Flyers visit Rangers in Atlantic Division battle

Hockey Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Flyers hope that they made a statement with their last- second victory on Saturday against one of the best teams in the NHL. They've already made their impression on the Rangers this season.

Philadelphia visits Madison Square Garden this afternoon looking to win for the fourth time in five games, while hosting New York aims to end a lengthy scoring drought against its Atlantic Division rival.

The Flyers squared off with the Blackhawks, the Western Conference's second seed, Saturday afternoon and seemed in danger of losing a close contest. However, Scott Hartnell halted a 13-game goal drought to tie things with 2:04 left in the third before defenseman Chris Pronger tipped a Claude Giroux pass by Chicago's Cristobal Huet with just 2.1 seconds left in regulation for a 3-2 victory.

"It's huge. We didn't want to get this to end in overtime or have it end 4- on-4 or in a shootout," said Pronger. "We need to play with that fire and competitiveness. We had that attitude that we've lost and need to learn how to keep."

All five goals were scored in the third period. Simon Gagne netted the Flyers' first goal and his seventh in the last 10 games while Hartnell found the back of the net for the first time since Jan. 30.

Michael Leighton halted 39 shots in his 13th straight start, as the Flyers improved to 8-2-1 in their last 11 games while remaining tied with the Canadiens for the sixth spot in the East with three games in hand. Philly is also just three points behind fifth-seeded Ottawa.

The Flyers could decide to give Brian Boucher his first start since Dec. 21 in the opener of a four-game road trip. Boucher has made three relief appearances since that start and is 4-3-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average in his career versus the Rangers.

Leighton, meanwhile, notched a 22-save shutout over the Rangers on Dec. 30 and Ray Emery, currently on injured reserve because of hip surgery, then posted a 24-save blanking of New York in Philadelphia on Jan. 21. In fact, New York hasn't scored versus the Flyers since Artem Anisimov's second-period tally in a 2-1 victory at Philadelphia back on Dec. 19, giving the Rangers a 155 minute and 14 second scoring drought in the series.

The Rangers will try to end that drought in the fourth meeting of the season between the teams. Leighton's shutout came in the only matchup so far in New York, as Gagne added a hat trick in the 6-0 victory.

These two clubs end the regular season against each other in home-and-home set on April 9 and 11.

But first, the Rangers will try to get themselves back into the playoff picture. They had lost four straight prior to Friday's 5-2 victory over Atlanta and are three points behind Boston for the eighth spot in the East.

Vinny Prospal had two first-period goals to go along with an assist, while Marian Gaborik also lit the lamp during New York's big opening period. Gaborik finished with two assists as well and Ryan Callahan added a goal and a helper.

"We have another game coming up against Philly so we're going to have to be better," said New York head coach John Tortorella afterwards. "At times we played in spurts so we have some things to work on."

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 29 shots in the win and he is 1-2-0 with a 2.61 GAA in three matchups versus the Flyers this year.

Sean Avery was a healthy scratch for the first time this year on Friday and it is unknown if he will return to the ice today. He was replaced in the lineup last time out by Enver Lisin.

New York begins a three-game homestand today and has dropped six of its last eight at home, going 2-4-2 in that span.

Wwwwhatsthedownload Hockey Betting News

<< Avalanche attempt to win season series versus Stars
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Avalanche will try to win their first season series with the Dallas Stars in five campaigns as the two clubs meet for the fourth and final time in the regular season this afternoon at American Airlines Center.

<< Predators aim to extend series win streak over Kings
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There is a chance that the Predators could visit the Kings in the postseason's opening round depending on how the Western Conference shakes down. Los Angeles would prefer that didn't happen. Currently seeded seventh in the

<< Capitals visit Blackhawks in clash of NHL powerhouses
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Capitals and Blackhawks could very well meet this year in the Stanley Cup Finals, but neither probably feels like a championship- caliber club right now. Both Washington and Chicago will try to bounce back from disappo

<< Taiwan's Tseng wins Women's Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Taiwan's Yani Tseng fired a flawless seven-under 66 on Sunday to capture the Women's Australian Open. The two-time LPGA Tour winner finished four rounds on the Commonwealth course at nine-under 283

<< Record-setting Ruangkit wins European Seniors event
Nakhonpathom, Thailand (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit fired a seven-under 65 and set multiple records Sunday in winning the Chang Thailand Senior Masters. Ruangkit finished three rounds on the Royal Gems course at 21-und

Maple Leafs try to push win streak to four games versus Islanders >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to stretch their longest winning streak of the season to four games this evening when they visit the New York Islanders in a matchup of the two bottom teams in the Eastern Conference. Toro

Lightning play host to Penguins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Lightning are coming off a big win over the Eastern Conference's top team. They wouldn't mind posting another one versus arguably the East's second-best team. Tampa Bay will try to record just its third win in its last

Blues wrap road trip versus Wild >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues conclude a six-game road trip this evening that has kept them in the playoff race. They do so against one of the better home teams in the league, the Minnesota Wild, at Xcel Energy Center. The Blues hav

A-10 title up for grabs as Owls take on Spiders >>
Atlantic City, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gunning for their ninth Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament title, the third in as many seasons, the 17th-ranked and top-seeded Temple Owls take the floor at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City this afternoon agai

Buckeyes battle streaking Golden Gophers for Big Ten title >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An unlikely matchup will take place at Conseco Fieldhouse, as the sixth-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers will battle the top-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the championship game of the Big Ten Conference Tourna

SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards