Sens try to build momentum vs. Oilers

Hockey Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a lengthy losing streak finally over, the Ottawa Senators hope they can keep heading in the right direction when they host the Edmonton Oilers today at Scotiabank Place.

The Senators went 0-6-1 from Jan. 21-Feb. 7, but ended the slide with Thursday's regulation win over visiting Nashville. It marked Ottawa's first victory since Jan. 19 and improved the Senators to 15-11-2 as the host this season. The Sens are 1-2-1 on a five-game homestand that ends this afternoon.

Despite the recent slide, the Senators are still in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They're currently sitting seventh in the East, one ahead of Toronto and two in front of ninth-seeded Washington.

Jason Spezza played a huge role in ending Ottawa's longest skid of the season, as the centerman netted two goals and added an assist to lift the Sens to a 4-3 decision over the Predators. Spezza scored the first goal of the game and also put Ottawa ahead 3-2 with another score late in the second period.

"We were fortunate enough to get the first goal of the game," Spezza said. "It's a much easier league to play in when you're playing with the lead. We saw the product of that tonight, we got the lead and were able to hold on."

Chris Phillips -- playing in his 1,000th NHL game -- also contributed in a big way with a pair of goals, including the eventual game-winner at 6:25 of the third. Milan Michalek and Bobby Butler added a pair of assists apiece for the Senators, while Alex Auld made 24 saves in the victory.

Following today's game, the Senators will head out on a three-game road trip, beginning with Tuesday's stop in Tampa.

Edmonton will try to snap a two-game slide this afternoon after losing the first two tests of a three-game road trip in regulation. The Oilers' latest loss came Wednesday evening in Detroit, where practically nobody has had success this year other than the Red Wings.

The Oilers were tied with Detroit 2-2 heading into the third, but Drew Miller and Henrik Zetterberg both scored in the final 20 minutes to help the Red Wings record a 4-2 victory and extend their club-record home winning streak to 18 games.

Edmonton center Sam Gagner continued his recent tear with two goals in the loss and now has eight in his past four games. Including an eight-point effort against Chicago last Thursday, he now has eight goals and seven assists during a five-game point streak.

Nikolai Khabibulin allowed all four goals on 30 shots for the Oilers, who are 13 points out of a playoff spot in the West.

The Oilers will again play without rookie forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has missed the last two games after aggravating a shoulder injury.

Edmonton has a dreadful 6-20-2 record as the road team this year and has lost its last eight as the guest. The Oilers' last victory away from Edmonton came on Jan. 2 in Chicago.

The Senators posted a 5-2 win in Edmonton on Nov. 17 in the first of two scheduled meetings between these clubs this season. Ottawa has taken two straight and eight of nine overall in the series, while the Oilers are just 1-2-2 with a tie in their last six trips to Canada's capital city.

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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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