The Bum's December NHL Trends, News, Stats All You Need To know To Wager On The Games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Los Angeles at Toronto
The Kings head to Toronto today where they are 4-0 in their last 4 games versus the Maple Leafs. Los Angeles is the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has the Kings favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-130). Here are all of today's NHL picks.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14

Game 51-52: Los Angeles at Toronto (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 12.671; Toronto 11.557
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-130); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-130); Under

Game 53-54 Calgary at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.743; Chicago 10.908
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+170); Over

Game 55-56: NY Rangers at Edmonton (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 10.715; Edmonton 9.809
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-135); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Six most popular picks in the Westgate Hotel handicapping contest, where some of the best handicappers in America put up $1,500 apiece, went 4-0-1 this week, are 50-38-1 so far this season.

-- Detroit OF Yoenis Cespedes recently bought a $367,000 Lamborghini; where do you a drive a car like that?

-- WCC basketball teams went 6-0 vs spread Saturday; five of them were on road.

-- Knicks have used 13 starting lineups in their 26 games this season.

-- Wofford 55, NC State 54-- Bad loss for Wolfpack, losing to Southern Conf team

-- Warriors 128, Pelicans 122 OT-- Golden State may never lose again.

**********


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Sunday.......

Chiefs 31, Raiders 13-- KC had 19-yard edge in field position; teams who win field position by 10+ yards this season are now 80-3 SU. Field position and getting first downs to move the chains isn't talked about nearly enough on game telecasts. Chiefs had lost three games in row, so this breather came at a good time.

Ravens 20, Jaguars 12-- Baaltimore blocked punt for TD early on; six of first nine TDs that scored Sunday were scored by defense/special teams. Despite that, under is 12-2 this week, as offenses took the week off, even with no bad weather games. Jags play Tennessee Thursday night in a game neither side wants to win.

Steelers 27, Falcons 20-- AFC North is now 12-2-1 vs NFC South this year, which is why Carolina is 5-8-1 and in first place. Falcons did HBO's Hard Knocks this year; Miami did it last year. Both had terrible seasons. Good luck finding someone to do it next year. Steelers win AFC North if they win their last two games.

Colts 17, Texans 10-- Fitzpatrick/rookie Savage both got hurt in this game, meaning Houston will go with Thaddeus Lewis (2-4 as NFL starter) next week at home against Baltimore- they'll have to sign a backup off the street. NFL teams need to dress three QBs for every game; it hurts the product when you have a QB playing who has no backup for the rest of that game.

Bengals 30, Browns 0-- Manziel's debut was ugly but before he even took the field, Bengals drove .81 yards in 14 plays (took 7:07) to go ahead 7-0. Cincinnati ran ball for 244 yards, and Manziel doesn't play defense, but he has a lot to learn. Browns finish at Carolina and against the Ravens-- going to be interesting to watch, since it can't get much worse than it was in this game.

Patriots 41, Dolphins 14-- Jim Harbaugh's agent enjoyed this score. Nitwits will run amuck about New England's offense; in fact, they scored four TDs on offense; three of four came on a drive of 47 or less yards- they blocked a FG for a TD to start scoring very early in the game. Dolphins scored total of 43 points in last three games.

Panthers 19, Buccaneers 17-- 5-8-1 Carolina is atop NFC South as I type this; they won both games against the Bucs, and Cam Newton didn't play either game. Panthers had a 22-yard edge in field position; their only TD came on a 4-yard drive. Nine of 11 Bucs' drives started 80+ yards from goal line. Hard to score a lot that way.

Giants 24, Redskins 13-- Game turned on odd play at end of half; RGIII looked like he ran for a TD that would've put Washington up 17-7 at half, but ball slipped out of his hands as he dove for the goal line- he recovered in the air, but landed OB in the end zone and thats not a legal recovery, so Redskins didn't score at all on the drive.

Bills 21, Packers 13-- Green Bay is 1-4 on artifical turf, with only win at Minnesota by a FG. Rodgers was 17-42 passing, tough day with no TDs and two picks. Packers' game with Detroit in Week 17 could decide NFC North and a first-round bye. Buffalo can clinch a winning season by winning at Oakland next week.

