NHL Playoffs 2011: Stanley Cup Odds, Previews, And Upsets To Watch

It’s a classic battle to open the 2011 NHL playoffs: this season’s top dog against the top dog from last season. So now that the playoffs are set, let's take a look at the odds for the Stanley Cup, as well some of the matchups in the first round.

The Vancouver Canucks face a familiar foe – the team that beat them the past two seasons – in the Chicago Blackhawks. Vancouver won the Presidents’ Trophy this season with 117 points, and the distinction earned them home-ice advantage throughout the postseason. The Canucks are listed as +300 favorites to win their first Cup in team history, and to do so, they’ll have to go through the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.

Chicago (+1500 to pull the upset and repeat as champs) won it all last season, and while it slipped into the Western Conference playoffs as the eighth seed after an up-and-down season, it figures to present a challenge for Vancouver.

Not that it’ll get any easier for Vancouver should it defeat Chicago, and they are a -220 moneyline favorite to win that series (Chicago is +180 as the series underdog, meaning a $100 stake returns $180 in profit).

The second-seeded San Jose Sharks (+600 to win the Cup) are flying under the radar as they get set to open against the Los Angeles Kings (+2500) on Thursday night, while the third-seeded Detroit Red Wings (+600) are also seeing plenty of action from futures bettors.

"Many sportsbooks are cheering against the Sharks, but a lot of shrewd bettors saw them improving after Christmas and have them at longshot odds," said Jack Randall, hockey handicapping analyst at OddsShark.com.

"And oddsmakers don’t usually cheer for the favorites, because they make their money when underdogs cover the spread, but they are cheering for the Flyers because Buffalo has been so hot. Bettors also got them at 50/1 not too long ago to win the Cup."

Detroit matches up with the Phoenix Coyotes (+3000) in the opening round. Game 1 goes on Wednesday night, while in the other West first round best-of-seven series, the Anaheim Ducks (+1500) take on the Nashville Predators (+2500).

(For the updated lines and info on all the action in the Stanley Cup playoffs, check out SB Nation’s lines partner Odds Shark).

Over in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals (+600) headline the odds list as the top seed after finishing the regular season on a tear. Washington goes up against the New York Rangers (+3000) in the first round, but if recent history is an indication, bettors are in for a long series.

New York took three of four from Washington this season, and the possibility of a stunner fits into a larger trend that could produce some first round upsets in the East. Washington has a knack for first-round choke jobs.

The second-seeded Philadelphia Flyers (+800) were a sharp pick to win the Cup only a few months ago after getting to the Cup final last year, but they’re stumbling as they get ready to face off with the Buffalo Sabres (+2500) beginning on Thursday night. Philadelphia went just 3-8 against the moneyline to end the regular season.

At 8/1, the Flyers could be good value if they can right the ship.

The Boston Bruins (+900) are favored against the rival Montreal Canadiens (+3000) in their first round set, but the underdogs have more than a fighting chance after taking the six-game regular season series.

The other East first round tilt between the Pittsburgh Penguins (+1200) and Tampa Bay Lightning (+1500) is more of a toss-up, even if Pittsburgh won’t have Sidney Crosby (concussion) when it takes the ice for Game 1 on Wednesday night.