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

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, December 11

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

7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. BOSTON
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Chicago

7:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. WASHINGTON
Columbus is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Columbus is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games at home

7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. PHILADELPHIA
New Jersey is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games

7:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Carolina's last 21 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Tampa Bay's last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games

7:30 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. OTTAWA
Los Angeles is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Ottawa
Los Angeles is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Ottawa is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 6 games

8:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the NY Islanders last 9 games
NY Islanders are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Islanders

9:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Nashville's last 11 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Nashville is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 9 games at home
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Nashville

9:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. COLORADO
Winnipeg is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 9 games
Colorado is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against Winnipeg

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. SAN JOSE
Minnesota is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games at home
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, December 11


Blues' LW Alexander Steen, out Thursday

Steen has a lower-body injury and did not play Monday. He will miss Thursday's game against the Islanders.


Hurricanes C' Eric Staal, probable Thursday

Staal is nursing a foot injury but will likely play Thursday against the Lightning.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL fights are slowly vanishing

December 9, 2014

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Dave Schultz would drop his gloves in a flash, his bare fists pummeling away at unprotected faces in fits of fury so ferocious he became known as ''The Hammer.''

Schultz was the intimidating backbone of Philadelphia's ''Broad Street Bullies'' teams of the 1970s that won a pair of Stanley Cup championships. The Flyers' rugged style of play became their calling card, and by the 1980s every team had a tough guy or two whose primary role was to protect his teammates by brute force.

Fast forward 40 years since the Flyers' last championship and players like Schultz are having a harder time sticking in the NHL. The role of the enforcer is seemingly going down without a fight as speed and skill on every line have become the norm.

In a league that is also facing head injury concerns - and lawsuits - is it finally time to say goodbye to the goon?

''They just wanted to take fighting out of the game,'' Schultz said. ''It's not the same game.''

But not necessarily a worse one.

The true signal the culture in the NHL has changed comes from Schultz's old stomping grounds. For the first time since the organization was in its infancy, the Flyers opened the season without a true enforcer on their roster. Heck, their biggest threat might be goalie Ray Emery, who headlined a fight last season against Washington's unwilling goalie, Braden Holtby.

''We've got some toughness on our team,'' Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said. ''We've got some guys that can handle themselves. But I think when you look, there weren't a lot of fights in the preseason. There are never any fights in the playoffs. In between, there's been less and less.''

The numbers back up the former NHL goalie.

There were 143 fights through the first 408 games of the season, which projects to 431 fights overall, according to hockeyfights.com. That's a dramatic dip from 734 fights in 2008-09 and 714 fights in 2009-10. The number of fights fell into the 500s in 2011-12 and the 400s last season (there were 347 fights in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season).

The NHL has toughened instigation penalties in place since the 1930s. It added a two-minute minor for the player who started the fight in the 1990s, looking to both cut down on brawling and perhaps attract more casual fans. Of late, the NHL is dishing out longer suspensions for cheap shots and illegal hits, erasing some of the players' unwritten code of justice.

''That tells you, let's just play hockey,'' Schultz said. ''And when there's a problem, the league will take care of it.''

That role used to be left to the enforcers, the de facto bodyguards for the stars. Back on the put-up-your-dukes heyday, even Wayne Gretzky had his own personal great one watching his back: Marty McSorley was the Hall of Famer's first line of thuggish defense, serving and protecting Gretzky in stints with Edmonton and Los Angeles.

''I remember when guys like Gretzky said, we want guys to be able to protect us,'' Schultz said. ''(Sidney) Crosby doesn't want to be protected. By the league, yes. But not by one of his teammates.''

Stu Grimson, the color analyst on Nashville Predators' TV broadcasts, was known as ''The Grim Reaper'' with 2,113 career penalty minutes in his NHL career. He said fighting still has a role in the game, especially at home games where one entertaining scrum can shift momentum and liven up the fans.

''I think the fight itself, there is a purpose for it, and you can put your finger on that purpose,'' he said. ''I think it makes sense to keep that in the game, and I think it's valuable to the game for that reason.''

Chicago Blackhawks forward Dan Carcillo said fights aren't going to completely vanish, either.

