The 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are nearly down to the final two teams. Just two teams remain in the hunt for Lord Stanley and of those teams, the Los Angeles Kings are favored to win the championship. The Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes in the Western Conference Finals and await either the New Jersey Devils or the New York Rangers in a matchup in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Currently the Los Angeles Kings are favored over both teams from the East Coast. Below are the current odds to win the 2012 Stanley Cup with each of the three teams having odds despite the New York Rangers being up against the wall tonight in a Game 6 with New Jersey.
The odds are courtesy the Las Vegas Hotel Sportsbook (formerly the Las Vegas Hilton).
LA Kings -140
New Jersey Devils +180
New York Rangers +500
At first glance, we see that the Kings are pretty heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They opened the season at 75/1 odds to win hoist Lord Stanley and now have played themselves into the finals, having several days to await to see who they will play. The Devils and Rangers could potentially play one more game for the right to play Los Angeles in the finals beginning next week. Either way, it's going to be a long and tough series in the NHL Finals. LA and New York/New Jersey are obviously on either sides of the country and the jet lag as well as lengthy times between games could pose to be a bit of a problem for the squads.
The Kings are a great story after finishing in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. They knocked off the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks and the second-seeded St. Louis Blues in back-to-back series and thus have been tabbed as the team to beat in the playoffs. They get great goal tending from Jonathon Quick and are a young, flashy group. In the Western Conference Finals against Phoenix, the Kings won 4-1 and picked up three of their wins on the road. They'll open the Stanley Cup Finals on the road as well, with either Jersey or New York hosting the first game.
$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!