Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Sunday, March 25, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Preview: Flyers at Penguins
Gracenote
Mar 24, 2018
If the Pittsburgh Penguins are unable to catch first-place Washington in the Metropolitan Division, they can look no further than New Jersey. The two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions have a more favorable matchup on tap Sunday afternoon when Pittsburgh attempts to complete a four-game sweep of the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.
Sitting five points behind the Capitals and one point ahead of Columbus, the Penguins are nursing a two-point edge over fourth-place Philadelphia, but they have outscored the Flyers 15-7 in winning the first three meetings this season. Pittsburgh also has been dominant on its home ice, winning 15 of the last 17 (15-1-1) at PPG Paints Arena, with both losses coming at the hands of the Devils. After opening the month with seven losses in eight games (1-6-1), the Flyers have regained their equilibrium by earning points in four in a row (3-0-1) to stay on the heels of Pittsburgh and Columbus in the tightly bunched Metropolitan. Philadelphia is holding down the top wild card in the Eastern Conference but New Jersey and Florida remain within striking distance, trailing by two and five points, respectively.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC
ABOUT THE FLYERS (38-25-12): Travis Konecny has scored 18 of his 22 goals since Jan. 4, including a pair in Thursday's 4-3 win over the New York Rangers, but he drew the ire of coach Dave Hakstol and found himself planted on the bench for the final seven minutes. "Wasn't taking care of the puck very well," Hakstol said. "Individuals have to be better in how we manage the puck." Captain Claude Giroux is tied for the league lead with 64 assists - one shy of his career high -after collecting three in back-to-back games.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (42-27-6): Coach Mike Sullivan tinkered with his lineup in the third period of Friday's game, swapping right wings on the top two lines and going with the same alignment at Saturday's practice. Patric Hornqvist was elevated to the No. 1 unit alongside Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel while Bryan Rust skated with Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin on the second line. Phil Kessel reached 30 goals for the sixth time in his career in Friday's loss and has two goals and two assists versus Philadelphia this season.
OVERTIME
1. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has 45 points in his last 33 games overall and seven in the last three matchups versus Philadelphia.
2. Flyers rookie G Alex Lyon is expected to make his second straight start and seventh of his career on Sunday.
3. The Penguins have surrendered eight power-play goals in the past seven games.
PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Flyers 3
Preview: Canucks at Stars
Gracenote
Mar 24, 2018
The Dallas Stars are unraveling at the worst time of the year and need an abrupt turnaround to keep their sagging postseason hopes alive. A matchup against one of the worst teams in the Western Conference looms as a must-win game for the fading Stars, who carry a seven-game losing streak (0-5-2) into Sunday's game against the visiting Vancouver Canucks.
After going winless on a six-game road trip, Dallas absorbed a crushing loss in the start of a three-game homestand by allowing three third-period goals, including the game-winner with 12 seconds remaining, in Friday's 3-2 setback to Boston. "We've got seven more games that we can win, so we're going to stick with it and try and win all seven, but take it one game at a time," Stars captain Jamie Benn told reporters after the stunning defeat that left his team five points out of the second wild card. The Stars certainly can't afford to look past the slumping Canucks, who rolled to a 6-0 victory in Dallas on Feb. 11. Vancouver, which is wrapping up a four-game road trip, has dropped eight of its last nine games (1-8-0) and scored a total of eight goals in the eight losses.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (26-40-9): Veteran forward Daniel Sedin, Vancouver's second-leading scorer after reaching 50 points for the 11th time in his stellar career, is poised to appear in his 1,300th game Sunday. Forward Sam Gagner reached a personal milestone on Friday night by scoring his 150th career goal, but he had to end a 25-game drought dating to Jan. 6 to get there. Captain Henrik Sedin acknowledged the Canucks are starved for offense, telling reporters: “We know we can’t give up more than two goals.”
ABOUT THE STARS (38-29-8): Dallas has scored 17 times during the seven-game slide despite the efforts of Benn, who is on a late-season surge with goals in his last three games and six of the past eight. With starting netminder Ben Bishop (knee) still sidelined, Kari Lehtonen is expected to get the nod as he seeks his first victory since March 9. Lehtonen allowed a pair of goals in relief in Vancouver's shellacking of the Stars last month, but he owns an 11-7-1 record and 2.69 goals-against average versus the Canucks.
OVERTIME
1. Stars F Tyler Seguin, who needs one goal to reach 40, has eight tallies and 21 points in 16 career games against the Canucks.
