Announcement

**Udog** · 03-12-2018, 08:33 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six interesting first round pointspreads:

— Kentucky -6 vs Davidson

— Clemson -5.5 vs New Mexico State

— Tennessee -13 vs Wright State

— Kansas -15.5 vs Penn— Lowest spread in 1-16 game since UNC-Vermont in 2012.

— Seton Hall -2 vs NC State

— Michigan -11.5 vs Montana

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Initial thoughts on the field of 68

13) When I first saw the brackets, it upset me that USC was left out; they’re a very good team and surely deserved to get in, right? Same with Oklahoma State and to a lesser extent, Louisville.

Then I read something Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports posted on Twitter:

“Louisville out. USC out. Oklahoma State out. What do they have in common? Part of the federal investigation of college hoops.”

That actually made me feel better, that there was a reason those teams got left out, but still don’t think Syracuse belonged in, but they are in, so we move on despite that.

12) Turns out Davidson’s win over Rhode Island knocked Notre Dame out of the field of 68.

11) Middle Tennessee State won Conference USA, the #12 league in country, but lost in their conference tournament; the Blue Raiders played #13 non-conference schedule in the country, losing to USC by 5, Miami by 3- they beat Vandy, Ole Miss, Murray State, but they get left home.

10) Texas Southern deserves special mention; coached by Mike Davis, who replaced Bob Knight at Indiana, the Tigers won the SWAC tourney, after starting this season 0-13.

In November/December, Texas Southern played guarantee games at:
Gonzaga-Ohio St-Syracuse-Kansas-Clemson-Oregon-Baylor-Wyoming-TCU-BYU

Texas Southern may not be a great team, but their players probably pack really well, and their accountants are really happy, because all those guarantee games pay a lot of bills.

9) Something to ponder when the Sweet 16 rolls around: looking back over the last 12 NCAA tournaments, the eventual national champ went 21-3 vs spread on the first weekend, so look for teams who were impressive on the first weekend to maintain that momentum.

8) Since 2006, 46 of 52 #1-seeds got to the Sweet 16, so if you’re filling out a bracket and are tempted to predict an early out for a #1 seed, please don’t do it. For your own good.

7) Last three years, #1-seeds are 7-5 vs spread in the first round.
Last four years, #2-seeds are 9-7 vs spread in the first round.
Last three years, #3-seeds are 4-8 vs spread in the first round.

6) Penn is a 16-seed, the first time since at least 2002 the Ivy League champ is a 16-seed; they were a 15-seed only once in last 15 tournaments, back in ’06.

Over the last eight years, Ivy League teams are 7-1 vs spread in NCAA first round games.

5) Since 2003, only 8 of 60 Final Four teams lost their first conference tourney game: Here are those teams:

2003— Marquette, Texas
2005— Michigan State
2007— UCLA
2009— UConn
2010— Michigan State (only team to do it twice)
2016— Syracuse
2017— South Carolina

4) Over the last 15 years, of the 60 teams who made the Final Four, 26 won their conference tournament. Over last six years, only 7 of 24 Final Four teams won their conference tourney; from 2004-11, 19 of 32 Final Four teams did.

7 of the last 15 national champs won their conference tourney, but only one of the last six.

3) Since the NCAA tournament went to 64, and then 68 teams, #2 seeds are 124-8 in their first round tournament games; here are the eight #2 seeds who lost in the first round:

1990— Richmond (+9) 73, Syracuse 69
1993— Santa Clara (+20) 64, Arizona 61
1997— Coppin State (+17) 78, South Carolina 65
2001— Hampton (+17.5) 58, Iowa State 57
2012— Lehigh (+12) 75, Duke 70
2012— Norfolk State (+21.5) 86, Missouri 84
2013— Florida Gulf Coast (+13.5) 78, Georgetown 68
2016— Middle Tennessee State (+18) 90, Michigan State 81

2) First Four point spreads for Tuesday/Wednesday games:

Tuesday: Radford -3.5 vs LIU; UCLA -3 vs St Bonaventure
Wednesday: Texas Southern -4.5 vs NC Central; Arizona State -1 vs Syracuse

1— Must be nice to have lot of money: Michigan State’s basketball team spent couple of days in Chicago last week, practiced in the Chicago Bulls’ practice facility, just to get away from campus.

Big 14 teams have extra time to prepare for the NCAA’s this year, because the Big 14 tournament was a week earlier than usual. Lot of people think the layoff will make those teams fresher.

