Announcement

**Udog** · 04-10-2019, 08:08 AM

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

More very early over/under NFL win totals:

— Raiders 6, over +$120

— Eagles 9.5

— Steelers 9, under -$115

— 49ers 8, under -$115

— Seattle 8.5, over -$120

— Tampa Bay 6, over -$120

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings……

13) Magic Johnson abruptly stepped down Tuesday night as president of the Lakers.

NBA continues to get stranger by the day. Doesn’t seem like there are a lot of happy people there. League is profitable, lot of folks getting rich. You’d think they’d be happier.

12) UCLA ended its 100-day coaching search by hiring Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin, who will get $24M for six years. Cronin made the NCAA’s the last nine years with the Bearcats, but made Sweet 16 only one time, and has never been in an Elite 8.

Cronin was at Cincinnati for 13 years; his record in NCAA games there? 6-9. They got turned down by Rick Barnes and Jamie Dixon, neither of whom will get confused with John Wooden. I’m guessing the fanbase won’t be thrilled.

11) On the other hand, where does Cincinnati turn now? They just upgraded their facilities, and have a pretty impressive history of winning. AAC is an improving league; this is a good job for somebody. Question is whats the better open job, Cincinnati or St John’s?

10) Avery Johnson, Chris Mullin, Mike Dunleavy all coached in the NBA, all got told to take a hike this spring by colleges that employed them. Recruiting is a grind, and no one wins without really good players. Guys who worked in the NBA aren’t always thrilled by the seemingly endless treadmill that recruiting can be.

9) When they announced the 2019 inductees for the Naismith Hall of Fame this weekend, part of me was surprised that Zion Williamson wasn’t inducted; if you listen to ESPN, he’s the greatest college ballplayer since Bill Walton. ESPN”s #1 goal is promoting the NBA, and thats where Williamson will be for the next 12-15 years.

8) One thing you never want to see, Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore posting a map of your hometown on Twitter, with the accompanying radar of an approaching storm. Not good.

7) Pirates’ P Chris Archer got suspended for five games after starting Sunday’s fracas with the Reds, but he didn’t get thrown out of that game after he threw behind Derek Dietrich.

6) Baseball injuries:
— Cleveland put P Mike Clevinger (back) on the IL.
— Cubs put P Jon Lester (hamstring) on the IL.
— Colorado put P Tyler Anderson (knee) on the IL.
— Dodgers put Hyun-Jin Ryu (leg) on the IL.
— Luis Severino went back to New York for another MRI on his shoulder.

5) Cincinnati Reds/St Louis Cardinals are playing two games in Monterrey, Mexico this weekend, bit of an unusual schedule.

4) Virginia won its six NCAA tournament games by a total of 45 points, 2nd-lowest total for a champion in the shot clock era. 1997 Arizona Wildcats won their six games by total of 32 points. ’97 UConn Huskies won their six games by total of 47.

3) From 2015-17, 18 baseball teams won 10+ more games than they did the year before; those 18 teams, in the third year, regressed by an average of 4.89 wins per year.

There are five such teams this year: Braves, Brewers, A’s, Phillies, Rays.

2) TV ratings for Monday night’s Virginia-Texas Tech game were 23% higher than last year’s national title game.

1) Since 1989, the Big 14 has won only one national title in basketball, when Michigan State won the championship in 2000 in Indianapolis.

**Udog** · 04-10-2019, 08:12 AM

First Round Cheat Sheet

Key:
A – Atlantic
M – Metropolitan
C – Central
P – Pacific
W – Wild Card

Eastern Conference

1A Tampa Bay vs. 2W Columbus

Lightning: 62-16-4, 128 points
Blue Jackets: 47-31-4, 98 points

Season series: The Lightning rolled through the NHL this season by tying the league record for most wins in a season with 62. Three of those victories came against old friend John Tortorella and the Blue Jackets, as Tampa Bay outscored Columbus, 17-3. The Bolts crushed the Blue Jackets in the first meeting in Tampa, 8-2 in mid-October, followed by a 4-0 shutout in January. In Tampa Bay's lone visit to central Ohio, the Lightning cruised past the Jackets, 5-1 for their sixth straight win in the series dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season.