2. Vancouver has failed to score on the power play in nine of its last 10 games.
3. Dallas has allowed eight power-play tallies in the past seven contests.
PREDICTION: Stars 5, Canucks 2
Preview: Predators at Jets
Gracenote
Mar 25, 2018
The Winnipeg Jets have not totally given up on the top spot in the Central Division, and their final run at the title must start at home on Sunday with a victory over the first-place Nashville Predators. The Jets have won four in a row to stay within striking distance of the Predators, reaching 100 points for the first time in franchise history with Friday's 3-2 overtime victory over Anaheim at home.
“Other than it’s cool, I don’t think a whole lot,” Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele, whose team trails Nashville by six points, told reporters of what it means to hit the century mark in points. “They don’t hand out awards for 100-point seasons. We’re happy with where our game is, but we’ve still got some games to go, and it’s an exciting time right now.” The Jets have won two straight in overtime and are 8-2-1 this month - with one of the regulation losses coming against the Predators, who have won three of the four meetings this season. Nashville had its 15-game point streak halted by Toronto on Thursday and suffered a 4-1 loss at Minnesota two nights later as it kicked off a quick two-game road trip. The Predators were limited to 20 shots by the Wild and received their lone goal from Ryan Johansen in the first period.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (48-16-10): Nashville’s power play has gone ice cold, converting just once in 27 opportunities over its last nine games after coming up empty on two chances against Minnesota. Filip Forsberg notched an assist in the loss for his fifth point in four games as he pushed his season total to 54 - second only to Viktor Arvidsson, who leads the team with 27 goals and 56 points. Austin Watson and defenseman Yannick Weber both left Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury and are questionable to face Winnipeg.
ABOUT THE JETS (45-19-10): Patrik Laine (team-best 43 goals) looked as though he might miss a few games after suffering a foot injury while blocking a shot on Tuesday, but he returned two nights later and registered five shots. Kyle Connor has scored six of his 28 goals in the last five games, and the 17th overall pick of the 2015 draft has recorded the winner in overtime in each of the team's last two contests. “It feels good. Every time you score in this league, it’s a good feeling,” Connor told reporters. “I’m just focusing on getting better each game, and that’s our biggest focus on the team.”
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg RW Blake Wheeler has notched seven of his team-leading 83 points (one goal, six assists) during his five-game point streak.
2. Nashville C Mike Fisher, who sat out Saturday’s game for rest, is expected to be back in the lineup against the Jets.
3. Winnipeg D Toby Enstrom left Friday's game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.
PREDICTION: Jets 4, Predators 2
Preview: Bruins at Wild
Gracenote
Mar 25, 2018
With a spot in the playoffs already secured, the Boston Bruins still have the Presidents' Trophy in their sights. The Bruins continue their quest for first overall in the NHL when they resume their four-game road trip Sunday against the Minnesota Wild.
Boston is second in the Atlantic Division and trails Nashville and Tampa Bay by four points for the top spot in the league with a game in hand on the Predators and two on the Lightning. The club is 1-0-1 on its trek and extended its point streak to four games (2-0-2) on Friday with a 3-2 triumph at Dallas in which David Pastrnak completed a third-period comeback from a two-goal deficit with 12 seconds remaining. Minnesota also is riding a four-game point streak (3-0-1) after posting a 4-1 victory over the Predators on Saturday in which Jason Zucker recorded a goal and an assist. The Wild, who are wrapping up a three-game homestand, own a two-point lead over Colorado for third place in the Central Division.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
ABOUT THE BRUINS (46-17-10): Brad Marchand leads the team with 78 points after registering a goal and two assists in the victory over the Stars. The 29-year-old left wing has matched the career high of 46 assists he set last season and is seven points away from tying his personal best, which he also totaled in 2016-17. Pastrnak, who notched an assist prior to his game-winning goal on Friday for his career-high 71st point, has not been kept off the scoresheet in consecutive contests since a four-game stretch from Feb. 10-17.
ABOUT THE WILD (42-24-8): Zucker's tally on Saturday was his 30th of the season, marking the first time the 26-year-old left wing has reached the plateau in his career. Nino Niederreiter and Eric Staal both enter Sunday with a four-game point streak, as each has collected two goals and two assists during their runs. Zach Parise, who missed a bulk of the campaign due to injury, also tallied on Saturday to reach double digits for the 12th time in his 13-season career.
