The climax of the online hockey betting season is upon us. The Stanley Cup Finals kicks off this Monday evening at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and every player who bets on NHL playoffs will have their eyes glued to the television, waiting to see which team gets a jump start to the cup.
Game 1 – Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Nashville Predators – Monday, May 29th
When: 8:00 pm ET
Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
Series: Stanley Cup Finals || First of Best of 7
TV: NBC
Stream: NBC Sports
Hockey Playoff Odds:
Pittsburgh Penguins -1 ½ (+185) 5 ½ (-140) -170
Nashville Predators +1 ½ (-225) 5 ½ (+120) +150
While no one’s ever really needed an excuse to watch the NHL’s title game, this year’s Finals series is especially one that can’t be missed. With a team on the verge of winning back-to-back titles, and all the other intertwining storylines, this year’s Stanley Cup race is like no other. Below are the top 5 reasons online hockey betting fans cannot afford to miss this year’s Stanley Cup Series.
No. 5 – A Tale of Two Cities
This year’s Stanley Cup Finals pits the Steel City against the Music City. These two cities, Nashville and Pittsburgh, are nothing short of day and night; complete opposites. Nashville is a city proud of its southern heritage, loves their whiskey, and of course their country music. Pittsburgh is an entirely different class. A northern city best exemplified by their blue-collar attitude that permeates down to all their sports teams.
No. 4 – Everyone Loves an Underdog
In addition to the vast differences between these two cities, these two franchises are pretty different as well. The Predators are set to make their first Stanley Cup appearance, while the Penguins are looking to win their third title in under ten years. Coming into this year’s series, almost everyone is expecting Pittsburgh to walk away with it. However, the Predators have delivered an online sports betting upset each step of the way. One more and the Cup will be theirs.
No. 3 – Sidney Crosby
Even though Nashville and Pittsburgh don’t have the largest markets of teams in the NHL, the fact that the league’s No.1 athlete is competing in the Finals is a winning formula for the league’s ratings. Throw in the fact that the Predator’s starting center – the position tasked with squaring up with Crosby, Ryan Johansen will be out with an injury and you’ve got one of the biggest subplots of this year’s title series.
No. 2 – Fantastic Four
Another storyline of this year’s Stanley Cup Series will revolve around the NHL’s top four defenseman; Nashville’s own Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm. These four have combined for 38 points so far in the playoffs, and are sitting on a +27 collective plus/minus.
No. 1 – Living in America
Arguably one of the most important reasons for Americans to tune into this year’s Stanley Cup Finals is because 2017 will mark the first time in league history that both coaches were born and raised in good old USA. Coincidentally, Pittsburgh’s Mike Sullivan and Nashville’s Peter Laviolette were both born in Massachusetts.
