Announcement

**Udog** · 04-17-2017, 09:50 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Early betting odds on the 2017 Heisman Trophy:

15-2— Sam Darnold (USC), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Lamar Jackson (Louisville)

9-1- JT Barrett, Ohio State

12-1— Jake Browning, Washington

14-1— Deondre Francois, Florida State

15-1— Jalen Hurts (Alabama), Saquon Barkley (Penn State)

16-1— Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend……..

13) Bulls 106, Celtics 102— Isaiah Thomas scored 33 points in 38:00, the day after he found out his 22-year old sister died in a car accident. Boston took 38 3’s, 48 2’s; seems like a lot- they only took 19 foul shots.

12) ESPN had the Cubs on in primetime Opening Night in St Louis, which is fine- they’re World Champs and deserve it; ESPN’s next three Sunday night games were in Queens, Bronx and next week again, Queens. What the bleep are they thinking?

Teams like Toronto, Kansas City and Houston are rarely on national TV, then networks wonder why playoff ratings are low when those teams make it. Promote the whole sport, not just teams in New York, plus the Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox.

11) Mets’ first 32 games this season are all against NL East opponents.

10) Miami 4, Mets 2— JT Riddle’s first major league hit was a walk-off homer. The way the Marlins ran the bases in this game, home runs were a good idea.

Justin Boer got thrown out at the plate after maybe the worst slide in baseball history; Giancarlo Stanton got hit with an Ozuna line drive that would’ve put men on 1st and 3rd with one out had the ball not hit him. Ozuna got thrown out at the plate before Riddle’s winning home run.

9) Orioles pit closer Zach Britton on the 10-day DL; their pitching is really thin, but they’re still 8-3 and atop the AL East, but make no mistake about it, Baltimore needs to get healthy soon.

8) Rumors have it that the Chiefs will open Week 1 of the NFL season in Foxboro in a Thursday night game. Falcons were a more logical option, but Atlanta has a new stadium opening and they want to play there in Week 1, so apparently they’re no longer an option for the Thursday game.

7) It rained in Oakland Sunday, and the A’s couldn’t wait to cancel their game with the Astros; the Warriors were playing across the parking lot, the A’s are playing lousy anyway (shortstop Marcus Semien is on the DL, which hurts there defense) and there would’ve been a lousy crowd in the rain.

Giants played their home game across the bay, but the field was a mess- they sell out their games, so it would cost them seven figures to lose a home game to the weather.

6) Toronto-Cleveland-Texas are your last place teams in the American League.

5) Reds and Colorado are in first place in the National League; even after only two weeks, that is odd.

4) Baltimore’s Trey Mancini hit two more homers Sunday, has now hit seven in his first 12 major league games, which is really good.

Blue Jays lost again, are now 2-10, which is really bad.

3) Montreal 3, NY Rangers 1— New York seems to play better on the road. Canadiens lead this series, 2-1.

2) Penguins/Blues both won their games, grabbing 3-0 leads in their first round series.

1— Solid scheduling by the AD at U of Albany- they’re playing at Memphis next year, in a year when the Tigers will be in a total rebuild. Great Danes could actually win that game.

**Udog** · 04-17-2017, 10:19 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, April 17

Anaheim @ Calgary

Game 15-16
April 17, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
12.619
Calgary
10.576
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Anaheim
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Anaheim
(+110); Under

Chicago @ Nashville

Game 13-14
April 17, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
10.271
Nashville
11.976
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-115); Over

Ottawa @ Boston

Game 11-12
April 17, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
10.078
Boston
12.680
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-170
5
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-170); Under

Washington @ Toronto

Game 9-10
April 17, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
12.208
Toronto
10.166
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-155
5
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-155); Under

