NHL betting trends, odds and predictions for Monday, May 15th, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NHL Knowledge
Home side won six of last eight Ottawa-Pittsburgh games, but Senators won Game 1 in OT Saturday, their first win in last five visits to Steel City. Since losing 8-5 in Pittsburgh on Dec 5, Ottawa won three in row against the Penguins: 4-1/2-1/2-1- all those games stayed under the total. Senators are 5-2 on road in playoffs; over is 3-1-2 in their last six games. Pittsburgh is 2-3 in its last five home games. Penguins are 1-15 on power play in last four games vs Ottawa; Senators are 6-14. Penguins scored total of seven goals in their last four games overall.
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Monday’s Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview
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Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins (-215, 5)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Bobby Ryan are paying significant dividends in the playoffs after some admittedly lean times during the regular season. After stepping up in the opener of the Eastern Conference final, the Ottawa Senators forwards look to put the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on the ropes Monday when the teams reconvene at PPG Paints Arena for Game 2.
"It's a refresh, I think, for me. I think it was a complete restart," said Ryan, who set up Pageau's series-opening goal before the latter returned the favor on the former's overtime tally at 4:59 to give Ottawa a 2-1 victory Saturday. Ryan was taken to task for his career-worst regular-season point total of 25 (13 goals, 12 assists) before erupting for 11 (five goals, six assists) in the playoffs, with nine of them (four goals, five assists and three game-winning tallies) coming in seven road games. While Pittsburgh saw Evgeni Malkin register his league-leading 19th point with his third-period goal, coach Mike Sullivan insisted his team needs to generate more shots after mustering only 17 at even strength in the series opener. "Ottawa defends the scoring area very well, and sometimes the best way to break down coverage is a shot on goal and a rebound goes somewhere and decisions have to be made," Sullivan said.
LINE HISTORY: The Home team Penguins opened as huge -200 favorites after dropping the opener and that moneyline bumped up to -215 overnight Sunday/Monday. The total hit the board at 5.
INJURY REPORT:
Senators - LW V. Stalberg (Questionable, undisclosed), D M. Borowiecki (Out Indefinitely, leg).
Penguins - D T. Daley (Questionable, lower body), LW C. Hagelin (Questionable, lower body), D K. Letang (Out For Season, neck).
ABOUT THE SENATORS (53-31-7-4, 37-51 O/U): Pageau's one-timer in the first period Saturday gave the 24-year-old seven of his team-leading eight postseason goals in his last six contests, this on the heels of scoring only 12 while playing in all 82 regular-season games. Pageau set up Ryan's overtime winner to give Ottawa six wins in the extra session, pushing the club one shy of matching the 2002 Carolina Hurricanes and 2003 Anaheim (then-Mighty) Ducks and four behind the 1993 Montreal Canadiens for most during a playoff season. "For the most part, we find that the most fun," Senators forward Kyle Turris said. "Playoffs, it's so much fun. It's a blast. ... I think every kid dreams about playing overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs."
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (58-24-8-5, 53-37 O/U): Captain Sidney Crosby is as even-keel as they come, so perhaps it's no surprise that the two-time Hart Trophy winner kept his cool after being kept under wraps in the opener. "There were some good looks there," Crosby said after recording two shots in 23:32 of ice time. "They're not going to give you anything but we worked hard to get our chances and we've got to bury them when we get them." Pittsburgh defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Olli Maatta came under fire for their roles in Ottawa's goals as the former's decision to reverse the puck on a breakout led to Pageau's tally while the latter was beaten on a sprint to the net by Ryan in overtime.
TRENDS:
* Senators are 5-1 in their last 6 Conference Finals games.
* Penguins are 60-21 in their last 81 home games.
* Under is 4-0 in Senators last 4 Conference Finals games.
* Under is 5-1 in Penguins last 6 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Senators are 2-9 in the last 11 meetings in Pittsburgh.
CONSENSUS: 74 percent of the public is siding with the home chalk Penguins on the moneyline and 68 percent are on the Over.
OTTAWA (53-32-0-10, 116 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (58-24-0-13, 129 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 122-79 ATS (+219.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 79-47 ATS (-4.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 53-42 ATS (+98.7 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 33-26 ATS (+61.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
OTTAWA is 29-17 ATS (+50.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OTTAWA is 17-10 ATS (+29.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 99-108 ATS (-32.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-4-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-1.1 Units)
OTTAWA vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Ottawa is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games at home
Pittsburgh is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home