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Eight Teams Remain in NHL, With Detroit the 2 to 1 Favorite26 April 2000LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Sports Ticker) - Only eight teams are left in the NHL playoff race. Five of the eight remaining teams have been assigned odds of 6/1 or less to capture the title by oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants. Moreover, three of the five clubs reside in the Western Conference. Detroit, which won the title two years ago, leads the group with odds of 2/1. The Red Wings are also a $1.55 favorite (bet $1.55 to win $1.00) in their semifinal series with Colorado, despite the Avalanche possessing home ice advantage. The take-back price on the Avalanche is plus $1.35 (bet $1.00 to win $1.35). Detroit defeated Colorado in four of the five regular-season meetings this season, including two games at the Pepsi Center. The 'over' went 4-1 during the regular campaign, as the Red Wings notched four goals or more on four occasions. The defending champion Dallas Stars are the second choice at 5/2. Ken Hitchcock's troops are a healthy $4.00 favorite to snare their seven-game semifinal series against pesky San Jose. . The Penguins are a plus $1.55 underdog. Nevertheless, the Flyers had their odds to win the title raised from 4/1 to 5/1, while the Penguins had their odds remain constant at 12/1. The Flyers romped to a 4-0-1 regular-season record against the Penguins, but two games did go into overtime. Philadelphia outscored Pittsburgh during those five contests by a 20-12 margin. The Maple Leafs, who must now tangle with New Jersey in the second round, saw their odds to win the pro hockey championship dip from 15/1 to 10/1. Pat Quinn's Crew had little trouble with the Devils during the regular campaign, evidenced by a 3-0-1 ledger. Toronto, with home ice advantage in this second-round match, has also been installed as a $1.15 favorite (bet $1.15 to win $1.00) to win the best-of-seven series. New Jersey is a minus $1.05 underdog (bet $1.05 to win $1.00). Oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants have also raised New Jersey's odds to win the Stanley Cup from 4/1 to 6/1, while San Jose is the long shot on the board at 40/1. Odds to win the Stanley Cup appear below. TEAM/OPEN/LAST WEEK/CURRENT DETROIT RED WINGS 7/2 2/1 2/1 COLORADO AVALANCHE 5/1 5/1 5/1 DALLAS STARS 5/1 4/1 5/2 NEW JERSEY DEVILS 7/1 4/1 6/1 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 8/1 4/1 5/1 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 12/1 15/1 10/1 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 18/1 12/1 12/1 SAN JOSE SHARKS 50/1 60/1 40/1 |