Previous playoff outcome: Tampa Bay reached the Eastern Conference finals after eliminating New Jersey and Boston in five games each. The Lightning fell in seven games to eventual champion Washington in spite of owning a 3-2 series lead, as Tampa Bay was blanked in Games 6 and 7. Columbus had an opportunity to end Washington's title run early in the playoffs by leading the Capitals, 2-0. However, Washington won the final four games of the series to advance, marking the second straight season the Jackets were bounced in the opening round.

1M Washington vs. 1W Carolina

Capitals: 48-26-8, 104 points
Hurricanes: 46-29-7, 99 points

Season series: The defending champion Capitals pulled off the four-game season sweep of the Hurricanes, while limiting Carolina to four goals in the final three victories. The Caps outlasted the Hurricanes in the first matchup, 6-5 in the shootout in Raleigh as Alex Ovechkin posted a hat trick for Washington. The Caps captured the next two meetings in D.C. by a combined 7-2 score, while netting a pair of third period goals in the final meeting in Carolina, 3-2 in late March.

Previous playoff outcome: Washington hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history last June after rolling through Columbus, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Vegas. The Capitals actually lost the series opener in three of four instances, including twice at home to the Blue Jackets and Penguins. However, the Capitals helped themselves with a strong 10-3 road record, while clinching each series on the highway. The Hurricanes are in the playoffs for the first time since 2009, as they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before getting swept by Pittsburgh. This marks the first time ever that the Capitals and Hurricanes are meeting in the postseason.

2A Boston vs. 3A Toronto

Bruins: 49-24-9, 107 points
Maple Leafs: 46-28-8, 100 points

Season series: Boston captured three of four meetings from its Original Six rival, while dominating the Leafs in a pair of wins at TD Garden. The Bruins crushed the Leafs as -145 home favorites in November, 5-1, but Toronto rebounded for a 4-2 home triumph 16 days later as -160 favorites. Boston took the remaining two matchups, including a 3-2 win at Toronto as a short underdog back on January 12.

Previous playoff outcome: Toronto is probably not thrilled it has to hook up with Boston in the postseason as the Maple Leafs haven't had much luck with the Bruins. Back in the opening round in 2013, the Maple Leafs held a commanding 4-1 lead in the third period of Game 7 at TD Garden. The Bruins roared back to score three goals to force overtime and eventually won it, 5-4. Last season, the Maple Leafs rallied from a 3-1 series deficit in the first round to force Game 7 in Boston as Toronto led 4-3 headed to the third period. Boston scored the final four goals to knock out Toronto, who hasn't advanced past the opening round since 2004. The Bruins routed the Lightning in the first game of the second round, but Tampa Bay won the final four contests to eliminate Boston in five games.

2M N.Y. Islanders vs. 3M Pittsburgh

Islanders: 48-27-9, 103 points
Penguins: 44-26-12, 100 points

Season series: If evidenced by the four meetings this season, this series should be one of the more intriguing ones in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins and Islanders split the four-game season series as each team won once at home and once on the road. Pittsburgh swept the three-game series in 2017-18, but the Islanders knocked off the Penguins twice in a span of three days with Halloween sandwiched in between. The Penguins bounced back with a pair of wins over New York in a five-day stretch in early December as these teams haven't met in 2019.

Previous playoff outcome: The Penguins had their two-year stretch of Stanley Cup titles come to an end last May as Pittsburgh was bounced in the second round in six games by Washington. Pittsburgh has advanced past the opening round in each of the last three seasons, while eliminating the Islanders in the first round of the 2013 playoffs in six games. The Islanders are back in the postseason for the first time since 2016 as they downed the Panthers in the first round before succumbing to the Lightning in five games.

