The Bum's National Hockey League April's Playoff's Picks - Trends - News - Etc. !!

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 21

Detroit-Tampa Bay (T 3-1)
All three Lightning goals in Game 4's 3-2 win came in 7:16 when they had man advantage- Tampa Bay had been 1-13 on power play in first three games. Home side won eight of last nine Detroit-Tampa Bay games; under is 5-2-2 in those nine games. Over is 4-1-3 in last seven Tampa Bay games- Lightning won four of last six games, allowig total of five goals in winning last three at home. Detroit is 1-21 on power play in series; Lightning scored a goal in all nine periods in its three series wins. Red Wings lost five in a row at Tampa Bay and its last four road games overall.

NY Rangers-Pittsburgh (P 2-1)
Rangers lost four of last five games with Pittsburgh; road team won eight of last eleven games in this rivalry. Penguins won four of last five visits here. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games Rangers got outshot 31-17 in Game 3- they haven't scored first period goal in series, but over is 8-1-4 in their last 13 games. Pittsburgh won ten of its last 12 games, seven of its last ten games went over the total. Rangers are 1-12 on power play in series; Penguins are 4-13. Rangers lost four of their last six home games overall.

St Louis-Chicago (S 3-1)
Blues won five of last six games with Chicago, with four wins by one goal, three in OT/SO; under is 4-1-2 in last seven series games. Blackhawks lost three of last five visits here, .five of their last six games overall, with three losses in OT; they outshot Blues 88-56 in pair of games in Windy City, but lost both games. Over is 5-2-2 in last nine Chicago games. Blues won ten of their last 13 games, but are 2-3 in last five home games. St Louis is 4-12 on power play in series; Chicago 3-14. All four games in series have been decided by one goal.

Nashville-Anaheim (N 2-1)
Road team won all three series games. Ducks lost four of last six games with Nashville (over is 9-1-3 in last 13); Anaheim lost two of last three visits here- they've lost four of last seven games overall, but won four of their last five road games; under is 5-1-2 in their last eight games overall. Nashville won four of last six games overall, but is 2-3 in last five at home; under is 4-1-2 in its last seven games. In 17 years of existence, Nashville has only two playoff series, first round series in 2011, 2012; they've been over .500 11 of last 12 years. Anaheim is 1-7 on power play in series, Predators 1-13.

Playoffs tally: Home: 15-15, Over: 9-10-11




NHL

Thursday, April 21

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit

7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NY RANGERS
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Rangers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home
NY Rangers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh

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

9:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. ST. LOUIS
Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Chicago is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
St. Louis is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Chicago

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, April 21


Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers

Game 23-24
April 21, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
13.816
NY Rangers
12.261
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-120); Over

Detroit @ Tampa Bay

Game 25-26
April 21, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
9.245
Tampa Bay
12.204
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 3
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-165
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-165); Over

Anaheim @ Nashville

Game 27-28
April 21, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
11.846
Nashville
13.307
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-105); Under

Chicago @ St. Louis

Game 29-30
April 21, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
13.111
St. Louis
11.778
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+110); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 21

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PITTSBURGH (50-27-0-8, 108 pts.) at NY RANGERS (47-29-0-9, 103 pts.) - 4/21/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 31-37 ATS (-24.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 111-75 ATS (+21.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 70-43 ATS (+6.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 48-26 ATS (+13.6 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 15-6 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
NY RANGERS are 24-10 ATS (+12.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 17-11 ATS (+28.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-16 ATS (+9.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 182-214 ATS (-124.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 15-12 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 15-12-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
12 of 24 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.6 Units, Under=-1.6 Units)

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DETROIT (42-33-0-11, 95 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (49-32-0-5, 103 pts.) - 4/21/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 31-40 ATS (-17.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 339-392 ATS (-100.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 16-8 (+6.2 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 16-8-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
14 of 21 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.6 Units)

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ANAHEIM (47-27-0-11, 105 pts.) at NASHVILLE (43-28-0-14, 100 pts.) - 4/21/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 214-170 ATS (+404.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 184-161 ATS (+360.7 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 170-108 ATS (+17.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 38-25 ATS (+11.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 70-38 ATS (+13.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 239-217 ATS (+469.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 43-42 ATS (-7.6 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 19-32 ATS (+52.3 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
ANAHEIM is 7-5-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.7 Units)

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CHICAGO (48-28-0-10, 106 pts.) at ST LOUIS (52-25-0-9, 113 pts.) - 4/21/2016, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 14-19 ATS (-11.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CHICAGO is 14-19 ATS (-12.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ST LOUIS is 52-34 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 29-17 ATS (+6.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 22-11 ATS (+8.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 19-8 ATS (+27.8 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
ST LOUIS is 27-16 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 16-7 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 415-405 ATS (+843.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 14-11 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 14-11-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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[StarDust Bum]

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (27) ANAHEIM@ (28) NASHVILLE | 2016-04-21 20:05:00 - 2016-04-21 20:05:00
Play OVER NASHVILLE on the totalin Home games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.4 units)

[StarDust Bum]

4/20 - Results: 2 - 1 - 1 + 1.00
Overall: 13 - 13 - 5 - 0.27

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PIT at NYR 07:00 PM

NYR +103

O 5.0


DET at TB 07:00 PM

TB -143

O 5.0


ANA at NAS 08:00 PM

NAS -102

U 5.0


CHI at STL 09:30 PM

CHI +109

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Some pointspreads on NFL games after Week 1- they were released Thursday:

Week 2-- Seahawks (-4) @ Rams-- Rams' first home game in Coliseum since 1979.

