Sharks vs. Penguins odds, Stanley Cup Final: Pittsburgh favored for Game 1 against San Jose

Pittsburgh is a -155 betting favorite to win Monday’s series opener at home at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. San Jose is a +135 underdog to come out on top in Game 1.

After taking 3-1 series leads in both the first and second round over the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, the Penguins faced some adversity in the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, falling down three games to two after a home loss in Game 5.

Marc-Andre Fleury was not sharp in his Game 5 start, so the Penguins switched back to Matt Murray in Game 6, who played well in Pittsburgh’s wins in Game 6 and Game 7. Murray will be the starter in goal for Game 1 of this series.

The Penguins are just 5-15 in their last 20 games against the San Jose Sharks per the OddsShark NHL Database. Over the last three seasons, these two teams are 3-3 against each other.

The Sharks entered the postseason as a long shot to win the West and an underdog to escape the first round. But in a year when the Sharks finally weren’t burdened with expectations, they have thrived in the postseason, stomping out their California rival Los Angeles Kings in five games and dominating the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final along the way.

Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns lead the NHL in postseason scoring this season, each with at least 20 points heading into the final. The Sharks are 12-6 this postseason with three of their losses coming in overtime.

Monday night’s total is set at 5.5 goals. The OVER is 4-1 in Pittsburgh’s last four games and 3-0 in San Jose’s last three.

San Jose’s 3.5 goals per game and Pittsburgh’s 3.22 goals per game have been the highest offensive outputs of any team this postseason. This series on paper looks to have the potential for plenty of offensive fireworks in every game.