12/03/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling teams will meet tonight in Canada's capital city, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Atlanta Thrashers for a matchup at Scotiabank Place.
The Thrashers have lost four straight and seven of their last eight games since tying a franchise record with five consecutive victories from November 2-14. Atlanta's slide has now dropped the club to the basement of the Eastern Conference with just 19 points on the year.
Atlanta's most recent setback came in a wild game at Montreal on Tuesday. The Thrashers trailed the Canadiens by a 3-0 score heading into the third period, but Atlanta scored three times within 59 seconds to knot the score early in the final stanza.
However, Andrei Kostitsyn put Montreal ahead for good with 5:11 left in the third, but it was Robert Lang's empty-net goal proved that to be the game- winner as Jason Williams scored for Atlanta with just 20 seconds left to arrive at the final 5-4 score.
Ron Hainsey scored twice for the Thrashers, who fell to 1-6-1 since the five- game win streak. Johan Hedberg made 28 saves in the losing effort.
Tonight marks the middle portion of a three-game road trip for the Thrashers, who are just 3-7-2 as the visiting team this season. Atlanta has lost three of its last four road tests and will complete this swing with Saturday's matchup against the New York Islanders.
Meanwhile, the Senators have had a dreadful start to the season, winning just eight of their first 22 games (8-10-4). Ottawa ended November by losing seven of nine contests (2-5-2) and heads into the new month as the last-place team in the Northeast Division with just 20 points.
The basement is not a familiar spot for the Senators, who have made the playoffs in each of the last 11 seasons and have eclipsed the 100-point mark in four of their last five campaigns.
Ottawa had recently won back-to-back tilts to end a six-game slide, but couldn't pick up its first three-game winning streak of the year as it dropped a road game Saturday against the Islanders. Freddy Meyer finished with a pair of goals and an assist to lift the Isles to the 4-2 victory at Nassau Coliseum.
Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson both lit the lamp and assisted on a goal for the Senators. Alex Auld allowed three goals on 24 shots for Ottawa.
The Senators are kicking off a three-game homestand tonight and will also welcome Pittsburgh and Florida during the residency. Ottawa is just 5-5-2 as the host this year, but has won two straight at Scotiabank Place.
Ottawa has won six of 10 against the Thrashers and Atlanta has dropped three straight and four of its last five as the road team in the series.
<< Bobcats host Thunder in Charlotte
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to string together
consecutive wins for the first time this season when they resume a four-game
road trip tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats.
The expansion Thunder won for just the sec
<< Hawks host Grizzlies at Philips Arena
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks kick off a quick two-game homestand
Wednesday by welcoming the struggling Memphis Grizzlies to Philips Arena.
Al Horford scored 19 points, including the go-ahead three-point-play with 12.4
seconds l
<< Pacers face another tough test in Boston
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indiana Pacers aim to complete am impressive back-to-
back sweep of the NBA's two best teams Wednesday when the club arrives in
Beantown to take on the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics at TD Banknorth
Garden.
<< Bulls head to Milwaukee to face Bucks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls aim to bounce back from a tough loss on
Tuesday when they make the short trip to Milwaukee to take on the reeling
Bucks at the Bradley Center.
Philadelphia's Andre Miller missed the game-wi
Wild continue homestand vs. Blues >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild continue a three-game homestand tonight
with a visit by the St. Louis Blues to Xcel Energy Center.
The Wild began the residency with a 6-5 setback to the Colorado Avalanche. on
Saturday. The loss was Min
Sliding Blackhawks host Ducks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks will try to avoid a fourth
consecutive loss this evening when they welcome the Anaheim Ducks for a battle
at the United Center.
The Blackhawks recently ended a six-game road trip with a loss in Los A
Stars visit Edmonton aiming for third straight win >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having won back-to-back games for the first time this
season, the Dallas Stars will try for three straight victories when they visit
the struggling Edmonton Oilers for tonight's matchup at Rexall Place.
The Stars have earn
Bengals sign LB Hobson >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Bengals signed free agent
linebacker Victor Hobson on Wednesday, one day after losing safety Marvin
White for the season with a torn knee ligament.
Hobson, a sixth-year veteran, pla
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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