The Bum's NHL Best Bets-Trends-News Etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

Pro Hockey Trend Report

PHILADELPHIA (21-15-0-6, 48 pts.) at BUFFALO (15-15-0-9, 39 pts.) - 1/10/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 15-43 ATS (+69.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 38-57 ATS (-30.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 3-4 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 4-3-0 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=+1.6 Units)

COLUMBUS (28-7-0-4, 60 pts.) at CAROLINA (18-15-0-7, 43 pts.) - 1/10/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+9.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
COLUMBUS is 28-11 ATS (+16.2 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 17-10 ATS (+30.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 24-22 ATS (+57.0 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) on Tuesday nights this season.
COLUMBUS is 12-4 ATS (+7.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
COLUMBUS is 12-4 ATS (+7.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 2-9 ATS (+11.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 6-2 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 6-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

VANCOUVER (20-19-0-3, 43 pts.) at NASHVILLE (17-16-0-7, 41 pts.) - 1/10/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 69-47 ATS (+20.6 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 17-23 ATS (+45.6 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 5-12 ATS (-11.6 Units) after a division game this season.
NASHVILLE is 26-27 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 4-2 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 4-2-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.5 Units)

BOSTON (21-17-0-5, 47 pts.) at ST LOUIS (21-14-0-5, 47 pts.) - 1/10/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 7-16 ATS (-15.8 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 16-24 ATS (-14.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 24-34 ATS (-17.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 15-7 ATS (+7.5 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 185-209 ATS (+450.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-2 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 3-2-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.9 Units)

DETROIT (17-18-0-5, 39 pts.) at CHICAGO (26-12-0-5, 57 pts.) - 1/10/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 109-123 ATS (-79.6 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
DETROIT is 95-103 ATS (-59.2 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 10-0 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games in January games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 117-75 ATS (+25.3 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
DETROIT is 22-11 ATS (+35.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 329-332 ATS (-89.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 2-2 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 2-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)

SAN JOSE (24-14-0-2, 50 pts.) at EDMONTON (21-14-0-7, 49 pts.) - 1/10/2017, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 31-15 ATS (+15.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 21-11 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 15-6 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 4-18 ATS (+30.7 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 19-51 ATS (+92.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 4-6 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 6-4-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)
DALLAS (17-16-0-8, 42 pts.) at ANAHEIM (21-13-0-8, 50 pts.) - 1/10/2017, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 4-4-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-1.1 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY JANUARY 10, 2017 Click Date To See Games

Dallas
@
Anaheim
Game 13-14
January 10, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Dallas
9.369
Anaheim
13.834
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Anaheim
by 4 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Anaheim
-170
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim
(-170); Over
San Jose
@
Edmonton
Game 11-12
January 10, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: San Jose
10.130
Edmonton
11.346
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Edmonton
by 1
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: San Jose
-115
5
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton
(-105); Under
Detroit
@
Chicago
Game 9-10
January 10, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating: Detroit
11.776
Chicago
10.785
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Detroit
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Chicago
-185
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit
(+160); Over
Boston
@
St. Louis
Game 7-8
January 10, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Boston
9.176
St. Louis
12.217
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: St. Louis
by 3
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: St. Louis
-120
5
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis
(-120); Under
Vancouver
@
Nashville
Game 5-6
January 10, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Vancouver
9.366
Nashville
10.785
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Nashville
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Nashville
-185
5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville
(-185); Over
Columbus
@
Carolina
Game 3-4
January 10, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Columbus
11.307
Carolina
12.504
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Carolina
by 1
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Columbus
-115
5
Dunkel Pick: Carolina
(-105); Under
Philadelphia
@
Buffalo
Game 1-2
January 10, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Philadelphia
10.807
Buffalo
12.707
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Buffalo
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Philadelphia
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo
(-105); Over

[StarDust Bum]

In the Crease - Week 14
January 8, 2017


STREAKY TEAMS

Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak

Florida 1-6 past seven home Arizona Under 13-4-1 past 18 overall

New Jersey 2-5 past seven home Florida Under 6-0 past six overall

N.Y. Rangers 5-1 past six overall, 8-1 past nine road Los Angeles Under 9-1-1 past 11 overall

Washington 5-0 past five overall, 5-2 past seven road N.Y. Rangers Over 7-1 past eight overall

Winnipeg 4-1 past five road St. Louis Over 4-1-1 past five overall

Hab-itutal OT Offender
The Montreal Canadiens have won four of their past five games, but they're making bettors work for their money lately. Over the past six games for the Habs, five of the outings have been decided in overtime. The Canadiens have won three of their past four games decided in the 3-on-3 overtime session, with all three of those wins coming on the road. Over the past 24 games, Montreal has played nine overtime games and a shootout during the span. They're 4-5 in OT games this season, splitting each of their two games decided in a shootout.

