Tuesday's Trends and Indexes - 4/10 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
The Flyers look to build on their 5-1 record in their last 6 meetings in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia is the pick (+150) according to Dunkel, which has the Flyers favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+150). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11

Game 51-52: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 12.561; Pittsburgh 11.814
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+150); Over

Game 53-54: Detroit at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 11.960; Nashville 11.374
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+115); Over

Game 55-56: Los Angeles at Vancouver (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.461; Vancouver 12.679
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-165); 5
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-165); Under

[Udog]

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 11

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PHILADELPHIA (47-26-0-9, 103 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (51-25-0-6, 108 pts.) - 4/11/2012, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 15-4 ATS (+8.7 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak this season.
PITTSBURGH is 18-3 ATS (+14.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-15 ATS (+39.5 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 57-78 ATS (-30.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 27-34 ATS (-36.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 9-9 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 9-9-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.6 Units)

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DETROIT (48-28-0-6, 102 pts.) at NASHVILLE (48-26-0-8, 104 pts.) - 4/11/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 1-8 ATS (-9.6 Units) in road games after a division game this season.
NASHVILLE is 47-34 ATS (+1.1 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 28-16 ATS (+1.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 16-8 ATS (+5.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NASHVILLE is 26-19 ATS (+45.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 9-9 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 9-9-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.6 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (40-27-0-15, 95 pts.) at VANCOUVER (51-22-0-9, 111 pts.) - 4/11/2012, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 39-42 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 13-1 ATS (+11.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 22-5 ATS (+12.8 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 191-177 ATS (-86.8 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 11-7 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 11-7-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.6 Units)

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Thursday, April 12

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OTTAWA (41-31-0-10, 92 pts.) at NY RANGERS (51-24-0-7, 109 pts.) - 4/12/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 51-30 ATS (+84.9 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 26-13 ATS (+9.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 16-10 ATS (+26.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
NY RANGERS are 164-173 ATS (-92.3 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 24-32 ATS (-24.0 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 77-107 ATS (-83.1 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 6-6 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 6-6-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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WASHINGTON (42-32-0-8, 92 pts.) at BOSTON (49-29-0-4, 102 pts.) - 4/12/2012, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 16-4 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 26-12 ATS (+5.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 18-19 ATS (-13.4 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-5 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-5-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.2 Units)

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SAN JOSE (43-29-0-10, 96 pts.) at ST LOUIS (49-22-0-11, 109 pts.) - 4/12/2012, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 43-39 ATS (-15.5 Units) in all games this season.
SAN JOSE is 6-14 ATS (-10.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 10-18 ATS (-12.5 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 5-11 ATS (-10.4 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
SAN JOSE is 16-21 ATS (-15.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ST LOUIS is 77-57 ATS (+12.0 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 100-61 ATS (+24.3 Units) in April games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 160-171 ATS (+367.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-6 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 6-6-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.0 Units)

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CHICAGO (45-26-0-11, 101 pts.) at PHOENIX (42-27-0-13, 97 pts.) - 4/12/2012, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 137-119 ATS (-17.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 188-163 ATS (+20.8 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 19-7 ATS (+26.1 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 25-20 ATS (+2.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO is 310-329 ATS (+696.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
PHOENIX is 8-16 ATS (+24.1 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 8-4 (+6.6 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 8-4-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)

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Friday, April 13

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NEW JERSEY (48-28-0-6, 102 pts.) at FLORIDA (38-26-0-18, 94 pts.) - 4/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 48-33 ATS (+12.7 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 27-18 ATS (+6.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
NEW JERSEY is 22-13 ATS (+35.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
NEW JERSEY is 15-7 ATS (+22.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NEW JERSEY is 15-8 ATS (+6.7 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 27-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 80-118 ATS (+212.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
FLORIDA is 32-58 ATS (+104.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 2-11 ATS (+13.1 Units) on Friday nights this season.
FLORIDA is 8-21 ATS (+32.1 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 6-6 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 6-6-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.5 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (47-26-0-9, 103 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (51-25-0-6, 108 pts.) - 4/13/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 9-9 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 9-9-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.6 Units)

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DETROIT (48-28-0-6, 102 pts.) at NASHVILLE (48-26-0-8, 104 pts.) - 4/13/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 9-9 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 9-9-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.6 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (40-27-0-15, 95 pts.) at VANCOUVER (51-22-0-9, 111 pts.) - 4/13/2012, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 11-7 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 11-7-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.6 Units)

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[Udog]

NHL

Wednesday, April 11

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. PITTSBURGH
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games at home
Pittsburgh is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. NASHVILLE
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games

10:30 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. VANCOUVER
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Los Angeles's last 10 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Vancouver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Vancouver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles


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[Udog]

NHL

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NHL Western Conference playoffs: Round 1 preview and picks
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No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings

The Canucks have picked the right time to play their best hockey. Vancouver earned its second consecutive President’s Trophy by winning eight of its last 10 games, allowing just 16 goals over that stretch.

