Da Bum's 2018 NHL Picks/News/Trends/Best Bets - Thru The Stanley Cup !

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY APRIL 4, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:08 PM Detroit Red Wings Pittsburgh Penguins PPG Paints Arena
7:08 PM Montreal Canadiens Washington Capitals Capital One Arena
7:08 PM New York Islanders Florida Panthers BB&T Center
7:08 PM New Jersey Devils Carolina Hurricanes PNC Arena
7:08 PM Ottawa Senators Buffalo Sabres KeyBank Center
7:08 PM Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Scotiabank Arena
8:08 PM Boston Bruins Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
8:08 PM Philadelphia Flyers St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center
8:08 PM Vancouver Canucks Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena
9:08 PM San Jose Sharks Edmonton Oilers Rogers Place
9:08 PM Winnipeg Jets Colorado Avalanche Pepsi Center
10:08 PM Arizona Coyotes Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena


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NHL APRIL RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/03/2019 2-3-0 40.00% -2.10
04/02/2019 6-9-0 40.00% -13.40
04/01/2019 3-13-0 18.75% -52.55

Totals.............11-25-0 30.55% -68.05


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

04/03/2019.............2 - 0......................+14.50.................0 - 3.................-16.50.............-2.10
04/02/2019.............1 - 4......................-10.90..................6 - 3.................+13.50...........+2.60
04/01/2019.............1 - 5......................-19.75..................2 - 6..................-23.00............-42.75

Totals......................4 - 5......................-16.15..................8 - 12................-26.00............-42.25

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Some more very early NFL over/under win totals:

— Cincinnati 6, over -$115

— Cleveland 9, over +$120

— Dallas 8.5, 0ver -$135

— Denver 7, over -$115

— Detroit, 7

— Green Bay 9, 0ver -$125


**********

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

13) Was looking at an old picture of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn tonight; the dugouts there were a lot closer to the area behind home plate than they are now. I’m guessing dugouts were also much smaller then than they are now.

Which reminded me of an old story back when the Astros played in the Astrodome; someone told Houston’s owner that he could charge more money for seats behind the dugout, so that season, the Astrodome had the longest dugouts in major league history. Go figure.

12) Brewers 1, Reds 0— Memo to the Milwaukee analytics geniuses: This one is simple. Every time Freddy Peralta pitches, Manny Pina catches. Every time.

In 15 games with Pina behind the plate, batters have hit .168 vs Peralta.
In three games with other catchers, batters have hit .245 against him.

11) Nationals 9, Phillies 8— Jake Noll walked with the bases loaded to force in the winning run, handing the Phils their first loss, but he was sent to the minor leagues after the game, because Howie Kendrick comes off the DL tomorrow.

10) Last time the Phillies started a season 4-0? How about 1915. Wow.

9) Nuggets 113, Spurs 85— I’ve thought about picking NBA games on this site, but there are a lot of reasons why I don’t want to. Players taking games off when they’re not hurt is a big one.

Gregg Popovich got thrown out of this game 1:03 after it started, so obviously, the game didn’t mean much to him. Since the Spurs clinched a playoff spot last week, Popovich has been ejected twice in the Spurs’ last three games.

8) Coaching carousel:
— Texas A&M hired Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams
— Fairfield hired Rutgers assistant Jay Young as its new coach.

7) Fred Hoiberg is the new basketball coach at Nebraska; he was born in Lincoln.

His grandfather Jerry Bush coached the Cornhuskers in the late 50’s. Hoiberg’s other grandfather was a Sociology professor at Nebraska.

6) There are two basketball Hall of Fames; there is the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA which includes all of basketball, and there is the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City.

No idea what goes into the selection process for either, but this is odd:
— Jerry Tarkanian is in the Naismith HOF, but not the college basketball HOF.
— Eddie Sutton is in the college basketball HOF, but not the Naismith HOF.

5) Virginia coach Tony Bennett banked a $250K bonus when the Cavaliers won their Sweet 16 game, and another $250K when Virginia made it to the Final Four.

4) Fantasy baseball is funny sometimes; guy in our league cut Hunter Renfroe this week, and rightfully so, he had only started one game this season, but same night Renfroe got cut, he gets the start against Arizona and hits two homers off of Zack Greinke. Go figure.

3) Colorado Rockies signed P German Marquez to a five-year, $43M contract extension.

Cubs signed IF David Bote to a 5-year, $15M extension.

2) Average salary for an NFL referee this season is scheduled to be $205,000. Pretty good part-time job.

1) Advance planning: Chicago White Sox’ home opener for Thursday afternoon was postponed at roughly noon Wednesday; it’ll be played Friday instead.

