Blues rally to edge Flames, move closer to eighth spot in West

Hockey Betting Lines

03/21/2009 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy McDonald and Jay McClement scored 51 seconds apart in the third period to help the St. Louis Blues take a crucial 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome.

T.J. Oshie scored the other goal while Chris Mason stopped 33 shots in the win for the Blues, who snapped a two-game slide.

The win gives St. Louis 75 points on the season and is now just two points back of Nashville for the final spot in the Western Conference with 10 games to play.

"We've got a hard-working team, that's been our attitude all season long," said St. Louis coach Andy Murray. "I thought we played good on the forecheck in the third and we were able to get the two points tonight."

Mike Cammalleri and Dustin Boyd each lit the lamp for the Flames, who have dropped five of seven and have a three-point lead over the Canucks for first place in the Northwest Division. Miikka Kiprusoff had 25 saves in the loss.

"We sat back, we don't usually sit back but tonight we did," said Calgary center Craig Conroy. "They never gave up and kept coming. We have 11 games left and they have to be our best 11 of the year."

The Blues got the only goal of the first period while shorthanded as Oshie skated down the ice and from the left side lifted a backhander over the right shoulder of Kiprusoff at the 4:04 mark.

The Flames tied the game just 2:33 into the second on Cammalleri's 35th goal of the season, a power-play tally, and then took a 2-1 lead as Boyd jammed the puck into the net during a battle in front at 7:35 of the middle stanza.

McDonald's 12th goal at the 9:24 mark of the third tied the contest while McClement's wraparound from the right side gave the Blues the lead.

Game Notes

St. Louis hosts Los Angeles on Tuesday...Before the game, St. Louis announced that forward Keith Tkachuk is day-to-day with a left wrist injury he suffered in Thursday's 3-0 loss to Vancouver...Calgary had won six straight and 13 of 14 over St. Louis, including seven straight in Calgary...The Flames host the Red Wings on Monday.

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SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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