Lions 16, Vikings 14-- Six of last eight Minnesota games were decided by three or less points, or in OT. Detroit was +2 in turnovers, had 11-yard edge in field position; their only TD came on an 11-yard drive. Vikings tried a 68-yard FG on last play of the game to win it; they would've had a better chance at hitting a Hail Mary.

Jets 16, Titans 11-- Gang Green had hard time beating Tennessee team that benefitted by losing- they're going for that valuable #1 pick in draft. Rex Ryan is getting fired so he has no reason to lose. Tennessee hasn't won a game since the baseball playoffs were going on, losing its last eight games (0-4 vs spread in last four).

Broncos 22, Chargers 10-- Denver won its fourth game in row, allowing 43 points in last three; they ran ball 39 times, dropped back to pass 23 times, with Manning sick-- he missed one series late in first half. Backup Osweiler didn't look too sharp in relief. Chargers are 3-5 in last eight games after starting season 5-1.

Seahawks 17, 49ers 7-- In 16 drives against Seattle this season, 49ers scored one TD with six 3/outs. Seahawks allowed total of 27 points in last four games-- they go to the desert to face Arizona and its third-string QB next week. 49ers are 7-7, as speculation begins as to who their next coach will be.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Ottawa at Buffalo
The Senators head to Buffalo tonight to face a Sabres team that is 5-0 in its last 5 home games. Buffalo is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Sabres favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+120). Here are all of today's NHL picks.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15

Game 1-2: New Jersey at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 10.507; NY Islanders 11.998
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: NY Islanders (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (-200); Under

Game 3-4: Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 12.510; Pittsburgh 11.333
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 5-6: Ottawa at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 10.960; Buffalo 11.887
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+120); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, December 15

I'll add Ottawa/Buffalo as soon as this source updates.

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NEW JERSEY (11-15-0-5, 27 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (20-10-0-0, 40 pts.) - 12/15/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 46-67 ATS (+116.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 20-10 ATS (+33.7 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 20-10 ATS (+8.7 Units) first half of the season this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 144-205 ATS (+402.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 7-4 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 7-4-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (19-9-0-3, 41 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (19-6-0-4, 42 pts.) - 12/15/2014, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-0 (+6.0 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 6-0-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.0 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, December 15

Hot teams
-- Penguins are 6-1 in game following their last seven losses.
-- Sabres won nine of their last twelve games.

Cold teams
-- Devils lost nine of their last eleven games. Islanders lost three of their last four.
-- Tampa Bay lost three of its last four games.
-- Senators lost six of their last eight games.

Series records
-- Islanders won six of last eight games with New Jersey.
-- Penguins won nine of last ten games with Tampa Bay.
-- Senators won six of last eight games with Buffalo.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Islander games stayed under total.
-- Over is 8-1-1 in last ten Lightning road games; last four Penguin home games stayed under.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Ottawa road games.

Back-to-back
-- None




NHL

Monday, December 15

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. NY ISLANDERS
New Jersey is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing NY Islanders
New Jersey is 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
NY Islanders are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games
NY Islanders are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against New Jersey

7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. BUFFALO
Ottawa is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games when playing at home against Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay


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NHL

Monday, December 15


Lehner to start for Senators at Sabres

New Ottawa Senators head coach Dave Cameron will stay with the hot goaltender as Robin Lehner will get the start at the Buffalo Sabres Monday, Bruce Garrioch reports.

The Swede stopped 29 of 31 shots, picking up the 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins Saturday. Lehner has a record of 6-4-1, 2.76 goals against average and a .916 save percentage in 11 starts so far this season.

At the time of publication, the Sens were -136 road faves.


Penguins' C Sidney Crosby, questionable Monday

Crosby is dealing with an illness and has missed the last two games. He is questionable to return Monday against the Lightning.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, December 15

New Jersey at New York, 7:05 ET
New Jersey: 8-21 SU after playing 2 consecutive road games
New York: 6-1 SU after 3 consecutive non-conference games

Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Tampa Bay: N/A
Pittsburgh: N/A

Ottawa at Buffalo, 7:05 ET
Ottawa: N/A
Buffalo: N/A

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Cavaliers 97, Hornets 88-- Cleveland led 21-0 in this mismatch.