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, April 17

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WASHINGTON (56-20-0-8, 120 pts.) at TORONTO (41-27-0-16, 98 pts.) - 4/17/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 17-5 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 118-60 ATS (+26.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 39-21 ATS (+14.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 47-35 ATS (+88.2 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 35-14 ATS (+9.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-10 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 49-90 ATS (+163.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 125-140 ATS (-51.5 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
TORONTO is 2-8 ATS (-7.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-3 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 8-3-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

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OTTAWA (45-29-0-10, 100 pts.) at BOSTON (45-31-0-8, 98 pts.) - 4/17/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 45-39 ATS (+86.3 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 18-13 ATS (+31.7 Units) after a division game this season.
OTTAWA is 21-14 ATS (+38.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 22-22 ATS (-24.9 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 13-18 ATS (-19.9 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-24 ATS (+20.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 11-4 (+11.4 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 11-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

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CHICAGO (50-25-0-9, 109 pts.) at NASHVILLE (43-29-0-12, 98 pts.) - 4/17/2017, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 0-6 ATS (-8.9 Units) in April games this season.
NASHVILLE is 23-15 ATS (+3.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 15-8 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 11-5 ATS (+16.1 Units) in road games after a division game this season.
CHICAGO is 433-421 ATS (+875.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 91-89 ATS (-19.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 11-19 ATS (-13.1 Units) after a division game this season.
NASHVILLE is 10-17 ATS (-10.6 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NASHVILLE is 10-19 ATS (-14.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 14-8 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 14-8-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.5 Units)

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

ANAHEIM (48-23-0-13, 109 pts.) at CALGARY (45-35-0-4, 94 pts.) - 4/17/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 45-39 ATS (+5.2 Units) in all games this season.
CALGARY is 31-16 ATS (+47.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 25-16 ATS (+46.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ANAHEIM is 30-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 23-15 ATS (+6.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 13-7 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CALGARY is 23-37 ATS (+60.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 18-4 (+13.3 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 18-4-0 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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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, April 17

Ottawa scored 1:59 into OT Saturday to even series 1-1; they’re 5-1 this season against Boston- four of last six series games stayed under total. Boston won seven of its last nine games overall; they’re 4-4 in last eight home games- under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Senators won four of last six games (under 4-2). Boston is 1-7, Ottawa 1-11 on power play in series; neither team has scored in first period yet. Senators won four of their last six games (under 4-2).

Washington-Toronto split first two series games, with teams playing combined total of 41:37 of overtime so far. Caps outshot Toronto 94-88 in first two games; Maple Leafs haven’t scored a third period goal yet in series— they’re 2-8 in last ten games with the Caps, 1-6 on power play in series— Washington is 3-8. Under is 3-2-1 in last six series games. Capitals won nine of last 12 games. Toronto lost four of last six games overall; under is 6-4 in their last ten. Leafs lost three of their last four home games. Washington won six of its last seven road games.

Nashville posted its first-ever road playoff shutouts in Games 1-2; they’re 3-4 in seven playoff games with Chicago, which is 0-4 on power play in series and was outhit 48-31 by Predators in Game 2. Under is 7-1-2 in last ten Nashville games. Blackhawks lost last six games overall, have been shut out in three of their last four games- under is 4-1-3 in their last eight games. Chicago lost five of its last six road games. Nashville won five of its last seven home games, but lost three of last four home games with Chicago.

Anaheim won 3-2 in both of first two games in series; they’re 11-1 in last 12 games vs Calgary, with the one loss 8-3 in Saddledome back in December. Anaheim is 3-11 on power play in series, Flames 2-8. Calgary hasn’t scored a third period goal yet in series; they’ve lost five of last six games overall, but are 10-3 in last 13 home games. Ducks won their last six games and 10 of last 12; over is 4-2-4 in their last ten games. Under is 2-0-3 in last five Calgary games.

