The Washington Capitals entered the NHL Playoff betting season as the overwhelming favorite in the Stanley Cup odds betting. And with good reason as the team dominated the regular season hockey betting on its way to best record in the NHL odds action (54-14-13) and the team’s 121 points was far and away the best of any team in the Stanley Cup odds competition.
But after six games into the 2010 NHL betting playoffs the Caps have lost their luster and now face a do-or-die Game Seven just to advance to the second round of the hockey betting action and keep the team’s Stanley Cup betting dreams alive.
It won’t be easy either. The Caps, after earning the #1 seed in the East faced what looked to be a favorable draw against the #8 seed Montreal Canadiens in the first series of competition in the race to the Stanley Cup betting competition. However, Montreal has proven to be a feisty opponent and everything seems to be going its way as an incredible Game 6 resulted in a 4-1 blowout of the regular season NHL betting champs.
With the Caps on thin ice and playing for the NHL Playoff betting life, the team is no longer in the driver’s seat in the eyes of Stanley Cup odds makers. While the Caps could still get on track and still win Lord Stanley’s giant beer stein the team has made things much more difficult for itself.
The poor play of the Caps in this year’s hockey betting playoffs has also created plenty of opportunity in the Stanley Cup betting race for other teams as well. With a number of first round upsets including the Bruins over the #3 Sabres there has been a definite shift in the hockey odds.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, the 2009 Stanley Cup odds champs, have emerged as the favorite in the East after putting away a feisty Senators club in 6 games and looking very tough along the way.
Sports betting fans have also noted how sharp both the San Jose Sharks and the Vancouver Canucks have looked in their opening NHL playoff betting series. Right now, these teams have to be considered the front runners in the hockey betting odds.