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03/16/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Holmstrom scored the game-winning goal late in the third period, as the Detroit Red Wings edged the Calgary Flames, 2-1, in a battle between two playoff-hopeful teams at Pengrowth Saddledome.
Pavel Datsyuk also scored for the Red Wings, who have won three in a row and now lead the Flames by three points for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Jimmy Howard made 22 saves.
Craig Conroy lit the lamp for the Flames, who have dropped two straight following a four-game winning streak. Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 26-of-28 shots in defeat.
With the scored tied at 1-1 in the third, the Flames had a golden chance to score due to Brian Rafalski's high-sticking double minor at the 3:12 mark. Calgary failed to capitalize on the extended power play.
Holmstrom's goal with 1:19 remaining put the Red Wings ahead. Johan Franzen's slapper from the left point deflected off Holmstrom's stick and past Kiprusoff.
Calgary pulled Kiprusoff for an extra attacker, but Howard and Detroit's defense held strong to secure the victory.
"We need our power play to capitalize for us," Flames head coach Brent Sutter said. "I'm sure there are some guys disappointed but there are 13 games left which is a still lot of hockey to play. Full marks to Detroit, they played well here tonight. We've got to find ways to win tight games."
The Flames got on the board just 1:47 into the first period. The Red Wings turned the puck over while trying to clear their own zone. Nigel Dawes' shot from in close set up a rebound for Conroy, whose backhander found the back of the net.
A Steve Staios interference penalty put Detroit on the power play with 2:06 to play in the second. But just over 30 seconds into the man advantage, Flames forward Curtis Glencross was hooked from behind by Henrik Zetterberg on a breakaway. Glencross failed to capitalize on the ensuing penalty shot.
The Red Wings used the momentum from Howard's stop to score a power-play goal with just under a minute left. Datsyuk made his way into the top of the slot and fired a wrister into the upper left corner of the net to tie the game.
Game Notes
Calgary and Detroit split four games this season...The Red Wings went 1-for-1 on the power play, while the Flames went 0-for-4 on the man advantage...Detroit has won five of its past six games.
<< Brooks sinks winning shot as Rockets stop Nuggets
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Brooks scored 31 points and drained the
game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds left to lift the Houston Rockets over the
Denver Nuggets, 125-123 at the Toyota Center.
Kevin Martin added 29 points and L
<< Rangers' Hamilton leaves game with hand injury
Surprise, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton
exited Monday night's Cactus League game against the San Francisco Giants in
the third inning after taking a pitch off his left hand.
Giants pitcher Madison B
<< Nadal and Djokovic sneak into fourth round at Indian Wells
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 2 Novak Djokovic barely survived
his third-round match Monday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open, an ATP
World Tour Masters event, while world No. 3 Rafael Nadal cruised in two sets
against Croati
<< Hot-shooting Celtics rout Pistons
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Pierce was one of three Boston players to
record 15 points and the Celtics surged to a big halftime lead before beating
the short-handed Detroit Pistons, 119-93, at TD Garden.
Ray Allen and Michael Fin
Thornton keys late spurt as Hornets beat Clippers >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marcus Thornton hit a pair of three-
pointers during a big New Orleans run in the fourth quarter, and David West
led all scorers with 24 points, as the Hornets pulled away late to beat the
Los Ang
Jankovic moves on; Azarenka, Clijsters exit at Indian Wells >>
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic snuck into
the fourth round, while third-seeded Victoria Azarenka and 14th-seeded Kim
Clijsters were third-round losers Monday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open
tennis
Bryant and Lakers hang on against Warriors >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and the Los
Angeles Lakers held on for a 124-121 win over Golden State, their ninth
straight win over the Warriors.
Pau Gasol added 26 points, while Andrew Bynum c
Booker ready for final NCAA chance >>
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -Devin Booker recalls the frustration of teammate and older brother, Trevor, last weekend after their highly regarded Clemson team was upset in its opening game at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.Devin, a Clemson freshman
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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Rule 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.
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