AHL upholds 20-games suspension for Downie

Hockey Betting Lines

03/10/2009 - Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American Hockey League on Tuesday voted to unanimously uphold the 20-game suspension levied against Norfolk Admirals forward Steve Downie.

Last Thursday, the AHL had suspended Downie for deliberately striking an official with his stick, but the Admirals, with the support of parent club Tampa Bay, appealed the decision.

Late in the third period of the Admirals' game against the Hershey Bears on February 28, Downie whacked linesman Mike Hamilton before a face-off. Downie was given a game misconduct at the time, then suspended indefinitely for the infraction.

According to Rule 41.2, any player who deliberately strikes an official, or intended to cause harm to an official, automatically draws a suspension lasting no less than 20 games.

The penalty is still in effect from the date of the original ruling, meaning the 21-year-old is not eligible to return until April 11.

It is the second time in his brief professional career that Downie has incurred a suspension of this length. He had to serve a 20-game penalty in 2007, stemming from an incident during a Flyers-Senators pre-season game in September of that year, when he launched himself at Ottawa forward Dean McAmmond, causing the veteran forward to suffer a concussion.

In 29 NHL games with the Flyers and the Lightning this season, Downie has three goals and three assists.

Wwwacesgoldcasino Hockey Betting News

<< Odom suspended following Lakers, Blazers melee
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom has been suspended one game without pay after leaving the bench to join a scuffle during Monday's game against the Trail Blazers. LA's Trevor Ariza was

<< Schalke parts ways with GM Muller
Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Schalke fired General Manager Andreas Muller, but the Bundesliga club has retained coach Fred Rutten. Uncertainty had surrounded both men in recent times, following a string of poor performances by

<< Peterson signs with Falcons
Flowery Branch, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Falcons signed free agent linebacker Mike Peterson on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported it is for two years. "Mike

<< Niners bring back Rossum, add Evans
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco 49ers re-signed return specialist Allen Rossum Tuesday and also added defensive end Demetric Evans. Rossum originally signed with the Niners prior to last season, in which he retu

<< Gerrard, Liverpool send Real home early again
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steven Gerrard scored twice in his 100th European appearance, leading Liverpool to a convincing 4-0 win over Real Madrid at Anfield on Tuesday and into the quarterfinals of the Champions League 5-0 on aggr

Lewis inks deal with Ravens >>
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens made it official with linebacker Ray Lewis Tuesday, as the two-time Defensive Player of the Year inked a multi-year contract. The two sides agreed in principle on a deal

Villa's O'Neill enjoys competing with big four >>
Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is enjoying "rattling the cages" of the Premier League's established big four clubs this season. Villa are currently fourth in the table and on course for

Valencia's Villa out with knee injury >>
Valencia, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Valencia striker David Villa has been ruled out for two weeks with a knee problem. The club's 19-goal top scorer missed last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Numancia with inflammation of his left knee. Scans h

Cowboys sign S Sensabaugh to one-year deal >>
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys filled a void in the secondary left with the release of veteran Roy Williams last week by signing free agent safety Gerald Sensabaugh to a one-year contract. Sensabaugh tied for t

Broncos bring back Peterson, add Parker >>
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos helped solidify the defensive line Tuesday, re-signing defensive end Kenny Peterson and signing defensive tackle J'Vonne Parker. Peterson played in all 16 games for Denver la

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

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.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines .
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sports betting