by Bovada Sportsbook Staff | February 10, 2012
Friday night will be a quiet one on the NHL schedule after a 10-game Thursday, but not to worry – the Bovada online sportsbook has all your NHL odds, lines, props and futures. Let’s take a look at some of the games on tap.
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Anaheim Ducks (+175) at Detroit Red Wings (-220)
The big storyline here: Can the Wings keep winning at the Joe? Detroit is riding a franchise-best 18-game home winning streak at Joe Louis Arena and is just two wins back from the NHL record (shared by the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers). As such, it’s no surprise the Wings are heavy favorites in this game – they haven’t lost at home since the beginning of November. But the Ducks present an interesting challenge, in that 1) They’ve been underachieving for most of the year, and 2) They’ve rattled off some pretty good performances as of late and are finally getting solid efforts from their star players. One such star is goalie Jonas Hiller, who looks to have rounded into the form that once made him one of the NHL’s best young netminders. The Ducks are also fresh off an emotional 3-2 overtime victory at home against Carolina, when reigning league MVP Corey Perry scored the sudden-death winner. The Ducks are hot and playing inspired hockey, knowing that if they have any shot at making the playoffs, it has to happen now. Could be a good sleeper pick for this playing the longshots on Friday.
Carolina Hurricanes (+110) at Colorado Avalanche (-140)
Speaking of Carolina, they’ll continue their western road swing with a stop in Denver to face the Avs. Colorado’s been wildly inconsistent of late, but has been getting a steady effort in net from J.S. Giguere, the veteran presence that’s keeping former No. 1 Semyon Varlamov bolted to the pine. Head coach Joe Sacco knows that with his team in the midst of a playoff race, every point is crucial – thus explaining his decision to play Giguere frequently over the last month. But questions remain: Can Giguere keep playing this well? At age 36, won’t he soon need a break? Giguere faced 31 shots in his last outing (a 5-2 win over Chicago) and while it’s likely Sacco will use him again against the ‘Canes, don’t be surprised if Varlamov makes a surprise appearance.
Chicago Blackhawks (+120) at San Jose Sharks (-150)
Once again, a game that focuses on the goalies. Chicago will turn back to netminder Corey Crawford to face the Sharks, this after Ray Emery failed in his opportunity to take the starting gig (he was on the wrong end of that 5-2 loss to Colorado mentioned above.) Crawford was brilliant last regular season and playoffs, but has been bad this year – that said, head coach Joel Quenneville is still confident the deeper Chicago gets into the season, the more they’ll be able to rely on Crawford as the No. 1.
