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02/16/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The city of Nashville is known primarily as the country music capital of the world, but come this June, the town could be pulling double duty as the center of the hockey universe.
That's how significant landing a player of Peter Forsberg's caliber could be for the still-blossoming Predators franchise.
The Predators pulled off the biggest trade of the NHL season so far on Thursday, when they acquired Forsberg from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for right wing Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent and first-round and third-round draft picks in the 2007 NHL draft.
Nashville has already impressed with its play this year and is currently leading the Western Conference with 81 points, but this is just the franchise's ninth year since joining the league and the Preds are still finding respect hard to come by.
That's why this deal makes complete sense for the Predators -- it forces the rest of the league to take this expansion club seriously. Forsberg brings instant credibility to a team that was lacking a superstar.
Critics will say that Nashville gave up too much young talent for an injury- plagued player who may become a free agent or even retire at the end of the season. Yet, if the Predators wind up hoisting the Cup in June, Nashville isn't likely to be heartbroken by Forsberg's short stay in the Music City.
After all, the franchise began play as an expansion club during the 1998-99 campaign and to bring a championship to Tennessee in less than a decade would be quite an accomplishment for general manager David Poile and head coach Barry Trotz -- both of whom are the first and only people to hold their respective positions in club history.
To the uninitiated, Forsberg comes with quite a pedigree, having won the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 1995 and the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2003. He has also played in five All-Star games, won a pair of Olympic gold medals with Sweden and lifted two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche.
The 33-year-old is a national hero in Sweden and is the only hockey player ever to be honored with a postage stamp in his native land.
As for Forsberg's time in Philadelphia, it was clearly diminished by injuries, but the guy is still one of the most valuable players in the NHL. He registered 115 points in 100 games since signing a two-year deal with the Flyers before the 2005-06 season. Forty of those points in a Philadelphia uniform came in his 40 games this year.
This season it was particularly evident what Forsberg's presence meant to the Flyers. Sure the team is on its way to possibly the worst campaign in franchise history, but the club had all 15 of its victories with Forsberg in the lineup and was a dismal 0-13-3 without it's former captain.
The skate and foot issues that bothered Forsberg for most of this season seem to have been taken care of, but it is possible those problems could rear their ugly head in Nashville. Still, Forsberg never gave less than a full effort when on the ice in Philly and he had to waive a no-trade clause to go to the Predators, so one must assume he's excited about the move.
"Peter Forsberg is one of the NHL's most complete players and the ultimate competitor - a consistent winner who has year in and year out been a difference maker in the Stanley Cup playoffs," said Poile. "He strengthens our club up the middle and will provide another battle-tested, veteran voice to our dressing room."
Also it cannot be underestimated what this deal should mean to Nashville's ability to draw a crowd. Despite the Predators' success so far this year, the team is still 23rd in the NHL in attendance with an average crowd of 14,695 fans per game. That could be because the team's most recognizable player before the Forsberg trade was Paul Kariya, who has had an excellent NHL career, but does not have the same cache as Peter the Great. Forsberg should make an immediate impact in that area when he makes his scheduled debut for the Predators in Saturday's home test against Minnesota.
From the Flyers standpoint, this was a trade that surely does not make them happy considering the high expectations the Forsberg signing originally brought to the franchise. However, it was a necessary deal that will make them better down the road.
Upshall gives Philly some much-needed speed, Parent is a blue-chip defensive prospect and the first and third-round picks will give the team a chance to add even more young talent to the roster. Plus, by trading Forsberg and not re-signing him, the Flyers give themselves even more room under the cap than the significant amount they were already expected to have.
The only really negative aspect of this trade for either team surfaced in Forsberg's post-trade press conference in Philadelphia on Thursday evening. In his meeting with the media, Forsberg hinted that retirement or a possible return to Philadelphia as a free agent in the offseason were not out of the question.
That's probably not what the Predators wanted to hear mere hours after they pulled off the biggest trade in franchise history. But, if the deal ends up bringing Lord Stanley's hardware to town, there will be few regrets in Nashville, no matter where Forsberg winds up next year.
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BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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