NHL Stanley Cup Final Betting Preview

NHL betting has been a wild ride through the first three rounds of the playoffs, especially in the East. The Philadelphia Flyers have fought their way to the Stanley Cup final after being left for dead in the conference semis and rolling over the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern final. Can the Flyers keep that magic going against the powerful Chicago Blackhawks? Bettors will have to wait and see when this series starts up Saturday at the United Center.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Chicago Blackhawks

In one of the most lopsided seeding matchups in NHL history, the NHL's No. 3 overall team, the Chicago Blackhawks, face the Philadelphia Flyers, who ranked seventh in the Eastern Conference, 18^th overall in points, and made it into the playoffs on a shootout win in the final game of the regular season.

But bettors shouldn't take this Philadelphia team lightly. The Flyers suffered a hiccup against the Boston Bruins in the second round, coming back from 0-3 down to win four straight games. This is the same team that thumped the New Jersey Devils in five games and pounded the upstart Montreal Canadiens 4-1, posting three shutouts in that series.

Philadelphia does match up well with Chicago. Though it may be shorter on talent, the Flyers can roll out three lines of forwards that can do damage on the scoreboard – just like the Blackhawks.

The frontline corps got a big boost from the return of Jeff Carter from injury last round. He lifts that second-line pairing of James van Riemsdyk and Scott Hartnell, which has produced just 17 points this postseason but has the tall task of matching up with opponents' top-line forwards.

The first-line trio of Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, and Dan Carcillo was shaken up a bit in the second round when Carcillo was replaced by Ian Laperriere, who returned from an eye injury last round. However, against a burly Blackhawks team Carcillo's pesky ways might be an option for Flyers coach Peter Laviolette.

Rounding out Philadelphia's offensive attack is third-line star Daniel Briere, who is flourishing alongside Arron Asham and Claude Giroux in the postseason. Briere netted goals in the first two games against Montreal and has 18 points in the playoffs so far. Asham and Giroux combined for eight points versus the Canadiens, including six points from Giroux.

Those three lines will match firepower with one of the most potent offenses in the league. Chicago finished the regular season third in goals and first in shots per game. That has carried over to the postseason, where the Blackhawks are averaging 3.31 goals a night.

Chicago's top-line forwards - Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane - could be the best trio in all of hockey. Toews leads the NHL with 26 points this postseason while Kane is right behind him with 20 points. Sharp has scored seven goals and helped out on nine others.

Veteran winger Marion Hossa, who's in his third straight Stanley Cup final, heads up the second line forwards. Hossa combines with Dave Bolland and Tomas Kopecky for a quick and physical offensive push that can leave bluelines flat-footed. This line has totaled 25 points in the playoffs with Hossa leading the way with two goals and nine assists.

The Blackhawks’ third line has had one of the biggest impacts in the postseason. Burly forward Dustin Byfuglien, who scored just 17 goals in the regular season, leads Chicago with 10 goals in these playoffs. He's riding a five-game scoring streak thanks to his tough and troublesome play in front of opposing nets. Linemates Troy Brouwer and Kris Versteeg have combined for six goals in the playoffs, keeping opposing bluelines on their toes.

With all this firepower on both sides, bettors may want to lean towards the OVER during the Stanley Cup final. The Blackhawks have posted a 7-6-3 over/under mark this postseason, going over the total twice in the four games with San Jose. The Flyers are 7-6-4 over/under this postseason, going over the total in three of their five games with Montreal.