Panthers take first in Southeast by clipping Caps

Hockey Betting Lines

02/01/2012 - Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mikael Samuelsson tallied twice and Shawn Matthias provided a late insurance goal as Florida doubled up Washington, 4-2, in a battle for Southeast Division supremacy.

Stephen Weiss added a goal and Tomas Fleischmann totaled two assists for the Panthers, who vaulted into first place by one point over the Caps thanks to their second win in three games.

Scott Clemmensen made 26 saves in the victory.

Brooks Laich and John Carlson tallied for the Capitals, who have dropped four of their last five.

Michal Neuvirth allowed three goals on 37 shots for the loss.

Florida went up 2-1 with 4:57 gone in the third on a power play as Samuelsson's harmless wrister from the point sailed past an unscreened Neuvirth.

It was 3-1 just prior to the midway point on a reviewed goal. Tomas Kopecky's chance from the right side of the crease was turned aside, but the rebound was cleared into mid-air, where it caromed in off Weiss' shoulder as he skated into Neuvirth inside the crease.

Though the initial call was no goal, a replay determined there was no intentional motion to direct the puck with his shoulder, nor was there a case for interference.

Though Carlson's blast from between the circles pulled Washington to 3-2 with 2:21 on the clock, Matthias hit the empty net with 53 seconds remaining.

Samuelsson put the hosts on the board at the 33-second mark of the second period when his wrister from center ice clanged off the left post and past Neuvirth.

Laich countered during a 4-on-4, lifting a shot from the left circle home at 11:15.

Game Notes

Florida has won three in a row and four of five on home ice against Washington...The Panthers won despite the absence of forward Kris Versteeg, sidelined with the flu...Samuelsson recorded his first multi-goal effort since February 12, 2011 against Calgary while skating for the Canucks.

Sothevys Hockey Betting News

<< Spurs rally past Rockets behind Duncan, Parker
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Duncan scored 25 points and Tony Parker had 24, leading the Spurs to a 99-91 comeback win over the Rockets on Wednesday. Gary Neal added 15 points for the Spurs, who overcame a 13-point ha

<< Westbrook lifts Thunder over Mavericks
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Russell Westbrook finished with 33 points, including six in the final two minutes, as the Thunder escaped American Airlines Center with a 95-86 victory over the Mavericks in a battle of Western Confere

<< Granger paces Indiana over Timberwolves
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danny Granger nailed five three-pointers en route to a season-high 36 points as the Indiana Pacers downed the Minnesota Timberwolves, 109-99. Darren Collison filled the stat sheet with 20 points, n

<< Magic waive Hughes
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic waived guard Larry Hughes following Wednesday's win over the Wizards. Hughes, who did not play in the NBA last season, signed a free agent deal with the Magic in early December and aver

<< Nash becomes Suns' assist leader in win
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Nash was all the Suns needed on Wednesday. The veteran point guard dropped in a game-high 30 points while shooting 13- of-16 from the floor and dished out 10 assists as the Suns toppe

Oklahoma proves no match for Jayhawks >>
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thomas Robinson netted 20 points and pulled down 17 rebounds as No. 8 Kansas thumped Oklahoma, 84-62, at Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday. Tyshawn Taylor finished with 21 points, while Jeff Withey put home

Jackson lifts No. 6 Baylor over Texas A&M >>
College Station, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pierre Jackson's three-pointer with 16.3 seconds left gave Baylor the lead for good, and the sixth-ranked Bears held on for a 63-60 victory over Texas A&M on Wednesday. Perry Jones III scored

No. 11 UNLV fends off Colorado State >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chace Stanback and Oscar Bellfield each scored 16 points, and No. 11 UNLV fended off the upset-minded Colorado State Rams, 82-63, to remain undefeated at home this season. Mike Moser finished with 13

No. 17 San Diego State edges Boise State >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamaal Franklin scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds as No. 17 San Diego State survived to take a 58-56 win over Boise State. The game came down to the final shot after Chase Tapley hit 1-

Stars start second half with win over Ducks >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Ryder and Jamie Benn each had a goal and two assists as the Dallas Stars took a 6-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. Stephane Robidas, Eric Nystrom, Vernon Fiddler and Sheldon Souray ea

MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?

Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite.  Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight.  With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites.  As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).

Midwest

#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler

The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April.  Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT.  After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games.  Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season.  As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers.  Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS).  Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field.  With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.

#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV

As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year.  If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season.  As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well.  This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons.  Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late.  There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games.  It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.

East

#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown

“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season.  Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU.  They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games.  With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field.  Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense.  Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc.  The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range.  Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.

#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC

The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country.  Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times.  Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter.  UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen.  UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS.  An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games.  This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS.  USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types.  An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough.  USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS.  They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12.  When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards

About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com  is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.