Wednesday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/12

[Udog]

Trends and Indexes

Wednesday, April 12

Good Luck on day #101 of 2017!

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.

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[Udog]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Prop bets for the NFL Draft, from SouthPoint sportsbook

— Number of Alabama players taken in first round of the 2017 NFL Draft:
over 4.5, -$140, under 4.5, +$120

— Number of LSU players taken in first round of the 2017 NFL Draft:
over 2.5, -$110, under 2.5, -$130

— Number of SEC players taken in first round of the 2017 NFL Draft:
over 11.5, even, under 11.5, -$120

— Conference to have more first round draft picks: SEC -5.5 vs Pac-12

— Conference to have more first round draft picks: SEC -4.5 vs Big 14

— Conference to have more first round draft picks:
Pac-12 +0.5 (+$130) vs Big 14 -0.5 (-$150)

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings……..

13) Angels 6, Rangers 5 (10)— Halos did it again; they trailed this game 5-0 in 7th inning, but won and are now 6-2 and atop the AL West. Angels scored seven runs in bottom of the ninth to stun the Mariners 10-9 on Sunday.

There have been 61 games already this season where a team trailed by 3+ runs in the ninth inning; Angels are 2-0, everyone else is 0-59.

12) Three years ago, December of 2013, my buddy Mike and I watched a Christmas tournament here in Las Vegas, at Bishop Gorman HS— Gorman’s third-string center was a sophomore named Zach Collins, who went on to play at Gonzaga this season, scoring 10 ppg in 17.2 mpg.

Now the young man is off to the NBA, following in the footsteps of his HS teammate Stephen Zimmerman, who played one year at UNLV and now plays for Orlando’s D-League team.

Wish the kid well, but I am skeptical this is the best thing for his development as a player- he only played 17.2 minutes/game this year, now all of a sudden he is a pro?

11) Sacramento’s Georgios Papagiannis got a technical foul last night; it was the Kings’ first technical foul since they traded DeMarcus Cousins February 20- they had been the only NBA team without a technical during that time.

10) Why did Tony Romo suit up for the Dallas Mavericks last night?

9) When Fred Couples won The Masters 25 years ago, he drove the ball 20 yards shorter than he did this past weekend, at age 57. Golf equipment has made golf courses a lot shorter.

8) Monday night, Washington Nationals were first big league team in four years to have an error from all four infield positions in the same game.

7) Buster Posey goes on the 7-day concussion DL; you wonder if he will wind up moving out from behind the plate to avoid more of this in the future, though this one came when he was batting, not catching?

6) If Erik Spoelstra wins NBA Coach of the Year and Miami misses the playoffs (they were 11-30 at one point), would that be the first time it ever happened?

5) Quinnipiac transfer Mikey Dixon signs on with St John’s; from what I read on the Interweb Tuesday, this is a good get for Chris Mullin’s team.

4) New Mexico hired its new basketball coach; Paul Weir, who comes from rival New Mexico State, which should make the two Lobo-Aggie games next season more interesting.

Weir has strong recruiting connections in Canada; Aggies will have their third coach in three seasons next year- -Marvin Menzies left Las Cruces LY to be the coach at UNLV.

3) Longest NFL playoff droughts: Buffalo 17 years, Cleveland 14 years, Rams 12 years.

2) I’m convinced that defensive shifts in baseball are overdone, especially early in innings vs players with excellent bat control. Why is it done so much? Maybe to justify the analytics people having their jobs- there have to be some pitchers who cringe about shifts. Behind closed doors, I’m guessing there almost has to be debate about the validity of shifting so much.

1— Matt Harvey left his start last night in the sixth inning with a tight hamstring; Mets led 10-2, so not sure if it was just a precaution, but the Mets need Harvey healthy this season.

