10-6-11

[timbob]

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[Mr. IWS]

SPORTS WAGERS

NHL Futures

Buffalo +160 to win division

Buffalo +16-1 to win Stanley Cup

After finishing third in the division last season, the Sabres put the money of new owner Terry Pegula to work right away and acquired Christian Ehrhoff, Ville Leino and Robyn Regehr. On defense, every GM in the league would swap their core of defensemen for the Sabres core in a heartbeat. Buffalo is loaded with swift and talented puck-moving D-men that can also play defense. Aside from Regehr and Erhoff, Buffalo has Tyler Myers, Jordan Leopold, Andrej Sekera, Mike Weber and a potential big sleeper in Marc Andre Gragnani (for all you fantasy players, grab this guy right now). Grganani came up late last season and had seven points in seven playoff games. He’s also looked terrific in preseason. Up front, the Sabres are also loaded with talent. It's fair to say that Tyler Ennis had his breakout season last year when he put up 20 goals and 29 assists in his first full season with the Sabres. He’s not done. The potential of a line centered by Leino with Ennis and Drew Stafford on the wings is an exciting one and Ennis could get 30 and so could his line-mates. Adam Luke looks good. Derek Roy is healthy and wickedly talented. Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Nathan Gerbe, Paul Gaustad and Patrick Kaleta may not be household names but they’re all front-line NHL players that have grit, desire and big talent. Oh, and there’s Ryan Miller, perhaps the best goaltender in the league. With a new owner that clearly stated he’ll do whatever it takes to win, coach Lindy Ruff and every player comes into this season feeling better than ever. The Sabres will contend. The only threat in the division is Boston. The Canadiens will need a perfect season and everything to go right to even come close to Buffalo and they got that last year. You can forget about Toronto and Ottawa. As for the Bruins, there’s the inevitable Cup hangover and every team will be gunning for them, making the season even tougher. Tim Thomas has no shot of repeating last year’s numbers because he’s just not that good. The Sabres will definitely contend for the division and they may even run away with it. With that said, we’ll play them to win the Division and to win the Cup. Play: Buffalo +160 to win Division (Risking 4 units). Play: Buffalo +1600 to win Cup (Risking 2 units).


N.Y. Islanders over 33½ wins

The Islanders had 30 wins a season ago and that’s with no goaltending stability, no Mark Streit, no Kyle Okposo and more than a few rookies in and out of the line-up all year. This season the Islanders will have Evgeni Nabokov in net with Al Montoya backing him or Rick DiPietro. Montoya is rock solid while DiPietro is a health risk that isn’t likely to get much playingh time. In other words, the goaltending will be stronger. The Islanders lost a league-high 13 games in OT last season and chances are good they’ll improve upon that. John Tavares enters his third year and he’s the real deal. Let’s not forget he had 29 goals last season and is working on all elements of his game. On a team with deceptive talent, Tavares is poised to step completely from the shadows. Matt Moulson (33 goals) was one of five players who had 20 goals for the Isles last season. Throw in Josh Bailey, who just signed a new deal and has 20-goal potential, Michael Grabner, (Grabner scored 26 goals in the final 44 games and ended up with 34), P.A. Parenteau, John Tavares, Okposo and a swift puck-moving D-man in Streit and the Isles could be on the verge of becoming more than a little explosive. Offense will not be a problem. You might all remember the Phoenix Coyotes from two seasons ago entering the season on the verge of moving to another city. The Coyotes played with a chip on their shoulder all year with an “us against the world” attitude and had a great year. The Islanders are virtually in that same position, as there is no new arena and a threat to move the team. This is a young, dangerous, talented and confident group that is on the verge of something good. Asking them to win four more games than last year is not a stretch at all and it says here the Islanders are this year’s surprise team. Get on this one early. Play: N.Y. Islanders over 33½ (Risking 3.15 units to win 3).

[Mr. IWS]

Oregon Ducks Host Cal Bears ESPN Thursday
By: Dave Consolazio

The Oregon Ducks look to improve to 2-0 in Pac-12 play and to keep their slim BCS Championship hopes alive with a win over the Cal Bears this Thursday night.

Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET Thursday night, and the game will be televised nationwide on ESPN. The Don Best odds screen has Oregon as a 23 ½-point favorite at home with the total yet to be released.