First round series:
East
Washington-Toronto
Wash 3-2 OT
Tor 4-3 2OT
Pittsburgh-Columbus
Pitt 3-1
Pitt 4-1
Pitt 5-4 OT
Montreal-NY Rangers
NYR 2-0
Mtl 4-3 OT
Mtl 3-1
Ottawa-Boston
Bos 2-1
Ott 4-3 OT

West
Chicago-Nashville
Nash 1-0
Nash 5-0
Minnesota-St Louis
StL 2-1 ot
StL 2-1
StL 3-1
Anaheim-Calgary
Ana, 3-2
Ana 3-2
Edmonton-San Jose
SJ 3-2 ot
Edmonton 2-0
Edmonton 1-0

Home teams: 10-10
Over: 4-12-4

NHL

Monday, April 17

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. BOSTON
Ottawa is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Ottawa

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games on the road
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games at home
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

9:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. NASHVILLE
Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Nashville
Nashville is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 6 games at home

10:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. CALGARY
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Anaheim's last 10 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Anaheim is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Calgary is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Anaheim

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**Udog** · 04-17-2017, 10:23 AM

NHL

Monday, April 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Blackhawks own a championship pedigree in recent years that is unrivaled in the NHL, but they will need more than a storied history to climb back into their first-round series.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue with a quartet of Game 4's - two Eastern Conference series' continue tied at one game each and two Western Conference series' continue with two teams owning 2-0 series leads.

Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins (-170, 5)

Series tied 1-1

ABOUT THE SENATORS (45-29-6-4, 33-48 O/U): The Ottawa Senators were 20 minutes from dropping both home games and falling into an 0-2 hole in their Eastern Conference first-round series before staging a dramatic rally. The Senators look to ride the momentum from Saturday's come-from-behind win in overtime when they visit the Boston Bruins on Monday in Game 3 of the best-of-seven set. Forward Clarke MacArthur, who returned earlier this month after being sidelined since October 2015 due to a concussion, electrified the Ottawa fans Saturday when he scored for the first time in two years. MacArthur called it probably his "best moment" in hockey and Boucher went one step further. "When he raised his arms I think the whole city did at the same time," Boucher said. "It was very special, one of the most special moments I've lived as a coach because it's everybody ... celebrating something that must have been very tough to live all year and it comes at a perfect time."

ABOUT THE BRUINS (45-31-5-3, 38-38 O/U): Boston seized home-ice advantage from Ottawa by scoring a pair of third-period goals in a 2-1 win in Game 1, but now must regroup after squandering a glittering chance to take command of the series. Already minus center David Krejci and defensemen Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Colin Miller, Boston's absorbed another blow when blue-liner Adam McQuaid was hurt in Game 2. While all continue to be listed as day-to-day, there was some positive news on the injury front: Miller skated at Sunday's practice and has a shot to return while forward Noel Acciari is expected to be available and take his place on the fourth line alongside Dominic Moore and Riley Nash. "He was playing good hockey when he got hurt, so there's a good chance that he'll draw back into the lineup," coach Bruce Cassidy said.

LINE HISTORY: The Bruins opened as -175 home favorites and that number was bet down slightly to -170 by Sunday evening. The total actually opened at 4.5 at a few shops, but was bumped up to 5 after only a couple of hours on the board.

INJURY REPORT:

Senators - D M. Borowiecki (Questionable, lower body).

Bruins - C N. Acciari (Probable, upper body), RW J. Hayes (Questionable, lower body), C D. Krejci (Questionable, upper body), D C. Miller (Questionable, knee), D A. McQuaid (Questionable, upper body), D B. Carlo (Doubful, upper body), D T. Krug (Out Indefinitely, lower body).

TRENDS:

* Senators are 1-6 in their last 7 road games.
* Bruins are 5-1 in their last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 5-1 in Senators last 6 games following a win.
* Under is 7-1 in Bruins last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Senators are 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.

Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs (+135, 5)

Series tied 1-1

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (56-19-4-5, 37-32 O/U): Captain Alex Ovechkin (team co-leading 33 goals) and Nicklas Backstrom (club-best 63 assists, 86 points) are intent on battling the foe in front of them (Toronto) as opposed to that of history that has constantly labeled Washington as a classic underachiever. "We're playing good," Backstrom said after scoring his 21st career playoff goal in Game 2 to tie Dino Ciccarelli for fourth place in franchise history. "I feel like we're creating a lot of chances. We're staying positive and we know it's a new game coming up Monday, so we've got to regroup here and look forward." Ovechkin also tallied on Saturday, marking his 14th career power-play playoff goal to move past Peter Bondra for the most in franchise history.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (41-27-8-8, 38-44 O/U): While the complexion of the series changed following the double-overtime victory, the look of Toronto's back line is far from pretty as coach Mike Babcock announced that stay-at-home defenseman Roman Polak will miss the rest of the playoffs after sustaining a lower-body injury in a collision with Washington's Brooks Orpik. Polak's right leg crumpled awkwardly under his body during the exchange in the second period Saturday, causing the 30-year-old to scream in pain and immediately signal to the bench for assistance. Toronto's back line has already been compromised with Nikita Zaitsev missing the first two contests of the series due to a suspected concussion, although the rookie may have let the cat out of the bag by posting (and later deleting) the following tweet: "See you soon Toronto."

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers don't appear to be as impressed as the television hockey experts with the Leafs' performance in the first two games of this series, opening the Leafs as +140 underdogs on home ice for Game 3 - that number came down slightly to +135 Monday morning. The total opened at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Capitals - No injuries to report.

Maple Leafs - D N. Zaitsev (Questionable, upper body), D R. Polak (Out For Season, lower body), LW J. Leivo (Out Indefinitely, undisclosed), RW N. Soshnikov (Out Indefinitely, undisclosed), C E. Fehr (Out Indefinitely, hand), LW J. Lupul (I-R, conditioning), D S. Robidas (Out For Season, knee), RW N. Horton (Out For Season, spine).

TRENDS:

* Capitals are 6-1 in their last 7 road games.
* Maple Leafs are 0-7 in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Capitals last 8 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 4-1 in Maple Leafs last 5 home games.
* Capitals are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.

Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators (-110, 5)

Preds lead series 2-0

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (50-25-8-1, 37-33 O/U): The Chicago Blackhawks own a championship pedigree in recent years that is unrivaled in the NHL, but they will need more than a storied history to climb back into their Western Conference first-round series. Chicago has dropped six in a row dating to the regular season but a more concerning stat is that Toews is mired in an 11-game postseason goal drought while leading scorer Patrick Kane has one tally in his last nine playoff contests. “We’ve got to make some adjustments, down 2-0,” Kane said. “I haven’t scored a goal in two games -- not acceptable. As an offensive guy, you pride yourself on that. I’ve got to be better.” The Blackhawks posted a Western Conference-best 24 road wins but Toews, asked if that was reason for optimism, responded: "Not really."

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (43-29-8-4, 41-36 O/U): No. 8 seed Nashville stole home-ice advantage by squeezing out a 1-0 victory in the series opener and followed it by steamrolling Chicago 5-0 on Saturday, a drubbing that left the fans at United Center booing the home team. Pekka Rinne posted the second-lowest shutout total (3) of his career this season, but he became the first netminder to open the postseason with back-to-back blankings since Michael Leighton with Philadelphia in 2010. “They box out, let me see the puck,” Rinne said in crediting his teammates. "Like (Saturday), there wasn’t probably one shot where I didn’t see it. Guys (have) been doing a really good job in front of me.” Not content to stymie Chicago's offense, Rinne also became the first goalie with a shutout and two assists in the same game since Tom Barrasso (1993).

LINE HISTORY: The Predators opened as -120 favorites on home ice, after downing the Hawks in a pair of road games in Game 1 and Game 2, but the public bet the Hawks early and puched that number down to a Pick 'Em (-110). The total hit the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Blackhawks - LW A. Desjardins (Out, lower body), D M. Rozsival (Out Indefinitely, face).