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 12


Boston @ Ottawa

Game 9-10
April 12, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
11.318
Ottawa
12.212
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(+105); Over

San Jose @ Edmonton

Game 7-8
April 12, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
12.525
Edmonton
10.990
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1 1/2
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(+125); Under

St. Louis @ Minnesota

Game 5-6
April 12, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
10.629
Minnesota
12.313
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-150); Under

Columbus @ Pittsburgh

Game 3-4
April 12, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
10.237
Pittsburgh
8.830
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbus
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-165
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Columbus
(+145); Under

NY Rangers @ Montreal

Game 1-2
April 12, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
12.099
Montreal
9.065
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 3
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(+125); Under


Thursday, April 13


Calgary @ Anaheim

Game 15-16
April 13, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
10.858
Anaheim
10.133
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 1
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-155
5
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(+135); Under

Nashville @ Chicago

Game 13-14
April 13, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
10.296
Chicago
12.433
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-170
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-170); Under

Toronto @ Washington

Game 11-12
April 13, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
10.883
Washington
12.330
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-200); Over

[Udog]

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 12

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NY RANGERS (48-28-0-6, 102 pts.) at MONTREAL (47-26-0-9, 103 pts.) - 4/12/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 14-28 ATS (-14.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 11-18 ATS (-10.5 Units) after a division game this season.
NY RANGERS are 14-8 ATS (+22.8 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 13-4 ATS (+8.4 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
NY RANGERS are 23-11 ATS (+9.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 7-2 (+5.8 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 7-2-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.2 Units)

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COLUMBUS (50-24-0-8, 108 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (50-21-0-11, 111 pts.) - 4/12/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 8-21 ATS (+37.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 47-24 ATS (+10.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 50-32 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 13-3 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
COLUMBUS is 23-11 ATS (+10.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 7-5 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 7-5-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)

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ST LOUIS (46-29-0-7, 99 pts.) at MINNESOTA (49-25-0-8, 106 pts.) - 4/12/2017, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 18-5 ATS (+10.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
ST LOUIS is 40-30 ATS (+8.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 18-8 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 53-41 ATS (+7.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 7-3 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 46-52 ATS (-13.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 10-10-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.9 Units)

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SAN JOSE (46-29-0-7, 99 pts.) at EDMONTON (47-26-0-9, 103 pts.) - 4/12/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 6-12 ATS (-8.7 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
SAN JOSE is 45-46 ATS (-23.8 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 18-7 ATS (+18.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
EDMONTON is 18-7 ATS (+7.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
SAN JOSE is 38-22 ATS (+14.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 15-6 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 26-20 ATS (+52.1 Units) in road games in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 21-13 ATS (+35.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 7-7 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 7-7-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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BOSTON (44-31-0-7, 95 pts.) at OTTAWA (44-28-0-10, 98 pts.) - 4/12/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 4-10 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 19-24 ATS (-13.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
BOSTON is 24-33 ATS (-21.0 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 44-38 ATS (-6.2 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 46-34 ATS (+82.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 28-17 ATS (+10.9 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 20-13 ATS (+34.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 20-10 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 189-214 ATS (+459.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 10-3 (+11.4 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 10-3-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.5 Units)

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Thursday, April 13

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TORONTO (40-27-0-15, 95 pts.) at WASHINGTON (55-19-0-8, 118 pts.) - 4/13/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 48-89 ATS (+153.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 4-11 ATS (-8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 55-27 ATS (+24.7 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 34-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 0-6 ATS (-10.6 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-2 (+4.9 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-2-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

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NASHVILLE (41-29-0-12, 94 pts.) at CHICAGO (50-23-0-9, 109 pts.) - 4/13/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 41-41 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 0-6 ATS (-6.8 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
NASHVILLE is 9-19 ATS (-15.1 Units) after a division game this season.
CHICAGO is 50-32 ATS (+82.2 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 235-193 ATS (+26.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 195-170 ATS (+370.4 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
CHICAGO is 1-6 ATS (-9.8 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 14-6 (+7.6 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 14-6-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.5 Units)

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CALGARY (45-33-0-4, 94 pts.) at ANAHEIM (46-23-0-13, 105 pts.) - 4/13/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 53-24 ATS (+19.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 19-6 ATS (+10.3 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 15-4 ATS (+8.5 Units) in home games after a division game this season.
ANAHEIM is 410-410 ATS (-103.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 24-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 45-37 ATS (+5.2 Units) in all games this season.
CALGARY is 25-14 ATS (+11.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
CALGARY is 43-33 ATS (+79.3 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 16-5 ATS (+10.9 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 16-4 (+11.3 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 16-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
13 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+6.6 Units)

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[Udog]

NHL

Wednesday, April 12

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. OTTAWA
Boston is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Boston's last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Boston
Ottawa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. MONTREAL
NY Rangers are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing Montreal
NY Rangers are 16-8 SU in their last 24 games on the road
Montreal is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Rangers
Montreal is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

