The Bum's Best Bets For Thursday April 16h - MLB -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 16


Under bets post solid record Wednesday

MLB games finished with a record of 5-9-1 Over/Under in the 15 games available on the board Wednesday.

The 'Over' still has a pretty big edge in totals with a record of 72-56 (56.25 percent) heading into Thursday's action.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 16

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MILWAUKEE (2 - 6) at ST LOUIS (4 - 3) - 1:45 PM
MICHAEL FIERS (R) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 115-62 (+25.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 115-62 (+25.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 89-41 (+29.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 12-3 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 1-1 (+0.5 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

MICHAEL FIERS vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
FIERS is 2-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.40 and a WHIP of 1.130.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
LACKEY is 2-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.190.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (3 - 6) at WASHINGTON (3 - 6) - 7:05 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 66-82 (-26.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
HAMELS is 67-65 (-28.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 11-19 (-16.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HAMELS is 15-8 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.59 and a WHIP of 1.069.
His team's record is 23-10 (+8.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-20. (-9.1 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
FISTER is 2-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.12 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 2-3 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

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MIAMI (3 - 6) at NY METS (6 - 3) - 7:10 PM
JARRED COSART (R) vs. DILLON GEE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 46-27 (+18.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 303-320 (-89.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 31-46 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JARRED COSART vs. NY METS since 1997
COSART is 0-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.2 units)

DILLON GEE vs. MIAMI since 1997
GEE is 3-1 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.395.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.0 units)

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ARIZONA (4 - 5) at SAN FRANCISCO (3 - 7) - 10:15 PM
ARCHIE BRADLEY (R) vs. MADISON BUMGARNER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 68-103 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 68-103 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 211-102 (+47.5 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1024-858 (+114.5 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

ARCHIE BRADLEY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
BUMGARNER is 7-4 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.65 and a WHIP of 1.170.
His team's record is 12-6 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-8. (+1.0 units)

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KANSAS CITY (7 - 1) at MINNESOTA (2 - 6) - 1:10 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. TOM MILONE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MILONE is 54-31 (+23.0 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 52-29 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 33-18 (+15.8 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 107-78 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 56-37 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 65-46 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 103-75 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 45-29 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 81-104 (-41.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 229-244 (-51.0 Units) against the money line in home games in day games since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 31-61 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

JASON VARGAS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
VARGAS is 5-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.445.
His team's record is 7-5 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-2.0 units)

TOM MILONE vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
MILONE is 3-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.278.
His team's record is 4-2 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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TAMPA BAY (5 - 4) at TORONTO (5 - 4) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS ARCHER (R) vs. AARON SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 82-89 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 52-59 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 43-53 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 559-641 (+14.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
TORONTO is 106-120 (-43.4 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-1 (+1.6 Units) against TORONTO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

CHRIS ARCHER vs. TORONTO since 1997
ARCHER is 2-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.238.
His team's record is 5-4 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-5. (-1.5 units)

AARON SANCHEZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 16

Milwaukee at St Louis, 1:45 ET
MILWAUKEE: 8-18 SU after having lost 6 or 7 of their last 8 games
LACKEY: 19-5 TSR at home when the total is 7 to 7.5

Philadelphia at Washington, 7:05 ET
PHILADELPHIA: 20-12 SU after scoring 1 run or less
Washington: 186-151 SU in all games

Miami at NY Mets, 7:10 ET
MIAMI: 105-84 SU after 3 straight games where the bullpen gave up no runs
NY METS: 6-21 SU after allowing one run or less in a win over a division rival

Arizona at San Francisco, 10:15 ET
ARIZONA: 9-27 SU in road games after scoring and allowing 3 runs or less
SAN FRANCISCO: 27-7 SU as a favorite of -150 or more

Kansas City at Minnesota, 1:10 ET
KANSAS CITY: 56-37 SU in road games
MINNESOTA: 81-104 SU in home games when playing on Thursday

Tampa Bay at Toronto, 7:05 ET
TAMPA BAY: 51-28 SU after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games
TORONTO: 4-14 SU after a game with a combined score of 17 runs or more

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 16


Red Sox's over streak continues

The Boston Red Sox soared over another total Wednesday, losing 10-5 to the Washington Nationals, extending their over streak to seven straight games.

The Red Sox are 8-1 over/under, the best mark in the bigs through the early portion of the season.

