Canucks host Hawks in pivotal Game 4

Hockey Betting Lines

05/07/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks will try to grab a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals when they visit the Vancouver Canucks for tonight's pivotal Game 4 battle at General Motors Place.

The second-seeded Blackhawks lost the first game of this best-of-seven series on home ice by a 5-1 score, but rallied for a 4-2 victory in Game 2 and then notched a 5-2 decision in the third meeting this past Wednesday at GM Place.

If the Blackhawks can win their third straight game tonight, they will have a chance at ending this series when the teams meet for Game 5 Sunday night in Chicago.

This series is a rematch of last year's conference semifinals, which Chicago won in six games before losing to Detroit in the West finals. The Blackhawks haven't appeared in consecutive conference finals since 1989 and '90.

Meanwhile, Vancouver will try to rebound tonight and tie the series at two games apiece. The Canucks are 0-4 in the second round of the playoffs since last reaching the conference finals in 1994, when they eventually lost to the New York Rangers in a seven-game battle for the Stanley Cup.

Dustin Byfuglien was the hero for Chicago in Game 3, scoring his first three goals of these playoffs for his first career playoff hat trick. Antti Niemi also made 31 saves to help the Blackhawks skate to the 5-2 victory.

Byfuglien, who matched his career playoff scoring output with the three-goal game, was responsible for both of Chicago's power-play goals and became the first Blackhawk to record a playoff hat trick on the road since Bobby Hull netted three against Pittsburgh in the 1972 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Marian Hossa and Kris Versteeg, who scored the game-winner Monday in Chicago, also tallied for Chicago.

"He played unbelievable. He was everywhere...in the middle of everything," said Hossa of Byfuglien. "He was using his speed and I think got some confidence. He was flying tonight."

Team captain Jonathan Toews recorded three assists for the Blackhawks.

Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen had the goals for the Canucks and Alex Edler and Sami Salo each picked up two assists in the setback. Roberto Luongo was charged with all five goals on 35 shots and looked shaky in doing so with each of Chicago's scores coming via the rebound.

"That's the way they play. The only way we can answer that is to do the same thing on the other side," Luongo said of the havoc created by the 'Hawks in front of his crease."

The third-seeded Canucks are 2-2 on home ice in the playoffs after posting the best home record in the Western Conference during the regular season with a 30-8-3 mark at GM Place.

Chicago is 3-1 on the road in the postseason and has a solid 23-14-4 record as the visiting team in the regular season.

This marks the fourth time the Canucks and Blackhawks have battled in the postseason. Vancouver's only series victory over Chicago was in the 1982 conference finals, when the Canucks ousted the Blackhawks in five games before getting swept by the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Finals.

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.