Blackhawks hope to halt fall in San Jose

Hockey Betting Lines

02/10/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The free-falling Chicago Blackhawks will try to end their longest losing streak in over four years when they continue a lengthy road trip with tonight's battle against the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion.

The Blackhawks are 0-5-1 over their last six games, marking the club's longest skid since an 0-6-2 stretch from Dec. 30-Jan. 11 during the 2007-08 season. The last four losses (0-3-1) have come at the start of a nine-game swing.

The recent swoon has dropped the 2010 Stanley Cup champions into the sixth seed in the Western Conference, where it's three points ahead of Los Angeles and four points behind Nashville. Chicago is now also fourth in the Central Division and nine points behind Detroit for first place.

The Blackhawks have allowed a total of 16 goals over their last three losses and are coming off Tuesday's 5-2 setback in Colorado. The score was tied at 2-2 heading into the third period, but Gabriel Landeskog put the Avalanche up for good with his tally just 38 seconds into the final stanza.

The Blackhawks received goals from Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane, while Ray Emery was tagged for four goals on 28 shots.

"Every mistake we make is being capitalized on," said Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith. "We have to get in a better position to turn things around. Everything we seem to do seems to be harder. We have to start outworking the other teams."

Chicago is just 10-12-3 as the road club this year and has lost eight straight (0-6-2) away from the Windy City. Joel Quenneville's team hasn't posted a road victory since Dec. 14 in Minnesota.

Blackhawks defenseman Steve Montador suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday's loss and was forced to leave the game in the second period. He is questionable for tonight.

Although they're not as cold as the Blackhawks, the Sharks haven't exactly been playing their best hockey of late either. San Jose has surrendered nine goals in losing its last two games and is 3-4-1 over its last eight trips to the ice. Despite the inconsistent play, the Sharks are still leading the Pacific Division with 64 points, two more than Los Angeles.

After losing last Saturday in Phoenix by a 5-3 score, the Sharks returned home and dropped Wednesday's close regulation decision against Calgary. Olli Jokinen capped his hat trick for the Flames with the game-winner just 3:25 into the third period, lifting Calgary to a 4-3 victory. Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff also stopped 34 shots to register the 300th win of his career.

Joe Pavelski, Michal Handzus and Logan Couture all scored for the Sharks, while Antti Niemi made 32 saves in the loss.

"It's a missed opportunity," Thornton said. "We'd like to say we played good at times, it just wasn't a full 60 [minutes]."

Tonight's game represents San Jose's final home test before embarking on a season-long nine-game road trip. The Sharks are 17-9-2 as the host this year compared to a 12-7-4 mark on the road. After tonight. San Jose's next home game isn't until Feb. 28 against Philadelphia.

This evening's tilt marks the fourth and final scheduled meeting between the Blackhawks and Sharks this year. San Jose posted a 1-0 home win on Nov. 23 before Chicago posted two straight wins over the Sharks in the Windy City. The Blackhawks have taken three of four overall in this series, but San Jose has won the last three encounters at the Shark Tank.

Starlcukcasino Hockey Betting News

<< New York signs midfielder Palsson
Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York signed Icelandic midfielder Victor Palsson on Friday. Palsson, 20, spent the last year at Scottish Premier League side Hibernian and appeared in 34 games in all competitions. The defensive

<< Avs aim to close homestand with win over 'Canes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Avalanche recently put their longest skid of the season behind them and will try to close out a four-game homestand with another victory when they face the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at Pepsi Center. The Ava

<< Blazers, Hornets tangle in the Big Easy
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portland hopes a Western Conference-worst New Orleans team proves to be a bit of a tonic after the Blazers dropped consecutive games in Rip City. A controversial goaltending call on All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge al

<< Giggs to play another year at United
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that midfielder Ryan Giggs will return to the club for another season after signing a one-year contract extension. The 38-year-old Giggs m

<< Magic welcome Hawks to central Florida
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic try to stay hot tonight when they welcome the Atlanta Hawks to the Amway Center. This, of course, is the first meeting between these Southeast Division rivals since Atlanta knocked the Magic out of last

Stars aim for rare win in Buffalo >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Stars have yet to win the back end when playing games on consecutive nights. That won't make ending their lengthy losing streak in Buffalo any easier. The Stars try to pick up their first road win against the Sa

Celtics head north of the border to face Raptors >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics may have seen their longest winning streak of the season come to a halt on Thursday. But, a trip north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors could get them back on track. Boston saw its five-game win

Lin, Knicks try to stay hot vs. Lakers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The flavor of the day in Gotham faces another tough test on Friday, when Jeremy Lin and the Knicks play host to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers at Madison Square Garden. Lin has exploded from obscurity over the past wee

Hoffenheim turns to Babbel >>
Sinsheim, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hoffenheim has named Markus Babbel as its new manager on Friday, signing the former Hertha Berlin and Stuttgart boss to a two-and-a-half year contract. Babbel takes the place of Holger Stanislawski,

Arango agrees to Gladbach extension >>
Monchengladbach, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juan Arango has signed a two-year contract extension with Monchengladbach, the club confirmed on Friday. Arango's previous deal was set to expire at the end of the current season, but the 31-year-

MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines


Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow.  Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season.   Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints.  These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order.  As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.  The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens.  The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

MySportsbook is a large, publicly traded company with strong financial backing. You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Online Sportsbook Football Betting

The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.

New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).

The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.

Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.

Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.

The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.

Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.

The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.

Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.

However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).

The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.

Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.

In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.

Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.

Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.

MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.

MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.