Archive for the ‘General Sports’ Category

January 2nd, 2012 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Our 2012 Outback Bowl picks feature a tremendous matchup of two teams that were beaten in their respective conference title games, as the Michigan State Spartans take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Tampa Bay.

Click Here For The Rest Of Our 2011-12 Bowl Game Previews

Outback Bowl Matchup: Michigan State Spartans vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Outback Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 1:00 ET
Outback Bowl Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL
Outback Bowl Odds: Georgia -3.5
Outback Bowl Total: 50
Outback Bowl TV Coverage: ABC

Last year at this time, Head Coach Mark Richt was answering a lot of questions as to why his team finished up the season at 6-7 and with the distinction of being the first SEC team to lose to a Conference USA team in the Liberty Bowl. Things only got worse when UGA lost its first two games of the season. Richt probably essentially had one foot in his Athens grave and the other on a banana peel at that point, but the Bulldogs came together and amassed one of their best seasons in team history. Sure, they came up short in the SEC Championship Game against the LSU Tigers, but there was nothing to be ashamed of in that one considering the fact that the Bayou Bengals are arguably the best team in the country. Besides, nothing takes away from those 10 straight wins that the Dawgs rolled off in the interim.

Michigan State had another touched season, as it won its share of games at the death, just like it did a season ago. This year, it was a Hail Mary pass against the Wisconsin Badgers with no time left on the clock that proved to be the magical moment of the year. Of course, Wisconsin got the last laugh by beating the Spartans in the second go around in the first ever Big Ten Championship Game, but this is a nice consolation prize. You don’t think of MSU as a team that has posted 10+ wins in back to back seasons, but instead, all you probably remember is that this is the same squad that was absolutely taken behind the shed in the Capital One Bowl a season ago.

The Spartans had some trouble against passing teams this year, and though Georgia is a relatively balanced bunch, it is also a team that got a team record 33 TDs from sophomore QB Aaron Murray. That being said, this is definitely not a slouching offense either. RBs Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell are both power backs that can tear through even the best of defenses. Remember that once the Tigers got going in the SEC Championship Game, virtually all of their backs had the ability to take down the Dawgs as well.

We’re a bit puzzled as to why the ‘total’ in this game is so low. We saw that the Michigan State defense wasn’t able to hold up to the powerful Alabama offense last year in the Capital One Bowl, and we have no reason to believe that it is going to be able to stop the Bulldogs either. Georgia’s defense has had some suspect games this year as well, notably allowing 42 to LSU, 28 to Vanderbilt, 45 to South Carolina, and 35 to Boise State. Unless all of a sudden, Richt’s defense figures out how to take down the Spartans, this one could end up featuring a slew of points when the Outback Bowl is said and done.

Free Outback Bowl Pick: Michigan State/Georgia Over 50

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July 26th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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BC Lions @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Picks
Week 5 CFL Odds: Winnipeg -3.5
CFL Week 5 Lines: Over/Under 52.5

How many more bad, bad games can the BC defense have? Dating back to last season, that’s five straight with at least 30 points allowed, a number which is just inexcusable. QB Buck Pierce has proven to stay healthy for four weeks now, something that he has had a hard time doing in the past, and he would love nothing more than to stick it to the team that gave up on him two years ago and plunge it deeper into obscurity. We still think that Winnipeg is the real deal, and it could contend for the Grey Cup. We just don’t see BC doing the same right now. The slow start for the Leos continues. Free CFL Picks: Winnipeg -3.5

Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats Picks
Week 5 CFL Odds: OTB
CFL Week 5 Lines: Over/Under OTB

The Ti-Cats probably feel really good about themselves right now. After all, they’re coming off of two straight wins, both of which have including at least 33 points on the board, and they are clicking on just about all of their cylinders. Hamilton is now taking on Montreal for a chance to take the lead in the East Division, and there is a good possibility that QB Anthony Calvillo won’t be there for the proceedings. Even if he is, this is a Hamilton team that absolutely blew the doors off of the Alouettes in the last meeting of last season right here at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Not so fast my friends. QB Adrian McPherson looked a lot better against Saskatchewan last week after he was really given a chance to get into the flow of the game, and with a week of practice under his belt with his first teamers, we have no doubt at all that he will have the ability to take down a team which we still really don’t think is all that great. Free CFL Picks: Montreal

