The Bum's NHL February 2015 Trends/Stats/News Etc...All you know B4 Wagering !

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Tampa Bay at San Jose
The Lightning head to San Jose tonight to face a Sharks team that is 0-4 in its last 4 home games. Tampa Bay is the pick (-105) according to Dunkel, which has the Lightning favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-105). Here are all of today's NHL picks.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15

Game 1-2: Pittsburgh at Chicago (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 10.878; Chicago 12.208
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-145); Over

Game 3-4: St. Louis at Florida (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings:St. Louis 12.881; Florida 11.221
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-170); Under

Game 5-6: Philadelphia at Buffalo (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 10.134; Buffalo 11.069
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-185); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+165); Under

Game 7-8: Washington at Anaheim (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 10.904; Anaheim 12.389
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 9-10: Tampa Bay at San Jose (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.739; San Jose 10.028
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-105); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 15

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PITTSBURGH (32-15-0-8, 72 pts.) at CHICAGO (34-18-0-4, 72 pts.) - 2/15/2015, 12:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 22-31 ATS (-29.1 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 20-3 ATS (+14.3 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 20-7 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 179-129 ATS (+28.6 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
CHICAGO is 38-40 ATS (-24.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 7-10 ATS (-12.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CHICAGO is 26-26 ATS (-17.4 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 2-1-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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ST LOUIS (36-15-0-4, 76 pts.) at FLORIDA (24-19-0-11, 59 pts.) - 2/15/2015, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 92-75 ATS (+169.5 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 39-15 ATS (+12.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 150-174 ATS (+348.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 167-196 ATS (-80.6 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
FLORIDA is 61-96 ATS (-53.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
FLORIDA is 8-22 ATS (+30.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 3-0-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (23-22-0-10, 56 pts.) at BUFFALO (16-36-0-3, 35 pts.) - 2/15/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 1-10 ATS (+11.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BUFFALO is 9-4 ATS (+14.4 Units) in home games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 37-100 ATS (-110.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 12-47 ATS (+99.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 13-47 ATS (+98.7 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 14-48 ATS (+110.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 5-23 ATS (+39.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-2 (+2.9 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 5-2-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.9 Units)

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WASHINGTON (29-17-0-10, 68 pts.) at ANAHEIM (35-14-0-7, 77 pts.) - 2/15/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-1 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 2-1-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (34-17-0-6, 74 pts.) at SAN JOSE (29-20-0-8, 66 pts.) - 2/15/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 0-4 ATS (-6.9 Units) in home games in February games this season.
SAN JOSE is 4-8 ATS (-10.8 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 8-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 3-0 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 3-0-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, February 15

Hot teams
-- Penguins won four of their last five games.
-- Blues won nine of their last eleven games.

Cold teams
-- Chicago lost four of its last six home games.
-- Florida lost three of its last four games.
-- Sabres lost 21 of their last 24 games. Philly lost three of last four games, with all three in OT/SO.
-- Washington lost six of its last eight road games. Anaheim lost three of its last four games.
-- Sharks lost five of their ast seven games. Tampa Bay lost three of last four.

Series records
-- Chicago is 4-3 in last seven games with Pittsburgh.
-- Blues won their last five games with Florida.
-- Flyers won 11 of last 13 games with Buffalo.
-- Ducks lost four of last five with Washington; last three all ended 3-2.
-- Sharks won their last three games with Tampa Bay.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Penguin road games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven St Louis road games went over.
-- Last four Buffalo home games all stayed under.
-- Three of last four Anaheim home games went over.
-- Eight of last ten San Jose home games went over.

Back-to-back
-- Washington is 0-6 on road if it played the night before.

NHL

Sunday, February 15

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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CHICAGO
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home
Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

5:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of St. Louis's last 19 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Florida's last 19 games when playing St. Louis

7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. BUFFALO
Philadelphia is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing Buffalo
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Buffalo's last 22 games when playing Philadelphia

8:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. SAN JOSE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
San Jose is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ANAHEIM
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 6 games at home
Anaheim is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Sunday, February 15

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Game of the Day: Penguins at Blackhawks
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Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks (-144, 5.5)

Marian Hossa has been an integral part of the Chicago Blackhawks' success of late, scoring a staggering seven times over the last four games. The 36-year-old looks to continue his torrid stretch as the Blackhawks play the fourth contest of their season-high eight-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon. Hossa scored a goal and set up captain Jonathan Toews for the eventual game-winning tally in a 3-1 triumph over New Jersey on Friday and also collected a goal and an assist in Chicago's 3-2 shootout win against Pittsburgh on Jan. 21.

"On fire," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said of Hossa. "He's got it going. He's got that touch." While Chicago is riding a five-game point streak (3-0-2), Pittsburgh posted its second straight win and fourth in five outings with a 5-4 shootout victory over Ottawa on Thursday. Captain Sidney Crosby tallied twice while playing in his 600th career contest, but was held off the scoresheet in the first meeting against the Blackhawks.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC, TVA, City

LINE HISTORY: The opening line had a total of 5.5, with a moneyline of Chicago -144.