Totals bettors riding the streak hope it continues when the BoSox begin a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles (6-2-1 O/U) Friday at Fenway.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, April 16


Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers

Game 9-10
April 16, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh Pengui
10.595
New York Rangers
12.136
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York Rangers
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York Rangers
-175
5
Dunkel Pick:
New York Rangers
(-175); Under

Detroit Red Wings @ Tampa Bay Lightning

Game 11-12
April 16, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit Red Wings
12.740
Tampa Bay Lightni
11.821
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit Red Wings
by 1
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay Lightni
-165
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit Red Wings
(-165); Over

Minnesota Wild @ St. Louis Blues

Game 13-14
April 16, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota Wild
12.607
St. Louis Blues
11.521
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota Wild
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis Blues
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota Wild
(+130); Under

Winnipeg Jets @ Anaheim Ducks

Game 15-16
April 16, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg Jets
11.788
Anaheim Ducks
13.185
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Anaheim Ducks
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim Ducks
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
Anaheim Ducks
(-160); Under




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 16

Thursday's games
Rangers lost Stanley Cup final LY; they won last three first round series- they won six of last seven games with Pittsburgh, with only loss in a shootout. Penguins lost last three visits here; four of last six series games stayed under total. Pittsburgh is 3-2 in first round series since winning Stanley Cup in 2009. Rangers won six of last seven games overall, with four of last five going over total; Penguins lost five of last six games overall, with only win vs lowly Buffalo; six of their last eight stayed under.

Tampa Bay is 1-3 in first round series since winning Stanley Cup in 2004; Lightning won seven of last nine games with Detroit- six of those nine stayed under the total. Red Wings are 3-2 in first round series since winning Cup in '08; they lost last four visits to Tampa, are 3-5 in last eight games overall. Tampa Bay won its last three games, allowing five goals; they won four of last five at home. Under is 3-1-1 in Lightning's last five games.

St Louis won seven of last ten games with Minnesota; Wild lost three of last four visits to St Louis. Since 2003, Blues are 1-4 in first round series, with only series win in '12. St Louis won five of its last six games overall, with three of last four staying under- they won three of last four home games. In its franchise history, Minnesota is 2-3 in first round series, winning second series LY; Wild won four of its last five road games, but lost four of last six games overall.

Anaheim is 2-3 in first round series since winning Stanley Cup in 2007; Ducks won last four games with Winnipeg, but Jets won three of last five visits here. Three of last four series games went over the total. Winnipeg is in playoffs for only second time since joining NHL in 2000 (in Atlanta); they lost in first round in '07. Winnipeg last had a playoff team in '96 (current Coyotes). Jets won four of last five games, with three of last four staying under total. Anaheim won five of its last seven games.




NHL

Thursday, April 16

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NY RANGERS
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 6 games at home
NY Rangers are 17-8 SU in their last 25 games at home

7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit

9:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ST. LOUIS
Minnesota is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games

10:30 PM
WINNIPEG vs. ANAHEIM
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games
Anaheim is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
Anaheim is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, April 16


Crashing Penguins face poor matchup in Rangers

The Pittsburgh Penguins are limping into the playoffs, with just one win in their past six games, and may be facing off against the last team they've wanted to see in the New York Rangers.

The Pens have dropped six of the last seven against the Broadway Blueshirts, while being outscored 26-11. The slumping Pittsburgh offense has only averaged 1.7 goals per game over their past 15 games.

The Penguins are currently +155 when they travel to Madison Square Garden Thursday.



NHL roundup: Isles stun Caps in series opener

WASHINGTON -- Center Brock Nelson, right winger Ryan Strome and left winger Josh Bailey all scored their first career playoff goals and goaltender Jaroslav Halak stopped 24 of 25 shots to lead the New York Islanders to a series-opening 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

Nelson completed his night by slam dunking an empty-netter with 1:19 to play for his second of the game.

The Islanders are looking for their first playoff series victory since 1993 and started this one in convincing fashion, outshooting the Capitals 27-25 and controlling the play for long stretches.

Winger Marcus Johansson scored the lone goal for the Capitals, who, like the Islanders, are returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

Canadiens 4, Senators 3

MONTREAL -- Right winger Brian Flynn scored a goal and added two assists to lead Montreal over Ottawa in Game 1 of their quarterfinal series.

Goaltender Carey Price stopped 30 shots for the Canadiens while netminder Andrew Hammond made 35 saves for the Senators.

Centers Torrey Mitchell, Tomas Plekanec and Lars Eller also scored for the Canadiens. Left winger Milan Michalek and centers Kyle Turris and Mika Zibanejad replied for Ottawa.

Blackhawks 4, Predators 3 (2OT)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Defenseman Duncan Keith ended it for Chicago with a slapper at 7:49 of the second overtime against Nashville for a 1-0 series lead.

Making his return from a 21-game absence with a fractured left collarbone, Chicago right winger Patrick Kane set up two power-play goals in the second period to help his team rally from an early three-goal deficit. Backup goalie Scott Darling stopped all 42 shots he faced in relief of Corey Crawford to earn the win for the Blackhawks. Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, left winger Patrick Sharp and center Jonathan Toews scored in regulation for Chicago.

