Senators in Tough Against Penguins

Sens In Over Their Heads Against Pens

To be the champ, you’ve got to beat the champ, so the saying goes. That’s the mission in front of the Ottawa Senators. Have they got what it takes to tackle the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins? We break it down, based on odds provided courtesy of Bovada.lv:

Ottawa Senators (+180) at Pittsburgh Penguins (-220)

Going into the final week of the regular season, it wasn’t a certainty that the Ottawa Senators would even be part of the playoff picture. Then captain Erik Karlsson surprisingly returned ahead of schedule from a fractured foot and that inspired the Sens to get the job done and wrap up a postseason place.

Playing on those two fractures in his foot, Karlsson has continued to inspire his teammates through series wins over the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He leads the Sens with 13 points, a total that also tops all defensemen in the playoffs. He’s also playing nearly 29 minutes a night.

Here’s where things get a little more complicated for Karlsson and the Senators, the second-best team in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins were the second-best team in the Metropolitan Division. But they were also the second-best team in the NHL. And they just whacked No. 1 Washington right out of the postseason picture for the second spring in a row. Oh, and did we mention that Stanley Cup Pittsburgh won last spring?

Maybe the Sens will be able to slow down Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for a game or two. But can they contain Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the latter the playoff scoring leader with 18 points? And even if they do that, there’s still the small matter of stopping Phil Kessel, or rookie Jake Guentzel and his Stanley Cup-leading nine goals.

Then there’s pesky Patric Hornqvist, speedsters Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin, clutch goal scorer Bryan Rust, even fourth-liner and power-play specialist Matt Cullen, at 40 the oldest performer in the playoffs.

The Penguins are relentless. They come at you in waves, and just keep coming. The Senators are more like the tide. Sometimes they come in, and sometimes they don’t.

That erratic pattern beat lesser teams in Boston and the Rangers. It won’t fly against the Penguins. Game 1 is just the beginning of Ottawa’s nightmare.

Why Not Try A Three-Way Moneyline?

A wager taken from soccer, the three-way moneyline offers you a trio of options to bet on a playoff game based on the outcome after 60 minutes of play.

If you were to play the Penguins, you'll get odds of -145. Take the Senators and the price is +275. But bet on a tie - in this case a wager that they will play overtime - and the odds are set at +330.

Pick: The Penguins (-220) and the over (5.5)

Category : Betting Picks

Tag : Erik Karlsson , Evgeni Malkin , phil kessel , Senators In Tough Against Penguins , Sidney Crosby

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