If the Stanley Cup playoffs don’t really get started until one of the favorites gets bounced, then consider the NHL postseason off and running. The eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks stunned the San Jose Sharks in six games in the first round behind goaltender Jonas Hiller, and now face the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinal.
There is no offseason for sharp handicappers.
It’s no secret that a ton of casual bettors close up shop after the Super Bowl. And in doing so, they rob themselves of an opportunity to cash in against softer betting lines than anything you’ll find in the NFL. What for? If you know the mechanics of the pointspread in football, you’ve already got the raw material to start betting on basketball.
Sunday, Feb. 1 is the singular red-letter day on the betting calendar, the mother of all sporting events: Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. This year’s gala coincides with the inauguration of President Obama, so it’s only natural that the matchup between the Arizona Cardinals (12-7 SU and ATS) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4 SU, 11-7 ATS) is being treated as a watershed moment for the sports gambling industry.
