Announcement

**Udog** · 04-02-2018, 09:02 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

More opening day payrolls in major leagues:

24) Philadelphia Phillies $97,367,851

23) Miami Marlins $97,595,142

22) Cincinnati Reds $101,232,499

21) Atlanta Braves $119,029,762

20) Kansas City Royals $128,686,717

19) Detroit Tigers $131,614,600

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a quiet Easter Sunday

13) Toronto 7, New York 4— My biggest problem with the analytics movement is that is goes out of its way to diminish the manager’s role in how a team is run. Can’t do it.

In this game, New York led 4-3 in bottom of 8th; Toronto had men on 2nd/3rd with two out and Josh Donaldson (3-8 with 2 HR’s off Robertson) up. Justin Smoak (0-5 vs Robertson) was on deck; he had homered in his previous AB. What do you do?

Aaron Boone decides to walk Donaldson intentionally. Smoak hits a grand slam. Welcome to the big leagues, Aaron Boone. Being a TV announcer is a lot easier.

12) There are two basketball Hall of Fames; the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, in Kansas City.

There is at least one glaring omission from the College Hall of Fame: Jerry Tarkanian.

Tarkanian went 706-198 in his coaching career, won the 1990 national title at UNLV, made two other Final Fours. For him not be in the Hall of Fame (he is in the Naismith HOF) makes the College HOF look stupid.

11) Some people will cite Tark’s battles with the NCAA as a reason to keep him out, to which I say this: Eddie Sutton, who was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2011.

From Sutton’s Wikipedia page: “The NCAA announced at the end of the season that its investigation into the basketball program had found the school guilty of violating numerous NCAA policies.[8] The NCAA deemed the violations so egregious that it seriously considered hitting the Wildcats with the “death penalty”, which would have shut down the entire basketball program (as opposed to simply being banned from postseason play) for up to two years.”

There is no valid reason for Jerry Tarkanian not to be in the College Hall of Fame.

10) One more thing on the College Hall of Fame: Norm Stewart is a 2007 inductee, but he never made a Final Four, went 8-8 in first round tournament games. Seriously?

9) When you see coaches at mid-majors getting fired these days after short coaching tenures, keep in mind that in the mid-90’s, Jay Wright went 31-51 in his first three years as Hofstra’s coach. Things turned out pretty well for him— he went 91-34 his last four years at Hofstra, before moving on to bigger and better things at Villanova.

8) This is first time since 2004 that team spending on baseball players’ salaries will decline from the year before.

7) Average major league payroll this season: $137,610,491.

6) As expected, Xavier promoted assistant Travis Steele to head coach to replace Chris Mack, who jumped ship to Louisville.

5) Of the 31 players who have 3,000 career hits, Ichiro Suzuki was 3+ years older than anyone else on the list when he got his first major league hit.

4) A Sarasota, FL homeowner found a surprise visitor in his swimming pool Friday night – an 11-foot alligator floating in the water. The gator began swimming away as it struggled to avoid capture. A deputy managed to drag the gator out of the pool with the help of a trapper.

3) If you had the White Sox as being the last American League unbeaten this season, you win!!!

2) Last Big 14 team to win the national title in basketball? Michigan State, in 2000.

1— Villanova took 40 3-pointers Saturday, only 25 2-pointers; wouldn’t be surprised if they move the college 3-point line back to where the FIBA line is.

**Udog** · 04-02-2018, 09:34 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, April 2

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

BUFFALO (25-41-0-12, 62 pts.) at TORONTO (47-25-0-7, 101 pts.) - 4/2/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 25-54 ATS (+104.2 Units) in all games this season.
BUFFALO is 288-260 ATS (+550.8 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
BUFFALO is 5-2 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 381-397 ATS (-44.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 7-5 (+4.9 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 7-5-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)

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

CAROLINA (35-33-0-11, 81 pts.) at FLORIDA (39-30-0-8, 86 pts.) - 4/2/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 35-44 ATS (-17.2 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 17-24 ATS (-11.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 8-18 ATS (-14.0 Units) after a division game this season.
CAROLINA is 15-27 ATS (+43.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
FLORIDA is 23-17 ATS (+2.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
FLORIDA is 190-178 ATS (-8.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
FLORIDA is 183-209 ATS (-67.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 4-4 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 4-4-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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

