Stanley Cup Final 2015: Prop Odds and Predictions for Lightning vs. Blackhawks

The 2015 Stanley Cup Final is almost decided. On the strength of a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the most recent contest Saturday night, the Chicago Blackhawks are one win away from capturing the NHL's ultimate prize.

Coach Joel Quenneville's club will return home Monday to the Windy City for Game 6 at the United Center, bidding to win a third championship in the past six years. The Blackhawks have a chance to build a dynasty, but a comeback for the Lightning would be epic.

Check out the latest betting information ahead of Monday's potential Cup-clinching showdown below, followed by predictions for what will happen when the teams take the ice.

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Over/Under
Lightning	+1.5	+155	5 (total)
Blackhawks	-1.5	-165	5 (total)

One of the more surprising developments in this series is how quiet Chicago superstar Patrick Kane has been, with just one point in five games. Kane has yet to light the lamp in the Stanley Cup Final, so expect that to change in Game 6 when he gets on the board with a goal.

Steve Levy of ESPN alluded to Kane's mini-slump when tweeting about Patrick Sharp's opening goal in Game 5:

But something similar has happened to Lightning lead scorer Steven Stamkos, who has had an underwhelming showing in his maiden shot at Lord Stanley's Cup.

The 25-year-old phenom now finds his side in a desperate situation. After immense success against the Blackhawks in the past, Stamkos seems to be in a downright funk.

Stamkos spoke about how he will do all he can to extend Tampa Bay's season, per the Lightning's official Twitter account:

Unless this series returns to Tampa for Game 7, don't expect Stamkos to find the back of the net. The desperate situation will cause him to press, and Chicago's thin blue-line rotation has had no problem shutting down the Lightning's high-octane offense.

ESPN's John Buccigross noted how rare a feat it has been to seal the championship at home for the franchise:

The wait figures to be over come Monday, though. Kane, captain Jonathan Toews and this Chicago nucleus knows what it takes to win it all, and the golden opportunity to finish off a resilient foe in Tampa Bay is there for the taking.

Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop has been playing banged up, and he isn't as experienced and tested as his counterpart in Corey Crawford, who has performed extremely well to dig Chicago out of a 2-1 series hole.

For all of the flak Crawford often receives, he's on the cusp of bolstering an already-stellar legacy, per TSN's StatsCentre:

Every game in this year's Stanley Cup Final has been decided by one goal, but the Blackhawks' inspired play at home could well change that.

There won't be any giving up for the Lightning, who showed their resolve by rallying to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round despite trailing 3-2 in the series. Topping the Blackhawks on the road with everything at stake is quite a different and far more challenging task.

Losing at this point in the postseason can be heartbreaking, but the young Lightning will learn from this fantastic run. They figure to be continually contending for championships if they can keep their youthful foundation together.

As for Chicago, it has an enviable combination of youth and respected leadership on its end to remain in Stanley Cup contention for the foreseeable future. With regard to the present, Blackhawks fans can look forward to a victory parade once they clinch the Cup in six on a score to match the series outcome.

Prediction: Blackhawks 4, Lightning 2