NBA Playoff Betting – Suns look to put Trailblazers away

If you’re going to bet on the Kentucky Derby, you know that the favorite, Eskendereya, is out due to a leg injury. Injuries have been the story of the year for Portland, and their leading thoroughbred is limping through a painful knee injury that required surgery. Phoenix will aim to put that star, and Portland, out of their misery in Game 6 on Thursday.

Suns vs Trailblazers odds – Thursday, April 29, 10:30 PM ET

The Suns absolutely exploded in the second and third quarters of a 107-88 romp over the Trailblazers in Game 5, outscoring them 57-38. The bench was the key, holding a 55-23 edge over their Portland counterparts, led by 20 points from Channing Frye and 19 points from Jared Dudley. Amare Stoudamire added 19 points, while Steve Nash added 14 points and 10 assist for the Suns, who hit 10 of their 27 three-point attempts, and 29 of their 32 chances from the foul line. If the Suns get production like that from their bench, they’re a very tough team to beat because you know that the starting five are going to get their points.

Andre Miller led the Trailblazers with 21 points, while Jerryd Bayless and LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points apiece, but the focus was on Brandon Roy, who had just five points in 19 minutes. Many wonder what the point of having Roy out on the floor is, as he only had surgery in mid-April and came back after eight days, providing a lift for the Trailblazers in their Game 4 win. He won’t play any more than 30 minutes in Game 6, but is it worth it? Roy may be doing serious damage to a knee that he’s already had surgery on before, and it may not even matter at this point.

NBA playoff odds should favor the Suns on the road, as they were favored in the last game by two points, but lost. The Suns will be more prepared for the emotional lift that Roy gives the Trailblazers in Portland, and they’ll be able to play their game, which is to get up and down the floor as fast as possible. The Trailblazers simply can’t keep up with the Suns in that pace, especially with Roy at 50%. With Bayless now in the starting lineup because of Roy’s injury, it seriously hurts the Portland bench, and that was clearly apparent in Game 5 as the Suns’ second unit completely took over the game, and Phoenix will need their bench to step up once again. The Trailblazers have fought gamely all season in the face of injuries, but their season ends here. Go with the Suns in your sportsbetting picks.

NBA Basketball Betting – Cleveland-Chicago Game 3 Preview

The Bulls vs. Cavaliers odds haven’t changed in terms of the team that’s most likely to win this first-round postseason series. What might have changed since Monday night’s Game 2 is the number of games this series might last. What NBA betting school of thought will carry the day when Cleveland and Chicago take to the court again?

Eastern Conference First Round: Cleveland @ Chicago, Game 3

Thursday, April 21

Bookmaker Odds: No line (as of yet)

When sports betting experts began to discuss this matchup between the top-seeded Cavaliers and the eighth-seeded Bulls, more than a few voices likely suggested that LeBron James and friends would bring out the brooms. Chicago finished below the .500 mark and needed a number of breaks just to edge out the Toronto Raptors for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. At least four of the Bulls’ five starters – Kirk Hinrich, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Derrick Rose – missed some games over the past two months due to injuries. Off the court, Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro was reportedly involved in some kind of altercation with team general manager John Paxson. (Who initiated the incident was never confirmed.) Very simply, the Bulls were mediocre, injury-riddled, dysfunctional, and plagued by distractions. That’s not exactly the kind of team that figured to give Cleveland – graced with the best record in the NBA – a run for the money.