Week 2-- Packers @ Vikings (even)-- Minnesota's first game in its new dome.

Week 4-- Browns @ Redskins (-7.5)-- RGIII returns to Maryland.

Week 5-- Patriots (-7) @ Browns-- Belichick returns to Cleveland.

Week 7-- Texans @ Broncos (-6.5)-- Osweiler returns to Mile High City.

Week 10-- Seahawks @ Patriots (-2)-- Carroll returns to Foxboro.

**********

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

13) Washington Wizards gave Scott Brooks $35M for five years to be their new coach; with Maryland native Kevin Durant a free agent this summer, I'm sure it is not a coincidence that the Wizards hired Durant's old coach.

12) Jake Arrieta no-hit the Reds 16-0 last night in Cincinnati, the most dramatic 16-0 game in MLB history. There were only nine starts between this game and Arrieta's other no-hitter last year.

11) If you care about such things, it was just the second no-hitter at Great American Ballpark; Homer Bailey had the first one.

10) If you care about such things, over is 14-5 in interleague games so far this season.

9) Oakland A's are much-improved so far over last year; A's are 7-2 if their starting pitcher finishes the 6th inning, 2-5 if he does not.

8) Tony Romo turned 36 years old Thursday; why haven't the Cowboys drafted a young QB they can groom to play after Romo finishes his career?

7) Rockets 97, Warriors 96-- I'm guessing Steph Curry's foot got a lot better once Houston won this game, making series 2-1 Golden State.

6) Chicago 4, St Louis 3 double OT-- Patrick Kane scored his 5th career OT playoff goal as Chicago stayed alive- they trail series 3-2. Only guys with more OT playoff goals than Kane are Joe Sakic (8), Rocket Richard (6)- Edmonton's Glenn Anderson also had five OT playoff goals.

Blackhawks are now 12-4 in elimination games under Joel Quenneville.

5) Tennessee-Martin head coach Heath Schroyer quit this week, to become an assistant coach at NC State, a kick in the teeth to the OVC school that gave Schroyer a chance to resurrect his career after he had been fired at Wyoming- he was later an assistant at UNLV. He'll make more money as an assistant at NC State than he was making at Tenn-Martin.

4) Adam Scott/Louis Oosthuizen already came out and said they'll skip the Olympics in South America this summer- they're both in top 15 in the world, so thats a blow to golf becoming a regular Olympic sport.

3) A 6-10 kid who plays hoop at Washington State but graduated from the school this spring wanted to transfer to San Diego State, where he could play one more season next year, for a much better team, but Wazzu coach Ernie Kent blocked the transfer, claiming the Aztecs tampered/poached the kid.

This happens more and more these days, bigtime schools filling holes in their roster by cherry-picking good players from lower-level schools. I applaud Kent for standing up to teams poaching his roster.

2) If you ever wondered how much a casino costs, Boyd Gaming bought Aliante Casino in North Las Vegas this week, for a reported $380M, a mere bag of shells. LOL That is one casino in Las Vegas I haven't been to yet.

1) I had no idea how wildly popular Prince was, until he passed away way too early Thursday at age 57. Apparently he had been ill for a while, but official word hasn't come out yet. I read yesterday that he was a prolific songwriter who has a ton of unreleased music that I'm sure we'll be hearing in the future.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Friday, April 22

Philadelphia at Washington, 7:05 PM ET
Philadelphia: 15-36 SU in road games when playing their 3rd game in 5 days
Washington: 24-9 SU after a division game

NY Islanders at Florida, 8:05 PM ET
New York: 16-9 SU in road games on Friday nights
Florida: 23-41 SU after having won 2 of their last 3

Minnesota at Dallas, 9:35 PM ET
Minnesota: 7-19 SU as an underdog
Dallas: 30-12 SU after having won 3 of their last 4

San Jose at Los Angeles, 9:35 PM ET
San Jose: 30-13 SU in road games
Los Angeles: 75-63 SU as a favorite




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 22

NY Islanders-Florida (2-2)
Islanders are now 3-6 in last nine games with Florida, losing three of last four visits here. Over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games overall, 2-2 in this series. Panthers won seven of last ten games (over 6-4-1 in last 11)- they won four of last five home games, Islanders won three of last four on foreign ice. So far in series, NY is 4-13 on power play, Florida 2-11; Panthers scored at 9:25 of third period in Game 4 and hung on to tie series. Islanders haven't scored first period goal in last three games.