Toronto Argonauts @ Edmonton Eskimos Picks
Week 5 CFL Odds: Edmonton -9
CFL Week 5 Lines: Over/Under 50

Isn’t there a point that you would figure we would learn and start backing Edmonton? This is the week. The Eskimos are coming off of that emotional upset against the Stamps. We know that they didn’t play at their finest, but Toronto has its share of problems as well. Its secondary is all banged up at this point, something that QB Ricky Ray has to be licking his chops about, and QB Cleo Lemon likely isn’t going to play with a tooth injury. For lack of better terms, QB Dalton Bell just flat out sucks. He isn’t leading the Double Blue to anything but a horrible defeat on Friday night in the second half of the CFL double dip. Free CFL Picks: Edmonton -9

Calgary Stampeders @ Saskatchewan Roughriders Picks
Week 5 CFL Odds: Calgary -2.5
CFL Week 5 Lines: Over/Under 53.5

Best play of the week by far. The Roughriders clearly turned a corner last week when they took out Montreal on the road. Yeah, yeah, we hear you. The Als didn’t have QB Anthony Calvillo for almost three quarters. Still, the Alouettes didn’t get anything going offensively even with AC in there. Calgary just doesn’t look right, and in spite of the fact that it was able to run up and down the field against Edmonton last week, there were only 19 points scored. We just don’t see how the Stamps are going to go on the road at the Sea of Green and take out a hungry Saskatchewan side that finally has gotten its confidence back. Free CFL Picks: Saskatchewan +2.5

 
July 20th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ BC Lions Picks
Week 4 CFL Odds: BC -3.5
CFL Week 4 Lines: Over/Under 49.5

The Lions are arguably the best team to ever start 0-3 in a season that we have seen in the CFL. Realistically, they could be a 2-1 outfit, but the bad news is that their worst game came last week against Edmonton. BC has a major QB dilemma, but Head Coach Wally Buono is standing firmly behind his choice, QB Travis Lulay. Unfortunately for the Ti-Cats, this is going to be the week that Lulay gets back on the horse and makes the most of his chance as a starter. Last week’s 33-3 win against Saskatchewan has definitely been blown out of proportion. Free CFL Picks: BC -3.5

Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Toronto Argonauts Picks
Week 4 CFL Odds: Toronto -3
CFL Week 4 Lines: Over/Under 46

The Argos were knocked off by Winnipeg just two weeks ago, and the two are going to be back at it once again this week in an East Division tussle. The Blue Bombers could have some major issues under center is QB Buck Pierce can’t go or ends up getting hurt for the second straight week in game. He was replaced after suffering his quadriceps injury by QB Joey Elliott, who was knocked out for the rest of the season. Now, if anything happens to Pierce, it’ll be up to the inexperienced QB Alex Brink under center. Toronto is finally playing its first game here at Rogers Centre this season, and it should be a memorable one for sure. Free CFL Picks: Toronto -3

Edmonton Eskimos @ Calgary Stampeders Picks
Week 4 CFL Odds: Calgary -3.5
CFL Week 4 Lines: Over/Under 53

The Battle of Alberta is always tense, and this edition of the rivalry game should be no exception. Either Edmonton is going to be two games up, or Calgary will have leveled the proceedings atop the West Division with this one. The Esks really need to prove that they can play against the Stamps though, as they were blown away by almost 100 total points in three games last season, including allowing 50+ to Calgary in both meetings here at McMahon Stadium. The Stampeders haven’t put their best foot forward yet this year, and they are lucky to be a 2-1 team right now, but we just have to believe that this price is far too short for a rivalry game, especially knowing that QB Henry Burris is bound to have a great game eventually. Free CFL Picks: Calgary -3.5

Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Montreal Alouettes Picks
Week 4 CFL Odds: Montreal -11.5
CFL Week 4 Lines: Over/Under 56

