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03/08/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The streaking Pittsburgh Penguins will take aim at a sixth straight victory when they visit the struggling Washington Capitals for this afternoon's showdown at Verizon Center.
The Penguins and Capitals have developed a heated rivalry in recent years and the animosity came through following the last meeting between the clubs on February 22 in Washington.
Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin -- arguably the two most recognizable players in the NHL -- were involved in a shoving match with each other. After the game, Crosby expressed his displeasure at Ovechkin's exuberant style of celebrating goals.
Ovechkin, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, missed Washington's last game with a bruised heel, but practiced on Saturday and will play in today's contest.
Ovechkin leads the NHL with 46 goals and is second in the league with 83 points --- three more than Crosby. Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin leads all players with 94 points.
Washington has dominated the Penguins so far this year, winning the three meetings by a combined 15-8 margin. The Caps have won four of five in the series overall, but Pittsburgh has won five of its last seven stops in D.C. Today's game marks the final regular-season meeting between the clubs this year.
The Pens will try to match a season-high winning streak tonight, as it tries to win six in a row for the first time since November 1-15. Pittsburgh's five straight victories certainly has improved the club's playoff chances and the Penguins are currently tied with the New York Rangers for the eighth and final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.
Pittsburgh picked up its most recent victory Thursday in Florida, as Tyler Kennedy had two goals to lift the Pens to a 4-1 decision over the Panthers at BankAtlantic Center.
Kris Letang scored a goal while Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves for the Penguins. Crosby, who had missed the previous four games with a strained left groin, returned to the lineup and had a goal.
Today's test marks the end of a five-game road trip for the Pens, who are 17-14-4 as the visiting club this season.
The Capitals are leading the Southeast Division by a comfortable margin with 85 points on the year, but have dropped their last three games. Washington was handed a 2-1 loss by the Maple Leafs on Thursday, as Martin Gerber made 37 saves to help lead Toronto to victory.
Alexander Semin scored, while Jose Theodore allowed two goals on 29 shots to take the loss for Washington.
Washington is 25-9-1 as the host this year, but is 0-3 so far on a four-game homestand that ends this afternoon.
<< Croatia finishes off Davis Cup rout of Chile
Porec, Croatia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Croatia won a pair of dead rubbers on
Sunday to finish off Chile in flawless 5-0 fashion in their first-round Davis
Cup affair in Porec.
Croatia won 13 of 14 sets this weekend and clinched the ti
<< Rangers try to stay hot in home test against Bruins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers aim to win three in a row for the
first time in almost two months when they welcome the Eastern Conference-
leading Boston Bruins for this afternoon's clash at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers ended
<< United concerned over Ferdinand's ankle injury
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand
is a doubt for the second leg of the Champions League knockout round tie
against Inter Milan.
The England central defender was replaced at halftime of the
<< A-Rod to have surgery on hip
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has
opted for hip surgery after all.
The team had initially decided against surgery, instead choosing rest and
rehab. However, it was revealed Sunday that Rodrig
Blackhawks welcome Avs to the Windy City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks will kick off a four-game homestand
today when they welcome the lowly Colorado Avalanche for a battle at the
United Center.
The Blackhawks have taken two of three matchups with the Avalanche this sea
Knicks, Nets square off at Meadowlands >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of teams fighting for a playoff spot get together
this evening at the Meadowlands, as the New Jersey Nets play host to the rival
New York Knicks.
New Jersey is just 1 1/2 games off the eighth and final playoff
Spurs resume homestand versus Suns >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southwest Division-leading San Antonio Spurs will
resume a four-game homestand Sunday versus the Phoenix Suns at the AT&T
Center.
The Spurs, who are two games ahead of both New Orleans and Houston
Beantown brawl: Celtics welcome Magic to town >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference get
together Sunday for an afternoon affair, as the Boston Celtics welcome the
Orlando Magic to TD Banknorth Garden.
Boston has beaten the Magic twice already
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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