Senators edge Sabres in rematch of fight-filled contest

Hockey Betting Lines

02/25/2007 - Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Spezza's second goal of the game was the difference, as the Ottawa Senators edged the Buffalo Sabres, 6-5, in a high- scoring but sedate affair between these two bitter division rivals at Scotiabank Place.

Dany Heatley picked up a goal and two assists for the Senators, who won for the sixth time in seven games. Daniel Alfredsson recorded a goal and an assist, Wade Redden, Dany Heatley and Mike Fisher all posted a pair of helpers, and both Chris Kelly and Christoph Schubert lit the lamp.

Ray Emery looked shaky at times, but picked up the win by making 31 saves.

Henrik Tallinder recorded his first two-goal NHL game for the Sabres, who lost for just the second time in their last eight. Thomas Vanek had a goal and an assist, Drew Stafford and Daniel Briere notched a pair of assists each, while Jason Pominville and Derek Roy also tallied.

Martin Biron stopped 12-of-16 shots before exiting the game. Ryan Miller was saddled with the loss despite giving up two goals on 21 shots in relief.

Having seen the Sabres erase a three-goal deficit, Ottawa took a 6-5 lead with a lucky bounce while on the man-advantage with 4:07 left in regulation, when Miller whiffed when trying to bat down a dump-in behind his net. The puck ticked off Heatley and caromed right to Spezza, who slammed the disc into the open cage.

Miller did not get to the bench for an extra attacker until 42 seconds remained, and the Sabres could not fire off a quality chance until just before the buzzer.

Down by two with 20 minutes to play, the Sabres worked to get within 4-3 as Pominville managed to push the puck, trapped beneath Emery's blocker, over the goal line at the 38 second mark. The goal was made possible by Briere's fall through the crease which allowed the puck to squirt loose.

However, Alfredsson responded to restore Ottawa's two-goal lead at 2:34 by sliding the puck through Miller from the left side of the crease.

Still scrapping, the Sabres made it 5-4 at 7:11 when Briere tapped home a puck that Vanek managed to push through Emery on a stuffer try from the right side.

The comeback was complete when Tallinder's point shot with 8:25 to go sailed past a screened Emery, but the Sabres could not overcome Miller's gaffe and the Senators skated away with a win to split the home-and-home series.

Playing without Chris Drury, who is sidelined indefinitely after suffering concussion-like symptoms due to Chris Neil's hit on Thursday, Buffalo started the contest on an up note.

Tallinder put the Sabres up 1-0, finishing a give-and-go 2:27 into the contest. Stafford stripped a Senator in the offensive zone and dished to Tallinder, got it back in the slot, and whipped it back to the Swede who hit a wide-open net.

Spezza answered with 5:16 left in the period, rifling home a shot off Heatley's lead pass while Neil served a slashing penalty.

Vanek was awarded a penalty shot 2:09 into the second, but his bid to tie the game on the free shot went well wide of the cage.

With 6:12 played in second, after Heatley slipped a low wrister through Biron's five-hole from the left faceoff dot for a power-play goal, it was 2-1 Ottawa, and things heated up as Roy threw a punch at Sens' forward Mike Comrie after the goal.

Cooler heads prevailed, and it was 3-1 Ottawa at 7:13. Fisher led a 4-on-2 rush off a Buffalo turnover, dished to Alfredsson who faked a shot in the slot, then fed Schubert on the left side, and he lifted the puck over the fallen Sabres netminder.

Kelly upped the lead to 4-1 on a four-on-four situation as he collected Vanek's neutral-zone turnover, skated in, and sent a rising backhander under the crossbar. The goal, coming at 8:03, spelled the end of Biron's night in favor of Miller.

Buffalo received a gift courtesy of some spotty puckhandling by Emery. On the power play, the combative goaltender misplayed a clearing try right to Vanek, who immediately dished to Roy in front to make it a 4-2 contest with 4:27 left. The two-goal lead would stand for the Senators until a spirited third period.

