College Football Betting – Picks For The Conference Title Games

College football betting season is almost over, but there is one more crucial week to get through before the bowl bids are announced. The ACC, Big 12 and SEC will have their title games this week, and one of them will have a say on the national title race.

Auburn South Carolina Betting – Saturday, 3:30 PM ET (SEC)

The No.1 Tigers are favored by 4.5 points at the Georgia Dome after coming back from 24 points down to edge Alabama 28-27 on the road in one of the best Iron Bowls of all time. The No.19 Gamecocks rolled to a 29-7 win at rival Clemson, setting up a rematch with the Tigers. South Carolina fell 35-27 at Auburn on September 25^th, giving up 334 yards and five scores to Heisman favorite Cam Newton. They’re going to have to find a way to slow down Newton, but no one has yet this season. Alabama did as good a job as you can do on him in the first half of the Iron Bowl before Newton found his rhythm. South Carolina will be game, but we’re taking Auburn in our picks.

Florida State Virginia Tech Betting – Saturday, 7:45 PM ET (ACC)

The No.15 Hokies are 4-point favorites at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte (and those who make NFL picks will say that this will likely be the best game this stadium sees all year, given Carolina’s struggles), and Virginia Tech has won 10 in a row after losing their first two. The No.21 Seminoles ended a six-year skid against Florida with a 31-7 rout, and this is a matchup of two teams ranking in the top 15 in scoring defense, so don’t expect a shootout. The Seminoles have won four of the last five against the Hokies, and while they may not win this one, we’re betting that they’ll keep it within a field goal.

Oklahoma Nebraska Betting – Saturday, 8:00 PM ET (Big 12)

There is no line out yet for the Big 12 title game at Cowboys Stadium, and the No.9 Sooners are here because of a 47-41 win over Oklahoma State in the Bedlam series. The No.13 Cornhuskers followed up a tough loss at Texas A&M by romping to a 45-17 win over Colorado, and they have motivation because of last year’s last-second loss to Texas in the Big 12 title game. They would love nothing more than to leave the Big 12 with the championship before they head to the Big Ten, and this will be a matchup of Oklahoma’s high-powered offense against Nebraska’s stingy defense. We’re giving the nod to the defense in this matchup, so put Nebraska in your betting picks.

Bench Plays An Integral Role As Lakers Run Win Streak To Five

With superstar Kobe Bryant and a supporting cast that includes Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, and Andrew Bynum, the Los Angeles Lakers have dominated NBA betting over the past three seasons. On the heels of back-to-back championships, the Lakers are back on top of the NBA standings with 13 wins through their first 15 games, but their latest victory was a testament to the role the team's bench has had in their success.

Backup guard Shannon Brown matched his season-high with 21 points in Tuesday night's 98-91 win over the Chicago Bulls, nailing five three-pointers to help lift another jam-packed arena to their feet at the Staples Center. Brown's 21 were one more than Bryant, and he added four rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. Matt Barnes added 10 more from the bench with five boards, while Steve Blake hit both of his three-point shots and provided a solid defensive effort in 24 online sports betting minutes. It was Lamar Odom that led the team in scoring with 21 as a starter, but the only reason why he was even in the lineup for the opening tip off was because Bynum was out with another injury. A reserve on any other night, Odom underlined just how good Los Angeles' bench is. The Lakers trailed in the fourth quarter before a huge 17-2 run that was led by Brown and Blake, who scored ten straight points to pull away.

The improvement that the bench has shown is significant given the play of other reserves around the league. Considered a pay per head favorite in the Eastern conference, the Miami Heat lost by 16 to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night in a game many projected would be an easy win, getting only four points from their bench in over 76 minutes of playing time. With the big three of Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Bosh signing massive contracts in the offseason, Miami didn't have the luxury of bringing in quality reserves, and it is showing early on this year. The same thing happened to the Boston Celtics in the final couple of months last year, when the team went .500 down the stretch in an effort to give their veteran starters some rest. While the bench performed well, they weren't consistent enough on many nights.

For the Lakers, it is the opposite. With Bynum out of the lineup last night, the bench picked up their game and finished with a big win. That will give Los Angeles' head coach Phil Jackson the opportunity to give players like Bryant and Artest time off on any given night down the stretch, allowing them to rest in anticipation of the basketball betting postseason. An MRI showed that Bynum did not suffer any major structural damage, but the fact that he has missed time has given the bench a time to see extended minutes. The Lakers are now off until Friday, when they play Utah.