-- Pacers 110, Lakers 91-- Indiana had lost 8 in row; they were up 33 at half.

-- "They don't know how to lead and organize and set a culture for doing what you have to do to play winning NFL football." Bernie Kosar, on the Browns

-- Nick Foles isn't cleared to play yet; Mark Sanchez starts again this week for the Eagles at Washington.

-- Chris Bosh is out a few weeks, Josh McRoberts might be done for the year; not the best of times for the 11-13 Miami Heat.

-- Aaron Kromer shouldn't have said what he said, but he was right.

**********


Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but..........

13) Cowboys’ RB DeMarco Murray broke his left hand, probably won't play this week; he was on pace to carry ball 401 times this season, which means he was headed to Jamal Anderson-type burnout. 401 carries is too many; he could use a rest.

12) Will Muschamp has been hired as Auburn’s defensive coordinator, but he won’t be working the Tigers’ bowl game; why? He’s more valuable recruiting right now than coaching in a meaningless bowl.

Signing Day is in early February which means that recruiting season overlaps with bowl preparations. Bruce Feldman wrote an excellent book about this a few years ago; if you like college football, Meat Market is well worth your time.

11) Miami Hurricanes haven’t won a bowl game since 2006, which seems odd.

10) San Diego State is playing Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl; Aztecs won their last eight games against service academies and they play Air Force (best of the academy teams) every year.

9) Bryce Harper signed a 2-year deal with Washington for $7.5, couple days after he stiffed the team's fans by not showing up at FanFest, where obviously enough, fans can come and meet players and buy tickets and stuff. Cruddy move by Harper; shouldn’t stiff the fans.

8) Speaking of the Nationals, why are they so eager to unload Jordan Zimmerman? Good young pitchers are hard to find these days.

7) Miami Dolphins were outscored 48-3 in second half of their last two games, news that makes Jim Harbaugh’s agent smile. Price for Harbaugh goes up every week.

6) Odd stat of the day; Green Bay Packers were outscored in second half in seven of their last eight games- they’re also 1-4 on artificial turf this season.

5) Daniel Snyder bought the Redskins in 1999; since then, he’s employed eight head coaches and 16 starting QBs. In 16 years. Yikes. Snyder must be some kind of financial wizard; he had enough money to buy an NFL team when he was 34, and I’m pretty sure he made his own money rather than inheriting it.

4) Not to be outdone, Cleveland Browns have had 21 starting QBs since ’99, but they were an expansion team in ’99, and they figure to be settling in now on Johnny Manziel as their starter the next few years. At least they hope they are.

3) Burt Reynolds is selling off some of his stuff to pay bills; the Trans Am he drove in Smokey and the Bandit brought back $450K last week.

2) Lakers are 8-17 this season, but 7-8 since Nick Young returned to the lineup. Young is a loose cannon, but a loose cannon that can make shots and he’s helped take some heat off of Kobe Bryant down the stretch in games.

1) After watching a few episodes of Storage Wars, I’m guessing it can be annoying to live with an auctioneer; how would you ever get the last word in?

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, December 16

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TAMPA BAY (19-10-0-3, 41 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (11-13-0-5, 27 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 291-367 ATS (-117.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 134-181 ATS (-66.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 66-69 ATS (-56.6 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 88-95 ATS (-72.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 222-222 ATS (-15.8 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 6-1 (+5.1 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 6-1-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.1 Units)

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CAROLINA (8-18-0-3, 19 pts.) at MONTREAL (19-10-0-2, 40 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 8-21 ATS (+34.8 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 3-15 ATS (+24.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 8-21 ATS (+34.8 Units) first half of the season this season.
MONTREAL is 75-55 ATS (+152.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 5-1 (+3.8 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 5-1-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.8 Units)

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COLUMBUS (12-15-0-2, 26 pts.) at DETROIT (17-7-0-7, 41 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 16-55 ATS (+96.9 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 27-69 ATS (+128.2 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
DETROIT is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
COLUMBUS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in December games this season.
COLUMBUS is 14-8 ATS (+24.5 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 3-9 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in December games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 17-23 ATS (-18.0 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 4-12 ATS (-11.7 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 9-14 ATS (-13.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 6-3 (+4.3 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 6-3-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.3 Units)

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WASHINGTON (14-10-0-5, 33 pts.) at FLORIDA (12-8-0-8, 32 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 91-132 ATS (+241.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
FLORIDA is 137-167 ATS (-52.8 Units) in home games first half of the season since 1996.
FLORIDA is 87-135 ATS (+253.8 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
FLORIDA is 11-27 ATS (+41.6 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 287-331 ATS (+632.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-1 (+5.7 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-1-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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ANAHEIM (21-6-0-5, 47 pts.) at TORONTO (18-9-0-3, 39 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 10-4 ATS (+6.0 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
TORONTO is 10-4 ATS (+14.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 10-4 ATS (+14.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 82-45 ATS (+18.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in December games this season.
ANAHEIM is 50-24 ATS (+17.6 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 25-9 ATS (+11.3 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 10-2 ATS (+7.2 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
ANAHEIM is 29-11 ATS (+12.0 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 38-24 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 23-12 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 56-84 ATS (-42.9 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-0 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 2-0-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

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BUFFALO (13-16-0-2, 28 pts.) at WINNIPEG (15-10-0-6, 36 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 13-37 ATS (+66.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 23-15 ATS (+38.7 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 30-17 ATS (+47.8 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
BUFFALO is 5-1 ATS (+6.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
BUFFALO is 43-30 ATS (+78.3 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 4-1 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 4-1-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)

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BOSTON (15-13-0-2, 32 pts.) at NASHVILLE (19-8-0-2, 40 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 3-9 ATS (-7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 3-9 ATS (-7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 167-152 ATS (+328.2 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 168-151 ATS (+339.8 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 2-0-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (15-10-0-6, 36 pts.) at ST LOUIS (20-8-0-2, 42 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 4-11 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games first half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 47-22 ATS (+14.3 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 10-3 (+7.7 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 10-3-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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MINNESOTA (16-11-0-1, 33 pts.) at CHICAGO (21-9-0-1, 43 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 6-24 ATS (+40.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 2-13 ATS (+17.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 22-5 ATS (+13.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 14-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO is 14-4 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 12-7 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 12-7-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-1.1 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

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EDMONTON (7-19-0-5, 19 pts.) at ARIZONA (10-16-0-4, 24 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 7-24 ATS (+40.8 Units) in all games this season.
EDMONTON is 7-24 ATS (+40.8 Units) first half of the season this season.
EDMONTON is 1-12 ATS (+17.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
EDMONTON is 4-17 ATS (+28.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ARIZONA is 4-11 ATS (+18.0 Units) in home games first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 8-3 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 8-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

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NY RANGERS (14-10-0-4, 32 pts.) at CALGARY (17-13-0-2, 36 pts.) - 12/16/2014, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 69-85 ATS (-40.4 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 1-1 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 1-1-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, December 16

Hot teams
-- Flyers won three of their last four games.
-- Montreal won last two games after losing six of previous seven.
-- Columbus won last six games (four of last five in SO/OT).
-- Washington won four of last five games. Panthers are 7-1 in game following their last eight losses.
-- Anaheim won last seven games, scoring 27 goals. Toronto won nine of last eleven games.
-- Sabres won ten of their last thirteen games.
-- Nashville won seven of its last eight home games.
-- Blues won their last four games, scoring 19 goals.
-- Blackhawks won nine of their last ten games.
-- Rangers won seven of their last ten games.

Cold teams
-- Lightning lost four of last five games.
-- Carolina lost last five games, outscored 14-5.
-- Red Wings lost last three games, scoring four goals.
-- Winnipeg lost three of its last four games.
-- Boston lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Los Angeles lost four of its last five games.
-- Minnesota is 0-5 in game following its last five wins.
-- Oilers lost 15 of their last 16 games. Arizona lost its last five games, allowing 23 goals.
-- Flames lost last five games, scoring eight goals.

Series records
-- Lightning won eight of last nine games against Philly.
-- Canadiens won five of last six games with Carolina.
-- Red Wings lost five of last seven games with Columbus.
-- Panthers lost ten of last eleven games with Washington.
-- Maple Leafs won last five games with Anaheim.
-- Jets won eight of last nine games with Buffalo.
-- Bruins won their last five games with Nashville.
-- Kings won seven of last eight games with St Louis.
-- Chicago ousted Minnesota in six games in LY's playoffs.
-- Coyotes won eight of last nine games with Edmonton.
-- Rangers won three of last four games with Calgary.