Yes, entering Game 3, the Cavs do own a 2-0 lead. Yes, Cleveland has not played embarrassingly bad basketball. Yes, this series could still wind up being a sweep without too much of a shift in the action. Nevertheless, after a pair of sluggish victories on their home court, the Cavs do not have the look of a team that’s ready to sweep the Bulls away. Especially in Monday’s Game 2, LeBron was playing the all-too-familiar 1-on-5 basketball that the hoops community witnessed last year. Cleveland is basically playing well enough to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, but not well enough to beat the Orlando Magic or the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron is a gifted player who can hit incredible shots – he certainly did so in Monday’s 40-point performance – but that method can work for only so long. Cleveland coach Mike Brown is not regarded as one of the better bench bosses in the business, and nothing seen from his team has indicated that the Cavs are ready to create a different ending to this particular season. Cleveland is playing the kind of basketball that led to a crushing 2009 setback against Orlando. Given the fact that three different Bulls scored at least 20 points in Game 2, Chicago is showing enough firepower to represent a credible threat. Chicago center Joakim Noah scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Game 2, and if he can display even 80 percent of that form in Game 3, the Bulls – with a home crowd behind them at the United Center – stand a really good chance of averting a sweep. This series began when “Cavs in four” felt right. Now, it feels like “Cavs in five.” The Bulls will win Game 3.

The NBA playoff odds are certainly tilting more in that direction right now.

Online basketball betting pick: Chicago

NBA Playoff Betting – Bucks try to bounce back in Game 2 against Hawks

Milwaukee’s NBA playoff odds took a hit when center Andrew Bogut went down with a terrible injury late in the season, and the Bucks missed him in their Game 1 loss against Atlanta. The Hawks will try to take a 2-0 series lead when Game 2 goes in Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Bucks vs Hawks odds – Tuesday, April 20, 7:00 PM ET

Brandon Jennings was Milwaukee’s main threat in a 102-92 loss on Saturday, as he was just two points short of the record Derrick Rose set for a rookie in their playoff debut with 34 points, going 14-of-25 from the field. John Salmons added 16 points for the Bucks, who shot 45.1%, but Jennings’ hot hand caused the ball to stop moving as the Bucks had just 11 assists. The Bucks are used to going inside to Bogut, and then back outside, but with no dependable post option, the Milwaukee offense is now one-dimensional, and the Bucks are going to have to find another way to score.

Six players reached double figures for the Hawks, led by Joe Johnson’s 22 points, and balance was a staple of the Atlanta attack all season long. The Hawks shot 53.9% from the field, and while they attempted just 11 three-pointers, they hit 11 of them. The Hawks also outrebounded the Bucks 40-35, and they were very disciplined defensively, shutting down the rest of the Bucks and forcing Jennings to go at it alone, which is a surefire way to earn a win.

Online sports betting odds should favor the Hawks at home, as the Bucks have now dropped seven straight games in Atlanta, and the Hawks have been one of the best home teams in the NBA all season. The Bucks have some work to do if they want to avoid going down 0-2, and they’re going to have to get some help for Jennings. You can’t put that much pressure on one player, especially a rookie point guard that is susceptible to having poor shooting nights. They’re going to need Salmons to play like he did for Chicago in last year’s first-round epic against Boston, and they’re going to need Carlos Delfino to be more aggressive as he was just 1-of-4 on the day for four points. The Hawks showed that they have more than enough weapons if Johnson has a bad day, and the 19 points they received from Mike Bibby was a pleasant surprise. Unless someone else steps up for Milwaukee, or Jennings for a night similar to his 55-point performance against Golden State earlier in the year, it’s going to be a long and quiet flight back to Milwaukee.

NBA Basketball Betting – Miami-Boston Series Preview

The sportsbook odds for a Boston-Miami Eastern Conference playoff series would have been heavily tilted in favor of the Celtics at the beginning of the season. Now, the NBA betting landscape is a little different, but the question is this: “Has the calculus changed enough that the Miami Heat can be favored in this series?” It’s a topic worth discussing.

