Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for from various handicappers and websites for Wednesday 4/10/19
It is playoff time in the National Hockey League, as five playoff series will begin on Wednesday, April 10. This includes the top team in the NHL, as the Tampa Bay Lightning will begin their series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In other action, the Vegas Golden Knights travel to California to take on the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the New York Islanders.
Featured Game
Columbus Blue Jackets (+190) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-235)
This playoff battle will pit two teams that are separated by 30 points in the standings. The Columbus Blue Jackets were eighth in the conference with 98 points (47-31-4), while the Tampa Bay Lightning had the best record in the National Hockey League with 128 points (62-16-4). Columbus finished the regular season 25-14-2 on the road and battled their way into the playoffs going 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Tampa Bay is 32-7-2 at home this season and is also 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Both of these teams won their final two games of the regular season.
Goaltending Matchup:
Sergei Bobrovsky finished the regular season 37-24-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. He recorded nine shutouts this season. Bobrovsky went 8-2-0 over his last 10 starts, recording four shutouts in that span. He posted a 1.70 goals-against average over his last 10 starts.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will start Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy finished the season 39-10-3 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. He also went 8-2-0 over his final 10 games but was not nearly as good in net, posting a 3.10 goals-against average during that span.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are…
5-0 in their last five games on the road.
5-16 in their last 21 conference quarterfinals games.
7-1 in their last eight games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are…
45-12 in their last 57 games.
40-13 in their last 53 games at home.
40-15 in their last 55 games against a team with a winning record.
Stat Pack:
Blue Jackets:
Goals For: 3.12
Goals Against: 2.82
Power-Play: 15.4%
Penalty Killing: 85.0%
Lightning:
Goals For: 3.89
Goals Against: 2.70
Power-Play: 28.2%
Penalty Killing: 85.0%
Prediction
Tampa Bay has won the last six meetings between these two teams and they are 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Tampa Bay. There is no doubt that the Tampa Bay Lightning are on a mission. They are out to prove that there 128 point season is no fluke, and are not going to let any team stand in the way of the Stanley Cup run, especially early in the playoffs. Look for them to come out guns a blazing over the poor Columbus Blue Jackets.
The total is set at 6.5 for this contest, which shows a lot of respect for the play of Bobrovsky of late. He has been absolutely brilliant, but he is about to be put through the grinder. There is no doubt that a goaltender can steal a playoff series, but he is going to have to record three shutouts in the series for Columbus to win. Take the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1, 4-1.
Two Games to Watch
These two teams were separated by just three points in the standings, with the Pittsburgh Penguins finishing with 100 points (44-26-12) and the New York Islanders with 103 (48-27-7). Pittsburgh is 21-12-8 on the road this season and is 5-2-3 in their last 10 games. The Islanders are 24-13-4 at home and are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games, including winning their final two regular-season contests.
Why Pittsburgh Wins:
Penguins are 11-3 in their last 14 conference quarterfinals games.
Penguins are 4-0 in their last four games on Wednesday.
Penguins are 4-1 in their last five games on the road against a team with a winning record at home.
Islanders are 0-7 in their last seven games on a Wednesday.
Penguins are 41-20 in the last 61 meetings between these two teams
Why New York Wins:
Islanders are 4-1 in their last five games.
Matt Murray gave up four goals in his last start for Pittsburgh.
Robin Lehner had a shutout in his last start against the Washington Capitals.
What About the Total?
Go under 5.5, because…
Total has gone under in five of the last seven meetings between these two teams.
Total has gone under in four straight meetings in New York.
Pittsburgh has gone under an 11 of their last 14 games against Eastern Conference teams.
Pittsburgh has gone under in 14 of their last 18 games.
New York has gone under in five of their last six at home.
Vegas Golden Knights (+115) vs. San Jose Sharks (-135)
The Vegas Golden Knights enter this contest with the seventh-best record in the Western Conference at 93 points (43-32-7). The San Jose Sharks had the second-best record with 101 points (46-27-9). Vegas finished the regular season 19-20-2 on the road and were 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. San Jose was 25-11-5 at home and was 3-6-1 in their last 10, although they did win their final two games to close out the season.
Why Vegas Wins:
Golden Knights are 4-0 in their last four conference quarterfinals games.
Sharks are 3-9 in their last 12 games.
Sharks are 2-6 in their last eight games at home.
Why San Jose Wins:
Sharks are 4-0 in their last four conference quarterfinals games.
Sharks are 9-4 in their last 13 games at home when facing a team with a losing record on the road.
Golden Knights are 1-7 in their last eight games.
Golden Knights are 0-4 in their last four games on the road.
Marc-Andre Fleury has given up four goals in each of his last two starts.
Martin Jones gave up two goals in his last start.
What About the Total?
Go over 6.0, because…
Total has gone over in seven of the last 10 meetings between these two teams.
Fleury has given up four goals in each of his last two starts.
Jones has allowed at least three goals in eight of his last nine starts.
Vegas has gone over in four of their last five road games.
San Jose has gone over in four straight games at home.
2019 NHL Playoffs Futures Betting Preview
It's a great time of year to be a sports bettors as the playoffs in both the NHL and NBA are about to get going, and for both leagues, it's a two-month grind towards the ultimate goal of winning a championship. Without question the quest for the Stanley Cup is more physically demanding for the players, and with much more parity in the NHL to begin with, the NHL playoffs can turn into a magical time of year for hockey fans and bettors.
All of that parity also means that finding success in the NHL playoff market can be tough, but it never hurts to have a few futures tickets in your pocket with the hopes that at worst, some possible hedging opportunities arise. With that in mind, here are some plays for this year's playoffs with the goal of cashing at least a few units by mid-June.
Sportsbetting.ag First Round Series Winner – Favorite Best Bet:
Pittsburgh Penguins (-151) over New York Islanders
The Penguins shot at a three-peat last year came up short when they lost to eventual champion Washington in the 2nd round, but after all that hockey played for their core group of guys over the previous few seasons – in the NHL and internationally – getting that longer off-season could be something that pays off this spring.
The Crosby-Malkin core isn't getting any younger in Pittsburgh these days and they know that they've likely only got a few more legitimate cracks at another Stanley Cup in the coming years, and that they'd better make the most of those opportunities.
Pittsburgh and New York split the season series two games apiece, and while they haven't met since early December, it was those final two meetings that went the Penguins way. Against an Islanders team that's got way fewer playoff battles under their belt on the whole, and no real dominant line to count on to produce when the going gets tough, even having home ice isn't going to save the Islanders from another 1st round playoff exit in the franchise's long history of doing just that since the glory days of the early 1980's.
Sportsbetting.ag First Round Series Winner – Underdog Best Bet:
Dallas Stars (+155) over Nashville Predators
The Dallas Stars made a point this year to tighten up things tremendously on the defensive end after years of their run-and-gun style lead to long summer vacations. It worked enough to get them a Wildcard spot in this year's playoffs, and that type of focus in your own end is a tried and true blueprint for finding success in playoff hockey.
And yet, even with that defensive focus, this Stars team is still loaded up front with skilled goal scorers who have been deep in the playoffs before throughout their careers (Seguin, Spezza, Zuccarello, Radulov,) and if they see an offensive spike during this series with the Predators – a team that prides themselves on defense as well – then this could be a series that the Stars easily steal.
With two of the best three teams in the league in terms of goals allowed per game squaring off here, with a +155 price tag, it's not hard to root for a few bounces to go the Stars way in what should be a tight series filled with 3-2 type of games.
Sportsbetting.ag Conference Winner Futures Best Bets:
Calgary Flames to win West (+350)
Pittsburgh Penguins to win East (+700)
The Tampa Bay Lightning have dominated the entire league this year and are the popular (and easy) choice to go the distance, and it's really hard not to like their chances to at least get to the Eastern Conference Final. But at +125 to win the conference, there isn't a whole lot of value in backing that type of play now.
Enter the play on Pittsburgh at +700 as with the bracket format you know a team coming from the Metropolitan side of things will be opposing Tampa (or someone else) with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line, and should it be a Penguins/Lightning matchup, well then some nice hedging opportunities will arise.
I don't think you can ignore the Penguins pedigree at this time of year, and while they are all a year older and that means many more hockey miles on their body, off a relatively long summer a year ago, Pittsburgh is more than capable of making a deep run again this year. You already know my thoughts on them getting by the Islanders in Round 1, and with Washington or Columbus up next after that, I don't believe either of those teams will be able to get past Crosby and company this year.
Out in the West, it is the #1 seed I'm backing with at a near 4-1 price tag, as Calgary may not have the experience that many other teams do in this 'tournament', but their speed and scoring ability is what led them to the top of a very physical Western Conference, and while playoff hockey is 'heavier', as long as the Flames get solid goaltending throughout, they should be the first Canadian team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals since the Vancouver Canucks did it in 2011.
Sportsbetting.ag Stanley Cup Winner Future Bet:
Pittsburgh Penguins to win Stanley Cup (+1400)
If all goes according to this plan and we do get a Calgary/Pittsburgh Final, the Flames will follow suit in terms of what happened to the 2011 Vancouver Canucks team, hopefully without the riots afterwards. It might not take seven games for the Flames to fall to Pittsburgh, but at +1400, the time is now to potentially cash in on what may end up being the last hurrah for Crosby and Malkin.
For every team not named Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh's arguably got the easiest path to the Conference Finals, and from there it's just a matter of them showing up and knocking off the President Trophy winners.
