Predators try to end recent woes against struggling Coyotes

Hockey Betting Lines

02/19/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators will try to regain possession of first place in the Central Division as they continue a homestand this evening with a matchup against the slumping Phoenix Coyotes.

Nashville lost its grasp on the top spot in both the Central and the Western Conference following Saturday's loss to Minnesota at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. The Wild spoiled Peter Forsberg's debut as a Predator by scoring three times in the third period en route to a 4-1 victory.

Detroit passed Nashville in the standings with a 4-1 triumph over Phoenix on Saturday night. The Red Wings have 82 points on the season, one better than the Preds.

Forsberg, acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday in the year's biggest in-season deal thus far, was not a factor in his first game with his new club. The five-time All-Star and 2003 Hart Trophy winner was held without a point and managed just one shot on goal.

J.P. Dumont scored the lone goal for Nashville, which lost for the third time in four games, while goaltender Tomas Vokoun stopped only 18-of-21 shots that came his way.

The Predators played without standout defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who was scratched from the lineup with an upper-body injury. The All-Star blueliner is expected to be available for tonight's tilt, however.

Nashville has now lost two in a row at the Gaylord Entertainment Center after putting together a franchise-record eight-game home win streak from January 6- February 8. The Predators are still an outstanding 21-5-3 on home ice this season.

Phoenix is currently mired in a season-worst five-game losing streak, the club's longest since a six-game slide from March 22-31, 2003. The Coyotes surrendered three power-play goals to the Red Wings in Saturday's defeat.

Mike Zigomanis had the only Phoenix goal and Mikael Tellqvist turned away 23- of-26 shots in the loss.

Tonight's game marks the final meeting between these teams this season. The Coyotes have won two of the three previous encounters, but dropped a 4-1 decision to the Preds in the Music City back in October.

Phoenix has lost in each of its last four visits to Nashville and will be attempting to stop a six-game winless streak (5 losses, 1 tie) at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. The Coyotes' last road win in this series came on October 22, 2002.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.