Posted on
1/24/2008 4:42:17 PM
Bet on NHL - Thursday's Hat Trick
By Robby Maddux
Tonight marks the final evening of NHL betting action before the All-Star break. There's 13 games on Thursday's schedule so in efforts of making the conclusion of the first-half of the campaign profitable, let's take a look at three of the games and go for a money-making hat trick.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers (7:00pm EST)
The Philadelphia Flyers were outscored 40-21 by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006-07, going 0-6-2 in the season series. But this year, it's been a complete turn around as Philadelphia will be going for its fourth win in as many tries against in-state rival
Pittsburgh this year as they play hosts this evening.
In the most recent meeting on Dec. 11, Philadelphia got hat tricks from Joffrey Lupul and Pittsburgh native R.J. Umberger en route to an 8-2 home rout of the Penguins.
- Favorite is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.
- Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.
- Over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings in Philadelphia.
But for tonight's contest, both teams will be missing key offensive fire power. The Penguins will be playing their third game without reigning Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Friday's loss to Tampa Bay. Crosby, who was tied for the league lead in points (63) at the time of his injury, will miss six-to-eight weeks and was placed on the injured reserve list as of Jan 19.
The Penguins have picked up three of four possible points in their first two games without Crosby, beating Montreal 2-0 on Saturday before losing 6-5 in a shootout to Washington on Monday. But the Pens were 0-2-2 in the four previous games the star center had missed since he began his NHL career at the start of the 2005-06 season.
- Penguins are 10-3 in their last 13 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Penguins are 4-0 in their last 4 Thursday games.
- Penguins are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Penguins are 7-2 in their last 9 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Penguins are 5-1 in their last 6 road games.
- Penguins are 10-3 in their last 13 overall.
Philadelphia will be missing right wing Joffrey Lupul, who recorded another hat trick two games after the Flyers' last meeting with the Penguins, bruised his spinal cord on Jan. 5 and is expected to miss another month as he's been placed on the injured reserve list as of Jan 6.
Philadelphia's offense hasn't suffered with Lupul out of the lineup. They've scored 34 goals in their past seven contests, putting up six goals three times in that span while going 15-for-41 (36.6 percent) on the power play.
- Flyers are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Flyers are 2-5 in their last 7 Thursday games.
- Flyers are 1-5 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Flyers are 3-9 in their last 12 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Flyers are 18-39 in their last 57 home games.
- Flyers are 4-1 in their last 5 overall.
Each team has been among the NHL's best over the past month, with each posting 10 wins in its past 13 games. The Penguins are 10-1-2 since Dec. 23, outscoring their opponents 40-21, while the Flyers are 10-2-1 since Dec. 27, scoring 50 goals while allowing 33.
That strong play has moved both teams near the top of the competitive Atlantic Division. Pittsburgh is second in the division at 27-17-4 with 58 points and Philadelphia third at 26-16-5 with 57 points, as both are right behind division-leading New Jersey who's 28-17-3 with 59 points.
Martin Biron will get the start in net for the Flyers. At home, he's 8-3 this season with a 2.73 GAA (goals-against average).
After beginning his career against Pittsburgh 1-9-0 with one tie and a 3.67 GAA, he's 8-0-1 with two ties and a 1.87 GAA in his last 11 starts versus the Penguins, including all three wins this season.
Ty Conklin, who had 16 saves on Monday, will get the start between the pipes for the Pens. On the road, he's been sharp at 4-0 this season with a 2.15 GAA. Conklin is just 0-1 in his career against the Flyers with a 5.32 GAA.
NHL odds list Philadelphia the -200 money-line favorites and -1½ +150 on the spread with a game total of 5½ over -125.
- Flyers are 5-2 in their last 7 games as a favorite.
- Flyers are 1-6 in their last 7 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
- Penguins are 4-0 in their last 4 games as an underdog.
- Penguins are 13-27 in their last 40 games as an underdog of +151 to +200.
Analysis: The Penguins are money-shredding 9-20-1 in the last 30 meetings played in Philadelphia. With Crosby on the bench it's worth laying the lumber in this one. As well, Biron has been lights out recently versus the Pens which strengthens this play tremendously.
NHL Free Picks: Philadelphia Flyers -200
Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils (7:00pm EST)
Goalie Martin Brodeur and the Atlantic-leading New Jersey Devils look for their 10th straight win against the Montreal Canadiens.
New Jersey continued its dominance over Montreal with a 4-0 home victory on Nov. 30 in the most recent meeting as Zach Parise recorded his first career hat trick in support of Brodeur's 27-save performance who's been dazzling against Montreal.
It was the Devils' ninth consecutive win over the Canadiens, who are 0-8-1 in the series since a 3-2 victory on March 20, 2004. New Jersey has outscored Montreal 33-16 during their current win streak.
- Home team is 12-5-1 in the last 18 meetings.
- Canadiens are 6-24-3 in the last 33 meetings.
- Canadiens are 1-16-2 in the last 19 meetings in New Jersey.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Brodeur has started every game during the money-making span, posting a 1.76 GAA and two shutouts. He's flirted with perfection in his last five starts against the Canadiens, giving up just four goals in over 304 minutes for a sparking 0.79 GAA.