Totals
-- Over is 9-1-1 in last eleven Tampa Bay road games.
-- Six of last seven Carolina games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Columbus games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Washington road games stayed under.
-- Last six Anaheim road games went over the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Buffalo road games stayed under.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in Boston's last seven road games.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight St Louis home games.
-- 10 of last 13 Chicago home games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Edmonton road games.
-- Eight of last nine Calgary home games went over.

Back-to-back
-- Tampa Bay is 2-3 if it played the night before.
-- Buffalo is 3-3 if it played night before, 2-1 on road.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

NY Rangers at Calgary
The Rangers head to Calgary tonight to face a Flames team that is 6-17 in its last 23 Tuesday games. New York is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-115). Here are all of today's NHL picks.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16

Game 51-52: Tampa Bay at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 12.115; Philadelphia 10.790
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-120); Under

Game 53-54: Carolina at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.353; Montreal 10.409
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-210); 5
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+180); Over

Game 55-56: Columbus at Detroit (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 11.457; Detroit 12.896
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-190); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-190); Under

Game 57-58: Washington at Florida (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.287; Florida 12.331
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+100); Over

Game 59-60: Anaheim at Toronto (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.858; Toronto 12.774
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+100); Over

Game 61-62: Buffalo at Winnipeg (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 10.596; Winnipeg 11.890
Dunkel Line & Total: Winnipeg by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Winnipeg (-220); 5
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (-220); Under

Game 63-64: Boston at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 10.686; Nashville 11.933
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (-140); Under

Game 65-66: Los Angeles at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.815; St. Louis 10.921
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+120); Over

Game 67-68: Minnesota at Chicago (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.088; Chicago 12.664
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-180); 5
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-180); Under

Game 69-70: Edmonton at Arizona (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 10.904; Arizona 9.886
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Arizona (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+135); Over

Game 71-72: NY Rangers at Calgary (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.728; Calgary 10.775
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-115); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Tuesday, December 16

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. PHILADELPHIA
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

7:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Anaheim

7:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. MONTREAL
Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina
Montreal is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

7:30 PM
COLUMBUS vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Columbus is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Columbus

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. FLORIDA
Washington is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games
Florida is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing Washington

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. NASHVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games on the road
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

8:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. WINNIPEG
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Buffalo is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing at home against Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Winnipeg's last 9 games when playing Buffalo

8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 9 games on the road
Los Angeles is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHICAGO
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games when playing at home against Edmonton

9:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. CALGARY
NY Rangers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
NY Rangers are 5-10 SU in their last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Calgary's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Tuesday, December 16

Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Tampa Bay: 8-2 Over off BB Overs
Philadelphia: 14-4 SU at home after winning 2 of their last 3 games

Carolina at Montreal, 7:35 ET
Carolina: 3-15 SU away with a total of 5 goals or less
Montreal: 9-1 SU off a home win

Columbus at Detroit, 7:35 ET
Columbus: 6-0 SU in December
Detroit: 9-22 SU off BB Unders

Washington at Florida, 7:35 ET
Washington: 8-1 Over off a win by 2+ goals
Florida: 11-27 SU off a division game

Anaheim at Toronto, 7:35 ET
Anaheim: 7-0 SU off a road win by 3+ goals
Toronto: 13-4 Over playing their 3rd game in 4 days

Buffalo at Winnipeg, 8:05 ET
Buffalo: 4-0 SU off a home win scoring 4+ goals
Winnipeg: 4-12 SU at home off BB games allowing 3+ goals

Boston at Nashville, 8:05 ET
Boston: 22-9 Over away with a total of 5 goals or less
Nashville: 9-0 SU off a loss

Los Angeles at St Louis, 8:05 ET
Los Angeles: 4-10 SU off a road game
St Louis: 6-0 Over off an Under

Minnesota at Chicago, 8:35 ET
Minnesota: 2-9 SU off a road win scoring 4+ goals
Chicago: 22-5 SU at home with a total of 5 goals or less

Edmonton at Arizona, 9:05 ET
Edmonton: 1-12 SU vs. division opponents
Arizona: 7-0 Over off BB home games

NY Rangers at Calgary, 9:05 ET
New York: 8-2 Over off an Under
Calgary: 20-11 SU off a loss by 1 goal

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Florida beat Washington after a shootout that took 20 rounds, five more rounds than any other shootout, ever.

