Blackhawks ready to take center stage

Hockey Betting Lines

12/31/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It would have been perfect if the Chicago Blackhawks could have carried their franchise-record winning streak into the Winter Classic, but it wasn't to be.

Despite the fact that the Detroit Red Wings -- Chicago's opponent in the outdoor game on New Year's Day -- easily handled the Blackhawks in a tune-up for the showdown at Wrigley Field, the Winter Classic will still be a coming- out party for the NHL's franchise in Chicago.

The Blackhawks, who like the Red Wings are an Original Six franchise, have experienced a renaissance in recent years as they've used a series of high draft picks to build one of the most exciting teams in the league.

For years, hockey in Chicago was a mere sideshow. After all, the Blackhawks have some serious competition in the Windy City, where two major league baseball franchises, the NFL's Bears and the NBA's Bulls also play.

While the Cubs, the loveable losers who call Wrigley Field home, are arguably the city's most cherished franchise it was the Bulls who captured hardware for Chicago in the 1990s. Michael Jordan's Bulls won six NBA titles in a span of eight years during the '90s and the team became synonymous with the word "dynasty".

The Blackhawks actually had a string of 28 straight playoff appearances from 1970-1997, but the Bulls, who had never won a title before Jordan's arrival, quickly trumped the city's consistent NHL franchise with their barrage of championships. The Blackhawks, on the other hand, haven't won a Stanley Cup title since 1961, a fact that even 50 straight years of making the playoffs wouldn't erase from the minds of Chicago hockey fans.

The problem for the Blackhawks is that since that lengthy postseason run, the club has made the playoffs just once (2002) in the last 10 seasons. Head coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Dale Tallon hope the Hawks can change that by getting back into the postseason this year.

The Blackhawks are certainly on the right track to make a return to the NHL's second season, as they head into the New Year second in the Central Division and just six points behind the Red Wings.

However, Detroit didn't seem impressed when the clubs met in Motown just two days before the outdoor showdown. The Blackhawks rolled into Detroit riding a franchise-record nine-game winning streak, but the Red Wings shut down Chicago and skated away with a 4-0 victory.

It was an impressive defensive performance by the defending Stanley Cup champions considering the Blackhawks had lit the lamp 24 times in their previous five games.

The same thing could happen to Chicago in the Winter Classic, but it's extremely difficult -- even for a team like Detroit -- to hold back the Blackhawks' potent offense in two straight games.

Chicago is the youngest team in the NHL and its leading offensive player, Patrick Kane, just turned 20 years old earlier this season. Kane, a native of Buffalo, NY where last year's Winter Classic was held, leads the Blackhawks with 41 points and is the player to watch in this year's outdoor battle.

Let's just hope Kane and other Chicago youngsters like Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg aren't slowed down by the outdoor ice surface, which can be a hindrance to quick skaters.

If the ice surface is easy to skate on, the Blackhawks will try to dictate the pace of the game and use speed and youth to their advantage against a veteran- laden Detroit squad.

The Blackhawks will certainly feel the pressure to perform not just for the crowd at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day, but also for the millions of folks tuning in at home. The thrill of playing in front of 41,000 hockey fans should wipe away any feelings of nervousness, however.

Chicago has waited a while for a hockey franchise it can be proud of to re- emerge and the 2008-09 Blackhawks have more than enough talent to fit that bill.

On New Year's Day, Kane and company will have a chance to show the rest of the hockey world what Chicago hockey fans already know...the Blackhawks are back.

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SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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