Blackhawks cool off streaking Flames

Hockey Betting Lines

01/04/2009 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Havlat recorded a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Blackhawks returned to their winning ways with a 5-2 rout of the Calgary Flames.

Playing without star forward Patrick Kane because of a high ankle sprain suffered in the Winter Classic game against Detroit, the Blackhawks managed to end their brief two-game slide. Chicago also found out Saturday that three of its players -- Kane, center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brian Campbell -- will start in the NHL's All-Star game, to be played in Montreal, January 25.

Andrew Ladd and Patrick Sharp also recorded a goal and an assist, while Kris Versteeg and Dustin Byfuglien also tallied for Chicago, which has now won 10 of 12 overall. Nikolai Khabibulin made 34 saves in the win for the Blackhawks.

"It's a big two points for us. We came out hard and that's what we needed to do after dropping two games to Detroit," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said of the home-and-home setback. "We used our speed against them -- we have a lot of character and we know a lot of their players from western Canada, so we don't want to be embarrassed."

Todd Bertuzzi and Daymond Langkow scored for the Flames, who came into the game riding a five-game winning streak. Miikka Kiprusoff allowed four goals on 28 shots before being pulled after the second period in taking the loss, only Calgary's third in its last 10 road games. Curtis McElhinney stopped all seven shots he faced in the third.

"You always hope wins will carry over, (but) we'll work hard to rebound from this one, stay positive and believe the next game will bring good things," said Flames captain Jarome Iginla. "They can score goals quickly, and you have to give them a lot of credit."

The Blackhawks got on the board first. Some nifty passing from Ladd and Keith allowed Havlat to score on a wide open net just 3 1/2 minutes into the contest.

Calgary knotted the game early in the second period. A little over a minute into the frame, Bertuzzi's tip-in equalized the game. But Chicago went back in front with 5:53 left in the period, as Ladd took a loose puck in front of the net and lifted it over Kiprusoff's left shoulder for the tally.

The Blackhawks took a two-goal lead on Versteeg's shorthanded breakaway tally at the 15:26 mark of the second. Byfuglien added a power-play goal on a wrister over Kiprusoff's shoulder with just 1.1 seconds remaining in the period to make it 4-1.

Langkow added a power-play goal for the Flames at the 6:23 mark of the third, but Sharp scored an empty-net goal with 1:41 left to seal the victory.

Game Notes

Chicago leads the season series, 3-0...The Blackhawks are 12-2-4 at home, while the Flames are 10-8-1 on the road...Calgary recalled forward Jamie Lundmark of Quad City (AHL) on Sunday...Sharp's goal was his 20th of the season...Bertuzzi also had an assist...Chicago is 9-0-0 against Canadian teams this season.

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LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet.

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Betting Football

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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.