OVERTIME
1. Bruins G Tuukka Rask has posted a 7-0-1 record over his last eight starts.
2. Minnesota's Bruce Boudreau on Saturday became the 26th coach in league history to record 500 victories.
3. Boston F Noel Acciari's next appearance will be the 100th of his NHL career.
PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Wild 2
Preview: Ducks at Oilers
Gracenote
Mar 25, 2018
The Anaheim Ducks try to improve their playoff position in the Western Conference when they continue a four-game road trip Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. Anaheim, which is tied for third with Los Angeles in the Pacific Division but has a game in hand on the Kings, is part of an apparent four-team scrum for the final three postseason berths in the West.
The Ducks had their four-game winning streak snapped Friday but extended their points run to five contests with a 3-2 overtime loss in Winnipeg. John Gibson has an eye-popping .953 save percentage in his last five games and .936 in 10 March contests after stopping 39 shots Friday. Edmonton is seeking its fourth consecutive victory after edging the Kings 3-2 on Saturday in the opener of a three-game homestand. Captain Connor McDavid scored a pair of goals in the triumph, giving him an NHL-best 96 points - one ahead of Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov - as he seeks his second straight Art Ross Trophy.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (38-24-13): Anaheim hopes to have Ryan Getzlaf back in the lineup as the captain was a late scratch Friday because of flu-like symptoms. The 32-year-old has landed on the scoresheet in nine of his last 10 games, collecting three goals and 15 assists in that span. Rickard Rakell, who leads the team with 63 points but was kept off the scoresheet against the Jets, is two goals away from matching the career high of 33 he set last season and one assist shy of 100 in the NHL.
ABOUT THE OILERS (34-36-5): McDavid has been piping hot, registering two goals in each of his last two games and seven points over his last three contests while collecting 15 tallies and as many assists in his last 18 matches. Adam Larsson recorded an assist on McDavid's first goal Saturday, giving him 100 points in his career. The 25-year-old Swedish defenseman, who was selected fourth overall by New Jersey in the 2011 draft, has registered three of his 12 points on the season over his last five contests.
OVERTIME
1. Oilers LW Pontus Aberg, who was acquired from Nashville for Mark Letestu on Feb. 25, is riding a four-game point streak during which he has registered two goals and five assists.
2. Anaheim LW Corey Perry has recorded points in eight of his last 12 games, collecting four goals and seven assists in that span.
3. Edmonton C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has notched four goals and five assists over his last eight contests.
PREDICTION: Ducks 5, Oilers 4
NHL
Long Sheet
Sunday, March 25
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PHILADELPHIA (38-25-0-12, 88 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (42-27-0-6, 90 pts.) - 3/25/2018, 12:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-31 ATS (-16.3 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 15-3 ATS (+9.6 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 70-37 ATS (+15.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 22-8 ATS (+11.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
PITTSBURGH is 15-4 ATS (+7.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 21-6 ATS (+11.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-6 ATS (+19.9 Units) on Sunday games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 60-57 ATS (+127.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 8-3 (+3.8 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 8-3-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+6.3 Units)
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NASHVILLE (48-15-0-10, 106 pts.) at WINNIPEG (45-19-0-10, 100 pts.) - 3/25/2018, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 8-5 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 8-5-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.4 Units)
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VANCOUVER (26-40-0-9, 61 pts.) at DALLAS (38-29-0-8, 84 pts.) - 3/25/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 23-57 ATS (+107.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 199-226 ATS (+499.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
DALLAS is 72-85 ATS (+226.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 16-19 ATS (-15.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 2-10 ATS (-12.0 Units) in March games this season.
DALLAS is 10-20 ATS (-14.3 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
DALLAS is 15-21 ATS (-9.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-2 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 6-2-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)
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BOSTON (46-17-0-10, 102 pts.) at MINNESOTA (41-24-0-8, 90 pts.) - 3/25/2018, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-2-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)
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ANAHEIM (38-24-0-13, 89 pts.) at EDMONTON (33-36-0-5, 71 pts.) - 3/25/2018, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 11-9-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)
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NHL
Sunday, March 25
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Trend Report
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PHILADELPHIA @ PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Pittsburgh is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games at home
VANCOUVER @ DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Vancouver's last 8 games on the road
Vancouver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Vancouver
Dallas is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing Vancouver
NASHVILLE @ WINNIPEG
Nashville is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Nashville is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games
Winnipeg is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Winnipeg is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
BOSTON @ MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Minnesota is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
ANAHEIM @ EDMONTON
Anaheim is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Anaheim's last 9 games on the road
Edmonton is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Edmonton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Anaheim
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