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08/06/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Perhaps Mike Modano is finishing his career where he always intended.
It is certainly going to be odd for any long-time hockey fan to see Modano skate during an NHL season with nothing other than the symbolic star on his chest, first that of the Minnesota variety and later representing Dallas. But when the Stars decided this past offseason to part ways with Modano for the first time since the franchise drafted him first overall in 1988, there seemed to be only one destination in the cards for the center.
Modano was going home. Everybody knew it.
"I thought I was emotionally and mentally finished with the game after last year," said Modano at a press conference on Friday. "I think the last little while in Dallas has taken a toll on him in those aspects. But coming here to visit these guys and talking with them certainly does get you excited about the opportunity that is here."
The Michigan-born skater seems ready to bring his Hall of Fame worthy career to Detroit where it all began, but might not find Detroit so tranquil amid the pressure of bringing home another title.
Make no mistake, the Red Wings aren't bringing in Modano, who was born approximately 13 miles from downtown Detroit in nearby Livonia, with the thinking he will return to his 30-goal days. That time has passed as Modano has scored more than 22 goals just once in his last six seasons.
Instead, Detroit is offering the 40-year-old a comfortable place to conclude a career that is entering its 21st season, one that has seen the veteran post 557 goals and 1,359 goals, both most among U.S.-born skaters in NHL history. His 145 playoff posts also lead all American-born players.
Goals for the Red Wings will come off the stick of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom. Modano will only be counted on to lend veteran leadership to a third line that is expected to feature Dan Cleary and Jiri Hudler on the wings.
"The game looks easy when you watch these guys and you play against them," said Modano. "It just looks real simple and effortless and you don't waste a lot of energy. At 40, I don't really want to waste a lot of energy."
While Modano certainly sounds like a guy who realizes his best days are behind him, Detroit must get something from him offensively. The club is coming off a 2009-10 season that saw it go from tops in the NHL the previous year with 289 goals to 14th last season with 223 tallies. That drop was attributed to the free agent losses of Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky, Mikael Samuelsson and Hudler, who returns after a one-year stint in the KHL, as well as injuries to Valtteri Filppula and Franzen among others.
But other than bringing back Hudler, the Red Wings haven't added any scorer other than Modano, so to say they aren't expecting much out of the seven-time All-Star would be facetious.
Should Modano fail to contribute on offense, especially if the injury bug hits Motown again, he runs the risk of ending his career not with a bang, or better yet a title, but amongst a collective sigh of what used to be; just another veteran who stuck around one year too long.
"A lot of high expectations so I think that will drive us and really give me some excitement leading into camp to get ready for the season and hopefully live up to the hype and play a little more youthful than a 40 year old," said Modano.
This type of move has worked for Detroit before, as recent as eight seasons ago when the Red Wings added a 37-year-old Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille, 36, to a club that won it all in 2002. Both Hull and Robitaille scored 30 goals that regular season, while Hull finished fourth on the team with 18 playoff points.
A 30-goal season for Modano would exceed even the most wild expectations, but a punchless campaign out of the seasoned skater would sour his homecoming really quick.
<< Red Sox place Okajima on DL
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox have placed pitcher Hideki
Okajima on the 15-day disabled list.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona, in an interview on WFAN-AM in New York, said
Okajima has a hamstring injury.
Okajima is
<< Polynice transfers from Ole Miss to Seton Hall
South Orange, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seton Hall has announced that guard Eniel
Polynice has transferred from Ole Miss and will be eligible to play this
season.
Polynice will not have to sit out a year, as he received a waiver from
<< Malisse ousts Berdych in D.C.
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Belgian Xavier Malisse upended top-seeded
Tomas Berdych in Friday's quarterfinal action at the $1.402 million Legg
Mason Tennis Classic, a hardcourt U.S. Open Series event.
The once-promising 30-year-old
<< Illinois State adds transfer Harris to defensive front
Normal, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Illinois State head football coach Brock Spack
has announced the addition of Wisconsin transfer Shelby Harris to the
Redbirds' roster.
Harris, a 6-foot-2, 245-pound defensive end, joins former Wisconsin teammate
Year's best take to the track on Saturday >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Undefeated champion mare Zenyatta and
leading older male horse Quality Road, the two top-rated thoroughbreds in
training, are each slated to race Saturday afternoon, though separated by about
3,000 miles.
Fire bring left back Segares back into fold >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Fire reacquired defender Gonzalo
Segares, the Major league Soccer club announced on Friday.
The 27-year-old Costa Rican defender rejoins the Fire on a free transfer after
spending six months with
Afinogenov heading to Russia >>
St. Petersburg, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Forward Maxim Afinogenov, who skated
with the Atlanta Thrashers last season, has decided to play in Russia's
Kontinental Hockey League in 2010-11.
On Friday, Sov Sport magazine reported that
Union jump right back into action at Dallas >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Union jump right back into
Major League Soccer action on Sunday at FC Dallas, three days after a 2-1 loss
at home to the Eastern Conference leading Columbus Crew.
Philadelphia forward Seba
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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