Defense is King
The Los Angeles Kings defense and goaltending has been on point since mid-December, allowing three or fewer goals in 10 of the past 12 outings. They're allowing just 1.92 goals per game, and that includes the seven they've given up over the past two outings. In the past nine games with Peter Budaj in between the pipes, the Slovakian netminder is 5-3-1 with a 1.43 Goals-Against Average (GAA). He has been particularly effective on the road, giving up two or fewer goals each of his past seven outings.

Looking Ahead

Monday, Jan. 9
The Capitals and Canadiens hook up in Montreal, and each team has managed 25 victories and nine losses this season. Lately, though, Washington has been the hotter team, posting five straight victories, including four wins in a row against teams with a winning overall record. The Caps have won five of their past seven on the road, and they're an impressive 42-10 in their past 52 games against Atlantic Division teams. And for what it's worth, the Caps are 14-2 in their past 16 games played on Monday. The Habs have won four of their past five, and they're 16-5 in their past 21 games at home. Washington has had the upper hand in this series, too, going 9-1 in their past 10 trips to Montreal, and 13-6 in their past 19 against the Habs. The road team is also 19-7 in their past 26 meetings in this series.

The Stars head to Los Angeles trying to solve the defense and goaltending of the Kings. Dallas has had plenty of success in La La Land lately, winning seven of their past 10 trips to the left coast. The Stars are just 2-8 in their past 10 road games, and 0-5 in their past five road games against a team with a home winning percentage over .600. The Kings have won 12 of their past 17 home games, but they're just 5-11 in their past 16 against Central Division teams and 1-5 in their past six against a team with a losing record.

Tuesday, Jan. 10
The Flyers meet the Sabres in Buffalo for the second games between these Eastern Conference rivals this season. The Flyers edged the Sabres 4-3 in a shootout in the first meeting on Oct. 25. Philly has won three of their past four trips to Buffalo. The 'over' is 6-3 in the past nine meetings in this series, although the 'under' is 2-0 in the past two in Buffalo. The Fly Guys headed into Columbus Monday night with five straight losses on the road, while has split their past six games overally while averaging 3.0 goals per game over the span.

The Sharks head to Northern Alberta to battle the Oilers. While San Jose has won just four of the past seven meetings in this series lately, including a 3-2 overtime victory in the first meeting on Dec. 23, the Sharks have enjoyed plenty of success between these two teams overall. San Jose is 7-3 in their past 10 trips to Edmonton, and the 'under' has cashed in five of the past seven meetings in this meetings in the Oilers' arena. Four of the past seven in this series has been decided in overtime or a shootout, with the teams splitting two OT games and two in the SO. In fact, seven of the past 11 meetings have resulted in one-goal games.

Wednesday, Jan. 11
The slate is short and sweet Wednesday night, but there is a huge rivalry game. The Penguins and Capitals do battle in the nation's capital, and Pittsburgh will have revenge on its mind. The Caps embarrassed Sidney Crosby and the boys back on Nov. 16, winning 7-1. In the first meeting back on Oct. 13, it was the Pens eeking out a 3-2 shootout victory in the Steel City. The 'over' is 3-0-1 in the past four regular season meetings in this series, and three of the past five have been one-goal games. The past four meetings in this series have resulted in an average of 7.0 total goals per game.

The Canadiens and Jets meet in MTS Centre, as Montreal looks to stay hot. The Habs have won four of their past seven visits to Winnipeg, with the 'over' cashing in three of the past four trips. The Habs are victorious in 11 of the past 15 overall in this series. While the Jets have amassed 10 goals over the past three meetings, they have averaged just 1.9 goals per game over the past 15 meetings in this series. During the same 15-game span, the Habs are averaging 3.3 goals per game against the Jets.