Here’s a case where we have a pair of two time Grey Cup participants that are going in completely opposite directions. The Alouettes look like they’re primed for a three-peat, while Saskatchewan doesn’t even seem like a team that is going to make the second season. QB Darian Durant has pulled some amazing things out of his hat though, and it would be very, very much so like him to come off of his 9-of-23 game by putting up 380 passing yards and five TDs against Montreal. Can the Saskatchewan defense even remotely hold down the Alouettes? In all likelihood, the answer is no, but there’s definitely a good chance to stick inside of this number even without the SU win. Free CFL Picks: Saskatchewan +11.5

 
July 13th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Calgary Stampeders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Picks
Week 3 CFL Odds: Calgary -3
CFL Week 3 Lines: Over/Under 52

When are the oddsmakers going to accept Winnipeg as a legitimate playoff team and a potential Grey Cup contender? The Bombers are going to get their acts together offensively at some point, but if the defense can keep this up as it has in the first two weeks of the year, things are going to be scary for even Montreal in the East. That being said, this is a totally different type of challenge against this Calgary side than it was against Toronto and Hamilton, arguably the two worst offensive teams in the league. Still, at home, we can’t discount just how good Winnipeg really can be, and we are going to make it the subject of our CFL picks on the football odds for Week 3. Free CFL Picks: Winnipeg +3

Toronto Argonauts @ Montreal Alouettes Picks
Week 3 CFL Odds: Montreal -10.5
CFL Week 3 Lines: Over/Under 53.5

It shouldn’t take all that long for QB Anthony Calvillo to become the all-time CFL passing TD leader, surpassing former Argo great, QB Damon Allen. Once AC gets this one TD pass out of the way, the rest of the game really should settle down. There’s no doubt that Montreal is the better team in this game, and we don’t think that there is a doubt about who is going to win this game, but we tend to believe that Toronto can keep this close. We’re going against a big time CFL trend, which suggests that the Als should dominate this game, having gone 4-1 ATS over the course of their last five meetings with the Boatmen. Toronto did win a game outright last year at Percival Molson Stadium, though. Free CFL Picks: Toronto +10.5

Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats Picks
Week 3 CFL Odds: Hamilton -2.5
CFL Week 3 Lines: Over/Under 51.5

It’s brutally unfortunate that one of these teams has to win this game. Saskatchewan has shown nothing defensively this year, while Hamilton can’t get out of its own way on offense. This is definitely a case of the moveable force against the resistible object. The difference is that we really don’t think that there is all that much hope for Hamilton this year. We have to remember that the Tabbies really only beat up on the bad teams last year in the CFL. This season, things aren’t going nearly as well for veteran QB Kevin Glenn and company, and until there is a switch made under center to QB Quinton Porter, we just can’t trust the Ti-Cats. Free CFL Picks: Saskatchewan +2.5

BC Lions @ Edmonton Eskimos Picks
Week 3 CFL Odds: Edmonton -2.5
CFL Week 3 Lines: Over/Under 54.5

If Edmonton’s offense can keep up at this pace of almost 500 yards per game, no one is going to stop it! However, eventually, the correction will be made and the rest of the league will catch up to what QB Ricky Ray is doing with his cut and paste receiving corps. This is a perfect spot for an upset for BC after back to back debilitating losses that could have gone the other way against Calgary and Montreal in back to back weeks. QB Travis Lulay won’t go 17-of-39 again like he did last week, and by chance if he does, you can bet that Head Coach Wally Buono will be calling his bench for a spark. Either way, we like our chances with the Leos. Free CFL Picks: BC +2.5

 
July 13th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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NASCAR picks are our specialty here at Cappers Info, and we’re set to bring you the best on the track this week for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301!

NASCAR Preview: Lenox Industrial Tools 301
Date: Sunday, July 17th, 1:16 ET
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH
Television Coverage: TNT

Jimmie Johnson (5.50 to 1 Odds To Win Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Bet Guardian): JJ is really due at this point for a victory. He ran incredibly well last week at Kentucky Speedway, accounting for a third place finish in a race that was very well winnable. This is about the time of year that the No. 48 really turns it on, and with three wins under his belt already at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in his career, it is clear that Johnson definitely has the goods to be able to make it to Victory Lane this weekend.

