Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Wednesday, March 21, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Motor City Madmen
The Detroit Red Wings knocked off the Philadelphia Flyers by a 5-4 score in a shootout on Tuesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak in regulation, and a 0-9-1 skid in 10 outings from Feb. 28-March 18. Despite the victory at Little Caesars Arena, the Flyers are still looking for their first taste of victory on the road since Feb. 25. It won't be easy, as they hit the road for Toronto on Saturday, and Montreal on Monday. Perhaps their best chance at a road victory will be when they travel to meet the Sabres on March 29, a team already eliminated from the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
Over And Out
The 'over' has connected in four of the past five outings for the Blues, as St. Louis is averaging 5.2 goals per game during the five-game span. It's a stark contrast from the previous eight-game span from Feb. 16-March 8 when the 'under' went 6-1-1. It's been a season of runs for the over and under for St. Louis, so it's rather surprising that the over/under is exactly 36-36 overall on the season. They will host the Bruins on Wednesday night, and the 'under' is 4-1 in the past five road games for Boston, and 7-3 in their past 10 against Western Conference clubs. The under is 7-0 in the past seven for St. Louis against the Atlantic Division, and 8-1 in the past nine against the Eastern Conference. However, in this series the 'over' has hit in six of the past seven meetings.
Looking Ahead
Wednesday, March 21
It's a short slate on Wednesday night. We already covered the total above for the Bruins-Blues battle, but who will come away victorious and with two points. The B's have picked up victories in 39 of their past 54 overall, and they're 19-8 in the past 27 road outings. Boston has also picked up victories in seven of their past 10 against teams with a winning record, while going 5-2 in their past seven against Western Conference foes. For what it's worth, the B's are 6-0 in the past six games on Wednesdays. The Blues have won four of their past five overall, and they're 7-2 in their past nine against Eastern Conference sides. However, they're 0-5 in the past five on two days of rest. And while the B's are just 8-18-1 in the past 27 meetings, Boston is 5-2 in their past seven trips to St. Louis while the road team has cashed in four of the past five meetings overall.
Thursday, March 22
The Panthers and Blue Jackets weren't looking terribly sharp earlier in the season, but both sides are rolling toward playoff berths in the Eastern Conference. It's hard to decide which team has been hotter. Florida picked up a 7-2 win in Ottawa on Tuesday night, continuing their road trip with a second win in as many outings. The Panthers are also 11-2-1 across their past 14 outings dating back to Feb. 22. The last time these two sides met, the Blue Jackets came away with a 3-2 win in a shootout in Ohio's capital city. Columbus also buried Florida by a 7-3 score back on Nov. 2 in Sunrise. The Blue Jackets have been bludgeoning everyone lately, posting nine consecutive wins since their most recent setback on March 2. The Blue Jackets are averaging 4.2 goals per game over the winning streak.
Vegas and San Jose will hook up for the third time of the season. The Sharks are looking for revenge after suffering a 5-3 loss at home against the Golden Knights on Feb. 8, and 5-4 in overtime back on Nov. 24 in the first battle in Vegas. Both of the previous meetings have ended in 'over' results. Early in the season San Jose was almost an automatic 'under' result, but the over is a perfect 5-0 in the past five, and 8-2 in the past 10 overall. The Sharks are coming off a seven-goal performance against the Devils on Tuesday, and San Jose is averaging 5.4 goals per game across the past five to almost take care of the over themselves during the span.
Friday, March 23
The early matchups on Friday aren't terribly attractive, but the Ducks and Jets meeting at MTS Centre in Winnipeg might serve as a playoff previous. This will be the first meeting this season north of the border after the two teams split the earlier meetings in Southern California. The Jets won 4-1 on the road back on Nov. 24, and Winnipeg suffered a 4-3 setback in a shootout on Jan. 25. In three straight meetings in Winnipeg, and five of the past six meetings in Manitoba have resulted in one-goal battles.
Saturday, March 24
The Senators head south to Raleigh looking to get things right. After showing signs of life with an inexplicable Sunshine State sweep on March 12-14 in Tampa and Florida, and a 3-2 overtime win against contender Dallas on Feb. 16, the Senators have dropped two in a row. That includes a 7-2 beating in Canada's capital city in a revenge game for the Panthers on Tuesday. Ottawa will be looking for revenge after suffering a 2-1 loss in Carolina in the first and only meeting between the clubs on Jan. 30. The Senators have dropped four straight trips to Raleigh since a 2-1 overtime victory March 17, 2015. That's also the last time a road team has won in this series, as the home team is 7-0 across the past seven meetings.
Los Angeles and Edmonton will do battle in Northern Alberta on Saturday night, and the Oilers hope to use their newfound offense to bludgeon the Kings. The Oil were slick for seven goals on Tuesday night in Raleigh against the Hurricanes, and Edmonton looks for a point in their seventh game in the past nine. Edmonton won 4-3 in Los Angeles back on Feb. 24, but the Kings won the previous two, including a 5-0 win on Jan. 2 in the first meeting in Canada. Last season the Oilers won all three regular-season battles at home.
