Wednesday 10-4-17 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Trends - Toronto at Winnipeg

W/L Trends

Toronto

Maple Leafs are 43-90 in their last 133 road games. Maple Leafs are 8-18 in their last 26 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Maple Leafs are 31-73 in their last 104 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Maple Leafs are 2-5 in their last 7 overall. Maple Leafs are 5-13 in their last 18 vs. Central. Maple Leafs are 7-21 in their last 28 Wednesday games. Maple Leafs are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.

Winnipeg

Jets are 7-0 in their last 7 overall. Jets are 6-0 in their last 6 home games. Jets are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference. Jets are 4-1 in their last 5 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Jets are 3-7 in their last 10 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.

OU Trends

Toronto

Under is 5-1 in Maple Leafs last 6 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Under is 4-1-1 in Maple Leafs last 6 vs. Central. Under is 22-7 in Maple Leafs last 29 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Under is 15-5-1 in Maple Leafs last 21 vs. Western Conference. Under is 20-8-1 in Maple Leafs last 29 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.

Winnipeg

Over is 5-0 in Jets last 5 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Over is 5-1 in Jets last 6 overall. Over is 15-5-1 in Jets last 21 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. Over is 20-7 in Jets last 27 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Over is 5-2 in Jets last 7 vs. Eastern Conference.

Head to Head

• Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Winnipeg.
• Home team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
• Over is 20-7 in the last 27 meetings.
• Maple Leafs are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings.
• Maple Leafs are 0-5 in the last 5 meetings in Winnipeg.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Where: PPG PAINTS Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Preview: Blues at Penguins

Gracenote
Oct 3, 2017

The Pittsburgh Penguins ended a 19-year NHL drought in June, becoming the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup championships since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. Sidney Crosby and Co. will raise the fifth championship banner in franchise history to the rafters Wednesday night before kicking off the season against the visiting St. Louis Blues.

Pittsburgh lost a glut of talent in the offseason but still has superstar captain Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as it sets its sights set on winning three straight Cups -- a feat not achieved since the New York Islanders captured four straight championships from 1980-83. “It's not easy winning twice. The teams will be even more geared up for us, but certainly we have a good enough team to win again," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said. "There's a bunch of other teams that are good enough to win, but that's our goal and I think we can do it.” Getting to the postseason is not the issue for St. Louis, which has made six consecutive trips to the playoffs but has advanced to the conference finals only once in that span. The Blues, who feature an elite scorer of their own in Vladimir Tarasenko, will hope to continue the momentum they generated last season after Mike Yeo replaced Ken Hitchcock behind the bench.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

ABOUT THE BLUES (46-29-7, 3rd in Central Division): St. Louis went 22-8-2 under Yeo and finished the regular season on a 15-2-2 run, regaining its defensive identity during a 15-game stretch in which it did not allow more than three goals. Tarasenko has amassed 116 goals over the past three seasons and Patrik Berglund (23) was the only other player on the roster to surpass 20, so the Blues attempted to address the scoring issue by acquiring Brayden Schenn, who tallied 25 times with Philadelphia while tying for the league lead with 17 power-play goals last season. Captain Alex Pietrangelo, coming off a career-best 14 goals, leads a solid defensive corps but the biggest key for St. Louis is in net. Jake Allen was so bad that he did not accompany the team on a road trip but posted a 1.85 goals-against average after Yeo took over.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (50-21-11, 2nd in Metropolitan Division): Crosby led the league in goals (44) and tied for second in scoring (89 points) while No. 2 center Malkin supplied 72 points in 62 games, yet there's plenty of offense elsewhere. Phil Kessel and Conor Sheary netted 23 goals apiece, Patric Hornqvist chipped in 21 and rookie Jake Guentzel contributed 16 before a spectacular postseason in which he led all scorers with 13 tallies in 25 games. Justin Schultz had 12 goals and 51 points for a Pittsburgh defense that will receive a big boost with the return of standout Kris Letang, who appeared in only 41 games last season and missed the playoffs after undergoing neck surgery. Goaltender Matt Murray has appeared in only 62 regular-season games, but he's 22-9 with a 1.95 goals-against average in two Stanley Cup title runs.

