Lightning hope to get on track versus Maple Leafs

Hockey Betting Lines

03/11/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will aim for just their second win in eight games when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at Air Canada Centre.

The Lightning are only five points out of a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, but have posted a 1-6-0 record in their last seven games. Tampa has dropped three of four since the Olympic break and is coming off Tuesday's road loss against Montreal.

The Canadiens posted a 5-3 win over the Bolts, marking the sixth time in seven games that Tampa Bay has surrendered five goals or more. The Lightning's lone win during that stretch came in a 6-2 victory over Atlanta on Saturday.

Steven Stamkos scored a goal and dished out an assist for the Lightning, who have dropped six of seven. Martin St. Louis and Matt Walker also lit the lamp in defeat.

Antero Niittymaki gave up four goals on 13 shots before being pulled near the midway point of the second. Mike Smith turned aside 14-of-15 shots in relief.

"We have to find a way to win on the road," Stamkos said. "It has become too common. We're going to run out of time if we can't win on the road."

The Lightning are just 9-19-5 as the guest this year and have lost four straight road games. Tonight's tilt marks the middle test of a three-game road trip for Tampa.

The team's road woes have not been the fault of Stamkos, at least not recently. The 2008 No. 1 overall draft choice is riding a franchise-record 17- game point streak and has amassed 16 goals and 15 assists over that span. Stamkos is third in the league with 41 goals, placing him behind only Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby.

Tampa could be without winger Ryan Malone for a second straight game as he continues to battle an upper-body injury suffered Saturday against Atlanta.

The Maple Leafs are last in the East with 54 points but they have registered a point in four straight games, going 2-0-2 over that span.

Toronto was able to record a win its last time out, edging visiting Boston, 4-3, in Tuesday's overtime decision. Nikolai Kulemin scored with 49.7 seconds left in OT to lead the Leafs to the dramatic victory.

Wayne Primeau, Carl Gunnarsson and Luca Caputi also scored in regulation for the Maple Leafs, helping their team win for just the second time in seven games. Jonas Gustavsson stopped 26-of-29 shots to get the win.

"We're playing for pride right now and some guys are playing for jobs next year. When you're out there you want to win," Gustavsson said.

Toronto, which is just 12-14-5 as the host this year. will complete a three- game homestand Saturday against Edmonton.

The Lightning have won two of its three tests against Toronto this year, but both of those victories came in overtime. Tampa has taken six of eight overall in the series and has won three straight in Toronto.

Tonight marks the final scheduled matchup of the year between the Bolts and Leafs.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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