WINNIPEG (48-20-0-10, 106 pts.) at OTTAWA (27-40-0-11, 65 pts.) - 4/2/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 51-48 ATS (+104.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 27-27 ATS (+62.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 48-31 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+9.4 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 27-51 ATS (-63.1 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 1-8 ATS (+11.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 6 or more this season.
OTTAWA is 100-110 ATS (-80.7 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
OTTAWA is 5-20 ATS (+32.1 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 3-2 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 3-2-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.0 Units)

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

WASHINGTON (47-25-0-7, 101 pts.) at ST LOUIS (43-29-0-6, 92 pts.) - 4/2/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 4-11 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 194-224 ATS (-73.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 21-10 ATS (+8.1 Units) in non-conference games this season.
WASHINGTON is 48-32 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 50-36 ATS (+91.5 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 244-243 ATS (+509.2 Units) in road games second half of the season since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-1 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-1-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)

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

EDMONTON (34-39-0-6, 74 pts.) at MINNESOTA (43-25-0-10, 96 pts.) - 4/2/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 35-45 ATS (-15.3 Units) in all games this season.
EDMONTON is 8-18 ATS (-11.1 Units) after a division game this season.
MINNESOTA is 70-73 ATS (-25.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-3 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 5-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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

COLORADO (42-28-0-9, 93 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (43-28-0-8, 94 pts.) - 4/2/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 43-37 ATS (+85.8 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 24-18 ATS (+42.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
COLORADO is 26-22 ATS (+53.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
LOS ANGELES is 41-45 ATS (-27.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-24 ATS (-17.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 5-3 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 5-3-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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

**Udog** · 04-02-2018, 09:39 AM

NHL

Monday, April 2

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

Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Buffalo is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Buffalo is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
Buffalo is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Buffalo is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
Buffalo is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Buffalo is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Toronto's last 13 games
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Toronto is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Toronto's last 13 games at home
Toronto is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Buffalo
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Toronto is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Buffalo

Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Carolina's last 11 games
Carolina is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Carolina's last 5 games on the road
Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Florida
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida Panthers
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Florida is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Florida's last 15 games at home
Florida is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina

Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Winnipeg is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 8 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Ottawa is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Ottawa is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Ottawa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Ottawa's last 7 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Ottawa's last 8 games when playing at home against Winnipeg

Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games
Edmonton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Edmonton is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Edmonton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Edmonton is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Edmonton is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Edmonton is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Minnesota is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Minnesota is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton

Washington Capitals
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Washington is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games
St. Louis is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games at home
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of St. Louis's last 9 games at home
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Washington
St. Louis is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Washington
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games
Colorado is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Colorado is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games
Colorado is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Colorado is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Colorado is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games
Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games at home
Los Angeles is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Colorado
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
Los Angeles is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado

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

**Udog** · 04-02-2018, 10:07 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, April 2

Buffalo @ Toronto

Game 1-2
April 2, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
11.322
Toronto
10.350
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-300
6
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(+250); Under

Carolina @ Florida

Game 3-4
April 2, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
9.703
Florida
11.212
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-170
6
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-170); Over

Winnipeg @ Ottawa

Game 5-6
April 2, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
10.489
Ottawa
11.508
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-180
6
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(+160); Under

Washington @ St. Louis

Game 7-8
April 2, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
10.208
St. Louis
11.748
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-160
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-160); Under

Edmonton @ Minnesota

Game 9-10
April 2, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
11.473
Minnesota
9.914
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+170); Over

Colorado @ Los Angeles

Game 11-12
April 2, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
12.162
Los Angeles
11.284
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-185
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(+165); Over

**Udog** · 04-02-2018, 06:08 PM

NHL Betting Cheat Sheet and Odds: How the East was won
Monty Andrews

The Bruins are currently -250 favorites to capture both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference regular-season championships heading into Tuesday's matchup with the Lightning.

It took almost all season, but the Bruins have finally overtaken the Lightning for top spot in the East and their matchup should determine who is the conference's No. 1 seed heading into the playoff. Monty Andrews dangles at the hash and goes bar down to give NHL bettors a breakdown of what to watch for this week on the ice.

Wild West Showdown

The teams occupying the two Western Conference wild-card spots entering the week do battle Monday night as the Los Angeles Kings entertain the Colorado Avalanche. The winner of Monday's contest will almost certainly seize a stranglehold in the race for one of the final two West playoff spots, while the loser could lose ground to the ninth-place St. Louis Blues, who are two points behind the Kings and one point behind the Avalanche; the Blues host the Washington Capitals. The Kings have the upper hand in the head-to-head series, having won both prior meetings by a combined score of 9-2.

