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The Pittsburgh Penguins are two wins away from claiming the Stanley Cup, and we know we aren't ready to bet against them with the way things just seem to be going their way. There are reasons to believe the San Jose Sharks can still fight back in this series, but they're running out of time to do so. One would like to think that losing Game 3 at home on Saturday night would effectively be the end of the season.
Stanley Cup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Pittsburgh Penguins +130
San Jose Sharks -150
Over/Under 5.5 (under -145)
ODDS ANALYSIS
There are a lot of tells here in this line you're going to want to pay close attention to if you're betting this game live. The fact that the Sharks are such big favorites at -150 tells us that the books expect to see a sense of desperation out of the Western Conference champs the likes of which we haven't seen yet in this series save for a few brief moments in Game 2.
The other telling number is the total, one which seems to be stubbornly set at 5.5 and -145 vig on the under. That means someone is going to have to score four goals in this game to get it past the total, and we haven't seen that happen yet in this series. Still, that doesn't mean the oddsmakers don't have confidence in it happening, and that could be a tell that a higher scoring game is ahead in Game 3.
KEY STAT
The Sharks only have 48 shots on goal in this series thus far, and that just isn't good enough for a group which loves to fly up and down the ice. Speed really seemed to be the difference for San Jose in the opening three rounds of the playoffs, but now, the fact that it played against so many hard checking teams looks like it's paying its toll.
The Penguins still look like they have fresh legs, and even though they aren't getting anything whatsoever out of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, they haven't had to. They're outworking San Jose to all of the 50/50 pucks and are definitively winning the territorial advantage. There was a nice spurt by San Jose in the third period of Game 2 which resulted in Justin Braun's game-tying goal, but there was never really a doubt who the better team was on the ice. The Pens are definitely deserving of being up 2-0.
SPECIAL TEAMS TALK
When you're not on the penalty kill, you can't give up power play goals. The best defense for the potent San Jose power play in this series has been staying out of the penalty box, and the Penguins have done that incredibly well. They've been shorthanded for a total of six minutes in two games, and though the Sharks do have a goal in that stretch, one power play goal allowed in two games parlayed with great 5-on-5 play is why the Penguins are up 2-0 heading back to the West Coast.
Do be aware though, that things could change on a dime, and the Penguins and live bettors have to be careful of that. If Pittsburgh starts picking up cheap penalties in this game and spends 10 or more minutes in the sin bin, there's a really good chance that that would be what finally gets Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton going. These two men have been nowhere to be found all series long, and poking the sleeping bear could end up being a disaster for the Penguins.
Stanley Cup odds at BookMaker.eu
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly interface on your smartphone or tablet provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! Game 3 of this series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks will commence on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. ET at the SAP Center. The contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
