Staal set to return as Pens host Jets

Hockey Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The well-rested Pittsburgh Penguins hope a three-game homestand and the return of Jordan Staal can get them back on track today, as they'll try to avoid losing for the fourth time in five games when they host the Winnipeg Jets at Consol Energy Center.

The Penguins closed last month on a season-high eight-game winning streak, but they opened February with a 1-2-1 road trip. The club is now back home for three straight in the Steel City, where Pittsburgh has won four straight and is 15-7-2 this season.

Pittsburgh's recent lull has allowed New Jersey to move a point ahead of the Pens for third place in the Atlantic Division and the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

With Sidney Crosby still sidelined with his head and neck issues, the Penguins should be excited to get Staal back today for the first time since he suffered a knee injury back on Jan. 6. The centerman has 15 goals and six assists in 34 games this year and is one of Pittsburgh's best two-way forwards.

"I expect him to be used significantly in the game," Pens head coach Dan Bylsma told his team's web site about Staal's availability for today. "Maybe not quite totally to the 20-minute mark, but 15-plus minutes and on the second power play. Probably not 100 percent on the penalty kill. That may be a spot where other players may go in front of him where he normally would assume their ice time."

The Penguins last played on Tuesday in Montreal. The Canadiens posted a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh after Tomas Plekanec scored in the eighth round of the shootout. In the decisive round, Plekanec beat Marc-Andre Fleury to the glove side with a wrister and Carey Price sealed the win as he kept out a low forehand shot from Jason Williams.

Pascal Dupuis and James Neal scored for the Penguins, while Fleury posted 28 stops in the loss. Pittsburgh erased a pair of one-goal deficits in the third period to grab a point.

While Pittsburgh will try to get back in the win column today, the Jets will aim for their first three-game win streak since Dec. 27-31.

Winnipeg, which is three points behind Washington and Florida for first place in the Southeast, used a late comeback to shock the Capitals Thursday in D.C. and will try to build off that dramatic win this afternoon.

Bryan Little eventually scored the game-winner in the shootout in the 3-2 decision for the Jets, but that was after Winnipeg rallied from two goals down in the closing minutes of regulation. Trailing 2-0 with less than three minutes to play, Winnipeg got goals from Evander Kane and Dustin Byfuglien in a span of 12 seconds to force overtime.

The tying goal was nothing short of a fluke, as Byfuglien slapped a shot from center ice, which deflected off a Washington defender and awkwardly skipped over the shoulder of Caps goaltender Tomas Vokoun.

"We didn't really quit," said Byfuglien. "We stuck with it and we battled."

Thursday's comeback win improved Winnipeg's weak road record to 10-16-4 this season. After today, the Jets will play nine of their next 10 games at home, where they are 16-8-2.

The Pens have won five of six and 13 of the last 15 encounters with the Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise. Tonight marks the Jets' first trip to Pittsburgh since the club made the move to Manitoba in the offseason. The Thrashers had lost their last nine tests in the Steel City.

Skyook Hockey Betting News

<< Sens try to build momentum vs. Oilers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a lengthy losing streak finally over, the Ottawa Senators hope they can keep heading in the right direction when they host the Edmonton Oilers today at Scotiabank Place. The Senators went 0-6-1 from Jan. 21-Feb. 7, bu

<< Spurs take Rodeo Road Trip to New Jersey
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Antonio will resume its annual Rodeo Road Trip on Saturday in New Jersey by welcoming back Manu Ginobili to the lineup. Ginobili, who has missed more than a month with a broken left hand, will likely come off the bench

<< Love meets Linsanity at Target Center
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's time for New York's Jeremy Lin to experience a little "Love" when the Knicks visit the Timberwolves on Saturday. "Linsanity" was in full force Friday in Madison Square Garden when Lin continued his unlikely rise from

<< Bruins host Preds in clash between struggling clubs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins are trying not to panic during their recent skids. The two clubs look to get right this afternoon as the Predators visit the Bruins. Though Nashville is 14-4-1 over its past 19 gam

<< Sixers try to right the ship in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers will try to put the brakes on their first losing streak of the season when they square off with a Cleveland team that will be minus rookie star Kyrie Irving for a third consecutive game. The Sixers c

Georgia seeks upset of No. 20 Mississippi State >>
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A good old-fashioned dog fight will take place in Starkville today, as SEC foes Georgia and Mississippi State do battle at Humphrey Coliseum. Georgia comes in with an overall record of 11-12, and the team's

25th-ranked Crimson set sights on Tigers >>
Princeton, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked Harvard Crimson will look to add onto their best start in school history as they head to Jadwin Gym to take on the dangerous Princeton Tigers in Ivy League action. This will be the first of tw

High-flying Cardinals pay visit to struggling Mountaineers >>
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 24th-ranked Louisville Cardinals take aim at their sixth straight win today, as they pay a visit to the West Virginia Mountaineers in Big East Conference action. Louisville is coming off an 80-59 rout of

Bearcats hope to clip wings of 18th-ranked Golden Eagles >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 18th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles will try to keep pace in the race for the Big East Conference regular-season title, as they entertain the Cincinnati Bearcats today at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

'Canes and 'Noles duke it out in ACC action >>
Tallahassee, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A battle of Sunshine State foes in the ACC takes place in Tallahassee this afternoon, as the Miami-Florida Hurricanes do battle with the 15th-ranked Florida State Seminoles. Miami comes in seeking its sixth

MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds

With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season.  What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season.  Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all.  Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13).  Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two.  Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury.  Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven.  Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury.  Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.

In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons.  Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4.  Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1).  The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this.  No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.

Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend.  Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend.  With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.

MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:

Atlanta Hawks 1000-1

Boston Celtics 5000-1

Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1

Chicago Bulls 20-1

Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1

Dallas Mavericks 2-1

Denver Nuggets 25-1

Detroit Pistons 6-1

Golden State Warriors 250-1

Houston Rockets 12-1

Indiana Pacers 60-1

Los Angeles Clippers 45-1

Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1

Miami Heat 9-1

Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1

Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1

New Jersey Nets 50-1

New Orleans Hornets 150-1

New York Knicks 150-1

Orlando Magic 75-1

Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1

Phoenix Suns 5-2

Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1

Sacramento Kings 250-1

San Antonio Spurs 9-1

Seattle Sonics 5000-1

Toronto Raptors 35-1

Utah Jazz 20-1

Washington Wizards 25-1

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 online 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.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting : USC's reward: Top spot in Top 25

NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.

No. 1 always seems to fit USC.

Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.

Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.

Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.

"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."

Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.

"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."

The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.

"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."

Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.

"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"

USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.

"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."

While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.

As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.

But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.

Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.

The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.

The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.

The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.

No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.

Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.

Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.

The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.

South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.

The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.

Get free Sports Betting lines RSS feeds from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com