OVERTIME

1. The Blues will be without injured Fs Alexander Steen and Berglund as well as D Jay Bouwmeester.

2. The Penguins acquired D Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round pick from Vancouver on Tuesday in exchange for D Derrick Pouliot.

3. Pittsburgh and St. Louis have split the two-game series in each of the past three seasons.

PREDICTION: Penguins 3, Blues 2

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Trends - St. Louis at Pittsburgh

W/L Trends

St. Louis

Blues are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Metropolitan. Blues are 8-2 in their last 10 vs. Eastern Conference. Blues are 8-3 in their last 11 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Blues are 12-5 in their last 17 road games. Blues are 21-9 in their last 30 overall. Blues are 38-18 in their last 56 games playing on 2 days rest.

Pittsburgh

Penguins are 4-1 in their last 5 Wednesday games. Penguins are 39-12 in their last 51 home games. Penguins are 6-2 in their last 8 games following a home loss of 3 or more goals. Penguins are 42-15 in their last 57 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. Penguins are 22-8 in their last 30 games following a loss of 3 or more goals. Penguins are 19-7 in their last 26 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Penguins are 5-2 in their last 7 overall.

OU Trends

St. Louis

Under is 6-1 in Blues last 7 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Under is 5-1 in Blues last 6 road games. Under is 5-1 in Blues last 6 Wednesday games. Over is 3-1-1 in Blues last 5 vs. Eastern Conference. Under is 16-6-4 in Blues last 26 overall. Under is 24-11-4 in Blues last 39 games playing on 2 days rest.

Pittsburgh

Over is 8-1-1 in Penguins last 10 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Under is 5-1-1 in Penguins last 7 Wednesday games. Over is 3-1-1 in Penguins last 5 home games. Under is 12-5-2 in Penguins last 19 following a home loss of 3 or more goals. Over is 7-3-2 in Penguins last 12 following a loss of 3 or more goals.

Head to Head

• Under is 5-1-3 in the last 9 meetings in Pittsburgh.
• Blues are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Pittsburgh.
• Under is 11-4-4 in the last 19 meetings.
• Road team is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta

Preview: Flames at Oilers

Gracenote
Oct 3, 2017

Touted as a once-in-a generation talent, Connor McDavid already has lived up to the hype, one major reason why the Edmonton Oilers are a trendy pick to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Amid great expectations, McDavid and the Oilers open the season against another team with lofty ambitions when they host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old McDavid, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, became the highest-paid player in hockey after signing an eight-year, $100 million contract in July, which came on the heels of earning league MVP honors and leading the NHL in scoring. "We expect ourselves to have a good team and do what we did last year," McDavid said of Edmonton, which advanced to the conference semifinals last season. "We expect ourselves to have a good year. Other people do too. I guess that's the only difference (from last season), that outside expectation." The Flames, buoyed by elite offensive talent in the first-line pairing of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, also reached the playoffs last season and spent the offseason shoring up their goaltending and defense to load up for another run in the rugged Western Conference. Calgary first needs to close the gap on its provincial rival -- Edmonton won all four Battle of Alberta meetings by a combined 20-11 score and set the tone by piling up 12 goals in a season-opening, home-and-home sweep a year ago.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, TVAS, Sportsnet

ABOUT THE FLAMES (2016-17: 45-33-4, 4th in Pacific Division): Calgary thought it solved its goaltending woes a year ago with the acquisition of Brian Elliott, but it didn't go as planned and prompted the team to swing a deal with Arizona for veteran netminder Mike Smith. Eddie Lack provides a reliable backup in goal and the defense was bolstered with a trade for former Islanders blue-liner Travis Hamonic and the re-signing of Michael Stone to augment a unit headed by the tandem of captain Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton. A dozen players scored at least 12 goals last season but only Monahan (27) and Mikael Backlund (22) eclipsed 20 -- and Monahan had his lowest point total since his rookie season while Gaudreau dipped from 30 goals and 78 points to 18 and 61. On Monday, Calgary signed Jaromir Jagr, 45, the NHL's No. 2 career scorer.

