Red Wings host Flames in matchup of playoff hopefuls

Hockey Betting Lines

03/09/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings will both be aiming for a third straight victory when they meet in the Motor City tonight for a battle between playoff hopefuls at Joe Louis Arena.

In addition to winning two straight, the Red Wings have taken three of four since the Olympic break and have won four of five overall. Calgary lost its first game after the break, but has since strung together consecutive wins.

Detroit, which hasn't missed the playoffs since 1989-90, is currently eighth in the Western Conference and just one point ahead of the ninth-seeded Flames.

The Flames and Red Wings have split a pair of meetings this year with each team winning on the road. Detroit has won six of the last 10 matchups overall, while Calgary has dropped six of nine in Motown. The teams will complete the season series in Calgary on March 15.

The Red Wings are coming off Sunday's road win over the rival Chicago Blackhawks. Pavel Datsyuk's breakaway tally capped a five-goal eruption in the second period and proved to be the game-winner, as Detroit overcame an Andrew Ladd hat trick and held on to beat the Central Division-leading Blackhawks, 5-4, at United Center.

Brian Rafalski, Nicklas Lidstrom, Jason Williams and Valtteri Filppula each lit the lamp in the middle stanza for the Red Wings, who are still 17 points behind Chicago for the division lead. Detroit -- the defending Western Conference champions -- has claimed the last eight Central Division titles

"(The Red Wings) are still the team to beat in the West," Ladd said. "They have the lineup to (contend). They dealt with a lot of injuries and managed to stay in the playoff hunt."

Jimmy Howard stopped 28-of-32 shots in the win for Detroit.

Datsyuk is probable for tonight's game with flu-like symptoms, while fellow forward Todd Bertuzzi, who left Sunday with a charley horse in his left leg, is also expected to play this evening. Datsyuk has recorded three goals and five assists over a five-game point streak.

The Red Wings are 17-9-5 as the host this year and are kicking off a three- game homestand tonight.

The Flames rolled past the Wild in Minnesota on Sunday night, riding Jarome Iginla's hat trick to a 5-2 victory at Xcel Energy Center.

Iginla recorded his second hat trick of the season and also dished out an assist in the win. Rene Bourque had a goal and three assists, while Mark Giordano had a goal and an assist for the victors.

"I was just shooting as hard as I could," Iginla said.

Vesa Toskala made his Calgary debut, stopping 27 shots in the start. In a deal before this past Wednesday's trade deadline, the Flames acquired Toskala from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for goaltender Curtis McElhinney.

Calgary's workhorse goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is expected to resume his starting role tonight.

The Flames are 16-9-6 as the guest this year, but have lost six of their last eight road games.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.