Blues continue homestand, seek first win vs. Red Wings

Hockey Betting Lines

03/14/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues are trying to make their crucial four- game homestand a successful one. However, success isn't something they have had this year versus Detroit.

The playoff-hopeful Blues seek their first win over the Red Wings this season in today's battle at Scottrade Center.

St. Louis enters this game with 70 points, just two back of Edmonton and Dallas for the last two playoff spots in the Western Conference. The Blues began this residency with a 5-2 win over Dallas before handing second-seeded San Jose a 3-1 loss on Thursday.

Andy McDonald posted a goal and one assist to help lead the Blues over the Sharks. Brad Boyes and Barret Jackman registered the other goals for St. Louis, which has won six of eight overall. Chris Mason stopped 24 shots for the win.

Patrik Berglund, who has 39 points this season, missed the San Jose game due to a back injury that has him questionable for today's game.

The Blues' win on Thursday improved them to 18-12-5 as the host and was their fifth win in their last seven games at Scottrade Center. However, they have lost four straight at home versus the Red Wings, who are 14-3-1 with a tie in their last 19 trips to St. Louis.

The Blues have gone winless in four games versus the Red Wings this year, getting outscored 17-7. That includes a 5-0 home loss on March 3.

Leading-goal scorer Marian Hossa hasn't played for Detroit since that shutout win. He crashed head-first into the boards in that game and had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher. He has missed the last four contests with a stiff neck/back and bruised knee and leads the Red Wings with 34 goals. Hossa is questionable for this game.

Detroit has split four games since that win over St. Louis. It built a 4-1 lead on Thursday at home versus Calgary, but saw the Flames net four straight goals on the way to an eventual 6-5 shootout win.

Dan Cleary tied the game with 41.4 seconds left for Detroit to force overtime, but Olli Jokinen notched the game-winner in the shootout for Calgary. Nicklas Lidstrom registered a goal and two assists in the setback, while Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the home team.

Pavel Datsyuk collected three helpers and Ty Conklin made 28 saves in the loss.

Detroit and its 97 points lead San Jose by one for the most in the West. The Red Wings are tied with Boston in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

The Red Wings play the first of back-to-back road games today and are 19-10-5 as the guest this year.

Cbaaportsline Hockey Betting News

<< Bruins aim for consecutive wins in test with Islanders
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins will try to win consecutive games for the first time in over two weeks while also extending their winning streak over the New York Islanders today at TD Banknorth Garden. Bosto

<< Suns hope to snap skid vs. Thunder
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The floundering Phoenix Suns hope to put the brakes on an ugly six-game losing streak Saturday when they welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to US Airways Arena. Phoenix hasn't lost seven straight games since an eight-game s

<< Nuggets resume homestand vs. Clippers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets resume a four-game homestand tonight aiming to improve themselves in the crowded Northwest Division race. The Nuggets improved to 1-1 on their residency and snapped a three-game skid on Wednesday when Ca

<< Streaking Hornets face Bulls in the Second City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Hornets finish up a four-game road trip in the Windy City tonight when they take on the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. The Hornets climbed to within two games of the idle San Antonio Spurs in the jumb

<< Rockets, Spurs meet in Southwest shootout
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The two top teams in the Southwest Division square off Saturday when the Houston Rockets host the San Antonio Spurs at the Toyota Center. The Rockets climbed to within 1 1/2 games of the Spurs on Friday in Charlotte when

Pens hope to extend home win streak against Senators >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Despite having their longest winning streak of the season recently halted, the Pittsburgh Penguins will still try for a fifth straight win on home ice tonight against the Ottawa Senators at Mellon Arena. The Penguins begin

Thrashers without Kovalchuk for test with Sabres >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers will be without their top offensive weapon tonight when they visit the Buffalo Sabres and HSBC Arena. The Thrashers notched a 4-3 overtime win against Edmonton on Thursday to post their fourth victory

Flames try for rare road win versus Maple Leafs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames will aim for their first victory in Toronto since 2000, as they visit the Maple Leafs tonight and Air Canada Centre. The Flames haven't posted a victory in Toronto since December 16, 2000. They have los

Brodeur tries for record-tying win in Montreal >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Montreal is where Martin Brodeur was born and where Patrick Roy won a plethora of his 551 career victories. It is also where Brodeur will get his first shot at tying Roy's all-time wins mark. Just one victory shy of Roy's

Caps aim for first home win of March against Hurricanes >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Capitals have been one of the NHL's best home teams this season, but they have yet to find any success on their own ice during the month of March. The Southeast Division leaders will try to break a four-game

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.