Western Conference

1P Calgary vs. 2W Colorado

Flames: 50-25-7, 107 points
Avalanche: 38-30-14, 90 points

Season series: The Flames took care of the Avalanche in all three meetings this season, which included a pair of one-goal victories. Calgary edged Colorado at Pepsi Center in overtime, 3-2 back in October as the Flames scored the final three goals after trailing 2-0. The next two matchups easily eclipsed the OVER as the Flames defeated the Avalanche, 6-5 on November 1 at the Saddledome, followed by a 5-3 victory in Alberta in early January. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Flames have owned the Avs by winning eight of the last nine meetings, including a 5-0 home mark.

Previous playoff outcome: Calgary is making its second postseason appearance in the last three seasons as the Flames were swept in the opening round by the Ducks in 2017. The Flames are facing the Avalanche in the playoffs for the first time ever, as Colorado is back in the postseason for the second straight year after getting knocked out in the first round by Nashville. Colorado hasn't reached the second round since 2008, while Calgary has escaped past the first round only once since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2004.

1C Nashville vs. 1W Dallas

Predators: 47-29-6, 100 points
Stars: 43-32-7, 93 points

Season series: The Predators grabbed three of five meetings from the Stars, while the road team won four times. The only time the home team came out victorious was in early February when the Predators slipped past the Stars, 3-2 in overtime at Bridgestone Arena. Although Dallas failed to win at home in two meetings, the Stars topped the Predators twice in Nashville as substantial underdogs, while limiting the Preds to one goal in those victories. The three matchups in Nashville finished UNDER the total, while the two games in Dallas sailed OVER the total.

Previous playoff outcome: For the fifth straight season the Predators are in the playoffs, as Nashville couldn't get out of the second round in 2018 after losing in seven games to Winnipeg. Nashville will hook up with Dallas in the playoffs for the first time ever, marking the fifth division opponent they have faced in the postseason since 2017. The Stars are in the postseason for the third time since 2009, as Dallas last made the playoffs in 2016 and reached Game 7 of the second round before getting blown out by St. Louis.

2C Winnipeg vs. 3C St. Louis

Jets: 47-30-5, 99 points
Blues: 45-28-9, 99 points

Season series: It's been a tale of two seasons for St. Louis, who sat in last place in January, but finished within one point of the Central division title. Why that's relevant for this discussion is the Jets took care of the Blues three times in the first two months of the season, while outscoring St. Louis, 18-9. In an 8-4 Winnipeg blowout in November, Jets' star Patrik Laine scored five goals, but the Blues blanked the Jets, 1-0 in the final matchup on December 7.

Previous playoff outcome: The new Jets were one round away from their first ever Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2018, but upstart Vegas eliminated Winnipeg in five games. Winnipeg knocked off Minnesota and Nashville in the first two rounds as it squares off with St. Louis for the first time in the playoffs since the franchise moved from Atlanta in 2011. The Blues are in the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons, while reaching the second round in their last playoff appearance in 2017.

2P San Jose vs. 3P Vegas

Sharks: 46-27-9, 101 points
Golden Knights: 43-32-7, 93 points

Season series: The Sharks and Golden Knights split four matchups this season, as Vegas scored six and seven goals in the two wins. Both Vegas victories came by at least three goals, while each San Jose win came by one goal each. The most recent meeting occurred on March 30 at SAP Center as the Sharks edged the Golden Knights, 4-3 in overtime. Each of these division rivals struggled down the stretch as the Sharks dropped nine of their final 12 games, while Vegas lost seven of its last eight contests.

Previous playoff outcome: Vegas is back in the postseason for the second straight year after its improbable run to the Stanley Cup after eliminating Los Angeles, San Jose, and Winnipeg before losing to Washington in five games. The Golden Knights took care of the Sharks in six games of the second round, including three wins at San Jose. The Sharks are in the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons since the lockout, as San Jose has advanced past the first round eight times in this stretch.

