NHL Stanley Cup betting features a rematch of last year’s Finals as the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
It is the first time the same two teams have faced each other in consecutive years in the Stanley Cup Final since the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders faced each other in 1983 and 1984. NHL betting odds favor the Red Wings in this series, despite the fact they are dealing with injuries.
NHL Stanley Cup betting begins on Saturday with Game 1 in Detroit. The NHL betting matchup will be televised by NBC and CBC. Detroit is a -160 sports betting favorite in Game 1 of NHL Stanley Cup betting with a total of 5.5 over. The Red Wings are also favored in this NHL Stanley Cup betting series at the sportsbook.
There are a number of parallels from the 1983 and 1984 NHL Stanley Cup betting finals and this one. The Edmonton Oilers lost in 1983 against the Islanders in NHL betting but won the next season. Pittsburgh looks similar in many respects to those Oilers in NHL Stanley Cup betting as they have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin while the Oilers back then had Wayne Gretzky.
Detroit reached the NHL Stanley Cup betting finals after taking out the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals while Pittsburgh swept Carolina in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Penguins have been led by Crosby and Malkin who have combined for 56 points in the playoffs.
Detroit has been led by future Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom on defense and Pavel Datsyuk up front. Both players missed Game 5 against Chicago but are expected to return for the NHL Stanley Cup betting finals.
Oftentimes in NHL Stanley Cup betting it comes down to the goalies. Detroit has Chris Osgood who has won big games before while the Penguins have Marc Andre-Fleury.
Sometimes in sports betting it is all about injuries and that could be the case in this series. If Detroit can’t stay healthy it is unlikely they can handle the offensive firepower of the Penguins. What definitely doesn’t help the Red Wings is the NHL betting schedule. For some reason the NHL has decided that to increase their weak TV ratings they would schedule back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday in the NHL Stanley Cup betting final. There is very little rest in this series and that could hurt Detroit’s chances in NHL betting.
You can bet on Detroit and Pittsburgh right now by opening an account at the SBG Global sportsbook!