Promising goalies poised for breakout
Hockey Betting Lines
08/06/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The parity of the cap-era NHL claimed another victim this past week when the Chicago Blackhawks traded Stanley Cup winning goalie Antti Niemi in favor of an aging Marty Turco and a paltry $1.45 million in cap relief.
Whether this move pays dividends for the Hawks is unknown, but walking away from a 26-year old goaltender who put up impressive numbers in the regular season and didn't wilt in the playoffs could prove as a major source of dismay.
What's even more surprising is the number of young goalies who enjoyed tremendous success a season ago.
Aside from Niemi, fellow freshmen Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard had no trouble cutting their teeth as everyday starters despite having combined for only 10 games NHL experience prior to last season.
Expect more of the same this year, and look for other netminders to make their mark and perhaps steal away a job from a seasoned starter.
In Los Angeles, Jonathan Quick better look over his shoulder because Jonathan Bernier is quickly approaching everyday duties and could be poised for a breakout year.
Despite putting up respectable numbers and backstopping the Kings to their first playoff berth since 2002, Quick could find himself battling for minutes with Bernier, who was named the American Hockey League's Most Outstanding Goalie for the Manchester Monarchs last season.
In his brief three-game stint with the Kings in 2010, Bernier went 3-0 with a 1.30 goals-against average, .957 save percentage and a shutout.
Although Quick is a promising youngster himself, the future throne in L.A. looks to belong to Bernier.
Another goalie looking to emerge from the shadows of obscurity is San Jose's Thomas Greiss.
Having trained under the wing of KHL-bound backstop Evgeni Nabokov, Greiss will have every opportunity this season to show he is ready to steal the spotlight.
His competition between the pipes will be newly acquired Anterro Niittymaki, who will be likely pegged to receive the majority of starts.
But unlike the many serviceable years provided by Nabokov, the Sharks no longer have the luxury of relying on a clear-cut number, giving Greiss a perfect platform to prove he can get the job done.
While he didn't see much action last year, the Cologne, Germany native proved capable of weathering the storm when called upon, a fact reflected by his sparkling .922 save percentage.
Speaking of sparkling, Jacob Markstrom, the shiniest of goaltending prospects, has made the move from Sweden and should challenge for a position on the Florida Panthers roster this season.
With Thomas Vokoun the clear-cut starter, the 20-year old Swede will have to win the backup role from journeyman Scott Clemmensen.
This past year, the 31st overall pick in 2008 put up astounding numbers for Brynas IF of the Swedish Elite League while also representing his country at the 2010 World Championship. As a result, the 6'4" phenom has drawn favorable comparisons to fellow countryman Henrik Lundqvist.
It wouldn't be shocking to see Markstrom start the year in the AHL, but based on his raw skill and athleticism, Panthers GM Dale Tallon might be forced to give the kid a shot sooner rather than later.
Whether it's parity or productivity, the emergence of young goaltenders has proven to become a staple of success for many franchises across the NHL landscape.
Charleston, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Eastern Illinois opened preseason camp Thursday night by welcoming two transfers to its roster, Mike Garrity from Illinois and Aki Dionsopoulos from Fresno State. G
<< Alabama tops coaches' preseason poll
McLean, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending national champion Alabama sits atop
the preseason USA Today coaches' football poll.
Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returns at running back for the Crimson Tide
and quarterback Greg McElroy is als
<< Relentless Randle ready to enter Hall of Fame
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -John Randle was a trash-talking, twitch-quick defensive tackle who intimidated and distracted opponents on his way to the sixth-most sacks in NFL history, fueled by a competitive drive that pushed an undrafted, undersized player fo
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The USA Today Preseason Top 25 football coaches poll, with team's 2009 records in parentheses, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in the final poll of the 2009 season and first-place votes received:Re
<< Alabama is No. 1 in USA Today's preseason poll
TYSONS CORNER, Va. (AP) -Defending national champion Alabama is No. 1 atop the USA Today preseason coaches' poll.Boise State will begin the season ranked No. 5. The Broncos, like Alabama, finished last season 14-0. They beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.T
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time the Philadelphia Phillies squared off against the despised New York Mets more than two months ago, they didn't score a run over the three-game road series. The two National League East inhabitants will do bus
O's hope to continue success under new manager vs. White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles passed their first test under new
manager Buck Showalter with flying colors. Their next challenge figures to be
a little bit tougher, however, with the American League Central-leading
Chicago White Sox i
Angels pay a visit to Tigers in Motown >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Detroit
Tigers are fading in their respective division-title races. Good news is that
one club has to win tonight when the two teams kick off a three-game series at
Comeric
First meets worst as Padres, D-Backs begin divisional set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres have a favorable road matchup this
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The Padres, who are two games ahe
Rolling Twins start series with last-place Indians >>
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tonight at Progressive
March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
Field 100-1
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American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout
An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.
Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off. Randy was not impressed though. Paula thought he started off fantastic. "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either.
Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed. Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact. He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition.
Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula. Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.
Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next. Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential. Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell. He sang "Careless Whisper".
22 year old Chris Richardson was up next. He was listed with +1100 odds coming in. He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great.
Nick was boring and pitchy. Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week. Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition.
Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds . These of course were the early odds. He was considered original for picking an "odd song". He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night.
Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good.
Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds. Great voice and a great sense of humor. He's a real standout. Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit. Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig".
Jared Cotter followed. He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition. The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good.
22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next. "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon. Though the judges felt he performed okay. Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.
Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition. He was the last to perform. He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start.
Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys. Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.