Throughout the whole year the Avs have been the best team in the NHL. Down the stretch the Devils were playing as good as anybody.
Without any offense ZigZag, I think I heard that just too many times and it's starting to tick me off, especially after such an outstanding game by the Devils...
Statistically, and I proved it many times, - just check back and look at some of my posts during the year - the Devils were the best team throughout the whole year and they are still the best team in the playoffs.
The series line NJ -175 at the beginning of the series is starting to take shape and it was not that much of a mistake - if not at all. The only thing is that the Avs are way too much underrated as a road team and the Devils are also a bit underrated as a road team. Like I said at the beginning of this series, it's *almost* a good thing that the Devils don't have the home ice advantage here (for them). I just still can't believe the difference in the lines between the games being played in NJ and the games being played in Colorado.
IMO it should have been something like NJ -130 Col +110 for each and every game so far, no matter where the game is being played. But the lines are made for the public and that's how we can make money out of it. Public loves to bet the home team. Hey if you're having some hard time to figure out what I'm saying just look at NJ home and road basic stats in the last 2 years (playoffs):
They are 13-10 @home averaging 2.78 gf to 2.13 ga while they are
17-5 on the road averaging 2.77 gf to only
1.50 ga.
I don't really like to play the game of predictions as there's no "sure thing" but if I had to make one, I'd say that the Avalanche will win game 6 only to lose game 7 back in Colorado.
Believe me, if the line for Colorado in game 6 is still something like +170 I'm all over it. But the better team remains... the New Jersey Devils...
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[This message will soon be edited by katts (edited 06-05-2001).]
[This message has been edited by katts (edited 06-05-2001).]