The Detroit Red Wings are trying to end their playoff drought.

It’s completely understandable if Michigan sports betting fans haven’t been paying much attention to the Red Wings this fall.

With the Lions doing amazing things, the Pistons doing amazingly horrible things, the Wings have gotten lost in the shuffle.

The Super Bowl is Feb. 11, and once that’s over, the Red Wings will take center ice. They are trying to snap their longest playoff drought in franchise history. Entering Tuesday’s game with Dallas, they are 24-17-5 and rank seventh in the Eastern Conference, but it’s going to be a fight to the finish.

FanDuel has the most extensive hockey markets of any Michigan sportsbook. They have the Wings as +122 to make the playoffs, and bets on how many points they will finish with. PointsBet has odds on each game.

Can the Wings Make the Playoffs?

Remember, the NHL does things differently than they used to with the playoffs (I still miss the old top four get in, give me the Norris Division battles any day). The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, then the next two spots go to the wild cards with the next best records.

Forget about winning the Atlantic Division. The Bruins are going to win it. The Wings are in a jumble of teams in the 3-5 spot in the division. They’re a point behind the Leafs and tied with Tampa in the division.

Basically, you’re looking at four teams for two spots: the Wings, the Lightning, the Devils and the Islanders. Detroit has won four of their last five and currently have the top wild card spot.

Wings Up

The Wings made a big move last month signing NHL legend Patrick Kane to a contract. Kane is coming off hip surgery, but is one of the greatest American-born players in history.

Kane has played in 19 games, and scored seven goals, but the Wings are 8-11 since he joined the squad. He then suffered a ‘lower body injury’ (probably a knee) and has been out for a while. He may not be back until after the All-Star break.

Kane had played well, creating pressure with former Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat. Dylan Larkin leads the Wings with 41 points and 18 goals. DeBrincat is the Wings lone All-Star selection in Toronto.

Wings Down

I hope you like end-to-end hockey. These aren’t your father’s defensively perfect wings. The Wings rank No. 4 in the NHL in goals scored at 3.5, but defensively….they are who they are. They are 23 rd in the NHL in goals allowed.

Wings starting goalie Ville Husso has been out since before Christmas with an injury. He was 9-5-2 when he got hurt. He, also, may be back after the break. Detroit has used four different goalies this season. Alex Lyon is 11-5 and has started 10 of the last 11 games.

The Wings are 23-15 against the spread, but a good over bet each night at 21-16-1. Michigan sportsbooks have been setting their totals at 6.5 or even seven each night, which is high.

By:Darren Cooper

Born and raised in Louisiana, Darren Cooper has a fond appreciation for bayous, Mardi Gras beads and the sports betting industry. Darren has worked for multiple print and online publications since 1998, primarily as a sports columnist in the Northeast. He’s covered a Super Bowl (it was a blowout), the World Series (same) and the NBA Draft (man, those guys are tall). For the last few years he’s dug deep into the sports gambling industry as it exploded across America, learning how the legal sausage is made and how while all the sportsbooks look the same, they all have different identities and styles. He’s learned to always bet within his means -- and take the under. When not in front of his computer creating, Darren spends time with his three boys. He runs, reads and is always looking for the next big thing to write about.