When you have the best player in the league, you will always be considered a favorite, whether its Stanley Cup odds or college football odds.
When you have the best two players in the league, your odds get shorter.
That’s the situation in Pittsburgh where oddsmakers and bettors alike have caught on to the fact that Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby give the Pens the best 1-2 punch in hockey.
So even though they draw a tough first-round battle with the hated state rivals from Philly, they are favored at Sportsbook on the Sportsbook Stanley Cup odds menu at 4/1.
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Two teams that finished ahead of them in the standings are 11/2 and the second NHL betting choices. The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks are each 11/2 odds.
Meanwhile, the defending champion Bruins are 8/1 and a dangerous foe because of their depth and experience.
Just ahead of Boston is St. Louis, who challenged for the league’s top spot most of the season. Many feel they are an upset candidate here in the first round against the San Jose Sharks.
The Blues are 15/2 while Western teams Detroit and Nashville are 12/1 and 14/1 respectively. The aforementioned Flyers have injury problems and are priced too low at 14/1.
On the list of exact Cup final matchups, the Vancouver vs Pittsburgh matchup is the shortest odds at 7/1. If you think the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings will meet in the final, that’s a 300/1 longshot.
Odds to win the 2012 Stanley Cup - lines courtesy of Sportsbook
Pittsburgh Penguins 4/1
New York Rangers 11/2
Vancouver Canucks 11/2
St. Louis Blues 15/2
Boston Bruins 8/1
Detroit Red Wings 12/1
Nashville Predators 14/1
Philadelphia Flyers 14/1
Chicago Blackhawks 16/1
San Jose Sharks 18/1
Los Angeles Kings 20/1
New Jersey Devils 25/1
Washington Capitals 30/1
Florida Panthers 35/1
Ottawa Senators 40/1
Phoenix Coyotes 40/1
Odds to win the 2012 NHL Western Conference
Vancouver Canucks 19/10
St. Louis Blues 3/1
Detroit Red Wings 13/2
Nashville Predators 7/1
Chicago Blackhawks 15/2
San Jose Sharks 10/1
Los Angeles Kings 12/1
Phoenix Coyotes 18/1
Odds to win the 2012 NHL Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh Penguins 19/10
New York Rangers 21/10
Boston Bruins 9/2
Philadelphia Flyers 7/1
New Jersey Devils 12/1
Washington Capitals 16/1
Florida Panthers 20/1
Ottawa Senators 22/1
2012 Stanley Cup Exact Matchup Odds
Chicago Blackhawks vs Boston Bruins 45/1
Chicago Blackhawks vs Florida Panthers 175/1
Chicago Blackhawks vs New Jersey Devils 100/1
Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Rangers 25/1
Chicago Blackhawks vs Ottawa Senators 180/1
Chicago Blackhawks vs Philadelphia Flyers 65/1
Chicago Blackhawks vs Pittsburgh Penguins 25/1
Chicago Blackhawks vs Washington Capitals 140/1
Detroit Red Wings vs Boston Bruins 40/1
Detroit Red Wings vs Florida Panthers 150/1
Detroit Red Wings vs New Jersey Devils 90/1
Detroit Red Wings vs New York Rangers 20/1
Detroit Red Wings vs Ottawa Senators 170/1
Detroit Red Wings vs Philadelphia Flyers 55/1
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins 20/1
Detroit Red Wings vs Washington Capitals 125/1
Los Angeles Kings vs Boston Bruins 70/1
Los Angeles Kings vs Florida Panthers 250/1
Los Angeles Kings vs New Jersey Devils 165/1
Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers 35/1
Los Angeles Kings vs Ottawa Senators 300/1
Los Angeles Kings vs Philadelphia Flyers 100/1
Los Angeles Kings vs Pittsburgh Penguins 35/1
Los Angeles Kings vs Washington Capitals 200/1
Nashville Predators vs Boston Bruins 40/1
Nashville Predators vs Florida Panthers 165/1
Nashville Predators vs New Jersey Devils 100/1
Nashville Predators vs New York Rangers 22/1
Nashville Predators vs Ottawa Senators 175/1
Nashville Predators vs Philadelphia Flyers 60/1
Nashville Predators vs Pittsburgh Penguins 22/1
Nashville Predators vs Washington Capitals 125/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs Boston Bruins 100/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs Florida Panthers 400/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs New Jersey Devils 250/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs New York Rangers 55/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs Ottawa Senators 400/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs Philadelphia Flyers 150/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs Pittsburgh Penguins 50/1
Phoenix Coyotes vs Washington Capitals 300/1
San Jose Sharks vs Boston Bruins 55/1
San Jose Sharks vs Florida Panthers 225/1
San Jose Sharks vs New Jersey Devils 140/1
San JoseSharks New York Rangers 30/1
San Jose Sharks vs Ottawa Senators 250/1
San JoseSharks Philadelphia Flyers 80/1
San Jose Sharks vs Pittsburgh Penguins 30/1
San Jose Sharks vs Washington Capitals 175/1
St. Louis Blues vs Boston Bruins 20/1
St. Louis Blues vs Florida Panthers 75/1
St. Louis Blues vs New Jersey Devils 50/1
St. Louis Blues vs New York Rangers 11/1
St. Louis Blues vs Ottawa Senators 90/1
St. Louis Blues vs Philadelphia Flyers 30/1
St. Louis Blues vs Pittsburgh Penguins 10/1
St. Louis Blues vs Washington Capitals 65/1
Vancouver Canucks vs Boston Bruins 14/1
Vancouver Canucks vs Florida Panthers 55/1
Vancouver Canucks vs New Jersey Devils 35/1
Vancouver Canucks vs New york Rangers 15/2
Vancouver Canucks vs Ottaw Senators 65/1
Vancouver Canucks vs Philadelphia Flyers 22/1
Vancouver Canucks vs Pittsburgh Penguins 7/1
Vancouver Canucks vs Washington Capitals 45/1
