Betting Picks
Hawks Show Up At Home After Lackluster Road Trip
Going into last night's action at home against the Flyers, the Blackhawks had gone from a fantastic road team, to one of the worst. When they entered Philadelphia with a two games to none lead, many fans and experts alike figured the series to be finished in four games, as the young Hawks led by rookie goalie Antti Niemi and offensive stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, looked to win the first cup in half a decade for the original six franchise. Instead, the Hawks were severely out played by the Flyers and going into last night's game at the Madhouse on Madison, the series was tied with all the momentum, like in a good UFC 116 betting match up, shifted to the Flyers.
However, fans betting on the Blackhawks to win the series got a chance at redemption, as the Hawks rebounded at home last night in a seven to four route of the Flyers, which saw them chase goalie Michael Leighton for the second time in the series. Further, although now on different lines, the Hawks top players of Kane, Toews and Byfuglien finally made their mark on the series, as all three combined for seven points.
Hawks fans are beginning to feel confident again after the seven to four routing, as the big three which have carried the team for the entire playoffs have finally showed up. In Byfuglien's four point night and Patrick Kane's two point night, the Flyers have now a woken the sleeping beasts. Sports betting enthusiasts should remember from the Vancouver and San Jose series' that once the big three get rolling, it is nearly impossible to win a series. As well, goalie Niemi had the big game everyone has been expecting him to have, in game five. With the momentum now back in Chicago's favor, Blackhawks fans should feel confident in the young Hawks winning the cup in game six for the first time since 1961.
Longhorns, Cowboys head for Big 12 showdown
Even though people are looking to bet on World Series lines right now, there’s a huge matchup looming in the Big 12 this weekend that may be tougher to gauge than Yankees vs Phillies odds.
Texas vs Oklahoma State odds – Saturday, October 31, 8:00 PM ET
The No.3 Longhorns (7-0, 4-0) finally broke out with a 41-7 rout of Missouri on the road, as Colt McCoy completed his first 11 passes of the day en route to a 26-of-31 outing, throwing for 269 yards, three touchdowns and a pick. The Longhorns kept the Tigers off-balance with 131 yards, but McCoy was the star the show, and everyone has been waiting for a Heisman-like performance. The Texas defense held Mizzou to 173 yards and two turnovers, and this was the Longhorns’ most complete showing of the season.
The No.14 Cowboys (6-1, 3-0) rolled to a 34-7 beating of Baylor on the road, and Oklahoma State dominated this game from start to finish. Zac Robinson was 23-of-27 for 250 yards and three touchdowns for the Cowboys, who held the ball for over 38 minutes. Oklahoma State also held the Bears to 43 yards on the ground.
The Longhorns come into this game as 9.5-point road favorites, and Texas has won 10 straight over the Cowboys. The last two have been decided by four points or less, but the Longhorns look to be hitting their stride just in time for the end of the season. The Cowboys have got on well without All-American receiver Dez Bryant, but they haven’t seen a defense like Texas, which may be the most improved in the nation on that side of the ball. Combine that with a quarterback who is getting hot, and the Longhorns will roll this weekend.
BetOnline.com Pick: Texas -9.5
Yet Another Championship for the City of Boston
Hard to believe we’re halfway through training camp. In fact, the NHL regular season starts in just 13 days. That means it’s really time to put our reps on the line and make a Stanley Cup Pick.
I love the Blackhawks, but goaltending may prevent them from sealing the deal in the Final. This year, I like the Boston Bruins.
They have all the ingredients of a championship team. They’re deep as can be at center, with creative playmaker Marc Savard running the show, David Krejci emerging as one of the game’s best two-way players and Patrice Bergeron very talented despite his injury woes. They’re absolutely massive on the wings, with monsters Milan Lucic, Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder clogging opposing teams’ slots. They have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner in goal with Tim Thomas and the reigning Norris Trophy winner on defense in Zdeno Chara. All Boston really needs for a championship is some defensive depth, and they could have that within days.
The Bruins are expected to deal Phil Kessel soon – especially since they’d rather control where he goes than have a team snake him with an offer sheet. That deal could very well net them another top-four defenseman; they originally tried to deal Kessel for Tomas Kaberle, so they’re clearly on the market for a blueliner.
The Bruins are big, strong, young, cohesive, and they blend offense and defense as well as any team in the league. I like their Stanley Cup odds for 2009-10.