INJURY REPORT: Penguins - D Christian Erhoff (Ques-Concussion), RW Steve Downie (Ques-Undisclosed) Blackhawks - D Michal Rozsival (Ques-Shoulder), D Tim Erixon (Ques-Lower Body)

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (32-15-8 SU, 21-31-3 O/U): Evgeni Malkin scored for the second time in five games since returning from a lower-body injury and has six points (two goals, four assists) in five career meetings with Chicago. Perhaps the former Hart Trophy winner could ignite an ailing power play, which is 0-for-13 in February and failed to score on two opportunities in the first meeting with the Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury has helped mask some of those problems with sterling play, following up back-to-back shutouts by stopping 23-of-24 shots in a 4-1 victory over Detroit on Wednesday.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (34-18-4 SU, 20-29-7 O/U): Patrick Kane has recorded a team-high 27 goals this season and 205 in his career, but not one has come at the expense of Pittsburgh. The 2013 Conn Smythe Trophy winner was held off the scoresheet in the first meeting with the Penguins this season and has notched just four assists in six career encounters. Kane enters Sunday's contest on a high, collecting two goals and five assists over his last five games.

TRENDS:

*Penguins are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. Central.
*Blackhawks are 2-7 in their last 9 games following a win.
*Under is 6-1-1 in Penguins last 8 overall.
*Over is 5-0 in Blackhawks last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

CONSENSUS: 73.53 percent of users are backing the Blackhawks, with the total split nearly 50/50.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Sunday, February 15


Ducks' PF Ryan Getzlaf, probable Sunday

Getzlaf is expected to play Sunday against the Capitals despite an upper-body injury.


Favorites a strong play Saturday night

Wagering on favorites in the NHL Saturday night was a good bet, as they went a very impressive 9-0-0-1 straight up.

The Winnipeg Jets were the only underdog to buck the trend, pulling out a 5-4 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings.

The big night has favorites at 516-217-37-54 (62.62 percent) for the season.

There are five games on the NHL slate for Sunday, with Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Anaheim and San Jose favored in their matchups.


Habs continue to be a strong under play

The Montreal Canadiens went under another total Saturday night, topping the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in a shootout.

The Habs have been a great under play of late going 3-10-2 over/under in their last 15 games, giving up just 2.00 goals against a game during that run. The run has put the Canadiens at 16-29-10 O/U this season, making them second best under team in the league.

Montreal next visits Detroit on Monday, where the Red Wings are 6-4 O/U in their last 10 games.




NHL roundup: Habs edge Leafs in shootout

MONTREAL -- Center David Desharnais scored the shootout winner to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

Goaltender Carey Price stopped 28 shots for Montreal (36-15-4) while counterpart Jonathan Bernier made 31 saves for the Maple Leafs (23-29-5).

Right winger Brendan Gallagher scored in regulation for the Canadiens, who earned points for the fifth straight game.

Center Daniel Winnik replied for Toronto, which has just two wins in 19 games in 2015.

Jets 5, Red Wings 4 (SO)

DETROIT -- Right winger Drew Staffer scored the only goal of an eight-shooter shootout to give Winnipeg a win against Detroit at Joe Louis Arena.

Right wingers Chris Thorburn, Blake Wheeler, Stafford and left winger Andrew Ladd scored in regulation for Winnipeg. Defensemen Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien had two assists each and goalie Michael Hutchinson made 25 saves.

Center Pavel Datyuk had two goals and an assist, forward Darren Helm had a goal and an assist and defenseman Niklas Kronwall scored for Detroit. Left winger Tomas Tatar had two assists and goaltender Jimmy Howard, in his first start in more than a month, stopped 34 shots.

Islanders 6, Blue Jackets 3

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- A three-goal third period outburst helped the New York Islanders pull away from Columbus Blue Jackets at Nassau Coliseum.

Center John Tavares scored two goals in a span of a little more than four minutes to cap the outburst, while center Frans Nielsen snapped a 3-3 tie 1:54 into the third period before Tavares' goals iced the victory for the Islanders. Center Josh Bailey scored twice in the first period -- Tavares assisted on both goals -- while center Ryan Strome scored in the second period for the Islanders.

Center Brandon Dubinsky, right winger Cam Atkinson and left winger Nick Foligno scored for the Blue Jackets, who lost six of 10. Goalie Anton Forsberg, who was seeking his first NHL win, recorded 40 saves.

Senators 7, Oilers 2

OTTAWA -- A four-goal outburst in the second period propelled Ottawa past Edmonton at Canadian Tire Centre.

Winger Milan Michalek led the way with two goals and an assist for his second multi-point game of the season. Other Ottawa goals were scored by wingers Mike Hoffman and Alex Chiasson, defenseman Cody Ceci and centers Kyle Turris and David Legwand.

Center Derek Roy and defenseman Mark Fayne replied for the Oilers.

Rangers 5, Coyotes 1

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- New York left winger Rick Nash continued his recent scoring surge with his league-leading 35th goal to help the Rangers to a victory the Arizona at Gila River Arena.

