Kings continue homestand against Blue Jackets
Hockey Betting Lines
02/01/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The All-Star break interrupted the Kings' four-game homestand and Los Angeles will try to complete the residency on a positive note when they host the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at the Staples Center.
The Kings lost the first two tests on their homestand before posting a 4-1 victory over Ottawa on Jan. 23. That victory improved LA to 14-11-4 as the host this year and allowed the Kings to enter the break just two points behind San Jose for first place in the Pacific Division. The Kings are now four behind the Sharks, but they're also seeded seventh in the West and hold a three-point lead over eighth-seeded Minnesota.
Jonathan Quick -- the Kings' lone representative at Sunday's All-Star Game in Ottawa -- turned aside 27 shots to help lift his club to the win over the Senators. Quick also stopped 10-of-13 shots while playing for Team Alfredsson in the third period of a 12-9 All-Star loss to Team Chara.
Following tonight's test, the Kings will head out on a six-game road trip that is set to begin Friday in St. Louis.
The Blue Jackets are last in the NHL with 32 points and have recorded just 13 wins this season. One of those victories came less than a month ago in Los Angeles, as Columbus posted a 1-0 decision at the Staples Center on Jan. 7. It was the second victory in the last three trips to the City of Angeles for the Blue Jackets, but the Kings have still won seven of the past nine meetings overall.
Columbus turned in a poor effort in its first game following the break, as it was slammed Tuesday in San Jose by a 6-0 score. It was the fifth straight loss for the Blue Jackets, who posted a dismal 3-8-1 record in January.
Joe Thornton had two goals and an assist for the Sharks in the rout and Antti Niemi made 30 saves for his fourth shutout of the season. Steve Mason made 37 saves for the Blue Jackets, who are 11 points in back of Edmonton for the 14th seed in the West.
"They are a very good team and we made things harder on ourselves tonight just [with] poor puck management and poor decisions," said Blue Jackets interim head coach Todd Richards.
The Blue Jackets are 0-3-1 so far on a six-game road trip that is set to end Friday in Anaheim. Columbus is just 5-18-3 as the visiting team this season.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers hope to record a season-high fourth consecutive win tonight by turning around their fortunes in Utah. Playing the Jazz in Salt Lake City has traditionally been a non-starter for the Clips. LA has d
<< Lowly Bobcats meet Blazers in Rip City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The hapless Charlotte Bobcats will try to avoid a 10th
straight loss tonight when they resume a four-game road trip against the
Portland Trail Blazers in Rip City.
Halting the skid tonight, however, figures to be exceeding
<< Streaking Pens shoot for home-and-home sweep in Toronto
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tuesday was a pretty good day for the Penguins all around.
Pittsburgh will try to keep the good times going this evening and extend its
eight-game win streak with a home-and-home sweep of the hosting Toronto Maple
Leafs.
<< Spurs and Rockets meet in the Alamo City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bragging rights for South Texas are on the line Wednesday
when the San Antonio Spurs play host to the Houston Rockets.
The Spurs earned a rare road victory this season by snapping a two-game skid
on Monday in Memphis. Matt
<< Sabres try to build momentum against visiting Rangers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A week off seemed to do wonders for the Buffalo Sabres, who
are now on their first winning streak in almost three months. They'll try to
push their run of success to three straight this evening as they take on the
New York Ra
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers' first game following the All-Star break is an important one, as they host the rival Washington Capitals in tonight's Southeast Division clash at BankAtlantic Center. The Panthers, who are attempting t
Stars, Ducks rematch in Anaheim >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Stars entered the All-Star break with a 1-0 win over
the Ducks and Dallas will try to duplicate that result, ideally with more
goals, when it visits Anaheim for tonight's Pacific Division battle at the
Honda Center.
K
Pistons finish road trip against Nets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Pistons hope to solve their road issues tonight
in the finale of a four-game trek against the New Jersey Nets.
Detroit is 0-3 so far on the road trip and has lost six straight as the guest,
including Tuesdays 1
Celtics kick off homestand vs. Raptors >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It appears the Boston Celtics are back on track and will
commence a five-game homestand tonight versus the Toronto Raptors at TD
Garden.
Boston will also host the Knicks, Grizzlies, Bobcats and Lakers, and is 6-6 in
Beant
Improved Wolves entertain Pacers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indiana Pacers target their third straight win tonight,
when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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