Games to Bet On This Week

April 28 2009 @ 00:49

Games to Bet On This Week

It's a full-on sportsgasm. This week's slate is loaded with playoff action, hot rivalries, and top-quality competition. Some very good NBA and NHL teams are going to hit the golf course this week while we hit the pay window. These are the five most intriguing sport betting events on the docket that we know about (there could be some tasty Game 7 encounters later in the week); all times are Eastern, with the latest lines just a click away at Bodog Sports.

1. NBA: Chicago at Boston, Game 5 (Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.)
This has easily been the most entertaining playoff series from the NBA’s first round. The Bulls (41-41 SU, 42-39-1 ATS during the regular season) and Celtics (62-20 SU, 43-39 ATS) are knotted at two games apiece after Chicago’s dramatic 121-118 win in double overtime on Sunday. The Bulls also won the series opener in extra time at the Garden and hold a 2-1-1 ATS advantage over the defending champions. With Kevin Garnett out of action, this has turned into a compelling battle between two of the great young point guards in the game: Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Boston’s Rajon Rondo, who is averaging a triple-double in this series. Click to place your bet!

2. NHL: N.Y. Rangers at Washington, Game 7 (Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.)
The No. 7 Rangers (43-30-9) deserve praise for their work against the No. 2 Capitals (50-24-8) in this first-round series. Most of the praise goes to goaltender Henrik Lundqvist; the Blueshirts were out-shot in the first five games, yet beat the Caps twice at the Verizon Center and took a 3-2 series lead into Sunday's Game 6. However, the momentum has swung to Washington with rookie Simeon Varlamov picking up all three victories for the Caps, including Sunday's 5-3 final. Washington was 3-1 versus the Rangers in the regular season.Click to place your bet!

3. MLB: Chicago White Sox at Texas (Sunday, 8:00 p.m.)
Both the White Sox (9-9, minus-0.05 units) and the Rangers (8-10, minus-1.66 units) lost on Sunday; Chicago has dropped three of four, while Texas is 2-3 in its last five - all on the road. Getting back to the Ballpark in Arlington should work wonders for the Rangers, at least at the plate. The over is 7-1-1 at the infamously hitter-friendly stadium, which had a 1.328 park factor for runs heading into Sunday’s action, third overall in the majors behind Arizona's Chase Field and Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field. The over is 6-3 for the Pale Hose on the road compared to 3-6 at U.S. Cellular Field (park factor for runs: 0.800). Click to place your bet!

4. Soccer: Arsenal at Manchester United (Wednesday, 2:45 p.m.)
We've reached the Champions League semifinals, where handicappers have the luxury of working with two very familiar English Premier League clubs in this high-profile matchup. Manchester United is a -120 chalk to win the first leg of this two-game, total-goal series at Old Trafford; Arsenal is +330 to pick up the away victory, and the draw is priced at +230. The Red Devils are at the top of the Premiership table with 24 wins, five draws and four losses, 12 points clear of the fourth-place Gunners at 18-11-5. Arsenal beat Man U 2-1 at Emirates Stadium back in November in EPL competition. Click to place your bet!

Honorable Mentions
NBA: Dallas at San Antonio (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.)
MLB: L.A. Dodgers at San Francisco (Wednesday, 10:30 p.m.)
Soccer: Chelsea at FC Barcelona (Tuesday, 2:45 p.m.)
Boxing: Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao, IBO Light Welterweight title (Saturday, PPV at 9:00 p.m.)

Don't miss out on all the rivalry action this week, check out Bodog Sports today!

By: Frankie @ 00:49 | Category: Misc  | Comments: 0 | Permalink

NBA Playoffs Preview

April 15 2009 @ 23:26

The final spots on the dance card are being filled out. Basketball fans will wake up Thursday morning to find out exactly who will play when in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. The second season is a whole new experience for handicappers: best-of-seven series, elevated levels of performance, and a very busy betting marketplace.

Fate can turn on a dime at this time of year, putting extra pressure on handicappers to follow the top betting storylines coming down the wire. We'll make your path to the playoffs easier with a rundown of the roundball news that matters.

Locked in: Atlanta vs. Miami

By the time the dust settled on Monday's NBA action, only one playoff series had been set in stone: the No. 4 Atlanta Hawks (46-34 SU, 43-36-1 ATS) hosting the No. 5 Miami Heat (42-38 SU, 38-40-2 ATS). This has already been a successful season for both clubs. Atlanta has put together a strong and consistent effort this year to earn home court in the opening round. Miami is back in the playoffs immediately after finishing last in the NBA at 15-67 (35-46-1 ATS).

The result from Tuesday's regular season matchup between the Hawks and Heat probably won't have much bearing on the playoffs - unless someone gets injured - as both teams were expected to go deep into their benches. But this still gives us an opportunity to delve into the matchup trends, where the Heat come up at 20-8 ATS against Atlanta over the past 28 games.

Cleveland is No. 1

The Cleveland Cavaliers (66-15 SU, 49-32 ATS) nailed down home-court advantage throughout the playoffs by beating the Indiana Pacers (+4) 117-109 Monday night at Conseco Fieldhouse. This gives the Cavs an important edge should they meet the juggernauts of the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers (64-17 SU, 42-39 ATS), in the NBA Finals. The Lakers are the favorites on the championship futures market at 5-4, followed by the Cavaliers at 7-5 (for the latest lines, visit Bodog Sports).

