Bodog Beat

The center of the hockey world on New Year's Day will be the corner of Clark and Addison as the Chicago Blackhawks meet the Detroit Red Wings in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. (AP Images)

What bettors will see this afternoon are two of the league's top offenses. Detroit features six players with at least 11 goals, and leads the NHL with 132 scored this season, while Chicago is fourth with 123 goals, but 45 have come from Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, and rookie Kris Versteeg.

A pair of hot goaltenders also will be tested. The Blackhawks' official website reports Cristobal Huet will start for Chicago, which trails Detroit by six points with two games in hand. Ty Conklin starts for the Wings.

The biggest issue will be the condition of the ice and the weather forecast. Players practiced on Wednesday, and came away less than impressed. This could be an important factor for over bettors since bad ice makes it hard to make plays. Bet on NHL in the Bodog Sportsbook.