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Avs host Blue Jackets in battle between struggling clubsHockey Betting Lines02/27/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Avalanche will try to end a three-game slide tonight, when they welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Pepsi Center. The Avalanche's latest setback came Sunday evening in Anaheim, as Scott Niedermayer's goal with 3:23 left in the third period proved to be the game- winner in the Ducks' 5-3 victory. Joe Sakic scored for Colorado to extend his point streak to 12 games, but the Avalanche lost for the fifth time in six outings (1-4-1). Mark Rycroft and Milan Hejduk also scored for the Avalanche, while Jose Theodore stopped 36 shots. Paul Stastny added an assist for the Avalanche to extend his point streak to 12 games, which is tied with Sakic for the longest current tear in the NHL. Andrew Brunette has registered a point in 10 straight games for the Avs. Colorado's Karlis Skrastins didn't play Sunday due to a knee injury, snapping his 495 consecutive game streak. It was the longest such streak by a defenseman in NHL history. He is questionable for tonight's contest. Colorado is currently outside the Western Conference playoff race and is 12 points behind Calgary for the eighth and final postseason berth in the West. Colorado's 63 points also has the club in last place in the competitive Northwest Division. The Avs are 17-14-3 as the host this season but won't be at home for long, as they'll begin a five-game road trip Thursday in Chicago. The Blue Jackets, who are well out of the playoff picture with 55 points, have dropped four of their last five games (1-2-2). They lost Sunday to visiting Nashville, as Alexander Radulov scored the lone shootout tally to give the Predators the 4-3 decision. Jody Shelley netted his first goal of the season and Ron Hainsey and Fredrik Modin also scored for Columbus. Ty Conklin turned away 22 shots in a losing effort. The Blue Jackets, who begin a three-game road trip tonight, are 10-17-3 as the visitor this season. Colorado has won two of three meetings with the Blue Jackets this season and is 20-2-1 (2 losses, 1 tie) all-time against Columbus. The Avalanche have outscored the Jackets 90-32 in those 23 contests.
<< Red Wings aim for another victory in Chicago
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings will try to rebound from consecutive close losses when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at the United Center. Detroit had won three straight before dropping a shootout decision to visit
<< Mavs shoot for win No. 13 at Minnesota
<< Golden State opens trek at Milwaukee
<< Wizards close out trip in Jersey
<< Pacers welcome Suns to Indy
Oilers to honor Messier against Gretzky's Coyotes >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers will begin their four-game homestand in style tonight, when they honor Mark Messier before taking on the Phoenix Coyotes at Rexall Place. The Oilers will retire Messier's No. 11 jersey in a pr
Sabres get new backup goaltender in Conklin >>
U.S. MNT adds another friendly; Board approves 2018 World Cup bid >>
This Week in Auto Racing - March 3 - March 4 >>
Avs D Skrastins out 7-10 days >>
Betting the NFL preseasonRule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games." When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night. The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine. “I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.” The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark. “We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.” The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long. “It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.” Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play. “You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt." So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps? “Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says. Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins. Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet. Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter. “If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says. Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider. The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason. “We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003. Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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