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Capitals, Maple Leafs close out season seriesHockey Betting Lines01/15/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Capitals will aim for their fifth victory in six games when they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs for tonight's encounter at Verizon Center. The Southeast Division-leading Capitals have won four of their last five games, but have been anything but stingy on the defensive end in their last two contests -- both of which came on the road. Washington dropped a 7-4 decision against Tampa Bay on Tuesday and edged Florida, 5-4, in a shootout the following night. Tomas Fleischmann notched the winner in the sixth round of the shootout, as Washington rallied from a three-goal deficit to down the Panthers and complete a three-game road trip. The Capitals were down 4-1 midway through the second period, but closed regulation with three unanswered goals to sent the game to OT. Then, with the shootout tied at two apiece after Cory Stillman's goal for Florida to begin the sixth round, Fleischmann made a stick fake and scored on the forehand to seal the game for the visitors. Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Jason Chimera and Brian Pothier tallied for the Capitals. "We sometimes get that feeling, like we had tonight, that something good was going to come out of it," said Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau. "They got to 4-1 and I still thought we were in striking range. Then, when it was 4-2, I thought we could come back." Jose Theodore got the win with 15 stops in relief of starter Michal Neuvirth, who yielded four goals on 15 shots through the first half of regulation. Neuvirth also started Tuesday's game against the Lightning and was pulled from that test after also surrendering four goals on 15 shots. Washington's No. 1 netminder Semyon Varlamov hasn't played since December 7 in Tampa, but is apparently nearing a return from a right knee injury. The 21- year-old Russian is 12-1-2 this year with a 2.21 goals-against average and is currently listed as day-to-day. Tonight marks the opener of a three-game homestand for the Capitals, who are 14-3-3 as the host this year and have won seven of their last eight home tests. Toronto, which is last in the Northeast with 41 points, was able to end a four-game slide in its last outing. The Maple Leafs notched a 4-0 victory over visiting Philadelphia to earn just their second win in eight games, Vesa Toskala stopped all 38 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season in Thursday's triumph at Air Canada Centre. "After the first period, where I was a little rusty, I was able to adjust," Toskala said. "I felt like I was in good shape for the rest of the night." Tyler Bozak recorded his first career goal for the Maple Leafs. Nikolai Kulemin, Luke Schenn and Lee Stempniak also tallied for Toronto, which avenged a 6-2 setback in Philly last Wednesday. The Maple Leafs will kick off a five-game road trip tonight and they'll try to improve their play as the guest during the swing. Toronto is just 7-13-4 as the visitor this year and has lost four straight and eight of its last nine on the road. Tonight marks the fourth and final scheduled meeting between the Caps and Maple Leafs this year. Toronto has taken two of the three matchups so far, but both of its victories came on home ice. The Leafs have taken four of five overall in the series, but have dropped four of their last six in D.C.
<< Spurs make a stop in Charlotte
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a refreshed Tim Duncan back ready to go, the San Antonio Spurs take aim at a fourth straight victory when they visit a Charlotte Bobcats team that's also playing very well of late tonight at Time Warner
<< Redmond signs on with the Indians
<< Roughriders re-sign Getzlaf, Charles
<< Reeling Bucks visit Warriors
<< Lakers, Clippers square off at Staples Center
Kings hope Martin will return in Philly >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Sacramento Kings are expected to get their leading scorer back in the lineup when the team starts up a six-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents with tonight's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Pacers aim to snap road skid vs. hapless Nets >>
Blazers wrap up homestand by hosting Magic >>
Pistons, Hornets collide at The Palace >>
Grizzlies host Wolves at FedEx Forum >>
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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