Matt Kenseth (18 to 1 Odds To Win Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Bet Guardian): Kenseth really seems to be the forgotten driver in this race, as he is the one driver in the Top 10 in the points race that is really undervalued. You don’t think of Kenseth as a driver that has already won two races this year, but he has, and he has the ability to get to the winner’s circle once again on Sunday in what could be a banner day for him. Kenseth has never qualified particularly well here at Loudon, starting in an average position of 20th, but he has 11 Top 10 finishes in 22 tries and could be primed for his first ‘W’ at this track.

Joey Logano (45 to 1 Odds To Win Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Bet Guardian): Logano is a bit of an underdog selection here, especially since he has only won one race before in his career. However, guess which race that was? Yes, the No. 20 Home Depot machine found its way to Victory Lane here at New Hampshire Motor Speedway at the 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301, and this is a track that Logano has typically run quite well at. He’s posted a pair of Top 10 finishes in this race in his young career, and the budding 21 year old really could use the boost to his career to be able to keep his ride for next season and to prove that he really is the next big thing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. At 45 to 1, we’re getting great Lenox Industrial Tools odds on Logano.

 
July 5th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Toronto Argonauts @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Picks
Week 2 CFL Odds: Winnipeg -2
CFL Week 2 Lines: Over/Under 48

This one definitely isn’t going to be for the faint of heart, as there should be plenty of defense and a lot of punts. Toronto’s offense just isn’t all that great with QB Cleo Lemon calling the shots, and though the Boatmen were able to beat the Stampeders last week, we aren’t so sure that that wasn’t just a case of good fortune instead of fantastic play. We’re still high on Winnipeg this year, especially after watching it sneak away with that 24-16 win against Hamilton last week. The Blue Bombers will get more than 230 yards of offense this week against Toronto, especially in the home opener. Hopes will be as high as ever at Canad Inns Stadium after a romp of the Argonauts. Free CFL Picks: Winnipeg -2

Calgary Stampeder @ BC Lions Picks
Week 2 CFL Odds: BC -1.5
CFL Week 2 Lines: Over/Under 53

The Lions are definitely an improved team from the one that lost seven straight games last season at the outset of the year. They proved that they are good enough to at least hang around with some of the best in the league as they did last week when they hit the backdoor against the defending champs in a 30-26 loss. However, Calgary has to be piping mad about the fact that it was beaten by Toronto in a game that it dominated for the mass majority of the proceedings. Over 400 yards of offense always generates more than 21 points, and against a BC defense that really struggled at times against QB Anthony Calvillo and the Alouettes, we tend to believe that QB Henry Burris and company will be putting a big, big number on the board on Friday night. Free CFL Picks: Calgary +1.5

Montreal Alouettes @ Saskatchewan Roughriders Picks
Week 2 CFL Odds: Montreal -2
CFL Week 2 Lines: Over/Under 54

Don’t be shocked if this turns out to be the highest scoring game of the weekend. Last year’s clash here at Mosaic Stadium ended up being a barnburner, a 54-51 overtime victory for Saskatchewan over the then defending and eventual Grey Cup champs. That’s the only SU victory for the Green Riders in their last five tries against Montreal, and it has to be getting frustrating to QB Darian Durant and company. Speaking of frustrating, that’s exactly what last week’s bad loss here at Mosaic Stadium to the Eskies had to be. Durant turned the ball over four times last week, which really shouldn’t be much of a surprise if he does again on Saturday. However, Montreal is a beatable team, as BC showed last week. The Riders get the job done and end all of this frustration with what should be a great late victory thanks to some heroics by the former North Carolina Tar Heel. Free CFL Picks: Saskatchewan +2

Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Edmonton Eskimos Picks
Week 2 CFL Odds: Edmonton -1.5
CFL Week 2 Lines: Over/Under 52

We just don’t buy the line adjustment here on the CFL odds by the oddsmakers. Had this game been played in Week 1, Hamilton probably would have been a 1.5-2 point favorite. Now, thanks to just one bad Hamilton performance and one great Edmonton performance, the script has flipped. We’re not ready to say that this one game from Week 1 makes the whole season. We still don’t buy that QB Ricky Ray has the ability to go 21-of-27 once again, and it is only a matter of time until a ton of pressure is mounted on his shoulders by QB Kerry Joseph, who would love to take over as the starting QB for the Eskies. We’ll reluctantly back the visitors for a mild upset on Friday night, as QB Kevin Glenn and the Hamilton offense just have to be better than they were against Winnipeg last week. Free CFL Picks: Hamilton +1.5

