Stanley Cup betting could be one game away. The Penguins swept Carolina and await the winner of the Red Wings vs Blackhawks odds; at home tonight, Detroit can clinch the series with a win. Will it happen or will the young Hawks take advantage of the Wings’ health woes?

Red Wings vs Blackhawks odds – Game 5 tonight at 7:35 p.m. ET
NHL odds: Red Wings -250, Blackhawks +210

The Chicago Blackhawks went from jubilant to desperate between Games 3 and 4, following an overtime win in Game 3 by getting throttled 6-1 at the United Center. Sure, they were trying to make do without Nikolai Khabibulin in Game 4, but he hasn’t exactly stood on his head in Stanley Cup betting this season and the Wings were even more shorthanded, playing without Pavel Datsyuk, the best two-way forward in the game, and future Hall-of-Famer Nicklas Lidstrom, and they still pounded the Hawks.

Entering Game 5 on the road, the Hawks are a massive online sports book underdog. Khabibulin will be a game-time decision, as will Martin Havlat, who tried to come back in Game 4 but exited early, still feeling the effects of a vicious hit by Niklas Kronwall from Game 3. Lidstrom and Datsyuk will be last-minute calls for the Wings, but Detroit proved it can win without them in a tough building like the United Center, so the Red Wings odds look great tonight. Brad Stuart and Kronwall have more than filled Lidstrom’s void, punishing the speedy Hawks with one bonecrushing hit after another. While Datsyuk is irreplaceable, Detroit still has unmatched depth up front, and role players like Daniel Cleary and Valtteri Filppula have stepped it up throughout the Stanley Cup betting playoffs. Chicago should be commended for taking massive strides this season, but the young guns are facing elimination for the first time this hockey betting season. Winning on the road in that situation is a tall order. Go with the defending champs tonight.

Hockey betting pick: Red Wings -250