Sweet and Sour Beef Stew with Prunes and Apricots image Image by: Sweet and Sour Beef Stew with Prunes and Apricots image Author: Canadian Living
Simmering dried fruit and spices in the sauce makes the fruit plump and gives a sweet edge to this luxurious beef stew. Serve with a side of couscous for a Moroccan-style meal.
In large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 tsp of the oil over medium heat; cook onions and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Scrape into bowl.
Toss together beef, salt and pepper. Add remaining oil to pan; heat over medium high heat. Cook beef, in batches and stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes.
Stir in garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion mixture, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
Stir in carrots, turnips, prunes and apricots; cook, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender, about 45 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
Vancouver became world-famous outside of the hockey world in 2011 when a loss to Boston in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals sparked a city-wide riot for hours. Footage of the riot made headlines all across the world with many in disbelief that a city would inflict such damage on itself over a hockey game, but it goes to show you just how passionate Vancouver fans are. Taking the Canucks betting lines that year worked out really well for bettors as they were one of the best teams in the league, racking up plenty of victories. [+]
The end of the year might have turned into a nightmare, but Canucks fans and bettors still have hope for the future.
Finding Canucks betting lines today is simple as they are offered at every sportsbook that puts up NHL lines. We’ve done the legwork for you though as the moneyline odds for Vancouver’s next game are listed below.
Tracking the Vancouver Canucks schedule and results all year will aid you in your betting decisions. Looking for things like long road trips, back-to-back games, three games in four nights, and long homestands are scheduling spots every bettor makes note of each year.
Based on where the Vancouver Canucks sit in the Western Conference standings at a given point in the year could mean that they are in a “must-win” spot or facing a top-tier team that will give them trouble. Know where they stand at all times by checking the box below.
The Game 7 loss that sparked the Stanley Cup riot in 2011 wasn’t the first time that it happened in Vancouver. The franchise’s only other Stanley Cup Final appearance (1994) resulted in losing Game 7 as well and sparked the first hockey-born riot the city saw. Repeated events like that make you question if the Canucks getting back to the Stanley Cup Final is actually a good thing for the city…
Getting back to that point is always the goal for the Canucks and with the dynamic Sedin twins getting to the latter stages of their careers, a youth movement has taken place in Vancouver in recent years. New faces like Bo Horvat, Jared McCann, and Jake Virtanen will be the ones to push this franchise forward and with any young team in the NHL, bettors will be able to find great betting spots to back the Canucks each year.
As long as you keep up with the Canucks schedule and potential fatigue spots, analyze the moneyline prices, and pick the right spots to jump on board the Vancouver Canucks betting lines, growing your betting bankroll will be the end result.
Anticipation hits a feverish pitch during the run-up to the MLS finals championship game. This single match often determines the tone of an entire season. Losing the finals erases many of the accomplishments achieved to make it the MLS Cup – just ask the New England Revolution. MLS Finals betting lines tend to be one of the most popular events to bet on every year, especially when the two conference winners appear well matched. [+]
After Portland won their first MLS Cup against Columbus in 2015, another expansion franchise will win their first championship in 2016. Both Toronto and Seattle have never made the finals, making the 20th anniversary of the cup an historic event.
Depending on how circumstances play out, MLS Finals betting lines today may change suddenly if news breaks out that affects the likely outcome of the championship. These lines are sourced directly from the most popular sportsbooks, updating you on where the money’s headed.
The MLS Finals attract thousands of fans who want a piece of action during the last game of the year. These sportsbooks are among the best in the business, growing their fanbases through trust. Check out the different types of bonus bets, rebates and betting promotions to see which one works well with the type of wagering you enjoy the most.
The newest change that’s altered the way fans bet on the MLS Cup involves rules which determine home field advantage. During the opening era of the MLS, the championship game was held at a pre-determined site that would sometimes happen to be the home field of a contender like the LA Galaxy. Now, the team with the best record during the regular season earns the right to host the cup on their home pitch. This change moves away from the tradition of the Super Bowl held at neutral sites, instead following home advantage rules similar to the NBA and NHL finals.
Never underestimate the effect that fans have on players, and more importantly, the decisions of referees, who are only human. The home field effect nearly doubles the chances of an MLS team winning a regular season game. For the MLS finals, teams playing on their home pitch have earned a 5-2 record, showing a strong advantage for friendly fields.
This 71% win rate is greater than the average winning percentage of regular season home teams, who win slightly more than half their games.
The Los Angeles Galaxy have won the most MLS Cups, earning five wins in nine appearances, the most of any franchise in both categories. Since the year 2000, the western conference has won 13 MLS finals matches. One of the eastern winners during this time, Kansas City, actually moved back to the west after winning a championship, raising complaints from some franchises. Incredibly, the New England Revolution remain winless after five championship appearances, including a 2006 loss against the Dynamo, which was the first year Houston competed in the MLS.
This western conference trend is extreme enough that regression to the mean appears inevitable. More eastern teams will win MLS Cups over the next decade, including teams which benefit from new home advantage rules. One trend that appears steady is the close matches that tend to occur during the finals. Nine games have gone into overtime during the history of the MLS finals, and three have been decided by penalty kicks. The largest margin of victory is two goals, which has occurred only five times. Sixteen MLS Cups feature a total of three goals or less, so if you’re betting on over/under, there’s a good chance that 3.5 will be an optimistic guess.