Red Wings aim to get back in playoff picture against Sabres

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03/13/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Finally healthy, the Red Wings' offense has looked like a dangerous unit that could give teams trouble in the playoffs. However, Detroit still needs to get there first.

The Red Wings will try to leap into the eighth spot in the Western Conference this evening at Joe Louis Arena against a Buffalo Sabres squad that will look to rebound after having a three-game winning streak snapped.

The Red Wings have been strong as of late, winning five of their last seven games. However, Detroit is still outside of the playoff picture as it currently holds the ninth spot in the Western Conference. The Red Wings are a point back of the Flames for the eighth spot in the conference, but Calgary is idle today.

Detroit has scored four or more goals in four of its last seven games, including on Thursday when it bested Minnesota by a 5-1 score.

Johan Franzen had a pair of goals and Henrik Zetterberg chipped in with a goal and two assists. Zetterberg notched his first three-point contest since posting five versus Anaheim on November 14, while Franzen scored for the seventh time in just 12 games this year.

Zetterberg has never scored versus Buffalo, posting three assists in six career games against them.

Tomas Holmstrom added a goal and an assist versus the Wild and Andrew Miller, brother of Buffalo netminder Ryan, also scored. Jimmy Howard ended with 21 saves.

"It was nice. We have to play with more desperation," Howard said. "That's how we need to play for the rest of the season."

Howard has never started versus the Sabres but did stop 14-of-15 shots faced in relief of Chris Osgood in an Oct. 13 meeting that ended in a 6-2 Sabres win. That victory for the Sabres snapped a three-game series losing streak. Buffalo has won just once in its last 10 trips to Detroit, however, and was handed a 3-1 defeat at Joe Louis Arena on Jan. 10, 2009 in its last trip there.

Thomas Vanek scored twice during a four-goal surge in the second period of the October victory, while Ryan Miller made 23 saves in net. That had been Vanek's only multi-goal game this season until he scored twice in last night's 3-2 setback to Minnesota. Vanek leads Buffalo with 22 goals after posting 40 a season ago.

Jason Pominville assisted on both tallies and Patrick Lalime made 30 saves in the start over Miller.

"A thousand chances aren't going to win games," said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff. "We like the number of shots, but there are some situations where they have to turn them into goals. Our key players have to do a better job of turning those shots into goals."

Miller should get the start tonight and he is 2-5-0 with a 3.58 GAA in seven career starts versus the Sabres.

Buffalo remained two points up on Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division with two games in hand. The Sabres start a five-game road trip tonight but have lost eight of their last nine as the guest.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

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