Blue Jackets rally past Sabres

Hockey Betting Lines

01/27/2007 - Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rostislav Klesla sparked a third-period comeback with the game-tying goal, while Dan Fritsche knocked home the decisive tally, as the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Nationwide Arena.

In the first game back for both teams after the All-Star break, Columbus dominated the final stanza en route to the win. Klesla was the catalyst for the game-tying marker, as he settled in behind an odd-man rush, took a drop pass from Manny Molhotra and sent a wrist shot over Ryan Miller at 5:22.

Fritsche then notched the go-ahead goal, as he stayed with the play, collected his own rebound, and flipped the puck over the netminder's right pad with 10:37 remaining in the contest.

The Sabres had their best chance to tie things up with five minutes to play, as Chris Drury sent a slap shot just high and wide of the net. Paul Gaustad was then called for tripping with just 2:23 remaining, while Jaroslav Spacek joined him on a holding charge 1:22 later, effectively sealing the win for Columbus.

Rick Nash, who had a pair of goals in the All-Star game, also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have won three of their last four games overall. Fredrik Norrena was nearly flawless between the pipes, turning aside 36 of 38 Buffalo chances, including nine in the final stanza.

Drury tallied both goals for the Sabres, who have dropped five of their last seven contests. Daniel Briere, who garnered MVP honors at the All-Star game with a goal and four assists, also had a pair of helpers on the night, while Miller made 24 saves.

Columbus drew first blood on the power play, as Buffalo's Dmitri Kalinin went off for hooking. Not more than 30 seconds elapsed on the man-advantage, as David Vyborny took a feed at the blue line, then chipped it up along the boards to Sergei Fedorov, who sent a cross-ice pass to Nash that skipped along the goal mouth. The left winger attempted a quick feed for Anson Carter, but the disc deflected off the knee of Teppo Numminen and through the five-hole of Miller with 7:51 remaining in the first period.

The Sabres quickly answered at the tail end of their own power play, as Drury cut toward the net and fired a wrist shot that beat Norrena topshelf with 4:03 to play in the stanza. The fireworks weren't over, however, as Andrew Peters and Jody Shelley dropped the gloves on the ensuing faceoff, with Peters getting the best of his counterpart before the linesman intervened.

Both sides combined for 24 penalty minutes in the early going. A Buffalo power play also bridged the first and second periods, quickly turning into a 5-on-3 at the start when Adam Foote was whistled for holding.

Drury then tallied his second marker of the game, and 12th power play goal of the season, as he one-timed Briere's rebound, ripping a snap shot past Norrena at 1:08.

The Sabres were denied a chance to go up by two with just 18 ticks remaining in the period. Daniel Paille went one-on-one on the breakaway, deked and shifted to the backhand as Norrena committed early, then had the puck kicked away by Anders Eriksson. Paille was awarded a penalty shot as a result, but sent the puck high and wide of the net, as the teams skated to the second intermission with Buffalo clinging to a one-goal lead.

Game Notes

Buffalo finished 2-for-6 on the power play, while Columbus ended 1- for-6...Nash was playing in his 250th career NHL game...It was Buffalo's first visit to Columbus since March 29, 2004, when the Sabres shut out the Blue Jackets by a 6-0 final...Buffalo has 33 games remaining in the regular season, with 28 against Eastern Conference teams, and 13 against Northeast Division opponents...Briere leads the Sabres with 59 points (18G, 41A).

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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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