Eastern Conference First Round: Miami vs. Boston

Series begins Saturday, April 17

Bookmaker Odds: No line (as of yet)

In any discussion centering around sports betting, one can’t rely solely on the reputation of a given team. The Boston Celtics finished 50-32 in 2010, their worst regular-season record in the past three NBA campaigns. Coach Doc Rivers has recently sent some signals that he might step down, giving his team an unneeded distraction at playoff time. Perhaps this might not make sense to some people, but when one realizes that stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett both missed over 10 games this season due to injuries, and that Garnett is averaging just under 30 minutes a game because of his balky knees, it’s a lot more understandable to see why Rivers might duck out of Beantown. The Celtics are simply a lot older and far more creaky than they were during their 2008 championship run. Only Rajon Rondo – who is rounding into his prime years – is playing appreciably better now than he did in 2008, and even in that title season, Rondo was pretty darn good.

An online sports betting expert is surely aware of the fact that Boston finished the regular season by losing seven of its last 10 games. It’s true that some of these losses were due to a desire to sit Pierce and Garnett in advance of the playoffs, but it also needs to be said that Boston had something to gain during the last couple weeks of regular-season play. The Celtics should have wanted to avoid Cleveland in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs; Boston was shorthanded in last year’s playoffs and still almost found a way to knock off Orlando, so the C’s had to have felt that the No. 3 seed possessed an appreciable degree of value. It would have been far better to draw Orlando in the second round and then see about the Cavs in the Eastern Conference finals.

Evidently, Boston just couldn’t get the job done.

The 3-7 stretch to close the season showed that the Celtics simply can’t flip the “on” switch anymore. Rasheed Wallace has been a total bust for this team, averaging only four rebounds per game and scoring a basket for the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. Glen “Big Baby” Davis is averaging just 6.3 points per game and has not become the presence he needs to be on this team.

The only thing saving Boston in this series is the fact that the Miami Heat are still, for the most part, a one-man team. Michael Beasley occasionally does something special, but the NBA is well aware that if you take Dwyane Wade out of the equation in South Florida, the Heat would not even sniff the NBA postseason. Boston does not figure to get past the second round of the playoffs, but only because of Miami’s limitations, the Celtics should still be favored to escape the first round… but in six or seven difficult games.

Online basketball betting pick: Boston in seven games.

NBA Betting – Raptors face do-or-die against Knicks

NBA playoff betting players don’t know what to think of Toronto just yet, as the Raptors have yet to clinch their spot in the postseason, and their fate won’t be decided until the end of Wednesday night. The Raptors can do themselves a great favor by beating New York when the Knicks come to town for their season finale.

Knicks vs Raptors odds – Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 PM ET

The Knicks snapped a three-game skid with a 114-103 win over Washington in their home finale at Madison Square Garden on Monday, using a 40-21 edge in the fourth quarter to rally for the win. David Lee led the way with 26 points in what could be his last game in the Garden as a Knick, while Danilo Gallinari added 24 points for the Knicks, who shot 51.3% from the field, and they hit 11 of their 23 three-point attempts. Lee will be a free agent this season in one of the most hyped markets in the history of the league, and with numbers of 20.3 points and 11.7 rebounds, he should attract some attention, and sportsbook players should keep their eye on his situation.

The Raptors bounced back from an embarrassing home loss against Chicago on Sunday by rolling to a 111-97 win in Detroit on Monday, but a win over the Bulls would have been better since that is who they are battling with for the eighth spot in the East. Andrea Bargnani had 33 points to power the Raptors, who are now a half-game behind Chicago before the Bulls face Boston on Tuesday night. The Raptors shot an outlandish 60% from the floor against the Pistons, and they shared the ball very well with 37 assists.

Sports betting odds should favor the Raptors at home in this matchup as the Knicks really have nothing to play for, other than the role of spoiler, and the Raptors will want to pay back their fans after they were booed off the court against the Bulls on Sunday. The Knicks have dropped nine of their last 10 in Toronto, and all three of their meetings overall with the Raptors this season. Even without Chris Bosh, the Raptors have enough on the roster to come away with a win against the Knicks, who may be in the hunt for Bosh if they decide not to sign Lee. The Raptors will also have one eye on the scoreboard as the Bulls will be in Charlotte on the same night, starting an hour later, but all Toronto needs to do is win their game, and go from there.