Likewise, the Cardinals’ home opener with San Diego today was also moved to Friday.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, April 4


Ottawa @ Buffalo

Game 3-4
April 4, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
10.923
Buffalo
8.840
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Buffalo
-190
6
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(+165); Over

Tampa Bay @ Toronto

Game 7-8
April 4, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
11.252
Toronto
9.641
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-115); Over

NY Islanders @ Florida

Game 9-10
April 4, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Islanders
10.113
Florida
13.123
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
NY Islanders
(-105); Over

Detroit @ Pittsburgh

Game 1-2
April 4, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
10.763
Pittsburgh
12.241
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-305
6
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-305); Under

Montreal @ Washington

Game 5-6
April 4, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
13.442
Washington
12.101
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-150
6
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(+130); Under

New Jersey @ Carolina

Game 11-12
April 4, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Jersey
10.460
Carolina
12.038
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Carolina
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Carolina
-280
6
Dunkel Pick:
Carolina
(-280); Under

Philadelphia @ St. Louis

Game 15-16
April 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
8.899
St. Louis
10.772
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-210
6
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-210); Over

Vancouver @ Nashville

Game 17-18
April 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vancouver
12.021
Nashville
10.967
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Vancouver
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-250
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Vancouver
(+210); Under

Boston @ Minnesota

Game 13-14
April 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
10.755
Minnesota
12.820
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-105); Under

Winnipeg @ Colorado

Game 21-22
April 4, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
9.133
Colorado
11.528
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-120
6
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-120); Over

San Jose @ Edmonton

Game 19-20
April 4, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
9.840
Edmonton
8.983
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-145
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-145); Over

Arizona @ Vegas

Game 23-24
April 4, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
11.403
Vegas
10.071
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1 1/2
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vegas
-190
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+165); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 4

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DETROIT (32-38-0-10, 74 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (43-26-0-11, 97 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 7:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 95-107 ATS (-47.1 Units) in road games after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 18-18 ATS (-7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 (+6.1 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-3-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

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OTTAWA (29-45-0-6, 64 pts.) at BUFFALO (31-39-0-10, 72 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 7:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 297-281 ATS (+11.1 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
BUFFALO is 56-107 ATS (+182.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 10-30 ATS (+61.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
BUFFALO is 12-24 ATS (+42.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BUFFALO is 1-16 ATS (-15.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 7-5 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 7-5-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.0 Units)

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MONTREAL (43-29-0-8, 94 pts.) at WASHINGTON (47-25-0-8, 102 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 7:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 13-32 ATS (+49.8 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 35-60 ATS (+96.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 24-52 ATS (+83.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 10-31 ATS (+48.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 113-74 ATS (+204.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 65-44 ATS (-0.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 25-7 ATS (+15.9 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 60-41 ATS (-5.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 36-25 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 14-11 ATS (+28.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 6 or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-3 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 5-3-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.7 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (60-16-0-4, 124 pts.) at TORONTO (46-27-0-7, 99 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 7:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 60-20 ATS (+22.7 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 27-10 ATS (+12.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 6 or more this season.
TAMPA BAY is 63-27 ATS (+16.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 21-3 ATS (+15.6 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
TAMPA BAY is 30-13 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 249-246 ATS (+518.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 21-17 ATS (-7.7 Units) in a home game where the total is 6 or more this season.
TORONTO is 20-21 ATS (-2.1 Units) second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 7-4 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 7-4-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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NY ISLANDERS (46-27-0-7, 99 pts.) at FLORIDA (36-32-0-12, 84 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 7:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 30-14 ATS (+13.1 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 46-34 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 8-1 ATS (+7.0 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 12-6 ATS (+5.9 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
FLORIDA is 182-204 ATS (+405.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 115-172 ATS (+299.4 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 6-2 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 6-2-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (30-40-0-10, 70 pts.) at CAROLINA (44-29-0-7, 95 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 7:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 9-28 ATS (+53.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CAROLINA is 28-14 ATS (+11.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 14-16 ATS (-7.2 Units) in a home game where the total is 6 or more this season.
CAROLINA is 21-33 ATS (-18.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 26-28 ATS (-15.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 11-17 ATS (-19.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 8-3 (+6.8 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 8-3-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.9 Units)

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BOSTON (48-23-0-9, 105 pts.) at MINNESOTA (37-34-0-9, 83 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 8:08 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-2 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-2-0 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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PHILADELPHIA (37-35-0-8, 82 pts.) at ST LOUIS (43-28-0-9, 95 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 8:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 278-198 ATS (+39.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-20 ATS (+49.5 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-19 ATS (+46.9 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-2 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 3-2-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.3 Units)

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VANCOUVER (35-35-0-10, 80 pts.) at NASHVILLE (45-29-0-6, 96 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 8:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 160-142 ATS (+315.1 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 12-6 ATS (+19.1 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games this season.
VANCOUVER is 205-234 ATS (+521.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 55-49 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 5-3 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 5-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.7 Units)

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SAN JOSE (44-27-0-9, 97 pts.) at EDMONTON (34-37-0-9, 77 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 9:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 44-36 ATS (-14.8 Units) in all games this season.
SAN JOSE is 61-45 ATS (+111.9 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
EDMONTON is 71-92 ATS (-95.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 11-16 ATS (+27.3 Units) in a home game where the total is 6 or more this season.
EDMONTON is 27-42 ATS (-17.7 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 4-11 ATS (-9.5 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 10-9-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
12 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+9.2 Units)

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WINNIPEG (46-30-0-4, 96 pts.) at COLORADO (37-29-0-14, 88 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 9:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 14-3 ATS (+9.8 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
COLORADO is 37-43 ATS (-32.1 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 10-20 ATS (-11.8 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 7-6-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

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ARIZONA (38-34-0-8, 84 pts.) at VEGAS (43-30-0-7, 93 pts.) - 4/4/2019, 10:08 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 6-2 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
VEGAS is 6-2-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

1Detroit -2 Pittsburgh
DETROIT is 14-12 ATS (13.7 Units) against good teams - outscoring their opponents by 0.3+ goals/game in the current season.