7:30 PM
COLUMBUS vs. PITTSBURGH
Columbus is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Columbus

9:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MINNESOTA
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis

10:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. EDMONTON
San Jose is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Edmonton is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Edmonton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


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[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, April 12

NY Rangers at Montreal, 7:05 PM ET
New York: 15-7 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +200
Montreal: 0-5 SU in home games after 3 consecutive division games

Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7:35 PM ET
Columbus: 13-3 SU when playing with 2 days rest
Pittsburgh: 8-9 SU off a close loss by 1 goal to a division rival

St Louis at Minnesota, 9:35 PM ET
St Louis: 30-21 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +200
Minnesota: 3-8 SU in home games after having won 4 of their last 5

San Jose at Edmonton, 10:05 PM ET
San Jose: 10-1 SU in road games after 2 consecutive division games
Edmonton: 82-84 SU in home games after a 2 game unbeaten streak

Boston at Ottawa, 7:05 PM ET
Boston: 4-10 SU when playing with 3 or more days rest
Ottawa: 20-14 SU after one or more consecutive overs


Thurs – April. 13

Toronto at Washington, 7:05 PM ET
Toronto: 18-23 SU after 1 or more consecutive unders
Washington: 32-9 SU in home games

Nashville at Chicago, 8:05 PM ET
Nashville: 0-6 SU when playing with 3 or more days rest
Chicago: 10-0 SU after scoring 2 goals or less in 2 straight games

Calgary at Anaheim, 10:35 PM ET
Calgary: 25-14 SU revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite
Anaheim: 21-24 SU off a win or tie in their previous game

[Udog]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 12

Montreal won six of last seven games with the Rangers; road team won five of those seven games. New York lost three of last four games in the Bell Centre. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Rangers were outscored 16-8 in losing last four road games; they’re 2-5 in last seven games overall- their last three games stayed under. Canadiens won six of last eight games, three of last four at home. Under is 7-2-1 in their last ten. Rangers won their last four first round series; Montreal missed playoffs LY- they split last six first round series, over last eight years.

Home side won six of last seven Columbus-Pittsburgh games; Blue Jackets lost four of last five games in Steel City. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Jackets lost six of last seven games overall, five of last six on road- under is 7-2-1 in their last ten. Pittsburgh is 4-6 in its last ten games but won last two at home. Penguins won Stanley Cup LY, won first round series three of last four years- this is their 10th year in row in playoffs. Columbus is in playoffs for just third time, first time since 2014; their coach won Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004.

St Louis won five of last seven games with Minnesota; teams split last four series games played in Twin Cities. Over is 3-2-1 in last six series games. Blues won six of last eight games, three of last four on road- over is 3-1 in their last four. Minnesota won its last four games by a combined 17-9; they won last three home tilts. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Blues are in playoffs for 6th straight year; they lost first round series three of last four years. Minnesota is in playoffs for 5th year in row; they’re 4-3 overall in first round series.

Boston lost its last six games with Ottawa, including last five played in this building. Three of last four series games stayed under total. Bruins won six of last eight games, including last two road games. Under is 7-1 in their last eight. Senators won three of last four games; they won last three home games. Under is 3-1 in their last four games. Bruins missed playoffs last two years, which is part of why they changed coaches during season; they won five of last six first round series. Ottawa lost four of last five first round series- they missed playoffs two of last three years.

Edmonton is in playoffs for first time since 2006, when they lost Cup final; they’ve lost four of last five first round series. San Jose lost Stanley Cup final LY; they’re 9-3 in last 12 first round series. Oilers won last three games with San Jose- they also won three of last four visits here; road side won five of last seven series games. Over is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Sharks lost five of last six road games, but won three of last four overall (under 3-1). Edmonton won its last nine home games; they’ve won eight of last nine overall- over is 3-0-1 in its last four.

[Udog]

NHL

Wednesday, April 12


Heading into NHL playoffs, 2016-17 regular season produced 529-549-152 Over/Under record (50.93% Under) with average of 5.54 goals per game.


Western Conference has produced more Overs than East in first round of NHL playoffs since 2013: 46-31-18 O/U (60% Over). 39-22-12 O/U L3Y.