Since losing to LSU in the season opener at Cowboys Stadium, it’s been business as usual for the Ducks who have averaged 60.3 points per game over their last three. The LSU loss may eventually cost Oregon a trip to the BCS Championship, but Chip Kelly's club is still in great position to challenge Stanford down the road for supremacy in the Pac-12.

Oregon (3-1) survived Nick Foles and Arizona in the Ducks’ last game by putting up points all game and out-shooting the Wildcats 56-31 in the end. LaMichael James rushed for a ridiculous 288 yards in the big win.

As is usually the case with the Ducks, the offense is confident and clicking now that they have a few games under their belt. At home with no distracting crowd, Oregon’s offense tends to run even better. The Bears will definitely have their hands full with this attack.

California (3-1) picked up its first loss of the season in thelast game against Washington as a 1 ½-point favorite on the road. Last season, Cal covered the spread against Oregon at home in a 15-13 loss as 19-point underdogs.

While Oregon has won the last two meetings between these two teams, Jeff Tedford has had his share of success against Oregon in recent years. Cal is 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in the last five games against the Ducks, and has remarkably held Oregon's high-octane offense to just 24 points or less in four of those five games.

Both Cal and Oregon have trended ‘over’ in college football betting this season, with each team’s record on the high side at 3-1. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of Oregon’s last six at home, and four of Cal’s last six games overall.

Recent form may end up being more important than older trends, but it is worth noting that five of the last six games these teams have played have gone ‘under.’

As is illustrated by their 60.3 points per game over the last three, Oregon has just one speed, and that’s full speed ahead. Cal in all likelihood won’t get a break of Oregon letting up late, so to cover this spread the Bears are going to need to bring their best on offense or once again find a way to solve this dangerous spread attack.

The early weather forecast for Eugene on Thursday includes a 30 percent chance of rain and the mid-to-upper 50s for kickoff from Autzen Stadium.

[Mr. IWS]

California at Oregon Preview
By Christian Alexander

Matchup: California (3-1) at #9 Oregon (3-1)
Venue: Autzen Stadium – FieldTurf
Date: Thursday, Oct. 6
Time/TV: 9:00 pm ET - ESPN
Line: Oregon -24, o/u 65

Just when I thought I was streaking. South Florida and QB BJ Daniels sure didn’t look very impressive last Thursday when they traveled to Pitt and laid an egg. Sure, you have to give the Panthers credit but it’s safe to say that wasn’t the best effort by the Bulls in a game they were slight road favorites (-2.5). When the final gun sounded Pitt had 44 to South Florida’s 17 – ouch.

With a 3-2 (60%) record on Thursday nights, I’ll try to get headed in the right direction this week as we turn our attention to this week’s game out west between Cal and Oregon.

Some interesting shared history for the two coaches this Thursday as Cal’s Jeff Tedford was the offense coordinator at Oregon between 1998-2001 before heading to Berkley for his first – and so far only – top job in 2002. Oregon’s Chip Kelly took a similar path to his present position as he was the offensive coordinator for the Ducks during the 2007 and 2008 seasons before landing the head coaching position in Eugene in 2009.

Both coaches are known to be offensive masterminds and Kelly has certainly lived up to that moniker recently. Kelly, who – even as the head coach - continues to call the offensive plays for Oregon, has run a pretty prolific offense these past four seasons, averaging just over 40 points a game in that span.

Recently, they’ve been even better as the Ducks lead the nation in scoring this season with 52 points per game. The scary part for Cal is that Oregon takes it to a whole other level when playing at home – site of this Thursday's game. Since last season – a span of eight games - the Ducks have averaged 59.9 points at Autzen Stadium.

By now, it’s certainly no secret who drives the Oregon offense. Running back LaMichael James leads the nation in rushing at just over 150 yards per game. Combining with quarterback Darron Thomas, the Ducks unquestionably have the best 1-2 punch in the nation.

Yet for all of Oregon’s offensive prowess, much of the talk leading up to this week’s game centers around whether the Ducks can figure out the Cal defense – a unit that held Kelly and company to a season-low 15 points in their 2010 game. Yes, Oregon won that game 15-13 but the fact remains the Ducks have only averaged 24 points a game in the last four years against Cal – well below their average.

