Stanley Cup Betting Odds 2015: Chicago, Anaheim NHL Favorites As Rangers, Capitals Meet In Game 7

With all but one second-round series decided in the 2015 NHL playoffs, the race for the Stanley Cup is down to five teams. As the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals get ready to meet in Game 7 of their series, there is no clear favorite to win the title.

The Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks will meet in the Western Conference Finals, and they are tied with the best betting odds to win the Stanley Cup. Both teams have been given 11/5 championship odds at Bovada.lv, after beating their previous opponents handily.

Chicago played three close games against the Minnesota Wild, considering Game 2 was their only victory that didn’t come by one goal. But the Blackhawks only needed four games to advance, sweeping the Wild and winning every contest in regulation. After finishing in third place in the Central Division, the Blackhawks have proven that their playoff experience is more valuable than their regular-season win total, reaching the conference finals for a sixth time in eight years.

Anaheim had the best regular season of the three conference finals teams, tied for the lead in the West with 109 points. They needed five games to defeat the Calgary Flames, though their wins came in more convincing fashion than the Blackhawks’, winning Games 1, 2 and 4 by a total of 10 goals. The Ducks have only lost one game this postseason, and they’ll have home-ice advantage against Chicago.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are awaiting their Eastern Conference Finals opponent. They ended their second-round series with the winner of the Atlantic Division on Tuesday, getting a 4-1 win in Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens. The Lightning have 13/4 championship odds.

New York began the postseason as the favorites in the East, but they are one game away from being eliminated. After falling down 3-1 in their series with Washington, the Rangers have won two games in a row. Las Vegas sports books have them as -175 favorites over the Capitals in Wednesday’s Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have 17/4 odds to win the Stanley Cup, though those odds will improve if they win Game 7, and they’ll likely be favored in a series with the Lightning.

Washington is a +155 underdog against New York, and their 9/1 championship odds are the worst of any team that’s still in contention. The Capitals seemed poised to reach the conference finals for the first time since 1998, but two straight losses have them on the brink of elimination.