Announcement

**Udog** · 12-28-2017, 08:35 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

— Butler 91, Georgetown 89 2OT— Bulldogs trailed by 20 in this game.

— Xavier 91, Marquette 87— Marquette was 15-38 on arc, 17-31 inside arc, and still lost.

— Eagles beat Oakland Monday nite, but gained only 37 total yards in second half.

— Detroit Pistons’ PG Reggie Jackson (grade 3 ankle sprain) is out 6-8 weeks.

— Purdue 38, Arizona 35— Best bowl game this season so far.

— Pelicans 128, Nets 113— Rajon Rondo is first NBA player with 25 assists in a game since Jason Kidd, in 1996

**********

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

13) OK, so it is really cold in beautiful upstate New York this week, where I live. I’m in the grocery store Wednesday, buying some non-nutritional food items, and I see this guy walk in the store wearing a jacket and shorts. It is 15 freakin’ degrees out. This genius has shorts on.

Guy looked like he was in his mid-late 40’s. I had a parka on over a sweatshirt and I was still freezing. This guy had shorts on, not even gym shorts, the kind you wear in summer. Oy.

12) Duke 36, Northern Illinois 14— NIU tried the worst fake punt I’ve even seen- seriously.

4:32 left in first quarter, Duke leading 7-0. Northern Illinois has 4th-and-18 at their own 11— their punter catches the snap and throws a long pass to the gunner going down the sideline on the right— the pass bounces couple yards short of the receiver, who was 3-4 yards short of the line to gain anyway, and he was covered, to boot. Simply awful.

The TV announcers were stunned, tried to be kind, but it was coaching malpractice. Duke scored a TD three plays later, led 14-0 on their way to an easy 36-14 win.

11) UCLA kicker JJ Molson is an 8th generation member of the Molson family, who own part of the largest brewery in Canada. His dad’s cousin owns the Montreal Canadiens; the kid’s mother is an optometrist- their family’s net worth is estimated a $1.6B, thats billion, with a B.

JJ Molson turned down a scholarship offer from Alabama to kick at UCLA. Before this season, he had never kicked before a crowd larger than 1,000 people.

10) Utah 30, West Virginia 14— Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is the King of Bowls; he is 11-1 in bowls as a head coach. Utes weren’t even that good this year (7-6) but they won this game easily.

9) Weird scene after the Seattle-Dallas game Sunday, with Seahawks’ DB Earl Thomas running up to Cowboys coach Jason Garrett in the tunnel after the game and apparently asking Garrett to recruit him in free agency this winter. You don’t see that every day.

8) 91-year old Mel Brooks has been an actor, writer, producer, director, comedian, composer. He is a comic genius- his resume goes from Get Smart to Blazing Saddles to The Producers. Brooks was married to the great actress Anne Bancroft for 41 years before she passed away in 2005.

During World War II, Brooks was a corporal in the 78th Infantry Division, defusing landmines. What a life he’s had, but it was amazing to me that the guy who created such great comedy spent part of his life under the greatest pressure imaginable, defusing landmines in a war. Wow.

7) Phoenix Suns beat Memphis 99-97 Tuesday night on a great side out-of-bounds play with 0:00.6 left; the inbounder basically tried to put his pass in the basket, then Tyson Chandler simply tipped it home at the buzzer- there cannot be offensive goaltending on a shot that wouldn’t be a legal basket, such as an in-bounds pass. Clever strategy by Suns’ coach Jay Triano.

6) All the NFL games with playoff implications are being played at 4:25 Sunday, to increase the drama as far as who makes/misses the playoffs.

Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh was whining Tuesday that the late start might hurt the crowd in Baltimore, saying, “I don’t think the NFL did us any favors by moving it back, but they don’t care about us. So, we just have to care about ourselves. We have to take care of our own business. That goes for our team, for our fans and for our city. Let’s go win the football game.”

Playing the “us against the world” card. Jeez, all they have to do is beat the Bengals.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars have had 13 players who started every game this season; Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had one. Part of winning is the good fortune of staying healthy.

4) Saw a scary story on the Interweb this week about how Houston Astros’ coach Rich Dauer almost died at the Astros’ World Series parade/celebration just after the World Series.

Turns out Dauer had fallen and banged his head the day before, and he had bleeding on the brain the next day. Doctors performed an aamergency operations and he came thru it well, in a situation where one doctor had given him a 3% chance of having a complete recovery.

3) Rams are sitting out lot of starters this week, notably Todd Gurley/Jared Goff, which means QB Sean Mannion will make his first NFL start……….likewise for the Chiefs, with Alex Smith taking a seat in Denver this week— rookie Patrick Mahomes gets his first NFL start.

2) Chicago Bulls are 3-20 with Nikola Mirotic out of the lineup this season; they’re 9-2 since he got back in the lineup. Mirotic was out of the lineup because he got punched out by teammate Bobby Portis in a practice before the season started and his cheekbones got broken. Not good.

1) Disappointing news from the Arena Football front, where apparently the Tampa Bay Storm have closed up shop, meaning the AFL is down to four teams this season, which obviously isn’t a good situation. Arenaball is a great, affordable night out; hopefully more cities will be interested in having a team and the league can become popular again, like it was in the 90’s.

**Udog** · 12-28-2017, 08:50 AM

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 28

Montreal won six of its last eight games with Tampa Bay; they won three of last four games in this building. Over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Canadiens lost six of last nine games overall; they split last six road games. Five of their last six games stayed under total. Montreal is 2-4 if they played night before. Tampa Bay won nine of last ten games; they won their last seven home games. Seven of their last ten games went over total.

Washington won its last ten games with Boston (under 6-3-1). Bruins won their last five games, outscoring opponents 20-5; they won six of last seven games on road. Six of their last nine games stayed under the total. Boston is 2-3 if they played the night before. Washington lost its last three games after a 12-2 run; Caps won their last six home games- they’re 2-5 if they played night before. Four of their last five games stayed under the total.

Flyers won their last four games with Florida; they lost three of last four games in this building. Under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Flyers lost three of their last four games; they lost six of last nine road games. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Florida won its last three games, allowing four goals; they won three of last four home games. Five of their last seven games stayed under total.

Coyotes won six of last seven games with Toronto; Maple Leafs split their last four visits here. Under is 8-2 in last ten series games. Toronto lost four of its last six games overall; they lost four of last five road games. Under is 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Arizona lost eight of its last ten games overall, six of last seven on road- they’re 0-6 if they played night before. Six of their last eight games stayed under the total.

Chicago won four of last five games with Vancouver; they’re 3-2 in last five games in this arena. Over is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Chicago lost its last two games 4-0/4-1 after a 5-game win streak; they’re 2-5 in last seven road games. Under is 6-0-1 in their last seven games. Vancouver lost its last four games, outscored 21-11; they lost five of their last six home games. Seven of their last eight games went over the total.

Golden Knights beat the Kings 4-2 at home in their only meeting, Nov 19. Las Vegas won its last five games, outscoring opponents 18-7; they won their last three home games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Knights are 3-3 if they played the night before. Los Angeles lost four of its last six games overall; they won their last five home games. Kings’ last three games stayed under total.

Calgary-San Jose split their last ten games; under is 4-1-2 in last seven series games. Flames split their last four games in the Shark Tank. Calgary lost four of its last six games overall; they’re 3-4 in their last seven road games. Seven of their last nine games stayed under the total. San Jose is 5-3 in its last eight games overall, 4-1 in last five home games. Three of their last four games went over the total.