It appears as if Oregon – and specifically James – will again be tested this Thursday as Cal’s defense is ranked ninth in the country against the run, allowing a shade less than 80 yards a game. Thomas – who hasn’t been sacked so far in 2011 – will also be tested by a Bear’s defense ranked 18th in the nation with 13 sacks in four games.

However, if there is one soft spot in the Cal defense, it is in their secondary. Not including what basically amounted to a scrimmage vs. Presbyterian, Cal has given up an average of 305 passing yards in their three games, which is just about the worst in the Pac-12. You can be sure that weather permitting – and the forecast is calling for a 20% chance of rain – Thomas will test Cal’s secondary with weapons such as wide receiver Lavasier Tuinei.

Tedford likely knows he can’t win a shoot out with the Ducks – certainly not in Autzen Stadium – but that’s not to say the Bears don’t have some weapons of their own. Opposing teams won’t confuse Cal QB Zach Maynard and RB Isi Sofele for Thomas & James but the duo from Berkley can light up a scoreboard.

With products such as Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Tedford is known as a great QB coach and Maynard has certainly been impressive so far in 2011. Of course, it helps to have a pair of NFL ready WRs in Marvin Jones and Kennan Allen. Jones, who is 6'3", is averaging almost six catches and over 90 yards a game while Allen, who is also 6'3", averages nearly eight receptions and 124 yards a game.

For Cal to have any chance on Thursday, the Bears must have success with their passing game. Even then it may not matter as the Bears are just 1-9 in their last 10 games at Autzen Stadium. Tedford has very little experience on the Thursday night stage and this will only be his second game appearance in that spot. You have to go all the way back to 2003, when Cal – led by Rodgers – lost to Utah – led by Alex Smith – 31-24 on a Thursday night. In fact, the last time the Bears won on a Thursday night game was in 1992 when they beat Kansas, 27-23.

Both teams enter this contest 2-2 against the spread and it’s worth noting that as the coach of Cal, Tedford has only been a bigger underdog once – when the oddsmakers gave the Bears 28 points in a game against Kansas State. Cal lost that game – but was a winner for bettors – as the final score was 42-28.

[Mr. IWS]

California at Oregon: What Bettors Need to Know


California Golden Bears at Oregon Ducks (-23.5, 64)

THE STORY: Since falling to now-No. 2 LSU in the season-opener and dropping to No. 14 in the rankings, Oregon has slowly climbed its way back into the Top 10 with three consecutive blowout victories. The ninth-ranked Ducks have scored at least 56 points in wins over Nevada, Missouri State and Arizona and now rank first in the nation in scoring offense at 52 points per game. Oregon ranked first in that category last year, too, but California held the Ducks to season lows in points, total yards and first downs in a 15-13 Oregon victory.

California coach Jeff Tedford was Oregon’s offensive coordinator for four seasons before taking over the Golden Bears’ program in 2002. Cal leads the all-time series 39-32-2, but Oregon has won 10 of the past 15 meetings.

TV: ESPN

LINE MOVES: Oregon opened as high as -24 and had been bet down slightly at some books. The total opened as low as 63 and was bet up to 64.5 before coming back down half a point.

WEATHER: There is a 16 percent chance of rain for Eugene Thursday. Game-time temperatures will dip into the high 40s.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12, 2-2 ATS): As high-powered as Oregon is offensively, the Bears haven’t been bad themselves, ranking 15th in the country with 39.5 points per game. After starting the season 3-0, Cal missed a chance at its first 4-0 start since 2007 with a 31-23 loss at Washington last week. The Bears rank ninth nationally with only 78.3 rushing yards allowed per game, but they haven’t faced a rushing offense that currently is higher than 58th in the country, so they’re in for quite a challenge trying to stop LaMichael James and Oregon’s spread-option attack. Cal quarterback Zach Maynard — a transfer from Buffalo — has 10 passing touchdowns already after throwing for just 18 in his final season with the Bulls.

