Sliding Ducks host Predators

Hockey Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks aim for their first win in nearly a month tonight when they host a Nashville Predators club that is struggling to hold onto one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference.

The Ducks have dropped four straight (0-3-1) since the Olympic break, meaning they haven't won a game since February 14. Anaheim will try tonight to avoid matching its longest losing streak of the season, an 0-2-3 stumble from November 29-December 6.

The Ducks began their current seven-game homestand at Honda Center with a shootout loss to Montreal on Sunday prior to Tuesday's 5-2 setback in Columbus on Tuesday.

Anaheim trailed 3-0 going into the third period before goals by Lubomir Visnovsky and Ryan Getzlaf in the frame pulled it within one. However, the Ducks failed to get any closer.

Jonas Hiller allowed three goals on 20 shots but was pulled in the second period. Curtis McElhinney, who was acquired last week from Calgary for Vesa Toskala, made his debut with the Ducks and turned aside seven shots in relief.

Anaheim, which was without Teemu Selanne because of flu-like symptoms, lost for the third straight time at home since a franchise-record 11-game home winning streak and have fallen nine points behind Nashville and Calgary for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.

"You can't come out of a break looking for a playoff run and then drop four straight," said Bobby Ryan, who had two assists. "It's unacceptable."

Nashville will look to take advantage of slumping Anaheim tonight in an effort to strengthen its playoff bid. The Predators have lost three of their last four and are a mere one point up on the ninth-seeded Red Wings in the standings.

The Preds were in San Jose last night and took a two-goal lead into the third period before getting outscored 6-1 in the final frame on the way to an 8-5 setback.

Patric Hornqvist and J.P. Dumont each had two goals for Nashville, while Dan Ellis was victimized for six goals on 23 shots before he was relieved by Pekka Rinne late in the third. Rinne faced only two shots and yielded the goal to Marleau.

"There were sort of horrendous things that happened," said Preds head coach Barry Trotz. "The goaltender misplays the puck and they get it, then we come back and show come character and tie it, 5-5. Then a really bad goal for the sixth, and that sort of destroyed us at that point."

Nashville fell to 1-1 on a four-game road trip while losing for the eighth time in its last 11 games as the guest.

The Ducks have won two of three versus the Predators this year as well as six of nine and eight of the last 12 meetings. Nashville has also dropped two straight and eight of its last nine in Anaheim.

Lotteruamerica Hockey Betting News

<< Bobcats continue push towards postseason, host Clippers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats aim to maintain their recent winning ways and further solidify their postseason hopes in tonight's clash with a Los Angeles Clippers team that'll be seeking to end a five-game slide when it pays a visit

<< Celtics try to stop skid in home tilt with Pacers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics will be attempting to avoid a third straight loss when the Atlantic Division leaders host the road-challenged Indiana Pacers tonight at TD Garden. Boston followed up a two-point setback at red

<< Rangers and Thrashers both try to end slides in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of four-game losing streaks have made a possible road to the postseason a bit harder for the Rangers and Thrashers. Only one team will be able to reverse its misfortunes tonight. Atlanta will try to sweep the season

<< Playoff-bound Cavs make a stop in south Philly
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A large lead atop the Central Division and playoff berth already sewed up has allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to give LeBron James some rest for the stretch run. The reigning NBA MVP is expected to return from his two-gam

<< Spurs, Wolves square off in Twin Cities
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to continue their mastery of the Minnesota Timberwolves when the two Western Conference inhabitants get together tonight at the Target Center. San Antonio has won 10 straight and 15 of the pa

Bucks, Jazz to square off in battle of surging clubs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the NBA's hottest teams clash in Brew City tonight as the Utah Jazz pay a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Jazz won their fourth straight contest and improved to 2-0 on a four-game road trip Wednesday in Auburn Hil

Stars return home to face Williams and Kings >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Stars haven't done much to further their playoff chances since the Olympic break, but an upcoming six-game homestand for a team that has been strong this year as the host could do the trick. Dallas begins that residenc

Lakers visit Phoenix for key Pacific showdown >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The two top teams in the Pacific Division meet for the last time in the regular season tonight, when the second-place Phoenix Suns welcome the front-running Los Angeles Lakers to the U.S. Airways Center. The defending NBA

Pistons resume homestand with visit from Wizards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Eastern Conference also-rans continue playing out the string tonight in Auburn Hills, where the Detroit Pistons play host to the Washington Wizards. The Pistons fell to 1-1 on a three-game homestand Wednesday, wh

Bulls, Heat set to battle in Miami >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of teams battling for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference square off tonight at Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena, where the surging Heat continue an important homestand by taking on the slumping Chicago Bulls.

Football Betting Sportsbook Accepts Credit Cards

Michael Vick is back, Brett Favre isn't and the NFC East remains the best division in the NFC, maybe in all of football.

As players start to gather for the start of another season, some things change and some stay the same in the world of the NFL.

Bet 2010 Super Bowl Odds

The NFC East has been the dominant division in the National Conference for a while, despite limited playoff success, save for the New York Giants surprise Super Bowl win two seasons ago.

Hell, there's a generation of kids in Texas who have never seen the Cowboys win a playoff game (last win was in 1996).

But collectively, the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins (well, maybe not so much the Redskins) are as good as a division gets in an NFC conference that has struggled to stay competitive with the AFC side.

Sports bettors have both acknowledged the NFC East's dominance, as one glance at the NFL future odds menu will show.

Looking over the NFL betting odds at online sports book MySportsbook.com we see the top three teams listed to win the NFC Championship are all from the NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys - 7 - 1

Philadelphia Eagles - 13 - 2

New York Giants - 9 - 2

Slotting in behind these three are two teams from the NFC North: the Minnesota Vikings (15-2) and the Chicago Bears (10-1).

Again, despite the lack of recent playoff success, the Dallas Cowboys are popular with the sports betting community, as they hold 14% of all the money wagered on who will win the NFC Championship.

So far, the New York Giants are the bettors' favorite to represent their conference in the Super Bowl, as they have 24% of the overall NFC Championship betting volume.

And what about the Philadelphia Eagles? For the most part, the Eagles had a very productive offseason, the kind that could bring them back to the top.

They had a good draft adding the likes of WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy.

Unfortunately, the team received a blow when long-time defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away on Tuesday.

But this team will make a real run at the division title this year. Going into the regular season, Philly is listed at +240 to win the division.

Last season the Eagles were 9-6-1 SU and 10-6 ATS.

Teams from the NFC East will play teams from the AFC West in the regular season and the Eagles haven't really been a good bet in the last 20 games against the likes of San Diego, Oakland, K.C. and Denver, only going 8-12 ATS.

Two seasons removed from that Super Bowl title, the New York Giants see themselves listed as the odds-on favorite in NFC East championship futures at +162.

Plaxico Burress is gone and with him all the bad publicity surrounding the gun in the sweatpants incident, but can they replace him in the offense?

Last season the Giants were a very reliable bet going 12-4 ATS.

In the Giants' last 20 games against fellow teams from the NFC East; they are 13-7 ATS.

Dallas is listed at +240 to win the division.

Dallas went 9-7 SU and 7-9 ATS last season and with the amount of talent the Cowboys have, a similar performance won't do.

The Cowboys have been atrocious against divisional rivals, going 6-14 ATS in their last 20.

The Washington Redskins are longshots to win the division at +550.

RSS Sports Betting Odds Feeds

Visit MySportsbook.com for free sportsbook odds RSS feeds go to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.