Nashville led 3-0 after one period and got 38 saves from goalie Pekka Rinne while center Colin Wilson scored twice, and left winger Viktor Stalberg once.

Flames 2, Canucks 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Defenseman Kris Russell scored with 29.6 seconds left in the third period to give Calgary a victory over at Vancouver in the opening game of their Western Conference quarterfinal playoff series.

Right winger David Jones also scored for the Flames who battled back from a 1-0, second-period deficit. Center Bo Horvat scored for the Canucks.

Calgary goalie Eddie Lack, making his first ever playoff start, stopped 28 shots. Calgary goalie Jonas Hiller, making his 27th playoff start, made 29 saves.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 16

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PITTSBURGH (43-27-0-12, 98 pts.) at NY RANGERS (53-22-0-7, 113 pts.) - 4/16/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 43-39 ATS (-20.5 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 1-5 ATS (-8.5 Units) in April games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 20-25 ATS (-19.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 7-11 ATS (-13.1 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 9-21 ATS (-25.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 6-13 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 53-29 ATS (+19.6 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 33-14 ATS (+12.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 23-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY RANGERS are 127-125 ATS (-63.1 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 103-104 ATS (-39.6 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 109-115 ATS (-79.9 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 165-198 ATS (-160.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 10-10 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 10-10-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-1.9 Units)

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DETROIT (43-25-0-14, 100 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (50-24-0-8, 108 pts.) - 4/16/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 83-86 ATS (-20.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 10-20 ATS (-18.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
TAMPA BAY is 14-1 ATS (+12.0 Units) in home games vs. division opponents this season.
TAMPA BAY is 13-3 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 175-188 ATS (+447.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 7-2 (+5.0 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 7-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.7 Units)

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MINNESOTA (46-28-0-8, 100 pts.) at ST LOUIS (51-24-0-7, 109 pts.) - 4/16/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 17-10 ATS (+27.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-7 ATS (+23.2 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 10-5 ATS (+16.4 Units) in road games vs. division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 10-3 ATS (+13.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 1-6 ATS (-8.6 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 9-3 (+5.3 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 9-3-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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WINNIPEG (43-26-0-13, 99 pts.) at ANAHEIM (51-24-0-7, 109 pts.) - 4/16/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 51-31 ATS (+89.5 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 11-1 ATS (+9.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
ANAHEIM is 216-205 ATS (+463.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 43-39 ATS (+2.4 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 44-37 ATS (+85.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 5-1 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 5-1-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, April 16

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Game of the Day: Thursday's NHL Playoff Action
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Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers (-175, 5)

The New York Rangers sure hope that history repeats itself, since the previous time that they claimed the Presidents' Trophy after setting a franchise high in both wins and points resulted in a Stanley Cup title. Admittedly that was 1994, but the Rangers can take the next step in duplicating that feat when they open their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

"We understand now it's a little different animal to prepare," captain Ryan McDonagh told the New York Daily News. "We realize you've got to raise your level. We don't need to flip the switch on the style that we play." The clash is a rematch of last year's second-round series, which saw New York overcome a 3-1 deficit to emerge victorious in seven games. The Rangers also had little difficulty with their Metropolitan Division rivals this season, recording a 3-0-1 mark while outscoring the Penguins by a 16-7 margin. Pittsburgh extended its consecutive playoff streak to nine seasons after securing a berth on the last day of the campaign, posting a 2-0 victory over woe-begotten Buffalo for just its fourth win in 15 outings (4-9-2).

TRENDS:

*Penguins are 0-6 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
*Rangers are 5-1 in their last 6 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
*Under is 6-0-1 in Penguins last 7 games following a win.
*Over is 9-2-2 in Rangers last 13 overall.


Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning (-170, 5.5)

The Tampa Bay Lightning recorded franchise bests in both wins and points this season, but the agonizing memory of last season's first-round sweep is a strong enough reason not to rest on their laurels. With a club-best 32-8-1 mark at home, the Lightning look to get off on the right foot when they open their Eastern Conference first-round series against the visiting Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Steven Stamkos scored four of his team-leading 43 goals this season against the Red Wings, helping Tampa Bay post a 3-1-0 mark versus its Atlantic Division rival. The vaunted second line of Tyler Johnson (29 goals, 43 assists), Nikita Kucherov (28 goals, 36 assists) and Ondrej Palat (16 goals, team-high 47 assists) amassed 73 goals for the Lightning, who look for a longer stay after being brushed aside by Montreal last year. Detroit is making its 24th consecutive playoff appearance, but enters this postseason on the heels of losing 13 of its final 20 contests (7-10-3). The Red Wings need veteran Pavel Datsyuk (26 goals, 39 assists) to remain both productive and healthy if they wish to subdue the Lightning.

TRENDS:

*Under is 4-0 in Red Wings last 4 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
*Lightning are 0-4 in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
*Home team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
*Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Tampa Bay.


Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues (-145, 5)

The St. Louis Blues will be trying to wipe out the memory of last season's first-round playoff ouster when they host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday in the opener of a best-of-seven postseason series. The Blues wrapped up the Central Division by winning five of their last six, as opposed to a year ago when they dropped their final six and were drummed out of the playoffs by Chicago in six games.

St. Louis faces a division rival for the second straight season but coach Ken Hitchock likes his chances a lot better than he did 12 months ago. “This is the team we want to take on the journey,” Hitchcock said. “We’ll be 100 percent (healthy) going into the playoffs, which is completely different from last year." The Wild used a sensational closing kick to reach the playoffs for the third straight season, going 28-9-3 down the stretch following the acquisition of goaltender Devan Dubnyk. Minnesota was 2-1-1 against the Blues this season but the regulation defeat - 4-2 in the season finale - snapped the Wild's NHL record-tying 12-game road winning streak.

TRENDS:

*Wild are 3-11 in the last 14 meetings.
*Blues are 1-7 in their last 8 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
*Over is 4-1-2 in the last 7 meetings.
*Under is 10-4-2 in Blues last 16 overall.


Winnipeg Jets at Anaheim Ducks (-145, 5)

Winnipeg could be without Mathieu Perreault, who is questionable with a lower-body injury that also forced him to miss the final regular-season contest. "He's getting better," coach Paul Maurice said. "He may play based on how he feels after his skate (on Thursday). I expect him to play sooner rather than later." The 27-year-old center had a strong first season with the Jets, tying his career high of 18 goals while finishing two points shy of his personal-best 43, which he totaled with Anaheim last campaign.

Anaheim may be missing two players as goaltender John Gibson and center Nate Thompson are nursing upper-body injuries. Veteran journeyman Jason LaBarbera would back up Frederik Andersen should Gibson be unable to suit up, while rookie Chris Wagner could fill in for Thompson, who has 22 games of postseason experience from his days with Tampa Bay. Corey Perry led the team with 33 goals, marking the fourth consecutive full season he reached the 30-tally plateau.

TRENDS:

*Over is 10-1-1 in Jets last 12 vs. Pacific.
*Ducks are 25-8 in their last 33 vs. Central.
*Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Anaheim.
*Jets are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 16

Pittsburgh at NY Rangers, 7:05 ET
Pittsburgh: 9-21 SU vs. division opponents
NY Rangers: 21-6 SU off a road win

Detroit at Tampa Bay, 7:35 ET
Detroit: 9-15 SU after playing a game where 4 or fewer total goals were scored
Tampa Bay: 32-9 SU as a home favorite

Minnesota at St Louis, 9:35 ET
Minnesota: 18-8 SU revenging a road loss versus opponent by 2 goals or more
St Louis: 1-6 SU when playing with 3 or more days rest

Winnipeg at Anaheim, 10:35 ET
Winnipeg: 18-13 SU as a road underdog
Anaheim: 29-37 SU in home games when playing 3 or less games in 10 days

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, April 16


Underdogs off to good start in postseason

Underdogs posted a record of 3-1 in the first four games of the NHL Playoffs.

The lone favorite to cash for bettors was the Montreal Canadiens (-140), who defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-3.

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NHL

Thursday, April 16


Ducks dominant versus Jets in regular season

The Anaheim Ducks swept the regular season series with the Winnipeg Jets, winning all three meetings this season.

Anaheim is presently a -145 moneyline favorite for Game 1 Thursday and is priced at -150 to defeat the Jets in the series.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB EARLY STARTS:

Thursday, April 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Kansas City - 1:10 PM ET Minnesota +114 500 *****
Minnesota - Under 7.5 500 *****

Milwaukee - 1:45 PM ET St. Louis -144 500 DOUBLE PLAY
St. Louis - Under 7.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Philadelphia - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia +123 500 *****
Washington - Over 6.5 500

Tampa Bay - 7:07 PM ET Tampa Bay -106 500
Toronto - Under 8.5 500

Miami - 7:10 PM ET Miami -102 500 DOUBLE PLAY
NY Mets - Over 7 500

Arizona - 10:15 PM ET Arizona +165 500 GRAND SLAM
San Francisco - Under 6.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, April 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Pittsburgh - 7:00 PM ET NY Rangers -167 500 TRIPLE PLAY
NY Rangers - Over 5 500 *****

Detroit - 7:30 PM ET Detroit +144 500 *****
Tampa Bay - Under 5.5 500

Minnesota - 9:30 PM ET Minnesota +124 500 DOUBLE PLAY
St. Louis - Over 5 500

Winnipeg - 10:30 PM ET Anaheim -134 500 HAT TRICK
Anaheim - Under 5 500