ABOUT OREGON (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12, 2-2 ATS): The Ducks have been flat-out dominate at Autzen Stadium since 2008, averaging 49.5 points per game in an 18-game home winning streak. Their last home loss was a 37-32 setback against Boise State on Sept. 20, 2008. James — the nation’s leading rusher in 2010 — claimed the top spot again this week after a record-setting 288-yard effort at Arizona last weekend. Quarterback Darron Thomas threw two touchdowns in the Ducks’ 56-31 win against the Wildcats, making it 17 consecutive games he’s thrown for at least one score. Oregon has won 13 straight conference games since a loss at Stanford in November 2009.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oregon leads the nation with only one sack allowed through four games, while Cal’s defense is ninth nationally with 3.25 sacks per game.

2. Eight of the last 11 games in this series have been decided by 10 points or less.

3. This is the first of three weeknight games this season for Cal, which played only three total weeknight games in Tedford’s first nine years in Berkeley.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings in Oregon.
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Home team is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Golden Bears are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.

PREDICTION: Oregon 56, California 24 -- The Ducks offense is rolling again, and they’ve been unstoppable at Autzen Stadium, so the Bears could be in for a long night.

[Mr. IWS]

Thursday’s Betting Tips


Who’s hot

MLB: The Yankees are 18-6 in Ivan Nova’s last 24 starts as a favorite.

NCAAF: Oregon is 9-3 against the spread after its bye week.

NCAAF: Western Kentucky is 7-3 against the spread vs. teams with a losing record.

NHL: Pittsburgh was 5-1 in preseason play, allowing just 11 total goals.

Who’s not

MLB: The Detroit Tigers are just 8-17 in their last 25 games with umpire Ted Barrett behind the plate.

NCAAF: Middle Tennessee State is 2-6 against the spread in its last eight home games.

NCAAF: Cal is 7-19 against the spread in its last 26 road games.

NHL: Montreal was 2-6 in preseason play, allowing 29 goals.

Key stat

62 – Tiger Woods shot a course-record 62 last week at Medalist Golf Club in Juniper, Fla. Woods, who has just has just 10 tournaments under his belt in 2011 is set as a +550 favorite to win the Frys.com Open which begins Thursday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Tim Connolly, Toronto Maple Leafs – Toronto placed its prized offseason acquisition on the injured reserve Wednesday after Connolly suffered an upper-body injury in practice last week. Connolly made the move retroactively, meaning he could suit up Saturday night. The club hopes Connolly, who scored 13 goals and 29 assists in 68 games with Buffalo last season, will be a good fit on its top line with sniper Phil Kessell.

Game of the day

Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees (-165, 9)

Notable quotable

“Middle Tennessee does not like us, and we do not like them, and that is good for our conference. It is good to have that rivalry, and to be able to get excited to go out and take care of our business. But we have to make it a rivalry. They have beaten us the last three games, and we have to make it a rivalry by beating them. Here is our opportunity on Thursday night to see if we can go do that.” – Western Kentucky head coach Willie Taggart about his Thursday evening matchup with Middle Tennessee State. Western Kentucky is currently set as a 11.5-point road underdog.

Notes and tips

Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien said Tuesday that the Bruins have two No. 1 goalies and will start the season with Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask splitting time between the pipes. Julien also said the team will ride the hot hand if one of the goalies is having a superior campaign. Thomas had a storybook campaign last year, winning the Vezina Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup despite opening the season second on the depth chart. Thomas posted 35 wins in 55 starts with a 2.00 goals-against average and .938 save percentage. He then posted four playoff shutouts, including two against Vancouver in the finals. The Bruins haven’t announced their starting goalie for Thursday’s game against Philly, but you have to figure Thomas gets the call. Boston is set as a -145 favorite at home to Philly.

Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander will not be available to pitch out of the bullpen in Thursday's decisive Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he would not consider using his straight righthander, who threw 120 pitches and struck out 11 in Monday's victory over the Yankees. New York’s CC Sabathia is expected to be available out of the pen after also starting Monday.

The Cal Golden Bears held the Oregon Ducks’ high-scoring attack to just 15 points in a two-point loss last season and spent their bye week trying to get ready for Oregon’s offense again this time around. "We did a lot of up-tempo stuff,” Cal head coach Jeff Tedford told reporters. “The only thing they haven't seen is the speed at which it happens. That's why it's important (to get) as close as you can to simulating it. Last year, I thought we did a good job of simulating it." The Ducks are averaging 52 points per game, ranking second nationally. The Golden Bears are set as 24-point underdogs after they came within two points of upsetting Oregon last season as 18.5-point underdogs, which was the fourth time in five meetings that Cal covered the number.

