Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.


Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

Bet the Board @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook - Click here to view live odds

Detroit Red Wings vs. Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a team that fought very hard to get to the playoffs and they deserve to be where they are right now. These two teams have very similar styles of play and that is why the Oilers might have a long shot of winning this series.

The key for the Oilers to win this series is that they will have to stop the power plays often performed by the Red Wings and take advantage of key players like Ryan Smith which is powerful forward. That can help a lot in the scoring department; defenseman Chris Pronger that has dominated the defense of this team all season long and of course veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson that’s been adjusting very well under the posts lately, allowing only 10 goals in the last six games of the season.

This first playoff round will be very hard to overcome for the Oilers but I wouldn’t take them out of the competition just yet. They may surprise every one if they really focus on what they do best, speed and quick offensive plays that can produce goals early in the game. This will give them a much needed advantage and play defense the rest of the game.


Detroit Red Wings
They‘re the sportbooks No.1 seed from the East and obviously have the best record of the conference; however many think this is due to the fact that this is a weak conference and that they have had easy wins all season long.

This team will really prove if it’s worthy to be there when they enter the playoff rounds and start matching against teams that won’t give them any advantage; because the playoff territory is completely different from the regular season. It is a much tougher one where everybody wants to win.

The first test they have to pass is against the Oilers, a team that has similar style of play and that’s something that can prejudice the game of the Red Wings. They can be neutralized by the fast plays of the Oilers.

The key for the Red Wings to pass this first playoff series is that they have to make it a short series and hopefully finish it by the fourth or fifth game. If they give the Oilers the opportunity to go for the sixth or seventh game they might gain a lot of confidence that can give the Red Wings hard time.

Key players like Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holstrom can easily determine the outcome of the series if they play at their best game.

These NHL playoffs are heart pounding ones and the perfect opportunity for the sports betting fans to add to the excitement of the game; you can check the latest NHL lines and props at Wager Web.com.

Oilers snap slump with 2-1 victory

Ryan Smyth had a goal and an assist and Dwayne Roloson stopped 30 of 31 shots as the Edmonton Oilers held on to defeat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Next up for the Oilers is the Battle of Alberta Thursday night against Calgary at Rexall Place (7:00 p.m. MST, Sportsnet). The Oilers caught a break while killing a penalty six minutes into the game when Brian Rolston rang a blast from 60 feet out. The shot deflected off Roloson's right pad before hitting the post. Several minutes later, Minnesota was thought to have scored the game's first goal when Matthias Weinhandl scooped the puck over the goal line during a scramble in front of Roloson but after a lengthy discussion, the officials ruled incidental contact on the part of Wes Walz which resulted in the goal being waived off. The Oilers odds picked up some momentum after the disallowed marker and turned that into a goal of their own seconds later. Chris Pronger teed up a shot from the right point that beat Fernandez clean, making it 1-0 Oilers.Sparks started to fly between the two division rivals after Edmonton took the lead. Alex Henry and Matt Greene dropped the gloves and engaged in a marathon bout which got teams on both benches riled up.Shots on goal after one period were 11-9 in favour of the Oilers.Edmonton penalty killers came up big early in the second, killing off a lengthy two-man advantage with two of the team's top penalty killers - Peca and Pronger - in the box. Seven minutes into the period, the Oilers had a power play opportunity of their own and capitalized. Jaroslav Spacek wired a shot that Ryan Smyth deflected in front. The puck rang off both posts before bouncing off Fernandez and across the line to increase Edmonton's lead to 2-0.Midway through the period a pair of heavyweights collided for a heavyweight bout as Derek Boogaard and Georges Laraque traded blows. Boogaard got the jump on Laraque in the fight but in the end Laraque recovered enough for it to be declared a draw.The Wild were desperate for a goal as the second period neared an end. A holding call on Steve Staios with just over four minutes to go in the middle frame set up Minnesota's sixth power play of the night.Although Minnesota was able to sustain pressure throughout the two minutes, Edmonton penalty killers limited their opponents' opportunities to the outside. Shots after 40 were 20-17 in favour of Edmonton. Early in the third period the Wild finally struck for a power play goal on their seventh try. Kurtis Foster blasted one from the left circle then chased his own rebound which rang off the post and in behind Roloson to draw the Wild within a goal at 2-1.Instead of letting the goal deflate them, the Oilers came back on the attack for the next few minutes. Jarret Stoll had a good chance on the rush and Fernandez made some big stops during a mad scramble in his crease keeping it a one-goal game. Fernandez continued to be sharp, stopping Pisani with his blocker. At the other end of the ice, Roloson made a big save of his own after denying Brent Burns on a close tip in front. On the next shift, Roloson came across and denied Todd White on a one-time attempt. Edmonton's mettle was tested with five minutes to play in the game after Shawn Horcoff was ticketed for a high sticking penalty. The PK unit was outstanding when the team needed it the most, stepping up their play to kill the two minutes. The Oilers were able to limit the Wild to only a handful of chances for the rest of the game, leading the way to the victory.

Oilers welcome Coyotes to town

The Edmonton Oilers will continue their battle for a postseason berth, as they host the Phoenix Coyotes tonight at Rexall Place.
The Oilers currently hold the final playoff spot with 86 points and San Jose and Los Angeles are just three points behind.
Edmonton had won three of four games before falling to the visiting Calgary Flames on Saturday. Kristian Huselius scored two goals to lift Calgary to the 4-1 victory. Shawn Horcoff scored the Oilers' lone goal and Dwayne Roloson stopped 22 shots for Edmonton, which has lost two of its last three games.
The nhl Oilers will wrap up their four-game homestand tonight. They are 17-15-6 as the host this season.
Phoenix, meanwhile, has won three in a row and six of its last seven outings. Although landing a playoff berth would be nearly impossible, the Coyotes have not yet been eliminated from the postseason race. They have 76 points and are 10 behind Edmonton for the final spot in the West.
The Coyotes earned a dramatic win at the Shark Tank on Saturday, beating San Jose in overtime.
Steven Reinprecht completed his hat trick, scoring 3:55 into OT to lead Phoenix to the 4-3 win. Reinprecht scored a goal on the power play, short- handed and at even strength for the Coyotes, while Curtis Joseph ended with 26 saves.
Tonight marks the third test of a four-game road trip for the Coyotes, who are 18-17-1 as the visiting club.
Phoenix has won two of three with the Oilers this season, but Edmonton is 9-5-1 (5 losses, 1 tie) in the last 15 matchups.