The betting market suggests a Lakers-Cavs final is in the cards. Los Angeles is a very chalky 1-3 to win the Western Conference, gaining steam with the successful return of Andrew Bynum to the Laker lineup. Bynum has played three solid games since coming back from a knee injury; Cleveland, meanwhile, still has the best record in the NBA and is listed at 2-5 to plow through the Eastern playoffs.

Magic act: Disappearing players

The Orlando Magic (58-23 SU, 48-32-1 ATS) are sitting pretty as the No. 3 seeds in the East, but there are enough problems on the injury front to keep the celebrations muted. Their entire Big Three of Dwight Howard (sore knee), Rashard Lewis (knee tendinitis) and Hedo Turkoglu (sprained left ankle) sat out Monday's 98-80 whipping at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks (-6.5). Howard's absence was considered merely precautionary; Turkoglu reportedly had only some swelling and could have played, while Lewis is the gimpiest of the three.

Orlando could be vulnerable in the playoffs at 5-1 to win the East and 12-1 to finally grab the first Larry O'Brien Trophy in franchise history. While Rafer Alston (11.9 points, 5.3 assists per game) has been an effective emergency replacement for the injured Jameer Nelson, there's still a noticeable gap in production between Alston and Nelson (16.7 points, 5.4 assists per game). And having their best players nicked up won't serve the Magic against whomever takes the No. 6 seed in the East. That's come down to a battle between the Chicago Bulls (41-40 SU, 42-38-1 ATS) and the Philadelphia 76ers (40-40 SU, 36-42-2 ATS), neither looking like an automatic gimme in the first round despite having the lowest odds to win the conference at 40-1.

By: Aengus Moorehead @ 23:26 | Category: Misc  | Comments: 0 | Permalink

NHL Rivalry Week

April 11 2009 @ 11:28

Give the people what they want.

Commissioner Gary Bettman has gotten mixed reviews since he took over the NHL's top job in 1993. His legacy includes two work stoppages, getting and losing TV deals with FOX and ESPN, and aggressive expansion (some would say over-expansion) into the United States. But all is forgotten when the puck drops on a game that people care about. The league's unbalanced schedule and geographically correct divisional alignment maximize the importance of rivalries - especially right now during the final week of the regular season.

We'll look at four of the juiciest rivalry games coming up this weekend; but first, here are 10 things you need to know about the NHL to get you ready.

1. The Carolina Hurricanes are the hottest team in the league with nine straight wins (9.41 units).
2. The Colorado Avalanche are the coldest team at 1-7-2 in their last 10 (-5.97 units).
3. The Ottawa Senators are 19-10-3 under new head coach Cory Clouston, who was signed to a two-year contract on Wednesday.
4. Washington Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin leads the NHL with 55 goals, 10 more than Philadelphia Flyers center Jeff Carter.
5. Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, inked last week to a $20-million contract extension, has the highest save percentage in the league at .933.
6. The Montreal Canadiens have lost 244 man-games to injuries this season. The New York Rangers have lost 30.
7. The Rangers (minus-10) have the worst goal differential of any of the 16 teams currently in playoff position.
8. The Minnesota Wild (plus-13) have the best goal differential of those outside the playoff picture.
9. The San Jose Sharks (25.7 percent) and Detroit Red Wings (25.6 percent) have the best power-play units in the NHL.
10. The Rangers (87.9 percent) have the best penalty kill.

Calgary at Edmonton (Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET)

The Battle of Alberta wraps up in style this year with a home-and-home series that ends Saturday at the Saddledome. The 38-33-9 Oilers will have to content themselves with playing the spoiler role after they were eliminated from playoff contention following Tuesday's loss to the Los Angeles Kings (+182). The 45-29-6 Flames are tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the Northwest Division lead at 96 points. Calgary and Edmonton split their previous four meetings this season.

Boston at Buffalo (Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET)

This rivalry goes back to the formation of the Adams Division in 1974. The Bruins have clinched top spot in the East at 51-18-10 (112 points), while Buffalo is clinging to playoff life in ninth place at 39-32-9 (87 points) thanks to Wednesday’s 3-1 road victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs (+148). That leaves the Sabres four points behind the Rangers with two games to go. Whether or not Saturday's game matters in the standings will depend partly on how well Buffalo does Thursday against the red-hot Hurricanes. The Sabres are 3-2 versus Boston this year.
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Detroit at Chicago (Sunday, 2:00 p.m. ET, NBC)

This probably isn't the first rivalry you think of from the Original Six era, but the Red Wings and Blackhawks harbored a healthy dislike for one another that intensified during the Norris Division years and is heating up again now that the Hawks have returned to respectability. Sunday's game is the back end of a home-and-home series that will very likely have no bearing in the Western playoff hunt - barring a disaster, the 51-19-9 Wings will finish in second place and the 44-24-12 Hawks in fourth. Detroit has won all four games between them this season with two via the shootout.

N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia (Sunday, 5:00 p.m. ET, NBC)

Lastly, we have an old Patrick Division rivalry between the 43-25-11 Flyers and the 41-30-9 Rangers. There could still be plenty on the line for this one; Philadelphia (97 points) is currently tied for fourth in the East with Carolina, but with a game in hand. The Blueshirts (91 points) are two points ahead of ninth-place Florida. This is also the second game of a home-and-home; the opener is at MSG on Thursday night. Each team is 2-2 against the other this season, with the over going 3-1 during the series.

Get up to speed on all the NHL action at Bodog Sports today!

By: Aengus Moorehead @ 11:28 | Category: Misc  | Comments: 0 | Permalink