[Mr. IWS]

What Bettors Need to Know: Thursday's NHL Opening Night


Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs (-120, 5.5)

THE STORY: Two of hockey's most historic rivals meet to open the season Thursday when the Montreal Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens are looking to rebound from a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Boston Bruins last season, while the Maple Leafs hope to reach the postseason for the first time since before the 2004-05 work stoppage. The goaltending matchup will likely be the most intriguing one of the night, with emerging star Carey Price guarding the Montreal net against Toronto's James Reimer. Price played in a club-record 72 games last season but will likely see a diminished workload this year with the acquisition of backup Peter Budaj. Reimer will face immense scrutiny as the Leafs' unquestioned top guy after a sensational rookie campaign.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, RDS

ABOUT THE CANADIENS: Head coach Jacques Martin believes the Canadiens are an improved bunch over the club that placed sixth in the Eastern Conference and nearly knocked off the Bruins in the opening round. He may wind up being correct, but only if Montreal can find a way to score more goals. A full season of F Mike Cammalleri and the acquisition of F Erik Cole over the summer will aid in that regard, but youngsters like Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty will need to be stronger if Montreal hopes to improve on its 23rd-ranked offense.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS: More roster shuffling has Toronto confident it can end a postseason drought that has now reached six seasons. The arrival of talented but injury-prone center Tim Connolly should help, while Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski are expected to shine in the final years of their respective contracts. Other minor moves (David Steckel, Cody Franson, Matthew Lombardi) should give Toronto the depth it has been lacking in recent seasons.

OVERTIME:

1. Montreal allowed 29 preseason goals, tied with Florida for the most in the league.

2. Toronto's 22 goals in the exhibition campaign was the most in the Eastern Conference.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings in Toronto.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

PREDICTION: Montreal 3, Toronto 2. These two teams always play tight, entertaining games and Thursday's should be no exception. With referees usually calling more penalties early in the season, the Canadiens' historically strong power-play should make the difference in this one.

Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins (-140, 5.5)

THE STORY: It's funny how the NHL season works sometimes. During Thursday's season opener, the host Boston Bruins will hoist their Stanley Cup banner in full view of the Philadelphia Flyers - the team which unceremoniously handed them a historic postseason collapse in 2010 only to be swept aside in the conference semifinals in 2011. In doing so, the Beantown residents skated to their first Stanley Cup title since 1972. Boston has done its fair share of reveling after besting the Vancouver Canucks in June, while Philadelphia has cast aside a couple of proven veterans while finally addressing its goaltending situation. Ilya Bryzgalov will now be between the pipes for Philadelphia, while reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas will man his usual post for Boston. Bruins coach Claude Julien isn't resting on his laurels, however. "The start of this season is a whole new season. It's been a great summer, but now it's time to turn the page and get back to work. What we accomplished last year really doesn't matter this year."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Versus

ABOUT THE FLYERS: After last year's woe-begotten performance between the pipes, Philadelphia signed free-agent Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million deal. That was not the only move for the new-look Flyers, who jettisoned former captain Mike Richards to Los Angeles and talented wing Jeff Carter to Columbus. Former league MVP Jaromir Jagr, 39, has fared well in the preseason, but he'll need to prove his worth over the long haul after playing in the Kontinental Hockey League for the past three campaigns.

ABOUT THE BRUINS: While Boston will celebrate the not-too-recent past on Thursday, several faces will be missing. Future Hall of Famer Mark Recchi retired, Michael Ryder is now in Dallas and Marc Savard will not play this season after suffering his second concussion. The Bruins rewarded pesky Brad Marchand for his solid postseason by inking him to a two-year deal this summer. The main core is intact, however, and another run at the Northeast Division title - among loftier goals - is not out of the realm of possibility in 2011-12.

OVERTIME:

1. With the departures of proven studs, the Flyers are expecting James van Riemsdyk to pick up the slack on the scoreboard. The second overall pick of the 2007 draft, van Riemsdyk was signed to a six-year extension worth $25.5 million in the offseason.

