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Potent Leafs determined to end playoff droughtHockey Betting Lines02/07/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - What has happened to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the post-lockout era hardly seems possible for the NHL's most valuable franchise. But, the Leafs, who were valued at $521 million by Forbes back in November, have learned the hard way that being profitable doesn't necessarily translate to success on the ice. When the 2010-11 regular season ended, it marked the sixth straight campaign that Toronto failed to qualify for the postseason -- the longest playoff drought in the storied Original Six franchise's history. Lately, however, it seems that the Maple Leafs are ready to rejoin the ranks of NHL playoff teams, as a rebuilding project begun over three years ago by general manager Brian Burke is finally beginning to bear fruit. The biggest difference for the Leafs this year has been the club's much- improved offensive attack. Toronto finished last season ranked 21st in the NHL with an average of 2.60 goals per game, but after 53 games this year, the Leafs are ranked fifth with 3.09 GPG. The increased potency on offense currently has Toronto in good position to secure a playoff spot. With less than 30 games remaining in the regular season, the Maple Leafs are sitting seventh out of eight postseason seeds in the East. With 62 points, Toronto is just one point ahead of Ottawa for the conference's final playoff berth, but the Leafs are also just six points behind Boston for first place in the Northeast Division. Still, Toronto head coach Ron Wilson wants his team to be careful not to get too caught up in watching what other Eastern Conference teams are doing on a nightly basis. The Maple Leafs instead need to focus on doing what needs to be done to gain points on their own. "There's not a whole lot of scoreboard watching on our part," said Wilson. "We just try to take care of our own business and worry about ourselves." Toronto has certainly been able to maximize its point earning potential in recent weeks, as the Maple Leafs have posted a 5-0-1 record in their last six trips to the ice. Prior to that run, the Leafs had dropped four of five and Toronto will need to avoid swoons like that down the stretch if it wants to punch its first ticket to the postseason since 2004. One player who seems personally determined to get the Leafs back into the NHL's annual tournament is winger Phil Kessel. A former first-round pick by Boston in the 2006 draft, the 24-year-old American is finally coming into his own after briefly becoming a poster boy for Toronto's recent lack of success. Kessel was acquired by Burke from the Bruins for a hefty price just prior to the 2009-10 season. The Leafs gave Boston their first and second round draft picks in 2010, as well as a first round pick in 2011. With Toronto missing the playoffs before both of those draft years, the division rival Bruins landed a pair of top-10 picks (Tyler Seguin, 2nd overall, 2010 & Dougie Hamilton, 8th overall, 2011) thanks to the Kessel trade. To top it off, the rival Bruins won the Stanley Cup title last year and Seguin is looking like a stud forward in the making. Yet, through it all Burke had faith in Kessel, and now after two okay seasons in Toronto, that loyalty is finally paying off. It's not that Kessel was bad in his first two years as a Leaf, it's just that he simply wasn't the Hart Trophy candidate that he's become this season. He posted 30 goals and 55 points in 2009-10 and jumped to 32 goals and 32 assists last season, but Kessel is ready to blow those numbers out of the water in 2011-12. Through 53 games, the Wisconsin native already has 29 goals to place him second only to Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos. Kessel's 57 points are third in the NHL and just seven shy of tying his personal best total from last season. The speedy Kessel has also done what all great players must; that is, make the players around him better. That is especially true of linemate Joffrey Lupul, who in his eighth NHL season and first-full year with the Leafs has already posted a career-high 55 points. Kessel's centerman, Tyler Bozak, a 25-year-old player who wasn't drafted, also has 31 points in 44 games to leave him one point shy of his career-best point total. But, it hasn't just been Kessel's line that has the Leafs hopeful for a return to the postseason. Toronto is also allowing less goals this year than it did last year, even if its still only ranked 20th in the NHL in goals surrendered per game. What has set Toronto's defensive game apart recently has been the club's ability to stop the opposition's power-play chances. The Leafs have gone 15 straight games without allowing a power-play goal, the longest such streak in the league since the Chicago Blackhawks went 19 straight games without giving up a power-play goal in 1969-70. All told, Toronto is a perfect 22-for-22 over its current run, which is the longest such streak for the franchise since 1940-41. If Toronto's penalty killers keep playing like that in front of goaltenders Jonas Gustavsson and James Reimer, it will make qualifying for the playoffs a whole lot easier. It's taken several years, but things are finally looking up again for the Maple Leafs. Yet, with improved play comes increased expectations and failure to make the postseason this spring would really be a crushing disappointment. Kessel and the Leafs have two months to prove they belong back in the postseason. For a storied franchise that has only been able to brag about financial success in recent years, a playoff appearance would be worth much more than a strong bottom line.
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FOOTBALL BETTINGAfter all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer. Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise. Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games. So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver. In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team. For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC. The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’. The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback. To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
Super Bowl XLIV OddsSuper Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds. Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44. Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season. That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason. Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium. After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10. The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1). To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below. NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV New England Patriots 8/1 Dallas Cowboys 9/1 New York Giants 10/1 Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1 Indianapolis Colts 12/1 San Diego Chargers 12/1 Baltimore Ravens 14/1 Tennessee Titans 16/1 Carolina Panthers 18/1 Philadelphia Eagles 18/1 New Orleans Saints 20/1 Atlanta Falcons 25/1 Denver Broncos 25/1 Green Bay Packers 25/1 Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1 Minnesota Vikings 25/1 New York Jets 25/1 Arizona Cardinals 30/1 Chicago BearS 30/1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1 Buffalo Bills 35/1 Houston TexaNS 35/1 Miami Dolphins 35/1 Washington Redskins 35/1 Seattle SeahawkS 50/1 Cleveland Browns 55/1 Cincinnati Bengals 60/1 San Francisco 49ers 60/1 Oakland Raiders 75/1 St. Louis Rams 75/1 Detroit Lions 100/1 Kansas City Chiefs 100/1 Odds as of: 2/2/09 Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs. |
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