Predators - LW C. Wilson (Questionable, lower body), LW V. Fiddler (Questionable, upper body).

TRENDS:

* Blackhawks are 0-6 in their last 6 overall.
* Predators are 13-3 in their last 16 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Blackhawks last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 7-1-2 in Predators last 10 overall.
* Over is 5-0-3 in the last 8 meetings in Nashville.

Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames (-125, 5)

Ducks lead series 2-0

ABOUT THE DUCKS (48-23-10-3, 28-36 O/U): Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf has made himself at home against the Calgary Flames by collecting a goal and an assist in both contests of the Western Conference first-round series. Defenseman Shea Theodore has learned a bit from last year's postseason cameo, and that knowledge has helped him take advantage of opportunities this time around without putting his team in peril. "That's something where you just let it affect you too much," Theodore told the Orange County Register after setting up a goal in Game 2 for his third assist of the series. "Last year, you might spend more time looking around and watching. But this year, I feel like I'm more in to it and I'm more focused on the task at hand." Fellow blue-liner Sami Vatanen, who was a late scratch for Game 2 due to an upper-body injury, is traveling with the club and will be re-assessed after the morning skate on Monday, coach Randy Carlyle said.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (45-35-2-2, 34-37 O/U): Calgary finds itself in the ominous position of trailing after two games in a best-of-seven series - with the team losing all nine of its previous such series. Mikael Backlund followed up his career-high goal total (22) this season by scoring a short-handed tally in Game 2, increasing his point total to four in his last five games. Fellow forward Sean Monahan (team-leading 27 goals) has scored in back-to-back contests after being held off the scoresheet in each of the previous four and linemate Johnny Gaudreau (team-leading 43 assists, 61 assists) notched an assist after his four-game point drought. A change of scenery might be what the doctor ordered for Calgary, which is leaving its house of horrors at the Honda Center in favor of Scotiabank Saddledome. "Obviously it's going to be fun to play at home," defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. "We can't quit. We haven't quit all season. We’re going to come out hard at home and turn the series around."

LINE HISTORY: Despite trailing the series 2-0, the Flames opened as -125 favorites for Game 3 at home. The total hit the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Ducks - D S. Vatanen (Questionable, upper body), D C. Fowler (Mid May, knee), D C. Stoner (Questionable, abdominal), D S. Despres (I-R, concussion).

Flames - D L. Smid (Out For Season, neck).

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 13-3 in their last 16 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Flames are 1-5 in their last 6 overall.
* Over is 2-0-2 in Ducks last 4 road games.
* Over is 7-1-3 in Flames last 11 home games.
* Ducks are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Calgary.

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**Udog** · 04-17-2017, 10:51 AM

NHL

Monday, April 17

NHL playoff UNDERS were back Sunday, going 3-1. 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs now have collective 4-12-4
Over/Under record - 75% UNDERS.

With Oilers' 1-0 victory over Sharks in the late game Sunday night, there has yet to be an OVER in Western Conference Playoffs.
UNDER 6-0-4

**Udog** · 04-17-2017, 11:19 AM

NHL betting cheat sheet: Potential sweeps a windfall for underdog bettors
By: Monty Andrews

The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs has not disappointed, with plenty of drama in the first few days. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the postseason betting action and what’s to come for hockey bettors this week.

Stunning sweep?

The Nashville Predators are halfway to what would be the most surprising result of the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs: a four-game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The hardest part is over for the Predators, who went into the Windy City and stole a pair of shutout victories, including a one-sided 5-0 triumph in Game 2 on Saturday.

Netminder Pekka Rinne has stopped all 59 shots he’s faced in the series and has been red hot for a while now, helping contribute to Nashville's 1-7-2 Over/Under record over the previous 10 games. Game 3 goes Monday night in Nashville, where the Preds were 24-9-6 during the regular season. Nashville is EVEN money to win Game 3 at SportsInteraction.com.

