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12/21/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins are one of the top home teams in the NHL this year but will close out 2008 on a five-game road trip. They begin that swing this evening in St. Louis, where they take on the Blues at Scottrade Center.
St. Louis wouldn't be Boston's first choice to start a lengthy swing, as it hasn't won there since the 1995 season, having dropped seven in a row (0-2-5) since a 7-4 victory on October 17 of that year.
The Bruins have also lost seven straight overall versus the Blues, with their last win in the series coming at home on January 30, 2001. St. Louis is 12-1 with a pair of ties in its last 15 versus the Bruins.
Boston knocked off Carolina, 4-2, on Saturday night for its fourth straight win overall and ninth in the last 10 games. It was also the Bruins' 13th straight victory at home, where they are 13-1-1 this season. It is their longest winning run as the host since a 16-game burst during the 1975-76 season.
The club is also a solid 10-4-3 as the road team, having won three of their last four games as the visitor. Boston will also visit New Jersey, Carolina, Atlanta and Pittsburgh on the swing and won't return home until New Year's Day.
David Krejci and Shawn Thornton scored third-period goals to lift the Bruins over the Hurricanes at TD Banknorth Garden. Marc Savard also scored and Stephane Yelle added an empty-net goal, while Manny Fernandez stopped 32 shots in the victory, which gave the Bruins an Eastern Conference-best 50 points on the season.
Phil Kessel had a goal waived off due to a high stick, but managed an assist to extend his points streak to an NHL-best 17 games. He has 14 goals and 12 assists on the streak, which ties Ray Bourque for the fifth-longest in team history and is the longest for the Bruins since Adam Oates' 20-game streak in 1997.
However, after again placing Marco Strum on injured reserve due to a lower- body injury Saturday, Patrick Bergeron left the game in the second period due to head injury following an open-ice collision. Bergeron, who has four goals and 14 assists in 31 games this year, missed all but 10 games a season ago due to a head injury.
Sparked by the return of Manny Legace, the Blues avoided matching their longest losing streak of the season with a 4-2 win versus Minnesota. Returning from a four-game absence due to a concussion, Legace halted 24 shots in the victory.
Roman Polak registered a goal -- his first in the NHL -- and an assist, while Patrik Berglund and David Backes also scored for the Blues, who halted a five- game skid. Jay McClement scored an empty-net marker in the waning seconds to seal the win.
St. Louis fell one loss shy of matching a six-game skid from October 30- November 12 and will aim for back-to-back wins for the first time since December 6-8.
The Blues have now three of their last four at home and are 8-6-2 as the host this year. Following a visit to Detroit on Tuesday, St. Louis will close out 2008 with a three-game homestand.
<< Avalanche end road trip with test versus Panthers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Avalanche conclude a four-game road trip this
evening against a team they have had much road success against, as they visit
the Florida Panthers and BankAtlantic Center.
The Avalanche began the eastern trek wi
<< Mavs visit Wizards
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Mavericks conclude a three-game road trip on
Sunday when they arrive in the nation's capital to take on the hapless
Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.
The Mavs fell to 1-1 on the trek Friday when Devin Ha
<< Cavs meet hapless Thunder in Oklahoma City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oklahoma City Thunder have a tough task if they
hope to build on their first win in three weeks. The Thunder will welcome the
22-4 Central Division-leading Cleveland Cavaliers to the Ford Center on
Sunday.
The Thunder
<< Flyers pay afternoon visit to Devils
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers will attempt to post back-to-back
wins in New Jersey for the first time since the 2001-02 season, as they visit
the Devils today at the Prudential Center.
The Flyers and Devils began their six-game
Kovalev, Canadiens host Hurricanes >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A three-time 30-goal scorer, Montreal's Alex Kovalev is
showing signs of breaking out of his scoring slump. Kovalev aims to light the
lamp for a fourth straight game tonight, as the Canadiens host the Carolina
Hurricanes at t
Ajax thrashes Graafschap >>
Doetinchem, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ajax kept pace with league-leaders
AZ Alkmaar on Sunday as Dario Cvitanich and Luis Suarez scored two goals
apiece in a 6-0 pounding of Graafschap at De Vijverberg.
Cvitanich and Miralem Su
Celtic surges late to maintain four-point edge >>
Falkirk, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic restored its four-point lead atop
the Scottish Premier League table on Sunday as the Hoops scored three times in
the second half, including two in stoppage time, to beat Falkirk, 3-0 at
Falkirk
Sterne wins again, beats Maybin in playoff >>
Paarl, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Richard Sterne is peaking.
The 27-year-old South African birdied the first playoff hole on Sunday to beat
Gareth Maybin and win the South African Open Championship -- his fifth
European Tour vic
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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