Get to the Point - By Jimmy Harris

The NHL regular season finishes up this weekend which could mean some great odds for bettors to take advantage of if some teams rest their big names heading into the postseason.

One game that has caught my eye is Sunday’s face-off between Detroit and Chicago. The Red Wings clinched the top spot in the Western Conference with a win over Columbus on Thursday night.

Basically, that means Sunday’s game against the Blackhawks means absolutely nothing to the Wings. In other words I wouldn’t expect the Wings big guns to see much ice time on Sunday.

If the books don’t pick up on this right away, Chicago could be listed as a big dog and be worth a play. On a side note the Blackhawks already toppled a full-strength Red Wings squad on Wednesday by a score of 6-2. Check the NHL moneyline and bet the Blackhawks if it makes sense, which I suspect it will.

I’m also keeping my eye on Anaheim’s Sunday matchup with Phoenix. The Ducks are going to finish fourth in the West; it’s already been decided. Will the Ducks give their regulars a rest in that one, then? I’ll be very surprised if Jean-Sebastien Giguere suits up for the game considering the back problems he’s had lately.

However, this game will be the first time Chris Pronger will be allowed back on the ice since he tried to cut Ryan Kesler’s foot off. Pronger will likely log his regular minutes to get his head back into the game heading for the postseason, but I’ll be keeping my eye on the newswires to see what the team is saying about the Ducks’ other All-Stars.

The end of the regular season is always a great time to snap up some easy bets, but you have to be paying attention and make sure you get good line value.