Thursday, Jan. 12
The Red Wings and the Stars hook up in the Metroplex, and Dallas will be looking for a little payback after dropping a 3-1 decision Nov. 29 in their final visit to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. These two former Western Conference rivals do not meet as frequently since the Red Wings moved to the East, but Detroit probably wishes they could petition the league to play in Dallas more. The Red Wings have won seven straight trips to Dallas dating back to Oct. 14, 2010. In fact, the Stars have won just three of the past 14 meetings overall in this series.The 'under' is 8-4 in the past 12 meetings. Three of the past seven in this series have required overtime to find a winner, but just six of the past 14 have been one-goal games.

The Blues and Kings do battle in Southern California, and these games have been tight recently. The past three meetings have been one-goal games, and the 'under' has cashed in each of the past four in this series. Three of the past 13 meetings have resulted in 1-0 scores, with two of those games decided in a shootout. The Kings have defended home ice well in the past six regular season meetings, topping the Blues five times. The 'under' is 7-1 in the past eight meetings at Staples Center, too.

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLB at CAR 07:00 PM

O 5.0

PHI at BUF 07:00 PM

O 5.5

BOS at STL 08:00 PM

O 5.0

VAN at NAS 08:00 PM

O 5.0

DET at CHI 08:30 PM

DET +150

O 5.5

SJ at EDM 09:00 PM

O 5.0

DAL at ANA 10:00 PM

O 5.5

[StarDust Bum]

NHL Capsules
January 10, 2017

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Jordan Staal scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection with 16:10 to play, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Victor Rask had two assists and an empty-net goal, Jeff Skinner had a goal and two assists and Derek Ryan also had a goal and an assist. Brock McGinn added a goal for Carolina, which has earned points in 13 of 14 home games.

Cam Atkinson scored his 20th goal on the same day he was left off the All-Star team, and Josh Anderson and Brandon Saad also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have a league-best 60 points but have lost three of four since winning 16 straight.

Carolina's Cam Ward made 24 saves while making his 17th straight start, his longest streak since 2011.

With All-Star pick Sergei Bobrovsky ill, backup Anton Forsberg stopped 23 shots in his season debut for the Blue Jackets.

PREDATORS 2, CANUCKS 1, OT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Calle Jarnkrok scored a short-handed goal with 1.5 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Nashville past Vancouver.

With time ticking down in the extra frame, Roman Josi blocked a shot from Troy Stecher just outside the crease of Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne. Josi immediately took possession of the puck and went up ice on a 2-on-1 with Jarnkrok. In the low slot, Josi slid a pass to his right, where Jarnkrok was there to one-time the puck past Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller.

Austin Watson had the other Nashville goal and Rinne finished with 29 saves for the Predators, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Brandon Sutter had the lone goal for Vancouver, losers of two-straight following their season-high six-game winning streak. Miller made 24 saves.

BRUINS 5, BLUES 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Brad Marchand scored twice, including an empty-netter, and David Backes got into a fight in his return to St. Louis with Boston.

Frank Vatrano, Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 2-0-1 in their last three games. Tuukka Rask made 14 saves.

Backes, who spent his first 10 seasons with St. Louis before signing with Boston as a free agent, fought with former teammate Joel Edmundson late in the second to the delight of the Scottrade Center crowd. Backes dropped the gloves in retaliation for a hit on Bruins teammate David Krejci by Jori Lehtera.

Colton Parayko, Patrik Berglund and Kyle Brodziak scored for the Blues. Jake Allen was pulled for Carter Hutton after allowing three goals on 11 shots in the first period. Hutton finished with 26 saves.

SABRES 4, FLYERS 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Evander Kane scored to cap a three-goal second-period surge in leading Buffalo past Philadelphia.

Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists in extending Buffalo's point-streak to 3-0-1 - the team's best run of the season. William Carrier and Marcus Foligno, with an empty-net goal, also scored for the Sabres.

Goalie Anders Nilsson stopped 39 shots and had his shutout bid foiled by Brayden Schenn's power-play goal with 2:07 left.

Nilsson started in place of Robin Lehner, who was sidelined by an illness.

The Flyers dropped to 2-6-3 in their past 11. It's a stretch during which they've been outscored 33-18. The slump immediately followed 10-game winning streak that ended with a 3-1 loss at Dallas on Dec. 17.

The Flyers also extended their road losing streak to 0-5-2.

DUCKS 2, STARS 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - John Gibson made 34 saves in his third shutout of the season, and Jakob Silfverberg had a goal and an assist to lead Anaheim.

Silfverberg scored a power-play goal in the second period, and the surging Swedish forward set up Andrew Cogliano's top-shelf shot with 5:18 to play. Their line with center Ryan Kesler combined for 17 shots and largely dominated play for the Ducks, who stayed even with San Jose atop the Pacific Division with their fifth win in seven games.

