Phoenix Replaces Columbus Into Buffalo

Hockey Betting Lines

Sabres forward Thomas Vanek, who leads Buffalo with 19 goals and is second on the club with 40 points, left Tuesday's tilt with an illness and is questionable for tonight.

 

Phoenix has lost eight of its last 10 games, but has points in four straight. Following an overtime loss at Los Angeles and a victory over the Islanders, the Coyotes have dropped shootouts to the Rangers and Red Wings. The 3-2 loss to Detroit came last night in the middle portion of a three-game road trip.

 

Radim Vrbata netted his team-leading 21st goal, Taylor Pyatt also scored and Mike Smith made 40 saves. Phoenix is 11th overall in the West with 47 points, three back of a playoff spot.

 

The Blue Jackets fired head coach Scott Arniel on Monday and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Blackhawks on Tuesday under interim head coach Todd Richards. R.J. Umberger and Antoine Vermette scored the goals and Curtis Sanford gave up four goals on 24 shots.

 

"There were some good things and some things we have to work on. Our defensive zone, around the net, we gave up some easy goals there," said Richards. "It's been a tough couple days but we hung in there. We're heading home and after a day of rest and practice tomorrow will do us good for the weekend."

 

Umberger extended his club record of 288 consecutive games played on Tuesday, but that run will come to an end tonight after he left practice on Thursday with concussion-like symptoms. Umberger took an elbow to the head at Anaheim on Sunday, but played the entire game on Tuesday.

 

The Coyotes and Blue Jackets are meeting for the first time this season after Phoenix took three of four encounters a season ago. The Coyotes have won six of seven and 10 of the last 12 meetings overall, but did have a six-game winning streak at Columbus end in the last meeting there on Feb. 25, 2011.

 

The Caps look to deal the Bolts a sixth straight setback this evening and close the gap even further in the Southeast Division.

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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.

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