-- Former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is new football coach at Youngstown State.

-- Memphis 105, Golden State 98-- Warriors' 16-game winning streak ends.

-- Milwaukee rookie Jabari Parker tore his ACL, is out for the year.

-- Wichita State 53, Alabama 52-- Tide scored one point in last 5:50.

-- OF Michael Morse signed a 2-year deal with the surprisingly active Marlins.

**********


Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud.......

13) Vanak Ranadive, new owner of the Sacramento Kings turns out to be a nitwit, a guy other NBA owners see as “…..a know-it-all” who compared coaching the Kings to coaching his 12-year old daughter’s team.

This is a guy who admits he never touched a basketball, not even once until he was in his 40’s, but he knows more than professional coaches. Oy. How do people like this get rich in the first place?

12) Kings fired coach Michael Malone with an 11-13 record, which for the Kings ain’t bad; they were 9-6 before DeMarcus Cousins got sick, are 2-7 since he’s been ill, but the problem is stylistic. Kings management wants the team to play faster, Malone is a defensive guy. So despite big man Cousins being Sacramento’s best player, they’re going to start playing faster; whether they win more remains to be seen.

11) Mr Ranadive suggested that the Kings play 4-on-5 on defense and have a guy basket-hang on the other end; this is professional basketball, the highest level of a great sport and this educated fool doesn’t know enough to let his people do their jobs.

10) Which reminds me, the LA Kiss of the Arena League were on a reality show this past season; one of their nitwit owners ordered the coach to onside kick after every TD the Kiss scored. The coach has won Arenaball titles, he’s a good coach but he had to do what the owner told him to do, so they onside-kicked every time in one game. Lets just say it didn’t go very well. There is a reason some things are the way they’ve been for a long time; its because the alternatives do not work.

9) Back in 2009, the Rams were truly awful; they were getting hammered in a home game against Minnesota, when Donnie Avery scored a TD to cut the Vikings’ lead to two or three TDs- the game wasn’t close, but Avery dances and carries on like he just won the lottery.

This stuff annoys me to no end and Avery is hardly the only offender; it happens every Sunday. Celebrating a TD like a jackass should be illegal after Halloween, if your team is behind and has a losing record. Pretend you care that your team sucks, instead of being full of yourself and being a damn fool.

8) Christmas music is uplifting, especially in malls this time of year, but if you haven’t seen Michigan State hoop coach Tom Izzo playing Jingle Bells on an accordion, get yourself to YouTube right now and find it—it is tremendous.

7) Amazing Stat of the Day—New Orleans Saints have had a great offense, but they haven’t scored a first quarter TD in their last ten road games. Ten. That’s well over a year and it is hard to fathom.

6) Deion Sanders’ old house is on the market for $12M; it has two bowling alleys in it. It would be so awesome to have a house with bowling alleys in it. Not sure if the $12M includes bowling shoes or if you have to rent those.

5) No matter what the NFC South winner’s record winds up as, and it looks like it’ll be under .500, they will not be able to draft higher than 21st, those are the rules, just like the Super Bowl champ always picks last in the first round.

4) Portland center Robin Lopez, the more durable of the Lopez brothers, broke his hand and will miss his first games in almost three years this week. Portland has a really good team, one of many strong teams out west who probably wish they were in the east.

3) Astros signed SS Jed Lowie to a 3-year, $23M contract; this was a guy they threw at multiple times LY, almost starting a fracas in one game with Oakland. Guess it was former manager Bo Porter who didn’t like Lowrie, since he is gone now and the Astros just made Lowrie very wealthy.

2) Still don’t think an under-.500 NFL team should make the playoffs; they should defer to a better team in another division with a winning record. Who would object to this?

1) Jeb Bush might be the greatest guy in the world, I know nothing about him except he was once governor of Florida, but I don’t want anyone else in that family (or the Clinton family) being President. Enough already.

I’d vote for Reggie Bush, Kurt Busch, former NFL center Blair Bush, August Busch, anyone but someone from that family. Go do something else. We need different, better leaders, not the same ol’ thing over and over.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Ottawa at New Jersey
The Senators head to New Jersey tonight to face a Devils team that is 0-4 in its last 4 home games. Ottawa is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Senators favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+105). Here are all of today's NHL picks.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17

Game 1-2: Ottawa at New Jersey (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 11.914; New Jersey 10.498
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-125); 5
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+105); Over

Game 3-4: Boston at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 10.658; Minnesota 11.994
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-140); Under

Game 5-6: Dallas at Vancouver (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.347; Vancouver 10.227
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+145); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, December 17

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OTTAWA (12-12-0-6, 30 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (11-15-0-6, 28 pts.) - 12/17/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 11-24 ATS (-15.3 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 46-68 ATS (-41.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 5-2 (+3.6 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 5-2-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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BOSTON (15-13-0-2, 32 pts.) at MINNESOTA (16-11-0-1, 33 pts.) - 12/17/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 3-9 ATS (-7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 3-9 ATS (-7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-1 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 2-1-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)

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DALLAS (11-13-0-5, 27 pts.) at VANCOUVER (18-10-0-2, 38 pts.) - 12/17/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 25-9 ATS (+12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 170-140 ATS (+24.4 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-1 (+5.0 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-1-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, December 17

Hot teams
-- Minnesota is 6-0 in game following its last six losses.

Cold teams
-- Devils lost four in row, 10 of last 12 games. Ottawa lost seven of last nine games.
-- Boston lost six of its last seven games.
-- Vancouver lost its last four games, scoring seven goals. Dallas Stars lost five of last seven games.

Series records
-- Devils lost five of last seven games with Ottawa.
-- Minnesota won four of last six games with Boston.
-- Dallas Stars won their last five games with Vancouver.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine New Jersey games stayed under.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Boston games. Four of last five Minnesota games went over.
-- Six of last seven Dallas games went over the total.

Back-to-back
-- Bruins are 0-5 if they played the night before. Minnesota is 2-1.




NHL

Wednesday, December 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games on the road
Ottawa is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Jersey is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of New Jersey's last 21 games when playing Ottawa

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Boston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

10:00 PM
DALLAS vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 8 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Dallas's last 9 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Vancouver's last 8 games when playing Dallas
Vancouver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Some NFL trends to ponder, with Week 16 upon us........

-- Jacksonville covered six of its last 23 home games.

-- Bears are 2-10 in last 12 games as a divisional underdog.

-- Giants covered six of last 19 road games.

-- Redskins covered two of their last ten home games.

-- Houston covered five of last sixteen home games.

-- 49ers covered once in their last eight home games.

**********


Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Our Bottom 5, top 8 in the NFL

32) Redskins—Jay Gruden was an Arena League head coach for a long time but the media involvement aspect of being an NFL head coach seems to be hampering his program. Memo to coach Gruden: This isn’t the AFL; millions of people read what you say. Try not to bash your QB every single day.

31) Bears—Jay Cutler has the worst body language of any QB I’ve ever seen; he is this generation’s Jeff George. Problem #2 is, he makes $100M+ and everyone knows it’s a bum contract. Problem #1 is the offensive coordinator said so publicly. Now he is sitting behind Jimmy Clausen this week. Jimmy freakin' Clausen.

30) Raiders—Would they really move to San Antonio? In the early 90’s, there used to be a World League team called the San Antonio Riders; I think Nebraska coach Mike Riley coached that team. It would be bizarre if the Raiders moved to Texas.

29) Jaguars—Tom Coughlin will get in the Hall of Fame someday; his best work was getting the Jags into the playoffs in their second year of existence. Seems like a long time ago now, for both parties.

28) Titans—Doing a good job of playing the Washington Generals-type role and losing every game down the stretch so they get the #1 pick in the draft, which is the best way for them to get better, long-term.

8) Cardinals— Ten weeks ago, Ryan Lindley wasn’t in the NFL; now he’s starting QB for the NFC’s #1 seed. No pressure there.

7) Steelers—Win two more home games and they win the AFC North; problem is, they’ve lost to the sub-.500 Bucs/Saints at home.