Right winger Kevin Hayes, defenseman Mark Stahl, right winger Lee Stempniak and center Chris Kreider also scored for New York. Rangers goaltender Cam Talbot had 34 saves in his sixth straight start in place of the injured Henrik Lundqvist.

Coyotes center Antoine Vermette scored his team's lone goal.

Wild 6, Hurricanes 3

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Right winger Thomas Vanek had his first multi-goal game for Minnesota, scoring twice to lead his team over Carolina.

Center Jordan Schroeder, defenseman Nate Prosser and center Erik Haula also scored for Minnesota and left wing Zach Parise added an empty-netter. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk made 24 saves.

Carolina got goals from center Andrej Nestrasil, left winger Jeff Skinner and center Elias Lindholm. Making his first start against the team that drafted him in 2004, goaltender Anton Khudobin made 18 saves.

Predators 3, Devils 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A late third-period flurry enabled Nashville to extend its latest winning streak by topping New Jersey.

Centers Colin Wilson and Craig Smith scored 66 seconds apart in the last 3 1/2 minutes as Nashville improved to 24-3-1 in Bridgestone Arena. Center Matt Cullen opened the scoring in the first for the Predators, who got 21 saves from goalie Pekka Rinne.

Right winger Steve Bernier scored New jersey's lone goal in the second period.

Avalanche 4, Stars 1

DENVER -- Goaltender Semyon Varlamov stopped 24 shots, left winger Alex Tanguay had a goal and an assist and Colorado beat Dallas.

Right winger Jarome Iginla, left winger Gabriel Landeskog and right winger Dennis Everberg also had goals for Colorado, which is 4-0 against the Stars this season.

Center Jason Spezza scored and goalie Jhonas Enroth had 26 saves in his first start for the Stars since being acquired from Buffalo on Wednesday.

Kings 3, Capitals 1

LOS ANGELES -- Third-period goals by centers Trevor Lewis and Jarret Stoll were the difference as Los Angeles defeated Washington before a sellout crowd 18,230 at Staples Center.

Goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped 27 of 28 shots, and the Kings (25-18-12) captured their fourth in a row. The win also allowed Kings coach Darryl Sutter to pass Larry Robinson for fourth on the club's all-time win list with 123.

Capitals netminder Braden Holtby finished with 27 saves. Washington (29-17-10) lost for just the second time in six contests.

Kings left winger Dwight King and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin also scored in the game.

Flames 3, Canucks 2

CALGARY, Alberta -- Karri Ramo stood tall to backstop Calgary to a victory over Vancouver at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Ramo, whose last start was on Jan. 7 but only lasted half a game due to an injury, surrendered a stinker of an early goal but finished with 28 saves in a victory that keeps the Flames in a wild-card spot while the Western Conference standings have become suffocatingly close. Flames center Sean Monahan scored twice and left winger Lance Bouma once in the game.

Rookie left winger Ronalds Kenins and right winger Linden Vey scored for Vancouver.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

-- Stephen Curry won the 3-point contest, making 13 in row at one point. Craig Hodges still holds that record, once making 19 3-pointers in a row.

-- To get in golf's Hall of Fame, you need to win 15+ tournament or 2+ majors.

-- Singer Huey Lewis got a perfect 800 on the Math part of his SATs.

-- Steve Lavin at St John's: 18-22 in January, 22-13 in February.

-- Odd that WCC hoop games get blacked out on DirecTV, but I can watch them for free on my laptop. Makes no sense.

-- Mississippi State's team plane made an amergency landing on its way home to Starkville Saturday night, second time in a week that happened on a plane leaving the Columbia, MO airport. Plane landed safely, everyone is shaken but OK.

**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a college basketball Saturday

13) Big West-- Cal-Davis leads by two games after Riverside upset Irvine. Long Beach was 0-2 this week; they look disinterested a lot at start of games. UCSB had 2-0 week, but they'll need star Williams (shoulder) in lineup to make noise in tournament.

12) Mountain West-- Down year here; San Diego State is 10-3 and leads league. New Mexico blew game at Nevada, bad sign for team that will be looking for their 4th MW tourney title in a row. UNLV lost star freshman Vaughn; they're screwed. Colorado State is now on bubble. This could be a one-bid league.

11) Mid-American-- Bowling Green is 9-3 with new coach Jans, after being 13-21 the last two years; Ball State (2-10) is only team that doesn't have 4+ MAC wins. Going to be lot of fun to watch MAC tourney. Kent needs Jimmy Hall to bunce back from having mono- they beat Toledo without him Friday.

10) Missouri Valley-- There's still Wichita and everyone else, but gap has narrowed this year. Northern Iowa is 12-1 in league, but Panthers haven't won an Arch Madness game since 2010. Anything other than a Wichita-UNI tourney final would be a shock. Wichita won tough game at Illinois State yesterday by 6.

9) AAC-- SMU-Tulsa-Temple in three way battle for top spot. Cincinnati lost home game to Tulane yesterday; game was 19-13 at half. UConn/Memphis are NIT teams. Kid at SMU hit a half-court shot on Game Day yesterday, won $18,000, second time in three weeks a kid nailed a halfcourt shot on national TV.

