Announcement

**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 08:31 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Odds to win the Super Bowl next season:

5-1— New England Patriots

7-1— Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles

12-1— Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers

16-1— New Orleans Saints

18-1— Atlanta Falcons

20-1— Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams

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

13) I came down to the casino floor Monday to go to the sports book here at the Westgate, and 3/4 of the casino floor is empty, including the carpet. They’re tearing up the old carpet and laying new carpet— they moved out all the slot machines and pushed the gaming tables over by the theater— it just looks weird. I’m guessing everything will be back in place by the weekend.

12) Auburn is an 8.5-point favorite over Kentucky tonight; when these teams met LY, Kentucky was a 24-point favorite. Bruce Pearl has to get lot of votes for national Coach of the Year.

11) Over the last six seasons, Kentucky has been a road underdog in ten SEC games; would you be surprised to know that they’re 1-8-1 against the spread in those games?

10) Georgetown 87, Butler 83— 11-point underdog Hoyas are 5-9 in the Big East after playing the easiest pre-conference schedule in the country. When Patrick Ewing pulled his team out of the PK80 tournament in November, it was assumed that the talent there was so awful that they didn’t want to get clobbered early in Ewing’s first season as a head coach.

Georgetown’s kids play very hard and fact is, they’re better than most people thought they would be. Moving on, recruiting will be a huge question for Ewing, since he’s never done it before.

9) Persistence is important in sports and in life. Golfer Ted Potter Jr won the Pebble Beach tournament Sunday and earned $1,506,517 for his second career win.

When Potter was first starting out as a pro golfer, he entered 24 events on the web.com Tour, and he missed the cut in all 24 tournaments. Can you imagine how awful that must have been, not to mention how expensive? But Potter stuck it out, and now he is a 2-time Tour winner.

8) Pepperdine fired basketball coach Marty Wilson; in seven years in Malibu, the Waves are 42-76 in WCC games under Wilson, 1-13 this year. Pepperdine went 10-8 in league two and also three years ago, but then they fell off the cliff.

This means that in a league dominated by Gonzaga/St Mary’s, with BYU a steady third, LMU coach Mike Dunlap is the 4th-longest tenured coach in the WCC and he is 21-47 in WCC games. Five of the ten WCC teams have fired their coach in the last three years- Pacific’s coach retired.

7) Looks like the Los Angeles Angels will use a 6-man pitching rotation, which is what teams in Japan do (teams generally have Monday off in Japan). Halos spent a ton of money when they signed Shohei Ohtani, and he is used to pitching once a week. This will be an interesting thing to follow— if it works for them, you know more teams will do it.

6) Isaiah Thomas is in his 7th year in the NBA and he is already on his fifth team; what does that tell you? He is a career 19 ppg scorer. I’m guessing he may not be America’s best teammate.

5) Arizona Cardinals gave GM Steve Keim a 4-year contract extension; now he has to get together with his new coach and figure out who the Cardinals’ QB will be going forward.

4) Nebraska 70, Maryland 66— Cornhuskers have 20 wins for the first time since 1993.

3) Rhode Island 85, Richmond 67— Rams won their 16th straight game, but EC Matthews hurt his left knee and was dragged off the court. URI seemed hopeful that the injury isn’t serious- they went 4-2 when Matthews broke his wrist earlier this season.

2) What in God’s name is former major league pitcher Esteban Loaiza thinking? The guy made over $43M in his playing career and now he gets busted with 44 pounds of cocaine, which is worth $500,000? Hard to have any sympathy for the guy.

1) If you want someone else to hold your money for the next 50 weeks, you can bet Super Bowl LIII today; AFC is a 1-point favorite, with a total of 52. Game is in Atlanta’s domed stadium.

**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 08:47 AM

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, February 15

Kings won four of last five games with Pittsburgh; four of last six series games went OT/SO. LA won three of its last four visits to Steel City. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. Kings split their last six games overall, lost three of last four road games. Four of their last five games went over total. Penguins won seven of last nine games overall, won their last six home games. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games.

