Surging Flames visit Canucks, GM Place

Hockey Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Flames are getting hot at just the right time. Calgary will try to match its longest winning streak of the season tonight when it visits GM Place to take on the Vancouver Canucks.

The Flames have won four straight as they try to repair the damage caused from a 4-10-4 stretch they posted from Jan. 11-March 3. Once challengers for the Northwest Division title, Calgary now finds itself a point back of Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand. The Flames are also just two points behind the seventh-seeded Predators.

Calgary, which won five straight from Dec. 28-Jan. 5, is coming off Thursday's 2-0 shutout of Ottawa. Miikka Kiprusoff made 33 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and 34th of his career.

"It's a big two points for us," said Flames head coach Brent Sutter. "We found a way to win in a game where we weren't at our best. We weren't all that sharp but we did things well enough to find a way to win. With the situation we're in we can't give up points, we need points."

Jamal Mayers and Chris Higgins scored for the Flames, who have lost six of their last nine on the road.

Kiprusoff is 3-1-0 with a 3.51 goals-against average in the Flames' four games versus the Canucks this year and made 19 saves in a 3-2 shootout win at GM Place when the clubs last met on Jan. 9. Jamie Lundmark had the game-tying goal and netted the winner in the shootout.

Vancouver, which has still won seven of its last 11 at home versus the Flames, had to wait nearly two months but it picked up its sixth straight win at home last night with a 5-1 victory over Ottawa. The Canucks were playing at GM Place for the first time since Jan. 27 due to a 14-game road trip that was needed because of the city of Vancouver playing host to the Winter Olympics.

Mikael Samuelsson scored twice to give him 30 goals on the season as well as nine tallies and 12 points over a six-game point streak. Alexandre Burrows, Daniel Sedin and Sami Salo also scored for the Canucks, who went 8-5-1 on their NHL-record road trip.

"We came out and had a great first period, and I think we played one of our best games of the year tonight," said Roberto Luongo, who made 13 saves. "I think we were just excited to get back. It's been such a long time since we've played here."

Sedin pushed his point streak to nine games (2 goals, 12 assists), while Ryan Kesler had a helper to give him five goals and nine assists over a 12-game run of his own.

The Canucks, who own a five-point lead over the Avalanche for first place in the Northwest Division, won the opener of a five-game homestand and improved to 24-7-1 as the host this season.

Luongo is 1-2-1 with a 3.21 GAA in four games versus the Flames this year.

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Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

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