2011 Belmont betting players have witnessed some wide-open odds when it comes to the Triple Crown races, and they’ll get another one on June 11^th, but Vancouver has been the favorite for the Stanley Cup for most of the season, so it’s no surprise that they’re the breeders cup betting favorites to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup, even though we don’t know who they’re playing yet.

Vancouver (-225): The Canucks are resting after dispatching of San Jose in five games, which is good news for Ryan Kesler, who hurt his leg in the series clincher, but still managed to score the goal that sent the game into overtime. Vancouver has been the best team in the NHL from top to bottom this season, so it’s no surprise that they’re the favorites.

Boston (+290): The Bruins still have to get rid of the Lightning on Friday night at home in Boston in a massive Game 7, the second of the playoffs for both teams. But outside of goaltender Tim Thomas, the Bruins have been inconsistent, and it’s because of Thomas that they’re even still in the postseason.

Tampa Bay (+600): The Lightning have a very good chance to escape Boston with a win, much like they did in Pittsburgh in the first round. Tampa Bay’s explosive offense always gives them a chance to win, even when their goaltending is shaky, but it may not be enough to overcome Vancouver at your favored betting website.

OK, offshore sportsbook lovers, it’s time to play…PANIC/DON’T PANIC!

It’s easy to have knee-jerk reactions to certain teams or players’ slow starts just a few weeks into the season. I’m here to sort through them for you.

PANIC: Detroit is banged up and starting slowly

Do I think Detroit will miss the playoffs? Of course not. Do I think the Wings will take a step back and possibly even lose home ice in the first round? You bet. After Johan Franzen’s serious knee injury, the Wings are now missing four of their top six goal scorers from last season. Gulp.

DON’T PANIC: Buffalo is the no-scoring zone

Aside from their outburst against Detroit, the Sabres have struggled to find the net early in 2009-10 and that’s ironic, because scoring should be one of the only things they do well this season. They still have plenty of speedy, soft-handed forwards, so the goals will come. So will the losses (Craig Rivet is their top defenseman).

PANIC: The Toronto Maple Laughs

The Leafs aren’t nearly as bad as their record suggests, but they’re in a hole already. I envisioned them as a fringe team, on the cusp of finishing eighth or ninth in the East, but a start this slow could put them too far back in the pack to contend already.

DON’T PANIC: Bruins aren’t so big and bad

Boston has stumbled out of the gate and people are turning on their NHL betting odds already. Relax, everyone! Boston opened with five straight home games, which could be a curse instead of a blessing. Road trips, especially early in the season, give players crucial bonding time. Expect the Bruins to rally now that they’re hitting the road.

PANIC: Caps getting scored on as much as they score

As flashy Washington’s offense is, the Caps have lost four of their first six games. Ovechkin, Semin and company will keep the Caps’ Stanley Cup odds afloat but Washington seriously lacks blueline depth and neither Jose Theodore nor Simeon Varlamov looks like a clear-cut No. 1 goalie right now. Unless the Caps acquire some help, they’ll stay stuck in neutral. I’m betting management considers making a move soon.

If you bet at a sportsbook, you know there’s nothing wrong with stealing ideas. You overhear a guy make a compelling argument as to why the Lions will be the Redskins in NFL betting, you place a wager. No harm, no foul. Well, I’ve taken it upon myself to steal another idea — “Guys I like” and “Guys I don’t like” for the upcoming NHL season.

If you’re the type of bettor who factors individual performances into your hockey odds betting, remember these names as potential contributors to your success this season.

Anaheim’s top line — Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry. My pick to be the NHL’s most dominant first line this season.

Blake Wheeler — For all the hype Milan Lucic gets in Boston, Wheeler has fantastic hands and agility for his size. Maybe he’s the next Cam Neely.

Derick Brassard — He really looked like he belonged as Rick Nash’s centerman last year. This season, he’ll have better injury luck and help take Nash to new heights.

Valtteri Filppula – Somebody has to eat up all those power-play minutes and ice time with Datsyuk and Franzen in Detroit after Hossa and Hudler blew town.

Drew Doughty — I think he can make the leap into true offensive relevance as a sophomore.

Claude Giroux — Could see first-line duties with Simon Gagne good for an injury every year.

Chris Kunitz — A heady, well-rounded player who can be a defensive conscience on Crosby’s line.

Mikael Samuelsson — Only a matter of time before Vancouver puts him with the Sedins.