The two clubs split the season series, with the Kings out-shooting the Canucks in three of the four games. The Kings’ penalty kill was the fourth best in the league but will be tested by the fourth-most dangerous power play.

Daniel Sedin’s status for this series remains up in the air. There have been reports that Sedin is skating by himself and that he will likely return in the first round. Goaltender Roberto Luongo will start the playoffs for the Canucks but the team won’t hesitate to turn to Cory Schneider, who finished the season with a 1.96 GAA and a .937 save percentage.

Anze Kopitar and Co. have been struggling offensively all season and if that doesn’t change they won’t have a shot at stopping the Canucks.

Season Series: Vancouver (2-1-1), Los Angeles (2-2)

Series prediction: Canucks in six games



No. 2 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 7 San Jose Sharks

St. Louis dominated a number of teams this season and the San Jose Sharks were no exceptions. The Blues won all four meetings between the two clubs, shutting them out twice and outscoring the Sharks 11-3.

The Blues are by far the stingiest club in the league allowing just 165 goals which lead to Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott sharing the William Jennings Trophy. But Ken Hitchcock’s club isn’t exactly riding a high heading into the playoffs. The Blues dropped four of their last five games allowing the Canucks to lock up the top spot in the Western Conference.

San Jose swept home-and-home series with both Dallas and Los Angeles to secure seventh place in the West but has been far too inconsistent in 2012. The bottom line in this series is that the Blues are simply too good on home ice (30-6-1-4) for the Sharks to have a legitimate shot of winning four games.

Season Series: St. Louis (4-0), San Jose (0-4)

Series prediction: Blues in five games



No. 3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. No. 6 Chicago Blackhawks

You won’t find a goaltender playing better than the Coyotes’ Mike Smith. Smith allowed just two goals in his last five games, powering the Coyotes to their first division title.

"He's embraced the No. 1 goaltender role with our team and he's played excellent," Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett told reporters. "He had a few games there where he was basically willing us into the playoffs. His game is top-notch right now. Hopefully it goes into the playoffs and that continues."

Smith won all three games he started against the Blackhawks this season. Chicago picked up a victory the one time they faced backup Jason Labarbera.

At the other end of the ice, bettors will likely see both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery at some point. Chicago finished 22nd in goals against but relied on a lethal offense to finish sixth in the conference.

Chicago captain Jonathan Toews missed the final 22 games of the regular season with a concussion and, at this point, there are no guarantees he returns for this series.

Season Series: Phoenix (3-1), Chicago (2-2)

Series prediction: Coyotes in six games



No. 4 Nashville Predators vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings

While it wasn’t confirmed until the Red Wings picked up a point against the Blackhawks Saturday, everyone had been expecting to see this matchup for the past month.

It was critical for the Predators to finish fourth in the West and keep the Red Wings away from home-ice advantage. Detroit has the worst road record (17-21-2-1) of any playoff team. The Predators are a respectable 26-10-2-3 at home.

Shea Weber’s heavy shot anchors the deadliest power-play unit in the league, firing at a 21.6-percent clip. Late-season addition Alexander Radulov has made the power play even more dangerous with seven points in nine games since joining the team.

The Red Wings lead the league in even-strength goals, with a 1.44 for/against ratio. If the two sides stay out of the penalty box, Detroit could have the advantage. It also has much more playoff experience than the Predators.

Much like the rest of this series, the goaltenders are evenly matched. Pekka Rinne had a league-best 43 wins during the regular season but Jimmy Howard’s GAA was significantly better with their save percentages looking nearly identical.

Season Series: Nashville (3-3), Detroit (3-3)

Series prediction: Predators in seven games


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[Udog]

NHL

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NHL Eastern Conference playoffs: Round 1 preview and picks
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No. 1 New York Rangers (-900) vs. No. 8 Ottawa Senators (+550)

The Rangers didn’t secure the Presidents’ Trophy on the season’s final night. But when that’s the worst thing you can say about a team, they’ve had a pretty good year.

New York has the best goaltender in the game, Henrik Lundqvist (39-18-5), a fiery coach who has already won the Stanley Cup before, John Tortorella, and home-ice advantage over 14 of the 15 playoff teams in the tournament.

For now, it’s about stepping up, shaking off a slow finish and burying a team that, while talented, is truly in that “happy to be here” mode. Ottawa has gifted goal scorers in Milan Michalek (35), Jason Spezza (34), and Daniel Alfredsson (32) and a scoring machine on the backline in Erik Karlsson (78 points).

But this series is probably a little out of the Senators’ rent district. Ottawa lost three in a row to end the season and, though it had its way in the season series, the second season is a whole new game. Look for a big series from New York forward Marian Gaborik (76 points), who had three goals in his final five games.