Devils won three of last four games with Carolina; under is 4-0-4 in last eight series games. Hurricanes split their last four visits to the Garden State. Carolina won its last three games, outscoring foes 14-5; this is their first road game in three weeks. Seven of their last eight games stayed under. New Jersey lost four of its last five games; they’re 2-3 in last five home games. Four of last five Devil games went over the total.

Islanders won nine of last ten games with the Rangers, who lost their last four visits to the Barclays Center. Over is 6-1-1 in last eight series games- road team won five of those eight games. Rangers lost five of their last seven games, both overall and on road. Last three Ranger road games stayed under. Islanders lost six of their last eight games overall, four of last six home games. Four of their last six games went over.

Sabres won six of last seven games with Ottawa; they won four of last five games in this arena. Nine of last ten series games stayed under. Buffalo won three of last four games overall; they won last three road games, allowing total of two goals. Sabres’ last five games went over total. Senators won their last three home games; they’re 4-3 in last seven games overall. Last four Ottawa games went over total.

Lightning won their last ten games with Detroit, which lost its last five visits to the Bay Area. Over is 4-4-2 in last ten series games. Red Wings are 4-3 in last seven games overall, 3-2 in last five road games. Seven of their last ten games stayed under total. Lightning won 11 of last 14 home games; they’re 4-4 in last eight games overall. Last seven Tampa Bay games went over the total.

Washington won its last six games with Minnesota, winning last three visits to the Twin Cities. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Capitals lost four of their last six games overall- they split their last four road games. Seven of last eight Washington games went over total. Minnesota won seven of last ten games overall, five of last six home games. Four of their last six games went over the total.

Road team won seven of last nine Flame-Predator games; Calgary won four of their last five visits to Nashville. Six of last eight series games stayed under. Flames won four of last six games overall; they split last six road games. Six of their last nine games overall. Nashville won five of its last seven games, last five of which went OT/SO. Four of their last six games went over total.

Blackhawks won six of last nine games with Anaheim; under is 3-1-3 in last seven series games. Ducks lost three of last five visits to Chicago. Anaheim lost five of its last seven games overall, four of last five on road. Ducks’ last three games stayed under total. Chicago lost its last seven games, outscored 29-12; they lost 3-2/4-2 in last two home games. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Arizona won five of last eight games with Montreal; last four series games went over. Canadiens won three of last five games in Arizona. Montreal lost its last four road games and six of its last eight games overall; five of their last seven games stayed under. Coyotes won three of last four games overall; they’re 2-3 in last five home games. Five of their last six games went over the total.

Edmonton beat Las Vegas twice this year, 3-2 in OT here last month, 8-2 at home. Oilers lost their last four games, outscored 21-13- they lost three of last four road games. Six of their last seven games went over the total. Golden Knights split their last six games, lost two of last three at home. Five of their last six games went over the total.

Sharks won seven of last eight games with Vancouver; four of last six series games went under the total. Canucks lost their last four games in the Shark Tank. Vancouver lost five of its last six games overall; they lost three of last four road games. Six of their last eight games went over the total. San Jose is 4-6 in its last ten games overall, 1-3 in last four home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under.

**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 08:50 AM

NHL

Thursday, February 15

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Trend Report
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CAROLINA @ NEW JERSEY
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Carolina's last 8 games
Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games at home

NY RANGERS @ NY ISLANDERS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Rangers's last 6 games when playing NY Islanders
NY Rangers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
NY Islanders is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Islanders is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Rangers

LOS ANGELES @ PITTSBURGH
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games at home

BUFFALO @ OTTAWA
Buffalo is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Buffalo is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Ottawa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Ottawa's last 10 games when playing Buffalo

DETROIT @ TAMPA BAY
Detroit is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

WASHINGTON @ MINNESOTA
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

CALGARY @ NASHVILLE
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 8 games when playing Nashville
Nashville is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Nashville's last 8 games when playing Calgary

ANAHEIM @ CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Anaheim's last 17 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Anaheim is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Chicago's last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Chicago's last 17 games when playing at home against Anaheim

MONTREAL @ ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Montreal's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Montreal's last 14 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Arizona's last 14 games when playing at home against Montreal

EDMONTON @ VEGAS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 7 games
Edmonton is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vegas's last 6 games
Vegas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

