08/08/2008 - Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers and center Janis Sprukts agreed to a two-year contract Friday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Sprukts, the Panthers' eighth round selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, spent last season with Lukko of the Finnish Elite League, and posted 12 goals and 29 points in 53 games.
"We are happy that Janis has decided to return to the Panthers organization after spending a year in Finland," Florida general manager Jacques Martin said. "He has played a few games at the NHL level and understands what it takes to make it back there. We look forward to seeing Janis' continued development within our organization."
In 2006-07, the 26-year-old's only North American season, Sprukts posted 18 goals and 41 assists in 58 games with the Rochester Americans (AHL), while playing 13 games for the Panthers and netting one goal and two assists.
<< Sixers' Smith tears ACL
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia 76ers center Jason Smith
suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski said Smith was hurt during normal
basketball activity on
<< Report: Buckeyes suspend two DBs for first two games
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ohio State has reportedly suspended a pair of
defensive backs for its first two games of the season.
The Columbus Dispatch reported Friday that starting cornerback Donald
Washington and backup safe
<< Lyon searching for eighth straight Ligue 1 crown
Lyon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lyon has dominated France's top league for the
last seven seasons and has reloaded under new manager Claude Puel for a run at
its eighth straight crown in Ligue 1, which starts this weekend.
Lyon was not shy
<< Bond is broken: Shriver to divorce Lazenby
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tennis Hall-of-Famer Pam Shriver has filed
for divorce from her husband of six years, former James Bond actor George
Lazenby.
"Irreconcilable differences" were cited as the reason for the split
Hoops add former Dutch international Sikora, Cunningham >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock
announced on Friday that the team has acquired former Netherlands
international Victor Sikora and Major League Soccer forward Jeff Cunningham,
in sepa
Hofstra names Anderson baseball coach >>
Hempstead, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hofstra University has named Patrick Anderson
as its new head baseball coach.
Anderson served as a Hofstra assistant coach from 1998 through 2001 and has
spent the past eight seasons as a minor league hitt
2008 College football week one plays >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - About a year ago this time, I gave out
three first week college football plays. All three were winners.
Georgia Tech, a one-point road favorite, had no problem dismantling Notre
Dame, 33-3, outgaining th
Wi making the most of a situation >>
Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charlie Wi, 36, is making
the most of his first-ever appearance in a major championship.
Wi posted his second consecutive, even-par 70 and is tied with Ben Curtis as
low men in the clu
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The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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