San Jose at Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Betting Odds Game 1

The San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins are set to skate for the Stanley Cup, opening their best-of-seven finals series on Monday night in the Steel City. The Penguins overcame a 3-2 series deficit to knock off the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals, while the Sharks knocked out the St. Louis Blues in six games in the Western finals. The Sharks entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Pacific Division, beating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and the Nashville Predators in the second round. The Penguins eliminated the New York Rangers and then the Washington Capitals, in five games in each series. Be sure to check for more NHL betting odds by clicking here.

A Look at the San Jose at Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Betting Odds Game 1 & TV Info

.@SanJoseSharks vs. @penguins – THE #StanleyCup Final. Who has the @SAPSports statistical advantage?https://t.co/GswfyKAGQS

— #StanleyCup Final (@NHL) May 30, 2016

When: Monday, May 30, 2016, 8:00 PM Eastern time Where: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh TV: NBC Radio: San Jose /  Pittsburgh Live Stream: NHL.tv NHL Odds: Pittsburgh -149

Why Should You Bet on San Jose?

The Sharks have won six of the last 10 meetings between the two teams dating back to 2009. During the 2015-16 regular season, the Sharks won their only game in Pittsburgh, knocking the Penguins off by a score of 3 to 1. Joe Pavelski has been a scoring force for the Sharks in these playoffs, as has Joel Ward. Martin Jones has grown in stature with each playoff series, beating Jonathan Quick, Pekka Rinne and then Brian Elliott — the first and the third having built solid playoff resumes of their own along the way. The Sharks play a fast game while staying tidy on the defensive end, a formula that ended up frustrating the St. Louis Blues, who were fast enough to beat Chicago and defensively minded enough to frustrate Dallas but found that the Sharks were better at both.

Why Should You Put Your Money on the Penguins?

Just look who the Penguins have beaten so far. Sure, the Sharks pulled off an upset by beating the Blues, but the Penguins eliminated one of the best goalies in postseason history in Henrik Lundqvist and then beat the team that won the President’s Trophy in the Capitals — in five games apiece. They have a blindingly fast offense and a decent enough defense, and Matt Murray has been absolutely terrific in goal — unbelievable play for a rookie. In the other game between the two teams, played in San Jose, the Penguins prevailed in a 5-1rout, so the Penguins know how to manage the Sharks’ game.

Expert Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction

A lot of people have made the mistake of underrating the Sharks in these playoffs. I don’t think the Sharks will win, but the Penguins won’t blow their doors off either. I’m predicting a 3-2 Pittsburgh win.