By Joe Williams
Arizona Coyotes vs. Buffalo Sabres Preview and Predictions 03-21-2018
20th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Arizona Coyotes have rarely, if ever, been in the position of guarding against a letdown this season, but that may be the case Wednesday night when they open a six-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres. The teams are sitting in last place in their respective conferences as the race for the No. 1 spot in the NHL Draft winds down.
Arizona appeared to be a lock for the worst record in the league until a late-season turnaround in which it has gone 12-5-2 over the past 19 games, including wins over Minnesota, Los Angeles and Calgary this month. "We understand we are not in the playoffs, but we understand we are playing teams that are going in the playoffs," Coyotes assistant coach John MacLean said after Monday's 5-2 victory over the Flames. "We understand we have to match their intensity." The playoff intensity could be lacking against the Sabres, who have dropped three of four (1-2-1) on their six-game homestand following Monday's 4-0 loss to NHL-leading Nashville. Buffalo has dominated the recent series, winning five of the last six and going 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings, including a 5-4 win at Arizona on Nov. 2.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, MSG-Buffalo
ABOUT THE COYOTES (24-37-11): Veteran defenseman Jason Demers, in his first season in the desert, has been dealing with an upper-body injury and on Tuesday was ruled out for the season by Arizona. That prompted the recall of center Dylan Strome, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and defenseman Trevor Murphy from Tucson of the American Hockey League. Strome has one goal in 11 games with the Coyotes this season, but he is the No. 2 leading scorer among AHL rookies with 50 points and has nine power-play goals among his 22 tallies.
ABOUT THE SABRES (23-37-12): Jack Eichel has notched a team-high five shots in each of his first two games since missing five weeks with a high-ankle sprain. If that wasn't enough proof as to how he's feeling, Eichel addressed at Tuesday's practice why he never considered sitting out the rest of the regular season. "I'm playing because I'm a hockey player," Eichel said. "It's kind of ridiculous for somebody to think we're out of the playoffs and we don't have an opportunity to really do anything with our season that I would just pack my year in."
OVERTIME
1. Coyotes F Clayton Keller has two goals and three assists during a five-game point streak.
2. Eichel has torched the Coyotes for three goals and nine points in five games.
3. Arizona coach Rick Tocchet, who missed Monday's game to attend his mother's funeral, is expected back behind the bench.
PREDICTION: Coyotes 4, Sabres 3
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Preview and Predictions 03-21-2018
20th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Pittsburgh Penguins squandered a chance to keep pace with first-place Washington in the Metropolitan Division but can get back within two points of the top spot when they host the offensively challenged Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. Pittsburgh dropped a 4-1 road decision against the New York Islanders on Tuesday to fall four behind the Capitals and are even in points with Columbus for second place with nine games remaining.
Phil Kessel notched an assist in the loss to reach the 80-point plateau for the third time in his career - and first since 2013-14 while with Toronto - and is two shy of matching the career high he set in 2011-12 with the Maple Leafs. Montreal is hoping to get on the scoreboard for the first time in three contests and halt a three-game skid that began with a 5-3 home setback against Pittsburgh last Thursday. The Canadiens, who will miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, have been blanked in each of their last two games and enter this matchup with a scoreless streak of 147 minutes, 3 seconds. Montreal will welcome back former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price, who has not played since Feb. 20 due to a concussion.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, RDS (Montreal), AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (26-35-12): Price, who is winless in his last five starts (0-3-2), served as Antti Niemi's backup in Monday's 2-0 loss to Florida and is anxious to get back in the crease. "I wouldn't be playing (on Wednesday) if I was nervous about the condition of my head," the 30-year-old told the team's website. "I'm very confident. ... The old saying back home is, 'You can't worry about the fall if you're going to ride the horse.'" Brendan Gallagher is tied with Alex Galchenyuk for the team lead with 44 points, which is three shy of the career high he set in 2014-15.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (41-27-5): Matt Murray returned to action against the Islanders, making 36 saves after missing nine games with a concussion. Captain Sidney Crosby, who was kept off the scoresheet Tuesday for the second time in three contests, has not gone two games without a point since Feb. 17 and 18. The 30-year-old superstar is on the verge of another milestone as his next assist will be the 700th of his illustrious career.
OVERTIME
1. Penguins C Evgeni Malkin, who leads the team with 89 points, needs one assist to reach 50 for the fifth time in his career and first since 2011-12.
2. Montreal has been shut out a league-high 12 times this season.
3. Pittsburgh C Derick Brassard had just two points in his first seven games with the Penguins after being acquired from Ottawa in a three-team trade on Feb. 23, but has recorded an assist in three straight contests since.
PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Canadiens 1
Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues Preview and Predictions 03-21-2018
20th March 2018 by Gracenote
The St. Louis Blues have answered a disastrous 1-7-2 stretch with wins in four of their last five contests, including consecutive overtime triumphs that moved them within three points of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Blues aim to continue their recent surge on Wednesday when they host the Boston Bruins, who have dropped three of five in their bid to push Tampa Bay for the top spot in the East.