Philadelphia-Washington (W 3-1)
Flyers have been outscored 13-4 in losing three of first four series games; they were outshot 13-4 in third period of Game 4 by Caps, but hung on to force Game 5 here- Flyers killed off both Washington power plays, after Caps scored five power play goals in total of 18:14 with man advantage in previous game. Philly is 1-15 on power play in series, Home side won five of last six series games- Flyers lost last three visits here, outscored 9-3. Under is 7-3-2 in the last dozen series games, 3-1-2 in last six played here.

Minnesota-Dallas (D 3-1)
Minnesota lost seven of last nine games against Dallas- Wild lost three of last four visits to Metroplex. Minnesota also lost eight of last nine games overall, outscored 28-14- under is 5-2-4 in their last eleven games. Dallas won nine of last 11 games; under is 6-2-1 in their last nine. Stars were outshot 55-39 in two games at Minnesota- they were outshot 14-2 in third period of Game 4, holding on to its 3-2 lead. . Dallas is 3-14 on power play- they were 2-2 in Game 4 (Minnesota is 2-12).

San Jose-Los Angeles (SJ 3-1)
Road team won three of first four series games. San Jose is 8-6 in last 14 series games; road team went 9-5 in those games- Sharks won their last four visits here. Over is 4-2-3 in last nine tilts in series. San Jose won eight of last 11 games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight. Kings are 5-9 in last 14 games. Sharks are 5-18 on power play in series after going 3-4 in Game 4, Kings are 3-13. In last three games, LA has total of only one goal in periods 1-2- they scored twice in 3:05 span of third period last game, but San Jose held on for last 13:46 to take 3-1 series lead.

Playoffs tally: Home: 16-18, Over: 10-11-13

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, April 22


San Jose @ Los Angeles

Game 37-38
April 22, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
9.788
Los Angeles
12.894
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 3
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-135); Over

Philadelphia @ Washington

Game 31-32
April 22, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
12.752
Washington
11.694
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-250
5
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+210); Under

NY Islanders @ Florida

Game 33-34
April 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Islanders
12.631
Florida
11.037
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Islanders
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
NY Islanders
(+140); Under

Minnesota @ Dallas

Game 35-36
April 22, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
10.034
Dallas
11.522
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
-210
5
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-210); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, April 22

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PHILADELPHIA (42-30-0-14, 98 pts.) at WASHINGTON (59-19-0-8, 126 pts.) - 4/22/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 59-27 ATS (+91.5 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 24-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after a division game this season.
WASHINGTON is 46-24 ATS (+18.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 22-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 31-11 ATS (+12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-13 ATS (+34.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 26-19 ATS (+49.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-20 ATS (+49.1 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
PHILADELPHIA is 9-8 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 9-8-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)

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NY ISLANDERS (47-29-0-10, 104 pts.) at FLORIDA (49-27-0-10, 108 pts.) - 4/22/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 49-37 ATS (+89.2 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 16-9 ATS (+26.5 Units) in road games on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 15-6 ATS (+7.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
FLORIDA is 116-154 ATS (+288.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
FLORIDA is 191-212 ATS (-66.7 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 8-5 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 8-5-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.5 Units)

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MINNESOTA (39-36-0-11, 89 pts.) at DALLAS (53-24-0-9, 115 pts.) - 4/22/2016, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 39-47 ATS (-20.5 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 19-31 ATS (-20.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 1-6 ATS (-6.5 Units) on Friday nights this season.
MINNESOTA is 12-20 ATS (-13.8 Units) after a division game this season.
MINNESOTA is 19-24 ATS (-10.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
DALLAS is 53-33 ATS (+87.5 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 22-11 ATS (+4.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
DALLAS is 27-33 ATS (-8.1 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 10-8 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 10-8-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)

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SAN JOSE (49-30-0-7, 105 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (49-31-0-6, 104 pts.) - 4/22/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 20-5 ATS (+14.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 55-41 ATS (+101.5 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 17-5 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in road games after a division game this season.
SAN JOSE is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN JOSE is 14-4 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 89-79 ATS (-8.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 25-24 ATS (-11.4 Units) second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 13-13-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
11 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)

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NHL

Friday, April 22

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

7:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Philadelphia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia

8:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. FLORIDA
NY Islanders are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of the NY Islanders last 11 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Florida's last 14 games when playing NY Islanders

9:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DALLAS
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
Dallas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

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

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, April 22

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Stanley Cup Playoffs: Friday's NHL betting preview
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Joe Thornton and his San Jose Sharks have their California rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, on the ropes heading back to L.A. for Game 5.

There are elimination games all over the place Friday night in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and Minnesota Wild all have their backs against the wall as the opening round hits the pivotal Game 5.

Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals (A: +200, H: -240, O/U: 5)

Capitals lead series 3-1

The Washington Capitals look to squeeze a little more juice out of their potent power play in Game 5 on Friday as they attempt to advance to the second round with a victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. Washington was a blistering 8-for-17 with the man advantage en route to winning the first three contests before failing on both opportunities as Philadelphia staved off elimination with Wednesday's 2-1 triumph.

"That was one of the reasons that we won the game," Flyers goaltender and former Capital Michal Neuvirth told NHL.com after making 31 saves in his first action of the series. "That was our goal. And we didn't take any stupid penalties. Just a great team effort for 60 minutes. That's the way we've got to play." Rookie Shayne Gostisbehere ended Philadelphia's 0-for-13 stretch on the power play and fellow defenseman Andrew MacDonald also scored versus Braden Holtby, who has yielded only four tallies on 118 shots for a .966 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average. "Even with the loss, I think we still have a little momentum coming into the next game," said forward T.J. Oshie, who scored for the first time in the series on Wednesday and extended his playoff point streak to a career-high three games (one goal, three assists).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, CSN Philadelphia, CSN-DC (Washington)

ABOUT THE FLYERS (42-30-14, 47-39 ATS, 33-32 O/U): After spending the bulk of the season preaching about the bigger picture, coach Dave Hakstol has narrowed the scope quite a bit with Philadelphia having zero margin for error. "We came here (Wednesday) to win a hockey game," Hakstol told reporters. "Now we've got to go on the road and to their building, we got to win a hockey game. It's pretty simple. We get one more and then we'll worry about the next one." Forward Wayne Simmonds and captain Claude Giroux have the opportunity to "worry about the next one" after the former notched two assists and the latter set up a tally on Wednesday for their first points of the series.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (59-19-8, 40-46 ATS, 34-35 O/U): Rugged Tom Wilson told the Washington Post that he expects to be in the lineup for Game 5 after being left a bit glassy-eyed in the late stages of Wednesday's contest following a solid hit from Philadelphia defenseman Brandon Manning. "It was a hard hit," Wilson told the newspaper on Thursday. "I feel good today, the usual. Nowadays, you've got to be extra careful, so (head athletic trainer Greg Smith) just said, 'Go back, and get checked out.' But I feel good and should be good to go." The status of Brooks Orpik (upper body) is unclear as coach Barry Trotz admitted that he doesn't know if the defenseman will participate in the morning skate prior to Game 5.

TRENDS:

* Flyers are 12-3 in their last 15 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Capitals are 4-1 in their last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 4-1-2 in Flyers last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Capitals last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Home team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.



New York Islanders at Florida Panthers (A: +140, H: -160, O/U: 5)

Series tied 2-2

After failing to push the Florida Panthers to the brink of elimination, the New York Islanders could find themselves in that very same predicament if they are unable to solve their Game 5 woes. The Islanders look to snap an 11-game skid in the fifth contest of a playoff series on Friday when the first-round set returns to the Sunshine State.

Captain John Tavares scored a power-play goal on Wednesday for his career-high seventh point of the series, but New York mustered little else against Roberto Luongo and dropped a 2-1 decision to deadlock the series at two victories apiece. "You are not going to win many games when you score one goal and the same guys score," coach Jack Capuano said of the first line (Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen), which has accounted for six of the team's 11 goals. "We didn't create much. We got one line creating all of our offense right now." Reilly Smith carried Florida in the first three contests with four goals and as many assists before being held off the scoresheet in Game 4.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CNBC, SN, TVAS2, MSG-Plus (New York), SUN (Florida)

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (47-29-10, 36-50 ATS, 36-42 O/U): Ryan Pulock did not travel with the team to Florida, with Capuano telling Newsday that the rookie defenseman is likely out for the remainder of the series with an undisclosed injury. "It’s a big loss. He's a young guy who was playing real well, he had a couple points, a big goal (in Game 3)," Capuano said on Thursday. "It's a little more adversity we'll have to battle back from." Fellow rookie Adam Pelech or veterans Marek Zidlicky or Brian Strait are candidates to replace Pulock, who was involved in a collision with Panthers forward Garrett Wilson with 7:40 remaining in the third period.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (49-27-10, 43-43 ATS, 35-33 O/U): Veteran Jaromir Jagr wasn't too interested in becoming the fifth player in NHL history to reach the 200-point plateau in the playoffs. "To be honest with you: Do you remember who scored goals 10 years ago? I don't," the 44-year-old Jagr told reporters after he notched his first point of the series with an assist on Teddy Purcell's goal Wednesday. "It's everything about the Cup. Who cares who scored?" If you're keeping score, Jagr has just one goal in his last 37 playoffs games - albeit with 18 assists.

TRENDS:

* Islanders are 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Panthers are 5-1 in their last 6 Friday games.
* Over is 5-0 in Islanders last 5 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Over is 7-0-1 in Panthers last 8 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Over is 14-4-4 in the last 22 meetings.



Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars (A: +170, H: -200, O/U: 5)

Stars lead series 3-1

The Dallas Stars are in command of their Western Conference first-round series and can close out the visiting Minnesota Wild on Friday night when the teams square off in Game 5. The top-seeded Stars earned a split on the road with a hard-fought 3-2 victory in Game 4 to push the Wild to the brink of elimination.

Dallas won the first two games at American Airlines Center and is buoyed by the prospect of a series-clinching victory in front of the home fans. "It's going to be exciting for us as players to play in front of them," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "I'm sure it's going to be exciting for them, and hopefully we can close it out." Minnesota has shown the ability to play with Dallas since a 4-0 drubbing in the series opener, dropping a pair of one-goal decisions sandwiched around a 5-3 victory in Game 3. “Hey, I like the way we’re playing,” Wild coach John Torchetti said. “We just have to find a way to get back home. That’s the bottom line."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet 360, TVAS, FSN North/FSN Wisconsin (Minnesota), FSN Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE WILD (39-36-11, 42-44 ATS, 30-37 O/U): Minnesota was among the league's worst penalty-killing units during the regular season, but has limited Dallas' No. 4-ranked power play to one goal in 13 chances through three games before the Stars converted on both opportunities in Game 4. “They feed a lot off their power play, and tonight was a good example of it,” Wild forward Jason Pominville said. "When you lose the special-teams battle, you’re usually not going to win the game. That’s what happened.” Pominville has scored three times in the past two games after going 13 contests without a tally.

ABOUT THE STARS (53-24-9, 42-44 ATS, 46-38 O/U): Dallas coach Lindy Ruff opted to go with Antti Niemi after Kari Lehtonen started the first three games and the veteran netminder, who backstopped Chicago to a Stanley Cup title in 2010, came through with 28 saves. "That's a luxury that we've had all year," said Stars forward Jason Spezza, who scored the game-winning goal after assisting on the tying tally in Game 4. "You're starting to see the benefits of having fresh goalies all the time." Defenseman Kris Russell had a pair of assists after sitting out Game 3 due to illness.

TRENDS:

* Wild are 1-8 in their last 9 overall.
* Stars are 7-1 in their last 8 vs. Central.
* Under is 3-0-2 in Wild last 5 Friday games.
* Under is 6-1 in Stars last 7 games following a win.
* Wild are 4-23 in the last 27 meetings in Dallas.



San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings (A: +115, H: -135, O/U: 5)

Sharks lead series 3-1

The San Jose Sharks look to continue their season-long success on the road and finish off the Los Angeles Kings when the Pacific Division rivals meet at Staples Center on Friday for Game 5 of their first-round series, which has featured nothing but one-goal decisions. San Jose posted a league-best 28-10-3 record away from home during the regular season, setting a franchise record for road wins, and carried its impressive play into the playoffs by posting a pair of victories in Los Angeles to take a 2-0 series lead.

After being kept off the scoresheet in a Game 3 overtime loss, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski tallied on Wednesday, giving him four goals and an assist in the matchup after he recorded 10 points (four tallies) in the five-game regular-season series. Los Angeles fell behind 3-0 in Game 4 and came up short in its comeback attempt but now is on the verge of elimination - a situation it faced in its last postseason meeting with San Jose in 2014. The Kings need to tighten up on the penalty kill in Game 5, as they surrendered three power-play goals on Wednesday after being a perfect 5-for-5 in the previous contest. "Our penalty kill wasn’t near good enough tonight, and special teams were obviously the huge difference," Los Angeles defenseman Luke Schenn told reporters. "They got three power-play goals, and we obviously didn’t get any. Special teams needs to improve, for sure, if we’re going to climb back into it."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CNBC, CBC, TVA, CSN California (San Jose), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (49-30-7, 40-46 ATS, 43-35 O/U): Joe Thornton notched an assist Wednesday for his 103rd career postseason point, tying him with Gilbert Perreault and John Bucyk for 84th place on the all-time list. The 33-year-old center also pulled even with Jacques Lemaire for 40th in NHL playoff history at 78 assists. San Jose will be motivated to end the series on Friday, as it will be the 19th consecutive postseason game in which Los Angeles is its opponent.

ABOUT THE KINGS (49-31-6, 30-56 ATS, 29-34 O/U): Schenn was a catalyst in Los Angeles' comeback attempt on Wednesday, assisting on Trevor Lewis' goal before scoring one of his own for his first career two-point performance in the playoffs. Marian Gaborik received the lowest amount of ice time (13 minutes, 48 seconds) in the three games since returning from his knee injury on Wednesday but helped set up Schenn's goal for his first point of the postseason. The Kings have won two of the 13 postseason series in which they've trailed 3-1 - rallying past the Sharks in 2014 after overcoming the deficit in 1989 against Edmonton.

TRENDS:

* Sharks are 12-3 in their last 15 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Kings are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 8-1-1 in Sharks last 10 road games.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Kings last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Sharks are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Los Angeles.