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

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**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 10:06 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 15

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LOS ANGELES (30-21-0-5, 65 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (32-22-0-4, 68 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 28-34 ATS (-21.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 197-239 ATS (-77.9 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 7-17 ATS (+24.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 37-13 ATS (+18.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 32-10 ATS (+12.2 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 12-2 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 18-4 ATS (+12.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 11-16 ATS (-11.0 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 4-1 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-1-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.9 Units)

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CAROLINA (27-21-0-9, 63 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (28-20-0-8, 64 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 31-49 ATS (-21.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 22-47 ATS (+75.3 Units) in road games after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
NEW JERSEY is 20-43 ATS (+67.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 5-4 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 5-4-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.6 Units)

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NY RANGERS (27-25-0-5, 59 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (27-25-0-6, 60 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 6-17 ATS (+26.4 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 30-16 ATS (+13.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 21-12 ATS (+8.3 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 19-12 ATS (+32.2 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 7-15 ATS (-9.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 6 or more over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 84-122 ATS (-48.3 Units) in home games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 9-1 (+9.1 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 9-1-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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BUFFALO (17-30-0-10, 44 pts.) at OTTAWA (19-27-0-9, 47 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 17-40 ATS (+73.4 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 42-41 ATS (+87.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 282-255 ATS (+26.7 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
OTTAWA is 19-36 ATS (+64.0 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 4-14 ATS (+21.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
OTTAWA is 10-16 ATS (-8.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 7-3 (+4.9 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 7-3-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+8.2 Units)

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DETROIT (23-23-0-9, 55 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (38-16-0-3, 79 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 14-35 ATS (+50.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 124-84 ATS (+24.9 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 5-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) after a division game this season.
TAMPA BAY is 376-418 ATS (+918.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 14-3 (+10.8 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 14-3-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.3 Units)

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WASHINGTON (32-17-0-7, 71 pts.) at MINNESOTA (31-19-0-6, 68 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 189-221 ATS (-76.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 13-3 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 156-89 ATS (+17.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 60-47 ATS (+109.2 Units) in road games in February games since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 58-62 ATS (-24.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-0 (+5.0 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 5-0-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.5 Units)

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CALGARY (29-20-0-8, 66 pts.) at NASHVILLE (34-12-0-9, 77 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 34-21 ATS (+12.0 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 18-9 ATS (+6.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 31-18 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 24-20 ATS (+50.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 14-9 ATS (+26.1 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 39-31 ATS (+72.5 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 4-4 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 4-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.7 Units)

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ANAHEIM (27-20-0-11, 65 pts.) at CHICAGO (24-25-0-8, 56 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 540-434 ATS (+36.2 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 244-194 ATS (+33.8 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 43-29 ATS (+8.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 24-33 ATS (-22.9 Units) in all games this season.
CHICAGO is 0-7 ATS (-10.5 Units) in February games this season.
CHICAGO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 12-22 ATS (-16.9 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 355-352 ATS (+782.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 152-172 ATS (-96.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 4-3 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-3-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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MONTREAL (22-27-0-7, 51 pts.) at ARIZONA (15-32-0-10, 40 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 22-34 ATS (-15.8 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 8-18 ATS (-12.1 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MONTREAL is 11-23 ATS (+35.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
MONTREAL is 102-80 ATS (+182.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
ARIZONA is 15-42 ATS (+57.0 Units) in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 5-16 ATS (+28.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-2 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 3-2-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.1 Units)

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EDMONTON (23-28-0-4, 50 pts.) at VEGAS (37-15-0-4, 78 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 23-32 ATS (-15.8 Units) in all games this season.
EDMONTON is 7-14 ATS (-8.6 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 4-12 ATS (-11.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
VEGAS is 37-19 ATS (+56.0 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 13-2 ATS (+10.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
EDMONTON is 37-20 ATS (+14.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 2-0 (+2.6 Units) against the spread versus VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 2-0-0 straight up against VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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VANCOUVER (22-29-0-6, 50 pts.) at SAN JOSE (30-19-0-8, 68 pts.) - 2/15/2018, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 10-3 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 10-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.2 Units)

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**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 01:03 PM

NHL

Thursday, February 15

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NHL Game of the Day: Rangers at Islanders betting preview and odds
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New York Rangers at New York Islanders (A: +105, H: -125, T: 6.5)

The New York Rangers have dropped eight of their last 11 to find themselves in the cellar of the congested Metropolitan Division, one point behind the New York Islanders. The Rangers look to reverse course on their current path and snap a five-game losing skid to the Islanders on Thursday when the crosstown rivals meet at Barclays Center for the first time this season.

