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Backstrom, Wild shut out FlamesHockey Betting Lines03/04/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Niklas Backstrom stopped 29 shots to pick up his second shutout of the season, as the Minnesota Wild handled the Calgary Flames, 4-0, in a battle between two Northwest Division foes. Mikko Koivu and Andrew Brunette each had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who dominated Vancouver, 6-2, prior to the Olympic break. Martin Havlat and Kyle Brodziak also lit the lamp for the victors. Minnesota was active before Wednesday's trade deadline, acquiring a 2010 second-round draft pick from the Washington Capitals in exchange for center Eric Belanger. "When you come in and you're chasing a team ahead of you, you're more focused and more prepared," Wild coach Todd Richards said. "We were opportunistic tonight and when we got our opportunities we were able to finish. Tonight from top to bottom we had four lines going." Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 17-of-21 shots for the Flames, who beat the Ducks, 3-1, before the Olympic break. Calgary made numerous moves during the trade deadline. The Flames acquired defenseman Andy Delmore from the Detroit in exchange for forward Riley Armstrong, and received a 2010 fourth-round pick from Nashville in exchange for forward Dustin Boyd. Brodziak got the Wild offense going with 1:04 left in the first period. Owen Nolan led a 2-on-1 rush down the right side of the ice and slid a pass over to Brodziak, whose shot beat Kiprusoff. Backstrom made nine saves in the first frame. Brunette's wrister at the 10:12 mark of the second period gave Minnesota a 2-0 edge and Koivu's slapper with 5:55 remaining made it a three-goal game. Backstrom had his best performance in the middle stanza, stopping 13 shots. Havlat jammed home a rebound at the 12:20 mark of the third to extend the Wild's margin to 4-0. Backstrom sealed the victory by making seven saves in the final period. "I am not pleased with the way we played tonight," Flames coach Brent Sutter said. "It's unacceptable; every game is such a big game for us. It was like a river hockey game out there. I don't know what to say, I am surprised by what took place here tonight. We need to have guys pay a bigger price." Game Notes Minnesota leads the season series with Calgary, 3-0...Also on Wednesday, the Flames acquired goaltender Vesa Toskala from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for goaltender Curtis McElhinney...Minnesota's 2-1 overtime victory over the Flames on December 11 snapped a string of seven straight losses in Calgary, where the team has gone 3-15 with one tie in its last 19 visits.
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Super Bowl 2009 BettingSuper Bowl 2009 Betting propositionsUnderdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder. Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while. Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books. If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl. Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX. By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI. In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite. So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs. While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl. There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog. In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl: SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots. XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired. XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers. Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard |
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