Thursday, May 09, 2013

Dodgers Could Make Run If They Manage To Add A Couple More Pieces And Get Healthy


The Los Angeles Dodgers have invested a lot of money in to their online sports betting roster over the last two years. It hasn’t helped them very much at all so far. The Dodgers aren’t even in the conversation for the National League West playoff race, sitting two games back of the San Diego Padres for the worst record in the division. However, there is too much talent on this Los Angeles roster for them to continue to struggle, especially if they can add a couple of key pieces. Injuries certainly haven’t helped the Dodgers so far, but if they can add a couple more bats to the lineup this team could make a run.

A six-game sports betting losing streak is the reason Los Angeles is in the NL West basement, but the numbers paint the picture of what is really happening. Despite an offense that includes Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, and Corey Crawford, the Dodgers rank just 28th in runs scored. The presence of a perennial Cy Young award winner in Clayton Kershaw hasn’t made a significant difference in terms of the pitching numbers either, as the Dodgers have combined for the 24th-ranked ERA in the majors. However, all of the names listed above will need to be key pieces if Los Angeles is going to turn things around, and it would certainly help if they could get healthy.

Gonzalez had an MRI for a strained trapezius, while Ramirez was just put back on the DL after aggravating a groin injury. Mark Ellis is already on the DL, raising the total salary for players on that list to more than $60 million. Having those three players back healthy would really help, as there aren’t many teams around the league that have had that kind of bad luck. Factor in that Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have both spent time on the DL and that Zack Greinke is out indefinitely following a broken collarbone, and it’s easy to understand why the Dodgers’ live betting fans are so frustrated.

However, there will be some opportunities for Los Angeles to add to its roster and really upgrade the talent. Rodriguez and Ramirez are both expected to be back, while Chase Headley and Jose Altuve are a couple of the names that have been mentioned in trade rumors and could become available. The Dodgers can afford to add a veteran arm before the trade deadline, and there should be some quality names available. Kershaw has pitched well early on and both Lilly and Capuano are healthy again, so one more arm could make the difference in the rotation. Los Angeles will need a little more luck on the injury front and may need to add an arm or two with Greinke out, but if they can do those things it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see the Dodgers make a run at some point this bet sports online season. For all of the latest MLB news and betting odds, be sure to check out the best sports betting sites.

Dodgers Could Make Run If They Manage To Add A Couple More Pieces And Get Healthy


The Los Angeles Dodgers have invested a lot of money in to their online sports betting roster over the last two years. It hasn’t helped them very much at all so far. The Dodgers aren’t even in the conversation for the National League West playoff race, sitting two games back of the San Diego Padres for the worst record in the division. However, there is too much talent on this Los Angeles roster for them to continue to struggle, especially if they can add a couple of key pieces. Injuries certainly haven’t helped the Dodgers so far, but if they can add a couple more bats to the lineup this team could make a run.

A six-game sports betting losing streak is the reason Los Angeles is in the NL West basement, but the numbers paint the picture of what is really happening. Despite an offense that includes Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, and Corey Crawford, the Dodgers rank just 28th in runs scored. The presence of a perennial Cy Young award winner in Clayton Kershaw hasn’t made a significant difference in terms of the pitching numbers either, as the Dodgers have combined for the 24th-ranked ERA in the majors. However, all of the names listed above will need to be key pieces if Los Angeles is going to turn things around, and it would certainly help if they could get healthy.

Gonzalez had an MRI for a strained trapezius, while Ramirez was just put back on the DL after aggravating a groin injury. Mark Ellis is already on the DL, raising the total salary for players on that list to more than $60 million. Having those three players back healthy would really help, as there aren’t many teams around the league that have had that kind of bad luck. Factor in that Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have both spent time on the DL and that Zack Greinke is out indefinitely following a broken collarbone, and it’s easy to understand why the Dodgers’ live betting fans are so frustrated.