8) Atlantic 14-- Four teams are tied at top (9-3); VCU got injured star Graham back yesterday, won at fading GW. Nine of 14 teams in league are 6-6 or better, as bottom four teams have been pummeled (combined 9-38). There is so much parity this year in college ball; not many really good teams, ton of fragile teams.

7) WCC-- Gonzaga is like UNLV was in the Big West 25 years ago, dominating their league but uplifting other WCC programs like Pepperdine, Portland who have gotten better but not good enough to beat the Zags. St Mary's manages to stay #2, Alydar to Gonzaga's Affirmed.

6) Pac-12-- Arizona is much the best, but they're tied at top with Utah, which didn't play well in losses in Tucson/Westwood. UCLA is tough at home, soft on road. Cal is on the rise, winning five games in row after a dismal start. Washington fell off the cliff after throwing big man Robert Upshaw off the team.

5) SEC-- Kentucky is unbeaten but has been challenged. Arkansas/Ole Miss/LSU are next three best teams, everyone else is erratic as hell or just plain bad. Man, Florida is 12-13, 5-7 in SEC, terrible year for Gators-- five of their last seven games were decided by 1 or 2 points.

4) Big 14-- Wisconsin lost PG Jackson in loss at Rutgers, but is 7-0 since; they've got depth. Again, not lot of great teams here-- home teams are 58-27 SU, making it the #1 conference in America for home teams. Maryland is surprising 9-4 in its first year in conference; they won last two games by total of five points.

Denzel Valentine's shot with 0:02 left won game for Michigan State Saturday on Feb 14, otherwise known as.....Valentine's Day.

3) ACC-- NC State might be the best 15-11 team in the history of the world; they've beaten Duke/Louisville, lost to Wofford/Wake Forest. Erratic, typical of this season's quality of play. Virginia lost its best player Anderson; doubtful he'll be back for first weekend of NCAAs. Miami has slipped since its win at Syracuse.

2) Big East-- Villanova-Butler game last night was excellent ball; Bulldogs are back to where they were when they dominated Horizon League. Seton Hall has some internal problems, when a starting guard transfers in February, then the coach praises him up and down on his way out the door. Everyone else is typically erratic.

1) Big 12-- Kansas is going to win this league for 11th year in row, but Jayhawks did not win conference tourney two of last three years (they've won tourney in six of last nine years). Why is West Virginia in this league? Their shortest road trip is Iowa State; that has to take its toll over the course of a season.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six of the top minor league prospects of the Chicago White Sox........

1) Carlos Rodon, P-- Led NC State to the 2013 College World Series.

2) Tim Anderson, SS-- Will eventually replace Alexei Ramirez in Chicago

4) Micah Johnson, 2B-- .296 hitter in 306 minor league games.

10) Jacob May, OF-- Grandson of Lee May, powerful hitter in the 70's.

18) Trayce Thompson, OF-- Klay Thompson's brother.

25) James Dykstra, P-- Has older brother who is big prospect in San Diego

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a frigid night.......

13) Its so cold out the icicles hanging off my house put parkas on; wind chill as I type this is a chilly minus-26. Spring training starts in three days, so it'll be fun to watch exhibition baseball games, as long as the satellite dish doesn't freeze. Oy.

12) Wall Street Journal posted that an average NBA regular season game has 7.4 dunks in it; the average All-Star game has 34.2 dunks, which is why I don't watch it. I like to watch guys compete; thats not what an All-Star Game is. Would rather watch a bad college game than the All-Star Game; those guys are competing, at least.

11) Indiana 90, Minnesota 71-- Hoosiers made 18-32 from the arc; impressive.

10) Northwestern 66, Iowa 61-- Horrific loss for the Hawkeyes, losing to a team that had lost its previous ten games; TV people kept showing Doug Collins in the stands, agonizing with his son's team as they struggled. Good TV.

9) Miami-Boston College game was postponed by weather, will be played at 3:00 this afternoon, televised on ESPNU. Hurricanes have been struggling lately.

8) Hofstra 81, Drexel 57-- Dragons won five of last seven games, with both losses by big scores to Hofstra, which has struggled recently otherwise.

7) Quote of the Day, part 2, from Kevin Durant:
“You guys (reporters) really don't know shit. To be honest, man, I'm only here talking to y'all because I have to,. So I really don't care. Y'all not my friends. You're going to write what you want to write. You're going to love us one day and hate us the next. That's a part of it. So I just learn how to deal with y'all.”.

6) Toronto's Kyle Lowry had a dunk in the All-Star Game; he was the only All-Star who hadn't dunked a ball this season.

5) UNLV is a disappointing 5-7 in the Mountain West and now Rashad Vaughn is done with a knee injury; their seven losses are by a total of 26 points. Tough year for the Rebels, but if Vaughn is healthy next year, they'll be back in NCAAs.

4) Penn State hoop coach Patrick Chambers flipped out this weekend over a lack of respect he feels his team gets from refs, because they're not a winning team like his rivals are. Its one of the many obstacles that comes with turning a perennial loser into a winner; once they start winning, Penn State will get more respect. Just the way it is.

