Kings welcome Coyotes to LA
Hockey Betting Lines
02/16/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings remain the lowest-scoring team in the league, but perhaps some fresh blood can kick start the offense. It certainly worked on Sunday.
After capping a six-game road trip with a victory thanks in part to a pair of first-career goals by Jordan Nolan and Dwight King, Los Angeles looks to create some separation tonight between itself and the eighth-seeded Phoenix Coyotes.
The Kings went 2-3-1 on their recently-completed road trip, potting just six goals over the first five games of the swing. Three of those came in one game, but Los Angeles got its offense on track for at least one game in a 4-2 win over Dallas on Sunday.
Nolan's goal in his second NHL contest was the game-winning tally in the third period. King assisted on the marker after netting his first goal in the first period of his eighth career game and second this season.
Both Nolan, the son of former Sabres and Islanders head coach Ted Nolan, and King were recalled from the minors on Friday and skated in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Isles on Saturday.
"It's good to head home with a good feeling," Nolan said. "The guys were a little bitter after the Islanders loss, but we came in here, we worked hard, had a good third period and finished it off."
Justin Williams and Andrei Loktionov also scored for the Kings, who remain last in the NHL with 120 goals. Jonathan Quick stopped 26 shots for the win.
With 65 points, Los Angeles is tied with Chicago for the sixth spot in the Western Conference, two more than eighth-seeded Phoenix. The Kings are also three points back of the Sharks for the top spot in the Pacific Division.
Los Angeles is 6-0-1 in its past seven games versus the Coyotes, winning four straight at home in this series.
Phoenix will look to snap that slide in Los Angeles tonight and avoid a second straight loss after having a five-game win streak halted with Monday's 2-1 shootout setback to Vancouver.
Coyotes netminder Mike Smith was named the NHL's First Star of the week earlier in the day, but was rested versus the Canucks in favor of Jason LaBarbera. The backup made 21 saves in his first start since Jan. 13, but was bested four times in the six-round shootout.
Keith Yandle scored with 2:06 left in regulation to force the extra time.
"It's nice to get the goal at the end, but it would have been nice to get the two [points]," LaBarbera said.
Taylor Pyatt is questionable for this game after leaving Monday's contest in the second period with an upper-body injury following a hit. Derek Morris' status is also up in the air due to a strained groin.
The Coyotes sit one point up on Calgary for the final playoff spot in the West and should give Smith the start tonight. He earned First Star honors after winning all four of his starts last week with a 0.74 goals-against average and .975 save percentage. He gave up just three goals in the four outings, capped with a 38-save shutout of Chicago on Saturday.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Flames have been racking up points so far in February and their latest convincing victory has them within a point of a playoff spot. Calgary puts a six-game point streak on the line this evening against the Dallas Star
<< Sharks continue trek with test in Tampa
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After splitting the first two tests of an epic nine-game
road trip, the San Jose Sharks will travel to the Sunshine State for tonight's
battle against the Lightning at Tampa Times Forum.
Thanks to a tennis tournament curre
<< Sliding Wild welcome Jets to St. Paul
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time the Wild and Jets squared off, Minnesota was
at the top of the NHL standings. Things have certainly changed since.
Minnesota hopes to avoid a sixth straight defeat and falling further back in
the playoff race
<< Leino, Sabres visit Flyers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The struggling Philadelphia Flyers hope the return of Ilya
Bryzgalov can help them avoid their sixth loss in seven games, as they get set
to host the Buffalo Sabres in tonight's clash at Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers are
<< Blues aim to bounce back against visiting Isles
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues will try to rebound from just their
third regulation loss of 2012 when they host the New York Islanders tonight at
Scottrade Center.
St. Louis has gone 13-3-2 since the start of January and one of the f
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With pitchers and catchers all set to head out to Florida and Arizona, it is apparent Major League Baseball is ready to fill some of the void in the sports world left by the end of the National Football Leagu
Sorenstam turns down Solheim Cup captaincy >>
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While making her weekly appearance on Golf
Channel's "Morning Drive," Annika Sorenstam announced she would not accept an
offer to be the European Solheim Cup captain in 2013.
"I've given it some thought
Jones back for 3-point contest; Howard, Durant to coach celebs >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami's James Jones will defend his All-Star
three-point title at this year's festivities, while Orlando's Dwight Howard
and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant will be coaches for the celebrity game.
Joining J
Dortmund's Kagawa tears ankle ligament >>
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Borussia Dortmund's Japanese midfielder
Shinji Kagawa tore a ligament in his left ankle in training and will be out at
least two weeks, the Bundesliga club announced Thursday.
The 22-year-old was injur
Marseille's Remy to miss three weeks >>
Marseille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marseille striker Loic Remy suffered a
hamstring injury in Wednesday's Coupe de France win over Bourg-Peronnas and
will be sidelined three weeks, the Ligue 1 club said Thursday.
The 25-year-old Remy
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million
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.
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