Devils return home for battle with rival Rangers

Hockey Betting Lines

03/10/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three straight road games out west following the Olympic break seemed to have caught up with the Devils in their most recent contest.

New Jersey now returns home for the first time in nearly a month this evening when it plays host to a New York Rangers club that is struggling on offense itself as of late.

The Devils return to the Prudential Center to play their first home game since February 12 because of the Winter Olympics. They lost in Carolina in their last game before the break, then went 1-2-0 on the swing's final three games. The trip was capped on Sunday with a 2-0 loss to Edmonton.

Martin Brodeur made 33 saves, but New Jersey's offense failed to get any of its 22 shots past the Oilers' Jeff Deslauriers.

"When you give up 35, 40 shots to a team and you get 20, you should be better than that," Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire said.

Ilya Kovalchuk, who has three goals and five assists in nine games with the Devils since being acquired in a trade with Atlanta, led the team with five shots as New Jersey was shut out for the first time since February 2.

A return home could help. The Devils play two straight and four of their next five at home, where they are 20-9-1 this season. New Jersey also needs to rebound quickly as it has fallen five points back of first-place Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Division.

New York, meanwhile, seemed to have put its season-long scoring troubles behind them after posting a total of eight goals in its first two games after the break. However, the Rangers were blanked, 2-0, by Washington on Saturday before suffering a 2-0 overtime setback to Buffalo the following day.

The Rangers are three points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after Sunday's loss. Brandon Dubinsky scored with 1:23 left to play in overtime, his third goal in four games, snapping New York's goal drought at 149 minutes and 30 seconds. That goal also forced overtime, but Henrik Lundqvist, who made 35 saves, allowed the game-winner 2:22 into overtime.

"We needed the two points, we got one," said Rangers head coach John Tortorella, whose club is 0-1-2 following a three-game win streak. "We have to keep on fighting. That is all we can do. There are a lot of questions about offense."

The Rangers and Devils have split four meetings this year, though they haven't met in the Garden State since a 3-2 New York win on October 5. The Devils then took the next two in the series on the road before the Rangers rebounded with a 3-1 home win on February 6.

Marian Gaborik scored his team-leading 35th goal in that game, but has zero points in his last three games since that meeting. He has also missed a total of four games since then due to injury.

Lundqvist made 41 saves for the Rangers, while Brodeur had 22.

Mysportsboo Hockey Betting News

<< Raptors make a stop in Sacramento
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The reeling Toronto Raptors aim to right the ship tonight as they resume a four-game western road trip against the Sacramento Kings. The Raptors are now fighting for their playoff lives after dropping the opener of thei

<< Thunder return home to face Hornets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Oklahoma City Thunder seem to be well on their way towards ending a playoff drought, the New Orleans Hornets enter tonight's showdown between these teams in danger of missing out of the postseason fray. The injur

<< Nuggets visit Wolves without Karl
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Without their head coach patrolling the sidelines, the Denver Nuggets will start up a four-game road trip tonight against a Minnesota Timberwolves team hoping to end a string of six straight losses when it takes the Target Ce

<< Grizzlies take road winning streak to Boston
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Memphis Grizzlies will attempt to keep the longest road winning streak in franchise history intact when they visit a place they've historically struggled over the years, Boston's TD Garden, for tonight's matchup with the

<< Montana and Weber State duke it out for Big Sky title
Ogden, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A trip to the NCAA Tournament is on the line tonight, as the Weber State Wildcats and the Montana Grizzlies do battle in the championship game of the 35th annual Big Sky Conference Tournament at the Dee Events Cente

Mavs aim to push win streak to 13 vs. Nets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA's worst team takes on its hottest when the New Jersey Nets meet the Dallas Mavericks in Big D tonight. Despite playing short-handed the Mavs earned their 12th straight victory on Monday in Minneapolis whe

Columbus ties Toluca in Champions League >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Crew earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Mexican power Toluca in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series in Columbus on Tuesday night. Steven Lenhart scored tw

Kings visit Blackhawks for clash between West powers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the Western Conference's best teams will meet tonight in the Windy City as the Chicago Blackhawks host the Los Angeles Kings at United Center. The Blackhawks are first in the Central Division and second in the West

Pearce: Owen's England career not over >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The England door remains open to Michael Owen despite his season-ending injury, according to Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce. Pearce has dismissed suggestions that the 30-year-old Manchester Uni

Bobcats hope to end road woes in Philadelphia >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" easily coincides with how the Charlotte Bobcats have been playing this season. The road less traveled would be the one headed towards Charlotte, and that's made all the difference for

Since the late 1990's, MySportsbook.com has been an online sportsbook / poker room / casino that focuses on quality.. MySportsbook caters to the experienced sports fan who values reliability and accuracy, with great attention to detail. MySportsbook's success over the past 3 years has made them the envy of the sports gambling industry. There are hundreds of sites appearing all over the Internet claiming to be the next best sportsbook online, each one is trying to use the same marketing techniques as MySportsbook originated.

If you want to try the most stylish and reliable type of online sportsbook, go with MySportsbook. Most online sportsbooks give you live odds and plenty of games and events to bet on, at MySportsbook they'll give you that and more. While perfection may be a lofty goal, MySportsbook attempts to achieve that goal. All sorts of ways to bet on football, football betting, Super Bowl betting lines.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs.

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, 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.