Toronto knocks off dreadful Philly

Hockey Betting Lines

02/25/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff O'Neill and Alex Steen both had a goal and an assist, as the Toronto Maple Leafs got back on the winning track with a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center.

Chad Kilger, Mats Sundin and John Pohl also scored for the Maple Leafs, who had dropped two straight and five of their last seven games (2-2-3) entering the contest.

Bryan McCabe notched three assists for Toronto, which was coming off a close loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday. Thursday's test kicked off a three-game road trip for the Maple Leafs, who are 18-10-4 as the visitor this season. Andrew Raycroft blocked 22 shots in the win.

Sami Kapanen and Simon Gagne scored for the Flyers, who have dropped four straight contests. Michael Leighton stopped 25 shots for the Flyers, who have been dreadful at home this season, going just 5-18-7 in the City of Brotherly Love.

Steen got Toronto going in the first when he took a feed from O'Neill across the slot and wristed the puck to the stick side 11:16 into the period.

Steen next took a wrister from the left circle and handcuffed the goaltender, allowing O'Neill to fire a wrister on an empty net from 10 feet out 12:57 into the second.

At the 18-minute mark of the second, Kilger took a breakaway pass from Tomas Kaberle. He faked like he was going to go backhand, and powered the puck past the netminder for a 3-0 Toronto lead.

Kapanen got Philly on the board 46 seconds later. He kept it at the left point and then fired a slap shot from the top of the left circle low glove side, to cut the Flyers' deficit to two goals at the second intermission.

The Leafs upheld control out of the locker room. Sundin redirected the puck off the netminder's pad and into the net for a 4-1 Toronto lead 8:41 into the third.

Toronto's last goal came when McCabe passed the puck across the slot and Pohl one-timed it just beneath the crossbar 18:50 into the third.

Gagne got his 34th goal and 11th this month just 28 seconds later, on a wraparound wrister scored on the glove side for the final margin.

Neither team utilized the man-advantage, as Toronto finished 0-for-2, while Philly was 0-for-3 on the power play.

Game Notes

Sundin got his 522nd goal tying Pat Verbeek for 29th place on the career regular-season NHL goals list...Toronto is 3-0 against the Flyers this season and has taken five straight and seven of the last eight meetings overall...After the game, the Flyers dealt defenseman Alexei Zhitnik to the Atlanta Thrashers for defenseman Braydon Coburn.

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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.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

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.

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