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02/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After failing to secure their first four-game winning streak of the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets shoot for their first win in four meetings with the Chicago Blackhawks this evening at Nationwide Arena.
The Blue Jackets had won three straight since firing Ken Hitchcock as head coach and replacing him with Claude Noel on an interim basis on February 3. That included a span of back-to-back shutouts over Buffalo and San Jose prior to Friday night's 4-3 loss to Vancouver.
Steve Mason had been in net for all three wins, but would probably like to have the game-winning goal by the Canucks back. Vancouver's Mikael Samuelsson potted his team's second goal of the third period 7:56 into the frame on a fluke goal, as he wristed a shot from the high slot that a Columbus player got a stick on.
The puck was popped high into the air and floated over a stunned Mason, who had already committed to the butterfly. Mason made 31 saves in the loss.
Rick Nash scored 22 seconds into the game, his team-leading 27th goal that gives him three goals and three assists on a six-game point streak. Jared Boll scored to snap a 36-game goal drought and Raffi Torres also tallied.
"I thought the game was an entertaining game," Noel said. "From my standpoint, I thought we played really well in some areas. I really liked a lot of things that we did. I liked the way we managed the game. The other thing I liked was our effort. Our effort was real good."
Columbus fell to 3-1 on a six-game homestand that ends on March 2 versus Vancouver. The Blue Jackets are also 10 points back of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
They'll try to snap a three-game skid to the Blackhawks, a rut that includes a home-and-home sweep on January 14 and 16. Chicago notched a 6-5 win at Columbus to cap the set, getting a pair of power-play goals in the third period by Jonathan Toews, as well as three assists from Patrick Kane.
Nash scored twice for Columbus, which has lost seven of its last 10 to Chicago and three of the last four played in Ohio.
The Blackhawks have won three straight since a season-worst three-game slide, besting Atlanta, 5-4, in a shootout last night. Dave Bolland scored in the third period and Toews had the lone shootout goal to seal the win.
"Teams are going to come into this building with a lot of energy and lots of enthusiasm. We can't expect to just walk all over teams...we have to keep that effort consistent," said Toews, as Chicago gave up three second-period goals to fall behind.
Patrick Sharp had a goal and two assists, Marian Hossa netted his NHL-leading fifth short-handed goal of the year and Kim Johnsson scored in his Chicago debut after being acquired from Minnesota along with prospect Nick Leddy on Friday for Cam Barker.
Hossa, though, received a hard check in the third period on Saturday and is unlikely to play this evening. He is also one of six Chicago players slated to participate in the Winter Olympics.
Antti Niemi made 23 saves for the Blackhawks, who trail the Sharks by four points for the most in the Western Conference.
<< Sens hope to reclaim first place vs. Islanders
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators will try to regain first place in the
Northeast Division this evening when they close out their pre-Olympic schedule
versus the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.
Ottawa has split four games since a
<< With rest in sight, Canucks continue road trip versus Wild
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks wrap up the first leg of their NHL-
record 14-game road trip this afternoon with a visit to Minnesota to battle
the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
With the Winter Olympics taking over the city of Vancouv
<< Pens' Crosby aims to extend scoring touch against Preds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby said he wanted to score more
goals this year and the former Hart Memorial Trophy has delivered.
Fresh off of posting his first career 40-goal season, Crosby will try to lead
the Penguins to just
<< Short-handed Rangers play host to Lightning
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Still trailing in the playoff race, the Rangers would love
to pick up another two points before the Olympic break. However, duplicating
their last performance versus the Lightning on Sunday afternoon might be
difficult withou
Illini host 13th-ranked Buckeyes in pivotal Big Ten battle >>
Champaign, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are set
to do battle with the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten Conference clash
from Assembly Hall in Champaign.
Ohio State has won its last five games and eight of it
Big East action features Georgetown at Rutgers >>
Piscataway, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Georgetown Hoyas go for
the season sweep of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights today, as the two Big East
rivals clash at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
The Hoyas easily handled the Knights, 88
No.2 Syracuse welcomes Louisville to the Carrier Dome >>
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked Syracuse Orange are out for
some revenge, as they host the Louisville Cardinals today in a rematch of last
season's Big East Tournament title game.
The Cardinals topped the Orange, 76-66, in
Yankees trainer Monahan taking medical leave >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gene Monahan, the New York Yankees' head
athletic trainer, has developed a "significant illness" and is taking a
medical leave of absence, according to a team release.
The team did not specify the
Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship
(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.
MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts US credit cards needs.
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
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