3Ottawa -4 Buffalo
BUFFALO is 1-16 ATS (-18 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season in the current season.

5Montreal -6 Washington
MONTREAL is 25-53 ATS (-33.3 Units) revenging a loss where opponent scored 4 or more goals in the last 3 seasons.

7Tampa Bay -8 Toronto
TAMPA BAY is 33-6 ATS (22.3 Units) against terrible defensive teams - allowing 3+ goals/game in the current season.

9Ny Islanders -10 Florida
NY ISLANDERS are 39-24 ATS (17.4 Units) against poor defensive teams - opponents average 29.5+ shots on goal in the current season.

11New Jersey -12 Carolina
NEW JERSEY is 4-24 ATS (-18.3 Units) in road games against good offensive teams - scoring 2.85+ goals/game in the current season.

13Boston -14 Minnesota
MINNESOTA is 3-13 ATS (-16.7 Units) in home games against good starting goalies - saving >= 91.5% of shots against in the current season.

15Philadelphia -16 St Louis
ST LOUIS are 14-2 ATS (13.3 Units) against good passing teams - averaging 5 or more assists per game in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.

17Vancouver -18 Nashville
NASHVILLE is 14-19 ATS (-6.9 Units) in home games off a road win in the last 3 seasons.

19San Jose -20 Edmonton
EDMONTON is 12-3 ATS (8.7 Units) revenging 2 straight losses where opponent scored 3 or more goals in the current season.

21Winnipeg -22 Colorado
COLORADO is 22-29 ATS (-16.6 Units) against poor defensive teams - allowing 2.85+ goals/game in the current season.

23Arizona -24 Vegas
VEGAS are 13-17 ATS (-9.8 Units) against good offensive teams - averaging 29.5+ shots on goal per game in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.

[StarDust Bum]

In the Crease - Week 28
Joe Williams



Detroit Rock City

The Detroit Red Wings have been eliminated for a long time, but they're certainly not throwing in the towel. They have won six in a row, and eight of the past nine outings. During their current six-game winning streak they have cashed some huge numbers, including +330 at Vegas on March 23 and +320 at San Jose on March 25. They also toppled Boston (+180) at home on March 31, 6-3, while also dealing Pittsburgh (+170) a costly loss for another solid payout for those who invested in the Red Wings. During the 6-0-0 run, they have cashed a healthy (+1235).

They'll play the second end of the home-and-home with the Penguins in the Steel City on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET, and they're a huge underdog (+275). Are you feeling them, or is the win streak finally going to end? The Red Wings have won just once in their past five trips to Pittsburgh, although the underdog is 5-2 in the past seven meetings, with the 'over' 5-1 in the past six meetings in Western Pennsylvania. The over is also 12-4 in the past 16 meetings overall in the series.

Looking Ahead

Thursday, April 4

Montreal at Washington: The Canadiens are fighting for a wild-card spot, while the Capitals are still shooting for a division title. Both teams have something to play for, so this one should be one of the best games of the evening. The Habs are 6-2 in the past eight games overall, while going 5-2 in the past seven against Eastern Confernce teams. However, they're just 2-5 in the past seven road games, and 1-8 in the past nine away from home against teams with a winning home record. The Canadiens are just 2-6 in the past seven meetings, but the road team is 20-7 in the past 27 in this series, and the underdog is 22-9 in the past 31 battles overall.

Tampa Bay at Toronto: The Lightning head into this one with a 42-9 mark across their past 51 against the Eastern Conference, steamrolling all comers. They're also 39-16 in the past 55 games on the road, an area which will obviously handy once the postseason begins. Tampa Bay has won four of the past five in this series, and they're 4-1 in the past five trips to Toronto, too. The Leafs are a solid 41-20 in their past 61 at home.

Winnipeg at Colorado: The Jets have won just once in the past five games overall, but it seems the closer together the games are, the better they do. That will serve them well in the playoffs. In the past 27 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation, they're 21-6. They're also 17-6 in the past 23 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation. Colorado has won five in a row at home, and they're 7-2 in the past nine overall. The Avalanche need just one point in the next two games to eliminate the Arizona Coyotes and punch their ticket to the postseason.

Friday, April 5

Dallas at Chicago: The Blackhawks won a hard fought game on Wednesday, topping the Blues 4-3 in a shootout behind Cam Ward in his first start in a month. It might be his final start in the NHL, unless he elects to return for another season. The Stars are into the postseason, clinching over the weekend, and they're 5-2 in the past seven meetings in this series. The road team has cashed in four straight meetings, with the 'over' going 20-7-1 in the past 28 meetings in the Windy City.

Los Angeles at Anaheim: The Kings and Ducks have nothing to play for but pride. Even if neither of these teams are going to the playoffs, this will be played like a playoff game most likely. These rivals do not like each other, so it should be entertaining. L.A. has won just seven of their past 26 games, and they're 3-9 in the past 12 as a road underdog. Anaheim isn't quitting, either. They beat the No. 1 seed Flames on Wednesday, moving to 32-1 in their past 33 regular-season home games against Calgary. In this series, the under is 4-1 in the past five meetings, the home team is 4-1 in the past five, and the favorite has cashed in nine of the past 11 in this series.