 
June 29th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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BC Lions @ Montreal Alouettes Picks
Week 1 CFL Odds: Montreal -6.5
CFL Week 1 Lines: Over/Under 53

The Alouettes and the Lions are two of the few teams that are bringing back the mass majority of their cores from a year ago. And why not? BC really played well down the stretch last year, winning seven of its last 10 games before the crushing OT loss against the Riders in the first round of the playoffs. Even in losses though, this team has played well, losing three of the four games at the end of last year in OT and the other loss coming by just four points. Montreal has a potent offense though, and we tend to believe that the loss of Avon Cobourne in the offseason won’t be felt. This is a relatively short line in favor of what is absolutely the best team in the league. Free CFL Picks: Montreal -6.5

Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats Picks
Week 1 CFL Odds: Hamilton -9
CFL Week 1 Lines: Over/Under 51.5

Is this going to be a year of correction for the Ti-Cats and Bombers? Hamilton probably was a tad lucky to finish at .500 last season, because it really only took advantage of playing in the weak East Division. Meanwhile, we have to remember that Winnipeg, even though it had an absolutely atrocious season with very few positives, lost nine games by five points or fewer last season. We know that that would be more than good enough for us in this one to take the points, but we tend to believe that this game has an upset written all over it. The Bombers will have Buck Pierce at QB to start off the season, at least for as long as he can stay healthy, and while he was under center last season, this was a very, very solid team. Remember that the Blue Bombers had the second best defense in the league a year ago as well. For certain, we want the points on our side in what could be a relatively low scoring affair where the first to 20 might win. Free CFL Picks: Winnipeg +9

Toronto Argonauts @ Calgary Stampeders Picks
Week 1 CFL Odds: Calgary -7.5
CFL Week 1 Lines: Over/Under 51

Many are insistent that Calgary is the best team in the West this year, but we just aren’t so certain. The Stamps were a statistical anomaly last season. They ranked No. 1 in the league both offensively and defensively, yet they were still knocked out of the playoffs in their one game against Saskatchewan. Plenty of changes were made and the entire secondary was gutted. It’s also only a matter of time until Henry Burris and Joffrey Reynolds run out of gas, as they are both in their 30s and clearly coming up on the tail ends of their respective careers. Toronto made it to the East Division finale last year, and Cleo Lemon has really been an improving quarterback in spite of his early struggles. This defense is only going to be getting better with time as well, and if Lemon can hang onto the football and at least string a few first downs together every now and again, the Boatmen could keep this one a lot closer than the experts expect. Free CFL Picks: Toronto +7.5

Edmonton Eskimos @ Saskatchewan Roughriders Picks
Week 1 CFL Odds: Saskatchewan -6.5
CFL Week 1 Lines: Over/Under 52

On the eve of the Fourth of July, the Eskies and Riders will do battle in what is becoming a tremendous rivalry in the West Division. Unfortunately for Edmonton, this has been all one way traffic in favor of the boys in green and white, and the truth of the matter is that nothing should really change from that standpoint this weekend either. Darian Durant is the superior quarterback in this game; Ricky Ray just doesn’t look like he really has anything left in the tank. Sure, the offense is really going to struggle at times for Saskatchewan without Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz, both of which are now gone, but Durant is still capable of doing some absolutely amazing things. If the defense can get revved up just a bit by the crowd in the Sea of Green, this game could get awfully lopsided, awfully quickly. Don’t be shocked if the Eskimos end up getting absolutely racked in this one at the outset of what could be a very, very long season ahead. Free CFL Picks: Edmonton +6.5

 
June 14th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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There’s nothing like playoff hockey, and there’s really nothing like a Game 7, especially when the winner is going to end up lifting the Stanley Cup after playing over 100 games on the season. The Vancouver Canucks are going to try to hoist their first Cup in team history, but not if the Boston Bruins have anything to say about it on Wednesday night.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 7 Preview: Boston Bruins @ Vancouver Canucks
Date: Wednesday, June 15th, 8:00 ET
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Game Line: Vancouver -145
Over/Under 5