''I don't think the mindless, senseless, go out and fight, rah-rah, for no reason, I don't think that has a place in the game anymore,'' Carcillo said. ''If guys take runs at other players, I think those players that take the run at them, whether they fight or not, they have to know in the back of their mind that there's still fighting in this game and they're going to have to answer the bell or respond to it if they're going to take dirty runs or cheap shots.''

But in the back of everyone minds is the risk of concussions and other long-term health risks that come with trading punches on the ice. The idea that brawling was as much fun as a nasty wreck in NASCAR or bench-clearing brawl in baseball came to a jarring halt in 2011 when three former enforcers were found dead.

Derek Boogaard, once named in a Sports Illustrated players poll as the NHL's toughest fighter, died from an accidental mix of alcohol and the painkiller oxycodone. Wade Belak hanged himself and Rick Rypien was discovered at his home after suffering from depression for a decade.

The 65-year-old Schultz said he suffered nothing more than a couple of minor concussions and feels fine.

''We didn't hit anyone near as hard as they do today,'' Schultz said.

There are just now far fewer of those hits.

''It's still an exciting sport,'' Schultz said. ''It's just evolving. It's the way it is.''

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

NFL trends to ponder, with Week 15 upon us........

-- Redskins covered 12 of last 17 as a divisional underdog.

-- Houston covered six of its last eight road games.

-- New England covered ten of its last thirteen at home.

-- Buccaneers covered twice in last nine divisional games.

-- Giants are 5-11 in last sixteen games as a divisional favorite.

-- Dolphins are 4-9-1 as a divisional underdog.

**********


Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here.......

13) Dodgers made lot of moves in last 36 hours, acquiring Rollins/Kendrick as a new double play combination, adding Brandon McCarthy as a #4 starter, dealing Drew Butera to Anaheim; addition of Chris Heisey signals that Matt Kemp is probably on his way out (San Diego??) too.

12) Cubs are now only 12-1 to win the World Series after adding Lester/Hammel and catcher Montero, who is an upgrade behind the plate; could use an OF with some pop, but have to give the owner credit. He’s trying hard to put a winner on the field.

11) Irony Dept: Miami Beach Bowl is being played in a domed stadium (Marlins Park). Hope they at least open the roof for the game. Marlins very seldom open the roof for their games.

10) Texas Rangers added Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson to their 40-man roster so he wouldn’t be eligible to be nabbed in the Rule 5 Draft; why? He hit .220-ish as a minor league 2B in his days as a Colorado farmhand. He’s about to cash in bigtime with the Seahawks; not sure what this baseball stuff is all about.

9) Big night for hoops in South Dakota Tuesday; South Dakota State won at Saint Louis, South Dakota lost in double OT at Creighton. Summit League has some pretty good basketball. Coyotes have UNLV coming to town Saturday, in one of the weirder road trips you’ll see—are there non-stops between Vegas and Vermillion, SD?

8) Michigan lost consecutive games to NJIT and Eastern Michigan, now they visit Arizona next. Oy.

7) Western Kentucky QB Brandon Doughty got a 6th year of eligibility from the NCAA, great news for the Hilltoppers next season; Doughty has been a highly productive passer for WKU’s prolific offense.

6) Apparently Jeff Fisher is good friends with former Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, which may explain why Fisher trolled Washington by sending his six RGIII-related draft picks out for the coin toss Sunday. Things did not end well between Shanahan and the Redskins and they’re not going too well for Washington this year, either.

5) Red Sox started patching up their depleted pitching rotation by adding Wade Miley from Arizona Wednesday night, then added Rick Porcello and Justin Masterson to it Thursday. Detroit gets Yoenis Cespedes as he enters the walk year of his contract- Tigers' lineup is going to be very strong this season.

4) Guy on ESPNews was interviewing Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio Tuesday, only he introduces him as “Mike Dantonio”. First thing that goes thru my head is: “Does Dantonio correct him or not?”

Before I can think too much, Dantonio interjects “Its Mark” with a slight smile. Guy who works for ESPN should not be making that mistake.

3) In the NBA, Western Conference teams are 77-31 against the east, 64-44 vs spread, 25-14 when an underdog.

2) Wisconsin lost football coach Bret Bielema to Arkansas couple years ago, because Badgers wouldn’t pay his assistants enough; now Gary Andersen leaves Madison for Oregon State after two solid (19-7) years in Madison.

