2013-14 NHL Betting Preview: Blackhawks, Blues Likely To Lead Central Division

The defending champion Chicago Blackhawks try to avoid the Stanley Cup slump and they will have plenty of competition in the NHL Central Division this year.

Previews courtesy of Sports Interaction. All odds current as of Sept. 27.

Chicago Blackhawks -154

The Blackhawks’ roster is stocked with last season’s goodies. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are fully capable to lead the attack, the team’s top four defensemen might be the best in the league, and Corey Crawford is now established as an excellent starting goalie. However, the Blackhawks have played a lot of hockey lately and will have a pile of players attending the Olympics. That could come back to bite Chicago in the playoffs.

St. Louis Blues +275

The Blues don’t have a top-end offensive talent who will end up in the top 15 in NHL scoring. What they do have is more depth than any team in this division and a defensive corps that will rival that of the Blackhawks. This club is in win-now mode and will do just that.

Minnesota Wild +600

Last year the Wild hoped to make a big splash after acquiring Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in the offseason. Those moves helped them make the playoffs, but when goaltender Niklas Backstrom went down with a knee injury, they were cooked. Now they have issues with depth after the departures of Matt Cullen, Cal Clutterbuck, and Devin Setoguchi. This team could go either way.

Dallas Stars +1400

The Stars shuffled the deck by bringing in Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley and Lindy Ruff is a good coach to lead a young nucleus. Jamie Benn is the main guy now and he’ll do everything he can to get this team to the playoffs. The Stars are likely a year or two away from that.

Nashville Predators +1800

The Predators will be one of the better under bets in the league this season as long as Pekka Rinne stays healthy. They have some good prospects in the cupboard, but this club is going to struggle to put the puck in the net.

Colorado Avalanche +1800

If you’re looking for a team that can fill the net, watch out for the Avalanche. Colorado looks like it will have three solid, young forward lines and Nathan MacKinnon is a star in the making. He’ll start on the third line but could move up in a hurry.

 

Winnipeg Jets +1800

The Jets will catch a huge break in moving to the West alone after having the worst schedule in the league last year. This team is young and the time to win is now. If the Jets get decent goaltending, they could shock everybody and get into the playoffs.