It's well known that the President's Trophy winners don't exactly have the best track record in terms of winning the Stanley Cup – has only happened twice since the 2002-03 season, and only once in the past five years have they even made it to the Conference Finals. This Penguins franchise is responsible for eliminating two of those past winners (Washington in 2016 and 17), and the only other President's Trophy team to win the award by a margin of 20+ points in the standings – 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings – fell in the Conference Finals to eventual Stanley Cup winner Colorado.
Pittsburgh could follow that same script this year, giving Crosby hist 4th Stanley Cup – two more than his mentor Mario Lemieux – and cementing this organization as the best in the league during the latter half of this decade.
Odds for 1st round NHL playoff series:
— Tampa Bay -$334 vs Columbus +$250
— Boston -$145 vs Toronto +$115
— Washington -$150 vs Columbus +$121
— Pittsburgh -$143 vs NY Islanders +$115
— Nashville -$179 vs Dallas +$150
— Calgary -$224 vs St Louis +$175
— Winnipeg vs St Louis, even
— San Jose -$118 vs Vegas =$105
__________________
Wednesday, 10 April 2019 • 06:30 PM
7 DALLAS @ 8 NASHVILLE
Play under DALLAS on the total in All games after a division game
The record is 0 Overs and 9 this season (+9 units)
__________________
Wednesday, 10 April 2019 • 04:30 PM
3 PITTSBURGH @ 4 NY ISLANDERS
Play on NY ISLANDERS using the money line in All games in April games
The record is 10 Wins and 1 for the last three seasons (+10.6 units)
__________________
Wednesday, 10 April 2019 • 04:00 PM
1 COLUMBUS @ 2 TAMPA BAY
Play over TAMPA BAY using the puck line in All games in all games
The record is 62 Overs and 20 this season (+30.05 units)
__________________
NHL
Long Sheet
Wednesday, April 10
COLUMBUS (47-31-0-4, 98 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (62-16-0-4, 128 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 62-20 ATS (+40.1 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 36-14 ATS (+9.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
TAMPA BAY is 32-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 251-246 ATS (+564.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 65-55 ATS (+126.7 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 6-3 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 6-3-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH (44-26-0-12, 100 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (48-27-0-7, 103 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 44-38 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 48-34 ATS (+82.3 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 10-1 ATS (+8.8 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 18-10 ATS (+29.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 18-9 ATS (+27.6 Units) after a division game this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 20-10 ATS (+9.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 22-17 ATS (+42.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 5-7 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 7-5-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST LOUIS (45-28-0-9, 99 pts.) at WINNIPEG (47-30-0-5, 99 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 28-7 ATS (+19.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 15-4 ATS (+8.8 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 33-13 ATS (+15.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 30-15 ATS (+8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 24-16 ATS (+40.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 12-4 ATS (+16.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 10-3 (+6.5 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 10-3-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DALLAS (43-32-0-7, 93 pts.) at NASHVILLE (47-29-0-6, 100 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 25-42 ATS (-26.7 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 59-33 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 9-5 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 9-5-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VEGAS (43-32-0-7, 93 pts.) at SAN JOSE (46-27-0-9, 101 pts.) - 4/10/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VEGAS is 43-39 ATS (-17.8 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 20-20 ATS (-14.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
VEGAS is 46-22 ATS (+13.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
VEGAS is 53-39 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 9-5 (+3.9 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
VEGAS is 9-5-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.5 Units)
__________________
NHL
Wednesday, April 10
Trend Report
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Columbus is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Columbus's last 17 games
Columbus is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Columbus is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Columbus's last 13 games on the road
Columbus is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Columbus is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Columbus is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Tampa Bay is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home
Tampa Bay is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Columbus
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing Columbus
Tampa Bay is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing at home against Columbus
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing NY Islanders
Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
New York Islanders
NY Islanders is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
NY Islanders is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of NY Islanders's last 14 games
NY Islanders is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
NY Islanders is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Islanders's last 6 games at home
NY Islanders is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Islanders's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
NY Islanders is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Islanders's last 8 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Winnipeg
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games
Winnipeg is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 7 games
Winnipeg is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Winnipeg is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing St. Louis
Winnipeg is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Dallas Stars
Dallas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Dallas's last 18 games
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Dallas's last 19 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Nashville
Dallas is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing Nashville
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville Predators
Nashville is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Nashville is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Nashville's last 12 games
Nashville is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Nashville's last 12 games at home
Nashville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Nashville is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing Dallas
Nashville is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Vegas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vegas's last 9 games
Vegas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Vegas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vegas's last 5 games on the road
Vegas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
Vegas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Vegas's last 10 games when playing San Jose
Vegas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 1-11 ATS in its last 12 games
San Jose is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games
San Jose is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games at home
San Jose is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 6 games at home
San Jose is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Vegas
San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Jose's last 10 games when playing Vegas
San Jose is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Vegas
__________________