Is one thing to lose a coach to the SEC; its quite another for a guy to bolt a top-level Big 14 program for Oregon State. These assistant coaches in college football make a lot of cash and lot of them lead a nomadic existence. Andersen apparently didn’t feel he could keep his staff together in Madison, so he bolted.

1) Cardinals 12, Rams 6-- Les Snead is GM of the St Louis Rams; between now and next summer, he has one job and only one job. Find a bleeping quarterback.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, December 12

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Game of the Day: Kings at Canadiens
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Los Angeles Kings at Montreal Canadiens (-129, 5)

The Montreal Canadiens look to post consecutive victories for the first time since Nov. 20-22 as they continue their five-game homestand against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. Montreal went 1-5-1 since allowing a total of one goal in triumphs over St. Louis and Boston but halted its three-game skid with an emotional 3-1 win over Vancouver in the homestand opener on Tuesday. Max Pacioretty recorded a goal and an assist while Tomas Plekanec snapped a tie late in the third period after the Canadiens held a pregame ceremony to pay tribute to Hall-of-Famer Jean Beliveau, who passed away last week.

Los Angeles improved to 1-1-0 on its five-game road trip with a 5-3 triumph at Ottawa on Thursday. Anze Kopitar broke a 2-2 deadlock with a power-play goal 2:20 into the third period and defenseman Jake Muzzin collected three assists as the Kings halted a two-game slide during which they produced one tally. Los Angeles won both meetings with Montreal last season, outscoring the Canadiens by an 8-1 margin.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, KCOP-13 (Los Angeles), RSN East, RDS (Montreal)

LINE HISTORY: Montreal opened as -125 home faves, but have since shifted to -129 with the total remaining at the opening point of 5.

INJURY REPORT: Kings - N/A Canadiens - D PK Subban (Ques-Flu), D Mike Weaver (Ques-Concussion)

ABOUT THE KINGS (15-9-5 SU, 9-13-7 O/U): Kopitar's goal on Thursday was just his sixth of the season and first in 11 games. The 27-year-old Slovenian had not tallied since Nov. 15 against Anaheim. Los Angeles' offensive output against Ottawa was its largest since recording a 5-2 victory over Florida on Nov. 18.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (18-10-2 SU, 10-15-5 O/U): Sven Andrighetto has made a splash since being recalled from Hamilton of the American Hockey League. The 21-year-old native of Switzerland scored a goal against Dallas in his NHL debut on Saturday and set up Plekanec's winning tally three nights later. "It's hard to compare him with all of the guys I've played with or seen that young on the team, but he's definitely up there," Plekanec told the team's website. "He's off to a really, really impressive start in the NHL."

TRENDS:

*Kings are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings in Montreal.
*Under is 14-6-5 in Canadiens last 25 overall.
*Canadiens are 6-2 in their last 8 home games.
*Under is 4-1-1 in Kings last 6 games playing on 0 days rest.

CONSENSUS: 57.2 percent of users are backing the Canadiens with 63.8 percent taking the under.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Friday, December 12

Calgary at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Calgary: 20-10 SU after a close loss by 1 goal in their previous game
Pittsburgh: 3-9 SU when playing with 3 or more days rest

Los Angeles at Montreal, 7:35 ET
Los Angeles: 6-7 SU in non-conference games
Montreal: 9-1 SU as a home favorite of -200 or less

Florida at Detroit, 7:35 ET
Florida: 5-8 SU after one or more consecutive overs
Detroit: 15-2 SU on Friday nights

Anaheim at Edmonton, 9:35 ET
Anaheim: 16-2 SU in December games
Edmonton: 1-11 SU vs. division opponents

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, December 12


Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles - Out Fri

Quick will not start Friday against the Canadiens as he will get a scheduled rest day.


Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh - Prob Fri

Crosby did not participate in Thursday's practice due to an illness but is expected to play Friday against the Flames.


Oilers, worst home team, faces off against Ducks

The Edmonton Oilers have a .367 winning percentage at home, which is easily the worst mark in the NHL. To make matters worse for the Oilers, they host the Anaheim Ducks whose .714 road winning percentage is second best in the league.

Edmonton and Anaheim met for the first time this season on Wednesday, with the Ducks winning 2-1.

The Oilers host the Ducks Friday.