2. Although Thomas was the signature face of the Bruins' triumph last summer, he is expected to share netminding duties with Tuukka Rask this year. Then again, the same was said last year ... and we all saw how that panned out.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Boston.
* Flyers are 0-6 in the last six meetings.

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Flyers 1. With TD Garden whipped into a frenzy, Julien's charges won't suffer any Stanley Cup hangover - well, at least not on the first day. Boston's top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton will fluster the Flyers en route to a convincing victory.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Vancouver Canucks (-160, 5.5)

THE STORY: While publications and video games are predicting a Stanley Cup championship for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, a title will only come to the Steel City if superstar Sidney Crosby is able to return to the lineup and regain his superior form. The captain will begin 2011-12 on injured reserve as Pittsburgh begins the campaign on the road Thursday against the reigning Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks. Sports Illustrated picked the Penguins to win it all this season and EA Sports' "NHL 12" video game had Pittsburgh sweeping Chicago in the Finals during a simulation. But the Pens' real-life hopes are pinned on the health of Crosby, who has been out since Jan. 5 with a concussion. The Canucks had a brilliant 2010-11 campaign, winning the Presidents' Trophy and boasting the Art Ross Trophy winner for a second straight season, but came up one win short of their first Cup as they fell to Boston.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Versus, CBC

ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Crosby is symptom-free and traveling with the team on its season-opening road trip through Western Canada, but the 24-year old has not yet been cleared for contact in practice. Evgeni Malkin is more than ready, however, as he registered three goals and seven points in four preseason games after having his 2010-11 campaign end in early February with a knee injury.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS: Ryan Kesler has made waves by posing nude for ESPN Magazine, but the club is more interested in his return to the ice. The Selke Trophy winner begins the season on the sidelines following offseason hip surgery. Twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who have claimed the last two regular-season scoring titles, will be counted on early with Kesler and Mason Raymond (fractured vertebrae) on the shelf.

OVERTIME:

1. The Penguins boast what arguably is the best trio of centers in the league in Crosby, Malkin and Jordan Staal. However, the threesome has been together in the lineup only seven times over Pittsburgh's last 96 games, including the playoffs, and just twice last season.

2. After leading the NHL with 262 goals in 2010-11, Vancouver scored only 17 times in eight preseason contests.

TRENDS:

- Pittsburgh is 2-7 in the last nine meetings between the two teams.
- The under is 18-6-2 in Vancouver's last 26 home games.

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 5, Vancouver 3. Even without Crosby, the Penguins have enough firepower to make Roberto Luongo miserable. The absences of Kesler and Raymond will limit Vancouver's ability to generate scoring chances against Marc-Andre Fleury.

[Mr. IWS]

Boston Bruins Begin Cup Defense Against Flyers
By: Matty Simo

The 2011-2012 NHL regular season gets underway on Thursday with a trio of games, including the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers in a playoff rematch.

The Eastern Conference rivals have bounced each other from the postseason each of the last two years, with the Bruins sweeping the Flyers in four games en route to winning the league title in June one season after blowing a 3-0 series lead and losing to them in seven games. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (ET) with television coverage provided by VERSUS.

Boston became the second consecutive “Original Six” team to win the Stanley Cup, following the Chicago Blackhawks, who beat Philadelphia in six games two seasons ago. The Bruins rode the hot goaltending of Tim Thomas, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs after setting an NHL record by allowing just eight goals in a seven-game series victory against the Vancouver Canucks.

The Bruins have the second-highest point total in the Eastern Conference at 104 ½ and are 9/1 to repeat as league champs. They earned 103 points last year, which was good for third in the East behind the Washington Capitals (107) and Philadelphia (106).

The Canucks ultimately fell short of winning their first-ever NHL title with goalie Roberto Luongo taking much of the criticism for getting shelled in the three games in Boston. Still, Luongo’s Vancouver team is the 6/1 favorite to hoist the Cup next June according to the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook.

The Canucks also have the second-highest point total on the board at 107½. They will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday at 10:00 p.m. sans superstar Sidney Crosby, who remains out due to post-concussion syndrome.

Vancouver won the Presidents’ Trophy last year with an NHL-high 117 points, and the team’s top challengers in the West figure to be the Blackhawks (12/1 to win the Cup), San Jose Sharks (10/1) and Detroit Red Wings (10/1). Chicago should be stronger this year after barely getting into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed. The Blackhawks have the second-highest point total at 105½ and took the Canucks to seven games in their first-round playoff matchup last year.

They open their season when they visit the Dallas Stars on Friday at 8:30 p.m.

The Capitals have the highest point total at 108½ but have underachieved the last two seasons in the playoffs. The Capitals are 8/1 to win the Stanley Cup after getting swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year as the top seed. They had won the Presidents’ Trophy for earning the best overall record during the regular season the previous year and were upset in the first round.

Washington does not start this season until Saturday when the team hosts the Carolina Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. among a nearly full slate of 13 games.

Like the Canucks and Capitals, the Sharks are also chasing their first championship and have underachieved recently. San Jose’s point total is 103½ after finishing second in the West last year and first the previous season.

The Sharks have made it to the Western Conference Finals each of the last two years but have won just one of eight games there after knocking out the Red Wings in the previous round both times. They host the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday at 10:30 p.m.

Detroit’s point total is 102½ along with the Los Angeles Kings, who might be the top sleeper pick at 12/1. The Kings have a young team and were without leading scorer Anze Kopitar in the playoffs last year.

They made a deal with the Flyers for center Mike Richards in the offseason and recently re-signed star defenseman Drew Doughty to an eight-year deal worth $56 million. Los Angeles hosts the New York Rangers on Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., and that game will also be televised on VERSUS.

Philly (15/1) is hoping to replace some of the production of Richards with former MVP Jaromir Jagr, who inked a one-year contract for $3.3 million after spending three years in the KHL.

[Mr. IWS]

Thursday’s Best NHL Bets


Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs (-120, 5.5)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to start strong this season after putting together a strong stretch in the second half last season, just missing out on the postseason.

However, the Leafs are still a young team with a lot of question marks. James Reimer grabbed the No. 1 goaltending job out of nowhere last season but it remains to be seen if he can carry the load for the full season. The club’s defense looks deep, but the team’s still looking for help up front.

They picked up veteran center David Steckel from the Devils this week and he’ll help in the faceoff circle on the third or fourth line, though he isn’t the big fish they’re out for.

Meanwhile, everything’s looking up in Montreal. Goaltender Carey Price and defenseman P.K. Subban are coming off breakthrough years and Max Pacioretty has made a full recovery from his scary neck injury. The Habs also added a little forward depth by signing Erik Cole.

These big Canadiens-Leafs games are always tough to call, but at this price you’d be crazy not to jump on Montreal.

Pick: Canadiens

Pittsburgh Penguins at Vancouver Canucks (-155, 5.5)

Even though Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby is traveling with the Penguins, he isn’t expected to play on his club’s opening road trip. However, word has it he will be cleared for contact soon as he comes back from his concussion.

The good news is that everybody expects Evgeni Malkin to bounce back this season after changing his training routine in the offseason. That’s certainly possible, but let’s wait a week or two before handing the guy the Hart Trophy.

You have to wonder how the Canucks will get out of the gate following last spring’s heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Bruins in the finals. Roberto Luongo is a notoriously slow starter as it is and Ryan Kesler will be on the shelf for a while.

“People think that because you have a short summer you’re not going to come prepared but I don’t believe in it,” Mikael Samuelsson told reporters. “It’s like a built-in excuse if things don’t go your way, but we have to find our way.”

That might take longer than they hope.

Pick: Penguins

[Mr. IWS]

LuckyDaySports

Thursday’s Comp Play

NCAAF

Take Western Kentucky (+11.5) in the W. Kentucky/Mid Ten St game

[Mr. IWS]

CappersAccess

Thursday Pick

Oregon

[Mr. IWS]

Baseball Crusher
Play of the Day:

NY Yankees -155 over Detroit Tigers

[Mr. IWS]

Football Crusher
Play of the Day:

Middle Tennessee -11 over Western Kentucky

[Mr. IWS]

Hockey Crusher
Play of the Day:

Boston -145 over Philadelphia

[Mr. IWS]

DCI NHL

Season: 0-0 (-----)

BOSTON 3, Philadelphia 2
Montreal vs. TORONTO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
VANCOUVER 3, Pittsburgh 2