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          How to bet the 2016 Stanley Cup finals

          The Penguins and Sharks are very close on paper, but determining which side to bet in the Stanley Cup finals gets a little easier when you dig into the numbers. Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images
          • Ben Arledge, ESPN.comMay 29, 2016, 06:28 PM ET
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              Editor for NFL and NHL team, as well as a contributing hockey writer. Previously with ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Chalk and ESPN Fantasy. Joined ESPN in 2012.
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          The NHL playoffs have surprised many hockey fans this year. The Stanley Cup odds at the beginning of the playoffs had the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8-to-1 and the San Jose Sharks at 18-to-1, while favorites like the Washington Capitals (3-to-1), Los Angeles Kings (6-to-1), and Chicago Blackhawks (7-to-1) didn't make it past the second round.