NHL Game Preview for Thursday February 16, 2012 – New York Islanders @ St. Louis Blues

Sports Betting Overview

While basketball fans are betting March Madness odds, hockey fans are watching the playoff races in both conferences. The New York Islanders looked like they were done for the season as the All-Star break was approaching. Then the Isles started to come to life and put together consecutive wins. One of the biggest problems the Islanders were having was in goal. While they still have the 15-year man in Rick DiPietro, the Islanders are realizing that really long-term relationships in the NHL are a bad idea. DiPietro has spent most of the past few years injured, so the Islanders have been looking for a new goalie. The team brought in former San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabakov, but he has been inconsistent. The team thinks it may have something in youngster Al Montoya, but he has also been inconsistent. If the Islanders could find a goaltender, then it may be a playoff team.

The St. Louis Blues made an upgrade in the coaching department when it hired Ken Hitchcock over the summer. Since then, the price per head sports experts have found it difficult to ignore the St. Louis Blues. After a lackluster year in 2010-2011, the Blues are in fourth place in the Western Conference and challenging the Detroit Red Wings for the Central Division lead. The St. Louis Blues have an average offense, but it is one of the best defensive teams in all of hockey and it is using that defensive prowess to put itself into a prime position to contend for the Stanley Cup in April.

New York Islanders

The Islanders are more competitive this year than it was last year, but it still cannot find consistency on defense and in goal. Despite its struggles, the Islanders are 12-11-3 on the road and do tend to play a more aggressive game in other teams’ buildings. A betonline.com review of the Islanders’ last 10 games shows a record of 5-3-2, which has helped the Islanders to climb within six points of a playoff spot. On the road is where the Islanders seem most comfortable and that puts this team in a good spot to win this important game.

St. Louis Blues

While the Islanders may be a good road team, the Blues are one of the best home teams in hockey. At 24-3-4, the Blues trail only the Red Wings for the best home record in the league. This is just a solid hockey team that plays all the fundamentals very well. The main change the team made in the off-season was bringing in Hitchcock, and it seemed to make all of the difference in the world.

The Bottom Line

As the NHL trade deadline 2012 approaches, Islanders fans are wondering if the team will try to make a move to bring in a goalie and strengthen its playoff run. But for now, the Islanders need a road win against the team that is second-best in the league at not allowing visiting teams to win.

NFL 2012 Preview: How the Top Teams will Fare in 2012

The online betting crowd has turned its attention to Super Bowl XLVI and is anticipating the kickoff for the big game. There were several teams in the NFL that saw vast improvements this year over last year. It can be difficult to maintain that kind of play every year, but some of the improved teams have elements that will insure that they will at least be competitive for many years to come. But which of those improved teams will show sustained improvement and be around when the playoffs start in 2012?

While the Super Bowl betting continues for the Super Bowl XLVI, lets look at some of the teams that were top performers in 2011 and should be top performers again in 2012.

San Francisco 49ers

The roster for the 49ers changed very little from 2010 to 2011. The most significant change for the 49ers from 2010 to 2011 was the hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh. When he played in the NFL, Harbaugh was an energetic quarterback. He is now a very energetic NFL head coach. He has turned the San Francisco defense into one of the best units in football and has turned a mediocre quarterback into an excellent game manager. The price per head sportsbook experts agree that this team is too talented and too well-coached to just disappear. There is a very good chance that the 49ers will be in the 2012 NFC Championship game with much different results.

Baltimore Ravens

Ray Lewis believes that the Baltimore Ravens are Super Bowl material. The future hall of fame linebacker must believe that or else he would have no other reason to come back for a 16^th season in 2012. People like to point at listless Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco as the reason why Baltimore lost in the AFC Championship game to New England. A 5 dimes review of the game shows that it was not Flacco who forgot to call a timeout to calm the Baltimore special teams unit down just before the field goal at the end of the game. The Ravens do need more out of its quarterback to win big games, but the AFC Championship game was a combination of bad coaching and bad play-calling. If the Ravens’ coaching staff can tighten up its approach, then Baltimore can be a Super Bowl contender next year.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are teetering on either being a dynasty or a bust. The entire team needs to mature significantly if it is going to make a run at the Super Bowl in the near future. Even the veterans on the team were getting caught up in bad penalties after the whistle in the playoffs in 2011. The Lions can put up impressive NFL scores when it wants to, but there needs to be a collective effort to help the team grow up if Detroit wants to be considered one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the NFC.

Houston Texans

A healthy Houston Texans team could have made a much deeper run in the playoffs than the injured 2011 team did. If the Texans can keep its key players healthy in 2012, then this team is definitely a contender for Super Bowl XLVII.

NFL Super Bowl Betting: The Updated Super Bowl Odds

The sports betting world is getting anxious to get to Super Bowl Sunday. But before we can get to Super Bowl Sunday, the four remaining teams still have to square off in Championship Sunday. The best in the AFC and the NFC fight it out to see who will meet in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI.

