The New Jersey Devils have had a crazy 24 months, as after sports betting bottoming out a year ago, the team quickly bounced back and now finds itself in game three of the Stanley Cup Finals. As a result in part of bottoming out a year ago, and because of the LA Kings seemingly easy climb to the finals, the Devils are a heavy underdog. New Jersey has already dropped the first two games of the series, and are within two more losses of losing in the finals. Today, we wonder if the Devils can bounce back and make the Stanley Cup a road happy series. Despite all the hype surrounding the Kings meteoric climb to the Stanley Cup Finals, the New Jersey Devils are a team they should not take too lightly. After beating the Florida Panthers in seven games in round one, the Devils have been on an impressive run themselves, walking through the Philadelphia Flyers in five games, before manhandling bitter rivals the New York Rangers in six games. Through the first two games of this Triple Crown betting Stanley Cup finals, the Devils have very much been in both games. For those casual fans just tuning into the Stanley Cup right now, the Devils and Kings played in both games in New Jersey, with the Kings coming out on top two to one in each game. What this result indicates to most fans is that the two teams are closer then the media would have you believe. Yes, the Kings have been on an incredible run, winning all eight road games they have played, but the Devils are right their with them. In other words, had a lucky bounce gone the Devils way, the way it has for the Kings, and New Jersey could be up two games to nothing. It’s worth noting as well, that the Kings aren’t nearly as good at home as they are on the road. The Kings have lost their only two games in the playoffs at home. Thus, betting software enthusiasts are quick to give the Devils a chance as a road team. Taking a closer look at this current final and how it compares to last year’s finals between Vancouver and Boston, New Jersey and LA have an opportunity to be the polar opposite. Essentially, up until game seven when the Bruins won on the road, the 2011 Stanley Cup was a home team series. Boston won their three games at home, while the Canucks won three of four at home. On paper, with the Kings already winning two of potentially four road games in New Jersey, the Devils may be able to win all three road games in Los Angeles. By all accounts, nobody is exactly suggesting a 5Dimes cakewalk for the LA Kings against the New Jersey Devils. However, looking at the results leading up to the Stanley Cup Finals, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. The Kings are only the 10th team in NHL history to use the minimum amount of games to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, at 14. With the two wins already in the finals, the Kings are an impressive 14 and two in 16 games. At the same time, the Devils haven’t needed that many games either, as they have only needed 20 games to reach game three. With this in mind, the Devils are fresh enough to extend the series.
