Sharks to pay a visit to slumping Stars

Hockey Betting Lines

03/16/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars will meet three times before the end of March. That isn't likely to help Dallas' playoff chances.

The first of those three scheduled meetings takes place tonight, as Western Conference-leading San Jose tries to snap a two-game skid this evening at American Airlines Center versus a Dallas team that has lost six of seven since the Olympic break and will be without Mike Modano.

These two Pacific Division rivals have met three times so far this year, with the Stars winning the first two in shootouts at San Jose before the Sharks earned a 4-2 victory at Dallas on Dec. 21. San Jose is 6-1-2 in its last nine versus the Stars and has also won in four straight and eight of its last nine trips to Dallas.

The Sharks will host the Stars on March 25 before visiting Dallas in the final meeting of the regular season between the clubs six days later.

The Stars will need to figure out a way to beat the Sharks at American Airlines Center if they hope to reach the playoffs. Dallas is 1-5-1 over its last seven since the break and nine points back of a postseason spot in the Western Conference.

Dallas fell to 0-1-1 on a six-game homestand with Sunday's 5-3 setback to the Colorado Avalanche, also the club's fourth loss in a row as host.

Brandon Segal registered two goals and Jamie Benn also lit the lamp for the Stars, who outshot the Avs 51-22. However, Marty Turco allowed four goals on 18 shots before being replaced by Kari Lehtonen in the second period. Lehtonen stopped three of the four shots he encountered.

"Our guys battled hard today. There's nothing wrong with our effort," said Stars head coach Marc Crawford. "We've played extremely well. We haven't given up a lot. We just came up against a hot goaltender tonight, and he was the difference maker."

With Dallas losing its third straight overall, Crawford remained stuck on 499 victories in his coaching career. He won't have Modano on the ice tonight when he tries again for win No. 500, as the American-born skater underwent an appendectomy on Monday and is out indefinitely. The 39-year-old has 13 goals and 26 points in 54 games this year, upping his career totals to 556 goals and 1,355 points.

The Sharks come to town after losing a 4-2 test in Anaheim on Sunday, as San Jose failed to secure a season series sweep of the Ducks. San Jose also lost the opener of a six-game road trip after posting a 3-1-1 homestand.

Joe Thornton and Jamie McGinn provided the offense with third-period goals for the Sharks, who fell behind by three goals after the opening 20 minutes. Evgeni Nabokov made 29 saves in the setback.

"Overall we have to play 60 minutes, and that's the bottom line," Nabokov said. "I think what killed us is the odd-man rushes against us. If you are over-thinking the games when you're losing, I think that is worse. We just have to be more cautious about that, especially in the beginning of the game. We have to play smarter."

San Jose, which has lost three of its last four on the road, still has a two- point edge over Chicago for the top seed in the West and trails Washington by five points in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.