As is the case throughout a playoff tournament, the Super Bowl betting odds change constantly before each new round. The favorites suffered some pretty significant losses in the divisional round as the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers were dispatched and sent home for the rest of the playoffs. Now we have the championship games all set to go and, as expected, the odds have shifted yet again.

New England Patriots (2 to 1 odds to win Super Bowl XLVI)

Despite having the worst defense in all of football, the New England Patriots have managed to convince the price per head experts that it is the odds-on favorite to win it all. What gives the Patriots such clout is the success of the combination of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Four AFC Championships and three Super Bowl titles between the duo carries a lot of weight. But this Patriots’ team has yet to really be tested this season against a team that can play a complete game. The Baltimore Ravens have a great running game and one of the best defensive units in football. The Patriots were able to exploit the weaknesses in the Denver defense because there were a lot of weaknesses. The Ravens’ defense is a much different thing.

New York Giants (4 to 1 odds to win Super Bowl XLVI)

Under head coach Tom Coughlin, the Giants have become a terrible regular season team but a very effective playoff team. Once Coughlin gets this team into the playoffs, anything can happen as the team showed in Green Bay in the divisional round. It is hard to find a weakness with the Giants, but if you had to find one then you would look at the defensive secondary. But that Giants’ defensive front has a way of preventing the opposing offense from getting too deep into the secondary.

San Francisco 49ers (4 to 1 odds to win Super Bowl XLVI)

A sportsbook review of the 49ers season shows a team that has found its coach and now intends to dominate the NFC for a long time. But the 49ers offense is still suspect. San Francisco did stand up to the New Orleans Saints and outscore the top offense in the league. But the New Orleans defense has been nothing to write home about all season long. When the 49ers step on the field to play the New York Giants, San Francisco will be facing a team that has a ferocious pass rush and has been getting to the quarterback as of late. When the playoffs started, the Giants seemed to flick on a switch and became a playoff monster. The 49ers have an excellent pass rush, but it may have problems getting past that New York offensive line.

Baltimore Ravens (6 to 1 odds to win Super Bowl XLVI)

Even considering the NFL scores that the Patriots have been able to run up on teams lately, including 45 points in the divisional round against the Broncos, there is still concern in New England over this AFC Championship game. The Patriots faced a defense similar to Baltimore’s when it played the Steelers in the regular season. The Patriots’ offense was completely neutralized in that game. NFL fans can expect the same results in this AFC Championship game.

NFL 2012 Playoffs: AFC Playoff Teams and their Super Bowl Odds

The online betting crowd is getting geared up for the playoffs and the price per head sports experts are applying Super Bowl winning odds to each playoff team. While the NFC is considered to be the strong favorite to win it all in February, the AFC has some strong teams that will make this year’s Super Bowl fun to watch. Let’s take a look at the AFC playoff teams and compare their Super Bowl odds to their chances of winning the big game.

Baltimore Ravens (6 to 1)

What makes the Ravens go is its defense and running back Ray Rice. The problem for the Ravens is that if one person on the defense seems off for a game, then the whole defense has a problem functioning. Baltimore still possesses one of the top defenses in all of football, and the Ravens have won a Super Bowl with a much worse offense than what it has now. The pay per head bookie experts seem to think that the Ravens have an excellent chance to win the Super Bowl this year. If Baltimore can hold together and play as a unit while avoiding injuries, then a Super Bowl win is possible.

Cincinnati Bengals (70 to 1)

The disappointing thing about the odds applied to the Bengals is that Cincinnati is considered the least likely team to win the Super Bowl this year. Denver may very well be the least likely team to win the Super Bowl and the Broncos will have its hands full with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A 5 dimes review of the Bengals roster shows a young offense backed up by a veteran defense. This may not be the year that the Bengals compete for the Super Bowl, but that year is coming.

Denver Broncos (60 to 1)

The planets seemed to align and Tim Tebow was given credit for helping the Broncos to sneak into the playoffs. What really carried the Broncos during its six-game winning streak is the defense. When you throw in a kicker in Matt Prater that is regularly hitting clutch 50-plus yard field goals, you start to get the impression that Tebow is more of a liability than an asset.

New England Patriots (7 to 2)

Can the New England Patriots take the worst defense in football to the Super Bowl? The NFL experts seem to think so. The problem with the Patriots is that its offense is all about Tom Brady throwing the ball short. Teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh will easily be able to take that away from Brady and knock the Patriots out of the playoffs before Brady and head coach Bill Belichick have a chance to play in another Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10 to 1)

When the Steelers announced that running back Rashard Mendenhall will miss the playoffs with a torn ACL, the Steelers’ stock dropped immediately. Ben Roethlisberger can pass his way into the Super Bowl so long as the Pittsburgh defense can hold up. But the defense is going to have to be extremely sharp to get a team with no running game, especially a Pittsburgh Steelers team, into the Super Bowl.

Houston Texans (35 to 1)

The Texans made the playoffs for the first time in team history riding one of the best running games in football. But without starting quarterback Matt Schaub in the mix, the Texans are just an average team. As the Houston defense improves under new coordinator Wade Philiips, then this team will become a serious Super Bowl contender. But there are too many missing pieces from the Texans’ lineup to consider Houston a Super Bowl threat this year.

