Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 3/4/19
There are only two games scheduled in the National Hockey League on Monday, March 4. That starts with a fantastic matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Calgary Flames, as the Flames look to get back on the winning side of the ledger after seeing their seven-game winning streak come to an end. The other game sees the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Buffalo Sabres in New York.
Toronto Maple Leafs(+105) vs.Calgary Flames(-127)
The Toronto Maple Leafs enter this contest in third in the Atlantic Division with 84 points (40-21-4). Toronto is 19-9-3 on the road this season and they are 6-3-1 in their last 10. The Calgary Flames lead the Pacific Division with the second-best record in the NHL at 89 points (41-17-7). Calgary is 20-6-5 at home this season and they are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
Goaltending Matchup:
Frederik Andersen will be in goal for Toronto. Andersen is 31-13-3 with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. The Toronto goaltender has won his last four starts and is 7-2-1 over his last 10 starts. He has not allowed more than three goals in any of those outings.
David Rittich Will get the start for Calgary. Rittich is 22-5-3 this season with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. The Calgary goaltender has won his last two starts, allowing a single goal in each of those outings. He is 6-1-1 in his last eight decisions.
Hot Trends:
The Toronto Maple Leafs are…
4-1 in their last five games.
20-7 in their last 27 games against teams from the Pacific Division.
8-3 in their last 11 games on a Monday.
The Calgary Flames are…
7-1 in their last eight games.
9-3 in their last 12 games at home.
1-5 in their last six games at home when facing a team with a winning percentage on the road of greater than .600.
Stat Pack:
Maple Leafs:
Goals For:3.58
Goals Against: 2.86
Power-Play:22.4%
Penalty Killing:80.3%
Flames:
Goals For:3.57
Goals Against:2.80
Power-Play:21.8%
Penalty Killing:79.5%
Prediction
This has been a series that has been dominated by the home team. The home team has won 20 of the last 26 meetings between these two teams and the Flames have beat Toronto in 10 of the last 12 meetings in Calgary. The Flames have been (excuse the pun) red-hot of late despite seeing their seven-game winning streak come to an end.
There are many stats that show these teams are fairly evenly matched. They are third and fourth in scoring, eighth and 11th in goals allowed and eighth and 11th in power-play efficiency. Very little separates these two teams with the exception of the home-ice advantage. That’s the big factor in this game as Calgary wins.
The total is set at 6.5, and it would seem logical to go over as these two teams have gone over in five of the last seven in Calgary. However, they have gone under in each of the last five meetings and both Andersen and Rittich are playing exceptionally well. We take the Calgary Flames to win, 4-2, so take the under.
Two Games to Watch
Edmonton Oilers (+111) vs.Buffalo Sabres(-122)
The Edmonton Oilers are in fifth in the Pacific Division with 69 points (32-28-5). Edmonton is 14-15-5 on the road this season and they are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. Buffalo is in fifth in the Atlantic Division with 68 points (30-27-8). Buffalo is 19-9-4 at home this season and they are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games
Why Edmonton Wins:
Sabres are 2-7 in their last nine games.
Sabers have lost their last four against teams with a losing record.
Mikko Koskinen has allowed two total goals in his last two starts, both victories.
Carter Hutton has given up seven total goals in his last two appearances.
Why Buffalo Wins:
Sabres are 6-2 in their last eight games against teams from the Pacific.
Oilers are 2-5 in their last seven games on the road.
Oilers are 5-13 in their last 18 games.
Sabres have won four of the last five meetings.
What About the Total?
Go over 6.0, because…
Hutton gave up five goals on just 12 shots in his last start against Edmonton.
Buffalo has gone over in each of their last five games.
Buffalo has gone over in nine of their last 12 it home.
Edmonton has gone over in seven of their last 11 games on a Monday.
Edmonton has gone over in six of their last eight against teams from the Atlantic.
NHL
Long Sheet
Monday, March 4
EDMONTON (28-30-0-7, 63 pts.) at BUFFALO (30-27-0-8, 68 pts.) - 3/4/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 27-34 ATS (-20.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 21-20 ATS (+45.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
BUFFALO is 246-246 ATS (+501.3 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
BUFFALO is 39-68 ATS (+133.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 1-10 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 4-1 (+4.8 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 4-1-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)
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TORONTO (40-21-0-4, 84 pts.) at CALGARY (41-17-0-7, 89 pts.) - 3/4/2019, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 41-24 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games this season.
CALGARY is 15-5 ATS (+7.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
CALGARY is 17-9 ATS (+5.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 9-2 ATS (+6.6 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
TORONTO is 11-5 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CALGARY is 10-17 ATS (-15.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 15-32 ATS (+49.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-2 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 3-2-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.0 Units)
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NHL
Monday, March 4
Trend Report
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Edmonton is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Edmonton is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
Edmonton is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Edmonton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Edmonton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Buffalo is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games
Buffalo is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Buffalo is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Buffalo's last 12 games at home
Buffalo is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 12 games on the road
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Calgary
Toronto is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary Flames
Calgary is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Calgary is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games
Calgary is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Calgary is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Calgary's last 12 games at home
Calgary is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Calgary is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Calgary's last 7 games when playing at home against Toronto
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Edmonton at Buffalo
Monday, March 4, 2019 07:00 PM (ET)
Matchup
Last Meeting ( Jan 14, 2019 ) Buffalo 2, Edmonton 7
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have been linked together since the forwards were selected first and second, respectively, in the 2015 NHL Draft. McDavid, who won his third straight Fastest Skater competition at the expense of Eichel in January, will look to best his rival again on Monday when the Edmonton Oilers conclude their five-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres.
Unfortunately for both captains, their respective teams are fading fast out of the postseason picture with Eichel's Sabres losing seven of their last nine (2-6-1) while McDavid's Oilers had dropped 13 of 16 (3-9-4) before winning their last two contests. The 22-year-old McDavid, who scored and set up a goal in Edmonton's 7-2 romp over Buffalo on Jan. 14, collected three assists in a 4-0 rout of Columbus on Saturday to give him at least a point in five straight games in which he played and 13 of 14 overall. Like McDavid, Eichel leads his team in assists (47) and points (70), although the latter saw his seven-game point streak halted with Saturday's 5-2 setback at Toronto. The Sabres' slump has dimmed their prospects of qualifying for the postseason for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign, with the club residing nine points behind Montreal for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, TVA, MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE OILERS (28-30-7): Leon Draisaitl assisted on tallies by Zack Kassian and Josh Currie before reaching the 40-goal plateau after beating two-time Vezina Trophy recipient Sergei Bobrovsky from the right circle in the second period on Saturday. The 23-year-old Draisaitl will look to extend his 10-game point streak (eight goals, seven assists) when he visits Buffalo, against which he scored in the last encounter to give him two goals in eight career meetings. Kassian, who has scored in back-to-back contests, joined Milan Lucic in tallying twice in the last meeting with the Sabres.
ABOUT THE SABRES (30-27-8): Conor Sheary scored versus the Maple Leafs to boost his point streak to three games (three goals, two assists) heading into the encounter with Edmonton, against which he set up Casey Mittelstadt's opening goal exactly one minute into the tilt. Fellow forward Jason Pominville scored for the second time in five contests on Saturday, but his 15th tally of the season did little to soothe the sting of another painful loss. "We're not going to quit. We know that we've got to get every point we can," the 36-year-old Pominville told reporters.
OVERTIME
1. Eichel has notched seven points (three goals, four assists) in six career games against Edmonton while McDavid has six (three goals, three assists) versus Buffalo.
2. Oilers G Mikko Koskinen, who turned aside 41 shots in the first encounter with the Sabres, has yielded 12 goals in his last six outings (4-1-1).
3. Buffalo RW Evan Rodrigues, who scored in the first outing with Edmonton, is mired in a 12-game goal drought.
PREDICTION: Sabres 4, Oilers 3
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Monday, March 4, 2019 09:00 PM (ET)
Matchup
Last Meeting ( Oct 29, 2018 ) Calgary 3, Toronto 1
The Toronto Maple Leafs gave John Tavares a proper homecoming in their last contest, with the latter returning the favor by helping the team to its fourth win in five outings. The Maple Leafs hope that type of success travels well as they begin a tour of Western Canada on Monday against the Calgary Flames, who are looking to rebound after seeing their seven-game winning streak halted in their last outing.
Tavares opened the scoring with his team-leading 37th goal and added a pair of assists in Saturday's 5-2 victory versus Buffalo, boosting his point total to eight (four goals, four assists) in his last six contests. Linemate Mitch Marner matched Tavares by also setting up a goal and scoring two others against the Sabres, giving him seven of his club-best 55 assists and nine of his team-leading 78 points in his last five games. While the 21-year-old Marner set up Nazem Kadri's goal in the first encounter with Calgary in Toronto, Ontario native Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm scored in a 55-second span of the third period to lead the Flames to a 3-1 triumph on Oct. 29. Monahan moved within one goal of tying his career-high total set in 2014-15 and matched in 2017-18 when he scored his 30th in Saturday's 4-2 setback against Minnesota.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), Sportsnet West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (40-21-4): Auston Matthews sat out the previous encounter against Calgary with a shoulder injury that would sideline him for a month, but the 21-year-old sure has made up for lost time. Matthews has scored 20 goals and set up 24 others since his return, with his helper on defenseman Morgan Rielly's first-period goal giving him a career-high 30 assists this season. "They do it right most nights," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said of the line consisting of Zach Hyman, Tavares and Marner on Saturday. "They played heavy, they spent time in the offensive zone, they had people at the net, they put the puck to the paint, they checked well and, in the end, they were rewarded. When you do good things on a regular basis and you're above the puck and when you play right, you end up scoring."
ABOUT THE FLAMES (41-17-7): Although Mike Smith saw his personal five-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday, the 36-year-old Ontario native opted to take a bigger picture view of Calgary's standing. "We're in a good spot," Smith told reporters. "We're in first place in the West. You're not going to win every game from here on out, even though you'd like to. It's just unrealistic." Smith turned aside 24 shots in the first meeting with the Maple Leafs to improve to 8-3-3 with a 2.23 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 14 career encounters.
OVERTIME
1. Calgary C Mikael Backlund has recorded nine points (four goals, five assists) in his last eight contests.
2. Toronto D Ron Hainsey has set up a goal in three straight games to boost his assist total to 15, although just four have been earned against Western Conference opponents.
3. Flames LW Johnny Gaudreau, who has four of his club-best 53 assists in his last three games, set up a goal in the first meeting with the Maple Leafs.
PREDICTION: Flames 5, Maple Leafs 4
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