6) Cowboys—They should let Murray sit this week, to rest his hand and to lessen his workload, seeing as he is on pace for 401 carries this season. Tony Romo has been a warrior this year, for sure.

5) Colts—Offense gave up three TDs in last two games; am little concerned about them going forward. Interesting game with Dallas this week.

4) Broncos—I get the feeling this could be it for Peyton Manning; not really sure why, but could see him bowing out and eventually becoming part of an ownership group of an NFL team.

3) Seahawks—Playing really good defense, but unless they beat Arizona this week, they’ll have to go on road the first week of the playoffs, which is always dicey.

2) Packers—They’re #1 on this list when playing at home, much lower when on road, not in top 10 on artificial turf. Seattle’s field has artificial turf; they don’t want to go there in January.

1) Patriots—Did you see the Alex Sandler movie where Rex Ryan plays a guy who is a huge Patriot fan, with a Belichick bobblehead on his desk and a Brady poster on the wall? If you didn’t know who Ryan was, you’d never know he wasn’t an actor. He could be very, very good on TV, if he chooses that route.

[StarDust Bum]

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities

Lookahead spot

The Toronto Raptors aren’t home for the holidays this season, kicking off a six-game road trip that extends into the New Year in Chicago Monday. The Raptors play the Bulls, then have some time off for Christmas before picking back up in L.A. on December 27. But before Toronto escapes the cold Canadian winter for stops in Los Angeles, Denver, Portland, Golden State and Phoenix, it hosts the New York Knicks at the Air Canada Centre this Sunday.

It’s a tough spot for the Dinos, who not only look ahead to Monday’s date in the Windy City, but will undoubtedly have plenty of players trying to organize their holiday plays before this home game. Toronto plays in Detroit Friday then has a day off before Sunday’s contest against the Knicks – not a lot of time to fit in family and basketball.

Letdown spot

You’ve done it. You’ve made the grade and been rewarded with a nice year-end bonus and a bowl game. The UTEP Miners are enjoying this warm fuzzy feeling for the first time since 2010, snapping a five-year bowl drought with a spot in the New Mexico Bowl against Utah State on Dec. 20 – the opening weekend of college football’s bowl season.

The Miners are 10-point underdogs – one of three double-digit bowl dogs – and for good reason. Texas El Paso, which scrapes in bowl season on a 7-5 SU record (9-3 ATS), is 1-5 SU away from home and went 3-3 ATS on the road, compared to a perfect 6-0 ATS mark at home. The Miners punched their ticket to the postseason with a thrilling 3-point victory over Middle Tennessee in the season finale and may be just happy to finally be bowling come Saturday.

Schedule spot

The St. Mary’s Gaels are putting some miles on their frequent flyer card this month. The Gaels just returned from Omaha, Nebraska with an OT win over Creighton and host Northern Arizona in Moraga Tuesday before jumping on other plane, crossing the country for a showdown with the St. John’s Red Storm in New York City Friday.

St. Mary’s is scheduled to play the Johnnies at Carnesecca Arena for a 7 p.m. ET start – 4 p.m. back home in California. The Gaels have played outside of the Golden State just once this season – at Creighton – and only went as far East as Minnesota last season, losing to the Golden Gophers in the NIT. It's been a very long time since St. Mary's made a trip this far away from home. The Red Storm are one of the hottest teams in college hoops and will have a heavy home-court edge Friday.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Anaheim at Montreal
The Canadiens host a Ducks team that is coming off a 6-2 loss at Toronto and is 1-5 in its lat 6 games following a defeat by 3 or more goals. Montreal is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Canadiens favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-120). Here are all of today's NHL picks.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18

Game 51-52: Washington at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 12.929; Columbus 11.552
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-110); Over

Game 53-54: Toronto at Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 12.903; Carolina 10.881
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-145); Under

Game 55-56: Colorado at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 10.863; Pittsburgh 12.422
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 57-58: Florida at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.674; Philadelphia 10.515
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+120); Under

Game 59-60: Anaheim at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.489; Montreal 12.997
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-120); Over

Game 61-62: St. Louis at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 12.343; Los Angeles 11.221
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+120); Under

Game 63-64: Edmonton at San Jose (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 9.534; San Jose 11.766
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-250); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-250); Over