Kessel's streak ends, but Bruins blank Devils
Hockey Betting Lines
12/23/2008 - Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Thomas made 25 saves for his third shutout of the season, as Boston continued to roll with a 2-0 win over New Jersey at the Prudential Center.
Milan Lucic and David Krejci lit the lamp for the Bruins, who have won six games in a row and 10 of the last 11 and sport the best record in the Eastern Conference at 25-5-4.
Phil Kessel, who was sporting an NHL-best 18-game point streak coming into the game, was held pointless in the victory.
Scott Clemmensen stopped 22-of-23 shots in defeat for the Devils, who had their three-game win streak snapped.
Lucic alertly gathered in the rebound of a Zdeno Chara shot and slid it through Clemmensen's pads 49 seconds into the third period for a 1-0 Boston lead.
Krejci capped the victory on an empty-net goal with 48 seconds remaining.
In a scoreless first period, Thomas and Clemmensen were equal with nine saves apiece.
Thomas kept the game scoreless with 4:09 remaining in the second period on his best save of the contest.
Jamie Langenbrunner broke down the right wing on a 2-on-1, and his shot from the circle was kicked out but right to a streaking Patrik Elias on the left side. His own rebound poke toward an open net was thwarted, as Thomas dove out and smothered the shot with his stick.
Game Notes
For Thomas, it was his 10th career whitewash...New Jersey was shut out for the second time this season and first time since November 3.
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Howard had 19 points and 14 rebounds as the Butler Bulldogs upset the 14th-ranked Xavier Musketeers, 74-65, at Cintas Center. Gordon Hayward had 19 points and 10 rebounds while Willie Veasley added
<< Quick leads Kings to victory over Blue Jackets
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Quick made 24 saves to pick up his
first career shutout, as the Los Angeles Kings snapped a four-game losing
streak with a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Quick, a third-round choice
<< Jazz F Millsap leaves game vs. Bucks
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap left Tuesday's
game against the Milwaukee Bucks after suffering a left knee injury.
With 3:47 left in the opening quarter, Millsap was involved in a collision
with Bucks g
<< Boca wins 23rd Argentine title
Avellaneda, Argentina (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Leandro Lazzaro scored a 67th minute
goal for Tigre, but it wasn't enough for its first Argentine title as Boca
Juniors held on for its 23rd Argentine Championship on Tuesday at Presidente
Peron.
<< Pacers' Granger returns; Murphy, Daniels still sidelined
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Indiana's Danny Granger, who missed the
previous two games with a viral infection, was in the starting lineup against
the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday.
Teammates Troy Murphy and Marquis Daniels missed t
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Johnson recorded his second career triple- double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 99-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Philips Arena. Marvin Williams
Okafor, Bobcats use late push to beat Wizards >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Emeka Okafor led the way for Charlotte with
29 points and 18 rebounds, as the Bobcats pulled away late to beat the
Wizards, 80-72.
Gerald Wallace added 16 points and eight boards for the Bobcats, w
Gagne, Flyers down Senators >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Simon Gagne had a goal and an assist as
the Philadelphia Flyers downed the Ottawa Senators, 6-4, at Wachovia Center.
Matt Carle, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Andreas Nodl and Joffrey Lupul each
had a
Little, Thrashers send Islanders to 10th straight loss >>
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bryan Little scored twice, including the go-
ahead power-play tally in the third period, as the Atlanta Thrashers beat New
York, 4-2, sending the Islanders to their 10th consecutive defeat.
Mathieu Schneid
Harris gives Nets victory over Pacers >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Devin Harris's 22-footer at the buzzer
gave the New Jersey Nets a dramatic 108-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Harris finished with 29 points and 11 assists, while Vince Carter logged 38
points
Betting Football
NFL Football Betting OnlineIs there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.