Thrashers host Sens in battle between struggling clubs

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03/18/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling Eastern Conference inhabitants get together for a key late-season matchup tonight at Philips Arena, where the Atlanta Thrashers hope to strengthen their fading playoff hopes when they take on the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Atlanta lost ground in the postseason race after a recent 0-5-1 stretch, but did manage to bounce back with a much-needed 4-3 home win over Buffalo on Tuesday. After allowing the Sabres to come back from an early 3-1 deficit, the Thrashers went ahead to stay on Jim Slater's goal with 6:44 remaining in the third period.

Tim Kennedy scored 7:02 into the final session to draw the Sabres even, but Atlanta moved back in front just over six minutes later after Niclas Bergfors' shot from the right boards hit off Slater's glove and trickled past Buffalo goaltender Patrick Lalime.

"I just charged the net and it went right to me," said Slater. "I just did what I like to do and got the goal."

Buffalo pulled Lalime late in the game for the extra attacker, but Atlanta was able to keep the puck away from netminder Johan Hedberg on the way to the win.

Bergfors assisted on three of the Thrashers' four tallies on the night, while Nik Antropov and Maxim Afinogenov both registered a goal and an assist for Atlanta. Hedberg finished with 29 saves

The Thrashers still have some work to do in order to reach the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history, as the club trails Boston by five points for the No. 8 seed in the East.

Tuesday's triumph also benefited the Senators, who trail the Sabres by three points for first place in the Northeast Division. Ottawa missed out on a chance to close the gap, though, after dropping a 4-1 decision to cellar- dwelling Toronto Tuesday at Scotiabank Place.

The loss was the Senators' third in a row and followed up a lopsided 5-1 setback at Vancouver on Saturday. Ottawa has gone just 1-5-1 since the Olympic break and has scored one goal or less in each of those six defeats.

"These are points that we need and we know that," goaltender Brian Elliott said after Tuesday's game. "We have to look at the tape and see what we did wrong."

Ottawa still stands fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 79 points, but rival Montreal is lurking just one point behind and seventh-place Philadelphia is just two back of the Senators.

The Sens have also struggled in their last couple of meetings with the Thrashers, losing both games by a combined 9-2 score earlier this season. Atlanta came through with a 6-1 rout of Ottawa at Philips Arena back on January 12 and is 5-2-0 in its last seven outings as the host in this series.

Tonight's test begins an important three-game road trip for the Senators, with stops in Dallas and Montreal to follow. Ottawa has lost five of its last seven away games and is a lackluster 14-18-1 as the visitor this season.

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Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.

Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.

Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&amp;M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6

For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com

Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back

With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.

"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."

Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .

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