Announcement

**Udog** · 04-20-2018, 10:02 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Cincinnati Reds fired manager Brian Price, after starting the season 3-15.

— 76ers 128, Heat 108— Philly takes a 2-1 series lead.

— Pelicans 119, Trailblazers 102— Yikes. New Orleans is up 3-0 in this series.

— Warriors 110, Spurs 97— Game went over total with 0:01.2 left.

— Bruins 3, Maple Leafs 1— Boston takes a 3-1 series lead.

— OF Trayce Thompson is on his third team in two weeks; A’s traded him back to Chicago.

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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Quick thoughts on the 2018 NFL schedule

Thoughts/comments on the NFL schedule release:
13) Week 1 Monday night doubleheader: Jets @ Lions, then Rams @ Raiders.

Super Bowl champion Eagles open on Thursday Sept 6 at home against Atlanta.

12) NFL went traditional rival-heavy for its Thanksgiving Day slate: Chicago-Detroit; Washington-Dallas; Atlanta-New Orleans. Good set of games.

This is third year in row the Redskins play on Thanksgiving Day.

11) Only four divisional games in Week 1, which is a good idea. Every game in Week 17 is a divisional game.

10) There is a Week 16 Monday night game on Christmas Eve; Broncos @ Raiders.

9) A sign the NFL doesn’t think you’re good: Miami Dolphins have a Week 8 Thursday night game in Houston- their other 15 games appear to be 1:00 Sunday games. If you NEVER play a 4:25 Sunday game, the league office isn’t too optimistic about your chances.

8) Rams-Chiefs in Mexico City on Monday night, November 19. Bye week the next week for both teams, which is weird but good for the team, having a bye week over Thanksgiving.

7) Chargers visit Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Denver in December, three potential cold weather games. Rams go to Chicago December 9, which will probably be a cruddy weather day.

6) Three teams have the unenviable “3 road games in 3 weeks” scenario:
— Ravens go to Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Tennessee in weeks 4-6
— Rams go to Seattle-Denver-San Francisco in weeks 5-7
— Saints go to Dallas-Tampa Bay-Carolina in weeks 13-15, but the Week 13 game is a Thursday game so they’ll have extra rest in there before the Bucs’ game.

11 teams have three home games in a row.

5) For first time since 2009, Bears open the season at Lambeau Field against the Packers, in the Week 1 Sunday night game.

4) Giants play four road games in domes, which at first glance is most in the league.

3) Speaking of domes, Lions/Saints both play three road games in domes, giving them only five outdoor games apiece this season.

2) In next few days, Las Vegas oddsmakers will have spreads for every game thru Week 16. Season over/under win totals don’t come out until after next week’s draft.

1) Here are the Week 1 NFL spreads from the Westgate SuperBook:

Falcons @ Philadelphia (-3.5, 47.5)
Steelers (-7, 48) @ Cleveland
49ers @ Minnesota (-4.5, 47.5)
Bengals @ Indianapolis (-1, 47.5)
Bills @ Ravens (-3.5, 42)
Jaguars (-4, 44.5) @ Giants
Buccaneers @ New Orleans (-7.5, 52.5)
Texans @ New England (-7, 51)
Titans (-2.5, 47) @ Miami
Chiefs @ LA Chargers (-3, 48.5)
Seahawks @ Denver (-2.5, 42)
Cowboys @ Carolina (-2.5, 45)
Redskins @ Arizona (-1, 45)
Bears @ Green Bay (-9, 48.5)
Jets @ Detroit (-6, 44)
Rams (even, 49.5) @ Oakland

**Udog** · 04-20-2018, 10:58 AM

Friday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue Friday with three Game 5's - the Penguins, Jets, and Predators all lead their series' 3-1 and will all look to close out on home ice.

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins (-250, 6)

Pens lead series 3-1.

The Pittsburgh Penguins technically were the road team in their last two contests, however the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions made themselves at home in Philadelphia to push the Flyers to the brink of elimination in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Captain Sidney Crosby and company look to provide the final shove in Friday's Game 5 when the Keystone State rivals reconvene in Pittsburgh.