Antti Niemi stopped 36 shots for the Stars, who wrapped up their three-game road trip with their fourth loss in five games overall.

SHARKS 5, OILERS 3

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) - Mikkel Boedker scored three goals for his fourth career hat trick to lead San Jose.

Brent Burns and Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks, who have won two straight since losing three in a row. Martin Jones stopped 33 shots.

Drake Caggiula, Matthew Benning and Oscar Klefbom scored for the Oilers, losers of two straight. Cam Talbot finished with 23 saves.

Burns' point shot through traffic gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead with 18 seconds in the opening period. Boedker then scored twice 6 1/2 minutes apart in the second to give San Jose a three-goal lead near the midpoint of the period.

Benning and Klefbom scored 2:23 apart early in the third to pull the Olers within one, but Couture put the Sharks up 5-3 at 5:06.

BLACKHAWKS 4, RED WINGS 3, OT

CHICAGO (AP) - Duncan Keith scored a power-play goal 38 seconds into overtime, lifting Chicago to its fourth straight victory.

Keith, who also had an assist, beat Petr Mrazek with a rising screened shot from the top of the slot. The man advantage was set up when Justin Adbelkader was called for boarding Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson with 15.2 seconds left in the third.

Richard Panik also had a goal and assist for Chicago, while Brian Campbell and Tanner Kero each scored. Ryan Hartman added two assists. Corey Crawford stopped 33 shots.

Andreas Athanasiou, Tomas Tatar and Luke Glendening had Detroit's goals in regulation. Mrazek had 39 saves as the Red Wings fell to 2-2-2 on a season-high seven-game road trip.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s six-pack

Longest shots to win the 2017 World Series:

150-1— Cincinnati Reds

100-1— Brewers-Rays-Diamondbacks

80-1— A’s-Padres-Twins

75-1— Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies

60-1— Los Angles Angels

50-1— Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox

Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings……

13) Milwaukee Bucks came into the NBA in 1968; they went 27-55 in their first season, but 56-26 in their second season, then 68-16 with an NBA title in their third season.

This is fairly graphic evidence that Kareem Adbul-Jabbar is the greatest basketball player ever; they won a coin flip with the Phoenix Suns for the top pick in the ’69 draft and the right to select Kareem. Add in his 88-2 record as a college player, and you get the point.

They outlawed the dunk in college basketball because of Kareem.

No one dominated the sport like Abdul-Jabbar did, but because he has a surly personality, doesn’t do a lot of commercials, he fell out of public consciousness, unlike Michael Jordan, whose Jordan Brand shoes/apparel is still a huge money maker for Nike.

Then there is this: freshmen were ineligible to play college ball back then. UCLA won the national title when Kareem was a senior in high school— his freshman team beat the UCLA varsity by 20 that year, and the UCLA varsity was the defending national champs.

12) Underdogs were 25-15-1 vs spread in bowl games this season.

11) ACC went 9-3 in bowl games; they were underdog in seven of the 12 games.

10) Alabama RB Josh Scarbrough broke his leg in Monday night’s game, which no doubt will be brought up next year if/when a running back sits out a bowl game to keep himself healthy for the NFL Draft.

9) Wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if college football scrapped the rule that says the clock stops after every first down. National title game took over four hours to play and ratings were a bit down, even though it was a great game. Knee-jerk reaction will be to shorten games.

My theory on the ratings being down? Two teams from the south played; people in other regions of the country aren’t as interested if their teams aren’t playing.

8) College football coaches don’t go on vacation now that the games are over; National Signing Day is February 1, three weeks from today, so coaches will be working their butts off on the phone between now and then, recruiting players who will win games down the road.

Games that will be played from 2018-2021 will be partially determined by who signs where on February 1st. Football recruiting is a big. big business.

7) Giants’ DE Jason Pierre-Paul says he won’t sign a 1-year contract next season; what happens if no one offers him a multi-year deal? Will he retire?

6) March is going to feel a little different this year; the ACC tournament is in Brooklyn, for some reason. The Big 14 tourney is in Washington DC because of Maryland being in the league, but it doesn’t make much sense. Big 14 should have their tournament in the midwest; the ACC tourney should be somewhere on Tobacco Road.

5) I worked for New York State for 34 years in a mundane office job; if I needed a day off that I hadn’t asked for previously, had to call in sick and tell a person in charge that I wasn’t coming in that day. Failure to do so meant you went LWOP (Leave With-Out Pay), meaning there would be no pay for that day— I never did that once in 34 years.

My job wasn’t very important, certainly not as critical to my agency as a point guard is to an NBA team. Derrick Rose didn’t bother to call/text the Knicks Monday, when he flew to Chicago and missed their game; when they called him, he couldn’t be bothered to answer the phone.

I’m very curious how much the team fined him, but no one is saying. Rose makes a little over $260,000 PER GAME- he is a free agent this summer. I’m curious where he’ll wind up.

4) Quick work-related story from my mediocre career with New York State- this happened back in the late 80’s. I was 28 or 29 at the time.

In mid-afternoon on a Thursday, this is in mid-October, my boss’ boss calls me into her office. She was kind of a stern woman, we had very little interaction, but she had a job for me to do.

“We need a World Series pool and I want you to run it. You think you can do that?”

I’m trying not to laugh as I sat there, but quickly agreed and went about my duty and we had a good World Series pool that year. Sometimes, working for the government was fun.

3) Tuesday’s college hoop:
— West Virginia 89, Baylor 68— Bears lasted one day at #1- they had 29 turnovers.
— Villanova 79, Xavier 54— Surprisingly easy win for the Wildcats.
— Kentucky 87, Vanderbilt 81— Commodores had their chances in last minute.
— Florida State 88, Duke 72– Seminoles are 4-0 in ACC for first time.

2) Oakland Raiders let OC Bill Musgrave walk after his contract expired, promoted QB coach Todd Dowling to OC, telling the world they think Dowling was more responsible for Derek Carr’s improved play than Musgrave was. Interesting decision.

1— Remember Warrick Dunn, the running back for the Buccaneers? His mom was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty, when Dunn was 18. He used her life insurance to buy a house for himself and four younger siblings- there was no father in the picture.

After Dunn became an NFL player, he started a charity that has put 152 families into affordable homes, just great work. If there was a People Hall of Fame, Dunn would be in it.

Back in 2006, one of the families Dunn’s charity gave a home to was Clemson QB Deshaun Watson’s family.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Wednesday’s games

Islanders are 5-3 in last eight games with Florida; under is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Florida lost three of last four visits to Brooklyn. Panthers lost six of last nine games overall, but won last three road games- their last seven games stayed under total. New York lost three of last four games, losing last two in OT/SO. Six of their last eight games went over the total.

Montreal won seven of its last ten games with Winnipeg, but lost 5-2/4-2 in last two visits to Manitoba. Last three series games went over total. Canadiens won three of last four overall, four of last five on road; over is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Winnipeg won three of its last four games; they split last four at home. Four of their last six games went over the total.

Home side won last six Pittsburgh-Washington games; Penguins lost last two visits here, by 3-1/7-1 scores. Over is 2-0-1 in last three series games. outscored opponents 22-10 in winning their last five games; they lost two of last three on road. Over is 5-2 in last seven Penguin games. Capitals won their last six games, allowing one goal in last three; under is 2-1-2 in their last five games.

Calgary is 6-4 in last ten games with San Jose; road team won four of last five series games. Sharks won 5-4/2-1 in last two visits to Saddledome. Under is 2-0-1 in last three series games. San Jose won six of last nine games, splitting last four on road; their last three games went over the total. Flames won last three home games, outscoring foes 11-4; three of their last four games overall stayed under total.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL SEASON RECORD: UNDERDOGS AND TOTALS ONLY

RECORD BASED ON 5 UNITS

M/L Picks 120-182-0 39.74% -16295

O/U Picks 244-237-79 50.73% -8350

DAILY RECORD;

Date W-L-T % Units Record

01/01/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1100
01/02/2017 2-1-1 66.67% +500
01/03/2017 6-3-0 66.67%+1875
01/04/2017 2-3-0 40.00% -450
01/05/2017 NO PLAYS
01/06/2017 NO PLAYS
01/07/2017 8-12-040.00%-2225
01/08/2017 3-7-0 30.00% -2150
01/09/2017 4-2-1 66.67% +1100
01/10/2017 4-4-0 50.00% -150

DAILY BEST BETS:

ATS:.......7 - 12............. + 1530

O/U........13 - 11 ............ + 450

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, January 11

San Jose @ Calgary

Game 57-58
January 11, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
12.152
Calgary
9.707
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
N/A

Pittsburgh @ Washington

Game 55-56
January 11, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
11.731
Washington
13.179
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-135); Over

Montreal @ Winnipeg

Game 53-54
January 11, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
13.846
Winnipeg
12.366
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
N/A

Florida @ NY Islanders

Game 51-52
January 11, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida
12.260
NY Islanders
11.123
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(+110); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, January 11

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FLORIDA (18-16-0-8, 44 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (15-15-0-8, 38 pts.) - 1/11/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 29-58 ATS (+94.3 Units) after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 17-5 ATS (+10.4 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 78-118 ATS (-41.1 Units) in home games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 7-6 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 7-6-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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

MONTREAL (25-10-0-6, 56 pts.) at WINNIPEG (20-20-0-3, 43 pts.) - 1/11/2017, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 2-2 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 2-2-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

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

PITTSBURGH (26-8-0-5, 57 pts.) at WASHINGTON (26-9-0-5, 57 pts.) - 1/11/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 21-29 ATS (-17.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 88-46 ATS (+27.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 90-55 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 47-23 ATS (+14.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 93-82 ATS (+183.0 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 37-18 ATS (+11.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 9-8 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 9-8-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.6 Units)

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

SAN JOSE (24-14-0-2, 50 pts.) at CALGARY (22-19-0-2, 46 pts.) - 1/11/2017, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 7-5 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 7-5-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)

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




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, January 11

Islanders are 5-3 in last eight games with Florida; under is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Florida lost three of last four visits to Brooklyn. Panthers lost six of last nine games overall, but won last three road games- their last seven games stayed under total. New York lost three of last four games, losing last two in OT/SO. Six of their last eight games went over the total.

Montreal won seven of its last ten games with Winnipeg, but lost 5-2/4-2 in last two visits to Manitoba. Last three series games went over total. Canadiens won three of last four overall, four of last five on road; over is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Winnipeg won three of its last four games; they split last four at home. Four of their last six games went over the total.

Home side won last six Pittsburgh-Washington games; Penguins lost last two visits here, by 3-1/7-1 scores. Over is 2-0-1 in last three series games. outscored opponents 22-10 in winning their last five games; they lost two of last three on road. Over is 5-2 in last seven Penguin games. Capitals won their last six games, allowing one goal in last three; under is 2-1-2 in their last five games.

Calgary is 6-4 in last ten games with San Jose; road team won four of last five series games. Sharks won 5-4/2-1 in last two visits to Saddledome. Under is 2-0-1 in last three series games. San Jose won six of last nine games, splitting last four on road; their last three games went over the total. Flames won last three home games, outscoring foes 11-4; three of their last four games overall stayed under total.




NHL

Wednesday, January 11

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

8:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY ISLANDERS
Florida is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the NY Islanders last 8 games
NY Islanders are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games

8:30 PM
MONTREAL vs. WINNIPEG
Montreal is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games on the road
Winnipeg is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing at home against Montreal

9:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Pittsburgh's last 21 games
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

10:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. CALGARY
San Jose is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
San Jose is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 8 games when playing at home against San Jose
Calgary is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

FLA at NYI 07:00 PM

FLA +115

O 5.0

MON at WIN 07:30 PM

O 5.5

PIT at WAS 08:00 PM

PIT +110

U 5.5

SJ at CAL 09:30 PM

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

NHL roundup: Ovechkin reaches milestone in Caps win vs. Pens
January 12, 2017

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored two goals to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Wednesday night at Verizon Center for their seventh consecutive win.

Braden Holtby stopped 30 shots for Washington. Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and three assists, and T.J. Oshie also registered three assists. Justin Williams and Lars Eller also scored.

Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist scored for the Penguins.

Canadiens 7, Jets 4

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Montreal got a two goals each from Phillip Danault and Artturi Lehkonen and singles from Tomas Plekanac, Brian Flynn and Sven Andrighetto while Al Montoya stopped 23 shots in a win at Winnipeg.

Mark Scheifele scored twice and Bryan Little, Mathieu Perreault one each for the Jets.

Panthers 2, Islanders 1

NEW YORK -- Jason Demers scored the go-ahead goal early in the second period as Florida edged New York at Barclays Center in a rematch of last spring's Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Jason Yandle also scored for the Panthers, who won their second straight. Florida also snapped a six-game stretch in which it alternated losses with wins.

Nick Leddy scored for the Islanders, who lost their third straight game, all by 2-1 scores. New York goalie Thomas Greiss made 22 saves.