NHL Game Previews for November 24, 2010

The NHL betting keeps rolling along as some teams are trying to find their winning ways, and other teams keep a stranglehold on first place in their division. Teams that started off strong have started to fall to the bottom of their divisions even before the NFL betting reached Thanksgiving Day. Here is a look at the NHL score predictions for November 24, 2010 as some teams try to climb back up the NHL standings into their divisional races.

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres

The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres are two teams that were expected to be at the top of the Eastern Conference by the time the season was over. Both teams have hit goaltending snags that slowed their initial progress. The Penguins had to switch to Brent Johnson as their number one goalie when Marc-Andre Fleury faltered. The Sabres have watched their all-star goaltender Ryan Miller fighting a lower body injury for much of the last two or three weeks, and it does not look like it will get any better.

The bad news for the Sabres is that the Penguins are happy with the play of Johnson between the pipes. But the Sabres have also found their defensive legs and have been able to shut down the opposition’s top scoring lines for the past few games. If that trend continues, and Sabres scorers like Thomas Vanek stay hot, the Sabres could climb to the top of the Northeast division by the end of the year.

Pick: Buffalo Sabres

Columbus Blue Jackets @ New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are living a nightmare the past couple of seasons. They sign their goaltender Rick DiPietro to a 15-year contract and, almost immediately, he has disappeared from the roster due to injury. The Islanders have also lost their last 10 games in a row and they show no signs of coming out of their tailspin.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a competitive team this year that is fighting for the top spot in the Central Division with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues. The Jackets have won seven of their last 10 games, and are currently on a three-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets are hot, and the Islanders are in trouble. The Islanders could be a dangerous team when they are desperate, but they just do not have the defense to keep them in games.

Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets

Los Angeles Kings @ Montreal Canadiens

The Los Angeles Kings are sitting on top of the Pacific Division and look to be a playoff contender this season. Azne Kopitar has been putting pucks into the net, and Jonathan Quick has been one of the league’s top goaltenders. The Kings have found varying levels of success when they travel out east, and they are maintaining a .500 record on the road.

The Canadiens are benefiting from their decision to trade last year’s playoff goalie Jaroslav Halak and stick with Carey Price. Price is having an excellent season, and the Canadiens have been scoring goals in front of him. The only hope in Montreal is that the team can keep this up all season long.

Pick: Los Angeles Kings

Bet On NCAA Football – Cardinal Aim To Avoid Upset At California

Those who bet on NCAA football watched California give the No.1-ranked Oregon Ducks all they could handle and then some at home, where they are a different football team than the one that leaves Berkeley to go out on the road. This week’s visit comes from another top-10 team in the form of Stanford, who are coming off a tough win on the road already.

Stanford California Betting – Saturday, November 20^th, 3:30 PM ET

The No.6 Cardinal (9-1, 6-1) needed a one-yard plunge from Owen Marecic with 5:14 remaining to eke out a 17-13 win at Arizona State, and while it wasn’t one of their best efforts, the Cardinal came away with the win. Andrew Luck went 33-of-41 for 292 yards with no touchdowns with one interception, not one of the best lines of the season for a player many think will be among one of the top NFL picks. The Cardinal converted 10 of their 18 third-down chances, and they really should have won by more, but they had a couple of turnovers and Arizona State was just a plucky team who wouldn’t go away.

The Golden Bears (5-5, 3-4) lost their first home game of the year, but they have nothing to be ashamed of after a 15-13 win over top-ranked Oregon. In fact, they may have won if not for an illegal-motion penalty on a field goal early in the fourth quarter, which they made, but then Giorgio Tavecchio missed a 29-yarder after being moved back five yards. Brock Mansion was 10-of-28 for 69 yards, while Shane Vereen ran for 112 yards and a score for the Golden Bears, who held the most explosive offense in the country to 317 yards, more than 200 yards under their season average, but they just made a couple of mistakes that shows they’re not quite there.

Online football betting odds have the Cardinal favored by 7.5 points on the road in this Pac-10 clash, but it is the Golden Bears who has the upper hand in this rivalry, going 7-2-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings with Stanford. The Cardinal hasn’t won in Berkeley since 1998, and they’re going to have their hands full with the Golden Bears, who are 4-0 ATS at home. Cal’s biggest question will be, do they have anything left in the tank after a grueling game against the No.1 team in the country? We think they will because the Golden Bears are just one win away from bowl eligibility, which is a huge carrot, while the Cardinal showed some weaknesses against Arizona State, and they’re going to be in tough against the No.10 defense in the nation.

