Flyers try to stay alive in Game 6 vs. Bruins
Hockey Betting Lines
05/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers will try to stay alive in the Eastern Conference semifinals once again when they host the Boston Bruins tonight at Wachovia Center in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series.
The seventh-seeded Flyers lost the first three games of this set, but have stormed back with back-to-back victories to stave off elimination. If Philadelphia is able to post a third straight win tonight, the Flyers and the sixth-seeded Bruins will meet Friday in Boston for a decisive Game 7.
Philadelphia is trying to become just the third team -- and first in 35 years -- to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series. The last time it happened was in 1975, when the New York Islanders charged back to defeat Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals. The Detroit Red Wings were on the wrong end of the other 3-0 comeback, losing the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals against Toronto.
The Flyers would be just the sixth team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after being down three games to none.
After winning Game 4 in overtime on home ice, the Flyers stayed alive with a 4-0 victory in Boston on Monday. Simon Gagne scored a pair of goals while Michael Leighton returned from a long layoff and filled in for the injured Brian Boucher, helping the Flyers dominate the Bruins in Game 5 at TD Garden.
Leighton, who hadn't played since March 16 and missed almost eight weeks with a high left ankle sprain, held off the home team for the final 35:25 of the contest by stopping all 14 shots he faced.
Boucher, the starter, left early in the second period with a knee injury after making nine stops, but nonetheless received credit for the victory. Boucher was hurt when teammate Ryan Parent fell on him during a goalmouth scrum with the Bruins' Miroslav Satan 4:35 into the second period. The defenseman's full weight appeared to come down on Boucher's left leg, causing the 33-year-old to writhe in pain.
An MRI revealed that Boucher has a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, as well as an injury to his right knee, and is expected to be sidelined for a month. Leighton will get the start tonight and Johan Backlund will serve as the backup.
"Leighton, after a couple of months, comes in there and plays shutout hockey for a period and a half," Flyers forward Scott Hartnell said. "It doesn't matter who's in the pipes for us."
Ville Leino added a goal and one assist while Hartnell also tallied for the Flyers.
"It obviously feels a little bit different now," Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger said. "They're still sitting in the driver's seat, so we've got to come out with the same intensity in Game 6."
In addition to Boucher, Flyers forward Claude Giroux also suffered a shoulder injury in Game 5, but he is expected to play tonight. Giroux has five goals and four assists in 10 playoff games this year.
Tuukka Rask allowed all four goals on 31 shots in defeat for the Bruins, who suffered their first home loss of the 2010 postseason after five straight wins. Boston, which is trying to make the conference finals for the first time since 1992, was also dealt its first home playoff shutout loss since Game 2 of last year's conference semifinals against Carolina.
"They came out and slapped us in the face. Now we have to realize it's a series," Bruins forward Mark Recchi said. "We weren't on top of our game. We didn't play well. When you're not playing well, it doesn't matter who was in the net or who you're playing."
The Flyers are 3-1 at home in the playoffs and were 24-14-3 as the host during the regular season. Boston is 2-3 on the road in the postseason after recording a respectable 21-13-7 record as the guest during the regular season.
Boston and the Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 1978. Each team has won twice in the four all-time playoff series between the clubs. The Flyers won the most notable matchup, beating Boston in six games to win the Stanley Cup in 1974. The Bruins have won the last two encounters, including a five-game series win over Philly the last time clubs met in the 1978 Stanley Cup semifinals.
The Flyers and B's split four games this year in a season series that included Boston's 2-1 overtime victory in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park. Both the Bruins and Flyers had 2-1-1 records in the series.
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SPORTS BETTING
NFL Football Betting OnlineIn terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.