Flames 3, Sharks 2

CALGARY, Alberta -- Dougie Hamilton's goal with 2:19 left in the third period and Chad Johnson made huge stops late as Calgary skated over San Jose.

Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk also scored for the Flames. Johnson made 23 saves.

Brent Burns and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s six-pack

Some thoughts on the Chargers moving to Los Angeles

— If they move to the Coliseum, they need to put FieldTurf down; no way will that grass field hold up with USC, the Rams and Chargers all playing home games there.

— There is a chance the Chargers could play in a 28,000-seat stadium in Carson for a couple years, until the new stadium in Inglewood is ready.

— Chargers have to pay the city of San Diego $12M to get out of their lease at Qualcomm.

— What coach is going to be willing to coach a nomadic team for two years?

— What if the Jaguars wanted to move to San Diego? If I owned the Jaguars, I would.

— I’m very curious to know how much money the Spanos family will rake in by moving to LA, as opposed to just staying in San Diego and playing in the old stadium.

Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud……..

13) News came down little while ago that the Chargers will indeed move to LA and may even change their nickname a year from now. Sad day for people in San Diego, who supported this team for 50 years but in today’s society, greed trumps loyalty and that goes for the Rams’ owner, as well. It goes for the whole NFL, but they’re rich people and I’m not, so I’ll shut up.

I’ll just say this; at some point, teams will stop moving and governments will stop shelling out ridiculous sums of money for stadiums that aren’t needed.

Elsewhere in the world…….
12) All four NFL playoff games this weekend are rematches from regular season games, though I doubt Jacoby Brissett will play for the Patriots this week, like he did in Week 3 against Houston.

11) I’m wondering what Clemson’s windfall will be from apparel sales after they won the national title Monday night? Someone in the stadium’s gift shop said Tuesday’s business was similar to an actual game day as far as how much gear they sold. People love a winner.

10) Denver Broncos hired Vance Joseph, Buffalo Bills hired Sean McDermott as their new head coaches, so Panthers, Bills are looking for new defensive coordinators.

9) I didn’t know that Wyoming is the least populated state in the country. Now I do.

8) Speaking of Wyoming, their former star basketball player Josh Adams was in a severe car accident last spring and almost died, but he’s recovered enough that he flew to Russia yesterday to begin his pro basketball career, so that is very good news.

Adams is good enough that he’ll be on an NBA roster someday.

7) Chicago Cubs are visiting the White House Monday, unusually early for a World Series champ, but the outgoing President is from Chicago and the Cubs owner despises the President-elect, so guess it makes some sense.

Can’t wait until next spring’s NBA champ declines to visit the White House. It’ll happen.

6) Upset of the Night: 15-point underdog Fordham won 60-54 at Davidson; with players from seven different countries, you think Davidson has chemistry issues? Seriously, has to be tough to get people from so many different cultures to pull together.

5) 23-year old OF Mallex Smith hit .238 in 72 games in his rookie year for the Braves LY; he was traded twice on Tuesday, first to Seattle, then quickly to Tampa Bay. Had to be a weird day for him.

4) Denver Nuggets-Indiana Pacers are playing a game in London Thursday. Remember that the Nuggets are owned by Stan Kroenke, who also owns the Rams, who get stuck playing a game in London every year. He also owns a soccer team in England. He is really rich.

3) Last night, Chris Paul became the 10th player with 15,000 points and 8,000 assists.

2) This is probably a stupid idea, but wouldn’t it be cool if a former President became a radio talk show host? He could have a studio built in his house and a couple days a week, take calls from ordinary Americans and explain to them why our government is so messed up, and how it could be better.

What better way to learn about government than to hear from a man who ran the country?

“Hello, it is 2:23 and it is 70 degrees in Washington. We’ve got Jane from Spokane on Line 3…..”

1— Hunter Renfrow was a walk-on football player at Clemson; Monday night, he caught 10 passes for 92 yards and scored two TDs for the Tigers. This kid was a 2-star recruit in HS; it is pretty rare for 2-star recruits to become such good players, but good for him.

Several times in the second half Monday night, when Clemson had big plays coming up, Boston College coach Steve Addazio said in the coaches’ studio on ESPNews, “…find number 13” and then Watson would throw him a pass.