There you have it — some guys to think about. There aren’t the only guys I like — Jonathan Toews and Alexander Ovechkin are clearly good at hockey — but just some names you may be forgetting who could surprise this season. Remember that when you do your betting management.

Well, online sports betting fans — here’s a story we probably never thought we’d be discussing a week before the NHL regular season starts. It would be crazy enough simply to witness a comeback attempt from Theoren Fleury. The really insane thing about it is that he has a very good chance to make the team.

If he doesn’t, some hockey brass will say “Good — they can’t just get sentimental and give an old fan favorite a spot that belongs to a good young player.” Normally, I would agree — if Claude Lemieux got a roster spot with the Sharks again this year, it woudl be a joke. But the truth is that, based on what I’ve seen in the preseason, it would be discriminatory for Fleury not to make the team. He seems to legitimately deserve a roster spot.

He’s a small guy who still seems to have speed and may have more space to work with than ever before; remember, he’s never played in the new NHL. As he’s shown on multiple breakaways, he still has soft hands and can juke defenders like Chris Johnson in NFL betting. He’s a hard-nosed guy who would gladly accept a checking role — one played by Todd Bertuzzi and Owen Nolan in recent seasons. They’re gone, so what’s wrong with another vet playing that part?

Fleury seems like a good fit for the Flames right now. If they cut him or send him down, it would seem “small” of them, almost as if they’re “worried that people will make fun of them for signing a 41-year-old.” I’m betting management is feeling that heat right now.

But come on, Sutters! If a guy deserves a spot, he should get it. I’m rooting for Fleury, not because he’s Fleury, but because he’s playing well enough to warrant an NHL roster spot — two-way contract be damned.

Who are you kidding, Calgary? iginla and Kipper aren’t spring chickens any more. Your Stanley Cup odds rely more on winning now than you think. Keep Theo Fleury and don’t worry about every last young guy’s roster spot.

Ugh. If you online betting fans follow my blog, you’ll know that I’m a Leafs fan, though I try not to let that bias leak out or take over all the talk here (that’s what Canadian news media are for, right?). It thus pains me to say that…I think the Senators are a pretty good sleeper to make the playoffs this season.

Blech.

What were the main problems plaguing the Sens during their contending years? Weak goaltending, no scoring depth. While I thought they would’ve gotten a better return for Dany Heatley, I do think the trade makes them a better team. When you include the Kovalev signing, the Sens essentially dealt Dany Heatley for Alex Kovalev, Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo. That trio joins Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Mike Fisher and Nick Foligno. Is it just me or do the Sens have two scoring lines for the first time since before the lockout?

From the goalie standpoint — Pascal Leclaire is still an injury risk but he’s like Jay Cutler to the Bears’ NFL odds — he may be the most naturally talented goalie the Sens have ever had and I’m betting management feels that way in Ottawa. If he stays healthy, who knows what he can do?

They’re not crazy sports picks to win the Cup or anything, but they could bounce back to respectability.

It’s almost time for UFC betting, boxing betting and all those things not named hockey. Sniff, sniff…the dream is almost over! One game left, but I really shouldn’t be complaining — how awesome is a Stanley Cup Game 7?

I just realized something, though; here I am, spouting off on my hockey BETTING blog all year, and I’m not sure if I’ve made one pick for y’all (actually, I suppose I did it in rap form, so there!). So let’s make one now.

I think Detroit wins 4-2 with an empty netter tonight. Home ice goes a looonnnnng way in this sportsbook pick; the home team in Game 7 of Stanley Cup betting is 12-2 all time and has won seven straight. No road team has one in this series. Sidney Crosby has no points in three games at Joe Louis Arena in this series. Even Marc-Andre Fleury plays with far less confidence on the road.

We can’t follow every single trend we’ve seen, as anything can happen when you’re betting online, but they’re still pretty good indicators. Chances are, Chris Osgood will be steady, Marian Hossa will be invisible, Detroit’s power play will flourish if the Pens lose their discipline. The true variables tonight are Pittsburgh’s stars. If Sid and Malkin are really among the top three players on Earth, they have to show it in this game. Marc-Andre Fleury also needs to play like he doesn in Pittsburgh. Will it happen? Maybe, but even if the Pens are firing on all cylinders, they’re still playing Detroit, here.

It’s been a great run, but the Wings dynasty continues. Enjoy the UFC betting tomorrow.

