Arnott gives Nashville shootout win over Red Wings

Hockey Betting Lines

04/09/2009 - Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joel Ward scored the equalizer with 59.3 seconds left in regulation and Jason Arnott had the deciding goal in the shootout, as Nashville stayed in the playoff race with a key 4-3 win over Detroit.

With the win, the Predators pulled into a tie with Anaheim and St. Louis with 88 points, as all three teams are in position for the final two playoff spots. The Ducks are currently in the seventh position and the Blues are in eighth, but both were idle Thursday and have a game at hand over Nashville.

Nevertheless, the comeback win was a big one for Nashville, which won the season series against Detroit for the first time in franchise history. The Predators took four of six games from the Red Wings this season, including three in a row -- the last two at Detroit.

Arnott finished with a goal and assist for the Predators, who have won two of three, with both victories coming in a shootout. Scott Nichol also lit the lamp, while Pekka Rinne made 23 saves.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall and Johan Franzen had the goals for Detroit, which had won two in a row. The Red Wings got a point in the loss, but at 112 total are no longer in contention for the top seed in the West, as they trail San Jose by five with just two games to play. The Sharks host Phoenix later Thursday.

Chris Osgood stopped 22 shots in the loss.

Detroit held a 3-1 lead after Franzen sent a shot from the slot past Rinne by the left post just 2:12 into the third period.

But Nashville got back within a goal with 6:42 remaining, when Arnott got the rebound off his own shot and sent it over a sprawled Osgood.

The Predators' chances of winning took a hit when Arnott was called for holding with 4:05 remaining, but Kronwall was whistled for tripping with 2:52 to play. The teams played 4-on-4 until Arnott's penalty ran out, with the Red Wings getting a great scoring chance almost immediately after the faceoff. However, Rinne stuffed the shot and eventually Nashville went on the power play.

With a little over a minute to play, Rinne skated off, giving the Predators a 6-on-4. Nashville's attackers flooded the Detroit zone, and Ryan Jones took a shot from the right side. The puck fluttered into the slot, where Arnott took a whack at it. Ward followed with another swing to get it past Osgood with 59.3 ticks left to tie the contest.

Nashville got another power play with 43.2 left in overtime, but Detroit killed it off to send the contest to a shootout.

Detroit's Jiri Hudler was the fifth shooter and scored on a snap shot between Rinne's pads. However, in a do-or-die chance, Ville Koistinen scored top shelf on a backhander to send it to a fourth round.

Rinne stopped Dan Cleary's forehand chance before Arnott scored five hole to give Nashville the win.

Kronwall got Detroit on the board with a power play goal 11:50 into the first period. However, Nichol's shot from the right circle at 6:18 of the middle frame evened the score.

Lidstrom tipped in a shot on the power-play with 32.7 ticks left in the second to give the Red Wings the 2-1 edge.

Game Notes

Nashville closes out its regular season Friday at Minnesota...Detroit plays a home-and-home set with Chicago over the weekend to close the season...The Red Wings were 2-for-4 on the power play, while Nashville went 1-for-6 with the man advantage.

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NCAA Football Betting

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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