Bruins shoot for seventh straight win in visit to Carolina

Hockey Betting Lines

12/27/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins will aim for their seventh consecutive victory when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes for this evening's matchup at RBC Center.

The Bruins, who lead the Eastern Conference and Southeast Division with 54 points, haven't lost since falling at Washington on December 10. In addition to winning six straight, Boston has also posted a 20-2-1 record in its last 23 outings.

Boston is 2-0 so far on a five-game road trip that will keep the team busy for the rest of the calendar year. The Bruins are 12-4-3 as the visiting club and have won three straight and five of their last six on the road. Boston will visit Atlanta on Sunday before stopping in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The most-recent victory for the Bruins came Tuesday evening at New Jersey. Tim Thomas made 25 saves for his third shutout of the season, as Boston notched a 2-0 win over the Devils at the Prudential Center.

Milan Lucic and David Krejci lit the lamp for the Bruins. Phil Kessel, who was sporting an NHL-best 18-game point streak coming into the game, was held pointless in the victory.

Lucic is now tied for the longest point streak in the NHL at eight games, while Krejci has reached the scoresheet in six straight tests. Todd White of Atlanta also has an eight-game point streak.

Carolina won for the second time in three games on Friday night, as they edged the Thrashers in Atlanta. Eric Staal's third-period hat trick helped the Hurricanes overtake Atlanta, 5-4, at Philips Arena.

Staal scored his first goal of the game at 7:27 of the third period to knot the score at 3-3. After Bryan Little gave Atlanta a 4-3 edge, Staal then scored two more goals in a span of just over one minute around the midway point of the period to put the 'Canes ahead for good.

Chad LaRose and Patrick Eaves notched the other two goals for the Hurricanes, who have earned points in eight of their last 10 games, going 5-2-3 during that span.

Ray Whitney collected three assists, while Cam Ward made 27 saves to pick up his 12th win of the season. Whitney has recorded a point in five straight games and has two goals and seven helpers during the run.

This evening's test marks the first of a three-game homestand for the Hurricanes, who are 9-8-1 as the host this year. Carolina has won three in a row on home ice after dropping its previous five tests in Raleigh.

Boston earned a 4-2 home win over the Hurricanes on December 20 in the first of four meetings between the clubs this year. The Bruins have won the last two encounters, but Carolina has still taken six of nine matchups in the series. The Bruins have won two of their last three games in Raleigh.

Nflventureonline Hockey Betting News

<< Habs, Pens meet in the Steel City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens will kick off a four-game road trip when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for this evening's battle at Mellon Arena. The Canadiens have played just one road game so far in December and that was a

<< Isles visit Sabres, aim for consecutive wins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off their first win in December, the New York Islanders will try for back-to-back victories when they visit the Buffalo Sabres for tonight's matchup at HSBC Arena. The Islanders ended their longest losing streak in 1

<< Rolling Magic pay a visit to Minnesota
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The streaking Orlando Magic shoot for their seventh straight win Saturday when they begin a three-game road trip against the hapless Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Magic finished a perfect

<< Hawks continue homestand with Bulls
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks resume a season-long eight-game homestand Saturday when they welcome the Chicago Bulls to Philips Arena. The Hawks improved to 5-1 on the residency Tuesday when Joe Johnson recorded his second career

<< Bobcats welcome Nets down south
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats will try to extend their winning streak to a season high three straight games tonight when they welcome the New Jersey Nets to town in the back end of a home-and-home set. The Bobcats will also h

Sliding Blue Jackets welcome Flyers to town >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets will try to avoid a fourth straight loss and snap a lengthy scoreless drought when they invite the Philadelphia Flyers for tonight's interconference matchup at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets h

Rangers, Devils tangle at MSG >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers will try to avoid losing three straight games for the first time this season when they welcome the rival New Jersey Devils for an Atlantic Division showdown at Madison Square Garden. The Devils and Ran

Bolts host Panthers in home-and-home finale >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will shoot for a home-and-home sweep as well as their third consecutive victory overall when they welcome the Florida Panthers for a battle at St. Pete Times Forum. The Lightning edged Florida in a

Stars begin homestand vs. Ducks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off their best offensive output of the year, the last-place Dallas Stars begin a three-game homestand tonight against the visiting Anaheim Ducks at American Airlines Center. Just one season removed from a Western Co

Sharks try to continue dominance of Blues >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Though the San Jose Sharks have been most vulnerable on the road this year, they haven't had much trouble winning in St. Louis as of late. They will try to extend their winning streak in the Gateway City to eight games tonigh

2007 online football betting Preview

My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."

The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.

To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.

However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.

Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.

Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.

Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.

2007 College Football Betting Preview

There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.

The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.

So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.

USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.

USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.

Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.

That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.

The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"

The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.

Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.

Las Vegas Sports Lines

The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.

It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."

The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.

The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.

Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.

After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.

To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.