Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Friday 4/26/19
The final to series of Round 2 in the Stanley Cup playoffs get underway on Friday. That includes a pair of surprise teams as the Carolina Hurricanes take on the New York Islanders and the Colorado Avalanche battle the San Jose Sharks.
Featured Games
Carolina Hurricanes (+115) vs. New York Islanders (-135)
The New York Islanders swept the Pittsburgh Penguins to advance, absolutely dominating this series. New York allowed just six total goals, one in each of the last three games of the series. The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes had split the first six games of their series with the home team winning each contest. It looked like Game 7 would hold true to form when Washington jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but Carolina battled back to tie the score and eventually won in double-overtime, 4-3 to move onto the second round.
Goaltending Matchup:
Petr Mrazek has been much better at home then he has on the road in the first round, Mrazek gave up 16 total goals in the four games in Washington, but allowed just three total goals in the three games in Carolina. He has a 2.53 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage through Round 1.
Robin Lehner will be in goal for New York. The Pittsburgh Penguins had no answers for the Islanders goaltender, scoring just six goals in the four games. Lehner finished with a 1.47 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage. He never posted a save percentage less than .932 in any of the four games against the potent Penguins.
Trends to Watch:
The Carolina Hurricanes are…
35-17 in their last 52 games.
11-4 in their last 15 conference semifinals games
4-2 in their last six games against teams with a winning record
The New York Islanders are…
6-0 in their last six games against teams from the Eastern Conference.
4-1 in their last five games at home.
5-0 in their last five games against teams with a winning record.
Stat Pack: (Playoff Numbers)
Hurricanes:
Goals For: 3.00
Goals Against: 2.86
Power-Play: 12.0%
Penalty Killing: 75.0%
Islanders:
Goals For: 3.50
Goals Against: 1.50
Power-Play: 15.4%
Penalty Killing: 90.9%
Prediction
New York is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams, but Carolina is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings in New York. Because of how poorly Carolina played on the road against Washington it would be easy to go against them in this contest. However, New York has had a long layoff and that usually doesn’t bode well for a team in the playoffs. Rust will be a big factor in this game, but not big enough.
The total is set at 5.5. the Islanders went under in all but one of their first-round games, but Carolina went under that number just one time in their series against Washington. We take this game to finish slightly over as the New York Islanders win, 4-2.
Colorado Avalanche (+110) vs. San Jose Sharks (-130)
The Colorado Avalanche were shut out in the opening game of their series with the Calgary Flames, then swept Calgary over the next four to advance. By doing so, Colorado knocked the top team in the Western Conference out of the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks trailed the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 and looked like they were headed for an early summer, but San Jose battled back with three consecutive victories, with the final two coming in overtime to advance to the second round.
Goaltending Matchup:
Philipp Grubauer will start for Colorado. He has been nothing short of brilliant in these playoffs, allowing four goals in the first game, then allowing a total of six over the final four contests. Grubauer has an impressive 1.89 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
Martin Jones will be in net for San Jose. He had been inconsistent early on in the series, allowing 11 total goals through the first three games, then allowing just five over the next three to help San Jose battle back to tie the series. Jones allowed 20 total goals in the seven games, posting a 3.20 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
Trends to Watch:
The Colorado Avalanche are…
4-0 in their last four games.
4-0 in their last four games against teams with a winning record.
36-76 in their last 112 games on the road.
The San Jose Sharks are…
4-1 in their last five games at home.
8-2 in their last 10 games against teams from the Central Division.
2-6 in their last eight games against teams with losing record.
Stat Pack: (Playoff Numbers)
Avalanche:
Goals For: 3.40
Goals Against: 2.20
Power-Play: 20.0%
Penalty Killing: 77.3%
Sharks:
Goals For: 3.29
Goals Against: 3.57
Power-Play: 23.5%
Penalty Killing: 72.4%
Prediction
The Sharks have dominated Colorado at home of late, winning 24 of the last 28 games in San Jose, and they have won 37 of the last 54 meetings overall. Colorado has had an extensive layoff by winning their series in five games, and that usually leads to a little rust early on. Add to it the fact that San Jose has dominated the Avalanche, especially at home, and it is smart to go with the Sharks to draw first blood.
The total is set at 6.0 for this contest, San Jose went over six in all but two of their games in the first round, while Colorado went over six just one time. Both of these teams have solid offenses, and it will likely take Grubauer a game or two to get back into the rhythm. Look for San Jose to win, 5-3.
The Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders are set to face off at the Barclays Center in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semis. The action will get started at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 26, and fans at home can catch this divisional matchup live on NBC Sports Network.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders Odds
New York (-140) is currently favored over Carolina (+120), and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The odds for betting that total sit at -135 under, +115 over.
Earning moneyline bettors 23.1 units, New York is 52-34 straight up (SU) overall in the 2018-19 season. That winning percentage, second-best in the NHL so far this season, is a refreshing turnaround from what the team managed during the 2017-18 season (35-47). Through 86 regular season matches, 53 of its games have gone under the total, while 28 have gone over and just five have pushed. The team is 26-17 SU at home this year.
Following a regular season where they found the net on 14.6 percent of all power-play opportunities (the third-worst), the Islanders have been able to score on 15.4 percent of their power plays in the early stages of this postseason. Their penalty kill has gone from 80.0 percent in the regular season to 90.9 percent in the playoffs.
The Islanders’ offensive attack attempted 28.9 shots per game in the regular season, leading to 2.8 goals per outing (ranked 21st overall in the NHL). In the playoffs, the club is climbed to an average of 32.3 shots on goal (and up to 3.5 goals per game).
With a .932 save percentage and 27.2 saves per game, Robin Lehner (30-20-5) has been the primary goalkeeper for New York this season. If head coach Barry Trotz chooses to give him a rest, however, New York may roll with Thomas Greiss (26-17-17 record, .927 save percentage, 2.28 goals against average).
Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey will both spearhead the attack for the Islanders. Barzal (67 points) has produced 18 goals and 49 assists and has recorded two or more points 15 times this year. Bailey has 19 goals and 41 assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in 48 games.
Carolina is 50-39 straight up (SU) and has earned -1 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 89 regular season contests, 48 of its games have gone under the total, while 39 have gone over and just two have pushed. As an away team, the Hurricanes are 23-22 SU.
The Hurricanes have converted on 17.3 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked eighth overall and it’s successfully defended 81.0 percent of all penalties.
Carolina’s skaters have been penalized 3.5 times per game this season, 3.8 per game over their last five outings total, and 3.4 per game over their last five road outings. The team’s been forced to kill penalties just 8.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Petr Mrazek (2.41 goals against average and .912 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Carolina. Mrazek is averaging 25.1 saves per game and owns a 27-20-4 record.
Sebastian Aho (32 goals, 56 assists) has been one of the top offensive playmakers for the visiting Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Hurricanes, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Trends
Six of New York’s last ten games have been decided by two or more goals. The team is 5-1 overall in those games.
Carolina is averaging 3.0 goals per game in their past three games (the team’s a perfect 3-0 SU during that streak)
Penalties and power plays could prove to be key tonight. The Hurricanes are 20-21 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 35-30 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Islanders are 20-12 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 40-23 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
Carolina is 2-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while New York is 5-5 in shootouts.
Four of New York’s last five games gone under the total.
Carolina is ranked 19th this season with 11.0 giveaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as it’s averaged 7.9 giveaways over its last 10 games and 9.2 giveaways over its last five.
New York is ranked 21st this season with 11.7 giveaways per game. That figure has trended higher lately, as the team’s averaged 15.6 giveaways over its last 10 games and 14.2 giveaways over its last five.
This game features two of the more aggressive teams in the league. Carolina skaters have accounted for the seventh-most hits in the league (26.4 per game) while the Isles have tallied the eighth-most (25.7).
The Colorado Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks are set to face off at the SAP Center in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. This Western Conference matchup will get underway at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, April 26, and it’ll be showcased live on NBC Sports Network.
Colorado Avalanche at San Jose Sharks Odds
Colorado (+105) is currently the underdog to San Jose (-125). If you want to put some action on the matchup’s Over/Under (O/U) total, you’ll be looking at -125 for over 6 goals and +105 for under under..
Even though its record stands at 50-39 straight up (SU), bettors taking the moneyline have earned a total of 9.9 units on San Jose this season. Through 89 regular season outings, 51 of its games have gone over the total, while 35 have gone under and just three have pushed. The team’s 28-17 SU at home this season.
Following a regular season where they found the net on 23.7 percent of all power-play chances (the sixth-strongest), the Sharks have connected on 23.5 percent of their extra-man advantages in the postseason. Their penalty kill has gone from 79.8 percent in the regular season to 72.4 percent in the playoffs.
The Sharks’ offensive attack attempted 33.0 shots per game in the regular season, leading to 3.5 goals per contest (ranked second overall in the NHL). In the postseason, the club is attempting an average of 33.1 shots on goal 3.3 goals per game.
Averaging 24.8 saves per game with a .897 save percentage, Martin Jones (41-28-5) has been the principal option in goal for the Sharks this season. If head coach Peter Deboer chooses to give him the night off, however, San Jose may go with Aaron Dell (11-16-16 record, .884 save percentage, 3.19 goals against average).
The Sharks will continue to lean on the leadership from Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. Burns (87 points) is up to 17 goals and 70 assists and has recorded two or more points 24 times this year. Hertl has 41 goals and 41 assists to his name and has recorded at least one point in 53 contests.
On the other side of the ice, Colorado is 42-45 straight up (SU) and has lost 9.3 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 87 regular season contests, 44 of its games have gone under the total, while 41 have gone over and just two have pushed. As the road team, the Avalanche are 19-25 SU.
The Avalanche have scored on 21.9 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s good enough for seventh-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 25th overall and it’s successfully killed off 78.6 percent of all penalties.
Colorado’s skaters have been penalized 4.1 times per game this season, and 5.8 per game over their last five contests. The team’s been forced to stave off opponent power plays 8.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Semyon Varlamov (.909 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average) has been the main option in goal for Colorado. Varlamov is averaging 27.8 saves per game and owns a 20-29-9 record.
Nathan MacKinnon (44 goals, 63 assists) will pace the offensive attack for the visiting Avalanche.
Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks Betting Predictions
Free Pick: SU Winner – Avalanche, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
Penalties and power plays could play a critical role in tonight’s game. The Avalanche are 19-19 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 25-27 when they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Sharks are 23-17 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 36-22 in games where their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
Two of Colorado’s last ten games have ended in a shootout. The team is 1-1 in those games and 2-2 overall in shootouts this season.
San Jose might have an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 20-14 in games decided by one goal, while Colorado is only 11-22 in such games.
The over has hit in three of the last five outings for each of these teams.
One of the best at possession and valuing the puck, Colorado is ranked second this season with just 7.4 giveaways per game. That figure’s trended higher lately, as it’s averaged 8.6 giveaways over its last 10 games and 9.6 giveaways over its last five.
San Jose is ranked 16th this season with 10.0 giveaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as it’s averaged 9.1 giveaways over its last 10 games and 7.2 giveaways over its last five.
NHL
Long Sheet
Friday, April 26
COLORADO (42-31-0-14, 98 pts.) at SAN JOSE (50-30-0-9, 109 pts.) - 4/26/2019, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 18-53 ATS (+104.2 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 0-7 ATS (-7.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
COLORADO is 12-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
SAN JOSE is 136-89 ATS (-16.7 Units) in April games since 1996.
COLORADO is 96-85 ATS (+189.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 6 or more since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 190-159 ATS (-82.9 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 229-164 ATS (-79.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 6-2 (+3.6 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 6-2-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.0 Units)
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CAROLINA (50-31-0-8, 108 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (52-27-0-7, 111 pts.) - 4/26/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 27-36 ATS (-13.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 17-47 ATS (+78.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 52-34 ATS (+17.0 Units) in all games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 36-17 ATS (+53.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 6-1 ATS (+4.7 Units) in April games this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 31-17 ATS (+50.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 22-10 ATS (+33.1 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 22-9 ATS (+31.9 Units) after a division game this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 21-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 23-17 ATS (+43.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
CAROLINA is 34-17 ATS (+11.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 23-11 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a division game this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 54-86 ATS (+151.1 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 7-6 (+2.9 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 7-6-0 straight up against CAROLINA 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=-1.2 Units)
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NHL
Friday, April 26
Trend Report
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 8 games
Carolina is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Carolina is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 5 games on the road
Carolina is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing NY Islanders
Carolina is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina's last 6 games when playing NY Islanders
Carolina is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
Carolina is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 6 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 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Islanders's last 7 games
NY Islanders is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
NY Islanders is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Islanders's last 8 games at home
NY Islanders is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Carolina
NY Islanders is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Islanders's last 6 games when playing Carolina
NY Islanders is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Carolina
NY Islanders is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Islanders's last 6 games when playing at home against Carolina
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Colorado's last 20 games
Colorado is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
Colorado is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Colorado's last 10 games on the road
Colorado is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing San Jose
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 games
San Jose is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Jose's last 8 games
San Jose is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games at home
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 5 games at home
San Jose is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Jose's last 7 games when playing Colorado
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 9 games when playing at home against Colorado
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Play OVER NY ISLANDERS using the puck line in All games in April games.
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.7 units)
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Play OVER NY ISLANDERS using the puck line in All games vs. division opponents.
The record is 22 Overs and 10 Unders this season (+15.65 units)