The sports world seems a little topsy turvy of late, doesn’t it? I mean, we all must be dreaming if the Arizona Cardinals won enough football games on purpose to reach Super Bowl XLIII betting. Has there ever been a more absurd matchup for those who bet on the Super Bowl? In addition to the crazy Super Bowl betting matchup, something weird is happening to the hockey betting stratosphere…and it’s going down in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets have won seven of 10 and they sit just one point out of eighth in the Western Conference. How’s that for an online sports betting shocker? Even though Rick Nash is the man…

…he hasn’t been the main reason for the Jackets’ surge. Why is Columbus suddenly a respectable sportsbook pick? Two words: Steve Mason. This kid has been unstoppable, posting a 17-10-1 record, 1.91 goals against average, .932 save percentage and six shutouts so far this year. Those numbers would blow away any NHL betting fan.

Somehow, though, Mason isn’t even an all-star. Forget that snub — it’s time to consider him not just as a Vezina Trophy frontrunner, but as a legit MVP candidate. Remember, “valuable” is the operative word — there are better players than Mason right now, but there’s just no way Columbus would be where it is in the standings without him. While Mason is due to come back to Earth, hockey betting fans should start mentioning him in the same breath as M-V-P.