Saturday, April 6

Toronto at Montreal: The Maple Leafs could potentially knock their Original Six rivals out of the postseason depending on how things shake down over the next couple of days. That should make Saturday's battle very interesting. The Habs haven't had a lot of success against the Leafs lately, with Toronto going 7-0 in the past seven meetings, and the favorite cashing in each of the past five in the series.

Carolina at Philadelphia: The Hurricanes could be playing for their playoff lives on Saturday, or they might simply be jockeying for the seventh seed just to avoid the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs. Either way, this will be an important game. They just beat Philly 5-2 as home favorites on March 30 behind Petr Mrazek, who has won 10 of his past 12 entering play on Thursday. They'll be looking to complete the season sweep against the Flyers, including a home-and-home win on Dec. 31 and Jan. 3. Mrazek won the last game in Philly on Jan. 3 by a 5-3 margin.

Colorado at San Jose: The Avalanche might have already clinched a playoff spot by the time the puck drops, but depending on what happens in the Dallas game on Friday night, the Avalanche could potentially be playing for the first wild-card, and a chance to avoid the Calgary Flames. The Sharks have been sick lately, and not in a good way. They're limping into the playoffs and need a momentum builder. They have won four meetings in a row at home against the Avalanche since Dec. 28, 2016, and the over is an impressive 7-1-1 in the past nine in this series. The home team is also 7-2 in the past nine meetings, with the favorite 3-0 in the past three.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, APRIL 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TB at TOR 07:00 PM
TB -109
O 7.0

DET at PIT 07:00 PM
U 6.0

OTT at BUF 07:00 PM
OTT +180
O 6.0

NYI at FLA 07:00 PM
O 5.5

NJ at CAR 07:00 PM
U 6.0

MON at WAS 07:00 PM
MON +120
U 6.0

VAN at NAS 08:00 PM
NAS -244
U 5.5

BOS at MIN 08:00 PM
BOS +105
U 5.5

PHI at STL 08:00 PM
O 6.0

SJ at EDM 09:00 PM
EDM +128
O 6.5

WIN at COL 09:00 PM
O 6.0

ARI at VEG 10:00 PM
ARI +180
U 5.5

[StarDust Bum]

Capitals beat Canadiens to take Metropolitan Division
April 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Nic Dowd scored the tiebreaking goal early in the second period, Braden Holtby stopped 33 shots and the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 Thursday night to clinch the Metropolitan Division title.

Lars Eller also scored as Washington wrapped up a fourth consecutive division crown with one game remaining.

After clinching their fifth consecutive playoff spot and 11th in 12 seasons last week, the defending Stanley Cup champions enter the postseason having won five of six. They've allowed only one goal in three of those victories.

Shea Weber scored for Montreal, which saw its playoff hopes dwindle with a game to go. Despite beating other division leaders in their last two games, the Canadiens entered Thursday even behind Columbus for the second and final wild card due to the regulation/overtime wins tiebreaker.

Carey Price made 29 stops in the loss.

ISLANDERS 2, PANTHERS 1, SO

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - Brock Nelson scored in the second period and then got the winner in the fourth round of the shootout to lead New York to its third win in four games.

Thomas Greiss finished with 29 saves through overtime and thwarted all four Florida attempts in the tiebreaker.

New York remained two points ahead of Pittsburgh for second place in the Metropolitan Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Islanders need to earn just one point in the season finale at Washington on Saturday to clinch second.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored the tying goal for the Panthers with 7:15 left in the third period. Montembeault had 35 saves in his 10th NHL start.

PENGUINS 4, RED WINGS 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Phil Kessell scored twice, Sidney Crosby added a goal and two assists and Matt Murray stopped 33 shots as Pittsburgh clinched a postseason berth for the 13th straight year - the longest active streak in the NHL.

Jake Guenztel added his 39th for the Penguins, who welcomed center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang back into the lineup by racing past the Red Wings to extend a playoff run that began in 2007. Pittsburgh has won three Stanley Cups and appeared in another Cup final during that span.

Matt Puempel scored his first NHL goal in more than two years for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard finished with 43 saves, but couldn't quite duplicate his spectacular performance in a victory over the Penguins on Tuesday as Detroit's six-game winning streak came to a halt.

AVALANCHE 3, JETS 2, OT

DENVER (AP) - Erik Johnson scored 1:49 into overtime, Philipp Grubauer made 34 saves and Colorado rallied from two goals down to clinch a playoff berth.

Johnson took a feed from Nathan MacKinnon and knocked it past Connor Hellebuyck for the winner.

Colorado players actually celebrated on the bench as soon as the clock ran out in regulation since the team needed only a point to earn a spot. The Avalanche went 8-0-2 down the stretch to secure a wild-card position for a second straight season. They trail Dallas by a point for the first wild-card spot. The Stars still have two games remaining.

Winnipeg's loss was a big blow in its quest to capture the Central Division crown. The Jets fell a point behind Nashville and dropped into a tie with St. Louis with one game remaining. It was the fifth loss in six games for Winnipeg.