ABOUT THE FLYERS (43-29-7-7, 44-38 O/U): The flustered Flyers could receive a boost with the potential return of Selke Trophy finalist Sean Couturier, who sat out Game 4 with a lower-body injury sustained after he collided with teammate Radko Gudas in Tuesday's practice. Rookie Nolan Patrick stepped up in place of Couturier and registered a team-leading six shots on goal, but the manufactured line of Patrick, captain Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek finished a combined minus-8 in Game 4.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (50-30-4-2, 48-34 O/U): Crosby, fellow former Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel each scored and set up a goal as Pittsburgh reached the five-goal total for the second straight contest and seventh time in eight games versus Philadelphia in Wednesday's 5-0 romp at Wells Fargo Center. Matt Murray and Jake Guentzel are no strangers to turning it up a notch in the postseason, with the former turning aside 26 shots to increase his save percentage to a stellar .948 following his second shutout of the series. Guentzel notched a pair of assists on Wednesday to boost his point total to seven (one goal, six assists) this postseason -- this after leading the NHL with 13 goals in last year's playoffs.

SERIES PRICE (PER SPORTS INTERACTION):

LINE HISTORY: The Penguins opened as big -235 moneyline favorites and that number was not big enough for bettors as 80 percent of early consensus wagers were on the Pens and the line was bumped up to -250. The total hit betting boards at 6 and has not moved.

INJURY REPORT:

Flyers - C Sean Couturier (Questionable, Lower Body).

Penguins - RW Patric Hornqvist (Out, Upper Body), RW Carter Rowney (Out Indefinitely, Upper Body).

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Flyers are 3-8 in their last 11 road games.
* Penguins are 10-2 in their last 12 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Over is 10-2-2 in Flyers last 14 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Over is 4-1-2 in Penguins last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Flyers are 1-7 in the last 8 meetings.

Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets (-225, 5.5)

Jets lead series 3-1.

The Winnipeg Jets look to add to a season full of firsts when they host the Minnesota Wild in Friday’s Game 5 of their first-round playoff series, potentially just 60 minutes away from winning a postseason series for the first time in franchise history. The key for the Jets, who were flawless in the opening two contests at home before an ugly outing in a Game 3 loss, is to show the form they displayed in a 2-0 road triumph in Game 4 on Tuesday that put Winnipeg on the verge of the second round.

Both teams will be missing key cogs Friday, as Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey is suspended for Game 5 after an ugly cross check on Minnesota’s Eric Staal, and the Wild are without Zach Parise - who scored in each of the first three games but suffered a fractured sternum late in Game 3.

ABOUT THE WILD (46-29-8-3, 42-40 O/U): The odds are stacked higher for Minnesota with the injury to Parise - who closed the regular season with 12 goals in his final 18 games - and defenseman Ryan Suter, arguably the Wild’s top blueliner who fractured his ankle before the playoff started. The series would be more lopsided without the outstanding play of Dubnyk, who has saved 132 of 142 shots for a .930 save percentage and has kept the Wild within 1-0 entering the third period in each of Minnesota’s losses.

ABOUT THE JETS (55-21-8-2, 42-42 O/U): Winnipeg features one of the top offenses in the NHL, and five players have three points or more in the series - led by forward Patrik Laine’s four points (two goals) and three apiece from Scheifele, injured defenseman Tyler Myers, Wheeler and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck responded to getting pulled after two periods in Game 3 with a masterpiece in Game 4, making 30 saves for his first career postseason shutout.

SERIES PRICE (PER SPORTS INTERACTION):

LINE HISTORY: The Jets opened as big -200 favorites and that number has been bumped up to -225. 71 percent of early Covers Consensus betting action is on the favorite Jets. The total hit betting boards at 5.5 and has yet to move.

INJURY REPORT:

Wild - LW Zach Parise (Mid June, Sternum), D Ryan Suter (Out For Season, Ankle), C Luke Kunin (Out For Season, Knee).

Jets - D Tyler Myers (Questionable, Lower Body), C Mathieu Perreault (Questionable, Shoulder), D Toby Enstrom (Questionable, Lower Body), LW Matt Hendricks (Questionable, Lower Body), D Josh Morrissey (Elig Sun, Suspension), D Dmitry Kulikov (Late April, Back).

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Wild are 1-6 in their last 7 road games.
* Jets are 9-1 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Wild last 6 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Under is 5-1 in Jets last 6 overall.
* Wild are 0-5 in the last 5 meetings in Winnipeg.

Colorado Avalanche at Nashville Predators (-350, 6)

Preds lead series 3-1.

