anaheim -120 and a total of 4.5. Live wagering during the run of play offers an adjusted puck-line as well as moneyline and total prices. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 30, 2015 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Game 7 of this series will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network.