Kevin Hayes scored and set up a goal in Tuesday's 3-2 setback at Minnesota to extend his assist and point streak to three games and point total to seven in eight contests since returning from injury. The 25-year-old has scored a goal in both the Rangers' 4-3 shootout loss to the Islanders on Oct. 19 as well as a 7-2 shellacking on Jan. 13. Islanders rookie sensation Mathew Barzal scored two goals and set up three others in that latter encounter and registered another five-point performance - all assists - in a 7-6 overtime win over Detroit on Friday. The Islanders, however, dropped back-to-back contests to Calgary and Columbus as they head into the finale of their four-game homestand on Thursday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG, MSG-Plus2

LINE HISTORY: The Islanders opened as -135 moneyline favorites for the latest edition of the "Battle of New York" and that number came down slightly to -125 on Thursday morning. The total hit betting boards at 6 and a steady flood of Over wagers has forced the number up to 6.5.

GOALIE SHOWDOWN:

Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) vs. Jaroslav Halak (NYI)
GP W L OTL GAA SAVE % SO
Henrik Lundqvist 49 23 18 4 2.74 .919 2

Jaroslav Halak 40 17 18 4 3.25 .909 0

INJURY REPORT:

Rangers - D Ryan McDonagh (Questionable, Upper Body), D Steven Kampfer (Late March, Hand), G Ondrej Pavelec (Early March, Knee), RW Pavel Buchnevich (Out Indefinitely, Concussion), D Marc Staal (Out Indefinitely, Neck), LW Chris Kreider (Out Indefinitely, Ribs), D Kevin Shattenkirk (Out Indefinitely, Knee).

Islanders - C Tanner Fritz (Questionable, Lower Body), LW Nikolay Kulemin (Late March, Shoulder), D Scott Mayfield (Early March, Lower Body), LW Shane Prince (Out Indefinitely, Upper Body), D Calvin de Haan (Out For Season, Shoulder).

ABOUT THE RANGERS (27-25-1-4, 32-24 O/U): Chris Kreider returned to practice on Wednesday after being sidelined since Dec. 27 with a blood clot that required surgery to repair. "It really puts things in perspective," the 26-year-old Kreider said after skating with his teammates in a non-contact practice jersey. "I don't think I took (playing hockey) for granted ever, but it definitely makes you grateful for everything you have." Fellow forward Pavel Buchnevich also skated in a non-contact practice sweater on Wednesday as he attempts to work his way back from a concussion.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (27-25-5-1, 36-19 O/U): Captain John Tavares recorded his 600th career point by jamming home a loose puck on the power play in the first period of a 4-1 setback versus the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who has a team co-leading 29 goals and club-best 63 points, is on pace for his first point-per-game campaign since 2014-15. Fellow forward Anders Lee notched his team-leading 47th assist against Columbus and also had one in the first meeting with the Rangers.

TRENDS:

* Rangers are 2-8 in their last 10 road games.
* Islanders are 1-6 in their last 7 Thursday games.
* Over is 8-1 in Rangers last 9 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Over is 35-14-3 in Islanders last 52 overall.
* Over is 6-1-1 in the last 8 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the home favorite Islanders at a rate of 59 percent and the Under is getting 53 of the totals action.

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**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 01:05 PM

NHL Betting Cheat Sheet and Odds: Jets enjoying success on home ice
Monty Andrews

The Winnipeg Jets remain among the leaders in the Western Conference thanks to a 21-5-2 record at Bell MTS Place.

More Home Cooking

If it seems like the Winnipeg Jets have played a lot of home games lately, it's because they have. Winnipeg will play the eighth game of its mammoth 10-game homestand Friday night against a Colorado team that could use a little home cooking of its own. The Avs are playing their 10th road game in the previous 12 contests; they're just 3-5-1 in their previous nine away contests coming into this one, and will be in tough against a Winnipeg unit that remains among the leaders in the Western Conference thanks to a 21-5-2 record at Bell MTS Place. Colorado has won two of three in the season series, with both victories coming in overtime.

The Odds Are Not in Their Favor

The Montreal Canadiens have had a tough time winning away from Bell Centre this season - and those road struggles are likely to continue Saturday night as they head to Vegas for an encounter with the powerhouse Golden Knights. Montreal is a dismal 8-17-1 on the road this season; those eight away victories are the second-fewest in the entire Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are a sensational 20-4-2 in their inaugural season at T-Mobile Arena, and remain one of the most incredible stories in professional sports this year. Vegas will be looking for a season series split after losing 3-2 in Montreal on Nov. 7.

Original Six Showdown

One of the NHL's oldest rivalries resumes this Sunday in the Motor City as the Detroit Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Things have been a bit one-sided of late, with the Maple Leafs having won five of the previous six meetings between the teams; the Red Wings did prevail 3-1 in their last encounter Dec. 16. Toronto goes into the weekend as one of the best under plays over the past half-season, but that trend might be softening as the Maple Leafs entered Thursday having gone above the total in four of their previous five games. Detroit is 24-31 O/U on the season.

Player News

* The Vancouver Canucks have signed general manager Jim Benning to a multi-year contract extension. Benning's Canucks entered Thursday in second-last place in the Western Conference standings, just six points clear of the Arizona Coyotes.

* The Los Angeles Kings insist they're not done wheeling and dealing, even after acquiring defenseman Dion Phaneuf in a four-player trade with the Ottawa Senators. The Kings, who rank 17th in goals per game, are seeking a "mid-level scoring winger."

* The Philadelphia Flyers aren't in the market for goaltending despite losing Brian Elliott for up to six weeks with a core muscle injury. The Flyers, who are clinging to third place in the Metropolitan Division, rank 15th overall in goals allowed per game.

Injury Updates

* Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner should be good to go this weekend after leaving Wednesday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a muscle spasm in his leg. Gardner plays a team-high 22:52 per night for the Maple Leafs.

* The Dallas Stars will have blue-liner Mark Methot back in the lineup for Friday's game against St. Louis. Knee injuries have limited Methot to just 16 games this season; the Stars are 9-7-0 SU and 8-7-1 O/U with the 32-year-old in the lineup.

* Vancouver Canucks forward Markus Granlund will undergo surgery on his injured ankle and might be lost for the remainder of the season. The Canucks are 5-4-1 SU and 8-2 O/U when Granlund records a point in 2017-18.

Stanley Cup Futures

* The Tampa Bay Lightning's odds of hoisting their second Stanley Cup in franchise history have taken a bit of a hit. The Lightning come into Thursday at a league-best +600 on Bet365 to win the title, down from +525 at the start of the week.

* There's quite a race going on for the second-best odds to win the championship. The Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators are all tied at +800 on Bet365, with the Toronto Maple Leafs close behind at +950.

Over/Under Trends

* The Lightning are not only the Stanley Cup favorites - they're an over bettor's dream at the moment, going above the total in seven straight games and 14 of their last 17. That over surge has moved Tampa to 36-21 O/U for the season.

* Anaheim continues to challenge rival San Jose for the title of "best under play" this season, going below the total in three straight games entering Thursday. The Ducks are now 22-35-1 O/U on the year; San Jose is 21-35-1.

**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 01:08 PM

Five NHL teams with goalie issues that will impact your wagers
Ashton Grewal

The New Jersey Devils are one of several NHL teams trying to win games without their No. 1 goalie between the pipes. Starter Cory Schneider is expected to miss another week with a sore groin.

Want a good way to spot a whether your NHL team is a good bet or a bad one? Look at save percentage. There are 13 clubs who are plus money for the season and of those 13 teams, nine are in the top 11 in save percentage.

Stopping the puck from going in the net is important and, much like pitchers in baseball, no one controls the defensive side of hockey more than those crazy loons standing between the goal posts.