**Udog** · 12-28-2017, 08:52 AM

NHL

Thursday, December 28

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Trend Report
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PHILADELPHIA @ FLORIDA
Philadelphia is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games

MONTREAL @ TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games

BOSTON @ WASHINGTON
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

TORONTO @ ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 7 games when playing Toronto

LAS VEGAS @ LOS ANGELES
Las Vegas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Los Angeles's last 10 games at home

CHICAGO @ VANCOUVER
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Vancouver's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games at home

CALGARY @ SAN JOSE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games
Calgary is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
San Jose is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
San Jose is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Calgary

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**Udog** · 12-28-2017, 10:09 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, December 28

Montreal @ Tampa Bay

Game 51-52
December 28, 2017 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
10.212
Tampa Bay
12.776
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
N/A

Boston @ Washington

Game 53-54
December 28, 2017 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
10.303
Washington
11.776
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
N/A

Philadelphia @ Florida

Game 55-56
December 28, 2017 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
11.744
Florida
10.209
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-120
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+100); Over

Toronto @ Arizona

Game 57-58
December 28, 2017 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
10.673
Arizona
11.557
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-170
6
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+150); Under

Chicago @ Vancouver

Game 59-60
December 28, 2017 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
11.989
Vancouver
10.887
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-125
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-125); Under

Vegas @ Los Angeles

Game 61-62
December 28, 2017 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vegas
11.213
Los Angeles
12.755
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-140
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-140); Over

Calgary @ San Jose

Game 63-64
December 28, 2017 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
11.778
San Jose
10.616
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-145
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(+125); Over

**Udog** · 12-28-2017, 10:11 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, December 28

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MONTREAL (16-17-0-4, 36 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (26-7-0-2, 54 pts.) - 12/28/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 13-25 ATS (-15.4 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 26-9 ATS (+15.8 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 26-9 ATS (+8.3 Units) first half of the season this season.
MONTREAL is 22-12 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 370-413 ATS (-99.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 170-205 ATS (-75.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 6-2 (+5.3 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 6-2-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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BOSTON (20-10-0-5, 45 pts.) at WASHINGTON (22-13-0-3, 47 pts.) - 12/28/2017, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-0 (+8.3 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 8-0-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (15-13-0-8, 38 pts.) at FLORIDA (15-16-0-5, 35 pts.) - 12/28/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 5-11 ATS (-8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 5-11 ATS (-8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season this season.
FLORIDA is 16-6 ATS (+9.3 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 82-62 ATS (+18.6 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
FLORIDA is 50-68 ATS (-25.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 10-18 ATS (-9.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 31-60 ATS (+100.7 Units) after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
FLORIDA is 20-30 ATS (-15.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-2 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 5-2-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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TORONTO (22-14-0-1, 45 pts.) at ARIZONA (9-25-0-5, 23 pts.) - 12/28/2017, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 367-391 ATS (-114.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
ARIZONA is 9-30 ATS (-29.8 Units) in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 9-30 ATS (+51.5 Units) first half of the season this season.
ARIZONA is 33-98 ATS (+175.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 4-1 (+5.1 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 4-1-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.8 Units)

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CHICAGO (17-13-0-5, 39 pts.) at VANCOUVER (15-17-0-5, 35 pts.) - 12/28/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 7-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 351-345 ATS (-135.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 55-25 ATS (+19.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 4-12 ATS (+19.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
VANCOUVER is 374-349 ATS (+770.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 4-2 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-2-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.7 Units)

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VEGAS (24-9-0-2, 50 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (22-11-0-4, 48 pts.) - 12/28/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VEGAS is 24-11 ATS (+37.2 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in December games this season.
VEGAS is 24-11 ATS (+37.2 Units) first half of the season this season.
VEGAS is 10-1 ATS (+11.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
VEGAS is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a division game this season.
VEGAS is 10-5 ATS (+16.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VEGAS is 10-5 ATS (+16.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 15-23 ATS (-22.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
VEGAS is 1-0-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
0 of 0 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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CALGARY (18-15-0-3, 39 pts.) at SAN JOSE (19-11-0-4, 42 pts.) - 12/28/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 20-16 ATS (+41.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 67-60 ATS (+138.8 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 153-127 ATS (-62.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 171-147 ATS (-82.1 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 6-5-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.9 Units)

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

**Udog** · 12-28-2017, 11:36 PM

NHL Betting Cheat Sheet and Odds: Maple Leafs headed to Las Vegas for NYE
Monty Andrews

The Senators are trying desperately to figure out what has gone wrong this season, a Saturday showdown for the top of the Metropolitan division, and the Maple Leafs get set to take on the Knights on New Year's Eve in Sin City.

