Wild try to end futility against Dallas

Hockey Betting Lines

02/20/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild will try to stop their longest current losing streak against any team in the league when they host the Dallas Stars this evening at Xcel Energy Center for the final time this season.

Minnesota has dropped its last six games (0-3-3) against the Stars, including all three matchups this year. Two of those setbacks have come in a shootout. The Wild's last win over the Stars was at home on December 19, 2005.

On Sunday, David Backes' pair of scores lifted the Blues to a 5-3 win over the Wild at Scottrade Center. Marian Gaborik scored and picked up one assist for Minnesota, which has lost two of three. Adam Hall and Pavol Demitra also tallied.

Gaborik and Demitra have been red-hot as of late. Demitra is currently riding a nine-game point streak (seven goals, eight assists), which is one off his career-best 10-game point burst, set in 2001.

Gaborik, meanwhile, has scored a goal in four straight contests and has totaled five tallies and four assists over his last four games.

Niklas Backstrom picked up the loss on Sunday, stopping 21 shots before leaving the game after two periods. Josh Harding was a perfect four-of-four in 18 minutes of third-period relief.

The Wild are a stellar 20-5-4 at home this year, but will hit the road on Thursday to battle Colorado. The club is three points behind Vancouver for the lead in the Northwest Division.

Dallas was also last in action on Sunday, but unlike the Wild, came out winners. Mike Ribeiro and Jere Lehtinen both scored a pair of goals to help the Stars defeat the San Jose Sharks, 5-2.

Stu Barnes scored for the Stars, who have won six of their last eight games and trail Anaheim by seven points for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Marty Turco blocked 17 shots in the win.

The Stars were without center Eric Lindros, who missed his third straight game on Sunday because of a lower body injury. He is questionable for tonight's contest.

Dallas is still without center Steve Ott (ankle surgery), left wing Brenden Morrow (right wrist surgery) and right wing Matthew Barnaby (concussion).

The Stars are 16-12-1 as the visitor this season and return home for a big game against the Ducks on Friday.

Wwraceo Hockey Betting News

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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

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