Captain Alex Pietrangelo has led by example with seven points (three goals, four assists) in the last two outings, resulting in St. Louis' 4-3 overtime win over the New York Rangers on Saturday and a 5-4 triumph versus Chicago the following night. "Obviously you want to win every game in regulation, but right now we just need points, especially two. ... These last two games, (if) you want to get in, you gotta win games like that," said Pietrangelo, who was named the NHL's First Star of the Week. The Bruins fell on the wrong side of overtime on Monday, spoiling the impressive NHL debut of U.S. Olympian Ryan Donato. The 21-year-old Boston native and son of former Bruin Ted Donato scored a goal and set up two others in a 5-4 setback to Columbus, one day after signing his entry-level contract.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVAS
ABOUT THE BRUINS (45-17-9): Brad Marchand, who leads the team in goals (31), assists (44) and points (75), increased his point total to 20 (nine goals, 11 assists) in his past 12 games with a goal and an assist against the Blue Jackets. David Krejci also tallied on Monday for his sixth goal this month, and joined fellow forwards Patrice Bergeron and former Blues captain David Backes in each scoring in a 3-1 win over St. Louis on Feb. 1. Backes (leg) and Bergeron (fractured right foot) have been ruled out for Wednesday's contest, with the former expected to miss multiple contests while the latter could return to game action at some point during the team's four-game road trip, general manager Don Sweeney said.
ABOUT THE BLUES (39-28-5): Vladimir Tarasenko's availability against Boston is murky at best after he missed Sunday's tilt versus the Blackhawks after sustaining an upper-body injury in Saturday's tilt. "We were hopeful that he was going to be able to come to the rink and practice today, and once we determined that wasn't going to happen, then I would say that he's doubtful for tomorrow," coach Mike Yeo said on Tuesday. Alex Steen is expected to replace Tarasenko (team-leading 27 goals) on the top line with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn (club-best 35 assists, 60 points).
OVERTIME
1. St. Louis rookie D Vince Dunn has seven points (one goal, six assists) in his past seven games while former Boston LW Vladimir Sobotka has five (two goals, three assists) in the past five.
2. Bruins G Tuukka Rask improved to 5-2-3 in his career versus the Blues after turning aside 32 shots in the first encounter.
3. St. Louis owns a 19-9-1 mark against Eastern Conference representatives while Boston is 5-4-1 versus Central foes.
PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Blues 2
Anaheim Ducks vs. Calgary Flames Preview and Predictions 03-21-2018
20th March 2018 by Gracenote
Rickard Rakell and the Anaheim Ducks are in the midst of a strong 10-game stretch, with the former recording 14 points (nine goals, five assists) to help the latter notch a second three-game winning streak of the month. Rakell looks to keep the Ducks ascending in the standings as they open a four-game Canadian trek with a tilt versus the Calgary Flames.
"As long as I am creating scoring chances for myself and my linemates, I think we can always get better. I'd rather have the title of being a good hockey player and a smart hockey player than just being a goal scorer," Rakell told the Orange County Register. The 24-year-old Swede scored and set up a goal in Sunday's 4-2 victory versus New Jersey to help Anaheim maintain its hold on the second wild card in the Western Conference. Rakell doused the Flames with a power-play tally in a 2-1 win on Dec. 29 to help even the season series at one victory apiece before Micheal Ferland scored and set up a goal in Calgary's 3-2 win over Anaheim at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Jan. 6. Ferland has five points (one goal, four assists) in his past six games overall for the Flames, who lost their third straight with a 5-2 setback to Arizona on Monday to reside six points outside of the playoff picture with eight games remaining.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, FS West (Anaheim), Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (37-24-12): While Rakell has 19 multi-point performances this season, captain Ryan Getzlaf notched his 16th by scoring and setting up a goal versus the Devils to raise his point total to 19 (four goals, 15 assists) in his last 12 games. Brandon Montour has three goals in his past three contests while his five game-winning tallies have him tied with Oleg Tverdovsky (1999-2000) and Niclas Havelid (2002-03) for most in a single season by a defenseman in franchise history. Speaking of blue-liners, Anaheim recalled Andy Welinski from San Diego of the American Hockey League on Tuesday with fellow defenseman Josh Manson nursing an upper-body injury.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (35-29-10): Mike Smith was pierced for three goals against his former team and has yielded 13 tallies in his last three contests to see Calgary's slim postseason hopes begin to fade away. "On paper, you look at our team and we should be a lot further ahead than we are," the 35-year-old said. "I think that's the frustrating part about this season and how it's gone is that we've underachieved by a lot." Smith has been in net for all three meetings with Anaheim this season, highlighted by his 43-save performance in the Flames' 2-0 win in Anaheim on Oct. 9.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim RW Jakob Silfverberg has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past eight games.
2. Calgary C Sean Monahan (team-leading 31 goals) has two goals and four assists in his past seven contests.
3. Ducks G John Gibson owns a 9-2-0 mark in his last 11 starts.
PREDICTION: Flames 4, Ducks 2