Stanley Cup Betting Game 3: Keys To a Chicago Win
The Chicago Blackhawks might have an imposing 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup betting thus far but they face an unenviable task of heading to Philadelphia for Game 3 of this hockey betting matchup and trying to steal a win on the road.
As good as this team has looked so far in Games 1 and 2 of this NHL betting series beating Philly at home in the NHL playoff betting action this year has been all but impossible. This is, after all, a #7 seed that has beaten the NHL odds the entire postseason by first beating the #2 seed Devils and then pulling off a miraculous comeback after being down 3-0 and beating the Bruins.
But the Hawks are a much better team than any of the Eastern Conference squads the Flyers have faced so far in the NHL playoff betting. Chicago did its part and defended home ice in the first two games of the Stanley Cup betting action and now –at least for Game 3- the pressure is off.
The NHL odds makers expect the Flyers to win at home and so do the blood thirsty Philly fans. That’s a lot of pressure on a major stage like the Stanley Cup Finals and it may just have a negative impact on the Flyers performance.
The Hawks just need to keep doing what they’re doing and look to get leading scorer Jonathan Toews (26 points in 18 NHL playoff betting games) more involved. He’s yet to score this series and that’s a testament to the Flyers stifling defense. But even without Toews Chicago’s offense is operating just fine. He’s consistently drawing away the Flyers best defenders and it’s opened up scoring opportunities for players like Marion Hossa.
On defense the Flyers are going to look to ratchet up the rough play a bit and things could get very dirty and very ugly real quick in this hockey betting series. But Chicago’s forwards are much bigger (some of the biggest in the NHL odds competition) and more physical than any group the Flyers have played against yet in the NHL betting post season and this tactic could even backfire.
The Hawks don’t have to win Game 3 they only need to stay calm and win one of the two games in Philly to lock up the team’s first Stanley Cup betting title in decades.
