Panthers add depth at defense with Weaver signing

Hockey Betting Lines

08/03/2010 - Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers agreed to terms with defenseman Mike Weaver on a two-year contract Tuesday.

"Mike is a hard working, high character defenseman who averaged nearly 17 minutes of ice time per game last season," said Panthers GM Dale Tallon. "He is a good penalty killer who adds further depth to our blue line."

Weaver posted a goal and 10 points in 77 games with the St. Louis Blues last season, his second with the club.

Since breaking into the league with Atlanta during the 2001-02 season, the stay-at-home backliner has compiled four goals and 42 points in 339 games with the Thrashers, Kings, Canucks and Blues.

Freepono Hockey Betting News

<< This Week in Auto Racing August 6 - 8
Watkins Glen, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It will be an enjoyable weekend of road course racing in both NASCAR and the IZOD IndyCar Series. The Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series wind their way through Watkins Glen, NY. The Camping World Truck S

<< Team USA coach D'Antoni to miss Worlds
Colorado Springs, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - USA Basketball Men's National Team assistant coach Mike D'Antoni will miss the FIBA World Championship in Turkey because of back problems. The Knicks head coach will assist the team in New York f

<< Nuggets restructuring front office
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets announced Tuesday that the contracts of executives Rex Chapman and Mark Warkentien will not be extended for the 2010-11 NBA season. Warkentien became the Nuggets' vice president of ba

<< Vols' Walls, King reinstated from suspension
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley announced Tuesday at a press conference that defensive tackle Marlon Walls and linebacker Greg King were reporting back to the team. The sophomo

<< BoSox disable Youkilis, activate Lowell
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox on Tuesday placed infielder Kevin Youkilis on the 15-day disabled list and activated third baseman Mike Lowell from the DL. The Boston Globe reported that Youkilis suffered

Heat visit Celtics in NBA opener, LA on Christmas >>
NEW YORK (AP) -The NBA will open its season with a battle of Big Threes, then offer up the new-look Miami Heat against Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day.The Heat will debut their All-Star trio of Dwyane Wade,

Stewart looking to master The Glen again >>
Watkins Glen, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Sunday, August 8. Race: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen. Site: Watkins Glen International. Track: 2.45-mile road course. Start time: 1:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 90. Miles:

Rangers to be put to auction Wednesday >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers will be formally put up for auction Wednesday morning at 8:30 am (ct) in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Ft. Worth. There are three known bidders and the winner will then have to be approved

Ambrose aiming for Watkins Glen trifecta >>
Watkins Glen, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday, August 7. Race: Zippo 200. Site: Watkins Glen International. Track: 2.45-mile road course. Start time: 2:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 82. Miles: 200.9. 2009 winner: Marcos Am

Trucks make second trip to Nashville this season >>
Lebanon, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck. Date: Saturday, August 7. Race: Nashville 200. Site: Nashville Superspeedway. Track: 1.333-mile concrete surfaced oval. Start time: 9:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 150. Miles: 200. 2009 w

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard