Blues hope to boost playoff hopes against Stars

Hockey Betting Lines

02/26/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Stars are one of four teams the Blues are chasing for a playoff spot. St. Louis gets a chance to help itself tonight in a road clash with Dallas at American Airlines Center.

The Blues enter this game with 60 points on the season, good for just 13th overall in the Western Conference. However, they are just five points back of four teams that are locked in a tie for the final two playoff spots. The Stars are one of those clubs, as are the Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.

St. Louis has won four of its last six games, including Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. Shortly after David Perron scored midway in the second period, David Backes was whistled for a four-minute high-sticking double minor.

However, it was the Blues who took advantage. An errant pass by Phoenix led to a 2-on-1 break for the Blues. Jay McClement streaked down the right-wing side with T.J. Oshie on the opposite wing and upon reaching the circle he released a blazing wrist shot that sailed into the back of the cage with 4:24 remaining before the second intermission for the game-winner.

Chris Mason made 24 saves in the win for the Blues, who play their next two on the road. St. Louis has lost three of its last five as the guest and will visit Phoenix on Saturday. The club is 10-15-3 on the road this year.

The Stars will be aiming to create some space in the tight Western Conference tonight as they continue a six-game homestand. Dallas began the residency with a win over Edmonton, but has since dropped back-to-back tests to Chicago and San Jose.

Dallas was shut out for the fifth time this season on Monday, falling to the Sharks, 1-0. San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov stopped 29 shots for his fifth shutout of the season.

Marty Turco made 23 saves in the setback for the Stars, who were without Mike Modano due to the flu. The American-born forward is probable for tonight and has 83 points off 33 goals and 50 assists in 91 career games versus the Blues.

Dallas is 17-9-4 at home this year.

Tonight marks the second of four meetings between the Blues and Stars this year and first in Dallas. St. Louis posted a 6-1 win back on October 16 to win for the fifth time in the last eight meetings in the series.

However, the Blues have lost two straight in Dallas and are just 1-8 with a tie in their last 10 trips there.

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NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

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