The Pittsburgh Penguins have won the National Hockey League Championship 2-1 over the defending Champion Detroit Red Wings.  I patiently listened to all my fellow sports writers trash the Penguins today all over the sporting news.  If the Pittsburgh Penguins had listened to them there was not even any sense showing up at Joe Louis Arena this Friday Evening against the truly blessed Red Wings.  My fellow sports writers had already handed the Stanley Cup to the Detroit because they were playing at home.  What was proven tonight in Detroit is that the Pittsburgh Penguins had much more heart and talent than credited and in addition we sports writers are better at writing about the games then predicting them.

The first period of the game went scoreless.  The two teams were feeling each other out as if it were a Championship boxing match.  Perhaps this was in honor of Muhammed Ali who was attendance and wearing a Detroit Red Wing jersey.  Sorry Champ, it wasn’t to be.  The Penguins scored two goals in the second period both by Talbot.  That is right it was not Malkin or Crosby but who cares.  Championship teams need not rely on only one or two players.  Great Championship teams are built around the total package and in Game 7 of this Stanley Cup Finals it was the Penguins who had the total package.  The Red Wings scored their lone goal too late in the final period and could never get the puck past sensational Pittsburgh goalie Mark Andrew Flurrey again.  Chalk this one up for the record books.

In the NBA Finals the Los Angeles Lakers took a commanding lead by beating the Orlando Magic Thursday night 98-91in overtime.  This presents the Lakers with a 3-1 advantage in the best of 7 series.  Once again my fellow sports writers have already awarded the Lakers the Championship without playing another game.  This time the odds just may be in their favor.  But then of course there are some two years out there who could make a pretty reliable prediction on this one now.  Perhaps I am old school.  I say leave them play game 5 until the final buzzer sounds before counting anybody out.  I must admit it does not look good for the Magic at this point but it didn’t look good for the Pittsburg Penguins going into game 7 in Detroit either and we all know how that turned out.

In quick National Football Leage news the Atlanta Falcons finally cut the final apron strings with Michael Vick today.  They feel his efforts will be better appreciated elsewhere.  The Minnesota Vikings have not given up on Brett Farve.  They have sent some of their staff down to workout with Brett to see how his arm is holding out.  Trent Green the 15 year veteran Quarterback retired today.  Donovan McNabb got the big contract he wanted in Philadelphia today.  Now many sports writers feel they are set to make a run at the Super Bowl.  There is another Pennsylvania team that may have something to say about that.

The best thing about all of these games that we offer our opinions and predictions on is that in the end no one really knows how the game is going to turn out.  Of course that is what makes it so exciting.  It is always safe to play the odds but be prepared that every once in a while the odds are proven wrong and heart and determination win over all the facts and figures hands down.

The Sportsbook Gazette Weekly Sports Roundup is here. We will take this opportunity once a week to offer a complete overview of the latest sports news all in one article for the sports enthusiast who desires the whole scoop and nothing but the scoop all on one page. Lets take a look at the world of sports today.

NFL

In the National Football League the rumors are still flying about Brent Farve and his possible escape from retirement to quarterback the Minnesota Vikings. The jury is still out as to how much juice Farve still has and the options he could actually bring to the Vikings offense. The Vikings already have a great defense and one of the best running backs in the NFL in Adrian Peterson. All Farve would have to do is control the game and the Vikings could be a serious contender this year. But the potential of Farve coming out of retirement seems slim at this point. Nor the Vikings or Farve are willing to admit Farve is a possibility in Minnesota. More on NFL Betting!

NBA Finals

The NBA Finals tipped off Thursday night in Los Angeles between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. The bottom line is simple. The Lakers came to Staples Arena hungry to play and the Magic did not. Dwight Howard the ‘off center’ center for Orlando could only put together a 12 -point outing and the Magic shot a dismal 30% from the floor. Orlando failed to get defensive rebounds because they couldn’t get close enough to the basket. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers scored 40 explosive points the most ever by him in a finals game. Bryant was hungry enough for both teams as he did his best to ward off the demons from last years finals when the Lakers lost to the Celtics. The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Magic in game 1 winning 100-75. The Magic were well aware of their shortcomings Thursday night. Only game 2 will tell if they made the proper adjustments. More on NBA Betting!

Stanley Cup Finals

If you had already counted the Pittsburgh Penguins out of the Stanley Cup Finals you better think again. They approached game 4 in Pittsburgh faced with the possibility of allowing the Detroit Red Wings to go back home with a 3-1 advantage in the race for the Stanley Cup.

The Red Wings jumped out to a 2-1 lead and it seemed evident that this series was heading down the same road as last year when the Red Wings defeated the Penguins in 6 games. Just when all seemed hopeless the Penguins caught fire and scored 3 points over a five and a half minute stretch. The Red Wings never recuperated and Pittsburgh hailed victorious 4-2. With the series now tied 2-2 and going back to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Saturday night for game 5 the odds are changing like a woman’s mind. The Stanley Cup is definitely still up for grabs. More on NHL Betting!