In 51 career games against his hometown team, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner is 34-12-0 with five ties, a 1.74 GAA and eight shutouts.
New Jersey has won five of seven to move into first place in the Atlantic Division, however, they are among the league's lowest-scoring teams with 122 goals in 48 games.
- Devils are 18-6 in their last 24 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Devils are 10-2 in their last 12 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Devils are 14-6 in their last 20 games following a win.
- Devils are 11-3 in their last 14 home games.
- Devils are 21-8 in their last 29 overall.
Brodeur made 24 saves in New Jersey's 7-3 victory at Philadelphia on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Montreal is coming off an easy win of its own on the same day, 8-2 over visiting Boston for their third win in four games.
Montreal goalie Cristobal Huet, who made 29 saves in Tuesday's win, has never beaten the Devils, going 0-6-0 with a 3.29 GAA. In his only career start at New Jersey on Feb. 14, he allowed three goals on 20 shots before being pulled in the second period of a 5-2 loss.
- Canadiens are 25-9 in their last 34 Thursday games.
- Canadiens are 4-12 in their last 16 games following a win.
- Canadiens are 5-2 in their last 7 road games.
- Canadiens are 5-2 in their last 7 overall.
NHL odds list New Jersey the -160 money-line favorites and -1½ +180 on the spread with a game total of 5 over -125.
- Devils are 29-11 in their last 40 games as a favorite.
- Canadiens are 2-5 in their last 7 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.
Analysis: This should be a tightly played game with neither team having consistent offense. Expect a low-scoring affair with the under cashing for the fifth time in the sixth game in the series.
NHL Free Picks:UNDER 5 +105
Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30pm EST)
This game features the best versus the worst. The Ottawa Senators own
Northeast supremacy at 30-15-4 with a conference-best 64 points and the Lightning are in the cellar of the Southeast at 20-24-5 with a conference-worst 45 points.
- Senators are 25-7-1 in the last 33 meetings.
- Senators are 11-3-1 in the last 15 meetings in Tampa Bay.
- Over is 25-12-3 in the last 40 meetings.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay will have the advantage of skating on home ice in this one where they're a decent 13-10-2. But that number virtually becomes a wash considering Ottawa is 14-7-2 on the road.
The struggling Senators will be looking to end a three-game losing streak, but in order to do so, they'll have to accomplish it without one of its best players in the likes of Dany Heatley. Heatley, who's expected to miss six weeks, separated his right shoulder during a 3-2 victory over Detroit on Jan. 12.
Without Heatley the Sens have lost five of six and have scored just 12 goals during that span. Before the injury to Heatley, who had 50 goals in each of the past two seasons, the Senators scored fewer than three goals only once in their previous 18 games, going 13-3-2 during that span.
With Heatley sidelined, the Senators need top center Jason Spezza to help fill the void. Spezza, though, has only one goal and three points in his last eight games. In his career, Spezza has six goals and 14 assists against Tampa Bay.
Ottawa is coming off a 5-3 loss at
Florida. Net keeper Ray Emery finished with 35 saves, but gave up two goals on eight shots in the third period. He's 0-3-0 with a 3.65 GAA in his last four games. Against the Lightning, Emery is 5-3 with a 2.20 GAA in his career.
The Sens still haven't settled on a No. 1 goaltender as he continues to alternate between Emery and Martin Gerber. So with the recent struggles of Emery, it shouldn't come as any surprise if Gerber gets the call this evening versus Tampa Bay.
- Senators are 69-33 in their last 102 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Senators are 4-1 in their last 5 Thursday games.
- Senators are 1-5 in their last 6 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Senators are 2-6 in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Senators are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Senators are 1-4 in their last 5 road games.
- Senators are 1-5 in their last 6 overall.
Although they remain last in the Eastern conference and division, the Lightning have been much better lately, winning three straight by a combined 9-3.
Goaltending has been a problem all year for the Lightning with Johan Holmqvist losing his starting job recently to Karri Ramo. Holmqvist, though, stopped 25 of 28 shots Tuesday after recording back-to-back shutouts for the first time in his career.
The Lightning are 2-0-1 this season against the Senators, including a 2-0 victory at Ottawa on Saturday during which Holmqvist made 25 saves.
- Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Lightning are 43-21 in their last 64 Thursday games.
- Lightning are 2-5 in their last 7 games following a win.
- Lightning are 1-5 in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Lightning are 1-5 in their last 6 home games.
- Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 overall.
NHL odds list Ottawa the -135 money-line favorites and -1½ +200 on the spread with a game total of 6 over -115.
- Senators are 1-4 in their last 5 games as a favorite.
- Senators are 6-2 in their last 8 games as a favorite of -110 to -150.
- Lightning are 8-22 in their last 30 games as an underdog.
- Lightning are 5-17 in their last 22 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.
Analysis: The struggling Senators have a breakout game as they let it all hangout knowing the break awaits. But the Lightning will strike often as well, making for a high-scoring contest.
NHL Free Picks: OVER 6 -115
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