NHL Betting - Stanley Cup Game 7 Pick

The pinnacle of Stanley Cup betting is here—Game 7 of the Red Wings Penguins odds. It doesn't get any better than one game to decide it all. Do you go with the favorite or swing for the fences and pick the underdog Pens on the road?

Stanley Cup Final odds - Game 7 Friday, June 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET
NHL betting lines: Penguins +160, Red Wings -190

We know what we'll get from the Red Wings at the sportsbook in Game 7: a steady, defensively sound effort from a team looking for its fifth Stanley Cup in 13 years. To beat Detroit, the Penguins have to play their best game of the series, and that's a tall order given how bad they've been on the road. Sidney Crosby has zero points in three games at Joe Louis Arena in this series; in front of the Detroit fans, he let himself get flustered by Henrik Zetterberg's smothering defense and eventually took a selfish penalty. Evgeni Malkin hasn't been much better. Bottom line: Crosby and Malkin are supposed to be two of the top three players in the world but they've been outsmarted on the road. They have to keep their cool and leave it all on the ice for the Pens to have a chance.

The Penguins' blueline has also been a Jekyll-and-Hyde story in this Stanley Cup betting series. They've been physical, well-positioned and disciplined at home, also blocking shots like crazy, but on the road they've been tentative and a bit lazy, resulting in dumb penalties. Anyone who likes to bet on sports knows what happens when you take too many penalties against the Red Wings, so the Pens have to stay out of the box.

Detroit can count on Chris Osgood to play well enough for the Red Wings to win on Friday, but he also won't be the reason why they win. Marc-Andre Fleury is a wildcard—he could get rattled and blow the game, as he's been shaky and lacking focus on the road all series long, but he could also stand on his head, make 50 saves and steal the win. If the good Fleury shows up, the Pens will have a real chance to pull off the huge online wagering upset. He'll be in tough against the deep Red Wing attack, though. Marian Hossa has disappeared and is shying away from the physical game, so he shouldn't be a factor, but Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk will be. They make everyone around them better with their playmaking skills and you can bet they'll bust out a clutch effort again in Game 7 -- especially the healthier Zetterberg.

It's been a great run for the Pens, but they needed to win this series in six games at home. Home-ice advantage exists for a reason—to give the team that earned it the edge in a deciding game. Home teams are 12-2 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, and the Wings will extend that record to 13-2.

Offshore sportsbook pick: Red Wings -190