**Udog** · 03-12-2018, 08:41 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, March 12

Montreal @ Columbus

Game 51-52
March 12, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
11.759
Columbus
10.402
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Columbus
-210
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(+175); Over

Carolina @ NY Rangers

Game 53-54
March 12, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
10.215
NY Rangers
11.752
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Carolina
-140
6
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(+120); Under

Winnipeg @ Washington

Game 55-56
March 12, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
10.621
Washington
12.117
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-120
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-120); Under

Vegas @ Philadelphia

Game 57-58
March 12, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vegas
12.036
Philadelphia
10.458
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Vegas
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vegas
-125
6
Dunkel Pick:
Vegas
(-125); Under

Ottawa @ Florida

Game 59-60
March 12, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
11.737
Florida
10.698
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-220
6
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(+180); Over

St. Louis @ Anaheim

Game 61-62
March 12, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
10.347
Anaheim
11.879
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Anaheim
by 1 1/2
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
Anaheim
(-160); Under

Detroit @ San Jose

Game 63-64
March 12, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
11.298
San Jose
10.412
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+170); Under

Vancouver @ Los Angeles

Game 65-66
March 12, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vancouver
9.712
Los Angeles
11.298
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-220
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-220); Under

**Udog** · 03-12-2018, 08:45 AM

NHL

Monday, March 12

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

MONTREAL @ COLUMBUS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing Columbus
Montreal is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
Columbus is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Columbus is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

CAROLINA @ NY RANGERS
Carolina is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina's last 5 games
NY Rangers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina
NY Rangers is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games when playing Carolina

VEGAS @ PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Vegas's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vegas's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games

WINNIPEG @ WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Winnipeg is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Winnipeg

OTTAWA @ FLORIDA
Ottawa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Ottawa is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Florida is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

ST. LOUIS @ ANAHEIM
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 9 games
Anaheim is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Anaheim is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

VANCOUVER @ LOS ANGELES
Vancouver is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Los Angeles's last 10 games at home
Los Angeles is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

DETROIT @ SAN JOSE
Detroit is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Detroit's last 14 games
San Jose is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
San Jose is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

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

**Udog** · 03-12-2018, 10:17 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, March 12

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

MONTREAL (25-31-0-12, 62 pts.) at COLUMBUS (36-28-0-5, 77 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 25-44 ATS (+69.1 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 2-13 ATS (+23.0 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
MONTREAL is 21-31 ATS (-14.2 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 1-11 ATS (+17.4 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
MONTREAL is 8-24 ATS (+37.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLUMBUS is 20-7 ATS (+12.2 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 5-3 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 5-3-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.9 Units)

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

CAROLINA (30-27-0-11, 71 pts.) at NY RANGERS (30-32-0-7, 67 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 30-38 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 32-44 ATS (-14.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 64-93 ATS (-37.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
CAROLINA is 19-32 ATS (+52.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 32-51 ATS (-22.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 79-99 ATS (-38.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is 6 or more since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 15-23 ATS (-19.4 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 0-6 ATS (-8.3 Units) in home games in March games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 145-139 ATS (-59.4 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 108-141 ATS (-104.7 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 7-3 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 7-3-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.2 Units)

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

WINNIPEG (41-18-0-9, 91 pts.) at WASHINGTON (38-23-0-7, 83 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 163-95 ATS (+268.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 15-3 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 13-2 ATS (+9.9 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 49-29 ATS (+3.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 10-4 ATS (+15.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 192-224 ATS (-72.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-2-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.3 Units)

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

VEGAS (44-19-0-5, 93 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (35-23-0-11, 81 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-12 ATS (+3.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 59-55 ATS (+2.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
VEGAS is 45-24 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 20-10 ATS (+8.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
VEGAS is 21-11 ATS (+32.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0-0 straight up against VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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

OTTAWA (23-33-0-11, 57 pts.) at FLORIDA (34-25-0-7, 75 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 23-44 ATS (+76.1 Units) in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 13-4 ATS (+8.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 6 or more this season.
FLORIDA is 18-11 ATS (+3.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
FLORIDA is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
OTTAWA is 47-46 ATS (+106.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 189-176 ATS (-46.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 6-4 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 6-4-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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

ST LOUIS (36-27-0-5, 77 pts.) at ANAHEIM (34-23-0-12, 80 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 33-13 ATS (+12.8 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 436-438 ATS (-15.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 30-20 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 46-34 ATS (+80.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 27-20 ATS (+48.1 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 23-8 ATS (+12.4 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 17-8 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 4-4 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 4-4-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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

