Here are some of the best sports plays for all you gamblers out there.

The Game: Ottawa Senators @ Tampa Bay Lightning

The Pick: Over 5.5

The Reason: Two high-scoring offenses and very generous defenses meet in Tampa tonight when the Lightning play host to the Senators.  Ottawa ranks 6th in the league in goals for with 3 per game, while their 3 goals against per game ranks 24th in the league.  As for the Lightning, they are scoring 2.8 goals per game (9th in the NHL), while giving up 3.4 against (30th in the NHL).  The Sens have gone over the total in six of their last eight games, while the Lightning have gone over in five of their last six.  Look for both teams to find the back of the net often as this game goes over the total.

The Game: Los Angeles Kings @ Nashville Predators

The Pick: Under 5

The Reason: Prior to Saturday’s 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, the Kings had gone over the total just twice in their last 20 games, with five of those games resulting in a push.  Tonight they take on the Nashville Predators, who have gone over the total just three times in their last ten games.  During their last meeting on February 27, the Preds won 2-1 at home.  Prior to that game, these two teams had gone over the total in four straight, and they went under in three straight before that.  Look for another streak of unders between these two teams to develop as they go under the total for the second straight meeting tonight.

2012 Record: (44-39-4), This Week: (2-0), Last Week: (7-3)

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Justin Verlander has thrown two no-hitters over the course of his Major League career.  As impressive as that may be, it is still not enough to get him into “The Perfect Club,” which is reserved only for those who have pitched a perfect game, like Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay.

Kate Upton is also somehow a part of this prestigious club, which makes it quite obvious why Verlander would be so desperate to sneak into their secret location (not to mention the lobster dinners).  Unfortunately for him, his fake mustache and Randy Johnson jersey weren’t fooling anyone.  Not even Upton!

Verlander looked sharp in his spring training debut yesterday, as he pitched two scoreless innings during a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.  If he can pick up where he left off last season, when he won both the AL Cy Young and the AL MVP award, it may not be long before the Tigers’ ace can ditch the disguises and walk into “The Perfect Club” without having to worry about his cover being blown by the gorgeous Kate Upton.

You can watch Verlander’s latest attempt to join “The Perfect Club” in the video below.

Soccer players may have a knack for diving, but that doesn’t mean some of their injuries aren’t real ones.  At least that is what I have been led to believe after years of watching the sport.  As for the referee of this Belgian amateur league match, he isn’t buying any of that.  He doesn’t care if you take an elbow to the back of the head and need to be stretchered off the field and taken away in an ambulance.  If you hit the pitch and stay down on his watch, you are going to pay for it with a yellow card for diving.

Julien Lecomte experienced just that, as he suffered three displaced vertebrae and a concussion following a collision with a member of the opposing team in the box.  But even as the medics were stretchering his unconscious body off the pitch, the match official wouldn’t be denied the opportunity to award him his second yellow card of the game for diving.  As you may have expected, that red card was not greeted with such a kind reaction from Lecomte’s teammates.

Here is a look at how it all transpired.

Hat Tip – [Dirty Tackle]

If I told you that boy’s football was the sport responsible for the most injuries among high school athletes, you probably wouldn’t be all that surprised.  However, you may be somewhat shocked to hear that female cheerleading is responsible for the second most injuries among high school athletes, and the most among all female athletes (accounting for 65% of the catastrophic injuries suffered by female high school athletes).

That is just one of the interesting facts mentioned in this infographic from The Way We Roll.  To learn more, continue reading below.

It has been a while since we showed you a highlight from a lacrosse game that didn’t feature a brawl, but with the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament only a few months away, that should change.  In fact, we aren’t even going to wait until then because we have a highlight reel goal to show you right now, thanks to the work of Syracuse’s Tim Desko during a game against top-ranked Virginia over the weekend.

Syracuse may have scored the prettiest goal of the game, but they didn’t score the most goals in the game, and unfortunately for them, that is what counts in the end.

Here is a look at Desko’s through-the-legs goal against Syracuse.

Hat Tip – [Hot Clicks]

Many of you may be getting ready to sit down and eat dinner.  If that is the case, hopefully the following video doesn’t ruin your appetite.

It comes from a Cagequest 1 MMA bout between Justin Fowler and Brian Jones Jr this past Saturday.  Moments after the opening bell, Fowler attempted to slam Jones on his back.  Instead, he ended up slamming his opponent down on his leg awkwardly, resulting in an immediate stoppage to the fight and a stadium full of queasy onlookers.

Feel like sharing in their queasiness?  Check out the video below.  But don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Following AC Milan’s 4-0 victory over Arsenal at the San Siro on February 15, many expected the second leg of this UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match-up to provide little excitement.

Those many, including myself, were wrong.

