Wild fend off Oilers in battle of playoff-hopefuls

Hockey Betting Lines

03/29/2009 - Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marian Gaborik scored the game-winning goal and dished out an assist, as the Minnesota Wild edged the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2, in a battle between two playoff-hopeful teams at Rexall Place.

Andrew Brunette and Martin Skoula also lit the lamp for the Wild, who ended a four-game road trip with a 2-2-0 mark. Owen Nolan had two assists for the victors. Niklas Backstrom stopped 31 shots to improve to 34-23-7 on the year.

Center Mikko Koivu returned to the lineup after missing three games with a knee injury.

Minnesota sits in the 11th spot in the Western Conference with 80 points. The Wild are three points behind St. Louis for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Ales Kotalik and Fernando Pisani scored for the Oilers, who have dropped four of their past five outings. Dwayne Roloson turned aside 18 shots in the loss.

Since Anaheim beat Colorado on Sunday, Edmonton dropped to 10th in the West with 81 points.

Trailing 2-0, the Oilers cut the deficit in half on a goal from Pisani just 1:04 into the third stanza. Ethan Moreau charged down the right side of the ice and made his way behind the net before dumping the puck off to Pisani out front. Pisani chipped the disc between Backstrom's pads.

Gaborik lit the lamp just over three minutes later to extend Minnesota's margin back to two. Gaborik's wrister from the left circle beat Roloson glove- side during a delayed penalty.

Kotalik and Hemsky teamed up to cut the gap to 3-2 with 4:52 to play. Hemsky set Kotalik up for a one-timer from the left circle. And Kotalik's shot went sailing past Backstrom on the stick side.

The Oilers pulled Roloson with about one minute left to gain the extra attacker. But Backstrom and the Wild defense held strong to secure the victory.

The Wild drew first blood at the 7:01 mark of the first period on Brunette's 20th goal of the year. The puck was slowly sliding in front of Roloson after Gaborik fanned on a shot. Brunette collected the disc and fired a backhander past Roloson.

Less than two minutes later, Skoula's slap shot from the left point snuck through the five-hole of Roloson to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead.

Both teams had nine shots on goal during a scoreless second stanza.

Game Notes

Both teams went 0-for-3 on the power play...Minnesota had lost their previous four games in Edmonton...Minnesota won the season series with Edmonton, 4-2.

Wwwgamblingregistry Hockey Betting News

<< Ryan, Ducks keep Avalanche in freefall
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bobby Ryan scored twice in Anaheim's 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Honda Center. Corey Perry and Drew Miller also tallied for the Ducks, who have won six of their last seven games. Jonas Hiller t

<< Hornets gain ground on Southwest Division-leading Spurs
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David West went 11-for-11 from the free throw line as part of a 23-point effort, and the New Orleans Hornets made up some ground in the Southwest Division with a 90-86 victory over the San Antonio

<< Canucks blank Blackhawks to tighten West playoff race
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daniel Sedin registered two goals and an assist, and Roberto Luongo made 26 saves to notch his seventh shutout of the season, as the Vancouver Canucks stymied the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0, at United

<< Purdue downs Rutgers, moves on
Oklahoma City, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lakisha Freeman netted 18 points and the sixth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers defeated the seventh-seeded Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 67-61, in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament's Oklahoma City Regiona

<< Celtics silence the Thunder
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Glen Davis took an elbow to the head in the third quarter that resulted in 10 stitches on his forehead, but the second- year forward returned to score 15 of his 19 points in the final stanza to ignite

Hornets gain ground, but Spurs clinch playoff spot after Suns lose >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David West went 11-for-11 from the free throw line as part of a 23-point effort, and the New Orleans Hornets made up some ground in the Southwest Division with a 90-86 victory over the San Antonio

Pair of Hockey East teams highlight 2009 Frozen Four >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston University and the University of Vermont, both from Hockey East, highlight the final four schools in the NCAA men's ice hockey tournament, set for April 9-11 at Verizon Center in Washing

Williams sisters continue to cruise, Safina ousted in Miami >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sisters Serena and Venus Williams won their matches in straight sets Sunday and advanced to the fourth round of the $4.5 million Sony Ericsson Open. Top-ranked Serena topped China's Peng Shuai, the 32n

Suns' playoff hopes take a hit in loss to lowly Kings >>
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Thompson was one of seven Kings in double figures, logging 21 points and eight rebounds as Sacramento dealt Phoenix's playoff chances a crushing blow in a 126-118 decision over the Suns. Spen

Oklahoma cruises past Pitt on way to Elite Eight >>
Oklahoma City, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Freshman Whitney Hand poured in a career- high 22 points to power the top-seeded Oklahoma Sooners over the fourth-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers, 70-59, in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament's Oklahom

FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.