French Open Final

Roger Federer needs only to beat Robin Soderling of Sweden on Sunday in the French Open Final to take home his first French Open Title. Watch Roger Federer vs Robin Soderling video!

But that is not all. If he wins he will tie Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam Singles Titles. In addition he will become only the sixth man in tennis history to have a career Grand Slam winning a title from each of tennis’ four majors. Federer has beaten Soderling in all 9 previous matches. Sunday he would like nothing better than to make it 10. More on Tennis Betting!

The world of sports is still unpredictable. The power of competition and the strength of the human spirit still make it hard to pick winners within the shadow of a doubt.

The difference between being champions and coming in the easily forgettable runner up is found somewhere in the heart and soul of the athletes who devote their lives to the sports that offer us so much pleasure. All is as it should be.

The NHL’s whirlwind playoffs are winding down and now set for the Stanley Cup Finals to begin this weekend.

Click here for NHL Live Odds!

The action is sure to be explosive and speculation is at an all time high regarding every possible scenario in a rematch of last year’s final between the Pens and Wings. This being the case the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com, posted odds on every possible angle!

Oddsmakers at BetUS.com posted the following odds on the Stanley Cup Finals:

Series Price:

• Pittsburgh Penguins  6/5
• Detroit Red Wings  2/3

Game 1 Odds:

Team	Puckline	Moneyline	Total
Pittsburgh	+1.5 (6/13)	7/5	O 5.5 (4/5)
Detroit	-1.5 (7/4)	5/8	U 5.5 (21/20)

Trophies and Presentation

Odds to Win the Conn Smythe:

• Sidney Crosby  5/1
• Evgeni Malkin  11/2
• Nik Lidstrom  6/1
• Johan Franzen  9/1
• Henrik Zetterberg  8/1
• Marc-Andre Fleury  8/1
• Chris Osgood  13/2
• Bill Guerin  12/1
• Valtteri Filppula  15/1
• Daniel Cleary  12/1
• Chris Kunitz  13/1
• Sergei Gonchar  15/1
• Marion Hossa  12/1
• Pavel Datsyuk  10/1
• Field  9/1

Who will the MVP thank first?

• Teammates  1/1
• Owner  9/4
• Family  10/1
• Gary Bettman  14/1
• Sponsor  20/1
• God  17/1
• Does not thank anyone  25/1

Historical Props

Reference:

• Gretzky   (7p – 4g-3a) 1984
• Messier   (4p – 3g-1a) 1984
• Gretzky   (11p – 7g4a) 1985
• Messier   (6p – 2g4a) 1985
• Lemieux   (12p – 5g7a) 1991
• Jagr   (5p – 0g5a) 1991

Who will finish with more points in the series?

• Sidney Crosby  5/6
• Evgeni Malkin  5/6

Which Stanley Cup finals points total will be higher?

• Sidney Crosby(2009)  7/5
• Mario Lemieux (1991)  5/9

Which combined Stanley Cup finals points total will be higher?

• Crosby/Malkin (2009)  10/11
• Jagr/Lemieux (1991)  10/13

Which Stanley Cup points total will be higher?

• Wayne Gretzky (1984)  10/11
• Sidney Crosby (2009)  10/13

Which combined Stanley Cup points total will be higher?

• Gretzky/Messier (1985)  5/6
• Crosby/Malkin (2009)  5/6

TV Ratings

Which Country will average a higher number of viewers?

• Canada  10/11
• USA  10/13

Which City will have the highest single game TV rating?

• Pittsburgh  10/13
• Detroit  10/11

Which Stanley Cup Ratings will be higher? (per game average)

• 2008  10/11
• 2009  10/13

On the Ice

Who will be the finals leading goal scorer?

• Sidney Crosby  3/1
• Evgeni Malkin  3/1
• Johan Franzen  9/2
• Henrik Zetterberg  5/1
• Daniel Cleary  8/1
• Ruslan Fedotenko  10/1
• Bill Guerin  12/1
• Marion Hossa  12/1
• Mikael Samuelsson  15/1
• Nicklas Lidstrom  12/1
• Field  8/1

Who will be the finals leading point getter?

• Evgeni Malkin  7/2
• Sidney Crosby  7/2
• Johan Franzen  11/2
• Henrik Zetterberg  11/2
• Valtteri Filppula  8/1
• Nicklas Lidstrom  9/1
• Sergei Gonchar  10/1
• Daniel Cleary  12/1
• Bill Guerin  12/1
• Chris Kunitz  12/1
• Ruslan Fedotenko  15/1
• Marion Hossa  15/1
• Field  8/1

Who will be the first Penguin to drop gloves?

• Kris Letang  4/1
• Matt Cooke  4/1
• Bill Guerin  7/1
• Max Talbot  7/1
• Jordan Staal  8/1
• Hal Gill  8/1
• Sidney Crosby  10/1
• Evgeni Malkin  13/1
• Field  2/1

Will will be the first Red Wing to drop the gloves?

• Niklas Kronwall  3/1
• Jonathan Ericsson  6/1
• Tomas Holmstrom  10/1
• Brian Rafalski  4/1
• Brad Stuart  5/1
• Kirk Maltby  9/1
• Chris Chelios  13/1
• Field  2/1

Will there be a fight in the Stanley Cup Finals?

• Yes  5/9
• No  7/5

Will a goalie get a point in the Finals?

• Yes  10/1
• No  1/20

Team with most penalties in the series:

• Detroit Red Wings  10/13
• Pittsburgh Penguins  10/11

First goalie to get a penalty:

• Marc-Andre Fleury  1/2
• Chris Osgood  3/2

Which team will have the best Penalty Kill?

• Detroit Red Wings  11/10
• Pittsburgh Penguins  2/3

Which team will have the best Power Play?

• Detroit Red Wings  5/9
• Pittsburgh Penguins  7/5

First team to score a Power Play goal:

• Detroit Red Wings  2/3
• Pittsburgh Penguins  11/10

Will there be a Shorthanded Goal scored in the series?

• Yes  10/1

Will a backup goalie win a game in the series??

• Yes  7/1

How many games will go to overtime?

• Over 1.5  1/1
• Under 1.5  5/7

What will be the longest OT game?

• 1 Period  5/6
• 2 Periods  10/11
• 3 Periods  3/1

Will there be a hat trick scored in the series?

• Yes  3/1
• No  1/5

Odds and Ends

Will the Stanley Cup be dropped during the skate around?

• Yes  20/1

Will the winner of the 2009 cup win in 2010?

• Yes  4/1

Will the anthem singer in any game forget the words?

• Yes  5/1

Will the anthem singer slip and fall?

• Yes  4/1

Will an Octopus be thrown on the ice in Pittsburgh?

• Yes  3/1

Will an Octopus be thrown on the ice in Detroit?

• Yes  1/8
• No  16/1

Will Joe Biden attend a finals game?

• Yes  5/2
• No  1/4

Will Bill Cowher attend a game in a Red Wings jersey?

• Yes  8/1

Odds on number of panes of glass that get broken by a shot:

• Over 1.5  10/11
• Under 1.5  10/13

Sports and Newsworthy odds can be found at BetUs.com!

It is time for outdoor NHL hockey again on Thursday, this time from historic Wrigley Field in Chicago as the Blackhawks play the Detroit Red Wings. The NHL has tried this outdoor experiment twice in the past and the ratings and the interest has been excellent. The first game was played in Edmonton back in 2003 when over 51,000 fans saw the Oilers play the Montreal Canadiens. The other matchup was last year in Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium as Sidney Crosby scored in overtime to give the Penguins the win over the Sabres. An NHL-record crowd of 71,217 was on hand for the game played in the snow. It was the highest rated regular season game in the U.S. since 1996.

Check out the current NHL betting lines

Detroit Red Wings (24-7-5) at Chicago Blackhawks (20-7-7) *Wrigley Field*
Thursday, 1:05 pm Eastern – NBC

The Hockey betting Winter Classic is likely to continue in the future as the NHL has purchased advanced ice-making systems and a number of cities have expressed an interest in hosting the game. Detroit, Boston, New York, Toronto and Montreal have all shown an interest.

Thursday’s game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings will mark the 701st meeting between the teams. It is the back end of a home and home series between the two teams. Detroit routed Chicago 4-0 at home on Tuesday. Goaltender Ty Conklin got the shutout and he will get the start on Thursday. Coincidently, Conklin was in goal in the previous two outdoor games. He was with the Oilers in 2003 and with the Penguins last year.
“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. Both team realize the importance of it,” Conklin said. “It’s more than a run of the mill regular-season game.”

Here are the Hockey betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Red Wings are 38-16 in their last 54 overall. The Red Wings are 1-5 in their last 6 road games. The Red Wings are 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Chicago

The Blackhawks are 9-1 in their last 10 overall. The Blackhawks are 16-5 in their last 21 home games. The Blackhawks are 12-26 in their last 38 Thursday games. The Blackhawks are 2-7 in their last 9 vs. the Central.

The Under is 4-0-1 in the Blackhawks last 5 overall. The Over is 8-3-1 in the Blackhawks last 12 home games. The Over is 5-2 in the Blackhawks last 7 vs. the Central.

Start betting on NHL hockey today at SBGGlobal!