However, there will be some opportunities for Los Angeles to add to its roster and really upgrade the talent. Rodriguez and Ramirez are both expected to be back, while Chase Headley and Jose Altuve are a couple of the names that have been mentioned in trade rumors and could become available. The Dodgers can afford to add a veteran arm before the trade deadline, and there should be some quality names available. Kershaw has pitched well early on and both Lilly and Capuano are healthy again, so one more arm could make the difference in the rotation. Los Angeles will need a little more luck on the injury front and may need to add an arm or two with Greinke out, but if they can do those things it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see the Dodgers make a run at some point this bet sports online season. For all of the latest MLB news and betting odds, be sure to check out the best sports betting sites.

Thursday, May 02, 2013

NBA Teams to Watch for in the 2013-14 Season


The online sports books are occupied with the NBA playoffs, but that does not mean that there cannot be discussion about the 2013-14 NBA season. This most recent campaign saw some teams undergo some major changes. Teams that we had not heard from in a while were suddenly making headlines again. As the 2012-13 playoffs roll along, let’s take a look at the teams that the sports betting experts are keeping an eye on for next season.

Toronto Raptors

When the Toronto Raptors acquired Rudy Gay at the trade deadline, it almost seemed like there was a switch turned on in the locker room that ignited the team. The sports betting sites never expected the Raptors to make a late playoff run, but that is exactly what Toronto did. The late run showed that Toronto does have some good young talent and it took a veteran like Gay to start to galvanize the team together. To try an capitalize on its latest success, the Raptors have asked Phil Jackson to be the team president. When Jackson didn’t say no, that turned a lot of heads in the NBA world. With Jackson in charge, the Raptors could be a team to watch next season.

Golden State Warriors

The one thing that could kill the Warriors is free agency. As Golden State works its way through this season’s playoffs, there are a couple of key contracts that the team will need to deal with when the playoffs are over. The sportsbook experts think that Golden State could be a team to watch in the Western Conference if the front office can keep the team together and bring in just a little more strength under the offensive boards.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are close to being done in this postseason, but Brooklyn is far from done developing its winning team. The Nets are a relative young team with a lot of players that still need to gain critical experience. This playoff season is just what a team like Brooklyn needs to be the kind of team that can challenge the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. This playoff appearance for Brooklyn is just the first of many successful playoff runs to come.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz just missed out on the playoffs this season, but that will probably not be the case next year. The Jazz have been working on developing young talent for a while and this season was a major step forward for the team in becoming a playoff contender. The fans in Utah feel a bit dejected now because the team just missed out on the postseason. But Utah fans need to stay tuned because the Jazz will be making moves in the offseason that will help to strengthen this already potent lineup. Next season should see the Jazz in the playoffs and making more steps towards becoming an NBA contender.

Click here for more previews for the next NBA season.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Celtics and Knicks Face Off in Physical Battle


The online sports books have been watching the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics go at it all season long. There is always something about Boston-New York sports rivalries that bring out the nasty streak in everyone. Earlier this season, the NYPD needed to be called to stop Kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony from getting into a physical brawl after a game had ended. The people of Boston have suffered a great tragedy and the people of New York support the Boston residents in this time of crisis. But when these two teams take the court, all bets are off and the niceties stop immediately.

The sports betting experts know that this will be a physical matchup, but it will also be an exciting series to watch. The Celtics have recovered nicely from the loss of Rajon Rondo for the season and managed to stay in playoff contention. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have been playing at a very high level since the Rondo injury and that has helped Boston to get to this point. The Knicks come into this series with a relatively healthy roster, which includes a Carmelo Anthony who has been on fire. This will be a very fun series to watch.

New York Knicks

The best sports betting sites were wondering how the Knicks would fill the role left open by the departure of Jeremy Lin. Knicks fans were curious when the team brought in Jason Kidd, but the veteran has proven to be a valuable point guard for this team. Carmelo Anthony is having the season of his career and the team simply cannot win without him. As long as Anthony is in the lineup, the Knicks remain a threat to go all the way to the NBA finals.

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have had an up and down year to say the least. Just when the betting sites thought that Boston had everything under control, Rajon Rondo is lost for the season. There is still a chance that Rondo could come back, but it would be in the second round of the playoffs at the very earliest. The team has sustained a few other injuries to players, but it has remained resilient and has kept itself in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. Now Boston gets to face off against a New York Knicks team that has been antagonizing the Celtics all season long.

