Ovechkin returns as Capitals visit Canadiens

Hockey Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Ovechkin will try to help the Washington Capitals avoid their first three-game slide in over two months, as the star forward returns from suspension today to battle the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.

Ovechkin was banned for three games for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh's Zbynek Michalek on Jan. 22 and Washington went 1-1-1 without him. The Russian sniper also opted to skip the All-Star weekend in Ottawa even though his suspension did not apply to the league's midseason showcase.

Ovechkin, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, is having a down year by his standards, but the 26-year-old Russian is still leading Washington with 20 goals and is second on the team with 39 points.

Both the Capitals and Canadiens will be seeking their first win after the All- Star break today. The Habs have dropped two straight in regulation since the break, while Washington suffered an overtime loss in Tampa on Tuesday before losing a key divisional matchup the following night at Florida. The Caps haven't lost three in a row since an 0-4 stretch from Nov. 25-Dec. 1.

The Capitals are currently sitting ninth in the East standings and are trailing Toronto by two points for the conference's last playoff seed. Washington is also three points in back of Florida for first place in the Southeast Division and the third seed in the East.

Washington missed an opportunity to keep first place in the division when it visited the Panthers on Wednesday. The Caps entered the game leading Florida by a point, but the Panthers posted a 4-2 win to leap past Washington and into first. Mikael Samuelsson tallied twice and Shawn Matthias provided a late insurance goal for Florida.

Brooks Laich and John Carlson tallied for the Capitals, while Michal Neuvirth allowed three goals on 37 shots for the loss.

"I thought we played hard. You don't like to lose like this," said Capitals head coach Dale Hunter. "We were in the game, but it's one of those things where you don't get the breaks you want."

Washington has dropped its last four games on the road and is completing a three-game swing today. The Caps are just 8-14-3 as the guest this year compared to an 18-6-1 mark in D.C.

The Canadiens were dealt a 3-1 loss by visiting Buffalo on Tuesday and then dropped a 5-3 decision Thursday in New Jersey. Montreal held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 over the Devils, but ultimately lost in regulation.

Andrei Kostitsyn, David Desharnais and Mathieu Darche all had goals for the Canadiens, while Carey Price gave up four goals on 21 shots in the loss.

"It's tough to blame the bounces, it was more that we didn't stick together for 60 minutes tonight," said Darche. "It's never over till it's over, but we've dug ourselves a big hole and losing these two games didn't help."

With 47 points, the Canadiens are tied for last in the Eastern Conference and are 11 points out of a playoff spot.

Montreal is kicking off a three-game homestand today and is just 9-10-7 in Quebec this season.

The Canadiens and Caps have met just once this season and that was in Montreal on Jan. 18, when Washington notched a 3-0 win to take its third straight decision in this series. Neuvirth made 31 saves to post the shutout in that outing and Ovechkin scored one of Washington's three goals.

Washington has also claimed three straight in Montreal and is 4-0-1 in its last five trips to the Bell Centre.

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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.