3) NFL ref Gene Steratore also works bigtime college hoop games; he had the game at Michigan State Satuirday, one at Wisconsin yesterday. Lot of money in officiating, once you get to that lofty level. He has worked 41 hoop games this year, in addition to his NFL duties.

2) Then there is referee David Hall, who shows up on my TV almost every night. Hall has worked 78 games in 94 days. Not a bad second job.

1) You should follow former Dallas Cowboy executive Gil Brandt on Twitter; he is sharp and gives good tidbits, such as the first NBA All-Star Game was back in 1952 in Boston, and the preliminary was a high school game. That sounds better than all the hoopla you see now, more style than substance.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 16

Hot teams
-- Rangers won six of their last eight games. Islanders won five of their last six.
-- Montreal won nine of its last eleven games.
-- Edmonton is 5-1 in games following their last six losses. Jets won three of last four games.
-- Calgary won five of its last seven games.
-- Minnesota won eight of nine games since All-Star break. Canucks won three of last four at home.
-- Los Angeles won its last four games, allowing nine goals.

Cold teams
-- Ottawa is 0-6 in game following its last six wins. Carolina lost five of its last seven games.
-- Detroit lost its last two games, but won six of last seven at home.
-- Arizona lost its last three games, scoring four goals. Colorado lost four of its last five games.
-- Boston lost its last three games, outscored 13-6.
-- Lightning lost five of its last seven road games.

Series records
-- Islanders won five of last seven games with the Rangers.
-- Senators lost seven of last nine games with Carolina.
-- Canadiens won their last four games with Detroit.
-- Jets won three of last four games with Edmonton.
-- Avalanche won four of last five games with Arizona.
-- Bruins won last four games with Calgary, allowing one goal.
-- Canucks lost six of last seven games with Minnesota.
-- Kings won five of last seven games with Tampa Bay.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Islander home games went over total.
-- Over is 9-4-1 in last fourteen Ottawa home games.
-- Nine of last ten Montreal road games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Edmonton road games went over.
-- Four of last five Arizona road games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Calgary home games stayed under.
-- Eight of last eleven Vancouver home games stayed under.
-- Nine of last eleven Tampa Bay road games went over.

Back-to-back
-- Pittsburgh is 4-5 if it played the night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Monday, February 16

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. NY ISLANDERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games on the road
NY Rangers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games
NY Islanders are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Rangers

7:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. OTTAWA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Carolina's last 9 games when playing Ottawa
Carolina is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games

7:30 PM
MONTREAL vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games on the road
Montreal is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Detroit is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games

8:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. WINNIPEG
Edmonton is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Winnipeg is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

9:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

9:00 PM
BOSTON vs. CALGARY
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Calgary is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

10:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. VANCOUVER
Minnesota is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Minnesota is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Vancouver's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games at home

10:30 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Los Angeles's last 11 games when playing Tampa Bay
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Monday, February 16


Habs continue to be a strong under play

The Montreal Canadiens went under another total Saturday night, topping the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in a shootout.

The Habs have been a great under play of late going 3-10-2 over/under in their last 15 games, giving up just 2.00 goals against a game during that run. The run has put the Canadiens at 16-29-10 O/U this season, making them second best under team in the league.

Montreal next visits Detroit on Monday, where the Red Wings are 6-4 O/U in their last 10 games.




NHL roundup: Blackhawks edge Pens in shootout

CHICAGO -- Right winger Patrick Sharp scored the tiebreaking goal in the shootout to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon.

Center Jonathan Toews and right winger Patrick Kane also scored during the shootout round for the Blackhawks, who completed a regular-season sweep against Pittsburgh. Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson scored the lone goal during regulation time for Chicago.

Center Nick Spaling scored during regulation for Pittsburgh, which also received shootout goals from left winger David Perron and center Sidney Crosby. Defenseman Kris Letang's unsuccessful shootout attempt set up Sharp's game-winner.

Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford turned aside 36 of 37 shots to improve to 23-12-3.

Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 of 32 shots. The Penguins fell to 3-5 in shootouts this season.

Blues 2, Panthers 1 (SO)

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Center Jori Lehtera scored the game-winning shootout goal as St. Louis Blues continued its hot streak, defeating Florida at the BB&T Center.

St. Louis, which also got a shootout goal from right winger Vladimir Tarasenko, won in the fifth round. Only right winger Brad Boyes scored for Florida.

Blues center Jaden Schwartz and Panthers center Nick Bjugstad scored in regulation for their respective teams.

Flyers 2, Sabres 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Left winger Michael Raffl scored with 7:15 remaining to lead Philadelphia to a win over Buffalo.

Right winger Matt Read also scored for the Flyers, who extended their point streak to nine consecutive games. Goalie Ray Emery made 21 saves.

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov scored for the Sabres, while goalie Michal Neuvirth made 28 saves.

Lightning 5, Sharks 2

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Goaltender Ben Bishop made 33 saves, center Steven Stamkos scored his 30th goal of the season, and Tampa Bay defeated San Jose at SAP Center.

