Capitals, Panthers ready for Southeast showdown

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03/17/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers will try to avoid their longest losing streak in 2 1/2 months this evening, when they take on the Southeast Division- leading Washington Capitals at BankAtlantic Center.

The Panthers have lost three straight and four of their last five games. That skid has come at a bad time, as the club is now ninth overall in the Eastern Conference, a point behind eighth-seeded Carolina.

Florida hasn't dropped four in a row since doing so from December 26-31.

The Panthers' losing streak was extended on Saturday with a 4-3 shootout setback to Tampa Bay. After a spirited overtime, the Lightning's Steven Stamkos lit the lamp to give the Lightning the edge in the first round of the shootout. David Booth and Michael Frolik then came away empty on their subsequent chances for Florida to give the Lightning the win.

Booth had two goals and a helper in regulation -- including the 50th of his career, and Frolik also netted a goal.

The Panthers were without defenseman Bryan McCabe, who has missed the last three games due to facial surgery required after he was hit with a puck versus St. Louis on March 7. McCabe has 12 goals and 21 assists in 56 games this season and could return tonight.

Florida lost the opener of a five-game homestand and is 18-9-6 as the host this year.

The Capitals will try to hand the Panthers another home setback this evening and rebound from a 5-1 loss to Atlanta last night, the Thrashers' franchise- record sixth win in a row.

Jose Theodore started the game in net, but was pulled after giving up four goals on 19 shots for the Capitals, who had both a three-game overall winning streak and a five-game road run stopped. Simeon Varlamov came on in relief and allowed one goal on six shots.

Eric Fehr scored late in the third period for Washington, which sits in the third spot in the Eastern Conference with 92 points, one behind New Jersey.

Washington was without defenseman Mike Green due to flu-like symptoms and he is questionable again for tonight. Green leads all NHL blueliners with 24 goals and 60 points.

Alex Ovechkin failed in his first chance to become the first Capitals player to ever notch three separate 50 goal seasons in last night's loss. He also had a 10-game point streak end (7 goals, 7 assists), while Alexander Semin had his nine-game run halted (7g, 9a). Semin is also one goal shy of his 30th of the season.

Washington is 17-13-4 on the road and plays the second contest of a five-game swing tonight.

The Capitals and Panthers have split four meetings so far this year, but Washington has won four of the six overall in the series. The club has also won in two straight and three of its last four visits to BankAtlantic Center.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.