Flames unbeaten this season with no days rest

The Calgary Flames have played on back-to-back nights three times this season and are a perfect 3-0 in those games. The Flames have outscored opponents 9-3 in those games.

It's not as if Calgary has been facing bad teams in this situation as they picked up wins against Edmonton, Chicago and San Jose.

Calgary hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Six highest-paid college football coaches in America this season, according to the USA Today salary database:

6) Urban Meyer, Ohio State $4,536,640

5) Charlie Strong, Texas $5,000,270

4) Kevin Sumlin Texas A&M $5,006,000

3) Bob Stoops, Oklahoma $5,058,333

2) Mark Dantonio, Michigan State $5,636,145

1) Nick Saban, Alabama $7,160,187

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Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind........

13) 2015 NFL salary cap is expected to be around $140M; the Saints already have $160M in salary commitments for next year, so their chances of improving on this year’s dismal season aren’t great- they’re going to have to purge players, not the best way to improve.

12) Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze jumped into the top 10 of highest-paid college football coaches for next year, at around $4.3M a year. His nine assistants make a total of $2.6M a year. Side note: Chris Kiffin (brother of Lane, son of Monty) is an assistant coach for the Rebels.

11) Miami Marlins are assembling a pretty good pitching rotation: Fernandez-Latos-Cosart-Haren-Alvarez, with Tom Koehler sixth starter. Pretty solid with some depth. Curious to see if they bat Yelich or Gordon leadoff.

10) Wisconsin’s AD (former football coach) Barry Alvarez is coaching in his second bowl game in three years; you see two head coaches bolt Madison in three years with Alvarez taking over after each left and you can’t help but wonder if he ever totally yields control of the program to his head coach.

9) Baylor OC Philip Montgomery is the new football coach at Tulsa; he has the Baylor offense on his resume, but can he recruit enough Baylor-type players to win in the AAC?

8) 900 media credentials were issued for baseball’s winter meetings this year; I’m wondering if this website couldn’t get a credential for next year’s meetings—might be a fun event to go to.

7) When Paul Chryst leaves Pitt for Wisconsin as expected (he can’t get hired until Wednesday because of some hiring law), Pitt will be the sixth bowl team (of 76) to go bowling without its head coach. Curious to see how high that number is going to get.

6) In case you care about such things; before Thursday night, last NFL game without a touchdown was 12/16/12—Raiders 15, Chiefs 0.

5) You read about the dysfunction within the Redskins/Bears and by comparison, the Jets seem like just an ordinary terrible team with no issues other than performance. Chicago’s OC threw QB Cutler under the bus then it came out that it was him who told the writer about “buyer’s remorse” and he has to apologize to the team. Could be new coaches in the Windy City next year.

4) Top three picks in Chad Ford’s mock NBA Draft on ESPN.com:
1) Jahlil Okafor, Duke
2) Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
3) Emmanuel Mudiay, playing pro ball in China.

3) College of Incarnate Word is in San Antonio; they’re a new D-I basketball team that is making no secret of their intention to use D-I hoops as a way to market the school better. CIW won at Nebraska this week, but isn’t eligible for the NCAAs until 2018; looks like they’ll be making some noise in the Southland Conference as they bide their time waiting for 2018.

2) An attempt to steal 7,500 pair of Lebron James sneakers was foiled this week; real cost of the sneakers is apparently $83.10 a pair, so that’s $623,250, but they sell for $200 each, so that’s a total of $1.5M the shoe buyers would’ve been out if thieves had successfully stolen the sneakers.

1) Sunday’s Bengal-Brown game is being broadcast into 43% of American homes Sunday, primarily because of Johnny Manziel making his first NFL start.