Carl Soderberg tied it up at 2 with 9:25 remaining. Tyson Barrie also scored for Colorado.

Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers scored first-period goals for the Jets, while Hellebuyck made 35 saves.

SHARKS 3, OILERS 2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) - Brent Burns had a goal and an assist to help San Jose win for just the second time in 11 games.

Marcus Sorensen and Gustav Nyquist also scored and Aaron Dell finished with 26 saves for the Sharks, who improved to 2-8-1 in the last 11. San Jose has clinched second place in the Pacific Division and will face Vegas in the first round of the playoffs.

Leon Draisaitl had two goals for the Oilers, who have lost five straight and will miss the playoffs for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons. Anthony Stolarz had 24 saves.

Nyquist tipped Burns' point shot with 1:12 left in the second to give San Jose the 3-2 lead.

PREDATORS 3, CANUCKS 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Ryan Johansen scored with 19.5 seconds remaining, and Nashville preserved its hopes for a second straight Central Division title.

Winnipeg needed Nashville to lose with the Jets winning in Colorado to clinch the division Thursday night, and the Predators trailed 2-1 before scoring twice in the final 4:20.

Now, the division race will be decided Saturday on the final night of the season.

Nick Bonino tied it up with 4:20 left when Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom got caught to the left of his net with Austin Watson sliding across in front of him. The Canucks lost their challenge for goaltender interference.

Johansen's pass across the slot to Viktor Arvidsson instead went off the outstretched stick of Canucks defenseman Troy Stecher and past Markstrom's left pad and in. The Canucks also challenged, this time for offsides and lost.

Colton Sissons also scored for Nashville, which now has won four of five.

Markus Granlund scored and Tanner Pearson each had power-play goals for Vancouver, which snapped a three-game winning streak.

LIGHTNING 3, MAPLE LEAFS 1

TORONTO (AP) - Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 29 shots, and Tampa Bay became the second team in NHL history to win more than 60 games in a season.

Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn also scored for the Lightning.

Mitch Marner scored for Toronto, and Frederik Andersen finished with 26 saves.

Tied 1-1 in the third period, Stamkos threw a pass back into the slot to Killorn, who beat a down-and-out Andersen with a fluttering shot into the top of the net for his 18th goal of the season with 5:48 left.

The Maple Leafs pressed for the tie with Andersen on the bench, but Vasilevskiy stopped Patrick Marleau from in tight with his left pad on Toronto's best chance before Kucherov sealed it with an empty-netter with 55 seconds left for his 40th of the season.

HURRICANES 3, DEVILS 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Justin Faulk scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and Carolina clinched its first playoff berth in a decade.

Warren Foegele and Nino Neiderreiter also scored to help the Hurricanes snap the NHL's longest active playoff drought. The victory - coupled with Montreal's loss at Washington - wrapped up Carolina's first postseason berth since 2009 and just its second since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.

Andy Greene scored and Cory Schneider stopped 22 shots for the Devils, who have lost three of four and have clinched last place in the Metropolitan Division.

Petr Mrazek made 35 saves for the Hurricanes.

SABRES 5, SENATORS 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists, and Buffalo snapped an eight-game skid in its final home game of the season.

Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo scored 2:14 apart in the second period to erase a 2-1 deficit in a game between two non-playoff contenders. Rookie Victor Olofsson had a goal and assist, and 36-year-old Jason Pominville earned a rousing cheer from the crowd after scoring in what could have been his final home game for the Sabres.

Buffalo is 2-13-2 in its last 17 games, and won in regulation for the first time since a 5-2 victory over Washington on Feb. 23. Carter Hutton stopped 21 shots.

Anthony Duclair and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the Senators, who were already assured of finishing last in the overall standings. Joey Daccord stopped 35 shots in his NHL debut.

BRUINS 3, WILD 0

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Jaroslav Halak made 26 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and 47th of his career, and short-handed Boston beat Minnesota.

Joakim Nordstrom, David Pastrnak and Zach Senyshyn scored for Boston.

Halak, who has split time with Tuukka Rask in goal for Boston this season, was rarely challenged by a Minnesota team that was shut out for the 10th time this season and seventh on its home ice.

The Bruins rested several regulars, including Zdeno Chara, David Krecji, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy since they are locked into the second spot in the Atlantic Division behind Tampa Bay.

Alex Stalock stopped 32 shots for Minnesota, which has lost nine times in its past 13 games.

BLUES 7, FLYERS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Alex Pietrangelo had three assists during the Blues' five-goal first-period outburst, Alexander Steen finished with two goals and St. Louis preserved its Central Division title hopes.

The Blues scored five times in the first 9 minutes, 41 seconds to set a franchise record for quickest five-goal start to a game, eclipsing the previous mark of five in the opening 13:45 set on Jan. 3, 1970, in a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Ivan Barbashev, Ryan O'Reilly, Steen, Pat Maroon and David Perron all scored during the early outburst as the Blues scored five times on their initial 11 shots.

St. Louis, which improved to 8-1-2 since March 16, remains one point behind Nashville, which beat Vancouver 3-2.

Jordan Binnington made 26 saves and set a team record for wins by a rookie with his 23rd.

Claude Giroux, Oskar Lindblom and James Van Riemsdyk scored for the Flyers.