NBA betting pick: Toronto

NBA Betting – Lakers face tricky task….in Minnesota?

2010 Masters odds have a whole slew of darkhorses, like, Tiger Woods and the rest of the field, and Minnesota knows what the field feels like as they’re darkhorses in pretty much every game they go in to. That will definitely be the case for the Timberwolves on Friday when they take on the defending champions from Los Angeles, but the Lakers have looked flawed lately, and the Timberwolves could pull off one of the upsets of the season.

Lakers vs Timberwolves odds – Friday, April 9, 8:00 PM ET

The Lakers thumped at home on Sunday by San Antonio as the Spurs rolled them 100-81. The second and fourth quarters was their downfall as the Spurs outscored the Lakers 59-38 in those 24 minutes of basketball, but there were a couple of positives to take from this game. Pau Gasol had 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting, and the Lakers should find a way to make him more of a focal point in the offense. Kobe Bryant has been struggling with his shot lately, and Gasol’s presence in the post would probably lead to better shots, especially since he’s such a good low-post passer.

The Timberwolves may be the biggest sports betting underdog you know coming into this game, as they’ve lost 19 of their last 20, and that win came against Sacramento. They fell 116-107 at home to Golden State on Wednesday, giving Warriors coach Don Nelson the record for career wins in the NBA. Ryan Gomes and Jonny Flynn had 19 points apiece for the Timberwolves, who shot 48.1% from the floor and nailed 10 three-pointers, but they allowed the Warriors to shoot 56.1% from the field. With the second-worst defense in the league, the Timberwolves are at a disadvantage, but they just need to be solid for one game.

The Lakers will be the basketball betting favorite in this contest, and they’ll be going for their 11th consecutive win over the Timberwolves, including four in a row in Minnesota. The Lakers, however, have a problem: they’ll be playing a tough game in the high altitudes of the Pepsi Center in Denver on Thursday, and then they have to travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves, so a fast start is imperative for the Timberwolves if they want to have any chance of an upset. The Timberwolves have done a good job on Bryant, who has averaged 21.0 points in two meetings with Minnesota, and this would be a good game to get Gasol in on the action as he has put up 17.0 points and 17.0 rebounds against the Timberwolves. This could be a trap game for Los Angeles, but they’re looking to build momentum for the playoffs.

Sportsbook pick: Los Angeles Lakers

Masters 2010 Tees Off At Augusta National

After weeks of eagerness and excitement, the 2010 Masters is set to officially tee off this Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club, in Georgia. The first of the four major championships this season, this year’s edition of the U.S. Masters is perhaps the most highly anticipated golf tournament in PGA history. Although organizers and officials have attempted to downplay the importance of this event to the sport of golf, the planned coverage of not just tournament play, but press conferences leading up to and during the event are an illustration of the attitude towards the only major championship held at the same location annually. Not that the reason for this year’s added sports betting importance is hard to figure out, what with the return of the world’s number one ranked golfer, after a tumultuous four months during which he made the headlines for his play off the course rather than dominance on it.

After an extended absence from the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods makes his official return this Thursday afternoon when he tees off just before 2 PM Eastern Time. Woods will pair with KJ Choi and Matt Kuchar for the opening rounds. The four-time Master champion last played professionally last November, when he won in Melbourne, Australia last November. Woods registered a 14 under par, for a two-strokes win over Greg Chalmers, his first win in Australia, and the 38th of his career on the European Tour. Despite being away from the sport for so long, and after everything that he has gone through over that time, Tiger is still one of the 2010 Masters odds favorites. Perhaps that is because Woods has already won 14 professional major gold championships, more than any other current active golfer. The 34-year old has said that his transgressions actually hurt his play, and since he has finished in the top-six here in each of the past four years, with his increased focus he could finally break through for a fifth green jacket.

Among the other sports book favorites to compete for the first place prize, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, and Ernie Els. Mickelson has already won here twice in his career, and despite his recent struggles, has played his best golf of the season heading in to this tournament, including in the back nine at Houston where he managed to hit six straight birdies. Harrington has never won at Augusta National, never finishing higher than fifth at the U.S. Masters. However, both of his top-seven finishes in Georgia have come over the past three years, and with three major championships already under his belt, this could be the year that the 38-year old finally breaks through. Els has played some of his best golf this season with Woods on the shelf, the PGA Tour’s only multiple winner so far in 2010. Els has come as close as second at the Masters in the past, and many consider him the favorite to wear the green jacket at this weekend’s tournament, and a good bet for those looking to lay their money on something other than NHL odds.

NBA Betting – Raptors aim to get it together against Celtics

Tiger Woods Masters odds may have distracted you from an exciting battle for the last playoff spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference as Toronto has been trying to hold off Chicago for the past couple of weeks. The Raptors had a one-game lead over the Bulls heading into Tuesday’s games, and they’ll take on Boston on Wednesday night.

Celtics vs Raptors odds – Wednesday, April 7, 7:00 PM ET

The Celtics will play in New York on Tuesday night, and they’ll be coming off a 117-113 win at home over Cleveland on Tuesday that doesn’t look as good when you look at it closely. The Celtics nearly lost a 21-point lead in the third quarter, and they only won because LeBron James missed a couple of big free throws down the stretch. Ray Allen poured in 33 points to lead the way for the Celtics, who is one game behind Atlanta in the East standings, while Rajon Rondo added 16 points and 14 assists for Boston. Sports book players have been skeptical on the Celtics all season, and for good reason as age and internal problems have lurked all season.

If the Raptors want to make the playoffs, they have to go through a gauntlet. Tuesday night, they’ll be in Cleveland, then the game against Boston, followed by a trip to Atlanta on Friday before their Sunday showdown against Chicago. The Raptors lost a heartbreaking 113-112 game at home against Golden State on Sunday, and even though Chris Bosh had 42 points and 12 boards, all anyone will remember is his missed lay-up at the buzzer. Still the Raptors shot just 39.1% from the field, which wasted a 55-40 edge on the boards, as well as a sizable advantage at the foul line.

Basketball betting odds should favor the Celtics, who have had their way with the Raptors, winning nine of their last 10 meetings. The Celtics have also won five in a row in Toronto, and the Raptors have dropped four of their last five at home. Bosh has put up 25.3 points and 11.7 boards in three meetings with the Celtics this season, while Rasheed Wallace has countered with 20.0 points against the Raptors. Toronto’s season comes down to this week, and coming off a tough game in Cleveland, they simply have to win at home. The Celtics are vulnerable, and the Raptors may want to push the pace of the game, especially early, as the Celtics would have played a run-and-gun game in New York on Tuesday, and then had to travel. Fatigue will be a factor, but the crowd should give the Raptors an edge. Take Toronto’s NBA odds on Wednesday.

NBA Betting – Chicago – Washington Preview

Without point guard Derek Rose, the Chicago Bulls went on a terrible sports betting run to end the month of February and in to the month of March where the team lost 11 straight to fall out of playoff position. The Bulls have bounced back with wins in four of their last six games to pull within two games of the Toronto Raptors for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern conference, and with a date against the 14th place team in the conference, Chicago could pull one game closer with less than two weeks to go in the regular season.

Chicago Bulls @ Washington Wizards

Friday April 2nd – 7:00 PM ET

NBA Sportsbook Odds: Bulls – 300

Forget about the Final Four odds, the Wizards must be counting the days until the end of what has been one of the most tumultuous seasons in the history of the franchise. Years after Washington changed its team name from the Bullets in response to the level of gun violence in the nation’s capital, the city was rocked by their NBA team’s infamous gun incident, that ended with the tearing apart of a team that was projected to compete for a playoff spot this season. With a lineup featuring four of five players that have never started for another NBA team before this season, the Wizards are playing for the future, which at this time might not appear to bright with just one win in their last ten games.

