08/12/2008 - Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders have named reigning AHL coach of the year Scott Gordon head coach, making him the 14th head coach in franchise history. He has agreed to a multi-year contract with the team.
Gordon, 45, led the Providence Bruins to an AHL-best 55-18-3 record last season and guided the team to a 221-141-20-27 record in five-plus seasons.
"Scott has been one of the top up-and-coming coaches in hockey and with good reason," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "Through his work in the minor leagues and most recently with Providence over the last eight years, he has gained an impeccable reputation. The entire Islanders organization looks forward to working with Scott."
A goaltender for Boston College from 1982-1986, Gordon appeared in the NCAA Frozen Four in 1985 and was a Hockey East First-Team All-Star in 1986. He played a total of 23 career NHL games, all with the Quebec Nordiques, and played on the 1992 United States Olympic team.
After retiring as a player in 1994, Gordon began his coaching career with the International Hockey League's Atlanta Knights from 1994-1996, and spent time with the Quebec Rafales from 1996-1998. He also coached the Roanoke Express of the ECHL from 1998-2000 before becoming an assistant at Providence.
<< White Sox OF Quentin scratched
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin
was scratched from Tuesday's game against Kansas City after being hit by a
pitch in Monday's loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Quentin has been hit by a pitch in each of t
<< Ravens ink FB Neal to bolster backfield
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens signed Pro Bowl
fullback Lorenzo Neal on Tuesday.
After five seasons as the lead blocker for perennial Pro Bowl selection
LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego, Neal was releas
<< Colts CB Coe done for season
Terre Haute, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Indianapolis Colts cornerback Michael Coe
will miss the 2008 season, the club announced Tuesday.
Coe underwent surgery on his left knee last week, and won't be ready for
football action for at le
<< Padres place Corey on DL
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres placed pitcher Bryan
Corey on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained left hamstring.
The move is retroactive to August 10.
The 34-year-old Corey is 1-3 this season with a
Giants P Lincecum leaves game with injury >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum left
Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros after being struck by a line drive
in the fifth inning.
Lincecum, who is a viable Cy Young candidate this season, w
Dickau leaves NBA for Europe >>
Avellino, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Clippers guard Dan Dickau has
signed with Euroleague team Avellino, the club announced Tuesday.
Dickau, 29, averaged 5.3 points and 2.6 assists in 67 games with the Clippers
last season, his
Astros' Matsui leaves game with sore back >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston Astros second baseman Kazuo Matsui
left Tuesday's game against the San Francisco Giants with a sore back.
He is listed as day-to-day.
Matsui went 0-for-1 before leaving following the second
Phillips, Volquez help Reds topple Pirates >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Phillips belted a two-run homer to
lift the Cincinnati Reds over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-1, in the first
contest of a three-game set at PNC Park.
Javier Valentin added a solo shot for t
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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