How the East was won

The Boston Bruins have finally surpassed the Tampa Bay Lightning for top spot in the East - and they can all but lock up home-ice advantage throughout the conference playoffs with a win over the Lightning on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena. The Bruins enter the week two points up on Tampa Bay with a game in hand - and oddsmakers are firmly in Boston's corner, giving the B's -250 odds on Bet365 of capturing both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference regular-season championships. The Lightning, who held the division lead for the majority of the season, are now installed at +170 to rally from behind and win the Atlantic.

Race to the Bottom

While the majority of NHL fans and bettors will be fixated on the playoff races as the regular season enters its final week, there are other competitions to monitor - namely, which team will wind up with the best odds for the No. 1 pick in this June's draft. The Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres are both in the hunt with just a few games remaining, and they'll face off Wednesday night in upstate New York. Ottawa has a three-point lead on Buffalo for last place in the league; both teams have four games remaining. Both teams will play three of their four contests on the road - and they'll both face two top-four teams in their respective conferences.

Still the Best?

The Nashville Predators will look to secure the best record in the league this week as they wrap up the regular season with visits to Florida and Washington and a home game against Columbus. Thursday's encounter with the visiting Capitals should be the toughest test of the three, with Washington having locked up top spot in the Metropolitan Division thanks in large part to a stretch of 10 wins in its previous 12 games. But the Predators are the odds-on favorite to not only finish with the best record in the league, but to win their first Stanley Cup in club history - they're installed at +400 on Bet365, well ahead of the runner-up Lightning and Bruins (+550).

Player Notes

* Top-end goal-scoring has seen a boost this season, with seven players having reached the 40-goal plateau and another three at 38 or more. There were just three 40-goal scorers all of last season: Sidney Crosby, Nikita Kucherov and Auston Matthews.

* The impact is even more significant on the assist side of the ledger, with 24 players having accumulated at least 50 helpers on the year and nine others within three of the mark. Last season saw just eight players reach the 50-assist plateau.

* The impact of the increased scoring on the top-end goaltenders hasn't been as significant as you might think. Fourteen qualified netminders have a goals-against average below 2.50, compared to 17 goalies going below that total a season ago.

Injury Updates

* The St. Louis Blues will make their last-minute push for a playoff spot without forward Scottie Upshall, who is out indefinitely after suffering a lacerated kidney. The Blues will play four games this week as they look to snag a Western Conference wild-card berth.

* The Anaheim Ducks could be in serious trouble in goal after John Gibson left Sunday's game against the Colorado Avalanche with an unspecified injury. Gibson is one of the top netminders in the game, boasting a 2.43 GAA and a .926 save percentage.

* The Minnesota Wild's chances of winning the championship have taken a significant blow with word that defenseman Ryan Suter has suffered a fractured fibula. Minnesota enters the week at +2,200 on Bet365 to claim their first Stanley Cup title.

Stanley Cup Futures

* As we enter the final week of the regular season, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights remain one of the most unbelievable stories in sports. As of Monday, the Golden Knights are installed at +700 to win the Stanley Cup - the fourth-best odds in the league.

* Only two Canadian teams will battle for Lord Stanley's mug - and both carry similar odds into the home stretch. The Winnipeg Jets are the slightly better play at +900 on Bet365, while the Toronto Maple Leafs are listed at +950 to end their 51-year Cup drought.

* The New Jersey Devils are one of the hottest teams in the NHL at the moment, and that surge has all but assured them a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Devils are a +2,800 longshot to win the Cup according to Bet365.

Betting Trends

* Entering the last stretch of the season, the over play (599) has been a slightly better proposition than the under option (587). Home teams have converted outright at a 55.9-percent rate, with home favorites prevailing at a 60.5-percent clip.

* Home is where the value is for three teams that have returned four-figure unit values in games played in their own arena. Winnipeg leads the way at +1,681 units at home, with Colorado (+1,436) and Washington (+1,039) rounding out the top three.

* The Devils go into the final week of regular-season play as the only team in the league returning four-digit value on the road (+1,044). The Predators are a close second at +984 units away from Nashville, while Vegas is third at +902 units.

Announcement

Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/2

Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/2

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment