Pittsburgh at Detroit

Well it is the game every team wants to be in when the NHL season starts, and that is a game seven in the NHL Finals. This is what every player dreams of - the biggest game of the sport, on the biggest stage. This one has held serve all the way through, each team winning on home ice through all six games. The problem the Penguins face is Detroit beat them last year in the Finals and they will beat them again. The Penguins have not been able to sniff a win in this series on the road. They have been outscored by a huge 11-2 margin. That makes the two-year run in the Finals between these two teams 21-6 in favor of the Red Wings playing in Detroit. That is a big obstacle, showing lots of distance between these teams. The Penguins didn't even score in three of the six games! Why has it been so difficult for Pittsburgh to win in Detroit? The answer is easy to find. The Red Wings has out-shot the Penguins 213-159 in Detroit over the last two years in the Finals or by nine per game. They have also had a 13-minute advantage in penalties. Give a team nine free shots and +13 in penalty minutes a game, and you’re looking at the results – total domination! We have less than 2-1 odds on the Red Wings here yet they have won 83.3% of their playoff games at home vs. Pittsburgh, which equates closer to four to one odds. They are also 50-17 in their last 67 games as a home favorite which equates to three to one odds. They are also 11-1 at home in the playoffs this year and 20-3 over the last two years which is closer to seven to one odds. It kind of makes the 1.90-1 odds here look pretty good doesn't it? I'll go with the Detroit Red Wings to win their second-straight Stanley Cup.