Eastern Conference producing more Unders than West in opening round of NHL playoffs since 2013: 38-40-16 O/U. 14-26-7 O/U L2Y (65% Unders).

[Udog]

NHL

Wednesday, April 12

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Wednesday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
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The Edmonton Oilers end their 11 year playoff drought when they host the Sharks Wednesday in their first round matchup.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Wednesday with several intriguing series on the schedule, including Connor McDavid bringing the Oilers back to the postseason for a first round showdown with the Western Conference defending champion Sharks. We break down the betting angles for each and every matchup.

New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (-150, 5)

ABOUT THE RANGERS (48-28-6, 40-36-6 O/U): New York ranked among the top five teams in scoring and had four players record at least 22 goals, led by Kreider, who establish career highs with 53 points and a team-leading 28 goals. In his fifth season, Chris Kreider has registered 20 goals in 65 postseason games and vowed not to let the incident with Carey Price alter his style. “For me to be effective, I need to get to the crease. That’s where I’m going to score goals,” Kreider said. “It’s the playoffs. I think everyone’s going to try to lift their physical play a little bit."

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (47-26-9, 29-38-15 O/U): Price emerged from a midseason funk and allowed seven goals while winning all three matchups against New York, but Montreal's other indispensable player, Max Pacioretty, provided a waiting-to-exhale moment at Tuesday's practice. The team's leading goal scorer by far with 35 tallies, Pacioretty was forced to leave the ice when he was inadvertently high-sticked in the left side of the face by teammate Michael McCarron. He will be re-evaluated Wednesday, but coach Claude Julien said: "We're very optimistic he'll be OK."

LINE HISTORY: The Habs opened the game listed as -130 home favorites and they have since been bet up to -147. The total is on the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Rangers - RW J. Fast (Questionable Wednesday, undisclosed), G A. Raanta (Questionable Wednesday, knee).

Canadiens - LW M. Pacioretty (Probable Wednesday, face), D J. Benn (Probable Wednesday, upper body), D S. Weber (Probable Wednesday, lower body), D B. Davidson (Questionable Wednesday, Flu), D. A Emelin (Out Wednesday, lower body).

TRENDS:

* Rangers are 0-5 in their last five games following a win.
* Rangers are 1-6 in the last seven meetings.
* Under is 5-1-1 in Rangers last seven games playing on two days rest.
* Under is 5-1-1 in Canadiens last seven games following a win.


Boston Bruins at Ottawa Senators (+110, 5)

ABOUT THE BRUINS (44-31-7, 37-37-8 O/U): Brad Marchand, who has a team-high 39 goals and scored 22 times in 41 games on the road, will return to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for spearing Tampa Bay's Jake Dotchin, but Boston has some major health worries. Defensemen Torey Krug (lower body) and Brandon Carlo (upper body) and rookie forward Noel Acciari have been ruled out of the series opener while third-leading goal scorer David Krejci and Dominic Moore missed Tuesday's practice. That puts more of an onus on Tuukka Rask, who set career highs this season with 37 wins and eight shutouts.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (44-28-10, 32-47-3 O/U): Ottawa, unlike the Bruins, is as healthy as it has been for much of the season, with the lone exception being defenseman Marc Methot, who is dealing with a finger injury resulting in a slash from Sidney Crosby. Coach Guy Boucher shuffled his lines at Tuesday's practice by moving Zack Smith (sidelined the past six games) to center on the fourth line while pairing Jean-Gabriel Pageau with forwards Mike Hoffman and slumping Mark Stone. Goaltender Craig Anderson, who took a leave from the team while his wife battled cancer, won all four starts against Boston this season.

LINE HISTORY: The Senators opened this game as home underdogs at +109 and have been faded to +115. The total is on the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Bruins - G A. Khudobin (Probable Wednesday, illness), C D. Moore (Probable Wednesday, undisclosed), C D. Krejci (Probable Wednesday, undisclosed), RW J. Hayes (Questionable Wednesday, lower body), D T. Krug (Out indefinitely, lower body), C N. Acciari (Out Wednesday, upper body), D B. Carlo (Out Wednesday, upper body).

Senators - C Z. Smith (Probable Wednesday, upper body), D E Karlsson (Probable Wednesday, heel), D M. Methot (Questionable Wednesday, finger.)