Sports online betting pick: California +7.5

NBA Betting - Lakers Still At Top Of NBA Mountain

Despite most of the talk to do with NBA betting being centered on who will prevail in the Eastern conference between the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and of course, the Miami Heat, there perhaps has not been enough talk on the team the best of that group is undoubtedly projected to play in this year’s NBA Finals. Maybe when a franchise goes to three straight championship series’, including winning two of them eight straight wins to open the regular season isn’t necessarily that big of a deal. That doesn’t mean that the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t still the best team in the association, or that they aren’t still the best online sports betting option almost every night they play.

The Lakers have dominated their way to an 8-0 start, including wins at the Phoenix Suns and at home against the Portland Trail Blazers. What makes Los Angeles’ early season surge even more impressive is the fact that they have done it as a team, rather than with one man leading the charge on his own. Superstar Kobe Bryant has conceded both touches and minutes to his teammates, which is illustrated in the fact that someone other than number-24 leads the team in scoring this season. Los Angeles has turned to center Pau Gasol to take over a more offensive role, and he leads the team in scoring with an average of more than 23 points per game. Ron Artest and Lamar Odom have both played key supporting roles, while Bryant has allowed head coach Phil Jackson to shed some of his minutes in an effort to preserve his health for when it really matters. The Lakers will have no trouble getting to the playoffs, and so it’s no surprise to see Jackson doing what Boston Celtics’ head coach Doc Rivers did last year when he gave his veteran starters some rest down the stretch to prepare them for the pay per head postseason. The rest worked as the Celtics came within one game of knocking the Lakers off for the NBA title, something Jackson knows all too well.

As far as the Celtics are concerned this season, only the Atlanta Hawks have as many wins in the Eastern conference so far this year with six through eight games. The Heat and Magic are both right there with them with five wins each, and will be the two teams most likely to challenge Boston for supremacy in the conference after watching what the Hawks did last year. All four of those teams are likely to be favored on any given basketball betting night, as long as they are not playing one another. While those four battle it out in the East, the Lakers will have to be the heavy favorites every night before another team finally knocks them off. As long as they are beating teams by an average of 13 points per game, Los Angeles will continue to be a solid pick even against the spread.

NHL Game Previews for November 9, 2010

Atlanta Thrashers @ Ottawa Senators

By George Root

The Atlanta Thrashers are one of those teams that drive betting experts crazy. They have a 4-2-2 road record and a 2-3-1 home record. That means that they are strong on the road and unpredictable at home. Once the NFL betting on the Atlanta Falcons is done, the Thrashers may start playing better at home. But for now, the Thrashers continue to find the road more appealing than their own arena.

The Senators have won three in a row and look like they are finally on a winning track. Goaltender Brian Elliott has been impressive in the last few games, and he has given the Senators the opportunity to press the offense into the opposing end a little more consistently. But Ottawa is still taking bad penalties and making mistakes in their own end that could cost them against a team like Atlanta.

Pick: Atlanta Thrashers

Washington Capitals @ New York Rangers

Washington captain Alex Ovechkin has really picked up the point scoring pace in the past few games. In his last five games Ovechkin has four goals and five assists. In that span of games the Capitals have won four out of five. The Capitals have also been helped by rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth who has wrestled the starting job away from Semyon Varlamov. Neuvirth has won three of his last five starts, but was pulled in the last game he played after giving up three goals in two and a half periods.

The Rangers are playing a bit more consistently this season as they remain neck-and-neck with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Atlantic division. But the Rangers are having problems winning at home, and they do not show any signs of being able to put together a solid home effort and time soon.

Pick: Washington Capitals

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Tampa Bay Lighting

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning were both putting up impressive NHL scores when the season started. They both rocketed to the top of their respective divisions and stayed there the first couple weeks of the season. But the Leafs and the Lightning are both falling to the ground again, and this game will come down to which team has the ability to stop the freefall.

The Leafs seem to have the more consistent goaltending and they are getting goal production from a large portion of their roster. The Lightning have relied on Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier for their scoring in the beginning, and both of those players are in cold streaks right now.

Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs

Anaheim Ducks @ San Jose Sharks

When you look at the NHL standings in the Pacific division, you may be surprised to see that neither the San Jose Sharks nor the Anaheim Ducks are in first place. The Los Angeles Kings rule the roost in the Pacific, and they keep widening their margin every week.

In the offseason the Sharks decided that goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was the reason that they were racking up great regular seasons but could not get to the Stanley Cup finals. So they went out and signed Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi from the Chicago Blackhawks. So far Niemi has been a huge disappointment and the Sharks sit in fourth place in the division.

The Ducks were having problems of their own until they hit on a recent three-game winning streak. But Anaheim still has the worst goal differential in the conference at -10, and until they straighten out their defense they are destined to win and lose in streaks.

Pick: San Jose Sharks