Lightning try to rebound against Panthers

Hockey Betting Lines

02/20/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first-place Tampa Bay Lightning will attempt to avenge a weekend loss to the Florida Panthers when the Southeast Division rivals complete a home-and-home series tonight at St. Pete Times Forum.

Florida got the upper hand in Saturday's opener, as Nathan Horton scored 29 seconds into overtime to lift the Panthers to a 5-4 decision over the Lightning.

Steven Weiss had a goal and two assists while Ed Belfour needed to make only 16 saves in the victory, Florida's third in four games.

Despite their recent surge, the Panthers still remain well behind in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Florida sits in 13th place overall and is nine points in back of Montreal, the New York Islanders and Toronto, all of whom are presently tied for the East's final postseason spot.

Ruslan Salei, Bryan Allen and Ville Peltonen also lit the lamp to help the Panthers end Tampa Bay's three-game win streak.

The Lightning did manage a point in the defeat, which pushed the resurgent club into a first-place tie with the slumping Atlanta Thrashers in the Southeast. Both teams have 69 total points, but Tampa Bay has played one fewer game.

Martin St. Louis had two goals in Saturday's setback, while Dan Boyle finished with a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Vincent Lecavalier, the NHL's leading goal scorer this season, and Vaclav Prospal each registered a pair of assists on the evening.

The loss was only Tampa's second in its last nine outings (7-1-1).

The Lightning carry a four-game home win streak into tonight's test and are 16-13-0 at the St. Pete Times Forum this season. Florida, meanwhile, owns an ugly 7-16-8 mark away from home and is tied with Calgary for the fewest road wins in the NHL.

The Panthers have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the clubs and evened this year's season series at 2-2 with Saturday's triumph. Florida has lost two straight against the Lightning on the road, though.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.