12/03/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks will try to avoid a fourth consecutive loss this evening when they welcome the Anaheim Ducks for a battle at the United Center.
The Blackhawks recently ended a six-game road trip with a loss in Los Angeles. The swing began well as Chicago earned victories in the first three stops, but things went bad by the time the 'Hawks reached California.
Chicago dropped an overtime decision in San Jose last Wednesday and then was dealt a 1-0 regulation loss in Anaheim on Saturday. Just one day after the loss to the Ducks, the Blackhawks were handed a 5-2 pounding by the Kings.
Derek Armstrong scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and LA rolled to the finish line at the Staples Center.
Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane each had a goal and assist for the Blackhawks, while Cristobal Huet gave up four goals on 27 shots in the loss.
The Blackhawks are 6-1-4 as the host this season and, beginning with tonight's test, are playing three of their next four games in the Windy City. Chicago's next outing will take place Saturday in Detroit.
The Ducks, meanwhile, had won four straight games before paying a visit to the Red Wings on Monday. Marian Hossa's goal early in the third period sent Detroit over Anaheim, 2-1, at Joe Louis Arena.
Chris Kunitz scored the lone goal for the Ducks, while Ryan Getzlaf was held without a point for the first time in nine games.
Getzlaf, who leads Anaheim with 31 points this season, had four goals and eight assists over the eight-game streak. He has reached the scoresheet in 17 of Anaheim's last 19 contests and hasn't gone back-to-back games without a point since he went the first four games of the year without either a goal or an assist.
Starter Jean-Sebastien Giguere was blitzed for 38 shots through two periods but allowed only one goal before leaving the game due to muscle cramps. Jonas Hiller finished the game by allowing the game-winner on nine shots over the final 20 minutes.
Hiller had started Anaheim's previous two games as Giguere went back to his hometown of Montreal for personal reasons. The Ducks may start Giguere again tonight as the injury doesn't appear to be serious.
Tonight marks the end of a three-game road trip for the Ducks, who are 7-3-1 as the visiting club this year.
The Ducks have won six of seven and 13 of the last 15 meetings with the Blackhawks. Anaheim also earned victories in eight of its previous 10 trips to Chicago.
<< Pens visit Rangers in Atlantic showdown
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in the Atlantic Division square off
tonight, as the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the New York Rangers and Madison
Square Garden.
The Rangers are tied with Boston for first in the East with 36 points, while
<< Thrashers, Sens meet in Ottawa
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling teams will meet tonight in Canada's
capital city, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Atlanta Thrashers for a
matchup at Scotiabank Place.
The Thrashers have lost four straight and seven of their last e
<< Hurricanes fire Laviolette
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Hurricanes have decided to make a
coaching change and will reportedly replace Peter Laviolette with his
predecessor, Paul Maurice.
The Hurricanes have scheduled a Wednesday news confe
<< Bobcats host Thunder in Charlotte
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to string together
consecutive wins for the first time this season when they resume a four-game
road trip tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats.
The expansion Thunder won for just the sec
Bengals sign LB Hobson >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Bengals signed free agent
linebacker Victor Hobson on Wednesday, one day after losing safety Marvin
White for the season with a torn knee ligament.
Hobson, a sixth-year veteran, pla
Patriots bring back Rosevelt Colvin >>
Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Patriots signed linebacker
Rosevelt Colvin on Wednesday.
Colvin, who spent five seasons with the Patriots before his release this past
February, was signed by the Houston Texans as a free
Panthers and Huskies meet in East Hartford >>
East Hartford, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seeking to snap a two-game slide against
the Connecticut Huskies, the 23rd-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers hit the field in
East Hartford this weekend to close out the regular season against their Big
East Confer
ACC crown up for grabs in clash between Eagles and Hokies >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An automatic bid to the Orange Bowl will be on
the line Saturday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, as the Boston College
Eagles and the Virginia Tech Hokies duke it out for the ACC title.
This game is a rematch
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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