Carter deal probably won't be Jackets' last

Hockey Betting Lines

02/23/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets began their inevitable player purge on Friday, when the organization shipped veteran right wing Anson Carter to defending league champion Carolina in exchange for a fifth-round draft choice in 2008. Expect team president Doug MacLean to remain active in the final days before Tuesday's 3 p.m. (et) trade deadline.

Defenseman Bryan Berard, who like Carter will become an unrestricted free agent in July, is also expected to be moved shortly by the struggling Blue Jackets. The oft-injured former No. 1 overall pick appears to be finally recovered from back surgery which sidelined him for the first four months of this season, having played in the team's last 10 games.

MacLean could also deal left wing Fredrik Modin, another impending free agent, and the talented Swede has reportedly drawn considerable interest despite a disappointing 2006-07 campaign. However, the Columbus Dispatch reported earlier in the week that the Jackets are close to a contract extension with Modin and an agreement could be announced shortly.

Another veteran who's likely not on the move is captain Adam Foote. The 35- year-old defenseman, a member of two Stanley Cup championship teams while with Colorado, has one year left on his contract and carries a no-trade clause. The aging blueliner may have lost a step, but his experience and leadership are invaluable assets to a young franchise that's still learning how to win.

Unfortunately, Columbus hasn't been winning too much as of late. The Blue Jackets finished with a lackluster 2-4-0 record during a recent six-game homestand, then lost their first two outings following the lengthy stretch. The club has slipped back into the basement of the Central Division with 52 points, the second-lowest total in the Western Conference.

The Blue Jackets will play twice prior to the Tuesday afternoon deadline. Columbus travels to New York's Madison Square Garden for a Saturday night showdown with the Rangers, then returns home to take on division-rival Nashville on Sunday.

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Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

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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