NHL betting trends, odds and predictions for Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NHL Knowledge
Ottawa faces elimination at home after losing 7-0 in Pittsburgh in Game 5 Sunday. Senators lost three of last four games, are 5-5 in their last ten, with three of five wins in OT. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games overall. Penguins won four of last six road games. Under is 4-2-1 in last seven games between these rivals. Penguins are 5-19 on power play in their last six games; they were 3-3 Sunday. Ottawa is 0-29 on power play in their last ten games. Ottawa won three of its last four home games.
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Monday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview
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Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators (+130, 5)
Sidney Crosby was on the ice the last time a defending champion returned to the Stanley Cup final, with his Pittsburgh Penguins upending Detroit in seven games for the third of the franchise's four titles. Crosby looks to once again punch his team's ticket to the NHL's showcase event on Tuesday when the visiting Penguins bid to close out the Ottawa Senators in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final.
"We've been really good at just focusing on the game at hand regardless of the situation, good or bad," Crosby told reporters on the heels of scoring in his third straight contest in Sunday's 7-0 shellacking to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 edge in the series. "We've had a lot of different things happen throughout the year where we've just had to focus on that next game and that will have to be the same approach here heading into Game 6." While Crosby played it close to the vest with his comments, Ottawa coach Guy Boucher raised a few eyebrows and many sarcastic quips over social media after essentially "crowning" the Penguins after the barrage. "We know they're a better team. Everybody knows that on the planet," said Boucher, who has grown comfortable playing the underdog card in these playoffs.
LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers have opened the Senators as +130 home underdogs with their season on the line in Game 6 and there has been little movement off that number. The total hit the board at 5.
PROBABLE GOALIE MATCHUP: Matt Murray vs. Craig Anderson
Murray - GP: 3, W/L: 2-0, GAA: 1.08, SAVE %: .958
Anderson - GP: 17, W/L: 10-7, GAA: 2.44, SAVE %: .916
INJURY REPORT:
Penguins - LW S. Wilson (Questionable Tuesday, upper body), RW P. Hornqvist (Questionable Tuesday, upper body), D J. Schultz (Questionable Tuesday, upper body), RW T. Kuhnhackl (Questionable Tuesday, lower body), D C. Ruhwedel (Questionable Tuesday, concussion), D K. Letang (Out for season, neck).
Senators - C D. Brassard (Probable Tuesday, undisclosed), D E. Karlsson (Probable Tuesday, ankle), D C. Ceci (Probable Tuesday, undisclosed), D M. Borowiecki (Questionable Tuesday, leg), LW A. Burrows (Doubtful Tuesday, leg).
ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Evgeni Malkin (NHL-best 17 assists, 23 points) notched three assists to push his career playoff total to 98, moving him past team owner Mario Lemieux (96) for second on the franchise's all-time list. While much is expected of superstars Malkin, Crosby and Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh's third line of Bryan Rust (goal, assist), Nick Bonino (two assists) and Carter Rowney (three assists) combined for seven points in Game 5 with Rust showing - pardon the pun - no rust after missing the previous two games with an upper-body injury. Matt Murray, who recorded his second career postseason shutout following a 25-save performance, has turned aside 68 of 71 shots since replacing Marc-Andre Fleury and owns a 17-6 record in 24 playoff appearances.
ABOUT THE SENATORS: Captain Erik Karlsson (team-leading 13 assists, 15 points), who is playing with two hairline fractures in his left heel, is expected to be back in the lineup after receiving a bit of a breather with Sunday's contest well out of hand. "We decided to shorten the bench a bit and come back (fresher) for the next one," Karlsson told reporters, with Boucher admitting as much in resting fellow defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Derick Brassard in the final period. Boucher also scoffed at the notion of starting backup Mike Condon over Craig Anderson, who will be back in net after being pulled twice for four goals on 14 shots to spoil his 36th birthday.
TRENDS:
* Penguins are 1-8 in their last nine games when their opponent allows five more goals in their previous game.
* Senators are 4-1 in their last five home games.
* Over is 5-2-1 in Penguins last eight road games.
* Over is 5-1-3 in Senators last nine games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.
PITTSBURGH (61-25-0-13, 135 pts.) at OTTAWA (54-35-0-10, 118 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 54-45 ATS (+1.3 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 34-29 ATS (+0.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
OTTAWA is 26-21 ATS (-2.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
OTTAWA is 48-37 ATS (+88.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 29-19 ATS (+48.2 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 30-20 ATS (+50.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OTTAWA is 18-13 ATS (+34.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 125-80 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 82-48 ATS (+12.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 64-46 ATS (+111.5 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 45-29 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 9-5 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 9-5-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)
PITTSBURGH vs. OTTAWA
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Ottawa is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Ottawa is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh at Ottawa
Pittsburgh: 101-53 SU as a favorite
Ottawa: 89-81 at home off back to back overs