Devils double up Rangers

Hockey Betting Lines

03/10/2010 - Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner was one of six different goal-scorers, as New Jersey doubled up the New York Rangers, 6-3, at Prudential Center.

Langenbrunner, Brian Rolston, Travis Zajac and Rob Niedermayer each had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, while Zach Parise and Bryce Salvador also lit the lamp.

Dainius Zubrus, Andy Greene and Mike Mottau each collected two helpers for the Devils, who returned from a 1-3-0 road trip to play their first home game since a 5-2 triumph over Nashville on February 12.

Martin Brodeur made 16 saves on 19 shots to earn the win, which pulls New Jersey to within three points of first-place Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Division.

Vinny Prospal, Erik Christensen and Brandon Prust scored for the Rangers, who are winless in four straight (0-2-2) and remain three points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

New York starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was relieved by Alex Auld late in the second period after allowing five goals on just 17 shots. Auld recorded nine saves the rest of the way.

Langenbrunner drifted through the low slot and redirected Mottau's shot past Lundqvist for a 4-3 New Jersey edge with 6:54 to play in the second period.

Rolston gave New Jersey its first two-goal cushion when his shot was deflected by Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi between the pads of Lundqvist with 4:41 remaining in the middle stanza.

Zajac beat Auld with a wicked slap shot to seal the win with 3:39 left in regulation.

Niedermayer jumped on a rebound in the high slot for a 1-0 Devils lead at 4:16 of the first period.

Propsal netted the equalizer 57 seconds later. Olli Jokinen slipped the puck to Marian Gaborik cutting through the middle, and he quickly dished to Prospal at the far post for an easy tap-in.

New Jersey regained the lead when Salvador's one-timer from the right point deflected in off a Rangers player's stick with 1:43 to play in the opening frame.

Christensen evened things up at the five-minute mark of the second period. The Devils then led for the third time in the game when Parise buried a loose puck to Lundqvist's left for a power-play tally at 8:38.

Once again, New York had a rebuttal, tying the game just 37 seconds on a goal by Prust.

Game Notes

Langenbrunner reached the 600-point plateau with the secondary assist on Salvador's goal...Zajac has 21 goals this season, a new personal best...Prust appeared in his 100th NHL game...New Jersey has won three of the five meetings with the Rangers this season...The Devils improved to 21-9-1 as the host, while New York fell to 15-14-3 on the road.

Wwwmacauslot Hockey Betting News

<< Fleischmann, Capitals edge Hurricanes in overtime
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Fleischmann scored with 1:40 remaining in overtime to lift the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Verizon Center. In the extra session, Fleischmann hamme

<< Sabres continue winning ways against Stars
Buffalo, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thomas Vanek scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second period, as the Buffalo Sabres continued their recent dominance over the Dallas Stars with a 5-3 victory at HSBC Arena. The Sabres have

<< Bobcats handle Sixers
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gerald Wallace led all scorers with 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting to push the Charlotte Bobcats past the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-87, at the Wachovia Center. Stephen Jackson added 24 points and 10 reb

<< Ravens re-sign WR Mason
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens have agreed in principle on terms of a two-year contract with veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason. Mason became an unrestricted free agent after his five-year contract with t

<< Rams re-sign TE Fells
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Rams re-signed tight end Daniel Fells on Wednesday. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fells became a restricted free agent last Friday. The tight end caught 21

Jazz continue mastery of Pistons >>
Auburn Hills, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Deron Williams paced a balanced attack with 18 points and 12 assists, and the Utah Jazz trounced the Detroit Pistons, 115-104, at the Palace at Auburn Hills. Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap each added 18

Road warriors: Grizzlies run road streak to seven with rout in Boston >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rudy Gay led a potent Memphis attack with 28 points, as the Grizzlies' ran their road winning streak to seven games with a convincing 111-91 win over the Celtics. O.J. Mayo notched 17 points, and Marcus Wil

Robert Morris wins second straight Northeast Conference title >>
Hamden, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Karon Abraham scored 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and Robert Morris secured its second straight Northeast Conference Tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament with a thrilling 52-50 w

Billups, Nuggets send T'Wolves to seventh straight loss >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chauncey Billups delivered 25 points to lead Denver in a 110-102 final over Minnesota at the Target Center. Carmelo Anthony recorded 19 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Nuggets, who wo

Red-hot Thunder dominate Hornets >>
Oklahoma City, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Durant scored a team-high 29 points to lead the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder to a decisive 98-83 win over the New Orleans Hornets at Ford Center. Russell Westbrook had a near-triple double with

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.

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.