Left wingers Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat and Cedric Paquette and right winger Ryan Callahan also scored for Tampa Bay.

Center Logan Couture and defenseman Brent Burns scored for San Jose.

Capitals 5, Ducks 3

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Alex Ovechkin scored two goals and added two assistsas Washington topped Anaheim at Honda Center.

Left winger Andre Burakovsky also scored twice and left winger Marcus Johansson netted a goal for Washington. Left winger Andrew Cogliano contributed a pair of goals and right winger Corey Perry scored once for Anaheim.

Both teams went with their second options in net, as Washington's Justin Peters earned the win stopping 30 of 33 shots while John Gibson turned aside 23 of 28 opportunities for Anaheim.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

NY Rangers at NY Islanders
The Islanders host the Metropolitan Division-rival Rangers tonight and come into the contest with an 18-2 record in their last 20 games versus division opponents. The Islanders are the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Islanders favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (-135). Here are all of today's NHL picks.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Game 51-52: NY Rangers at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.279; NY Islanders 12.652
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: NY Islanders (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (-135); Over

Game 53-54: Carolina at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.031; Ottawa 12.443
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (-160); Under

Game 55-56: Montreal at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.955; Detroit 10.460
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-125); 5
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (+105); Over

Game 57-58: Edmonton at Winnipeg (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 10.739; Winnipeg 10.518
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Winnipeg (-220); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+180); Under

Game 59-60: Boston at Calgary (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 12.130; Calgary 10.759
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-110); 5
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-110); Over

Game 61-62: Arizona at Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 11.044; Colorado 10.392
Dunkel Line & Total: Arizona by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-185); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+165); Under

Game 63-64: Minnesota at Vancouver (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.094; Vancouver 12.525
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-135); Over

Game 65-66: Tampa Bay at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.561; Los Angeles 12.881
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-160); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, February 16

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NY RANGERS (33-16-0-5, 71 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (37-18-0-1, 75 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 53-74 ATS (-32.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 76-89 ATS (-38.9 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 37-19 ATS (+17.8 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 18-2 ATS (+14.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 14-5 ATS (+7.3 Units) after a division game this season.
NY RANGERS are 27-17 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 9-2 ATS (+6.7 Units) in road games after a non-conference game this season.
NY RANGERS are 20-11 ATS (+31.3 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 9-3 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 150-208 ATS (+409.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 6-6 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 6-6-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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CAROLINA (19-28-0-7, 45 pts.) at OTTAWA (22-22-0-10, 54 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 24-31 ATS (-7.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 89-93 ATS (-43.2 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
OTTAWA is 15-29 ATS (-16.4 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 5-2 (+3.6 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 5-2-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.8 Units)

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MONTREAL (36-15-0-4, 76 pts.) at DETROIT (31-13-0-10, 72 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 12-3 ATS (+7.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
MONTREAL is 36-19 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 12-5 ATS (+6.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
MONTREAL is 22-14 ATS (+38.8 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 37-21 ATS (+10.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 36-21 ATS (+10.4 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 16-7 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MONTREAL is 5-0 ATS (+5.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 9-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-2 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 4-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

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EDMONTON (16-32-0-9, 41 pts.) at WINNIPEG (29-19-0-10, 68 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 16-41 ATS (+79.1 Units) in all games this season.
EDMONTON is 9-29 ATS (+54.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
EDMONTON is 5-21 ATS (+38.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
WINNIPEG is 28-20 ATS (+51.2 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 3-1 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 3-1-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

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BOSTON (28-20-0-7, 63 pts.) at CALGARY (31-22-0-3, 65 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 5-13 ATS (-10.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
CALGARY is 31-25 ATS (-1.9 Units) in all games this season.
CALGARY is 31-28 ATS (+62.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) after a division game this season.
BOSTON is 70-59 ATS (+134.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
BOSTON is 170-187 ATS (+409.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
CALGARY is 7-14 ATS (-7.4 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 2-0-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.2 Units)

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ARIZONA (20-30-0-7, 47 pts.) at COLORADO (23-22-0-11, 57 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 3-14 ATS (+23.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
COLORADO is 40-29 ATS (+10.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 42-18 ATS (+21.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 18-6 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 4-3 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 4-3-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.3 Units)

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MINNESOTA (28-20-0-7, 63 pts.) at VANCOUVER (31-21-0-3, 65 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 9-28 ATS (+49.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 10-2 ATS (+7.5 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 124-124 ATS (-28.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 23-38 ATS (+62.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 23-42 ATS (-21.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 7-20 ATS (+28.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 6-3 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 6-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.8 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (35-17-0-6, 76 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (25-18-0-12, 62 pts.) - 2/16/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 300-371 ATS (-118.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 39-18 ATS (+6.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 25-30 ATS (-37.1 Units) in all games this season.
LOS ANGELES is 128-144 ATS (-21.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 9-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
LOS ANGELES is 10-14 ATS (-9.3 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 2-1-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.1 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, February 16

NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7:05 ET
NY Rangers: 23-10 SU in road games when playing their 4th game in 7 days
NY Islanders: 10-29 SU after successfully covering the spread in 4 or more consecutive games