The Bottom Line

The problem for the Celtics in this series is that Boston struggled to make the playoffs while the Knicks are on a roll right now. The team with the early momentum in this series is definitely the Knicks and that could be all New York needs to win this one. The Celtics will win some games in this series, but the speed and power of the Knicks will be way too much for Boston to handle.

Click here to read more about the New York Knicks and their regular season success.

Pick: New York in six

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Lakers Try to Hold on Against Grizzlies


Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Lakers – Friday April 5, 2013 10:30PM EST

The online sports book experts spent more time discussing how poorly the Los Angeles Lakers were playing earlier in the season than they did talking about the rise of the Memphis Grizzlies. The world could almost hear the collect sigh of relief from NBA fans when the Lakers finally moved into a playoff spot in the Western Conference. For some reason, a basketball fan’s life seems off balance if the Lakers are not in the playoffs. Now that Los Angeles has clawed its way into a playoff spot, it needs to make sure it stays there by winning big games.

For the most part, the betting websites have almost completely ignored the fact that the Memphis Grizzlies have a stranglehold on the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings. There are eight games separating the fifth place Grizzlies from the sixth place Golden State Warriors. With only eight games remaining in the season, it is unlikely that the Grizzlies will drop any lower than fifth. While Memphis will probably not catch the Southwest Division leading San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies could move up to fourth in the conference if it can reel off a few more wins before the season ends.

Los Angeles Lakers

The legal online sports betting experts know that the situation is far from stable with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are actually tied with the Utah Jazz in the standings, but Utah has the eighth and final playoff spot based on tie-breakers. The Lakers have a precious few games left to try and make up enough ground to grab back the eighth spot and possibly move into seventh place in the conference as well. The Lakers have put together a two-game winning streak that it will need to extend to reach its playoff goals.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have a three-game winning streak going, but the online betting experts know that the Grizzlies are not as confident on the road as they are at home. The Grizzlies are looking to gain some badly needed momentum heading into the playoffs and a good stretch of wins heading into these final games of the season will give Memphis what it needs to gain confidence. The Grizzlies are still a developing team and it would be a great confidence booster if Memphis could go into Los Angeles and beat the Lakers.

The Bottom Line

The Lakers have been hit with injuries lately and that seems to be the story all season long. Just when Los Angeles gets rolling, a key player gets injured. Dwight Howard and Steve Nash are both hobbled with injuries and it is unknown whether either of them will play in this game. The Lakers need all hands on deck to win this game, which means that injuries will play a factor in the final outcome.

Read more about the Los Angeles Lakers and its roller coaster season.

Pick: Memphis Grizzlies

Thursday, March 28, 2013

NBA Preview: Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls


The Miami Heat are continuing to dominate the NBA as they look for their 28th win in a row tonight in Chicago. The Bulls who are also fighting for a playoff spot will have a full arena tonight as fans flock to see the great LeBron James.

Miami Heat
Now they are 56-14, and it is for sure that they would want those 14 losses back. They are running over the NBA both at home and on the road. James leads the team in points with 26 per game, rebounds with 7 and assists with 7. Although they are playing outside of Miami, they do boast a 24-11 road record. However, the Bulls will be fighting to make a stand to beat out Atlanta for a playoff spot.

Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are near the Hawks in the standings but have been unable to surpass them. On the bright side they have won their last two games, but on the bad side Derrick Rose is listed as out on the injured list. They are ok at home, with a 19-16 record, but will have to play their absolute best in order to take down the mighty Heat.

Many sports books and betting sites favor the Heat to win this game. If they do win, it will be the longest winning streak in NBA history since the Bucks’ 84-85 season. It was the Bulls who finally took down the mighty Bucks, and Michael Jordan during his rookie year was a part of that team. Many sports betting fans do not think that these Bulls will be able to stop the Heat, but in sports never say never. This could be an interesting bet for those who follow the NBA closely.

Read more here for more odds and news on other NBA games.