Sens try to build momentum vs. Oilers

Hockey Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a lengthy losing streak finally over, the Ottawa Senators hope they can keep heading in the right direction when they host the Edmonton Oilers today at Scotiabank Place.

The Senators went 0-6-1 from Jan. 21-Feb. 7, but ended the slide with Thursday's regulation win over visiting Nashville. It marked Ottawa's first victory since Jan. 19 and improved the Senators to 15-11-2 as the host this season. The Sens are 1-2-1 on a five-game homestand that ends this afternoon.

Despite the recent slide, the Senators are still in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They're currently sitting seventh in the East, one ahead of Toronto and two in front of ninth-seeded Washington.

Jason Spezza played a huge role in ending Ottawa's longest skid of the season, as the centerman netted two goals and added an assist to lift the Sens to a 4-3 decision over the Predators. Spezza scored the first goal of the game and also put Ottawa ahead 3-2 with another score late in the second period.

"We were fortunate enough to get the first goal of the game," Spezza said. "It's a much easier league to play in when you're playing with the lead. We saw the product of that tonight, we got the lead and were able to hold on."

Chris Phillips -- playing in his 1,000th NHL game -- also contributed in a big way with a pair of goals, including the eventual game-winner at 6:25 of the third. Milan Michalek and Bobby Butler added a pair of assists apiece for the Senators, while Alex Auld made 24 saves in the victory.

Following today's game, the Senators will head out on a three-game road trip, beginning with Tuesday's stop in Tampa.

Edmonton will try to snap a two-game slide this afternoon after losing the first two tests of a three-game road trip in regulation. The Oilers' latest loss came Wednesday evening in Detroit, where practically nobody has had success this year other than the Red Wings.

The Oilers were tied with Detroit 2-2 heading into the third, but Drew Miller and Henrik Zetterberg both scored in the final 20 minutes to help the Red Wings record a 4-2 victory and extend their club-record home winning streak to 18 games.

Edmonton center Sam Gagner continued his recent tear with two goals in the loss and now has eight in his past four games. Including an eight-point effort against Chicago last Thursday, he now has eight goals and seven assists during a five-game point streak.

Nikolai Khabibulin allowed all four goals on 30 shots for the Oilers, who are 13 points out of a playoff spot in the West.

The Oilers will again play without rookie forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has missed the last two games after aggravating a shoulder injury.

Edmonton has a dreadful 6-20-2 record as the road team this year and has lost its last eight as the guest. The Oilers' last victory away from Edmonton came on Jan. 2 in Chicago.

The Senators posted a 5-2 win in Edmonton on Nov. 17 in the first of two scheduled meetings between these clubs this season. Ottawa has taken two straight and eight of nine overall in the series, while the Oilers are just 1-2-2 with a tie in their last six trips to Canada's capital city.

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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.