[StarDust Bum]

4/21- Results: 3 - 2 + 1.09
Overall: 16 - 15 - 5 + 0.82

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


PHI at WAS 07:00 PM

WAS -224

U 5.0


NYI at FLA 08:00 PM

NYI +142

O 5.0


MIN at DAL 09:30 PM

DAL -180

O 5.0


SJ at LA 10:30 PM

SJ +117

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Some more pointspreads on NFL games this season.........

Week 2-- Colts @ Broncos (-5)-- You laying 5 without knowing who is playing QB for Denver this season?

Week 3-- Cardinals (-2.5) @ Bills-- Big break for Arizona, getting the Buffalo trip in

September and not December.

Week 4-- Saints @ Chargers (-3)-- Drew Brees against his old team.

Week 7-- Giants vs Rams (even)-- London game has 9:30 AM ET kickoff. Oy.

Week 11-- Texans vs Raiders (-2) (Mexico City)-- Monday night game in Mexico.

Week 14-- Raiders @ Chiefs (-4.5) Long trip east on short week for Oakland.

**********

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

13) Cleveland Browns aren't favored in any of their first 15 games this year; they play at Pittsburgh in Week 17, so they won't be favored there, either, so new coach Hue Jackson has his work cut out for him.

12) Free agent CB Josh Norman got big money from the Redskins last night, which means he'll line up against Odell Beckham twice a year when Giants play the Redskins in divisional games. Little strange how Carolina suddenly did an about face and let Norman walk, rather than pay him.

11) Hartford Yard Dogs are the AA farm club of Colorado Rockies; they do not have a home game until May 31, since their new home park is still being worked on. They'll play their first 52 games on the road- they are 11-4 so far this season and in first place in their division.

10) Last year, Biloxi of the Southern League played their first 54 games on the road, while their new stadium was being finished; guy who managed that team is now the first base coach for the big league Milwaukee Brewers.

9) White Sox turned a 9-3-2-6-2-5 triple play last night that involved Prince Fielder being caught in a rundown; suffice to say it will not be included on Tom Emanski's next baserunning instructional video.

8) Why has the state of Virginia given 200,000 convicted felons the right to vote? Virginia is the 8th state to allow felons to vote, after they're released from supervision. To me, it doesn't make much sense.

7) Keelon Lawson is an assistant basketball coach at Memphis; the Tigers' top two returning scorers are his sons. He has a third son who is listed as a top 10 recruit in the Class of 2019, which is why Lawson is still employed by Memphis, even after head coach Josh Pastner was paid $1.25M to go away and take the Georgia Tech job earlier this month.

New coach Tubby Smith wasn't going to keep Lawson as an assistant coach, so one of the sons, Dedric Lawson applied for NBA Draft, an implied threat to keep the father as an assistant. This hasn't been resolved yet. Stay tuned.

6) Going thru some college basketball stuff, getting stuff ready for next year and saw this: over the last 11 years, DePaul is 39-155 in conference games. How in the name of Ray Meyer is this possible? DePaul is in Chicago, there are lot of good high school players in Chicago-- recruit some of them!!!!

5) Texas Rangers are 15-3 in their last 18 games vs AL West rival Houston.

4) Baseball season is in its third week and my fantasy team is already in deep trouble; Stanton/Abreu have been awful, two of my top three pitchers are hurt and I'm going to be 0-3 come Sunday night. No bueno; Carlos Gomez, Marcell Ozuna and Avasail Garcia have all proven to be stiffs in my outfield.

3) Yasiel Puig made an amazing throw from the rightfield fence last night to nail Trevor Story at third base, trying for a triple. Reminded me of Ellis Valentine throwing from RF for the old Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium.

2) Coaching carousel: Northern Colorado fired BJ Hill, amidst allegations of NCAA issues. Detroit Titans named Michigan assistant Bacari Alexander their new hoop coach. UNLV approved Marvin Menzies' contract, but for whatever reason, he won't be paid as much as Chris Beard was going to be paid. Oy.

1) Matt Holliday may be 37, but over last three years, he is hitting .379 with RISP, best such mark in the major leagues.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Saturday, April 23

NY Rangers at Pittsburgh, 3:05 PM ET
New York: 30-17 SU in road games after a division game
Pittsburgh: 8-17 SU off 2 wins by 2 goals or more against division rivals

St Louis at Chicago, 8:05 PM ET
St Louis: 22-12 SU vs. division opponents
Chicago: 9-13 SU after 2 or more consecutive overs

Nashville at Anaheim, 6:05 PM ET
Nashville: 3-13 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +150
Anaheim: 20-5 SU off a road win scoring 4 or more goals




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, April 23

NY Rangers-Pittsburgh (P 3-1)
Rangers lost five of last six games with Pittsburgh; road team won nine of last 12 games in this rivalry.New York won three of its five visits to Steel City. Penguins were 3-6 on power play in Game 4's 5-0 rout, Rangers' 5th straight home playoff loss- Pens are 7-19 on power play in series, Rangers 1-16. Over is 8-1-5 in Rangers' last 14 games. Pittsburgh won 11 of its last 13 games, over is 7-3-1 in its last 11 games overall, 3-1-2 in last six series games.

St Louis-Chicago (S 3-2)
Blues won five of last seven games with Chicago, with four wins by one goal, three in OT/SO; under is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Blackhawks stayed alive in Game 5 with goal in second OT, despite being outshot 26-15 in 3rd period/OTs. Chicago lost five of their last seven games overall, with three losses in OT. Over is 5-2-3 in last ten Chicago games. Blues won ten of their last 14 games- they're 5-15 on power play in series; Chicago 3-15. All five games in series have been decided by one goal.

Nashville-Anaheim (2-2)
Road team won all four series games. Ducks lost four of last seven games with Nashville (over is 9-1-4 in last 14); Under is 5-1-3 in last nine Anaheim games overall. Nashville won four of last seven games overall; under is 4-1-3 in its last eight games. In 17 years of existence, Nashville has only two playoff series, first round series in 2011, 2012; they've been over .500 11 of last 12 years. Blowing 2-0 series lead at home has to have put lot of pressure on Predators. Anaheim is 1-12 on power play in series, Predators 1-19.

Playoffs tally: Home: 17-21, Over: 12-13-13




NHL

Saturday, April 23

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

3:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 5 games on the road
NY Rangers are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games at home

6:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. ANAHEIM
Nashville is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 7 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
Anaheim is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Anaheim's last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville

8:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CHICAGO
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, April 23


NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh

Game 51-52
April 23, 2016 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
12.708
Pittsburgh
11.254
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-185
5
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(+165); Under

St. Louis @ Chicago

Game 53-54
April 23, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
13.082
Chicago
11.507
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+130); Under

Nashville @ Anaheim

Game 55-56
April 23, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
10.385
Anaheim
12.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Anaheim
by 2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
Anaheim
(-145); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 23

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY RANGERS (47-30-0-9, 103 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (51-27-0-8, 110 pts.) - 4/23/2016, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 11-22 ATS (-12.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NY RANGERS are 6-13 ATS (-8.4 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
PITTSBURGH is 33-16 ATS (+13.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 111-76 ATS (+10.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 70-44 ATS (+11.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 35-24 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 30-17 ATS (+12.8 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 25-11 ATS (+36.1 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 21-11 ATS (+33.0 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 39-21 ATS (+13.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 20-12 ATS (+33.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 90-105 ATS (-35.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 32-37 ATS (-24.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 12-18 ATS (-17.8 Units) in home games when leading in a playoff series since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 44-52 ATS (-32.4 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 16-23 ATS (-17.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 15-13 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 15-13-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
12 of 24 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.6 Units, Under=-1.6 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (52-26-0-9, 113 pts.) at CHICAGO (49-28-0-10, 108 pts.) - 4/23/2016, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 14-12 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 14-12-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
11 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NASHVILLE (43-29-0-14, 100 pts.) at ANAHEIM (48-27-0-11, 107 pts.) - 4/23/2016, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 43-43 ATS (-16.2 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 15-32 ATS (+48.5 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 19-33 ATS (+52.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 171-108 ATS (+280.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 71-38 ATS (+9.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 28-11 ATS (+11.6 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 43-21 ATS (+11.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 201-148 ATS (+28.1 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 214-171 ATS (+32.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 184-162 ATS (+353.5 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 8-5 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 8-5-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.7 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (46-27) at Penguins (48-26)
Date: April 23, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Evgeni Malkin wondered what he could possibly add to a team that was rolling into the playoffs. The New York Rangers might wish they hadn't found out the answer.

Malkin has provided additional scoring punch to the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins, who return home Saturday with a chance to wrap up their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a Game 5 victory over the Rangers.

Pittsburgh entered the playoffs with wins in 14 of 16 games and hasn't slowed down with victories in three of four in this series. After losing home-ice advantage with a split at Consol Energy Center, the Penguins swept two in New York by a combined score of 8-1.

Malkin's final regular-season action came in the first game of Pittsburgh's 14-2-0 closing stretch. He also missed the postseason opener with an arm injury but returned with assists in Games 2 and 3 before posting two goals and a pair of assists in Thursday's 5-0 victory - the Penguins' sixth in the last seven games against the Rangers.

The six-time All-Star tied his postseason career high with four points, erasing any doubt about his role.

'Of course, I thought about it when I'm not playing and the team is winning,' Malkin said. 'I know I can help the team. I can help the power play. This feels so much better. I know I can help this team win.'

Sidney Crosby, Eric Fehr and Conor Sheary also scored as the Penguins knocked goaltender Henrik Lundqvist out early in the second period. The former Vezina Trophy winner surrendered four goals on 18 shots, dropping his save percentage to .900 and raising his goals-against average to 3.28 in the series.

About the only thing lagging toward the end of the season was Pittsburgh's power play, which finished 16th in the league at 18.4 percent. After going 0 for 7 in their final three regular-season games, the Penguins have a 36.8 success rate against the Rangers with seven goals in 19 opportunities - including Thursday's 3-for-6 showing.

Both of Malkin's goals and one of his assists came with a man advantage.

The Rangers, meanwhile, went 0 for 4 on their power-play and are 1 for 16 in the series. After the Rangers vowed to pick up their intensity following a sour effort in Tuesday's 3-1 loss, the Madison Square Garden faithful were booing them by the end of the first period.

'Today we are disappointed, angry, frustrated, for sure,' forward Mats Zuccarello said. 'At the same time, you can't let that go to your head. We have to win the next game and go from there.'

While Lundqvist is the NHL's active postseason starts leader for goalies at 115, the Rangers haven't been able to figure out a pair of first-timers. Pittsburgh's Jeff Zatkoff was good enough to earn a split in the first two games, while rookie Matt Murray has returned from a head injury to allow just one goal on 48 shots in the last two.

With starter Marc-Andre Fleury still struggling to return from a concussion, the net is Murray's for the time being.

New York's 10 double-digit goal scorers from the regular season have combined for six in this series, and Rick Nash was the only one to mark the score sheet in New York, where the Rangers have lost five straight playoff games.

They are in danger of an early exit after advancing to the Stanley Cup Final two years ago and the Eastern Conference finals last season. However, both of those runs came after rallying from 3-1 series deficits - including the 2014 East semifinals against the Penguins.

"You can't think because you've done it in the past you will necessarily do it (this year)," coach Alain Vigneault told the team's official website. "But you can believe a little bit. We've been there and have been in those situations, and I think what made it possible was that narrow focus of staying in the moment."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Predators (41-27) at Ducks (46-25)
Date: April 23, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The Anaheim Ducks were in harmony and taking care of business in Music City to even this first-round series and now need to get back to dominating in their own barn.

Frederik Andersen played a huge role in returning them to Southern California in the best possible position, and there's no reason to believe he won't be in net at Honda Center for Saturday night's pivotal Game 5 against the Nashville Predators.

Anaheim enjoyed the luxury of two capable goaltenders this season and had a pretty even split with Andersen winning 22 games, starting 37 and posting a .919 save percentage while John Gibson won 21 times with 38 starts and a .920 percentage.

It was Gibson who got a bulk of the minutes after Andersen suffered a concussion in late March, and although Andersen returned with a 2-0 shutout in the season finale at Washington, Gibson got the nod for the opening two games of the playoffs.

Six goals allowed and two home losses later and it was Andersen's turn to mind the net when the series shifted to Nashville. The switch paid off splendidly with Andersen, who went 16-1-2 over his prior 19 starts, making 27 saves in a 3-0 victory in Game 3 on Tuesday before stopping 30 in a 4-1 win Thursday that tied the series.

Andersen didn't allow a goal until the 11:26 mark of the second period in Game 4, giving him a career-best playoff shutout streak of 91 minutes, 26 seconds. Add in his effort against the Capitals on April 10 and the overall streak topped 152 minutes.

"It was a great team effort tonight," said center Nate Thompson, who scored along with Jamie McGinn during a two-minute span of the second period Thursday. "I can't say enough about Freddie. He stood tall for us all night."

The solid two-game stretch was a far cry from Andersen's effort in the latter portion of last year's Western Conference finals, when eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago put the puck past him 18 times over the last four of that seven-game series.

Andersen is now 6-1-0 with a 2.18 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in seven career starts against the Predators, including wins in both at home.

Although Ryan Getzlaf has two goals and an assist and set the tone Thursday by scoring just 62 seconds into the game, fellow points leaders Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler remain quiet in the series with a combined three points. However, Andrew Cogliano, McGinn and Thompson have stepped up with two goals apiece.

"We knew we were down two coming in here, and we wanted to get one," forward Chris Stewart told the team's official website. "Once we got that, we shifted focus on getting the second one. Now it's a best-of-three with home-ice advantage. We're going home to a good crowd. Hopefully we get a win and come back here."

Nashville rode its own goaltender to what appeared to be a very favorable two-game advantage, but after Pekka Rinne was outstanding by stopping 54 of 58 shots in a pair of 3-2 victories in Anaheim, he faltered by allowing seven goals on 46 at home.

The Predators also failed on a wealth of power-play opportunities in Games 3 and 4, going 0 for 11 with the man advantage - although the Ducks deserve some credit since their penalty killing unit was the NHL's best this season with a 87.2 success rate.

Nashville could also use a return to the balance it displayed in getting its goals from six players over the first two games.

"That's the name of the playoffs - the playoffs go back and forth," Predators coach Peter Laviolette told the team's official website. "There's ups and downs to it. You have to respond to it. ... Our guys will be ready to play in Anaheim, I'm sure of that."