TRENDS:

* Bruins are 4-0 in their last four first round playoff games.
* Senators are 6-0 in the last six meetings.
* Under is 4-0 in the Bruins last four games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Senators last five games playing on two days rest.


Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins (-155, 5.5)

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (50-24-8, 32-44-6 O/U): Rookie Zach Werenski (upper body) returned to practice Tuesday and is expected to end a four-game absence by suiting up against Pittsburgh. "That's huge for us he's back, just with his ability on the ice and what he does on the back end," captain Nick Foligno said of the 19-year-old offensive-minded defenseman, who rejoined Seth Jones on the first pair Tuesday. Werenski recorded 21 (four goals, 17 assists) of his 47 points on the power play and his return could provide a spark for Columbus, which led the league by going 32-for-124 with the man advantage in its first 41 games before converting on just 10-of-87 opportunities the rest of the way.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (50-21-11, 47-30-5 O/U): Pittsburgh's postseason success could greatly hinge on the health of former Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin (33 goals, 39 assists), who is expected to return Wednesday from a 13-game absence due to an upper-body injury. "I will play tomorrow, for sure. A couple extra days for me. ... I'm ready to play," the 30-year-old Malkin said Tuesday after taking part in a full-contact practice while skating between Bryan Rust and Phil Kessel (team-high 47 assists). While Malkin is set to return, fellow forwards Carl Hagelin (lower body) and Chris Kunitz (lower body) as well as defenseman Chad Ruhwedel (upper body) are expected to be spectators after sitting out practice on Tuesday.

LINE HISTORY: The Penguins open their defense of the Stanley Cup as hefty -167 faves against the Blue Jackets, but they have been faded slightly to the current number of -155. The total is on the board at 5.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Blue Jackets - D Z. Werenski (Probable Wednesday, shoulder).

Penguins - C E. Malkin (Probable Wednesday, shoulder), D C. Ruhwedel (Doubtful Wednesday, upper body), LW C. Kunitz (Out indefinitely, lower body), LW C. Hagelin (Late April, lower body).

TRENDS:

* Blue Jackets are 1-6 in their last seven games overall.
* Home team is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Blue Jackets last eight road games.
* Under is 7-1-1 in Penguins last nine homes games vs. a team with a winning road record.


St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild (-160, 5)

ABOUT THE BLUES (46-29-7, 34-35-13 O/U): St. Louis won’t have veteran center Paul Stastny (foot) to start the series and rookie Ivan Barbashev is expected to take the top-line center role between Tarasenko (75 points) and Jaden Schwartz (55). Vladimir Sobotka, who was signed to a three-year deal late in the regular season after a three-year stay in Russia, reportedly will play with Jori Lehtera and Alex Steen on another line while Patrik Berglund centers a third unit. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was solid down the stretch while recording two goals and four assists in his last four games.

ABOUT THE WILD (49-25-8, 42-31-9 O/U): Devan Dubnyk, who struggled through the month of March with an .889 save percentage, has won all three of his starts this month to finish with a career-high 40 wins. Reportedly, Erik Haula is expected to play on the wing with captain Mikko Koivu and leading scorer Mikael Granlund (69 points) as coach Bruce Boudreau tries to even out his lines while 20-year-old rookie Joel Eriksson Ek likely will be in the lineup for Game 1. Defenseman Jared Spurgeon (lower body) missed the last two regular-season games but hopes to play Wednesday.

LINE HISTORY: The Wild opened this matchup as moderate -143 faves and have seen the majority of support since then, with bettors moving the line to Minnesota -160. The total is on the board at 5. Check out the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

Blues - D R. Bortuzzo (Questionable Wednesday, upper body), RW N. Yakkupov (Questionable Wednesday, undisclosed), C P. Stasny (Doubtful Wednesday, foot).

Wild - D J. Spurgeon (Questionable Wednesday, lower body), D V. Bartley (Out indefinitely, tricep).

TRENDS:

* Blues are 6-1 in their last seven road games.
* Wild are 6-0 in their last six games playing on three or more days rest.
* Under is 12-3-3 in the Blues last 18 games vs. Western Conference opponents.
* Over is 5-0-1 in Wild's last six days playing on three or more days rest.


