Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 5/7/18
Last year's two Stanley Cup finalists, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators, both face elimination games Monday night at the hands of the Washington Capitals and the Winnipeg Jets, respectively. We help you handicap this pair of games like a pro with our full betting preview.
Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins (-200, 6)
Capitals lead series 3-2.
The Washington Capitals previously have seen the Pittsburgh Penguins up against the ropes only to fall victim to a spirited barrage and find themselves on the canvas. The Capitals aim to prevent that scene from repeating itself on Monday as they bid to land the knockout blow in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at PPG Paints Arena.
Two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh is no stranger to trailing 3-2 in a series, having done so against Tampa Bay in the 2016 Eastern Conference final while avoiding elimination on two separate occasions in 2017 with a 2-0 win over Washington in Game 7 of the conference semis before posting a 3-2 double-overtime victory versus Ottawa in the following round. "Everybody understands the situation," Penguins superstar captain Sidney Crosby said. "It brings out everyone's best. You don't have anything to save it for, so you go out there with one focus, and that's win a hockey game and get to a Game 7. That's our mindset here." Washington goaltender Braden Holtby was quite clear with what his team's mindset needs to be if it wishes to build off Saturday's 6-3 win in Game 5 and put itself in position to advance to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 1998. "Where it's at right now doesn't matter at all. All that matters is the next game," the former Vezina Trophy winner said. "That's got to be our mindset if we want to have success and take a mature approach to it."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet, TVAS
SERIES PRICE (PER LV SUPERBOOK):
LINE MOVES AND BETTING ACTION: The Penguins opened as -200 favorites and as of Sunday night that number has not moved. The total hit betting boards at 5.5 and has been bumped up to 6. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
Capitals - C Nicklas Backstrom (Questionable, Upper Body), RW Tom Wilson (Elig Wednesday, Suspension), LW Andre Burakovsky (Out Indefinitely, Upper Body).
Penguins - C Zach Aston-Reese (Out Indefinitely, Jaw).
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (56-28-8-1, 52-39 O/U): Nicklas Backstrom is expected to play in Game 6 despite sitting out Sunday's practice, one day removed from using his hand to block a shot with his team short-handed during the first period. The 30-year-old Swedish Olympian's 10 assists are tops on the team while his 13 points trail only captain Alex Ovechkin, who rebounded from failing to muster a shot on goal in Game 4 by joining Evgeny Kuznetsov in setting up Jakub Vrana's go-ahead tally with 4:38 remaining in the third period. Ironically, the Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Vrana grouping was Washington's top line at the onset of the season as Tom Wilson served a four-game suspension from the league.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (53-34-4-2, 51-37 O/U): Crosby reached the 20-point plateau (nine goals, 11 assists) in the playoffs for the franchise-best fourth time in his career and pushed his overall point total to 184 with his second-period power-play goal in Game 5. The two-time reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner would pull even with Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman for 10th place all-time with another point on Monday. Linemate Jake Guentzel (team-leading 21 points) saw his eight-game point streak end on Saturday, a postseason stretch that was the NHL's longest since Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar's 10-game run in 2014.
TRENDS:
* Capitals are 9-1 in their last 10 road games.
* Penguins are 98-35 in their last 133 home games.
* Over is 18-8-2 in Capitals' last 28 games following a win.
* Over is 9-2 in Penguins' last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
Check out a complete list of hot and cold trends, here.
Nashville Predators at Winnipeg Jets (-155, 6)
Jets lead series 3-2.
The Winnipeg Jets stand one victory away from the Western Conference finals and have two shots to knock out the Nashville Predators, starting with Monday’s Game 6 at home after yet another offensive explosion in Saturday’s 6-2 road triumph. The Jets, who were stymied in a frustrating Game 4 loss on home ice, broke loose to take a 3-2 series lead as the top line of Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor combined for three goals and eight points.
Wheeler told reporters Sunday after the Jets returned to Winnipeg that knocking out the Predators – who took Pittsburgh to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals last June – will not be easy, adding, “What we’re focused on is what’s given us success all year long, that’s just finding a way to win one hockey game.” Nashville got the start it wanted in Game 5, dominating play for most of the first period, but could not score in the opening frame before the Jets netted four goals in the middle period. The loss dropped the Predators to 1-2 on home ice in the series, but Nashville coach Peter Laviolette’s team already has won one game in Winnipeg this series and must do so again to extend its season. “This group’s been built for a game like the one that’s coming up,” Laviolette told reporters after Saturday’s loss. “I’ve got a tremendous amount of confidence. I believe in them.”
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVA Sports
SERIES PRICE (PER LV SUPERBOOK):
LINE MOVES AND BETTING ACTION: The Jets opened as -145 moneyline favorites and as of Sunday night that number has been pushed up to -155, despite P.K. Subban's guarantee of victory. The total hit betting boards at 5.5 and has been bumped up to 6. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
Predators - C Calle Jarnkrok (Questionable, Undisclosed).
Jets - D Dmitry Kulikov (Out Indefinitely, Back).
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (59-23-4-7, 47-45 O/U): Nashville will look to repeat the recipe that led to a 2-1 victory in Winnipeg in Game 4: get an early lead then dominate the neutral zone. Goaltender Pekka Rinne served up another subpar performance, allowing three goals in a 4:31 span of the second period to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 deficit, and after two goals early in the third was pulled again for Juuse Saros. Some of Nashville’s key players struggled in Game 5, including Victor Arvidsson and Austin Watson, who both finished minus-3.
ABOUT THE JETS (59-22-9-2, 45-45 O/U): Connor set a franchise record for most points in a playoff game by a rookie, scoring his first two goals of the playoffs in the pivotal second-period stretch and assisted on Scheifele’s goal 28 seconds into the third period. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 38 saves on the night, and a determined defense which blocked 16 shots survived a 20-shot onslaught by Nashville in the third period. Forward Mathieu Perreault, who had missed the past eight games with an injury, scored a goal in his return and gave the Jets a much-needed boost.
TRENDS:
* Predators are 14-5 in their last 19 road games.
* Jets are 42-10 in their last 52 home games.
* Under is 11-1-1 in Predators last 13 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
* Under is 6-1 in Jets last 7 home games.
* Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.