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07/06/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After coming off one of their more distressing seasons in recent memory, the Toronto Maple Leafs headed into the summer with more holes to patch than a gulf oil pipeline.
But it didn't take long for Leafs general manager Brian Burke to start phase two of his self-described retooling plan.
On the eve of the July 1 free agency extravaganza, Burke pulled out another trademark multi-player deal that saw the Leafs acquire Chicago Blackhawks winger Kris Versteeg and minor leaguer Bill Sweatt in exchange for prospects Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis.
While Versteeg doesn't exactly fit Burkes vision of truculence, belligerence or any other colorful adjective he spews out, he does bring some much-needed skill to a lineup that finished 25th in the NHL in scoring.
Versteeg, a 2009 Calder Trophy nominee, followed up a 53-point rookie campaign with a solid 20-goal, 44-point sophomore season while playing a depth role on a stacked Blackhawks' squad.
And perhaps of greater significance, Versteeg represents yet another young, proven player who will pay immediate dividends as opposed to optimistically waiting for a prospect to mature into a top-six scoring threat.
The following day, Burke stuck to his guns in saying that July 1 will be his draft ... after sitting on the sidelines for the opening round of the actual draft two weeks ago ... and went and acquired versatile winger Colby Armstrong.
Armstrong comes equipped with relentless grittiness, good character and leadership skills painted over the ability to light the lamp on the odd occasion. He scored 15 goals for the Atlanta Thrashers last season.
As per usual for the inflationary nature of free agency, it can be argued the Leafs overpaid for a perennial third-line grinder, having footed a three-year $9 million bill to obtain his services.
Regardless of Armstrongs perceived value, he is the exact type of player Burke clamors for, and like Versteeg, he will aid in the fast tracking of a time-sensitive rebuild.
What is the next step for the brash boss of the blue and white? Cue Tomas Kaberle, the sole leftover from an era of broken hearts and early summer vacations.
The 32-year old Czech blueliner is heading into the final year of his contract that will pay him $4.25 million, a relative bargain considering his production in comparison to other top-tier defenseman.
With prize free agent defenders such as Dan Hamhuis, Paul Martin, Sergei Gonchar and Anton Volchenkov all off the market, teams looking for a veteran puck-moving blueliner might be tempted to ante up in order to get a deal done.
Patience has been the key to Kaberle's situation, and now that the market is depleted of bona fide top-end talent, Kaberles value has perhaps reached its peak.
What the return will be is anybodys guess. But as we have seen with Burke, his ability to turn tired assets into important pieces is uncanny.
Whether you agree or disagree with Burkes blueprint, it is hard to neglect the tectonic shift that has occurred under his watch.
And based on this, one would have to expect that the acquisition of Versteeg and Armstrong is a start, but not the end to the roster shuffle set to unfurl this summer.
With training camp still two months away, there is still plenty of time for more tinkering ... or a lot of tinkering if playoffs are on the menu for 2011.
<< Niemi among 31 players to file for arbitration
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi was
among the 31 players to file for salary arbitration.
Niemi helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup title for the first time since
1961.
The Washington Capi
<< Wade still doesn't have an answer for Miami
MIAMI (AP) -Dwyane Wade is calling off a morning news conference in South Florida.Wade was scheduled to take questions on Tuesday alongside Alonzo Mourning for a charity weekend they headline together later this month. But with free agency still the
<< Yanks' Pettitte replaces Buchholz in All-Star Game
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Yankees starting pitcher Andy Pettitte earned
his third career All-Star Game selection when he was announced as the injury
replacement for Boston's Clay Buchholz on Monday.
Pettitte will head to the Mids
<< Royals rally to top Mariners in 10 innings
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Yuniesky Betancourt's run-scoring single in the
10th inning capped the game-winning rally, as Kansas City edged Seattle, 6-4,
in the opener of a three-game set at Safeco Field.
Billy Butler and Alberto Call
San Diego pays a visit to nation's capital >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres enter the season's post-holiday
second half in possession of the National League's best record when they visit
the Washington Nationals to begin a three-game series at Nationals Park.
The Padres, who
Duhon headed to Orlando >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic have reportedly agreed to
terms with point guard Chris Duhon.
According to the Sporting News, Duhon will sign a four-year deal worth $15
million to back up Jameer Nelson.
Duhon pla
Greinke tries to pitch Royals to another series win in Seattle >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals can win their fourth straight series
tonight with a victory over the Seattle Mariners in the second portion of a
three-game series from Safeco Field.
The Royals have been on a roll as of late, winnin
Sabathia shoots for seventh straight win in Oakland >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two pitchers riding extensive unbeaten streaks get together
tonight by the Bay, where CC Sabathia and the AL East-leading New York Yankees
take on Trevor Cahill of the Oakland Athletics in the continuation of a three-
game se
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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