COYOTES 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Derek Stepan scored twice, Darcy Kuemper made 35 saves and Arizona defeated the Vegas Golden Knights.

Arizona entered the day needing a win to stay in playoff contention, but was officially eliminated from the postseason when Colorado went into overtime with Winnipeg earlier in the night. The Avalanche needed just one point to clinch the final spot in the Western Conference.

It marks the seventh consecutive season the Coyotes will miss the playoffs.

Richard Panik and Conor Garland also scored for the Coyotes. Kuemper has started a career-high 55 contests and has won a career-high 27 games.

Mark Stone scored Vegas' lone goal and Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 stops in his first appearance since March 15.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:08 PM Columbus Blue Jackets New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
8:38 PM Dallas Stars Chicago Blackhawks United Center
10:08 PM Los Angeles Kings Anaheim Ducks Honda Center


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NHL APRIL RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


04/04/2019 12-7-0 63.16% +27.25
04/03/2019 2-3-0 40.00% -2.10
04/02/2019 6-9-0 40.00% -13.40
04/01/2019 3-13-0 18.75% -52.55

Totals.............23-32-0 41.81% -40.30


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS


04/04/2019.............2 - 3......................-0.75....................8 - 4.................+18.00...........+17.25
04/03/2019.............2 - 0......................+14.50.................0 - 3.................-16.50.............-2.00
04/02/2019.............1 - 4......................-10.90..................6 - 3.................+13.50...........+2.60
04/01/2019.............1 - 5......................-19.75..................2 - 6..................-23.00............-42.75

Totals......................6 - 8......................-16.90................16 - 16................-8.00..............-24.90

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

Some more very early NFL over/under win totals:

— Houston 8.5, over -$120

— Indianapolis 9.5, under -$120

— Jacksonville 8, under -$120

— Kansas City 10.5, over -$120

— Chargers 10, under -$115

— LA Rams 10.5, over -$115

Quote of the Day
“I believe that sex is the most beautiful, natural, and wholesome thing that money can buy.”
Steve Martin

Friday’s quiz
Where did Russell Westbrook play his college basketball?

Thursday’s quiz
Last five World Series champs:
— 2014 Giants
— 2015 Royals
— 2016 Cubs
— 2017 Astros
— 2018 Red Sox

Wednesday’s quiz
Montreal Expos used to play their home games in Jarry Park.

***********************************

Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…..

13) Interesting article Thursday on bleacherreport.com about Aaron Rodgers and how his relationship with coach Mike McCarthy disintegrated over the years. If you’re a Packer fan, it has to be disturbing. As a football fan, not sure what word I’ll use to describe it.

“Disappointing” I guess. Rodgers comes off as kind of a creep.

McCarthy was the 49ers’ OC when San Francisco took QB Alex Smith instead of Rodgers in the ’05 draft. Rodgers never forgave McCarthy for saying that Smith was the better QB. Maybe that chip on his shoulder is what made Rodgers a great player. Will be curious to see how Green Bay does this year with a new coach and an aging QB who doesn’t resent him. Yet.

12) Think my biggest takeaway from the article is how long this disconnect was allowed to go on. Former Packer players say that the team should’ve won multiple Super Bowls, but that chances were squandered, and there was lot of blame to go around. An interesting read.

11) Two guys from the AAF have already signed with NFL teams:
— Keith Reaser, a CB from Orlando, signed with Kansas City
— Rashad Ross, a WR from Arizona, signed with Carolina.

10) When an umpire tells a manager “I can do anything I want!!” that doesn’t look good for baseball, but thats what happened in Arlington Wednesday night, with Ron Kulpa tossing Astros’ manager AJ Hinch and also Houston’s hitting coach, in the 2nd inning.

Houston starts season with a 2-5 road trip; they’ve scored 10 runs in their last six games.

As for Kulpa, over last seven years, under is 112-73 when he’s been behind the plate, so he is a pitcher’s friend. Last year, he worked only eight games behind the plate.

9) A’s 7, Red Sox 3— Oakland takes three of four from Boston; Ramon Laureano threw out another baserunner from CF; he threw three guys out in this series, all at 3rd or home.

8) Blue Jays’ manager Charlie Montoyo went 2-5 in four games for the 1993 Montreal Expos, his only playing experience in the major leagues. Hard as hell to make it to the majors, so hats off to him, but Montoyo played in 1,028 minor league games, 534 of them at the AAA level.

Imagine how frustrating it must’ve been to be that close to the majors, yet only get the call one time? I’m guessing that experience will make him a pretty good big league skipper.

7) In the last 18 months, Texas A&M has committed $99.3M to its football/basketball coaches when they hired Jimbo Fisher, Buzz Williams away from ACC schools.

6) Top five cities in country, with regard to adults still living at home with their parents:
— Riverside, CA 28.1%
— Miami 27% (26.5% of whom are unemployed)
— Los Angeles 26.9%
— New York 24.7%
— San Antonio 23.2%

5) Indians 4, Blue Jays 1— Trevor Bauer threw 117 pitches in seven no-hit innings in his second start of the season. Last pitcher to throw 120+ pitches in an April start? Tyson Ross threw 127 in a start last April 30.

4) From NFL Hall of Famer Gil Brandt:
“Here’s a prediction: 4 quarterbacks will be drafted in the first 25 picks this year.”