The Nashville Predators have embraced the sweet sounds of Music City to the tune of winning 15 of their last 17 postseason home games, including the first two of their Western Conference first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. The Predators aim to dance into the conference semifinals should they emerged victorious in Friday's Game 5 at Bridgestone Arena.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (44-33-8-1, 45-33 O/U): Andrew Hammond has been confirmed to start in Game 5 after fellow goaltender Jonathan Bernier sustained a lower-body while making his eighth straight start contest in place of Semyon Varlamov, who is nursing a knee injury. Captain Gabriel Landeskog could aid Hammond with his continued offense, as the 25-year-old Swede has scored a goal in three straight contests to boost his point total to nine (four goals, five assists) in his last five games.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (56-19-4-7, 44-41 O/U): Filip Forsberg has been instrumental in Nashville's success with five points (three goals, two assists) in the series, including a highlight-reel goal and an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 win in Denver. The Predators return home with plenty of history on their side - notably 13 wins in their last 14 encounters with the Avalanche. Nashville will aim to close out the series without forward Ryan Hartman, who was suspended one game by the NHL on Thursday for an illegal check to the head of Colorado's Carl Soderberg at 4:42 of the third period. The 23-year-old Hartman likely will be replaced on the fourth line by rookie Eeli Tolvanen, 18, who has yet to record a point in three regular-season games since being selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

SERIES PRICE (PER SPORTS INTERACTION):

LINE HISTORY: The Predators opened as -290 favorites and heavy action on the home team has push the moneyline up to -350. 82 percent of consensus users are siding with the Predators. The total hit betting boards at 6 and has yet to move.

INJURY REPORT:

Avalanche - D Samuel Girard (Questionable, Upper Body), G Jonathan Bernier (Out, Lower Body), G Semyon Varlamov (Out Indefinitely, Knee), D Erik Johnson (Late May, Knee).

Predators - D Yannick Weber (Questionable, Upper Body).

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Avalanche are 1-5 in their last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Predators are 9-1 in their last 10 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Over is 6-1 in Avalanche last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Over is 5-0 in Predators last 5 home games.
* Over is 15-5-1 in the last 21 meetings in Nashville.

**Udog** · 04-20-2018, 11:03 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, April 20

Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh

Game 7-8
April 20, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
9.878
Pittsburgh
14.329
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 4 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-245
6
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-245); Under

Colorado @ Nashville

Game 9-10
April 20, 2018 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
11.373
Nashville
12.918
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-330
6
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-330); Under

Minnesota @ Winnipeg

Game 11-12
April 20, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
11.173
Winnipeg
13.030
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-230
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(-230); Under

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, April 20

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PHILADELPHIA (43-29-0-14, 100 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (50-30-0-6, 106 pts.) - 4/20/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 23-8 ATS (+8.7 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 42-14 ATS (+17.6 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 49-25 ATS (+12.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-10 ATS (+26.0 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 63-61 ATS (+136.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 12-4 (+5.7 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 12-4-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.2 Units)

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COLORADO (44-33-0-9, 97 pts.) at NASHVILLE (56-19-0-11, 123 pts.) - 4/20/2018, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 3-21 ATS (+44.0 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.
NASHVILLE is 56-31 ATS (+99.7 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 21-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NASHVILLE is 34-15 ATS (+2.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 47-24 ATS (+19.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 45-42 ATS (+95.3 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 82-64 ATS (+150.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 6 or more since 1996.
COLORADO is 26-23 ATS (+52.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
COLORADO is 27-25 ATS (+59.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 14-4 (+6.9 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 14-4-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
14 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+10.6 Units)

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MINNESOTA (46-29-0-11, 103 pts.) at WINNIPEG (55-21-0-10, 120 pts.) - 4/20/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 73-78 ATS (-32.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 3-12 ATS (+17.3 Units) in road games vs. division opponents this season.
WINNIPEG is 55-32 ATS (+22.6 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 25-4 ATS (+19.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
WINNIPEG is 11-1 ATS (+9.6 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 32-15 ATS (+4.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
WINNIPEG is 37-22 ATS (+8.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 18-5 ATS (+9.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 11-7 (+5.7 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 11-7-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

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NHL

Friday, April 20

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Trend Report
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Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Philadelphia is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Philadelphia is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Philadelphia is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 19-4 SU in its last 23 games at home
Pittsburgh is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Pittsburgh is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

Minnesota Wild
Minnesota is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Minnesota's last 13 games
Minnesota is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 9 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games
Winnipeg is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games
Winnipeg is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Winnipeg is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games at home
Winnipeg is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Winnipeg is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota

Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Colorado is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 6 games
Colorado is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Nashville
Colorado is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing Nashville
Colorado is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Colorado's last 8 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville Predators
Nashville is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 6 games
Nashville is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 5 games at home
Nashville is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
Nashville is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Nashville's last 7 games when playing Colorado
Nashville is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
Nashville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Nashville's last 8 games when playing at home against Colorado

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Announcement

Friday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/20

Friday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/20

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