MLB Betting – Rays Aim To Keep Pace Atop AL East Versus Toronto

Baseball’s toughest division has had three teams rotating position in the top-three over recent years, with the Tampa Bay Rays taking turns with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for playoff positions in the American League East standings. That trend has continued this year with the Rays and Yankees tied for top spot in the division with 80 wins each as Tampa Bay opened its three-game home series against the Toronto Blue Jays this week. The Blue Jays have managed to remain above .500 for most of this season despite fielding a team that had low expectations before the year got underway, but are at least a year from joining the big three as a legitimate baseball betting contender in the AL.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays

Tuesday August 31, 2010 – 7:10 PM ET

Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay, Florida

MLB Betting Line: Rays – 126

Betting Preview: Jays

The Blue Jays are out of contention in the AL playoff race, but that didn’t keep them from making an impact on the AL East division race early last week when they took two of three games at home against the Yankees. Toronto continued their strong play by splitting a four-game set against the Detroit Tigers, their final home game before six straight on the road against the top two teams in their division. Toronto hasn’t been as good on the road as it has at home, but might actually benefit from playing this series in Florida since Tampa Bay owns the best road record in the league.

Betting Preview: Rays

It seems as though for whatever reason the Rays and Yankees just like being tied atop the division. It is amazing that through 130 games those teams are tied for top spot, but what is even more improbable is the way that Tampa Bay and New York have maintained position alongside one another with nearly identical records, each winning consecutive games as well as six of their last ten. Pitching has been the key for the Rays, and they will need to continue to get solid betting performances as the Blue Jays’ pitching has been solid as well.

The Match Up: Jays vs Rays

These teams had split the 12 games they had played against one another entering this series, winning six each despite the Rays outscoring the Blue Jays 69-45 over that span. With their next five games against Tampa Bay and New York, Toronto has the opportunity to see where they are in the division, while making a huge impact on the division race. Both Yunel Escobar and Lyle Overbay returned in time for last night’s series opener for the Blue Jays, and will play a crucial role in solving the Rays’ excellent pitching performances. Tampa Bay’s schedule is loaded with division match ups the rest of the way, but that is a good thing for a Rays team that has gone 30-19 against the AL East.

Online Sports Betting Pick: Rays - 126

NBA Betting – The Plight Of The Knicks

Even those who bet on NCAA football had to be paying attention to the soap opera that was the free-agent frenzy in the NBA during the offseason. As you already know, Miami came off like gangbusters by getting LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade on the Heat, and this has given some ideas to other NBA players looking to build their own “Big Three”. This means that New York, who staked a lot on this offseason, still has a chance to get a couple of stars.

The Knicks managed to snag Amare Stoudemire, but that obviously isn’t enough to make the Knicks, who haven’t seen the playoffs since 2004, a contender. They gave away salary all year to clear cap room for James, or anyone else who would come, but it didn’t work. However, word has trickled down that Stoudemire may be getting some help next year, and they won’t be role players, either.

NFL football betting players in New Orleans watched the Saints win last year, and the Saints could have a bigger stranglehold on the city if Chris Paul leaves the Hornets. The All-Star point guard is unhappy with the team because, well, there’s not a whole lot of help there for him. The moves to get Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli hasn’t done a lot to make him more comfortable, either. The Hornets may look to keep him as they traded his backup, Darren Collison, but how long can they hold onto an unhappy superstar? Then reports came out that Paul was a guest at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding, and made a toast concerning the possibility of them playing in New York with Stoudemire. Anthony has yet to sign an extension with Denver, and the Nuggets have to be worried that the small forward, who is in the last year of his contract, will walk for nothing.

Soccer betting players have seen this for a while now: the age of the “galacticos” was begun by Real Madrid, who essentially priced everyone out of the transfer market in Europe for a few years by buying the best players. This seems to be the way the NBA is going, but it’s being decided by the players, who seem to have a lot of power as shown by the James/Bosh moves. The biggest roadblock in the way of this is a new CBA, with a cap that could stifle the chance of having all three on the team. But in Miami, we saw all three players take pay cuts to fit under the cap, as well as to go out and get other players. If you would have asked this five years ago, I would have said this wasn’t possible. Now, I wouldn’t place a bet against it.

NFL Betting – Ryan’s Jets Welcome Shanahan’s ‘Skins In Preseason Clash

A couple of betting on NFL teams with increased expectations will clash this weekend in New York when the Washington Redskins travel to take on the New York Jets. After going 7-7 through the first 14 weeks of the regular season, the Jets got lucky when the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals each rested their starters in the final two weeks, allowing New York to win two games to get in to the playoffs. Once in the postseason, first year head coach Rex Ryan’s units pulled off a couple of upset wins over the Bengals and San Diego Chargers before falling to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game. The Redskins brought in head coach Mike Shanahan this season hoping that like the Jets, they can get back to the postseason, a road that continues this weekend in preseason week three.

NFL Preseason Week Three

Washington Redskins @ New York Jets

Friday August 27, 2010 – 7:00 PM ET

New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York

NFL Betting Line: Jets – 130

Betting Preview: Redskins

The Mike Shanahan-era is underway in Washington, where the Redskins have opened the preseason by splitting their first two contests. A 42-17 blowout win over the Buffalo Bills preceded a 23-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and while the Redskins aren’t where they would like to be when the regular season gets underway, they have made solid progress since training camp opened. While the starters weren’t ready to take on a Super Bowl contender like Baltimore, they showed enough against the Bills to think that they are headed in the right direction, and will get another chance to prove themselves against the Jets.

Betting Preview: Jets

New York has opened the preseason the way they left off in last year’s playoffs before a AFC Championship game loss to the Colts. After opening with a decided loss to the rival Giants in the opening of their new stadium, the Jets shut down the Carolina Panthers to improve to 1-1 in exhibition play. Sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez continues to improve on offense, and will be without running back and veteran supporter Thomas Jones, who led the team in rushing last season. LaDanian Tomlinson will overtake that role, and should see some snaps in what amounts to the most important game of the preseason, where starters get some quality playing time.

The Match Up: Redskins vs Jets

It will be a match up between two teams projected to be on the rise this season, as each gets a quality test of how far along they are in a battle of potential contenders. Sanchez and McNabb will both get at least a half of play, and will need this time to get familiar with the weapons around them, and for each a different play book, or at least in Sanchez’s a more expanded version. Look for the Jets to get their first win at New Meadowlands Stadium.

Football Betting Pick: Jets - 130

Take our picks and bet on NFL.

Heat To Challenge Celtics For East Supremacy in 2010-11

It was supposed to be the most exciting free agency period in National Basketball Association history, one that would set the standard going forward for not only basketball, but for all online sports betting forums. The 2010 summer lived up to its expectations in many ways, and while fans of teams that were able to sign some of the names on their wish list are happy about the way the offseason unfolded, many more have to suffer the disappointment of missing on the chance to hit it big. Lebron James, the biggest name to hit the market this summer, decided to take his talents to South Florida where he joins fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade on a revamped Miami Heat roster projected to do big things for years to come. The Boston Celtics scored big in free agency in their own way, retaining the services of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Nate Robinson, all keys to their return to the NBA Finals in 2010, while adding a pair of big men named O’Neal in Jermaine and Shaq. The Orlando Magic stayed the course, barely registering on the radar as the final of the three teams projected to be battling for the Eastern conference championship this betting on sports year.

Of the remaining 12 teams in the conference, the Chicago Bulls made the biggest addition by bringing Carlos Boozer in to the fold to team with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The Atlanta Hawks retained Joe Johnson to keep together a competitive roster that did well together during the regular season but may be at least a couple of pieces away from a legitimate contenders role. The New York Knicks went all in for Lebron and fell short, coming away with Amare Stoudamire and little else, ensuring their NFL betting teams will be the main focus in the big apple. So what do all these changes mean for the Eastern conference heading in to next season?

The Heat should be good enough to challenge the Celtics for Eastern conference supremacy based on the Big Three from ’03 alone, setting up an excellent potential top three teams in big college football betting markets Boston, Miami, and Los Angeles. The Celtics will be one year older, but one year more experienced, and it seems like the latter has had the bigger impact on the squad after two trips to the finals in the past three years. The Magic will be back near the top again, as will the Hawks, but neither will have the man power to compete with the big two. The Bulls will come in at fifth, with the Knicks, Bucks, Pacers, and Bobcats all fighting for the final three playoff spots, and despite the loss of Chris Bosh at the four it isn’t unreasonable to think that the Raptors could remain in contention until late in the season. As for the Nets and Cavaliers, well, it may be a while before playoff basketball returns to the New Jersey and Cleveland areas.

MLB Betting – Athletics Aiming To End Slide At Home Against Blue Jays

Heading in to the 2010 season, there weren’t many high expectations placed on either the Oakland Athletics, or the Toronto Blue Jays. But while the Athletics have hovered below .500 for most of the season, well out of contention in the mediocre American League West division, the Blue Jays have found ways to win and despite admittedly being in the middle of a rebuilding process are seven games above .500 despite playing in the incredibly talented AL East. Toronto took two of three against another AL West team, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and will look to duplicate that result in a three-game set in Oakland.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Oakland Athletics

Tuesday August 17, 2010 – 10:05 PM ET

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

MLB Betting Line: Blue Jays – 120

Betting Preview: Blue Jays

Toronto opened the month of August with a couple of statement series’ against division rivals, taking two of three on the road against the New York Yankees before sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays at the Rogers Centre. While it is unlikely they will get much closer to either the division leader or the Wild Card, the fact they had that sort of success against those opponents at such a crucial time in the season lends promise to their ability to compete in the crowded AL East a year from now. With plenty of promising young talent, including pitcher Brendan Morrow, who gets the start Tuesday, Toronto will be playing not only for pride, but to continue to build heading in to next season and beyond. With one more series against the Yankees, Rays, and Boston Red Sox still in the cards, the Blue Jays youngsters will get some valuable experience.

Betting Preview: Athletics

Fans have seen better days at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, although maybe not from their bet on NFL team, as the Athletics return home after dropping five of six on the road to the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins, including a sweep at the hands of the latter. How many of those supporters will be on hand for the next six against Toronto and Tampa Bay isn’t certain, but what is certain is that the Athletics better play an improved game to prevent the few that make it out from packing it in early and heading home, as seems to be the case with some of their players during this recent skid.

MLB Betting Match Up: Blue Jays vs Athletics

While both teams have hovered around the .500 mark this season, Toronto has done it against much better competition, and have continued to play with an edge despite being all but out of contention. Oakland’s offense disappeared against the Mariners and Twins, and it seems as though players are looking very forward to getting this over with after falling in to double-digit games behind the Rangers for top spot in the AL West.

Online Sports Betting Pick: Blue Jays - 120

O’Neal The Perfect Piece To Help Celtics Cool Heat

The 2010 NBA sports betting offseason was one of the most highly anticipated in not only the history of basketball, but in the history of professional sport. The surprise from what took place during the infamous ESPN special The Decision still resonates. It took only minutes for the projections on how Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade signing with the Miami Heat would work out began filing in, as sports networks and columnists from all across North America weighed in on how the union would affect the landscape of the NBA for the coming years. More importantly, several franchises were forced to react to the Heat becoming the new “team to beat” in the Eastern conference, specifically the Boston Celtics, who reached the NBA finals in two of the past three years. The Celtics were in on a total of six free agent signings of their own this offseason, in addition to selecting Avery Bradley out of NCAA football betting contender Texas, and Luke Harangody of Notre Dame in the NBA draft. The most talked-about signing, perhaps more from an entertainment perspective than a contribution standpoint, was that of Shaquille O’Neal, who Boston introduced to the media as a member of gang green on Tuesday. Ultimately, the signing of O’Neal won’t be the most significant, but it will definitely help Boston in their quest to match up with the Heat and company in their quest to get back to the finals.

When put into perspective, this signing works for many betting on sports reasons. First of all, bringing O’Neal in to the mix wasn’t the Celtics’ main move this offseason, as general manager Danny Ainge brought in former Heat center Jermaine O’Neal to start in the five slot, as well as resigning Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Nate Robinson to multi-year deals. The Celtics made another excellent value signing by inking Marquis Daniels for one year, adding another depth player. Jermaine O’Neal may very well be an upgrade over holdover Kendrick Perkins in the starting spot, but with Perkins out for at least the beginning of the season with a major knee injury, Boston needed to add at least one more big body. Cue the arrival of Shaq, who signed one will likely be his final NBA contract, not shying away from the fact that at this point he is more concerned about winning than he is about making money, something that he already has plenty of. Head coach Doc Rivers told media at the press conference that he hopes O’Neal’s presence will help address a rebounding deficiency the team suffered with in 2009-10, and also added that Shaq’s ability to draw opposing players in to foul trouble will be a major help. Shaq did a good job of getting under Dwight Howard’s skin as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago, and if he can reach even a betting level close to that this year at the price he costs it will be a major benefit to the Celtics.

NFL Preview for August 13, 2010: Buffalo Bills @ Washington Redskins (-3 ½)

The problem for people betting on Donovan McNabb to be the next great Washington Redskins quarterback is the Buffalo Bills. The Bills released their only effective defensive player in defensive end Aaron Schobel late last week, and now the Bills have nothing to offer McNabb in the way of a challenge. The NFL betting world will watch an efficient Redskin offense rack up points in their first preseason game and make the mistake of believing that the whole season will be like this.

In all fairness to Donovan McNabb, he will find success in Washington. It may not be like the days he affected NCAA football betting, or the years where he was taking the Eagles to NFC championship games. But he will find some level of success in Washington. The thing that will hamper McNabb in Washington is their offensive line. It is not the Hogs of old, and there are major holes in the offensive line on Donovan’s blind side. The Redskins look to have an effective running game regardless of whether or not Clinton Portis or Larry Johnson is running the ball, but the running game can only keep the pressure off McNabb for so long.

The Buffalo Bills will be underdogs for the NFL week 1 betting lines, and they will hold that position for the majority of the season. The Bills made almost no improvements to an offensive line that was terrible last season, the team did very little to address the inadequacies at defensive back and they brought in no one to help out wide receiver Lee Evans.

The Bills needed a quarterback, wide receiver and corner back in the draft and they took a running back. When veteran quarterbacks were available for reasonable prices at the beginning of free agency, the Bills signed two practice squad offensive linemen. The Bills have been the model of inept coaching and incompetent front office decisions for years, and this season does not look to alleviate any of those concerns for the Bills fans.

Quarterback Trent Edwards has been named the training camp starting quarterback, and he will be the first victim that the Bills throw out to a Redskin defense that is loaded with pass rushers looking to solidify a roster position. The one player that the Redskins may have a problem with is rookie running back C.J. Spiller. Spiller has incredible speed and can turn a corner like a pro. The Redskins defensive line may be spending most of the game in the Buffalo backfield, but Spiller may already be gone by the time the defense gets there.

Washington head coach Mike Shanahan is an expert at working with the players he has and devising a scheme that plays to the strengths of his personnel. On defense he has linebackers like London Fletcher and pass rushers like veteran Vonnie Holiday. If defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth plays in this game, he will be a non-factor. His lack of conditioning will prevent him from being effective. But if Shanahan can get Haynesworth into shape, then the Redskins defense will be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC.

Pick: Washington Redskins 35-3

NBA Basketball – The Miami Heat’s “Other” Team

NBA betting experts have more information to evaluate, as rosters take shape before the start of the 2010-2011 season. The ranks of online betting gurus can begin to make extensive assessments of the talent on each NBA team, and weigh the relative strengths and weaknesses that exist throughout the league.

This isn’t like NFL football betting – when you’re making an assessment of Super Bowl odds before the season even starts, there are only 16 games which will form the basis of your judgment, followed by two playoff games (three for the NFL wild card teams). The relentlessly physical nature of professional football means that injuries can and will affect the trajectory of many teams’ seasons.

In professional basketball, there’s always the long grind of the regular season, but the specter of a major injury doesn’t loom as large; football can always shake up the deck at any given moment. Basketball injuries are more connected to accumulated wear and tear – not always, of course, but certainly to a far greater extent than anything seen in pigskin, where wounds often prove to be shattering.

The point of this distinction is that in the NBA, elite teams win championships on a more regular basis than is the case in pro football. In the NFL, there hasn’t been a repeat NFC champion (and hence, a Super Bowl representative from that side of the divide) since the Green Bay Packers did the deed in the 1996 and 1997 seasons. In the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers have won the last two world titles and the last three Western Conference crowns.

Now, it appears that the Miami Heat are ready to become the next big thing in the NBA. Everyone knows about LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and franchise icon Dwyane Wade, but it’s the rest of the roster – now being put in place by team president Pat Riley – which needs to support the big three. By all indications, Riley’s reinforcements appear to be worthy of a championship support system.

On July 12, the Heat re-signed Udonis Haslem, a member of the 2006 championship team in Miami who gets along with Wade and took a pay cut to stay with the Heat. Haslem is a worker bee who will rebound and make hustle plays for this team. He’s a terrific role player on a roster that – as you’ll quickly see – possesses many of them.

On July 16, Miami signed Mike Miller. The Florida product will get lots of open three-point looks on a team with LeBron and Wade. Riley needed to put shooters on the floor to make defenses pay for double-teaming LeBron or Wade. Now, with Miller, it will be that much more difficult to stop the Heat.

On July 18, the team re-signed starting center Joel Anthony. As long as he defends and rebounds at a decent level, Anthony will justify his presence on the floor.

On July 19, the Heat signed second-round draft pick Dexter Pittman, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Jamaal Magloire. Pittman is a project, but Ilgauskas and Magliore are veteran big men who will eat up space in the middle and know how to take care of their tasks. Ilgauskas rates as a plus because he can stick a mid-range jumper and, even more importantly, because he’s a close friend of LeBron.

On July 20, the Heat re-signed James Jones and Juwan Howard. Jones is another three-point specialist, while Howard can score near the basket and remain on the floor for offensive production when Bosh needs a breather.

On July 22, Miami re-signed guard Carlos Arroyo, who will be a fine backup point guard and will often handle the ball even when Wade is in the game. Arroyo will allow Wade to roam as a shooting guard when the Heat want to put a small but active lineup on the court. Arroyo adds to this team’s flexibility and depth.

On Friday, July 29, the Heat added Eddie House, a combo guard who is a lethal three-point shooter – better than Jones and in the same league as Miller. House thrived on a superstar-laden Boston team in the 2008 playoffs, and now he can find the same niche in South Florida. He’s a superb addition for a team that has assembled many compatible parts.

The Heat also have Shavlik Randolph and guard Mario Chalmers on their roster, though they’ll have to battle for spots at training camp. All in all, this is a supporting cast that should give Miami’s three superstars the balance and ballast they require.