Gainey and Habs try to build momentum against Isles

Hockey Betting Lines

03/12/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A sudden coaching change produced an instant boost for the Montreal Canadiens. The embattled club will now try to build off that encouraging victory when the New York Islanders invade the Bell Centre this evening.

Just one day after general manager Bob Gainey replaced Guy Carbonneau with himself behind the bench, the Canadiens rallied behind captain Saku Koivu to overtake the visiting Edmonton Oilers in overtime on Tuesday.

Koivu scored the game-tying goal with 4:35 remaining in regulation, then later netted the winning marker on a power-play opportunity 1:40 into extra time to give the Habs a thrilling 4-3 victory.

The win followed Sunday's 3-1 road ousting of Dallas in Carbonneau's final game and was the sixth in eight tries for Montreal. The surge has the Canadiens fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 79 points, although only three points separate the team from the ninth-place New York Rangers.

The Canadiens appear to have an opportunity to distance themselves from the pack, as Tuesday's contest was the first of nine home tilts over a 10-game stretch. Montreal has posted an excellent 21-6-4 record as the host this season and has won four in a row on home ice.

The Islanders did defeat the Habs in their previous trip to the Bell Centre this season, however, having earned a 4-3 shootout win there on November 24. New York had lost six straight times to Montreal prior to that breakthrough, though, and are 2-7-0 over their last seven games as the visitor in this series.

In addition, the Islanders come in on a seven-game road losing streak and are a woeful 6-23-3 away from home on the season. The team has dropped 21 of its last 22 matchups in enemy arenas (1-19-2).

New York's road woes continued with Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss at Toronto, in which the Islanders failed to hold onto a one-goal edge after two periods.

Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau scored 45 seconds apart in the first period for the lone New York goals, while Joey McDonald made 25 saves in a losing cause.

Comeau is riding a five-game scoring streak and has tallied three goals and three assists during the run, while Okposo -- the seventh overall selection in the 2006 draft -- has a goal in three consecutive games.

The Islanders had won four of their last five tests prior to Tuesday's defeat and had a two-game win streak halted by the Maple Leafs.

Freepono Hockey Betting News

<< Devils welcome Coyotes to Garden State
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first-place New Jersey Devils will face one of the bottom teams in the Western Conference tonight, as they host the Phoenix Coyotes at Prudential Center. With 89 points, the Devils have a seven-point lead over Philadel

<< Playoff-hopeful Sabres, Panthers clash in Buffalo
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A key battle in the Eastern Conference playoff race is on tap tonight in Buffalo, as the struggling Sabres host the Florida Panthers tonight at HSBC Arena. The Panthers are currently last among the eight playoff seeds in t

<< Lightning slide into Toronto
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning are hoping a matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs will enable them to break out of their current slide. The team aims for its fourth straight win over the Leafs when it visits the Air Canada Centre thi

<< Struggling Bruins aim to snap Sens' win streak
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The struggling Boston Bruins will try to avoid a third consecutive defeat when they host the streaking Ottawa Senators in tonight's Northeast Division battle at TD Banknorth Garden. Boston is coming off consecutive losses

<< Flames visit Red Wings for battle between division leaders
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Western Conference division leaders face off tonight in the Motor City, where the reigning Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings will attempt to maintain their recent mastery of the slumping Calgary Flames. Alt

Caps aim for consecutive wins in test with Flyers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Capitals will try to post back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly two weeks when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers for tonight's Eastern Conference showdown at the Wachovia Center. The Capitals are f

Rangers visit Preds for matchup between playoff hopefuls >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators have crept back into playoff contention on the strength of recent strong play on home ice, while lingering road troubles have the New York Rangers falling back in the postseason race. The Rangers ho

Penguins try for eighth straight win in battle with Blue Jackets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The scorching Pittsburgh Penguins will shoot for their eighth consecutive victory when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets for tonight's interconference clash at Nationwide Arena. Pittsburgh is in the midst of its longest

Wild open trip against sliding Avs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The playoff-hopeful Minnesota Wild begin a three-game road trip tonight with a stop in Denver to take on the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. The Wild are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tue

Thrashers shoot for rare win in Edmonton >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers aim for just their second win ever in Edmonton in tonight's battle with the Oilers at Rexall Place. Since joining the NHL as an expansion club prior to the 1999-2000 season, the Thrashers have made fi

You've come to the right place if you're searching for a great legal online sportsbook ! The sportsbooks featured on this page accept sports wagers for the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAA, Tennis, Soccer, Auto-Racing, Golf, Boxing, Horseracing, and many more. Using the information displayed on this page, you'll be able to make a wise-decision when selecting an online sportsbook and wagering service.

If you've never wagered at an online sportsbook before, you will find the process of starting to be straightforward. First, you choose a sportsbook from the list provided below. We feature the top sportsbooks on the web, with rankings based on company size, reputation, security, web site usability, and payment options. Once you've chosen the betting site that's right for you, the next step is online registration. You'll need to provide some basic information to create your account and receive a username and password. At this time, you'll also select a payment option. The books reviewed accept Visa, Mastercard, BankWire, and several others. Once you have an account created with the Sportsbook, you're ready to start wagering. You'll want to get familiar with their website and contact their Customer Service department if you have any questions.

Also, make sure you read the terms and conditions, which is usually located at the bottom of the homepage. The terms and conditions will outline all of the rules and regulations for the sportsbook. Once you are comfortable with the website and fully understand all of the rules, you are ready to start betting on your favorite sports teams or even on some hot current events!

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

2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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