The Bulls have been solid since Rose returned to the line up, with their sophomore point guard averaging over 20 points per game over his past ten, in addition to six assists per game and three rebounds. The return of center Joakim Noah has also played a big part in Chicago’s turnaround. The team has not won a game when both Noah and Rose have been out at the same time, compared to one game above .500 when both play. There is not much time for the Bulls to make up ground in the east, so every win will be crucial down the stretch, and their playoff hopes could be over with a loss to one of the worst team’s in the NBA.

NBA Betting Pick: Chicago – 300

Over/ Under Betting Line: 186

The Bulls and Wizards are two of the lowest scoring teams in the association, with both teams ranking in the bottom ten overall. Chicago has been on a roll offensively lately, reaching the century mark in each of its last three contests, each played against teams comparable to the Wizards at the back end. At the other end of the spectrum, the Wizards haven’t reached 100 points in any game since late December, and with a lack of offensive scoring power, will rely on a tough defensive game if they are to have any chance of keeping this game close. Because of that fact, and that the higher scoring team is on the road, this game should stay under the mark.

Pick: Under- 186

NCAA Basketball Betting – Final Four Preview

2010 NCAA Final Four

Saturday, April 3 – Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN – Tip-off for Game 1: 6:07 PM ET

When college basketball betting experts sit down to discuss this year’s Final Four, they have some hard choices to make. All four teams pursuing college basketball’s national championship have been good enough to get to Indianapolis, but when compared to last year’s star power, this year’s field is relatively weak.

Butler, Michigan State, West Virginia and Duke are not what one would call terrifically explosive teams. Each of these rosters has powered its way to Lucas Oil Stadium on the first weekend of April by playing superior defense and, for the most part, grabbing more timely rebounds in late-game situations.

Butler is making its first Final Four appearance, and West Virginia is back in the Final Four for the first time since Jerry West played college ball for the Mountaineers back in 1959. Inexperience on a stage this big should prevent both the Bulldogs and Mountaineers from running away with their respective semifinal games. No sportsbook will establish a particularly large point spread in any Butler or West Virginia game.

Michigan State and Duke represent the old guard at this event, but while Tom Izzo and Mike Krzyzewski have dominated college basketball unlike any other coaches (with the sole exceptions of Dean Smith and Roy Williams) over the past 25 seasons, these particular teams are not the most imposing ones Izzo and Coach K have fielded.

When Michigan State won the 2000 national championship, the Spartans dominated the college basketball world. When Krzyzewski claimed his third national title at Duke in 2001, the Blue Devils – though they were pushed hard in both Final Four games – attained a very high level of excellence. The Maryland and Arizona squads Duke beat nine years ago in Minneapolis would enjoy very favorable Final Four odds if they were pitted against this 2010 quartet.

NCAA basketball betting just isn’t going to be easy at the Final Four. Michigan State and Duke will be the designated home teams in the semifinals, reflecting a higher place on the “S-curve” seeding system used to create the NCAA Tournament field. Yet, one could make very persuasive arguments that the lower-seeded teams – Butler and West Virginia – should be favored.

Who will prevail in Indianapolis? First of all, the winner of the West Virginia-Duke game will enjoy a clear advantage in Monday’s title tilt. The Mountaineers and Blue Devils enjoy much more interior size than the Bulldogs and Spartans. Since rebounding has been such a big key in a tournament that has witnessed shaky perimeter shooting, it stands to reason that the best team on the glass is best positioned to celebrate on Monday night. Duke mopped up on the offensive backboard in its South Regional final win over Baylor, but West Virginia – which survived a very muscular Kentucky team in the East Regional final – will have the most size at all five positions on the floor.

There is no slam-dunk favorite at this Final Four. There’s no North Carolina team that could dominate two Final Four games. West Virginia, though, is in good shape to rebound its way to a national championship. If you want to pick one team, pick the Mountaineers.

Online basketball betting pick: West Virginia to win the national championship