The Pittsburgh Penguins will enter the 2012 NHL playoffs as the betting favourite to win the Stanley Cup.
Pittsburgh is a +445 (roughly 4.5 to 1) favourite at Pinnacle Sports to win it all, despite finishing fourth overall in the NHL regular season and having a tough first-round series with the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers.
The defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks — one of two Canadian teams in this year’s tournament — aren’t far behind the Pens in the eyes of oddsmakers. Vancouver, the top seed in the East, pays +480 to win the Cup.
Rounding out the top five are the New York Rangers (+805), Boston Bruins (+908) and St. Louis Blues (+918).
Potential darkhorses include the Flyers (+1285), Detroit Red Wings (+1285), Nashville Predators (+1603), Chicago Blackhawks (+1708) and San Jose Sharks (+1922).
Canada’s other hopes, the Ottawa Senators, are listed as a +3198 longshot. Only the Florida Panthers (+4265) are considered less likely by oddsmakers to win the Cup this spring.
Pinnacle Sports has yet to release betting odds for the first-round playoff series.