ABOUT THE OILERS (2016-17: 47-26-9, 2nd in Pacific Division): Limited to 45 games due to injury in his rookie season, McDavid erupted for league-high totals of 100 points and 70 assists, including four goals and three assists in the four meetings versus Calgary. Linemate Leon Draisaitl is coming off a breakout campaign, producing 29 goals and 48 assists before amassing 16 points in his final nine postseason games, while Patrick Maroon (27 goals) and Milan Lucic combined for 50 tallies. Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson form the top defensive pairing but Edmonton will be without a key cog on the blue line while Andrej Sekera continues to rehab from knee surgery. The last line of defense is in capable hands -- netminder Cam Talbot appeared in an NHL-high 73 games last season and tied for the league lead with 42 victories.

OVERTIME

1. Smith yielded nine goals to the Oilers while splitting four decisions against them with the Coyotes in 2016-17.

2. Draisaitl scored twice and set up three tallies in the sweep of Calgary last season.

3. Gaudreau was limited to two assists against Edmonton last season.

PREDICTION: Oilers 4, Flames 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Trends - Calgary at Edmonton

W/L Trends

Calgary

Flames are 1-4 in their last 5 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. Flames are 1-4 in their last 5 road games. Flames are 1-4 in their last 5 games following a win. Flames are 0-5 in their last 5 vs. Pacific. Flames are 0-5 in their last 5 overall. Flames are 0-5 in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.

Edmonton

Oilers are 12-3 in their last 15 home games. Oilers are 64-135 in their last 199 vs. Pacific. Oilers are 18-40 in their last 58 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Oilers are 1-4 in their last 5 overall. Oilers are 1-4 in their last 5 Wednesday games. Oilers are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.

OU Trends

Calgary

Under is 3-0-4 in Flames last 7 road games. Over is 6-1-1 in Flames last 8 games following a win. Over is 11-2-3 in Flames last 16 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Over is 5-1-1 in Flames last 7 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. Over is 5-1-2 in Flames last 8 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Under is 3-1-3 in Flames last 7 overall. Under is 3-1-3 in Flames last 7 vs. Pacific. Under is 3-1-3 in Flames last 7 vs. Western Conference.

Edmonton

Over is 4-0 in Oilers last 4 home games. Over is 4-0 in Oilers last 4 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Over is 4-0 in Oilers last 4 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game. Over is 4-1 in Oilers last 5 overall. Over is 4-1 in Oilers last 5 vs. Western Conference. Over is 4-1 in Oilers last 5 vs. Pacific. Over is 4-1-1 in Oilers last 6 Wednesday games. Over is 10-4-2 in Oilers last 16 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.

Head to Head

• Flames are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in Edmonton.
• Under is 33-16-4 in the last 53 meetings in Edmonton.
• Flames are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California

Preview: Flyers at Sharks

Gracenote
Oct 3, 2017

The San Jose Sharks followed up a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals by seeing a high-powered offense fall back to the pack as the team failed to navigate its way out of the first round of the playoffs last spring. The Sharks look to locate their offensive rhythm right from the start on Wednesday as they host the Philadelphia Flyers at SAP Center in San Jose in the season opener for both teams.

Reigning Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns had little difficulty contributing at the offensive end last season, recording a team-best 47 assists and 76 points to go along with a career-high 29 goals. Captain Joe Pavelski matched Burns in goals, but San Jose will need to overcome the loss of Patrick Marleau, as the franchise fixture opted to sign a three-year contract to join Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs. While the Sharks scored just 2.67 goals per game last season to reside 19th in the league, Philadelphia (2.59) struggled in that department as well en route to missing out on the playoffs for the third time in five years. Veterans Wayne Simmonds (team-leading 31 goals), captain Claude Giroux (club-best 44 assists) and Jakub Voracek (team-leading 61 points) will be looked upon to provide leadership as the younger members of the club gradually get their feet wet, most notably second overall pick Nolan Patrick.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN

ABOUT THE FLYERS (2016-17: 39-33-10, 6th in Metropolitan Division): The focus in Philadelphia has long centered around mediocre goaltending, save for Bernie Parent and perhaps even current general manager Ron Hextall. Offseason acquisition Brian Elliott, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million, is hoping to recapture the form that he displayed with the St. Louis Blues in 2015-16 as opposed to the inconsistent performance he put forth in Calgary last season. Elliott is expected to battle for No. 1 goalie honors with Michal Neuvirth, who inked a two-year, $5 million extension in March. Defensemen Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere both experienced trials and tribulations during their respective young careers, and will be looked for guidance as Philadelphia ushers rookie Robert Hagg, Sam Morin and Travis Sanheim into the fold.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (2016-17: 46-29-7, 3rd in Pacific Division): While Philadelphia has long since been searching for a goaltender, San Jose knows what it has in Martin Jones. The 27-year-old logged 65 games for the second straight campaign and has posted 72 wins, a 2.33 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in two seasons since becoming the club's starter after backing up Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles. Veteran Joe Thornton saw his offensive production take a significant dip with just seven goals and 50 points last season, although it was reported that the now-38-year-old gamely played with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee during that postseason series.

OVERTIME

1. San Jose boasts a 9-1-0 mark with one tie in its last 11 home encounters with Philadelphia.

2. Simmonds told reporters that he might take a knee during the national anthem on Wednesday while friend and Sharks F Joel Ward reportedly considered doing so before opting against making that display.

3. Flyers C Jori Lehtera, who was acquired from St. Louis in a deal involving Brayden Schenn, is looking to rebound from a seven-goal season.

PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Flyers 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Trends - Philadelphia at San Jose

W/L Trends

Philadelphia

Flyers are 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game. Flyers are 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. Flyers are 7-1 in their last 8 games following a home loss of 3 or more goals. Flyers are 4-1 in their last 5 games following a loss of 3 or more goals. Flyers are 9-24 in their last 33 vs. Pacific. Flyers are 6-21 in their last 27 road games. Flyers are 1-5 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game.

San Jose

Sharks are 4-0 in their last 4 vs. Eastern Conference. Sharks are 7-1 in their last 8 vs. Metropolitan. Sharks are 46-22 in their last 68 games playing on 2 days rest. Sharks are 2-5 in their last 7 games following a win. Sharks are 3-9 in their last 12 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Sharks are 1-4 in their last 5 overall.

OU Trends

Philadelphia

Under is 3-0-1 in Flyers last 4 Wednesday games. Under is 3-0-1 in Flyers last 4 vs. Western Conference. Under is 6-1-1 in Flyers last 8 when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game. Over is 5-1 in Flyers last 6 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. Over is 3-1-2 in Flyers last 6 games playing on 2 days rest. Under is 3-1-1 in Flyers last 5 vs. Pacific. Under is 27-13-11 in Flyers last 51 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.

San Jose

Over is 3-0-4 in Sharks last 7 Wednesday games. Over is 5-0-1 in Sharks last 6 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game. Over is 3-1-4 in Sharks last 8 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game. Under is 20-7-2 in Sharks last 29 games playing on 2 days rest. Under is 14-5-4 in Sharks last 23 vs. Metropolitan. Under is 7-3-4 in Sharks last 14 games following a win. Under is 28-13-10 in Sharks last 51 home games.

Head to Head

• Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
• Flyers are 4-17-2 in the last 23 meetings.
• Flyers are 1-9-1 in the last 11 meetings in San Jose.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Free Selection from Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp Pick, Wednesday, October 4, 2017

10/04 04:05 PM PT / 7:05 PM ET

NHL (1) TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS (2) WINNIPEG JETS

Take: (1) TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Reason: Opening game of the NHL season has the Jets hosting the Leafs. While I don't put a lot in preseason hockey, the Leafs did finish as one of the best teams. Toronto was 5-2-1 in preseason action and had the most goals in the Atlantic division with 25. The Jets didn't do quite as well, posting a 2-3-2 record and scoring 17 goals. The home team has dominated this series, going 5-1 in the last six meetings. The Leafs are a good valued dog here on opening night. Take Toronto.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jeff Allen Sports

Wednesday Free Selection is on the Edmonton Oilers

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Razor Sharp

YOUR RAZOR SHARP FREE PICK FOR WEDNESDAY: Take TORONTO (NHL) -120 over Winnipeg

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Totals4U

Wednesday's Free Selection: Georgia State/Coastal Carolina under 49 1/2

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John Anthony Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Toronto Maple Leafs + 105

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Atlantic Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Pittsburgh (NHL) - 190

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#1 Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Georgia State Panthers - 2

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Nevada Sharpshooter

Your free winner for Wednesday: Take TORONTO/WINNIPEG OVER the total of 5½ goals