Game Notes

Ottawa won the season series, 5-2-1...136 penalty minutes were assessed in Thursday's contest, and 21 penalties resulting in 54 minutes were called on Saturday as NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell was in attendance...Senators forward Brian McGrattan dressed for the game, his first action in 10 contests, and tussled with Sabres forward Andrew Peters 3:44 into the second period...Ottawa scored twice in seven power-play chances, while Buffalo hit the net once in seven tries.

Rouelette Hockey Betting News

<< Hopson, Cougars edge Beavers
Corvallis, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mac Hopson scored on a jump shot with 35.5 seconds left, as the ninth- ranked Washington State Cougars, fresh off a disappointing loss, bounced back to top the Oregon State Beavers, 58-54, in a Pac-10

<< Thrashers get Zhitnik from Philly
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers acquired defenseman Alexei Zhitnik from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Braydon Coburn on Saturday. Zhitnik, a two-time All-Star, has notched 23 points (five goa

<< Parker, Spurs blitz SuperSonics
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Parker scored 21 points as San Antonio blitzed Seattle, 102-71, at the AT&T Center. Robert Horry added 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting off the bench for the streaking Spurs, who won their fift

<< Kenseth wins another one for Roush
Fontana, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Kenseth outlasted Casey Mears to capture Saturday's Stater Bros. 300 Busch Series race at the California Speedway. The No.17 Jack Roush Ford crossed the finish line 0.896 seconds ahead of Mears for Roush R

<< Toronto knocks off dreadful Philly
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff O'Neill and Alex Steen both had a goal and an assist, as the Toronto Maple Leafs got back on the winning track with a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center. Chad Kilger, M

Report: Denver's Nash dead at 24 >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver backup running back Damien Nash died after a charity basketball event in St. Louis on Saturday. According to the Denver Post, officials at Christian Hospital reported that Nash was pronounced

Marquette sets school record with win over South Florida >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Christina Quaye scored 26 points and Krystal Ellis added 21 to lead No. 19 Marquette to a 75-63 victory over South Florida Efueko Osagie-Landry had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Golden Eagles (23-5

Bucks snap skid by downing Sixers >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maurice Williams and Michael Redd scored 26 points apiece as the Milwaukee Bucks crushed the Philadelphia 76ers, 109-90, at the Bradley Center. Charlie Bell added 13 points for the Bucks, who snapped a

Forsberg's OT tally gives Nashville win over Detroit >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peter Forsberg's goal 2:11 into overtime led the Nashville Predators over the Detroit Red Wings, 4-3, at Gaylord Entertainment Center. Forsberg posted a goal and an assist for the Predators, who w

Falker leads Southern Illinois past Evansville >>
Carbondale, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Randal Falker posted a career-high 30 points and had seven rebounds to lead 13th-ranked Southern Illinois over Evansville, 76-69, in the regular-season finale for both teams at SIU Arena. Tony Young poured

MySportsbook features easy-to-use online betting software that’s the most reliable in the industry. If you’re looking to bet underdogs, then this Sportsbook is the place - we have the best betting lines in the business. MySportsbook is your one-stop shop for all your betting needs - sports betting, poker, casino, and horse betting . MySportsbook offers every bet type with lightning fast settlement of wagers. Take advantage of free statistical analysis - including against-the-spread and straight-up trends - in MySportsbook’s game previews section. With MySportsbook there are unlimited free deposits and payouts - and no transaction fees!

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

MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?

Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite.  Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight.  With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites.  As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).

Midwest

#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler

The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April.  Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT.  After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games.  Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season.  As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers.  Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS).  Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field.  With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.

#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV

As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year.  If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season.  As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well.  This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons.  Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late.  There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games.  It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.

East

#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown

“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season.  Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU.  They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games.  With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field.  Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense.  Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc.  The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range.  Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.

#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC

The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country.  Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times.  Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter.  UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen.  UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS.  An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games.  This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS.  USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types.  An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough.  USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS.  They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12.  When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards

About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.