Blues vs Kings Preview

Game 1 Tuesday 8pm

Also kicking off the festivities on night one of the playoffs are the Blues and Kings. The Blues finished 7-3 in their last ten to claim the lone remaining home ice slot and beat out the Kings by just one point. The Blues are playing perhaps better than anyone this past month but the reigning champs are not going to go down easy.

The Kings dropped a couple down the stretch and it cost them the home ice in this series. Last year the Kings were highly touted in the preseason only to never really get it going until the playoffs began. But once they did they played some of the best hockey we have ever seen. This year the champs are not going to be underdogs. This year they finished a bit better in the standings but never really felt like they got it going. I haven’t once watched the Kings this year and thought they were playing their best. Maybe they are saving it for the playoffs again. That’s a dangerous game, especially when going up against a team playing as well as the Blues even if you went 3-0 vs them this year.

The Blues closed out the season very strong winning six of their final seven. However all of their wins came at home while their lone loss came @ Colorado. Their wins were not all that impressive either since they came against Vancouver in a shootout, Phoenix in a shootout, Dallas, Colorado, Calgary, and Chicago in the final game of the year in which they rested a bunch of key guys. I’m not taking anything away from the Blues they can only beat who is on their schedule and they did only allow exactly one goal in each of their wins.

However, this all comes on the heels of a run in which they had four shutouts in five games, three of them coming on the road. In other words this team is just winning. They have something figured out. They are playing great as a unit and are enjoying the hell out of hockey. They will be faster and hungrier than the Kings in this series. Look for them to win it.

The Bet:

Blues to win the series -115

Bonus Bets:

Blues sweep 15-1

I don’t think they will sweep but 15-1 is incredible value. I think the Blues come out flying and really recommend you betting them in game 1.

Blues in 7 +350

The more likely scenario. This should be a long series, I just think the Blues are better right now.

mlz

Monday, April 29, 2013