NHL betting trends, odds and predictions for Sunday, May 21st, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NHL Knowledge
Ottawa is 5-4 in its last nine games; three of the five wins came in OT. Penguins lost three of last five home games. Game 4 win in Ottawa was first time in seven games that Pittsburgh scored more than two goals in a game. Home team is just 2-2 in first four games of Ottawa-Pittsburgh series; under is 4-1-1 in last six games between these teams. Senators lost four of last five games in Steel City (under 3-2). Penguins are 2-16 on power play in their last five games; Ottawa is 0-25 on power play in their last nine games.
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Sunday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview
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Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins (-185, 5)
The Ottawa Senators used a blistering-hot start to put the Pittsburgh Penguins on their heels in Game 3, only to sputter out of the blocks in the following contest and see the visitors even the Eastern Conference final at two victories apiece. Coach Guy Boucher's charges look for a better start out of the gate on Sunday afternoon as the series shifts to PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh for Game 5.
"They played with urgency, which was to be expected. Stanley Cup champions, they bounce back in every series," Boucher told reporters after the Penguins matched their sum goal total from their first three contests of the series to post a 3-2 triumph in Game 4 on Friday. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby set up defenseman Olli Maatta's game-opening goal and added a power-play tally for his first multi-point performance since sustaining a concussion on Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen's cross-check in Game 3 of the second-round series. "As I've said all along here, this group has a knack for responding the right way to any of the adversities or the challenges that this team has been faced with. I think it always starts with our leadership. It starts with our captain," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said of Crosby, who is one helper shy of becoming the 22nd player in NHL history to collect 100 playoff assists.
LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Penguins as big -195 home favorites and they were bet as high as -200. However since then, money has come back on the Senators, moving the line to the current number of Penguins -185. The total was set at 5. Check out the complete line history here.
GOALIE MATCHUP: Craig Anderson (OTT) vs. Matt Murray (PIT)
Anderson - GP: 16, W/L: 10-6, 2.25 GAA, .922 SAVE %, 1 SO
Murray - GP: 2, W/L: 1-0, 1.69 GAA, .935 SAVE %
INJURY REPORT:
Senators - D M. Borowiecki (Questionable Sunday, leg), LW A. Burrows (Questionable Sunday, leg), D C. Ceci (Questionable Sunday, lower body).
Penguins - RW P. Hornqvist (Questionable Sunday, upper body), RW B. Rust (Questionable Sunday, upper body), D J. Schultz (Questionable Sunday, upper body), RW T. Kuhnhackl (Questionable Sunday, lower body), D C. Ruhwedel (Out Sunday, concussion), D K. Letang (Out for season, neck).
ABOUT THE SENATORS: Ottawa mustered just three shots in the first three of four power-play opportunities in Game 4 to drop to 0-for-25 with the man advantage in the last nine contests. "I think everybody's frustrated. We just weren't connecting," said Kyle Turris, who was captured on camera jawing with captain Erik Karlsson on the bench. For his part, Karlsson has recorded an assist in back-to-back contests and is averaging a robust 28:25 of ice time in the postseason despite playing with two hairline fractures in his heel that presumably will require attention in the offseason.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS: While Pittsburgh enjoyed its highest scoring output since Game 4 of the second-round series, the focus has shifted to the other end of the ice as a returning Matt Murray made 24 saves to mask the injury troubles of a beleaguered group of blue-liners. Chad Ruhwedel sustained a concussion in the first period following a hit from Bobby Ryan, forcing four of the five remaining defensemen to play more than 20 minutes on Friday (Maatta, 24:58; Brian Dumoulin, 23:29; Trevor Daley, 23:03; and Ron Hainsey, 20:42) while Ian Cole played 19:47. Justin Schultz, who sustained an upper-body injury in Game 2, may return for Game 5 in addition to forwards Bryan Rust (upper body), Patric Hornqvist (upper body) and Tom Kuhnhackl (lower body), Sullivan said on Saturday.
TRENDS:
* Penguins are 0-4 in their last four games following a win.
* Senators are 3-13 in the last 16 meetings in Pittsburgh.
* Under is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings.
* Under is 8-2-1 in Penguins last 11 home games.
OTTAWA (54-34-0-10, 118 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (60-25-0-13, 133 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 124-80 ATS (+222.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 81-48 ATS (-4.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 54-44 ATS (+102.2 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 34-28 ATS (+64.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
OTTAWA is 36-25 ATS (+65.0 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 26-20 ATS (+47.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
OTTAWA is 30-19 ATS (+53.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OTTAWA is 18-12 ATS (+32.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 100-108 ATS (-31.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 8-5 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 8-5-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.7 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)
OTTAWA @ PITTSBURGH
Ottawa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Ottawa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games at home