Stars return home to face Williams and Kings

Hockey Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Stars haven't done much to further their playoff chances since the Olympic break, but an upcoming six-game homestand for a team that has been strong this year as the host could do the trick.

Dallas begins that residency tonight at American Airlines Center looking for its first win of the season over the Los Angeles Kings, who will have forward Justin Williams back in the lineup when they seek a fifth straight victory over the Stars.

Having dropped four of five since the break, the Stars find themselves seven points back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 16 games to go. Dallas went 1-2-0 on a recent three-game road trip, which included a big shootout win over Washington on Monday before Wednesday's disappointing 5-3 setback to Buffalo.

The teams combined for six goals in the first period on Wednesday, with the Stars netting three of those tallies. Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist in the frame, while Toby Peterson and Steve Ott also scored. However, the Sabres got the only goal of the second period and then capped the scoring with an empty-net goal in the third.

Dallas fell to 11-17-7 on the road this year as compared to 18-8-5 at home, where the club has won seven of its last 10.

"Things are going to be extremely tough. It's 12 points, and those are huge. It's our season," Ott said of Dallas' upcoming six-game homestand. "If we don't get the ship in the right direction here on our homestand, we may as well call the season."

Marty Turco made 38 saves and Brad Richards had an assist to give him a goal and five assists over a five-game point streak as well as three goals and 10 helpers over his last 11 contests.

Richards has four assists in four games versus the Kings this year while James Neal has three goals in the four meetings. However, the Stars are 0-2-2 versus the Kings this season and they have also lost six of seven and eight of the last 10 meetings.

Los Angeles has also won three straight and five of its last six at Dallas.

The Kings come into this one having lost three of four, but they did earn a point last time out with a 3-2 overtime setback to the Blackhawks. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar scored less than two minutes apart in the second period, but a turnover by Brad Richardson in overtime set up the Blackhawks' winning goal.

Jonathan Quick made 40 saves for Los Angeles, which is fifth overall in the West, two points back of Phoenix. However, Quick left the team on Thursday after his wife went into labor with the couple's first child and will miss tonight's game. Either backup Erik Ersberg or the recently recalled Jonathan Bernier will start tonight.

Los Angeles will also get Williams back into the lineup much earlier than expected. The 28-year-old has been out since suffering a broken leg on December 26 that was expected to sideline him for up to three months. Williams has eight goals and 16 assists in 33 games and will go right back onto the first line.

"He's going to go right back with [Ryan] Smyth and Kopitar tomorrow, and get him right into the heat of the battle," Kings head coach Terry Murray told his team's Web site on Thursday. "Take advantage of a fresh player. It will be like adding a new guy through a deal, really."

Kopitar has been red-hot as of late, as he has five goals and four assists over a career high-tying eight-game point streak. The forward also has 14 goals and 14 helpers over his last 22 games and six goals in four contests versus the Stars this year.

Alexander Frolov has added a pair of goals and four helpers in the season series. He scored and set up two other goals in a 5-1 victory at Dallas when the clubs last met on March 2.

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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

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