What the eff, Penguins? Stanley Cup betting suddenly just got a lot less interesting. Everyone in the NHL betting hype machine was declaring the series a classic when, out of nowhere, the Pens lay a massive, rotten egg. Detroit scored first, the fans got involved, and the Pens just lost their cool.

Crosby and Malkin, taking dumb penalties? Letting their emotions get the better of them? Wasn’t this supposed to be the team that matured after last season? Wasn’t now supposed to be “their time” in NHL betting?

I still have faith that the Pens can rally in Stanley Cup betting. After all, they’re going back to comfy Mellon Arena. But if they really want to win this damn thing, they have to grow up and show some mental toughness in Detroit. You’re never gonna win one if you can’t keep your emotions in check on the road, fellas.

I’m like a parent, repeating myself. So I’ll stop now and just say GO TO YOUR ROOM!

Don’t give up on the Pens in online wagering quite yet. They have to have learned something from last year, right?

Am I great Belmont betting horse race jockey? Am I any more of a great hockey player? No. But that doesn’t mean I can’t give my boy Sid the Kid advice.

You know what? The Sid hating is really tiresome. Yes, he has the off-ice personality of unleavened bread, but he’s dynamic, creative player on the ice and, for all his whining, he’s not afraid to get physical at all. So forgive me for trying to help the “crybaby.”

Sid — I know you’re not a natural goal scorer, but you certainly can still score. You had 14 goals in the first three rounds of the NHL betting playoffs, for cryin’ out loud. What was the key? Well, let’s take a look at this SICK highlight video showing his goals vs Ovechkin’s in the second round of Stanley Cup betting. He’s like a tennis player in the French Open Finals odds — getting rid of the puck/ball as soon as it’s on his stick/racquet.

Goal 1 – One quick move into the center, laser wrist shot.

Goal 2 – rebound on the doorstep, immediately jams it in. Dwight Howard would be proud in NBA Finals betting.

Goal 3 – rebound on the doorstep, quickly tucks it in

Goal 4 – has about five whacks, wastes no time, takes about 4,508 shots in two seconds and finally puts it home

I could go on, but you get the picture. It’s all about the RELEASE — Crosby was wasting no time when he had the puck. Against Chris Osgood, he’s trying to do too much right now, dancing, stickhandling, giving Osgood time to cut down the angle on him.

SHOOT, Sid! Keep it simple, like you’re a thoroughbred chasing a carrot in the Belmont Stakes odds. It’s the key to your team’s online wagering hopes.

Hmpf. And I thought Nadal’s French Open odds upset was a surprise. Then came Montreal’s hiring of Jacques Martin. Was I alone in being floored by it?

Your team is coming off a turbulent season and you’re about to lose half your team to free agency, so you…hire a guy who has losing deep in his blood? Martin, the guy who guided countless Sens contenders who fell flatter than the World according to Columbus? The guy who accomplished zilch in Florida?

Hmph.

Am I just not thinking this through? One thing Martin has done reasonably well is turn last-place teams around. Well, he at least did that with the Sens in the mid 1990s. Maybe this is Montreal’s way of implying that they’re going to let a bunch of guys walk and rebuild?  Martin does teach a strong defensive game, too. And he pulled it off with goalies like Patrick Lalime, Ron Tugnutt and Damian Rhodes. So maybe he’ll help Carey Price get back on track in NHL betting.

Either way, I’m officially predicting to NHL betting fans that the Toronto Maple Leafs will finish above the Montreal Canadiens in the standings next year. I’ll put money down on it now. Bad betting management by me, or am I onto something? The draft will tell us more…

Sacrilege! Worse than a Belmont Stakes odds jockey saying “Triple Crown” to jinx his horse!

Yes, after the Penguins advanced to the Stanley Cup Final odds last night, Sidney Crosby did the unthinkable and TOUCHED THE WALES TROPHY. If you’re a hockey betting fan, you know it’s supposedly a curse to do so.  But is there really much evidence to back it up? Scott Stevens broke the rule in 2003, handing the trophy around to his whole team, and the Devils’ NHL odds didn’t suffer, as they went on to win the Cup.

Mario Lemieux touched the trophy in the years when the Penguins last won the Cup and, as Sid the Kid pointed out in a post-game interview, the Pens didn’t touch the trophy last year and they didn’t win the cup. Good on the Pens for mixing things up. As good as the Red Wings are (oh, and, uh, the Blackhawks if they win, haha), it’s looking more and more like Pittsburgh’s year at online sports book.