Boston knows that it hasn’t gotten any offense going in this series in three games up in Vancouver, but it hopes that the momentum that it has gotten from these three games in Beantown can help get it over the hump in this most pivotal of games. The Bruins in fact, only have two goals in the Great White North in this series, both of which came within three minutes of one another in Game 2. Milan Lucic and Mark Recchi were the ones that did the deed. Instead, we really have to focus in on the play of Tim Thomas in net. It’s not often that we are confident that a player on a losing team is going to end up winning the MVP award for the postseason, but we know that Thomas is going to have some sort of hardware barring someone coming up with a truly remarkable performance in Game 7 for Vancouver. The 37 year old net minder has had a great story through his career. He has had surgeries, procedures, and other medical problems that have not only threatened his playing career, but his life as well, and he came into this season facing the prospects of being the backup goaltender for a second straight year to Tuukka Rask. Instead, Thomas won the starting job, set the record for the best save percentage in a season at .938, and has played every single minute of the playoffs. He’s sure to win the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top net minder, and the truth of the matter is that regardless of which way Game 7 goes, he should be the Conn Smythe Award winner to boot. Thomas has allowed just eight goals in this series, which is saying something considering the fact that Vancouver had the best offensive team in the league this year.

History just doesn’t feel like it is on the side of the Canucks in this series. In fact, it never really seems to matter who Vancouver is running up against, it always feels like it is coming so close, yet is so far away. The Canucks have only gotten this close to the Stanley Cup one time in team history, and as quickly as they reached the three win plateau in 1994 in the Finals against the New York Rangers, a 3-2 loss at Madison Square Garden took it all away and left the team without a championship. This is the first time since that point in which Vancouver had even made it to the Western Conference Finals, let alone to the Stanley Cup Finals. We know that there are some obvious problems that need to be worked out for Vancouver to win this game. The first is in net. We know that Roberto Luongo has had all sorts of great play here at Rogers Arena over the course of the last two seasons. He won a gold medal here for a great performance in a 2-1 win over the United States for Team Canada in the Winter Olympics, and now, he has a .979 save percentage, including two shutouts in three games here in the Stanley Cup Finals this year. Of course, at the TD Garden, he stopped less than 80 percent of his shots and was run out of two of the three games, allowing 15 goals in that time frame. However, it would really help if his offense were to show up just a bit. The Canucks only have eight goals scored in this series, one of which came from Henrik Sedin in Game 6 after things were already out of hand, and one of which came from Daniel Sedin in that devastatingly bad 8-1 loss in Beantown. Ryan Kesler only has one assist for the series and no goals after scoring 41 in the regular season.

We just don’t know if the Canucks really have the goods in them to be able to wrap up the Stanley Cup. The whole city of Vancouver and the entire country of Canada is resting on this one game, and there is a tremendous difference between winning and losing. Unfortunately for Vancouver, Luongo and company just don’t look like the better side in this matchup even though they had the best team in the league all season long. There’s just nowhere else that we can go with our Game 7 Stanley Cup Predictions than to take the Boston Bruins +125.

 
May 29th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Stanley Cup Finals Matchup: #1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #3 Boston Bruins
Stanley Cup Finals Dates: June 1st – June 15th
Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup Odds: -200 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Odds: +175 @ SportBet Sportsbook

The Canucks and Bruins both seem like they have had some rich histories in their time. Unfortunately for both teams though, it has been quite awhile since Lord Stanley has paid a visit. Even though Vancouver has the famous Stanley Park just minutes away from Rogers Arena, the team has never actually hoisted the Stanley Cup. This is only the third time in team history in which the Canucks have been to the Stanley Cup Finals. For the Bruins, they do have their share of Cups, but they are also deficient of a championship since 1972.

The battle in goal between these two red hot goaltenders is going to be one for the ages, as it truly is one of the best contests between goaltenders that we have seen in quite some time in this league. Roberto Luongo has definitely had his share of challenges in the postseason. He was benched in Game 4 and in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Chicago Blackhawks, and he ended up not starting Game 6. Since that point though, he has been absolutely on fire, accounting for eight game with two or fewer goals allowed. The man that is going to be on the other side of the ice is also playing in his first Stanley Cup Finals of his career. Tim Thomas is likely going to win the Vezina Trophy this year, as he broke the NHL record for best save percentage in a season at .938.Thomas shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning twice in the Eastern Conference Finals, including in a nervy 1-0 Game 7 win on Wednesday night.

