12/01/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It didn't take long for Brian Burke to make Toronto a winning team. The Maple Leafs will try for their second straight win with Burke as their general manager in tonight's test against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center.
Burke became Toronto's 13th GM in team history on Saturday, replacing interim general manager Cliff Fletcher. Fletcher had replaced a fired John Ferguson back in January.
Burke held previous management jobs with Hartford, Vancouver and Anaheim, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2007. Toronto hasn't won a championship since 1967 and hasn't reached the postseason in any of the last three seasons.
Toronto did not displease its new GM on Saturday, posting a 4-2 win over Philadelphia. The victory halted the Maple Leafs five-game losing streak.
Nik Antropov registered a goal and an assist in the win, while Lee Stempniak, Dominic Moore and Pavel Kubina also scored. For Stempniak, it was his first goal in three games with the Maple Leafs since being acquired in a trade from St. Louis.
Vesa Toskala stopped 28 shots for his eighth win of the year. He is 6-2-0 with a 2.47 goals against average lifetime versus the Kings.
Toronto will begin a three-game western road trip tonight without Jason Blake, who has missed the last two games due to a concussion and is doubtful for this game. The Leafs are 4-5-2 this season on the road, where they have lost five of their last six. They will also play in San Jose and Phoenix on the swing.
The Kings have won two straight after Saturday's 5-2 victory over Chicago. Patrick O'Sullivan scored for the fourth time in his last five games, while Derek Armstrong netted the go-ahead goal in the third period.
O'Sullivan, Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll each finished with a goal and an assist for the Kings, who also got two assists each out of Michal Handzus and Kyle Quincey.
Erik Ersberg made 22 saves in the win. He has never faced Toronto in his career.
The Kings play the second of two straight home games tonight and are 7-5-3 as the host team this year. Los Angeles has also won five of its last seven at the Staples Center.
The Kings posted a 5-2 home win versus the Maple Leafs on January 10 of last year, their second straight win over Toronto. The Leafs are 1-4 with two ties in their last six trips to the City of Angels.
<< Recent Cup winners clash as Red Wings host Ducks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A matchup between the last two Stanley Cup champions is on
tap tonight in the Motor City, as the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Anaheim
Ducks to Joe Louis Arena.
The Ducks won it all in 2007 and defeated Detroit in the West
<< Canucks try to rebound with test in Columbus
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to avoid a third straight
loss when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets for tonight's battle at
Nationwide Arena.
The Canucks had won four in a row before being swept in a home-and-home seri
<< Sabres host Predators in western New York
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Sabres will aim for their third win in four
games when they welcome the Nashville Predators for this evening's contest at
HSBC Arena.
The Sabres ended a five-game losing streak with consecutive victories over
<< Espanyol lets go of manager Marquez
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Espanyol have sacked coach Bartolome
Marquez after a 1-0 loss to Sporting Gijon left the club facing a relegation
battle at the wrong end of the La Liga table.
Marquez's side have won just three o
Kiffin introduced as coach of Vols >>
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Tennessee made it official
Monday and formally introduced Lane Kiffin as the 21st head football coach in
school history.
"I met with all of our players last night and they are definitely
Sale of Curlin disallowed >>
Frankfort, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The acquisition of the remaining 20-percent
interest in 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin by his majority owner has been
rejected by a Kentucky judge. The decision by Judge Roger Crittenden was made
Monday.
All-Conference Pioneer League Team Announced >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jacksonville, the PFL regular-season
champion, saw freshman quarterback Josh McGregor pick up the league's Freshman
Offensive Player of the Year award while head coach Kerwin Bell was named the
league's Coach of
Steelers release veteran RB Davenport, again >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers released veteran
running back Najeh Davenport on Monday for the third time this year.
He was first released by the team this past June, but was brought back at the
beginning of
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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