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12/23/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Simon Gagne had a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers downed the Ottawa Senators, 6-4, at Wachovia Center.
Matt Carle, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Andreas Nodl and Joffrey Lupul each had a goal for the Flyers, who have won two of their last three games.
Antero Niittymaki made 17 saves in the win for Philadelphia, which has won six straight at home.
Dany Heatley had two goals and an assist while Alex Auld gave up five goals on 31 shots for the Senators, who have dropped three of four.
Philadelphia held a two-goal lead starting the third, but Ottawa scored twice to tie the game.
However, Gagne gave the team the lead as he fired a shot on net from the left boards that hit off of bodies in front and got past Auld for a 5-4 lead with 5:30 to play.
Richards' empty-net goal in the final moments of the contest sealed the win for Philadelphia.
Ottawa took the early lead as Nick Foligno jammed home the puck after Niittymaki stopped the initial shot for a 1-0 advantage just 5:01 in.
Philadelphia, though, scored just 1:32 later as the team won a left circle faceoff and the puck went back to Carle, who snapped a quick shot on net that fooled Auld.
The Flyers took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission as, shortly after a power play expired, Scott Hartnell fired a shot on net from a sharp angle at the right side that hit off of Lupul, who was battling with a Senator next to Auld, with 1:29 left in the frame.
Ottawa took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play to tie the game as Jason Spezza fired a pass from the left side to the right where Heatley had the easy slam dunk just 2:58 into the second.
However, the Flyers got a power-play goal three minutes later to regain the advantage. Braydon Coburn blasted a shot from the right point that went wide of the net, but took a hop off the backboards and went back out front. Hartnell then got the puck to Carter, who knocked the puck home for his league-leading 26th goal of the season.
The Flyers took a two-goal lead less than two minutes later as Kimmo Timonen fired a shot on net from the left point that Nodl deflected past Auld for his first career goal.
Ottawa, though, scored twice less than three minutes apart in the third to tie the game.
On a broken play, the puck squirted out to the left circle and Heatley buried it at the 7:40 mark.
A bit later, a slap shot at the left point by Chris Phillips got past a screened Niittymaki to tie the game.
Game Notes
Philadelphia begins a six-game road trip in Chicago on Friday...Ottawa continues its eight-game road trip in Calgary on Saturday...Philadelphia has won four of the last six games in the series...Ottawa defenseman Anton Volchenkov left the game less than a minute into the first period after slamming into the boards. He was attended to by a trainer on the ice for several minutes before being helped off the ice. Also, Foligno left the game in the third period after he was hit in the face with a stick.
<< Johnson's triple-double carries Hawks over lowly Thunder
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Johnson recorded his second career triple-
double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, leading the Atlanta Hawks
to a 99-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Philips Arena.
Marvin Williams
<< Kessel's streak ends, but Bruins blank Devils
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Thomas made 25 saves for his third
shutout of the season, as Boston continued to roll with a 2-0 win over New
Jersey at the Prudential Center.
Milan Lucic and David Krejci lit the lamp for
<< Butler did it! Bulldogs down suddenly slumping Xavier
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Howard had 19 points and 14 rebounds as
the Butler Bulldogs upset the 14th-ranked Xavier Musketeers, 74-65, at Cintas
Center.
Gordon Hayward had 19 points and 10 rebounds while Willie Veasley added
<< Quick leads Kings to victory over Blue Jackets
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Quick made 24 saves to pick up his
first career shutout, as the Los Angeles Kings snapped a four-game losing
streak with a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Quick, a third-round choice
Harris gives Nets victory over Pacers >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Devin Harris's 22-footer at the buzzer
gave the New Jersey Nets a dramatic 108-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Harris finished with 29 points and 11 assists, while Vince Carter logged 38
points
Hoyas flatten FIU >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Austin Freeman scored 17 points and Chris
Wright donated 14, as No. 12 Georgetown doubled up Florida International,
76-38, at the Verizon Center.
DaJuan Summers added 13 points and five rebounds, wh
LeBron leads surging Cavs over Rockets >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LeBron James dropped 27 points with nine
rebounds and five assists to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 99-90 triumph
over the Houston Rockets at Quicken Loans Arena.
Mo Williams went for 23 points
Celtic Pride: Boston makes history with win over Philly >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics became the first team in NBA
history to open the season with a 27-2 record, as Kevin Garnett and Rajon
Rondo each tallied 18 points in an emphatic 110-91 victory over Philadelphia,
establi
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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