Things couldn’t have been much crazier during yesterday’s return leg at Arsenal Stadium, as the home side scored three goals in the opening half, bringing themselves back to within one goal in aggregate.  And while most of those watching the game probably thought the Gunners would be good for at least one goal during the final 45 minutes of the half, the majority were once again wrong, as Milan were able to hold on for their dear lives and escape with the 4-3 victory  on aggregate, thanks in large part to saves like this one by Christian Abbiati on Robin van Persie.

Check it out.

While in Jamaica representing the Queen during a diamond jubilee tour, Price Harry found the time to hit the track at the University of West Indies in Kingston and race “the world’s fastest man,” Usain Bolt.  And in a surprise upset, he would cross the finish line before the Jamaican world-class sprinter.

So does this make Price Harry the new “fastest man in the world”?

Considering the fact that they raced on a 20-meter track and Bolt was barely moving above a snail’s pace, I’m going to assume that Harry has yet to steal the distinction of being “the world’s fastest man” from Bolt.  I guess he’ll have to settle with the distinction of being a Prince, which doesn’t sound all that bad either when you think about it.

Here is a look at their race.

Hat Tip – [The Guardian]

Every year at this time, every college student on every college campus in America has his or her mind on only one thing: March Madness. And I’m not talking about the basketball tournament. Only 68 schools get to participate in that. No, I’m talking about the other kind of March Madness: spring break. It’s right around the corner. In fact, for some lucky students, spring break might already be here.

Since we here at Total Pro Sports never pass up a chance to celebrate the holidays, today we bring you a list the will put everyone—whether you’re in college or not—in the spring break spirit. So sit back and enjoy this list of the 13 Sexiest Spring Break Sports.

Here are some of the best sports plays for all you gamblers out there.

The Game: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Toronto Maple Leafs

The Pick: Over 5.5

The Reason: The Leafs and the Pens are averaging 3.00 and 3.22 goals per game this season, respectively.  The Leafs have gone over the total in four of their last five overall, and five of their last six on the road.  As for the Pens, they have gone over the total in four of their last five overall, and seven of their last ten at home.  Eleven of the last 14 meetings between these two teams have gone over the total, including each of the last five in Pittsburgh.  Look for tonight’s game to go well over the 5.5-goal total.

The Game: Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks

The Pick: Bulls -7.5

The Reason: No team in the NBA has been hotter than the Chicago Bulls as of late.  They have won seven games in a row and eight of their last nine on the road.  They are an impressive 16-7 this season against the spread on the road, and they have covered the spread in each of their last three road games and each of their four road games against division opponents this season.  As for the Bucks, they have won just three of their last 12 games, and they are 1-7 ATS in their last eight at home.  The Bulls have covered the spread in eight of the last ten meetings between these two teams.  Look for them to continue their dominance over the Bucks as they get the win and the cover tonight.

2012 Record: (45-40-4), This Week: (3-1), Last Week: (7-3)

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One way to eliminate vicious hits to the head in the game of hockey is to suspend players who delivered a check to the head of an opposing player.  That has been the strategy adopted by the NHL disciplinary committee.

Another way that players can eliminate the problem of head-shots in the game of hockey is by simply keeping their head up while on the ice, especially when the Detroit Red Wings’ Niklas Kronwall is out there.  Jakub Voracek of the Philadelphia Flyers learned that first hand last night, as he attempted to pick up a puck along the boards and break out of his own zone with his head down, but was flattened by one of Kronwall’s patented bone-crushing checks.

You’d think the Flyers’ players would be aware of Kronwall’s presence on the ice following his hit on Danny Briere one month ago.  Unfortunately for Voracek, he missed that game, making last night’s meeting the first between him and Kronwall this season.  And what an unpleasant meeting it turned out to be.

Check it out.

Earlier in the year it was reported that Peyton Manning was throwing dead ducks as he attempts to come back from his third neck surgery and resume his NFL career.  It appears as though he has made good progress over the course of the past month, as he was spotted throwing cats, rather than dead ducks, during his latest workout at Duke University.

This becomes even bigger news for any NFL team looking for a quarterback with a strong enough arm to throw a cat down the field, as it was announced during a press conference earlier today that Manning and the Colts have parted ways after 14 seasons together.

Still not sure what we are talking about when we say “throwing cats”?  You may want to check out the video below.

Like they have done for just about every other news story that has surfaced over the past couple of year, the people at NMA World took their shot at explaining the recent revelations surrounding the New Orleans Saints and defensive coordinator Greg Williams’ involvement in “Bounty-Gate.”

It should be noted that the Taiwanese animated news team did take a rather interesting perspective towards the topic, claiming that the NFL has profited from the type of culture that promotes strategies like issuing bounties for injuring members of the opposition.  However, they believe that the league is simply using the Saints as scapegoats and making “Bounty-Gate” appear as an aberration.  And in all honesty, I can’t say I disagree with them.

So has the NFL been engaging in a form of hypocrisy by condemning the very same acts that they have profited from all these years? Is NMA World onto something here?  Feel free to check out the video below and decide for yourself.

Hat Tip – [Hot Clicks]

Seeing the look on Michelle Obama’s face as she swings a tennis racket is awfully funny.  And what is equally humorous is seeing the look on her face while she swings a lightsaber, nunchucks, glow sticks or a cat.  You can see her taking part in all of the aforementioned activities and more in the images below.

Check it out.

Hat Tip – [BuzzFeed]

With 20 seconds remaining and the Celtics holding onto a 2-point lead during last night’s game against the Houston Rockets, Rajon Rondo had the ball in his hands with a chance to put his team up by four and seal the victory….

…and he blew it!

Thankfully, Boston was able to win the game in overtime, making this epic failure from Rondo a lot easier to swallow for Celtics fans.  Check it out.

During what may have very well been the best night of Fisticuffs from the 2011-12 NHL season, last night’s action on the ice provided a total of nine fight.  At least half of those were worthy of some consideration for “Frozen Fisticuffs Fight of the Night” honors, including Dennis Seidenberg vs. Colby Armstrong, Brandon Dubinsky vs. Ryan Carter, Brandon Bollig vs. Ryan Reeves and Colin Greening vs. Keith Aulie.

Unfortunately, we can only award the best fight of the night with such honors.  Last night, the best fight came during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs, as Shawn Thornton and Jay Rosehill dropped the gloves are fought their way onto the “Frozen Fisticuffs Fight off the Night” for Tuesday, March 6, 2012.

With a total of three UEFA Champions League titles, three UEFA Champions League top goalscorer awards, and one UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match award, Lionel Messi has already made his mark on the prestigious European club competition.  But there is always room to make your mark an even bigger one, a Messi did just that with his record-breaking five-goal performance against Bayer Leverkusen during the second leg of their Round of 16 match-up yesterday.

Messi scored two in the opening half, and added another three in the second half as Barcelona cruised to the easy 7-1 victory, helping them advance to the quarterfinals via a 10-2 victory on aggregate.  Messi’s five goals were not only a personal best, but that total was also the most goals ever scored in a UEFA Champions League match.  As a result, he earns “The Stat Line of the Night” for Wednesday, March 7, 2012.

Yesterday afternoon I spent over 90 minutes watching Barcelona’s Lionel Messi make history with his five-goal performance during the second leg of a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match against Bayer Leverkusen.  Anytime you get to watch the best player in the world in action, it is always quite the treat.  Especially when he is chipping balls over the head of the keeper or blasting them past his outstretched arms at a record pace.

Unfortunately, not everyone has 90 minutes to spare during their busy work days, but that shouldn’t prevent you from watching the brilliance that was Messi’s performance at the Camp Nou yesterday.  Thankfully, we have the following highlight package containing each of Messi’s five goals, and it will only take you 30 seconds to watch.

Check it out.

It was on this day in 1971 that Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali to retain his Heavyweight boxing belt.  The fight took place at New York’s Madison Square Garden in front of a sold out crowd, which included many celebrities.

“The Fight Of The Century” is what the media had dubbed this battle during the pre-fight hype and it did not disappoint.  Ali had the upper hand at the midway point of the bout, but Frazier came on strong late and knocked his opponent down in the 15th round.  Frazier ended up winning on the judges’ scorecards by unanimous decision.

This fight was the first in heavyweight boxing  history to have both fighters enter the ring undefeated and as champions.  Ali did not lose his belt in the ring, but rather was stripped of his title for his refusal to fight for his country in the armed forces.  This was the first of three epic battles between Frazier and Ali, with Ali coming out victorious in the final two.

Here is a recap of “The Fight of the Century.”

Notable Birthdays

Jim Rice, MLB – Born March 8th 1953 (age 59) in Anderson, South Carolina

Jason Elam, NFL – Born March 8th 1970 (age 42) in Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Hines Ward, NFL – Born March 8th 1976 (age 36) in Seoul, South Korea

The Canadian national anthem is rarely performed at hockey games that do not involve Canadian teams, and perhaps they should keep it that way following this debacle by the anthem singer during last night’s game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes at the First Niagara Center.

Her error (It’s supposed to be “From far and wide, Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee,”  and not “Oh Canada, we stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee”) may not have been detected by the many Americans seated in the stands, but it was certainly detected by several of the Canadian players on the ice, including the Canes’ Eric Staal, who struggled to hold back the laughter.

Check it out.

As bad as that was, it will never be as bad as this guy’s rendition of “Oh Canada.” Has there ever been a bigger botching of a national anthem than the one provided in the video below, which comes from a 1994 CFL game in Las Vegas? I wouldn’t bet on it.