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02/20/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams headed in different directions face off tonight at Ottawa's Scotiabank Place, where the Senators wrap up a three-game homestand with a matchup against the slumping Edmonton Oilers.
Ottawa has won the first two games of this home stretch and four in a row overall. The team's latest victory came via the comeback variety, as the Senators scored three times in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit in Saturday's 5-3 triumph over Atlanta.
Mike Comrie tied the contest at 3-3 midway through the final frame and Dean McAmmond netted the go-ahead goal with 4:20 left to play. Mike Fisher would seal the win with an empty-net tally with under a minute to go.
Chris Kelly added a goal and an assist for Ottawa, while Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson each finished with a pair of assists. Martin Gerber put forth a solid performance between the pipes, stopping 28-of-31 chances on the night.
Gerber started his second consecutive game in place of No. 1 netminder Ray Emery, who will serve the final contest of a three-game suspension tonight. Emery received the penalty for slashing Montreal's Maxim Lapierre on February 10.
A victory by the Senators tonight would give head coach Bryan Murray 600 career wins. Only four coaches in league history -- Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour, Dick Irvin and Pat Quinn -- have previously reached that milestone.
Fisher and teammate Peter Schaefer have each recorded a point in five straight games, with both players having notched three goals and two assists during that span.
The Senators own an 18-11-2 home mark for the season and have won three consecutive outings at Scotiabank Place. Following tonight's tilt, Ottawa will begin a crucial home-and-home series with Northeast Division rival Buffalo on Thursday.
Edmonton is at the midway point of a seven-game road trip that has not yielded much success thus far. After opening the trek with a shutout loss at Boston and an overtime defeat to Buffalo, the Oilers were handed a 4-3 defeat by Toronto Saturday at the Air Canada Centre.
Marc Pouliot, Steve Staios and Ryan Smyth all tallied for Edmonton while goaltender Dwayne Roloson ended with 31 saves.
With their postseason hopes fading, the Oilers made a trade in hopes of improving their future on Sunday. The club shipped defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron to the New York Islanders in exchange for 23-year-old blueliner Denis Grebeshkov.
Grebeshkov, a former first-round pick of Los Angeles, appeared in 21 games for the Islanders in 2005-06 but is currently playing in his native Russia.
Edmonton currently stands eight points behind Minnesota for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The Oilers will be visiting Ottawa for the first time since the teams fought to a 3-3 tie on November 6, 2003. In the lone meeting between the clubs last season, the Senators came through with a 5-3 win in Edmonton.
<< Nuggets, Spurs clash in San Antonio
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs have recovered from their eight-game
road trip and return to the AT&T Center this evening to host the Denver
Nuggets.
San Antonio, which is second in the Southwest standings, went 4-4 on the swing
a
<< Pistons visit Central Division-rival Milwaukee
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Central Division-leading Detroit Pistons try to
get back on the winning track tonight when they hit the road to visit the
Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.
Detroit had its seven-game winning streak halted with las
<< Argonauts ink QB McMahon
Toronto, Ontario (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Argonauts signed former NFL
quarterback Mike McMahon on Tuesday.
In 29 career NFL games, spread over five seasons with Detroit and
Philadelphia, McMahon completed 229 of 515
<< Big East action pits Mountaineers at Friars
Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In need of a quality win, the Providence
Friars host the 22nd-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in a key Big East
showdown from the Dunkin' Donuts Center tonight.
The Friars have had a solid campai
Rangers, Devils open home-and-home series in New Jersey >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils begin an
important home-and-home series this evening, with the first of the consecutive
meetings to take place at Continental Airlines Arena.
These two games carry importance for
Lightning try to rebound against Panthers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first-place Tampa Bay Lightning will attempt to avenge
a weekend loss to the Florida Panthers when the Southeast Division rivals
complete a home-and-home series tonight at St. Pete Times Forum.
Florida got the upper ha
Line of Scrimmage: Norv Turner - Bad Things Happen in Threes >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - They're rejoicing in Denver, Kansas City,
and Oakland right about now.
Norv Turner is an NFL head coach for the third time, having taken over for
Marty Schottenheimer in San Diego, and the rest of the AFC
Martin comes up big both on track and off >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Martin won the 2007 Daytona 500.
Sure, he didn't get the trophy, the huge check or drenched by champagne in
Victory Lane, but that doesn't change the fact that he won the race.
In typical N
The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.
Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.
Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.
A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.
Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.
Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.
And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.
2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win
Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1
Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1
Donald Brown (IND) 5/1
Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1
Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1
Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1
Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1
Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1
Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1
Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1
Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1
Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1
Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1
Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1
Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1
Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1
Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1
LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1
Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2
Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1
Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1
Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1
Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1
Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1
Jason Smith (STL) 40/1
Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1
Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1
Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1
Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2
Pat White (MIA) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 9/1
To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.
For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.
In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.
And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.
Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.
So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.
Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)
The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.
As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.
The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.
In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.
Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.
And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.
So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.
There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.
So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.
And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.
There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)
Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.
Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.
So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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