Season series: 3-1 for the Senators

Pick: Rangers in five games



No. 2 Boston Bruins (-425) vs. No. 7 Washington Capitals (+320)

Braden Holtby, this is your life. The Capitals' third-string goaltender will be pressed into duty against the Stanley Cup champions, who just happen to have six players with 20 or more goals. No pressure there for a kid who was just 4-2-1 this season.

That’s the way the Bruins won it all last year. Without a true superstar up front, Boston coach Claude Julien threw out layer upon layer of depth, combined it with tremendous goaltending and, 25 games later, the Cup was theirs.

It will be more difficult this time. The East is better than it was last season - the Rangers are more experienced, the Penguins are healthier, the Devils are back, and the Flyers have a goaltender - so things likely won't break the way they did for Beantown last spring.

But the Capitals burned up an awful lot of fuel just making it to the postseason. And though Alex Ovechkin (38 goals) is streaking into the tournament, he doesn't have the playoff resume to pull off an upset here, especially with Washington's questions in net. The Capitals will put up a good fight but the Bruins should at least get out of Round 1.

Season series: 3-1 for the Capitals

Pick: Bruins in seven games



No. 3 Florida Panthers (+160) vs. No. 6 New Jersey Devils (-200)

There are plenty of ties to both sides and plenty of incentive, as well. New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer was let go by Florida a year ago. And Florida center John Madden and backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen are Devils’ castoffs. So, while it may not be the most glamorous matchup, it has its interesting storylines.

Florida is a gift No. 3 seed, by virtue of winning the subpar Southeast Division and New Jersey, with six wins to end the year, could be the hottest team in the East. But it goes beyond that. DeBoer has made the most of his average defense and allowed goaltender Martin Brodeur (31-21-4) and a stable of skilled forwards - Ilya Kovalchuk (83 points), Zach Parise (31 goals), Patrik Elias (78 points), and David Clarkson (30 goals) - to carry the club.

And while Florida can boast a great season out of goaltender Jose Theodore (three shutouts, 2.46 GAA), the facts remain that the Panthers have a rookie coach in Kevin Dineen and a leader in Stephen Weiss, who has never played a postseason game.

The Devils are a long way from their old Stanley Cup form and they will likely get bounced by the rival Rangers in the second round. But they are better than Florida on many levels.

Season series: Tied, 2-2

Pick: Devils in six games



No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins (-320) vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers (+250)

This is the series that has the networks and advertisers drooling. There are stars on both sides of the ice, two quality goaltenders, and a pair of coaches who just don’t like each other.

The Battle of Pennsylvania should be a treat. The Penguins have the likely Hart Trophy winner in Evgeni Malkin (50 goals), and a still-on-his-way-back Sidney Crosby (22 games played), but NHL bettors should like the depth and drive of the Flyers.

The Flyers can come at you in waves, with the likes of Claude Giroux (93 points), Scott Hartnell (37 goals), Wayne Simmonds (49 points, 140 hits) and Jaromir Jagr (35 assists), and they back down to no one.

Though Philadelphia has missed injured forwards Danny Briere and James van Riemsdyk, the former may play before this series is said and done. Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (33-16-7) doesn't have the finals appearances like Marc-Andre Fleury (42-17-4), but he has a stiffer defense in front of him.

Season series: 4-2 for the Flyers

Pick: Flyers in seven games


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[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

EC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 7:35 ET NBCSN
Philadelphia: 12-3 SU away off a road loss
Pittsburgh: 2-7 SU off BB division games

WC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
Detroit at Nashville, 8:05 ET CNBC
Detroit: 30-12 SU off BB home games
Nashville: 2-8 SU off a road win scoring 4+ goals

WC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
Los Angeles at Vancouver, 10:35 ET NBCSN
Los Angeles: 21-9 Under off BB division losses
Vancouver: 17-4 SU off a combined score of 4 goals or less



Thursday, April 12, 2012

EC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
Ottawa at NY Rangers, 7:05 ET NHL
Ottawa: 15-6 Over off a road loss by 2+ goals
NY Rangers: 15-3 SU after losing 3 of their last 4 games

EC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
Washington at Boston, 7:35 ET NBCSN
Washington: 27-12 SU off an Over
Boston: 2-8 SU off an overtime win

WC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
San Jose at St. Louis, 7:35 ET CNBC
San Jose: 6-14 SU away with a total of 5 goals or less
St. Louis: 19-2 SU at home off a win

WC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
Chicago at Phoenix, 10:05 ET NBCSN
Chicago: 7-16 SU away playing with same-season revenge
Phoenix: 19-7 SU off 3+ wins


Friday, April 13, 2012

EC Quaterfinals, Game One (0-0)
New Jersey at Florida, 7:05 ET NHL
New Jersey: 17-5 SU playing with same-season revenge
Florida: 8-21 SU playing with 3+ days rest