3) Thursday was Opening Day in the minor leagues; part of being in a fantasy baseball league is checking thru boxscores and gaining knowledge. Not relevant for fantasy owners: Tim Tebow is in AAA for the Mets and went 0-4 with two strikeouts Thursday.

2) Maybe Lebron James should coach the Lakers next year.

1) Since 2015, Homer Bailey is 9-27 with a 6.24 ERA; he is making $23M this season.

Chris Davis is 0 for his last 37 with 21 strikeouts. He makes $23M also.

What a country.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, April 5

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COLUMBUS (45-31-0-4, 94 pts.) at NY RANGERS (31-36-0-13, 75 pts.) - 4/5/2019, 7:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 5-15 ATS (+20.1 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 33-15 ATS (+14.2 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 16-6 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NY RANGERS are 95-117 ATS (-40.6 Units) in a home game where the total is 6 or more since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 25-39 ATS (-31.9 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 151-150 ATS (-74.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 30-61 ATS (+96.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 120-154 ATS (-98.2 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 211-250 ATS (-141.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 8-4 (+2.6 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 8-4-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.9 Units)

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DALLAS (42-31-0-7, 91 pts.) at CHICAGO (35-33-0-12, 82 pts.) - 4/5/2019, 8:38 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 26-37 ATS (-14.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 25-41 ATS (-25.6 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 31-44 ATS (-22.3 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 2-11 ATS (-13.1 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 65-75 ATS (-42.1 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1996.
CHICAGO is 15-33 ATS (-18.7 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 7-5 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-5-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (30-41-0-9, 69 pts.) at ANAHEIM (34-37-0-10, 78 pts.) - 4/5/2019, 10:08 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 41-23 ATS (+16.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 572-470 ATS (+41.4 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 71-57 ATS (+3.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 75-67 ATS (+151.7 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 23-36 ATS (-18.3 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 7-6 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 7-6-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.6 Units)

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25Columbus -26 Ny Rangers
COLUMBUS are 16-4 ATS (12.3 Units) in road games against terrible defensive teams - allowing 3+ goals/game in the current season.

27Dallas -28 Chicago
DALLAS are 9-25 ATS (-18.5 Units) after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game in the last 3 seasons.

29Los Angeles -30 Anaheim
ANAHEIM is 2-12 ATS (-14.1 Units) against terrible teams - outscored by opponents by 0.5+ goals/game in the current season.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, APRIL 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLB at NYR 07:00 PM
O 6.0

DAL at CHI 08:30 PM
U 6.5

LA at ANA 10:00 PM
LA +138
U 5.5

[StarDust Bum]

Blue Jackets earn playoff berth; Blackhawks roll
April 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Artemi Panarin scored in the shootout and the Columbus Blue Jackets clinched the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Ryan Dzingel and Panarin scored in the third period for Columbus and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots through overtime and all three Rangers attempts in the tiebreaker.

The Blue Jackets, 8-2-2 in their past 12 games, secured their third straight playoff berth and hold the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Columbus pulled within one point of Carolina for the first wild card heading into the final day of the regular season on Saturday. The Blue Jackets close the season at Ottawa, while the Hurricanes play at Philadelphia.

Chris Kreider scored early in the second period and Pavel Buchnevich tied it in the closing seconds of regulation for the Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev finished with 39 saves in New York's third straight loss and 16th in the past 20 (4-10-6) heading into the finale at Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

After Panarin beat Georgiev in the second round of the shootout, Bobrovsky denied Tony DeAngelo on the Rangers' last attempt to secure the win.

BLACKHAWKS 6, STARS 1

CHICAGO (AP) - Patrick Kane scored twice and Cam Ward made 25 saves in his 700th NHL game, helping Chicago pound short-handed Dallas in its home finale.

Dylan Strome, Chris Kunitz and Dominik Kahun also scored for Chicago, which earned its second straight win and improved to 3-0-2 in its past five. Slater Koekkoek added his second of the season, and Brent Seabrook had two assists.

Dallas (42-32-7) clinched a playoff spot with Tuesday night's 6-2 victory over Philadelphia, but it needs at least one more point to secure the Western Conference's top wild card.

The Stars host Minnesota in their season finale, and Colorado is just one point back heading into its final game at San Jose later Saturday night.

Captain Jamie Benn, goaltender Ben Bishop, forward Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Roman Polak skipped the trip to Chicago. Bishop remained sidelined by a lower-body injury, and Benn, Zuccarello and Polak got a chance to rest.

Joel L'Esperance scored for Dallas in the third period, and Anton Khudobin made 26 stops.

DUCKS 5, KINGS 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Korbinian Holzer scored his first NHL goal in just over two years, Sam Steel added a short-handed goal and Anaheim punctuated a miserable hockey season in Southern California with a victory over Los Angeles.

Daniel Sprong, Carter Rowney and Jakob Silfverberg also scored, and John Gibson made 44 saves as the Ducks earned their first victory in four games in this season's Freeway Faceoff rivalry.

Both teams are missing the Stanley Cup playoffs in the same season for the first time since 2004, and the Ducks missed the postseason for the first time in seven years despite 11 wins in their final 17 games.