There is not, hasn’t been and never will be a metric to measure someone’s heart, or desire, which is a big part of what makes sports great, even if the pro teams are mostly owned by greedy bastards.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL SEASON RECORD: UNDERDOGS AND TOTALS ONLY

RECORD BASED ON 5 UNITS

M/L Picks 121-183-0 39.80% -16220

O/U Picks 245-239-80 50.62% -8950

DAILY RECORD;

Date W-L-T % Units Record

01/01/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1100
01/02/2017 2-1-1 66.67% +500
01/03/2017 6-3-0 66.67%+1875
01/04/2017 2-3-0 40.00% -450
01/05/2017 NO PLAYS
01/06/2017 NO PLAYS
01/07/2017 8-12-040.00%-2225
01/08/2017 3-7-0 30.00% -2150
01/09/2017 4-2-1 66.67% +1100
01/10/2017 4-4-0 50.00% -150
01/11/2017 2-3-1 40.00% -525

DAILY BEST BETS:

ATS:.......8 - 13............. + 1605

O/U........14 - 13 ............- 150

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 12

Canucks won three of last four games with Philly; they won three of last five games in this building. Under is 2-0-2 in last four series games. Vancouver lost three of last four games on road but won six of last eight overall; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Flyers lost seven of last eight games, are 2-2 in last four at home; their last two home games went over.

Penguins won four in row, six of last seven games with Ottawa, splitting last four games played here. Five of last six series games went over total. Penguins had 5-game win streak snapped last night in Washington; they lost three of last four road games. Over is 6-2 in Penguins’ last eight games. Senators lost four of last five games, split last six at home; three of their last four games stayed under the total.

Lightning won eight of last nine games with Buffalo; under is 5-1-4 in last ten series games. Sabres lost four of last five visits to Bay Area. Buffalo won three of last four games overall but lost four of last six on road; over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Tampa Bay was outscored 22-9 in losing its last four games; they lost three of last four home games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Minnesota won its last four games with Montreal; Canadiens lost last three games in Twin Cities, all by one goal. Over is 5-2-2 in last nine series games. Montreal won its last four road games and four of last five games overall; over is 3-0-1 in their last four games. Minnesota won 14 of last 16 games overall, eight of last nine at home. Over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Predators won three of last four games with Boston; over is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Bruins lost four of last five visits to Music City. Bruins lost three of last five games overall; they are 3-4 in last seven road games. Three of their last four games went over. Nashville lost six of its last nine games, four of last five at home. Four of their last six games stayed under the total.

Red Wings won seven of last nine games with Dallas, winning last four games in this building. Last three series games stayed under total. Detroit lost four of its last five games; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games- this is their 7th straight road game. Dallas Stars lost four of last five games overall; they’re 2-3 in last five home games. Three of their last four games went over.

Devils lost three of last four games with Edmonton; five of last six series games stayed under the total. New Jersey lost three of its last five visits here. Devils were outscored 9-3 in losing last three games overall, but they won last two road games. Four of Jersey’s last five games stayed under total. Edmonton lost four of last six overall; they lost last two home games. Three of Oilers’ last four games went over.

Colorado won three of last four games with Anaheim;; under is 5-2 in last seven series games. Ducks won three of last four visits to Denver. Anaheim won four of its last five games; they allowed total of four goals in last four games, all of which stayed under total. Avalanche lost five of last six games; they scored total of nine goals in last five games. Last three Colorado games stayed under the total.

Blues won their last three games with Los Angeles, allowing total of two goals; St Louis lost three of last four games in Staples Center. Last four series games stayed under. Blues are 4-0 in game following their last four losses; they’re 1-3 in last four road games- this is their first road game in three weeks. Kings are 3-5 in their last eight games, splitting last four home games; under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games (0-2 in last two).

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, January 12

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

8:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. PHILADELPHIA
Vancouver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Vancouver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Vancouver

8:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. TAMPA BAY
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Buffalo's last 9 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games at home
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Buffalo

8:30 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. OTTAWA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
BOSTON vs. NASHVILLE
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games on the road
Nashville is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. MINNESOTA
Montreal is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal

9:30 PM
DETROIT vs. DALLAS
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 12 games on the road
Dallas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games

10:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Anaheim's last 7 games when playing Colorado
Anaheim is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing Anaheim
Colorado is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games at home

10:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. EDMONTON
New Jersey is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
New Jersey is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Edmonton's last 7 games when playing at home against New Jersey

11:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LOS ANGELES
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
St. Louis is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games when playing Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Los Angeles is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games when playing St. Louis