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Kovalchuk decision will have wider impact

Hockey Betting Lines

08/10/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There has been one NHL story this summer that refuses to go away and a ruling on Monday ensured that the saga will continue.

Independent arbitrator Richard Bloch upheld the NHL's decision that the New Jersey Devils' 17-year, $102 million contract offer to superstar winger Ilya Kovalchuk should be voided on grounds that the deal circumvented the salary cap. Bloch's decision means Kovalchuk -- the biggest free agent available this summer -- will once again hit the summer market.

Of course, the Devils and Kovalchuk are now free to restructure the contract and submit a new deal that the NHL would accept, or the Russian winger may choose to sign with another NHL club or even join a KHL team in his homeland.

In the end, Kovalchuk will land a lucrative contract from some organization, but the true brunt of Monday's arbitration decision will be borne by the league as a whole.

In fact, a report in Tuesday's Vancouver Sun revealed that the NHL brass is currently investigating Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo's contract and it certainly appears that the league won't stop there. Bloch's ruling also referenced the contracts of Philadelphia's Chris Pronger, Boston's Marc Savard and Chicago's Marian Hossa as "contracts with structures similar to the Kovalchuk" deal and it seems apparent that the league will also investigate those agreements.

The real mystery is what these contract investigations will lead to. The league can't seriously be considering voiding these deals as well, can they? I'm no expert in legalese, but one segment of Bloch's ruling makes it patently obvious that the NHL will void Luongo's contract, as well as other deals, if they can.

Concerning Kovalchuk, the NHLPA made the assertion that the league's previous validation of Luongo's contract and similar deals meant that Kovalchuk's deal with the Devils should be valid as well.

But Bloch's response to that argument couldn't have been more decidedly in the NHL's favor: "The apparent purpose of this evidence is to suggest that the League's concern is late blooming and/or inconsistent. Several responses are in order: First, while the contracts have, in fact, been registered, their structure has not escaped League notice: those SPCs [standard player's contracts] are being investigated currently with at least the possibility of a subsequent withdrawal of the registration."

It seems apparent from that statement that Bloch has given the NHL everything it needs to arm itself for a legal war against front-loaded contracts. However, the NHL would be wise not to become overconfident because there will be a much greater pushback by the NHLPA to defend the older contracts than there was to stand up for the newer Kovalchuk deal.

It just doesn't seem right that the league can void deals so long after they already validated them. Pronger and Hossa signed their deals last summer, while Luongo's 12-year extension was inked and approved by the league last September.

Going back to void these contracts now and make these players free agents is akin to putting toothpaste back into the tube; it's just going to make a mess and ultimately isn't going to work anyway. The league has already made its point with the Kovalchuk ruling and now that it has the precedent set by Bloch, the NHL should concentrate on preventing front-loaded deals in the future, not on targeting contracts that have already been registered.

It's my guess that the league will not succeed in voiding the older deals, but they may be able to levy fines and possibly take draft picks away from the guilty teams.

Of course, the wider issue here is how front-loaded contracts will be addressed in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. The league's current CBA expires after the 2011-12 season and this topic will surely be on the table when the new contract between the league and the NHLPA is being constructed.

There is no doubt that NHL won a clear legal victory on Monday, but there are many battles still to be fought on this topic. Perhaps the NHLPA will win the next one.

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Eastern Conference Playoff Betting Trends

We all know by now that the “public” loves to put their money on the FAVORITES and the OVERS.  Just by taking a quick glance at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is this tendency will continue as far as the Eastern Conference games are concerned.  For the inaugural games of the first round, 69% of the early money is on Toronto -4.5; 59% of bettors prefer Chicago -4.5; 84% are backing Detroit -9; and 56% think Cleveland -11.5 is the way to go.  As far as TOTALS are concerned, the only UNDER the “public” is backing is the Cleveland/ Washington game in which 83% are pounding the UNDER (190).  Remember, there is no better way to predict a possible line change than by monitoring MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”.   By determining who the “public” is backing, you can get the most ideal line for your bet.  For example, if you are siding with the public you better place your bet before the line moves in the wrong direction.  On the other side of the coin, if you prefer the team that the “public” is betting against; you might be able to get and extra ½ or even more by placing your bet a bit later.  Under the “Betting Trends” section, Sportsbook.com also provides plenty of statistical data and trends in order for the bettor to make the most informed pick.  Below are some extremely important trends for the first round opponents of the Eastern Conference match-ups, more can be found at MySportsbook.com

New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors

Toronto was the most reliable covering team this season with a 48-33-1 ATS record but covered the OVER only 41.5% of the time.
The last 20 times these teams have played, the TOTAL has gone UNDER 16 times.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Toronto is 33-19 ATS including 17-9 at home.
 New Jersey has covered four games in a row while Toronto has failed to cover their last four games.
When playing a team with a winning record during the second half of the season, New Jersey was just 5-13 ATS this season.
After scoring 105 points or more, Toronto has covered the OVER only 28% of the time this season. 
 
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls

Miami has failed to cover their last 7 games whereas Chicago has covered 6 out of their last 8 games.
Miami has covered the UNDER in four of their last five games whereas Chicago has covered the UNDER in five out of their last six.
When playing on Saturdays, Miami covered 80% of their games this season.
Away from home, Chicago is just 16-25 ATS this season.
At home, Miami covered the UNDER about 66% of the time whereas Chicago covered the UNDER about 61% of the time.
The last 13 times these teams have played each other, Chicago has covered 9 times.
In Miami’s last 11 road games, the UNDER covered 9 times. 
 
Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons

Detroit has covered 5 out of their last 6 games.
Away from home, Detroit is 28-13 ATS but just 14-26-1 ATS at home.
At home, Orlando covered the UNDER 64% of the time while Detroit covered the UNDER in 63% of their away games.
The last five times these teams have played in Detroit, the OVER covered each time.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Detroit is 8-17-1 ATS at home but 17-9 ATS away.
Detroit covered the spread 5 out of the last 6 times they played Orlando.
After a Division game, Orlando covered the UNDER 87% of the time this season. 
 
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers

In a home game where the TOTAL is between 190 and 194.5 points, Cleveland is 9-1 ATS this season.
Washington has covered the UNDER in their last 6 games and in 8 of their last 9 games.
The last 6 times these teams have played each other, the UNDER covered each time.
When playing on 3 or more days of rest, Washington is just 18-37 ATS since 1996.
Since 1996, Washington is 28-16 ATS versus Cleveland including 11-5 over the last 3 seasons.
In their last 7 road games, Washington is 6-1 ATS.
Versus Eastern Conference teams at home, Washington is just 6-18-2 ATS. 
 
For even more betting trends for not just the NBA but for all of the major sports, log on to Sportsbook.com and click on “Trends”.  With only two months left in the NBA betting season it is important to be as well informed as possible in order to maximize your profit.  Also for all of you poker players, check out MySportsbook.com’s “WSOP Low Bid Auction”. You could be on your way to Vegas to play against the world’s best poker players for under a buck.

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Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.

The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.

MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.

A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.

Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

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