Before it was announced he was starting, very few people outside of Ohio were going to see the game, which is an important game with playoff implications. Manziel is marketing gold; Jerry Jones will probably be sick if he turns out to be a star, since he wanted the Cowboys to draft the former Texas Aggie star.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, December 13

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OTTAWA (11-12-0-5, 27 pts.) at BOSTON (15-13-0-1, 31 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 27-7 ATS (+16.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 174-144 ATS (-66.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-2 (+4.4 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-2-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

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CAROLINA (8-17-0-3, 19 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (10-13-0-5, 25 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 23-45 ATS (+79.2 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 12-8 ATS (+23.5 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 221-222 ATS (-110.7 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 4-2 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 4-2-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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CHICAGO (20-8-0-1, 41 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (19-10-0-0, 38 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 1-1 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 1-1-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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DETROIT (17-6-0-6, 40 pts.) at TORONTO (16-9-0-3, 35 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 4-9 ATS (-8.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 9-4 ATS (+13.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 9-4 ATS (+13.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 54-84 ATS (-39.9 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-3-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.6 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (19-8-0-3, 41 pts.) at WASHINGTON (13-10-0-5, 31 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 291-366 ATS (-116.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 134-180 ATS (-65.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 17-3 ATS (+12.5 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 5-9 ATS (-8.5 Units) in home games first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-3 (+3.8 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-3-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.3 Units)

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FLORIDA (11-8-0-7, 29 pts.) at BUFFALO (11-16-0-2, 24 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 287-330 ATS (-94.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
BUFFALO is 8-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in home games in December games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 248-198 ATS (+454.5 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
BUFFALO is 52-56 ATS (-28.5 Units) in home games on Saturday games since 1996.
BUFFALO is 11-37 ATS (+79.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 7-2 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 7-2-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.6 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (18-6-0-3, 39 pts.) at COLUMBUS (11-15-0-2, 24 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 9-2 (+5.7 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 9-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.0 Units)

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ANAHEIM (19-6-0-5, 43 pts.) at WINNIPEG (15-9-0-6, 36 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 16-9 ATS (+5.8 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 28-23 ATS (+56.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 23-14 ATS (+39.8 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 80-45 ATS (+16.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 16-2 ATS (+13.3 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 48-24 ATS (+15.6 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 15-5 ATS (+9.9 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 3-1 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 3-1-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.0 Units)

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MINNESOTA (15-11-0-1, 31 pts.) at ARIZONA (10-16-0-3, 23 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 156-142 ATS (+304.5 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-2 (+3.7 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 5-2-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (11-14-0-5, 27 pts.) at DALLAS (10-13-0-5, 25 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 11-29 ATS (+43.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 190-127 ATS (+19.2 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
DALLAS is 10-18 ATS (-8.8 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 4-9 ATS (-5.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
DALLAS is 10-18 ATS (+28.9 Units) first half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 1-8 ATS (+1.0 Units) after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 2-1-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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ST LOUIS (19-8-0-2, 40 pts.) at COLORADO (10-13-0-6, 26 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 46-22 ATS (+11.6 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 24-7 ATS (+12.6 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 89-74 ATS (+167.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
COLORADO is 10-19 ATS (-33.4 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 10-19 ATS (+31.7 Units) first half of the season this season.
COLORADO is 113-111 ATS (-85.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
COLORADO is 3-11 ATS (+15.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLORADO is 3-11 ATS (+14.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 4-2 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 4-2-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.2 Units)

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NY RANGERS (12-10-0-4, 28 pts.) at VANCOUVER (18-9-0-2, 38 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 1-7 ATS (-7.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
VANCOUVER is 25-8 ATS (+13.6 Units) 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
NY RANGERS is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 2-0-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

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NASHVILLE (19-7-0-2, 40 pts.) at SAN JOSE (16-11-0-4, 36 pts.) - 12/13/2014, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 29-9 ATS (+11.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 170-125 ATS (+40.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 180-127 ATS (+35.9 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 12-7 ATS (+21.5 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 13-9 ATS (+26.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 5-1 (+6.5 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 5-1-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.0 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, December 13

Hot teams
-- Chicago won its last eight games, allowing 13 goals.
-- Maple Leafs won seven of their last nine games.
-- Washington won three of its last four games.
-- Sabres won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Blue Jackets won last five games (three of last four in OT/SO). Pittsburgh won six of its last nine.
-- Anaheim won last six games, scoring 23 goals.
-- Minnesota is 5-0 in game following its last five losses.
-- St Louis won seven of its last ten games.
-- Nashville won 12 of its last 16 games. San Jose won six of its last seven.