There are a number of clubs dealing with netminder injuries in the league and that could be a big factor in wins and losses as well as Over/Under results. Here are five teams to keep an eye on:

Chicago Blackhawks

The exact moment the Blackhawks’ season went in the crapper was when starting goalie Corey Crawford got hurt. The 33-year-old hasn’t played since Dec. 23 because of a concussion and Chicago is 7-15 straight up since losing its two-time All-Star goalie. Anton Forsberg has been the primary fill-in but has failed to live up to Crawford’s form.

Forsberg carries a 3.05 goals against average into the Blackhawks’ game against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. Chicago has lost seven straight and 11 of its last 13 games.

Crawford practiced this week but there’s still no definitive word on when he’ll return.

New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider was one premier netminders in the NHL in his first three seasons with the New Jersey Devils, but his numbers have taken a dip over the last year and a half. He’s still streets ahead (and if you have to ask what that means, you’re streets behind) of his understudy Keith Kinkaid who owns a bloated 3.31 GAA and an ugly .891 save percentage.

Schneider hasn’t played since Jan. 23 because of a groin injury and he isn’t expected to return for at least another week. The Devils were on a four-game losing skid until they won 5-4 in a shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. The over is 12-10 in NJ’s games without Schneider between the pipes.

Philadelphia Flyers

Brian Elliott, Philly’s No. 1 goalie, will be out for the next five to six weeks after undergoing surgery this week. His numbers aren't fantastic but the Flyers are 8-1 in the last nine games he’s started this season. Philadelphia should be able to get by with Michal Neuvirth thrust into the starter’s job. He owns a better save percentage and goals against average than Elliott this season.

Calgary Flames

Mike Smith has the dreaded “lower-body” injury also known as a pulled groin in goalie terms. He’ll miss his second consecutive game Thursday and will be day-to-day after that. He owns one of the league’s better save percentages (.921) and is a league MVP candidate with the resurgent Flames.

Backup David Rittich allowed four goals on 39 shots against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. The Flames fly into Nashville on Thursday to play Pekka Rinne and the Predators.

St. Louis Blues

No injury here; just a change bettors should know about. The Blues signed Carter Hutton to a two-year contract worth a little more than $2 million in the offseason and Jake Allen put pen to paper on a four-year $17.4 million deal. Allen entered the season as the starter but Hutton wrestled the job away in 2018.

Hutton owns the league’s best GAA (1.81) and save percentage (.940) and he’s started 14 of the Blues’ last 19 games. St. Louis won 10 of those 14 starts and the Under went 9-5 over the same stretch.

**Udog** · 02-15-2018, 03:51 PM

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, February 15

Los Angeles @ Pittsburgh

Game 1-2
February 15, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
11.514
Pittsburgh
12.446
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-175
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-175); Under

Carolina @ New Jersey

Game 3-4
February 15, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
12.224
New Jersey
10.109
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Carolina
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Carolina
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Carolina
(-115); Under

NY Rangers @ NY Islanders

Game 5-6
February 15, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
12.224
NY Islanders
10.313
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(+115); Over

Buffalo @ Ottawa

Game 7-8
February 15, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
11.001
Ottawa
9.908
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
-140
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(+120); Over

Detroit @ Tampa Bay

Game 9-10
February 15, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
10.204
Tampa Bay
12.656
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-240
6
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-240); Over

Washington @ Minnesota

Game 11-12
February 15, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
10.214
Minnesota
12.409
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-130); Over

Calgary @ Nashville

Game 13-14
February 15, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
12.019
Nashville
11.218
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 1
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(+170); Under

Anaheim @ Chicago

Game 15-16
February 15, 2018 @ 8:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
10.376
Chicago
11.783
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-120
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+100); Under

Montreal @ Arizona

Game 17-18
February 15, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
10.212
Arizona
11.673
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(-105); Under

Edmonton @ Vegas

Game 19-20
February 15, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
12.231
Vegas
11.492
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vegas
-210
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+180); Under

Vancouver @ San Jose

Game 21-22
February 15, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vancouver
9.455
San Jose
12.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-200); Over

Announcement

Thursday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 2/15

Thursday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 2/15

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