Offensively, it is clear which team is going to be strong. However, we perhaps shouldn’t be all that surprised, as the Bruins were not the better offensive club either in the second round of the postseason against the Philadelphia Flyers, or in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Lightning. Still, they were able to get the job done in spite of the fact that the phenomenal offensive performances were few and far between. Boston did get a hat trick out of David Krejci in a Game 6 loss against the Lightning. He is tied with Nathan Horton for the team lead in points with 17. There are only four more players with at least double digits in points, and surprisingly, Milan Lucic isn’t one of them, nor is Zdeno Chara. Boston only has five goals on the power play in the entire postseason, which is shockingly bad. Maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised, though. After all, the Bruins did rank No. 21 in the league in the regular season with the man advantage.

Meanwhile, the Canucks have absolutely been dominating the postseason thanks to their power play. Daniel Sedin has five of his eight goals on the man advantage in these playoffs, while Ryan Kesler already has four of his seven goals in the playoffs on the power play. Sami Salo has three power play goals as well, and as a whole, the team has 17 strikes with the man advantage. Henrik Sedin is always a man to keep an eye on because of his cohesion with the rest of his line mates, particularly his brother, Daniel. Henrik though, leads the league in assists in the playoffs with 19, and he is going to probably be the top point scorer in the playoffs when it’s all said and done since he has 21 points now, and no one on either his own team, nor the Bruins is likely to catch him.

In the end, especially knowing that the Canucks have home ice advantage, we have to back the Western Conference champs and the President’s Trophy holders. Sure, Vancouver doesn’t have much of a playoff history, and sure, it hasn’t been to this juncture of the playoffs since 1994, but we know that this is a team that has overcome just about everything else this year. This is the destiny for the Canucks.
NHL Playoffs Picks: Vancouver Canucks in 5 (-200 @ SportBet Sportsbook)

 
May 14th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #2 San Jose Sharks – It’s truly amazing how these two teams got to this point, as their roads really look like they were sort of parallel. The Canucks are the one that nearly blew the 3-0 series lead in the first round of the playoffs. San Jose was the one that nearly did it in the second round. Both were able to survive in Game 7s on their home ice. Though San Jose really came on strong at the end of the season, we really just don’t see how it is going to win this series. Vancouver has the better net minder for certain in Roberto Luongo, and Ryan Kesler is playing better hockey than anyone on the ice. We have more confidence in the line with both Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin on it than we do in the line Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley line. The Sharks just aren’t all that great with Antti Niemi in the pipes, and he has certainly looked shaky at times. Normally speaking, we would be awfully concerned about how badly the Canucks have played in the playoffs in their history. However, the Sharks have just as bad of a history. Vancouver hasn’t been to the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994. San Jose has never been. This is the year that the Canucks get the job done and get to hockey’s grandest stage. NHL Playoffs Picks: Vancouver Canucks in 6 (-165 @ SportBet Sportsbook)

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning – Speaking of teams that took parallel paths to get here to the conference finals… The Bruins and Lightning were both in big time holes in their first round series, as the Bolts were down 3-1, while the B’s went behind 2-0 at home. Both teams were able to claw back and win their series. Both were underdogs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Both posted sweeps. Both have been off for well over a week. On Saturday night, they’ll be back at it once again, and we definitely expect a doozy. The health of Patrice Bergeron is going to be key, as if this concussion that he suffered in Game 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers ends up hindering him, the Bruins are going to be in some trouble. Tampa Bay remembers a few of these losses, some of which were very ugly in the regular season. These two teams hate each other. There are no two ways around that. Still, in the end, Dwayne Roloson, all 41 years of him, will be able to find a way to help out the Bolts, as they have just been getting all sorts of contributions from players that you never would have expected making impacts in the playoffs. It’ll be an ugly series, and it’ll go the distance, but in the end, the boys from the Sunshine State will prevail. NHL Playoffs Picks: Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 (+125 @ SportBet Sportsbook)