Panthers shoot for rare win in Jersey

Hockey Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers hope to reclaim sole possession of first place in the Southeast Division with a scarce road win against the Devils this afternoon in New Jersey.

The Panthers have posted a 5-5-4 record over their last 14 games and dropped into second place in the division with consecutive road losses in Tampa Bay and Washington. Their 4-0 setback to the Capitals on Tuesday put them one point behind Washington in the standings.

However, Florida rebounded with a 3-1 home win over Los Angeles on Thursday, while Washington dropped a shootout tally to Winnipeg. That evened up the division race once again at 61 points each, though a point today for the Panthers would snap the tie as the Capitals are idle.

Mike Santorelli helped key Thursday's win with a goal, while Sean Bergenheim also tallied and Scott Clemmensen made 22 saves as Florida snapped a seven- game skid to Los Angeles.

"The last game [in Washington], we didn't play too well. It was good to bounce back and we've got to keep this thing rolling," said Santorelli.

Things got dicey for the Panthers when Drew Doughty scored with 2:28 left in regulation for the Kings, but Matt Bradley restored the two-goal edge with an empty-netter.

"We really got back on our heels and that's not the type of game that we want," said Clemmensen. "We want to take it to the other team and we want to be going the whole 60 minutes."

The Panthers will also visit the Islanders on Sunday and have lost 10 of their past 11 overall on the road. That trend may continue tonight in New Jersey, where Florida has lost three of four and 11 of its past 14. That includes a 5-2 loss at the Prudential Center on Jan. 6 in the third of four meetings with the Devils this year after splitting a pair of encounters in Sunrise.

Patrik Elias played in his 1,000th game in that January meeting and set up one of two goals by Ilya Kovalchuk. Elias was one of three goal scorers for the Devils in Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Blues that snapped New Jersey's season-high five-game win streak.

Zach Parise and Adam Henrique also scored for the Devils and Johan Hedberg made 23 saves while starting in place of Martin Brodeur, who was scratched from the lineup due to an ankle injury. Despite getting a point, New Jersey dropped three points behind Philadelphia for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.

"Sometimes if you're playing good teams they are going to win too," said Hedberg. "They're a good team and they play consistent. They don't turn away from their system."

Although Brodeur was unable to suit up on Thursday, he is expected to get the start this afternoon. However, New Jersey still has the likes of Ryan Carter (hand), Adam Larsson (back), Henrik Tallinder (leg) and Travis Zajac (Achilles) on the shelf with injuries.

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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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