Carolina at Ottawa, 7:35 ET
Carolina: 23-21 SU in road games when playing their 3rd game in 5 days
Ottawa: 2-11 SU after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread

Montreal at Detroit, 7:35 ET
Montreal: 36-19 SU in all games
Detroit: 9-16 SU after losing their previous game in overtime

Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8:05 ET
Edmonton: 1-15 SU after playing a game where 9 or more total goals were scored
Winnipeg: 28-20 SU after allowing 4 goals or more

Boston at Calgary, 9:05 ET
Boston: 5-10 SU after playing 2 straight games where 7 or more total goals were scored
Calgary: 16-9 SU after one or more consecutive overs

Arizona at Colorado, 9:05 ET
Arizona: 3-14 SU revenging a same season loss vs opponent
Colorado: 40-29 SU second half of the season

Minnesota at Vancouver, 10:05 ET
Minnesota: 10-2 SU in February games
Vancouver: 9-20 SU revenging 2 consecutive losses to opponent as a favorite

Tampa Bay at Los Angeles, 10:35 ET
Tampa Bay: 6-14 SU off a road win scoring 4 or more goals
Los Angeles: 20-22 SU as a favorite

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Alabama's athletic department turned a $33M profit last year. Thats million with an M. Whoever replaces Nick Saban someday will have a very tough job.

-- Duke-North Carolina tomorrow night will be first time in 36 years Dick Vitale is not calling the game. Could be the beginning of the end, which would be sad for a guy who has done a lot for both ESPN and raising money to fight cancer.

-- Packers cut Brandon Bostich, the guy who botched the onside kick at the NFC title game in Seattle; they had already fired the special teams coach.

-- West Virginia 62, Kansas 61-- Mountaineers shot 38% but grabbed 22 offensive boards, winning a fiercely competitive game that they needed a little bit more.

-- Looks like Amar'e Stoudemire will become a Dallas Maverick soon.

-- When Derek Jeter gets his number retired in 2016, Bronx Bombers will have 20 retired numbers; #11 will be the lowest available number. Hard to believe they're not going to retire Fred Stanley's number.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Some thoughts on basketball......

13) There are eight TV timeouts in college basketball games; each side gets five more timeouts. Do we need 18 timeouts (plus halftime) in every game? Any game? If each time got only two timeouts per game, the action would flow better, kids would play better and scoring would go up.

12) College hoop has a 0:10 rule for getting the ball over halfcourt, the NBA's rule is :08. I'm saying :07 should be the new rule. make teams jog the ball up court, be more aggressive on offense. This would help more than shortening the shot clock.

11) NBA playoff series are too long; you don't need best-of-7 series to determine the better team. Best-of-3 would be better, with Finals best-of-5. So what if higher seeds lost now and then? Little drama makes the event more interesting-- NCAA tourney is great entertainment and it is single elimination.

10) DirecTV needs to add the Pac-12 Network, they just do. Don't need multiple soccer channels, or three C-Spans, or foreign language channels. I need to see games on TV late at night. I'm willing to pay for it, even though I already pay enough, but at the end of the day, I'd like to tailor my own channel setup. Its not asking much.

9) NBA needs to set up a 64-player 1-on-1 tournament for the summer, to benefit whatever charities the players want to support. It would be great fun; they had one for two years in the 70's, but star players backed out. This would be a great event.

8) When ESPN started in the early 80's, one of the first college basketball leagues that let them televise games was the Sun Belt Conference; now they're ignored by ESPN. would be nice if the Sun Belt got a weekly game, even if it was on Sunday afternoon or late Saturday night or even Monday night. They earned it a long time ago.

7) College basketball needs to change the way the games are officiated. I'm deferring to Jeff Van Gundy on this: refs have to allow continuation on drives to the basket, the way the NBA does. This automatically raises scoring, without the game itself changing very much. I'm not big on college hoop becoming more like the NBA, but this is one way to make the game more attractive without changing very much.

What I'm saying is this: Tulane led Cincinnati 19-13 at the half Saturday. We do not need 19-13 halftime scores in basketball.

6) When UConn won the national championship last April, they become the first team since 1987 to win the national title when it was an underdog in its second round game; they were also only the fourth national champ since '87 that was favored in their first round game by less than 10 points.

5) Six of the last eight national champs were #1 seeds; UConn won the other two, as a #7 seed last year, as a #3 seed in 2011.

4) Favorites are 11-4 vs spread in the last fifteen national title games.

3) You may never have seen a Summit League game, but in the last ten years, Summit League games have led the country in best 3-point shooting percentage five times. This league is underrated; good offensive teams-- North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Oral Roberts and Denver runs the Princeton offense.

2) I'd be in favor of the NBA scaling back to a 64-game schedule to reduce the back-to-backs and number of times the best players sit out anyway. More practice time and less games would lead to higher quality of games; problem is, would the players agree to scale their salaries back by the 21.6% that the schedule would be reduced by?

1) Conference realignment has made a mockery of geography; the following series are now conference rivalries, its really hard to believe........