Michael Amadio and Carl Grundstrom scored and Jack Campbell stopped 28 shots for the Kings, who have the NHL's second-worst record with one game to play - one point fewer than New Jersey.

Rookie Max Jones had two assists in his first career multi-point game for the Ducks (35-37-10), who surged to finish with 80 points, matching the franchise's lowest total in a full season since 2004.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL APRIL RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/05/2019 0-4-0 0.00% -21.50
04/04/2019 12-7-0 63.16% +27.25
04/03/2019 2-3-0 40.00% -2.10
04/02/2019 6-9-0 40.00% -13.40
04/01/2019 3-13-0 18.75% -52.55

Totals.............23-36-0 38.98% -61.80


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

04/05/2019.............0 - 1......................-5.00....................0 - 3.................-16.50............-21.50
04/04/2019.............2 - 3......................-0.75....................8 - 4.................+18.00...........+17.25
04/03/2019.............2 - 0......................+14.50.................0 - 3.................-16.50.............-2.00
04/02/2019.............1 - 4......................-10.90..................6 - 3.................+13.50...........+2.60
04/01/2019.............1 - 5......................-19.75..................2 - 6..................-23.00............-42.75

Totals......................6 - 9......................-21.90................16 - 19................-24.50............-46.40

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

At M Resort in Las Vegas, you can wager on NFL wins matchups for 2019:

— 49ers (-$115) —1.5 wins vs Raiders (-$125)

— Eagles ($115) —0.5 win vs Steelers (-$115)

— Browns (-$120) -2.5 wins vs Bengals (-$110)

— Jaguars (even) -1.5 wins vs Buccaneers (+$130)

— Jets (-$110) -1 win vs Giants (-$120)

— Cowboys (-$105) -0.5 win vs Texans (-$125)

Quote of the Day
“He’s not going to respect you if he thinks he’s smarter than you.”
Former Green Bay personnel guy, talking about Aaron Rodgers

Saturday’s quiz
When the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, who was their manager?

Friday’s quiz
Russell Westbrook played his college basketball at UCLA

Thursday’s quiz
Last five World Series champs (five different teams).
— 2014 Giants
— 2015 Royals
— 2016 Cubs
— 2017 Astros
— 2018 Red Sox


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Saturday’s List of 13: My favorite non-sports movies……

These are 13 of my favorite non-sports movies. Make your own list.

Remember, these are my favorite movies, not the movies that are necessarily the best. Of the 50 movies USA Today listed as the best ever, I’ve seen two of them. Seriously.

13) Runaway Jury— I’m a big fan of the John Grisham books; this was my favorite of the ones that were turned into movies. Gene Hackman plays a jury consultant whose client is a gun manufacturer; John Cusack is on the jury to manipulate the verdict.

T12) Moon Over Parador— Richard Dreyfuss is an actor who is hired to stand in for the dictator of a Latin American country who suddenly dies. Jonathan Winters is a weird CIA agent whose wife is Polly Holliday, who played Flo in the old TV series Alice.

T12) Dave— Made five years after Moon Over Parador, this is basically the same movie, just set in Washington, DC.

Guy who looks just the President runs a temp service in Washington; when the real president has a stroke while screwing around with his mistress, the guy (Kevin Kline) is hired as the stand-in president. Sigourney Weaver is the First Lady.

11) The Verdict— Paul Newman is a struggling lawyer who is handed a winning case, which is easier said than done. His friend is played by Jack Warden, one of my all-time favorites.

10) The Gambler— Remake of a James Caan movie from the mid-70’s. College professor (Mark Wahlberg) seems to have an excellent life, but he has a huge gambling problem which drags him down. John Goodman plays one of the people he owes money to; he is very good in this.

9) The Bodyguard— Whitney Houston is a famous singer with a contract on her head; Kevin Costner is the ex-Secret Service hired to protect her.

8) A Few Good Men— The last scene, with Jack Nicholson on the witness stand, is tremendous. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, JT Walsh as supporting actors is pretty strong.

7) Leap of Faith— Steve Martin plays a traveling preacher whose bus breaks down, stranding his crew in a drought-stricken Kansas town. Miracles ensue. Liam Neeson, Debra Winger, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meat Loaf all have supporting roles.

6) Molly’s Game— Young woman runs high stakes poker games for celebrities/rich guys, but when members of the Russian mob enter the game, things get complicated. This is a true story, and as we’re learning nowadays, real life is often stranger than fiction.

5) Lost In Translation— Bill Murray plays a washed-up actor who is in Tokyo getting paid $2M to do a whiskey commercial. He meets Scarlett Johansson in the hotel bar and they become friends.

4) Begin Again— Down-and-out movie producer stumbles into a Manhattan bar and discovers a young singer who can resurrect his career.

3) Good Will Hunting— Janitor at MIT can do complicated math problems better than the professors can, but he also has a criminal record, and has to get counseling for that. Robin Williams is great as the counselor.

2) Last Vegas— Four old friends get together in Las Vegas for the bachelor party of the one bachelor in group (Michael Douglas) who is marrying a woman 40 years younger than him. It is Douglas, Robert Deniro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline.

1) Rounders— Law student decides he’d rather play high stakes poker. The scenes with Matt Damon and his law professor (Martin Landau) are excellent. Same guys who wrote this write the great Showtime series Billions now.