NHL odds betting is a strange beast. In some years, when we desperately want to see certain storylines come to fruition, the hockey betting Gods laugh at us. Take 2007; the Leafs and Canadiens were both eliminated in the last 24 hours of the regular season and the New York Islanders made the big Dance.

We also saw the following TRASHY mid-2000s Stanley Cup odds sports wagering matchups:

New Jersey/Anaheim

Tampa Bay/Calgary

Edmonton/Carolina

Ottawa/Anaheim

Almost as bad as — gulp — Orlando/Denver possibly meeting in the NBA odds final! Well, finally, things have changed for the better. The Original Six teams are making a comeback — five of six made the bet online NHL playoffs and we’re getting to see the Red Wings vs Blackhawks odds right now — and we even got to see the Crosby/Ovechkin matchup we so patiently awaited. Now, the Pens and Wings are each one win away from a rematch. If they win their next games, the Stanley Cup odds will start Saturday. Woo!

I know it’s getting warmer outside and it’s hard to watch hockey in late May, but try not to take this year’s great matchups for granted, NHL odds followers.

Like picking Bjorn Borg in the French Open odds, I’m a bit behind the times here, as the Hawks look finished, but I figure I should weigh in on the Kronwall/Havlat hit that rocked NHL betting Friday night.

Let’s start by watching the hit again:

My thoughts: the league and refs probably handled everything right, but I’m not even totally convinced Kronwall deserved a penalty there. Most people would bet at the sportsbook that Kronwall left his feet to deliver that kind of impact, but he was flat-footed. Also, the play wasn’t interference, as Havlat was handling (or attempting to handle) the puck. In theory, I guess you could say Kronwall committed an NHL betting faux-pas by “hitting someone in a vulnerable position,” but where do you draw the line? Most guys carrying the puck are in a vulnerable position.

It’s not the end of the world that Kronwall got the boot from the game, and I can understand why the refs had to react quickly to what they saw, but I’m glad the NHL didn’t discipline him any more than that. It would’ve been a major detriment to any sports wagering fans resting their hopes on Detroit’s Stanley Cup odds.

Maybe I’m distracted by this weekend’s Indy 500 odds (Danica Patrick! Go Daddy!) or something, but I just realized that I never really made picks for the Conference Final series.

Since the action is well underway, I’ll make some “educated” picks for those who bet online hockey.

Red Wings vs Blackhawks odds

Well, the Wings are already up 2-0 and look pretty safe to advance to the Stanley Cup odds final, but I don’t see a sweep happening. The United Center has rocked all playoffs long and should boost the Hawks tomorrow night. They’ll come out hitting and, more importantly, they’ll play more conscientious defense, almost like a team boosted by the home crowd in basketball betting, so I think they take Game 3 and, say….Game 5 on the road, where the haven’t played badly. Red Wings in six.

Penguins vs Hurricanes odds

The theme of these hockey betting playoff continues to be the lack of respect for the Hurricanes, and I’m guilty of it, but I’m still not mending my ways. As I said yesterday, the Penguins are my sports wagering pick to win it all and their confidence seems to grow with each game. The seven-game wars with Boston and New Jersey took too much out of the Canes. I say the Pens win in five.

Big weekend for betting sports ahead! Enjoy the action.

I’m back, hockey betting fans. Did you miss me? No, I wasn’t off cavorting with basketball betting fans. suppose I should’ve told you I was leaving North America for a week. Well, here I am, having missed the beginning of the Penguins vs Hurricanes odds and the Red Wings vs Blackhawks odds and trying to catch up.

I’ve noticed something interesting. Something that happened 25 years ago in hockey betting.

The year: 1984. The budding dynasty known as the Edmonton Oilers reaches the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. The season prior, the young Oilers lost to the powerhouse New York Islanders, who captured their fourth straight Stanley Cup odds crown. In 1984, though, the Oilers, led by legendary superstars Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, faced the Islanders again and took the next step forward, triumphing over the Isles in five games.

The year: 2009. The budding dynasty known as the Pittsburgh Penguins is up 1-0 in the Conference Final after losing in last year’s Stanley Cup final to the Detroit Red Wings, who captured their third cup in 11 seasons. Now, the Wings and Pens are on a collision course to meet again in the final, and something tells me the result will follow the path of the ’84 Oilers, as Crosby and Malkin take the torch from Gretzky and Messier.

I’m saying it now: the Penguins will win the Stanley Cup odds this season. Make a sports wagering pick now, why don’t ya?

Interesting. Hockey betting has done us well, bringing a neato off-ice controversy to augment the already dramatic Penguins vs Capitals odds. The Caps have banned the CBC — the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a.k.a hockey’s greatest voice — from doing any interviews with them indefinitely. The reason: CBC jotted down and aired the “keys to victory” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau wrote on Washington’s dressing-rooom white board before Game 3.

I love the CBC but I have to say, the Caps are totally in the right here. I specifically remember asking aloud, “are they allowed to do that?” when they printed Boudreau’s gameplan word for word during the Game 3 hockey betting telecast. Who knows if it was relayed to the Pens or seen in their pressbox, allowing them to alter their own strategy and defy the sportsbook odds?

It’s understandable why CBC wanted the information — it prides itself on being the source for Stanley Cup odds coverage and wants to prove it’s still relevant as a public broadcaster in Canada — but this was overkill. What did the producers expect to happen? “Let’s copy the team’s secret plan to beat Pittsburgh and air it on TV.”

Way to stick it to The Man, Caps…now, back to the real hockey betting action tonight and tomorrow!

Things come full circle in hockey betting. Interesting, isn’t it? If any of you were fans of this blog a few months ago, you’d remember that I wrote a post trashing the Phoenix Coyotes and suggesting that they move to a Canadian city. Low and behold, RIM CEO Jim Balsillie made his big offer today after the Coyotes filed for bankruptcy. $220 mil. Not bad. And I thought player salaries in NBA odds were exorbitant!

i should be happy, and I probably will be should a seventh team come back to hockey betting in Canada, a.ka. a place that cares about the Stanley Cup odds. I still have to wonder, though, if losing a U.S. team would take away from the big south-of-the-border TV deals that help drive league revenues. I’d still be curious to see a team in Kansas City, but a Canadian franchise would be pretty cool too…just don’t let it be another Toronto team!

Was I distracted by NBA odds, or the Penguins vs Capitals odds, or what? Whatever the reason, I was asleep at the switch last week, too wrapped up in my budding rap career to show you this GEM of a video:

Um…what the HELL is going on there? The scariest part, for starters, is that I’d bet at any sportsbook that the kid is not the guy’s son. Think about it — who sits behind his kid at a game? So the kid appears to be, er, pleasuring a stranger.

Is this a strange superstition to boost the Hurricanes’  Stanley Cup odds? If it is, it seems to be working, as that celebration came during the ‘Canes/Devils series. Who knows what these fans will try next (do we want to know?)?

Ok, playas. NHL betting rhymes back for the East side, yo. If you thought the NBA odds on Celtics/Bulls were ill, check out these fat Stanley Cup betting riffs. More dangerous than picking the Hatton odds, yo.

Bruins vs Hurricanes odds

CAROLINA MOTHA F*CKAS GONE AND DANCED WIT DA DEVIL

ENDED SERIES ON A HIGH NOTE LIKE MY BOY AARON NEVILLE

ERIC STAAL’S STICK CURVED LIKE A RIPENED BANANA

WRAPPING GOALS ROUND BRODEUR LIKE A GUCCI BANDANA

BUT PLAYIN PUCK IN BEANTOWN AIN’T SO MUCH F*CKIN FUN

CRAZY MOFO NAME OF CHARA BIGGER THAN BIG PUN

BRUINS DEEP LIKE JASON CAMPBELL DOWNFIELD TO MOSS

GONNA STYLE ON THE CANES LIKE EMINEM ON RICK ROSS

(Bruins in seven)

PENGUINS VS CAPITALS ODDS

SPORTSBOOK JUNKIES SAY GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

MAN UPSTAIRS BLESSING US WITH SID AND ALEX THE GREAT

CAPS CAME BACK ON DA RANGERS LIKE DA WRESTLA MICKEY ROURKE

ROOKIE GOALIE PLUGGIN NETS LIKE A CRISTAL BOTTLE CORK

BUT THE PENGUINS BEEN THERE DONE THAT, GOT GOOD IN A HURRY

GOT KILLA NETMINDA IN MARC-ANDRE FLEURY

SID THE KID UNSTOPPABLE AND MALKIN TOO

SPREADING PUCKS TO THEIR TEAMMATES LIKE THE F*CKIN SWINE FLU

(Penguins in seven)

The Kentucky Derby odds and Pacquiao vs Hatton odds are upon us, so today is perhaps my last chance to steal your attention until then.

I “treated” you hockey betting fans to first-round Stanley Cup betting playoff predictions in Haiku. I shall now try to outdo myself with second round NHL playoff picks…in gangsta rap lyric form.

Here goes nothin, sportsbook playas…

Red Wings vs Ducks odds

FOR DA DUCKS ROUND ONE AIN’T ONE BIT OF LUCK

JONAS HILLER STOPPIN PUCKS LOOKIN GOOD AS F*CK

GETZLAF PERRY BUSTIN GOALS IN DA THROATS OF DEM SHARKS

THREW THOSE BIG FISH OUTTA WATER LIKE IT’S NOAH’S ARK

BUT WHAT’S THAT IN THE SKY? IT’S A BIRD, NAW, A PLANE

IT’S DEM RED WINGS SWOOPIN DOWN GONNA MAKE IT RAIN

DEM SWEDES AND RUSSIANS WINNING CUPS LIKE ITS OUTTA STYLE

GONNA HUNT DOWN THOSE DUCKS, POWWA PLAY RUNNIN WILD.

(NHL betting pick:: Red Wings in six)

Blackhawks vs Canucks odds

SH*T SON IT’S THE FLAMES LIGHTIN HAWKS ON FIRE

KHABIBULIN SEEING RUBBER LIKE A MICHELIN TIRE

BUT THE CHI-TOWN KIDS BROUGHT DA RUCKUS ON THE ROAD

CRAZY KILLAS ON DEFENSE GONNA SHOULDER THE LOAD

LIKE ALL EMPIRES THE HAWKS BETTA BRACE FOR A FALL

CUZ THEY ABOUT TO RUN INTO A GREASY BRICK WALL

VANCOUVA RIDES THE MASKED MAN BY THE NAME OF LUONGO

GAT ! GAT! GONNA GET THEM, PLAY THE KIDS LIKE BONGOS.

(NHL betting pick:Canucks in seven)

Stay tuned for round two of NHL playoff betting tomorrow. Word…and you thought only hoops betting folk could rhyme…

YES! Forget the Pacquiao vs Hatton odds. I don’t care if Kobe and Lebron go head to head in the basketball betting finals. I’m a hockey betting man, and I know anyone reading this blog is too, so the Penguins vs Capitals odds are a gift from the man upstairs.

OH, the drama! Crosby vs Ovechkin. Ovechkin vs. Malkin. Finally the best young players on the planet go head-to-head and I (not to mention American TV networks) couldn’t be more excited. According to most hockey fans who place sporting bets, the Malkin-Ovechkin feud is over. I heard Ilya Kovalchuk took them out to dinner during the All-Star weekend and smoothed things over. Still — nothing reignites bad blood like the Stanley Cup odds, and I’m betting that we haven’t seen the end of this tension.

Then there’s the Crosby factor! The legions of Ovechkin NHL betting fans finally get to face off against the Crosby supporters in a battle to see who is truly the best right now. You can bet at the offshore sportsbook that both guys will fuel each other’s fire and push each other to play at a level we may have never seen them reach before. This is Jordan vs Bird revisited. Even Gretzky and Mario never got to meet in the playoffs!

Thank you for this gift, hockey betting Gods. May the sports wagering force be with you.