San Jose Sharks at Edmonton Oilers (-150, 5)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (46-29-7, 22-37-23 O/U): Couture and Thornton both have practiced each of the last two days but are not guaranteed to rejoin the lineup Wednesday. "Both those guys are day-to-day," coach Peter DeBoer told reporters on Tuesday. "They both looked good today at practice, but that will be a game-time decision." More will be expected from Joe Pavelski should Couture and Thornton not play as the captain shared the team lead with 29 goals during the regular season and has scored 40 in 105 career playoff games, including 14 during the team's run to the Final in 2016.

ABOUT THE OILERS (47-26-9, 32-42-8 O/U): McDavid, who also led the league with 70 assists, joined Wayne Gretzky as the only Oilers to win the regular-season scoring title and was the first member of the franchise to reach the 100-point plateau since Doug Weight in 1995-96. He became the third-youngest player in NHL history - behind Sidney Crosby and Gretzky - to capture the Art Ross Trophy at 20 years, 86 days as Edmonton made the largest increase in points (33) in the league after placing 29th last season. Leon Draisaitl finished second on the team in both goals (29) and points (77) and ended the campaign nearly as hot as McDavid, landing on the scoresheet in 12 of the final 14 games (six goals, 15 assists).

LINE HISTORY: It may be the Oilers first playoff game in 11 years, but bettors like them in Game 1. Since opening at -131 Edmonton has moved to -150.

INJURY REPORT:

Sharks - C L. Couture (Questionable Wednesday, teeth), C J. Thornton (Questionable Wednesday, knee).

Oilers - No injuries to report.

TRENDS:

* Sharks are 1-6 in their last seven road games.
* Oilers are 9-0 in their last nine home games.
* Over is 9-3-3 in Sharks last 15 first round playoff games.
* Under is 8-2 in Oilers last 10 games playing on two days rest.


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[Udog]

NHL Betting Cheat Sheet: Which top seeds will get stunned this year?

After another long yet exciting season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here and the first round is full of intriguing story-lines and matchups. Have no fear, Monty Andrews is here to help you handicap all of the opening matchup like a seasoned pro.

Habs Have the Upper Hand

The Montreal Canadiens may be the Atlantic Division champions, but they're in for the fight of their lives as they enter as a slim -125 favorite in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the New York Rangers. Montreal topped the Atlantic with 47 victories and 103 points, while the Rangers (+105) had to settle for the first Eastern Conference wild card spot despite recording a whopping 102 points themselves. Montreal may have the psychological upper hand after sweeping the three-game regular-season series; the teams went 1-1-1 O/U in those games.

Is the Pen Mightier than the Jacket?

The Pittsburgh Penguins (-170) open defense of their Stanley Cup title as strong favorites against relative postseason newcomer Columbus (+150). Both teams had sensational seasons, finishing second and fourth, respectively, in points; they both won 50 games, and each team finished at least +48 in goal differential. The Blue Jackets went 2-1-1 against the Penguins in the regular season, including a stunning 7-1 drubbing back on Dec. 22; Pittsburgh will need to be wary of Columbus forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Scott Hartnell, who combined to score six goals in the season series.

Leafs Facing Capital Punishment

Toronto Maple Leafs fans are thrilled that the team is returning to the playoffs for just the second time since the 2005-06 lockout, but their stay in the postseason might be a short one as the Maple Leafs (+270) get the Presidents Trophy-winning Washington Capitals (-330) in the opening round. These odds are the longest of any first-round matchup, and with good reason: the Capitals recorded a league-best 55 wins and 118 points while Toronto came out of nowhere after finishing dead last in the league in 2015-16. Washington won two of three in the season series, with the teams going 2-1-0 O/U.

Is an Upset Bruin?

The Boston Bruins (-190) are expected to cruise into the second round of the playoffs as they prepare to face off against the Ottawa Senators (+170). While Ottawa actually finished three points ahead of the Bruins in the Atlantic Division - thereby securing the home-ice edge - the Senators have stumbled into the postseason with losses in 10 of their last 15 games and finished the regular season with a negative goal differential. That said, the Senators swept the four-game season series with the Bruins, including a 2-1 shootout triumph on April 6; three of the four games played to the under.