Senators Seeking a Solution

The Ottawa Senators have all but played their way out of playoff contention - at least in oddsmakers' eyes - as they prepare for a pair of home games before the calendar flips to 2018. Ottawa's 5-1 thumping at the hands of the Boston Bruins on Wednesday has the team sitting second-last in the Eastern Conference, just four points clear of the Buffalo Sabres. They're a whopping +7,500 on Bet365 to win the division, and have seen their Stanley Cup odds slip to a miraculous +10,000. They'll host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday before closing out 2017 against the Bruins the following night.

Metropolitan Showdown

The Metropolitan Division remains the most competitive in the league - which makes Saturday's showdown between the New Jersey Devils and the host Washington Capitals the top game on the schedule. The Devils own a two-point lead over the Capitals atop the division by virtue of a five-game winning streak entering Thursday. The Capitals previously held the division lead but have dropped three in a row heading into Thursday's play. Washington has a significant upper hand in the recent head-to-head series, having won the last four meetings while outscoring the Devils by a 17-6 margin over that stretch.

Happy New Year!

Imagine being the opposing team that has to deal with playing a New Year's Eve game in Las Vegas. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the lucky winners this season as they'll face the red-hot Golden Knights in a Sunday matinee at T-Mobile Arena. In addition to having to navigate through the crowds of people on Las Vegas Boulevard, the Maple Leafs will also be up against a Golden Knights team that has just two regulation losses through its first 18 home games. Vegas suddenly finds itself with the seventh-best championship odds (+1,500) - though the Maple Leafs are one of the six teams presently ahead of them (+1,000).

Injury Updates

* The Chicago Blackhawks head through Western Canada without starting netminder Corey Crawford, who has been placed on IR with an upper-body injury. It's a major blow for the Blackhawks, who are 16-9-2 SU and 10-15-3 O/U in his 28 starts.

* The Columbus Blue Jackets have had to do without the services of defenseman Zach Werenski, who has missed the last four games with an undisclosed ailment. But Columbus hasn't suffered in his absence, going 2-0-2 in that stretch.

* Jay Bouwmeester is back skating, but there is no timetable for the St. Louis Blues defenseman's return. The Blues are 2-6-0 since Bouwmeester went down - though that has more to do with having scored a paltry 10 goals over that span.

Player News

* Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin is heating up with four goals in his last five games, and had three points in Wednesday's 5-4 shootout win over Columbus. The Penguins are 6-0-1 SU and 5-1-1 O/U when Malkin records a multi-point game.

* The Islanders forward tandem of John Tavares and Josh Bailey continues to take the league by storm, sharing the December scoring lead with 20 points each. it's no surprise, then, that New York has been one of the month's best over plays at 10-3 O/U.

* Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg will likely go into the new year as the top-scoring blue-liner in the league; he currently has a four-point edge over three others. His offense has helped the Stars build a 21-16-1 O/U record entering Thursday's play.

Stanley Cup Futures

* The Bruins have undergone an incredible turnaround, and find themselves among the Stanley Cup favorites heading into 2018. Boston enters Thursday at +1,300 on Sports Interaction to win the NHL championship, the fourth-best odds in the league.

* The Islanders have seen their odds of claiming their first NHL championship since 1983 climb to +1,600 as of Thursday. The Isles boast the NHL's No. 2 offense at 3.5 goals per game, but are allowing 3.5 goals per contest to rank last in the league.

Over/Under Trends

* The Blues are the hottest under play in the league at the moment, going below the total in nine consecutive games heading into a Friday night encounter with the Dallas Stars. St. Louis is now 15-24-0 O/U for the season.

* The Tampa Bay Lightning have emerged as a strong over option thanks to a league-best 4.20 goals per game this month. The Lightning have exceeded the total in seven of their 10 December contests going into Thursday's showdown with Montreal.

Announcement

Thursday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 12/28

Thursday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 12/28

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