Cold teams
-- Boston lost six of its laat eight games. Senators lost six of last seven.
-- Hurricanes lost four in row, 11 of last 14 games. Philly lost 13 of its last 16.
-- Islanders lost last three games, allowing 17 goals.
-- Detroit lost last two games, scoring three goals; they've won four of last five on road.
-- Tampa Bay lost four of last five road games.
-- Florida is 2-9 this season in game following a win.
-- Winnipeg is 3-4 in its last seven home games.
-- Coyotes lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Dallas Stars lost five of their last six games. Devils lost eight of their last ten.
-- Colorado lost four of its last five games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last six road games. Vancouver lost its last three games, all on road.

Series records
-- Bruins won three of last four games with Ottawa,
-- Flyers lost their last four games with Carolina.
-- Islanders lost four of last five games with Chicago.
-- Red Wings won three of last four visits to Toronto.
-- Lightning lost three of last four games with Washington.
-- Sabres lost eight of last ten games with Florida.
-- Penguins won last seven games with Columbus.
-- Ducks won six of last eight games with Winnipeg.
-- Coyotes lost five of last six games with Minnesota.
-- Devils won three of last four games with Dallas.
-- Blues won five of last six games with Colorado.
-- Rangers won their last four games with Vancouver.
-- Sharks lost five of last six games with Nashville.

Totals
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Ottawa-Boston games.
-- Last six Carolina games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-1-2 in last nine Chicago games, 0-3 in last three Islander games.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Detroit games.
-- Four of last five Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Florida games.
-- Five of last six Penguin games stayed under.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Anaheim games.
-- Four of last five Arizona games went over total.
-- Five of last six Dallas games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine St Louis games.
-- Six of last eight Ranger-Canuck games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Nashville games stayed under.

Back-to-back
-- Red Wings are 2-1 if they played the night before.
-- Panthers are 1-1 if they played night before.
-- Pittsburgh is 2-2 if it played night before.
-- Anaheim is 2-1 if it played night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Saturday, December 13

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

1:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Carolina's last 5 games
Carolina is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing at home against Carolina
Philadelphia is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games

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

7:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. WINNIPEG
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. NY ISLANDERS
Chicago is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Islanders
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
NY Islanders are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
NY Islanders are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. TORONTO
Detroit is 4-6-2 SU in its last 12 games ,when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Toronto's last 16 games

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. BUFFALO
Florida is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games when playing at home against Florida

7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. COLUMBUS
Pittsburgh is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Columbus
Pittsburgh is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Columbus's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Columbus's last 12 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. WASHINGTON
Tampa Bay is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 10 games when playing Washington
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games at home

8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ARIZONA
Minnesota is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

8:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS
New Jersey is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
New Jersey is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing New Jersey
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

10:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. VANCOUVER
NY Rangers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Vancouver is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing NY Rangers

10:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
St. Louis is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 6 games

10:30 PM
NASHVILLE vs. SAN JOSE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Nashville's last 7 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
San Jose is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Nashville

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Saturday, December 13


Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh - Out Sat

Crosby is dealing with an illness and did not play Friday against the Flames. He will miss Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday'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, pick 5 games a week:

6) Vikings, +8-- Trying to avenge 17-3 loss in first meeting.

5) 49ers, +10-- Trying to right the ship and get back in contention.

4) Colts, -6.5-- Survived four turnovers in narrow win last week.

3) Patriots, -7.5-- Back home after spending last week in California.

2) Cowboys, +3-- Better be prepared to stop the run this time.

1) Bills, +4.5-- Green Bay hasn't been as good on the road.

Season record of six most popular picks each week: 46-38

2013 season record of six most popular picks each week: 42-57-4

**********


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

13) White Sox signed Melky Cabrera to a 3-year contract as they escalate their spending war with the Cubs in the Windy City. Both teams should sell a lot more season tickets in 2015.

12) Albany 77, Siena 68-- My alma mater beats their crosstown rival for third year in row and 4th time in five years, in front of 10.278 at the Times Union Center. Why do I mention this? Because every time they play its a Siena home game, which is BS.

11) Siena should play in Albany's gym now and then, even if teams play a second game some years; its only fair. Not like Siena's team is superior; they've lost four of the last five meetings. Siena plays in a better league, is more popular with local fans, but fact of the matter is, both teams do well in their respective leagues. Its spineless to duck playing in SEFCU Arena- Albany's administration should tell Siena to take a hike unless they get a home game in the series now and then. .