**Udog** · 04-10-2019, 08:22 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 10

Columbus @ Tampa Bay

Game 1-2
April 10, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
11.439
Tampa Bay
12.889
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-210
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-210); Over

Pittsburgh @ NY Islanders

Game 3-4
April 10, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
12.817
NY Islanders
10.663
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-105); Under

St. Louis @ Winnipeg

Game 5-6
April 10, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
12.232
Winnipeg
10.644
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-120
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+100); Over

Dallas @ Nashville

Game 7-8
April 10, 2019 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
10.949
Nashville
12.162
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-160); Under

Vegas @ San Jose

Game 9-10
April 10, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vegas
10.944
San Jose
9.056
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Vegas
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-140
6
Dunkel Pick:
Vegas
(+120); Over

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 10

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COLUMBUS (47-31-0-4, 98 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (62-16-0-4, 128 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 62-20 ATS (+40.1 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 36-14 ATS (+9.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
TAMPA BAY is 32-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 251-246 ATS (+564.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 65-55 ATS (+126.7 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 6-3 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 6-3-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (44-26-0-12, 100 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (48-27-0-7, 103 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 44-38 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 48-34 ATS (+82.3 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 10-1 ATS (+8.8 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 18-10 ATS (+29.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 18-9 ATS (+27.6 Units) after a division game this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 20-10 ATS (+9.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 22-17 ATS (+42.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 5-7 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 7-5-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)

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ST LOUIS (45-28-0-9, 99 pts.) at WINNIPEG (47-30-0-5, 99 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 28-7 ATS (+19.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 15-4 ATS (+8.8 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 33-13 ATS (+15.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 30-15 ATS (+8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 24-16 ATS (+40.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 12-4 ATS (+16.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 10-3 (+6.5 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 10-3-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)

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DALLAS (43-32-0-7, 93 pts.) at NASHVILLE (47-29-0-6, 100 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 25-42 ATS (-26.7 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 59-33 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 9-5 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 9-5-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

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

VEGAS (43-32-0-7, 93 pts.) at SAN JOSE (46-27-0-9, 101 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VEGAS is 43-39 ATS (-17.8 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 20-20 ATS (-14.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
VEGAS is 46-22 ATS (+13.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
VEGAS is 53-39 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 9-5 (+3.9 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
VEGAS is 9-5-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.5 Units)

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

1Columbus -2 Tampa Bay
TAMPA BAY is 59-18 ATS (31.4 Units) against mistake free teams - opponents average <=4 power plays/game in the current season.

3Pittsburgh -4 Ny Islanders
NY ISLANDERS are 41-24 ATS (19.5 Units) against poor defensive teams - opponents average 29.5+ shots on goal in the current season.

5St Louis -6 Winnipeg
ST LOUIS are 15-2 ATS (14.3 Units) against good passing teams - averaging 5 or more assists per game in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.

7Dallas -8 Nashville
NASHVILLE is 59-33 ATS (17.4 Units) vs. winning teams over the last 2 seasons.

9Vegas -10 San Jose
VEGAS are 3-14 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game in the current season.

NHL

Wednesday, April 10

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Trend Report
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Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Columbus is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Columbus's last 17 games
Columbus is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Columbus is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Columbus's last 13 games on the road
Columbus is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Columbus is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Columbus is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Tampa Bay is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home
Tampa Bay is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Columbus
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing Columbus
Tampa Bay is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing at home against Columbus

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing NY Islanders
Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
New York Islanders
NY Islanders is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
NY Islanders is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of NY Islanders's last 14 games
NY Islanders is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
NY Islanders is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Islanders's last 6 games at home
NY Islanders is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Islanders's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
NY Islanders is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Islanders's last 8 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Winnipeg
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games
Winnipeg is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 7 games
Winnipeg is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Winnipeg is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing St. Louis
Winnipeg is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis

Dallas Stars
Dallas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Dallas's last 18 games
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Dallas's last 19 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Nashville
Dallas is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing Nashville
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville Predators
Nashville is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Nashville is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Nashville's last 12 games
Nashville is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Nashville's last 12 games at home
Nashville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Nashville is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing Dallas
Nashville is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas

Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Vegas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vegas's last 9 games
Vegas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Vegas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vegas's last 5 games on the road
Vegas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
Vegas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Vegas's last 10 games when playing San Jose
Vegas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 1-11 ATS in its last 12 games
San Jose is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games
San Jose is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games at home
San Jose is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 6 games at home
San Jose is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Vegas
San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Jose's last 10 games when playing Vegas
San Jose is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Vegas

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**Udog** · 04-10-2019, 02:11 PM

NHL Stanley Cup playoffs best bets and prop predictions: Crosby kills the Isles
Monty Andrews

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been playing like a team ready to pull off an betting upset but they drew the wrong opponent for that task as they kick off their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series in Tampa Bay Wednesday night.

It's one of five games on the NHL odds board for opening night of the postseason, a sked that includes Sidney Crosby looking to continue his mastery of the Islanders and San Jose hoping to get off to a quick start against Vegas.

Here are the best bets and NHL predictions for Day 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs:

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Moneyline Odds: Columbus +195/Tampa Bay -240
Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET Amalie Arena, Tampa

The Blue Jackets were full value for their East wild card spot, ending the season with seven wins in their final eight games while riding a five-game road winning streak.

But the Lightning have dominated the Blue Jackets in their recent head-to-head series, winning six consecutive meetings overall while outscoring them 29-7 and shutting them out three times over that span.

The two-goal Lightning margin of victory in Game 1 is in play at +500, as is the three-goal win at +550.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Moneyline Odds: Pittsburgh EVEN/New York -105
Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET, Barclays Center, New York

The first-round series between the Penguins and the Islanders should be a good one, and all eyes will be on Pittsburgh superstar Sidney Crosby, who has been a one-man wrecking crew against the Isles over the course of his career.

Crosby enters Game 1 at Barclays Center having racked up 36 goals and 77 assists in 66 career games vs. New York – his highest point total against any opponent. We recommend taking whatever Crosby scoring prop you can get your hands on here.

Some books have Crosby to score anytime at +190, while Crosby scoring the first goal of the game is listed at +900.

ST. LOUIS BLUES AT WINNIPEG JETS

Moneyline Odds: St. Louis -103/Winnipeg -120
Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET, Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets have their sights set on reaching the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in franchise history. There's one statistic, in particular, that could work in their favor as they kick off their first-round series Wednesday against visiting St. Louis.

The Jets went 18-21 SU in games in which their opponent scored first during the regular season, the second-most wins of that kind in the league.

It's a strong enough trend for bettors to consider the "No" on the team scoring first to win (+175).

DALLAS STARS AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Moneyline Odds: Dallas +145/Nashville -164
Over/Under: 5 goals
Start Time: 9:30 p.m. ET, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville

Game 1 between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators might take a while to get going.

These teams were spectacularly deficient in the opening 20 minutes of their regular season games, with the Stars scoring a league-low 39 first-period goals and the Predators ranking 30th out of 31 teams with a paltry 53 goals in the opening frame.

If you're looking for an intriguing first-period play Wednesday, we suggest the under on the 0.5-goal total in this one (+275).

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT SAN JOSE SHARKS

Moneyline Odds: Vegas +110/ San Jose -130
OverUnder: 6 goals
Start Time: 10:30 p.m. ET, SAP Center, San Jose

The Sharks haven't had any problem putting up early offense this season, and that will be a critical component of their best-of-seven first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights that kicks off Wednesday in San Jose.

The hosts come into the opener having scored 102 first-period goals during the campaign, tied with the Lightning for the most in the league.

The Sharks are installed at +160 to lead after one period, and they're a good option to do just that.

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Wednesday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/10

Wednesday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 4/10

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