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03/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins closed out their pre-Olympic break schedule with excellent play on the road, something the team hopes carries over when it opens up a season-long seven-game trek with this afternoon's matchup with the New York Islanders from Nassau Coliseum.
Boston won all four tests of a away swing from February 7-13 to put itself back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, but dropped a 4-1 home decision to rival Montreal on Tuesday in its first outing back from the NHL's extended hiatus for the Winter Olympics. The Bruins were able to bounce back on Thursday, however, by claming a 3-2 shootout victory over visiting Toronto on Miroslav Satan's goal in the third round.
Satan, who also accounted for the game's first goal in the first period, beat Maple Leafs goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere on a nifty deke to the backhand to put Boston ahead in the deciding phase, and netminder Tim Thomas stoned all three Toronto skaters he faced -- including former Bruin Phil Kessel -- during the shootout in his first start since February 2.
Thomas had 24 saves in regulation and overtime while subbing for Tuukka Rask, who sat out the contest due to a knee injury suffered in the Montreal game.
"I didn't take any extra pleasure because it was Phil," said Thomas when asked about stopping his ex-teammate in the shootout. I needed to get a win, our team needed to get a win. It's been a long time since we had a win at home."
The Bruins had lost 10 in a row (0-7-3) at TD Garden since a 4-0 shutout of Atlanta on December 30. The team's last win at home occurred at Fenway Park on New Year's Day, when Boston edged Philadelphia in the Winter Classic.
With Rask termed as day-to-day, Thomas will likely get a second straight start between the pipes today. The previously-struggling 2008-09 Vezina Trophy recipient owns a 7-4-1 record with a 2.00 goals against average in 12 career starts versus the Islanders, although he saved just 16-of-19 chances in a 4-3 overtime loss at Nassau Coliseum on December 12.
Boston may have leading scorer Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup this afternoon after the talented center took part in the team's morning skate on Thursday. The 24-year-old is dealing with a groin pull he sustained while competing for Canada in the recent Olympics and missed the Bruins' first two tilts after the Vancouver Games.
The Bruins, who have compiled a respectable 14-10-5 record on the road this season, enter today's play in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 67 points, one more than Atlanta, Montreal and the New York Rangers.
The Islanders started off strong after the league stoppage, besting Western Division co-leader Chicago by a 5-3 count Tuesday at the Coliseum, but couldn't sustain the momentum in a 6-3 road loss to Atlanta two nights later. The Thrashers erupted for four first-period goals, three of which came in the game's initial 10 minutes.
New York netminder Dwayne Roloson was pulled just 9:16 in after surrendering three goals on only seven shots, while backup Martin Biron stopped just 12- of-15 chances the rest of the way.
"In that first period, it felt like everything they shot went in," said Islanders head coach Scott Gordon.
Tim Jackman and Rob Schremp each pumped in a power-play goal for the Islanders, who will play four of their next five games at home and are presently six points out of a playoff spot in the East.
New York has won two of its three previous meetings with the Bruins this season, but Boston is 7-1-1 over the last nine bouts in the series and has gone 3-0-1 at the Coliseum during that stretch.
<< Bobcats hope to stay on track vs. Warriors
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats are coming off a huge win over the
defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, and hope to stay within striking
distance of a playoff spot when they resume a three-game homestand tonight
versus
<< Hawks, Heat get together in south Florida
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Southeast Division rivals meet in Miami Saturday night as
the Heat play host to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat, who are currently holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in
the Eastern Conference, are coming off th
<< Nets begin road swing at New York
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After losing all three games on a recent homestand, the New
Jersey Nets kick off a five-game road trip tonight against the local rival New
York Knicks at historic Madison Square Garden.
New Jersey will also make stops in M
<< Mavs try to push win streak to 11 in Chicago
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Dallas Mavericks will try to stretch their
season-high winning streak to 11 games tonight, when they open a short road
trip against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.
The Mavs will also visit Min
Rangers brace for test from high-powered Caps >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After struggling to keep the opposition off the scoreboard
their most recent time out, the New York Rangers now have to face the NHL's
most potent offense in tonight's showdown with the powerful Washington
Capitals from the V
Thrashers' playoff push resumes in Tampa >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers will shoot for a third straight
victory when they visit the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at St. Pete
Times Forum.
The Thrashers have won two straight since the NHL came back from the Olympic
Revamped Coyotes host Ducks in Pacific clash >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes will try to record consecutive wins
when they welcome the Anaheim Ducks for tonight's Pacific Division battle at
Jobing.com Arena.
The Coyotes were dealt their third straight loss when they emerged from
Blues hope to keep flying high in trip to Colorado >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues are in position to record their longest
winning streak in over six years, but to reach that mark they'll have to find
a way to halt their struggles versus the Colorado Avalanche this season.
St. Louis g
Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook
Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds. The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.
Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.
Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).
Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.
World Series odds
Adam Dunn 15-1
Albert Pujols 5-1
Alex Rodriguez 12-1
Alfonso Soriano 15-1
Andruw Jones 25-1
Barry Bonds 50-1
Carlos Delgado 40-1
David Ortiz 8-1
Jermaine Dye 40-1
Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1
Lance Berkman 40-1
Manny Ramirez 20-1
Richie Sexson 40-1
Ryan Howard 6-1
Travis Hafner 20-1
Vladimir Guerrero 40-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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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