Sharks Must Beware of Oil Spill

The Edmonton Oilers not only return to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 11 years - they're actually modest -130 favorites as they kick off their first-round series with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night. Behind a sensational 100-point season from phenom Connor McDavid and elite-level goaltending from Cam Talbot, the Oilers racked up 103 points to finish second in the competitive Pacific Division - four points clear of the Sharks, who were by far the worst over play in the league (22-37-23 O/U). The Oilers finished with a 3-1-1 edge in the season series, with the teams going 2-1-2 O/U.

Blackhawks Down? Not Likely

The biggest odds edge among Western Conference teams belongs to the Chicago Blackhawks, who open as -190 favorites to advance to the second round at the expense of the Central Division-rival Nashville Predators (+170). Chicago was the class of the conference, leading all teams with 50 victories and 109 points - but the Blackhawks come into the postseason riding an ugly four-game losing skid during which they scored just seven goals. Chicago does, however, have the Predators' number, winning four of five regular season meetings; the teams went 3-0-2 O/U in those contests.

Flames Facing 11-Year Duck Drought

If the Calgary Flames (+140) hope to reach the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, they'll need to do something they haven't done in nearly 11 years: win a road game in Anaheim. The Ducks (-160) have been positively dominant against the Flames in their own arena, winning the last 27 home meetings between the teams dating back to their first-round playoff matchup in 2006. Needless to say, Anaheim is in the driver's seat if past history is any indication - and their overall head-to-head series has been almost as one-sided, with the Ducks winning 11 of the last 12 encounters.

Into the Wild-Blues Yonder

Two of the hottest teams in the league coming into the postseason will square off in another Central Division showdown as the Minnesota Wild (-150) take on the St. Louis Blues (+130). Minnesota held on to second place in the division by fashioning a four-game season-ending winning streak, while the Blues' three-game winning run to end the campaign was for naught. St. Louis, however, earned seven of a possible 10 points in the reguar-season series - the final victory coming at the start of their season-closing 15-2-2 stretch. The teams split the totals down the middle, going 2-2-1 O/U.

Injury Updates

* The Bruins are down a pair of defensemen to open their series with the Senators. Torey Krug is nursing a lower-body injury that will sideline him for the entire first-round encounter, while Brandon Carlo is dealing with an upper-body ailment suffered in the regular-season finale that will keep him out of Game 1.

* The Predators' infirmary might be uncomfortably full for their series-opening tilt with the Blackhawks. Six players are considered questionable for Game 1 on Thursday night in Chicago, including forwards Mike Fisher (lower body) and Colin Wilson (lower body) and defensemen Roman Josi (lower body) and Yannick Weber (upper body).

Player Notes

* The Sharks might wish their first-round series with Edmonton opened on a different day of the week. McDavid recorded five goals and 11 assists in eight Wednesday games during the regular season, easily his highest points-per-game average of any day of the week; he also had four goals and four assists in five games against San Jose.

* As for Canadiens netminder Carey Price, Saturday night's all right for dominating - he has a magnificent 15-2-2 mark with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage on Saturdays this season. But Montreal isn't playing a Saturday game early in the first round - Game 2 is on Friday, where Price is 0-3 with an ugly 4.20 GAA in three starts.

Stanley Cup Futures

* The Capitals enter the Stanley Cup playoffs as the top pick to win it all, coming in at +450 according to Sports Interaction. The Penguins (+550) and Blackhawks (+550) are next in line, with the Wild (+700) and Blue Jackets (+700) rounding out the top five. The top odds for a Canadian team belong to the Canadiens, who are at +1,100.

* The Bruins might be favored in their first-round series with Ottawa, but they're one of the biggest long shots to go all the way in 2017. Sports Interaction has Boston installed as a +2,500 underdog to hoist the Stanley Cup, even with the Blues and Predators for the longest odds. The Canadian team with the longest shot? The Calgary Flames, at +2,200.

Over/Under Trends

* No team rewarded over bettors more than the Penguins, who come into the postseason having gone 47-30-5 O/U for the season - including a 26-11-4 mark at home. By comparison, Columbus finished tied with Ottawa for the second-fewest overs among Eastern Conference playoff teams (32).

* Look for some low-scoring Pacific Division action, as that seven-team group produced the only three teams with fewer than 30 overs on the season - Anaheim (28), Los Angeles (24) and San Jose (22). In fact, all seven teams in the division finished with more unders than overs, while six of the seven teams in the Central had more overs than unders.