NFL Week 16 Preview: Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens (-13 ½)

Online Betting Overview

Cleveland starting quarterback Colt McCoy looks like he will not be playing in this game. The concussion he sustained against the Steelers in week 15 is still lingering. But that does not mean that all is lost for the Browns in this game. This is the same team that pulled off upset wins over the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots last season. It is true that former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had a lot to do with those wins, but the point is that this team is capable of that. According to the price per head sports experts, the Browns are about as long of a shot as a team could be to win this game. But you should never count the Cleveland Browns out, and you should always take the points when the Browns play the Ravens.

The Ravens have one of the best defensive units in the league. This defense may not be quite as dominating as the 2000 defense that won the Super Bowl, but it is very close. This defense was good enough to help Baltimore sweep the Steelers for the first time in a long time. But the pay per head sports analysts are concerned about the Baltimore offense. Head coach John Harbaugh keeps trying to give the ball to quarterback Joe Flacco to be the offensive leader, but it always keeps coming back to running back Ray Rice. Flacco has a habit of throwing interceptions at the worst possible times while Rice scores points. It is a balance that the Ravens are still struggling with.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns are not completely dead in the water for this game just because Colt McCoy is not playing. Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace has plenty of experience and he adds an element of mobility that McCoy does not have. Whatever kind of quarterback the Ravens were planning on playing will be completely different than the quarterback it will get. Don’t forget that running back Peyton Hillis can grind the Baltimore defense into the ground as well. A 5 dimes review of the Cleveland defense shows a team that could give Ray Rice problems, which would put the responsibility of winning the game on to the shoulders of Joe Flacco. That may be the only chance the Browns have of winning this game.

Baltimore Ravens

Even if the Ravens had a chance to rest starters, it probably wouldn’t. There are very few players on the Ravens’ roster that want to be rested and coach Harbaugh is not a big believe in days off either. The Ravens believe in playing the NFL schedule right down to the wire. Besides, the Ravens are still in a battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North title, which means that Baltimore needs this win. So look for the Ravens to throw everything at the Browns in this contest.

The Bottom Line

When the Ravens are turned up to 11, as they are at this point in the season, it is just too much for the Browns to handle. But you may want to take the Browns anyways as the Ravens may not be able to cover that spread. The safe bet is the Ravens.

Pick: Baltimore Ravens

NFL Week 14 Preview: Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals (-3)

Sports Betting Overview

The price per head sports experts started counting the Houston Texans out of the playoff race once starting quarterback Matt Schaub went down for the season. But the fans were still holding on to hope that backup Matt Leinart had those special qualities that head coach Gary Kubiak said Leinart had to be a leader and a quarterback. Leinart was also looking forward to the chance to prove to the Arizona Cardinals, and the rest of the league, the he could play quarterback in the NFL. Part of the way through his first regular season game in over two years, Leinart broke his collarbone and rookie third-string quarterback TJ Yates was in. Yates is 2-0 as an NFL quarterback and 1-0 as a starter. Maybe the Texans know something that the betting experts don’t know.

No matter how many wins the Cincinnati Bengals get this season, the team will never get respect until it beats the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cincinnati Bengals will also never win the AFC North divisional title until it beats the Steelers and Ravens. So far, Cincinnati has been unable to beat the Ravens and the Steelers, which means the team is working on next season. The numbers being churned out by the bookie software show that Cincinnati rookie quarterback Andy Dalton is slowly improving but still has a lot to learn. But the combination of the Cincinnati offensive line and Dalton seems to be one that can grow together into a very potent unit.

Houston Texans

Even with defensive star Mario Williams out for the season, the Houston Texans’ defense is still able to come to the team’s rescue when things get bad. Rookie quarterback TJ Yates played smart football in the Texans’ week 13 win over the Falcons. He handed the ball to Arian Foster most of the time and when Yates did throw the ball, he did not throw an interception. The betonline sports experts are starting to think that if the Texans can keep playing this way, then Houston can retain its place on top of the AFC and enter the playoffs as the top seed in the AFC. Could Schaub or Leinart come back this season? Schaub may be ready of the Texans get to the AFC championship game. There is nothing to say that the Texans won’t get that far.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are a young team that will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come if it can stay together. The NFL schedule will always be working against the Bengals because it will have to play the Steelers and Ravens twice each season. Until the Bengals can come out of those four games with a winning record, it will not be considered a playoff contender. But the Bengals do have a chance in this game. Cincinnati’s defense is a better unit that the one in Atlanta that the Texans just ran over. This game will come down to a battle between the Cincinnati offense and Houston defense. This is where Dalton gets his chance to shine.

The Bottom Line

The Texans’ game plan is going to be the same as week 13. Houston will run Ben Tate and Arian Foster while giving TJ Yates only safe passing plays. Since the Texans will be without its starting quarterback at least until the playoffs start, do not be surprised if Kubiak puts in the recently signed veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia to provide an offensive spark.

Pick: Houston Texans