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03/22/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having already clinched the Pacific Division title, the San Jose Sharks can regain the top seed in the Western Conference when they host the lowly Colorado Avalanche tonight at HP Pavilion.
The Sharks have 104 points on the season and are just one point in back of idle Detroit for not only the top spot in the West, but also in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.
San Jose has won two straight and four of its last five contests. The Sharks were in action Saturday afternoon and recorded an easy home win over the Dallas Stars. Joe Pavelski tallied a goal and two assists, as the Sharks downed the struggling Stars, 5-2.
Joe Thornton, Devin Setoguchi, Milan Michalek, and Patrick Marleau also lit the lamp for the Sharks, who won their third consecutive game at home. Marleau and Setoguchi also added one assist apiece for the victors.
Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves and improved to 4-0-0 since returning on March 14 from an upper-body injury.
The Sharks are 29-3-4 as the host this year and are completing a three-game homestand tonight. San Jose's next two games will be on the road against Chicago and Nashville.
The Avalanche, who are last in the West with 64 points, have lost three straight on the heels of back-to-back wins.
Colorado last played on Thursday against visiting Edmonton and was handed a humiliating loss. Sam Gagner scored his first career hat trick and registered an assist as the Oilers pounded the Avalanche, 8-1, at Pepsi Center.
Cody McLeod scored the lone goal for Colorado, which has also dropped 10 of 13 overall. Peter Budaj allowed eight goals on only 24 shots in the Avs' most lopsided loss of the season.
The Avalanche are just 13-22-2 as the guest this year and have lost two straight and seven of their last nine road games. Colorado's next two games will come on home ice, beginning with Wednesday's test against Anaheim.
San Jose has won both meetings against the Avs this season and this will be the first encounter between the clubs in Silicon Valley. The Sharks have won four of the last five overall matchups against Colorado.
<< Oilers visit Wild with shot at fourth straight victory
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers will try for their first four-game
winning streak since the early stages of the season when they visit the
struggling Minnesota Wild for today's Northwest Division battle at Xcel Energy
Center.
The Oil
<< Sliding Blackhawks welcome Kings to town
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The stumbling Chicago Blackhawks will try to end a five-
game losing streak when they host the Los Angeles Kings in an afternoon clash
today at the United Center.
With the regular season winding down, the Blackhawks have p
<< Flyers visit sizzling Pens for key battle
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A key Eastern Conference playoff battle is on tap today in
the Steel City, as the scorching Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the rival
Philadelphia Flyers for an Atlantic Division battle at Mellon Arena.
The Penguins and Flyers
<< Heat pay a visit to Pistons at The Palace
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The recently-struggling Miami Heat will try to salvage the
finale of a four-game road trip Sunday against the Detroit Pistons at The
Palace of Auburn Hills.
Miami has dropped the first three tests of the road swing a
No. 1 Louisville to try and avoid upset at hands of Siena >>
Dayton, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Midwest Regional was full of upsets on the
first day and the top-seeded Louisville Cardinals will try to avoid one
themselves against the ninth-seeded Siena Saints in second-round play at UD
Arena this evening.
Bruins host Devils in clash between East's top teams >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in the Eastern Conference will clash
today in Beantown, as the Boston Bruins welcome the New Jersey Devils for a
showdown at TD Banknorth Garden.
The Bruins leads the Northeast Division as well as the con
BU earns top seed for NCAA hockey tourney >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston University has been rewarded with
the top overall seed for the 2009 NCAA hockey tournament.
The Terriers (31-6-4) will be the top seed in the Northeast Regional, while
the other No. 1 seeds f
Blackhawks activate RW Sharp >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks have activated right
wing Patrick Sharp off injured reserve.
Sharp had missed Chicago's last 16 games with a lower body injury. He was hurt
in a February 14 game against San Jose a
Underdog 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.
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