10) Kansas 63, Utah 60-- Utes were down 21 in this game, stormed back; at the end of the day, they may have gotten more out of this game than the Jayhawks, who are very thin at point guard. Utah will finish near the top of the Pac-12.

9) VCU 93, Northern Iowa 87, 2OT-- Panthers lose for first time this season in the best game of the day. Much-needed non-conference win for the Atlantic 14.

8) Notre Dame 83, Florida State 63-- Seminoles lost leading scorer Thomas (grades) for the season, looked lost Saturday without him.

7) Greg Chalmers beat Adam Scott on the 7th playoff hole to win the Australian PGA very late Saturday night. Chalmers shot a 64 to get into the playoff.

6) Gonzaga 87, UCLA 74-- Bulldogs lost in OT at Arizona last week, needed this win to establish themselves as second-best team on west coast.

5) Dave Winfield/Jimmy Connors were sitting next to each other in this game; Dick Vitale ran over to get his picture taken with them. Connors was tossed from a UCSB hoop game last year for being too boisterous with the refs. Hard to believe, huh?

4) Late in the game, Vitale said this: "Steve Alford hates to lose." Is there a coach out there who doesn't hate to lose?

3) Meanwhile former UCLA coach Ben Howland has surfaced as a studio analyst on FOX Sports1; hard to believe he's not coaching somewhere, but he priced himself out of the Oregon State job last spring. Someone will hire him this offseason.

2) I'm in my mid-50's and still can't convert yards to meters; I didn't forget how, I just never learned. Nitwit. I know 100 meters is longer than 100 yards, just don't know how much longer. Realized this watching the golf tournament from Australia, when the caddy was discussing chip shot distances in meters.

1) If the guy in the Dos Equus commercials is the Most Interesting Man in the World, then NY Post columist Phil Mushnick is the Most Miserable Man in the World. If you're not from New York or have never read the Post, I highly recommend reading his work-- he rarely has a good word for anything, criticizing everyone from talk show hosts to show-off athletes with a very biting style. Makes me laugh every day.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, December 14

Hot teams
-- Toronto won four in row, eight of last ten games.
-- Blackhawks lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Rangers won six of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Kings lost three of their last four games.
-- Calgary lost last four games, scoring seven goals.
-- Edmonton lost 14 of its last 15 games.

Series records
-- Road team won last five LA-Toronto games.
-- Flames lost five of last seven games with Chicago.
-- Rangers lost three of last four games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Los Angeles games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Calgary-Chicago games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Ranger games went over the total.

Back-to-back
-- Maple Leafs are 4-2 if they played night before.
-- Chicago is 3-2 if it played the night before.
-- Rangers are 1-2 if they played night before.




NHL

Sunday, December 14

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

5:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. TORONTO
Los Angeles is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Los Angeles's last 10 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games at home
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

8:00 PM
CALGARY vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 9 games
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Chicago is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games when playing Calgary

9:30 PM
NY RANGERS vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games
NY Rangers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Edmonton is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, December 14

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LOS ANGELES (15-10-0-5, 35 pts.) at TORONTO (17-9-0-3, 37 pts.) - 12/14/2014, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 109-125 ATS (-81.8 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
TORONTO is 55-84 ATS (-43.9 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 1-1 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 1-1-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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CALGARY (17-12-0-2, 36 pts.) at CHICAGO (20-9-0-1, 41 pts.) - 12/14/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 28-9 ATS (+12.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 90-89 ATS (+199.3 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
CHICAGO is 4-8 ATS (-8.1 Units) after a non-conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 3-4 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-3-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.7 Units)

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NY RANGERS (13-10-0-4, 30 pts.) at EDMONTON (7-18-0-5, 19 pts.) - 12/14/2014, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 6-1 ATS (+7.2 Units) in road games when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 16-5 ATS (+10.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 7-23 ATS (-29.9 Units) in all games this season.
EDMONTON is 45-61 ATS (-33.0 Units) in home games in December games since 1996.
EDMONTON is 7-23 ATS (+42.5 Units) first half of the season this season.
EDMONTON is 1-11 ATS (+14.6 Units) after a division game this season.
EDMONTON is 1-12 ATS (+15.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
EDMONTON is 149-148 ATS (+301.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
EDMONTON is 68-77 ATS (-60.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 2-1 (+2.4 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 2-1-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)