Minny singing the Blues

The Minnesota Wild are on the verge of being knocked out of the Western Conference playoffs, trailing 3-0 in the opening-round series following a 3-1 defeat in Game 3 in St. Louis.

After scoring 17 goals during a four-game season-ending winning streak, the Wild offense has completely dried up in the playoffs, as it enters Tuesday's Game 4 having tallied just three times in the first three contests.

The Blues, meanwhile, are on the most impressive run in the league right now, having gone 18-2-2 over their previous 22 games (including playoffs). They're also 6-13-3 O/U over that stretch.

No surprise in San Jose

SAP Center in San Jose was the site of the fewest Over results in the NHL this season, as the Sharks were just 10-22-9 O/U there during the regular schedule.

That trend continued unsurprisingly in the Sharks' opening home game of the postseason, as they dropped a 1-0 decision to Edmonton and saw the Oilers take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set.

San Jose has been blanked in back-to-back games thanks to an airtight Oilers defense that limited the Sharks to 39 shots in Games 2 and 3. The Sharks will look to even the series as the teams tangle in Game 4 on Tuesday night at SAP Center. SportsInteraction.com has the betting total at five goals (Under -130).

Injury updates

* The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to have defenseman Nikita Zaitsev back in time for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Washington Capitals. Zaitsev's return from an upper-body injury is a critical one for the Maple Leafs, who have lost fellow blueliner Roman Polak (lower body) for the rest of the season. The series is tied 1-1.

* The Boston Bruins are hoping to have skilled center David Krejci back in action for Game 3 of their East quarterfinal against the Ottawa Senators. Krejci missed the first two games of the series with an upper-body injury after suiting up for all 82 regular season games for the Bruins, scoring 23 goals and adding 31 assists.

Player notes

* Jake Guentzel might not have been a household name prior to the postseason, but hockey fans know who he is now after he recorded a hat trick in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in a thrilling Game 3. Guentzel has been a surprise playoff hero for Pittsburgh, scoring four goals and adding an assist in three games.

* The Montreal Canadiens have seized a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the New York Rangers, thanks in no small part to the scoring exploits of Alexander Radulov. The veteran right winger had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 2, and followed that up with a two-point performance in the Canadiens' 3-1 triumph in Game 3.

Stanley Cup futures

* There's a new favorite to win the Stanley Cup, according to Sports Interaction. The Penguins have vaulted past the Capitals for the honor of being the odds-on fave, priced at +333 odds to repeat as NHL champions. The Capitals are next in line at +350, with the Canadiens holding sole possession of third place at +700.

* The Blackhawks and Wild have both seen their Stanley Cup odds plummet after getting off to dreadful starts in the playoffs. Chicago opened the postseason at +550 - tied with Pittsburgh for the second best odds - but come into this week at +1,200. Minnesota is even worse off, going from +700 a week ago to a whopping +4,000 as of Monday.

Over/Under trends

* Games decided in regulation have been a major boon to Under bettors through the first five days of playoff action. Non-overtime games are a stunning 0-10-3 O/U, while games that go to extra time have gone 4-2-0 O/U so far.

**Udog** · 04-17-2017, 12:37 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, April 17

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – Series tied at 1-1

Washington at Toronto, 7:05 PM ET
Washington: 21-9 SU in road games revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite
Toronto: 34-47 SU in home games

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – Series tied at 1-1

Ottawa at Boston, 7:05 PM ET
Ottawa: 18-8 SU off a home win against a division rival
Boston: 13-18 SU in home games after a division game

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – NAS Leads 2-0

Chicago at Nashville, 9:35 PM ET
Chicago: 24-16 SU in road games
Nashville: 1-6 SU off a road win against a division rival

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – ANA Leads 2-0

Anaheim at Calgary, 10:05 PM ET
Anaheim: 0-6 SU in road games off a win against a division rival
Calgary: 25-16 SU revenging a loss versus opponent

Announcement

Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/17

Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/17

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