-- UConn-Southern Methodist, which is in Dallas.
-- Rutgers-Nebraska-- Rutgers is the state university of New Jersey.
-- UTEP-Marshall-- Long road trip from El Paso to West Virginia.
-- West Virginia-Texas Tech-- 1,505 miles from Morgantown to Lubbock.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, February 17

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WASHINGTON (30-17-0-10, 70 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (32-15-0-9, 73 pts.) - 2/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 51-38 ATS (+92.3 Units) in road games in February games since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 7-13 ATS (-12.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 8-13 ATS (-12.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 7-2 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 7-2-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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NY ISLANDERS (37-19-0-1, 75 pts.) at CAROLINA (20-28-0-7, 47 pts.) - 2/17/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 6-3 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 6-3-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.9 Units)

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COLUMBUS (24-27-0-3, 51 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (24-22-0-10, 58 pts.) - 2/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 18-55 ATS (+99.1 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 28-71 ATS (+131.8 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 19-16 ATS (+40.6 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 13-8 ATS (+24.1 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 38-27 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 21-9 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 91-98 ATS (-74.5 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 6-2 (+5.0 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 6-2-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.4 Units)

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FLORIDA (24-19-0-12, 60 pts.) at TORONTO (23-29-0-5, 51 pts.) - 2/17/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 293-337 ATS (-96.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
FLORIDA is 143-185 ATS (-79.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 2-17 ATS (+25.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 8-22 ATS (+32.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
TORONTO is 4-13 ATS (+17.9 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
TORONTO is 8-17 ATS (+26.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TORONTO is 8-22 ATS (-19.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 4-4 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-4-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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BUFFALO (16-37-0-3, 35 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (21-26-0-9, 51 pts.) - 2/17/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 37-101 ATS (+217.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 7-36 ATS (+85.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 12-48 ATS (+99.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 6-33 ATS (+77.8 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 13-48 ATS (+97.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 14-49 ATS (+87.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 5-24 ATS (+40.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 79-39 ATS (+7.4 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
BUFFALO is 43-32 ATS (+81.6 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
NEW JERSEY is 56-82 ATS (+178.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 4-3 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 4-3-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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SAN JOSE (29-21-0-8, 66 pts.) at NASHVILLE (38-12-0-6, 82 pts.) - 2/17/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 8-12 ATS (-9.8 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
NASHVILLE is 38-18 ATS (+16.2 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 15-1 ATS (+13.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NASHVILLE is 10-1 ATS (+8.2 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 10-1 ATS (+8.3 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights this season.
NASHVILLE is 10-1 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games after a non-conference game this season.
NASHVILLE is 37-25 ATS (+10.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 40-22 ATS (+16.7 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 184-194 ATS (+414.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 5-2 (+5.5 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 5-2-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.0 Units)

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DALLAS (26-22-0-8, 60 pts.) at ST LOUIS (37-15-0-4, 78 pts.) - 2/17/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 4-16 ATS (+21.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
DALLAS is 5-14 ATS (-10.7 Units) after a division game this season.
DALLAS is 192-130 ATS (+35.6 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-5 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 5-5-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.8 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, February 17

Hot teams
-- Washington won five of its last seven games. Penguins won four of their last six.
-- Islanders won five of their last seven games.
-- Nashville won its last five games, allowing eight goals.
-- Blues won 15 of their last 18 games. Dallas Stars won three of their last four.

Cold teams
-- Carolina lost five of its last eight games.
-- Blue Jackets lost four of last five road games. Flyers lost three of last five games.
-- Toronto lost 17 of its last 19 games. Florida lost its last three games, scoring two goals.
-- Sabres lost 18 of their last 20 games. New Jersey lost its last four games, scoring five goals.
-- San Jose lost six of its last eight games.

Series records
-- Caps beat Pittsburgh twice this season, 3-0/4-0.
-- Islanders won their last three games with Carolina.
-- Blue Jackets won six of last seven games with Philly.
-- Panthers won four of last five games with Toronto.
-- Sabres are 5-4 in last nine games with New Jersey.
-- Predators won three of last four games with San Jose.
-- Dallas Stars won four of last five games with St Louis.

Totals
-- Seven of last ten Washington games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Islander road games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Columbus games went over total.
-- Over is 11-4 in Toronto's last fifteen home games.
-- Eight of last nine New Jersey games stayed under.
-- Last four Nashville home games stayed under total; five of last six Predator games went over.
-- Four of last five Dallas games stayed under the total.

Back-to-back
-- Islanders are 6-2 if they played night before; Carolina is 2-7.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Tuesday, February 17

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. PHILADELPHIA
Columbus is 2-6-1 SU in its last 9 games ,when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Columbus is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing at home against Columbus

7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. CAROLINA
NY Islanders are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Carolina's last 20 games at home

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Pittsburgh is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

7:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. NEW JERSEY
Buffalo is 2-18 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Buffalo's last 17 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New Jersey's last 9 games

7:30 PM
FLORIDA vs. TORONTO
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Florida is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Florida
Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. ST. LOUIS
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. NASHVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Jose's last 7 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose
Nashville is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home