The Chicago Blackhawks travel to Central Florida on Wednesday night where they will face off in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning as EVEN moneyline underdogs in NHL betting at the online sportsbooks.
As discussed in a preview of this year's Final, the Blackhawks have won two of the last five Stanley Cup championships. The Hawks punched their ticket to hockey's biggest stage after overcoming a 3-2 series deficit in the Western Conference Final to eliminate the Anaheim Ducks in seven games.
While Chicago has been pegged as a betting underdog in all but one of their road contests during this year's NHL Playoffs, they open the series on Wednesday at Tampa's Amalie Arena as strong -140 favorites in NHL Playoffs series betting at the online sportsbooks.
Toews powered Chicago to their series win over Anaheim, potting the first two goals of the game in the Blackhawks 5-3 Game 7 victory.
Tyler Johnson, who enjoyed a breakout season with the Lightning, tying scoring phenom Steven Stamkos for the team lead in scoring during the regular season, closely trails Toews in NHL MVP betting, with 4/1 odds.
Johnson also enters his first Stanley Cup Final leading all players in scoring during this year's NHL Playoffs, with 12 goals and 21 points.
The Lightning were the highest scoring team in the NHL during the regular season, and have carried over their offensive punch into the post-season, scoring five or more goals in five of their 12 wins, to date.
Indeed, the Bolts have been dominant in the games where they have picked up the W, outscoring opponents by a 45-17 margin.
However, the club has also demonstrated their ability to play responsible, stifling defense, posting a pair of 2-0 shutouts over the New York Rangers in their last two meetings at Madison Square Garden, including their Game 7 victory on Friday night, which earned them their first Eastern Conference title and berth in the Final since their last Stanley Cup championship victory in 2004.
Tampa Bay will hit the ice on Wednesday as -120 moneyline favorites in Game 1, and ride a four-game winning streak against the Blackhawks on home ice.
However, they have struggled at times to pick up wins at home, playing .500 hockey with five wins in 10 home games during their current playoff run.
The Lightning also host a Chicago squad that are 4-2 in their last six on the road, and have averaged a whopping 4.75 goals per game in their last four matchups.
Both clubs well armed with offensive weapons, making it no surprise that the OVER is a combined 20-13-4 in playoff contests involving either team. With the puck total set at 5.0 in Game 1, the odds suggest that trend will continue.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