DETROIT (26-31-0-11, 63 pts.) at SAN JOSE (36-23-0-9, 81 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 201-176 ATS (-69.5 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 41-43 ATS (-30.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 8-13 ATS (-10.2 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 419-331 ATS (-16.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 3-2 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 3-2-0 straight up against SAN JOSE 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)

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

VANCOUVER (25-35-0-9, 59 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (37-26-0-5, 79 pts.) - 3/12/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 22-52 ATS (+97.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 4-15 ATS (+23.1 Units) after a division game this season.
VANCOUVER is 199-223 ATS (+493.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 35-40 ATS (-33.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 22-30 ATS (-27.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 6-6 (+3.7 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 6-6-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-1.2 Units)

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

**Udog** · 03-12-2018, 12:52 PM

NHL Betting Cheat Sheet and Odds: Lightning continue to electrify the Eastern Conference
Monty Andrews

The Tampa Bay Lightning boast +400 odds to win their second Stanley Cup championship after becoming the first team to reach the 100-point plateau on the season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the first team in the league to reach 100 points on the season and will face their expansion cousins, the Ottawa Senators this week. Covers dangles at the hash and goes bar down to give NHL bettors a breakdown of what to watch for this week on the ice.

40-40 Showdown

The NHL's top two goal-scorers meet Monday night in the U.S. capital as Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets visit Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Laine and Ovechkin come into the week deadlocked at 40 goals apiece, and both players have 14 games remaining in the regular season. It's also a pivotal game for both teams with regard to their respective playoff races. The Capitals enter the night just one point behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Pittsburgh Penguins, but have two games in hand. Winnipeg is looking to close a seven-point gap between themselves and Central-leading Nashville, whom they'll face Tuesday.

Simply the Best

The Tampa Bay Lightning remain the team to beat in oddsmakers' eyes as they set their sights on securing the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning carry a five-game winning streak - and a six-point advantage over the runner-up Boston Bruins - into Tuesday's encounter with their 1992 expansion cousins, the Ottawa Senators. The Lightning boast +400 odds on Bet365 to win their second Stanley Cup championship after becoming the first team to reach the 100-point plateau with a 3-2 shootout win over Montreal on Saturday. Ottawa finds itself at the other end of the standings, 43 points behind Tampa Bay entering Monday.

Devils Visit Sin City

It's a match made in Vegas as the New Jersey Devils make their first-ever visit to Nevada on Wednesday for a date with the continually surprising Golden Knights. New Jersey enters the week as one of the top Under plays in the league, having gone below the number in seven of their previous eight games. Vegas is also trending in that direction with six Unders in its previous seven games - and has the upper hand on the visitors by virtue of a 3-2 victory in Newark last week. The expansion Golden Knights remain a strong play in Stanley Cup futures, installed at +800 to win the championship.

Player News

* Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is now No. 5 on the all-time scoring list among Russian-born players, passing Pavel Datsyuk over the weekend. Malkin has a point in 18 of his past 20 games; the Penguins are 14-5-1 SU over that span.

* The New York Islanders surrendered 50 or more shots for the league-leading sixth time over the weekend, but escaped with a victory over the host Calgary Flames. Surprisingly, the Islanders are an impressive 3-2-1 SU in those games.

Injury Updates

* The Flames have activated No. 1 netminder Mike Smith from injured reserve after he sat out 13 games with a groin injury. The Flames went 5-6-2 in his absence, then dropped a 5-2 decision in his return Sunday night against the Islanders.

* The Bruins' banged-up forward corps received more bad news over the weekend after Brad Marchand was held out of Sunday's game against Chicago with an upper-body injury. Marchand is questionable for Tuesday's road encounter with Carolina.

Stanley Cup Futures

* The Nashville Predators' double-digit winning streak might be over, but their chances of winning their first-ever Stanley Cup title are alive and thriving. Nashville has moved all the way up to +450 on Bet365 - their strongest odds of the season.

* The Florida Panthers have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past several weeks, and might be a sneaky underdog play entering the postseason. The Panthers enter the week at +2,800 to secure their first-ever championship.

Betting Trends

* The league's top teams are asserting their dominance more than at any point in the season, with favourites having won at a 73.9-percent clip over the past seven days. That moves the favourites' conversion rate to 59.4 percent for the season.

* The Under has been the stronger play over the past week of games, coming through 27 times compared to 21 Overs in that same span. The season totals remain frighteningly close, with 519 unders against 515 overs.

Announcement

Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 3/12

Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 3/12

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment