Marc Lawrence • PLAYBOOK.com
When you walk in the shadows of the most well known basketball conference in the nation, it’s difficult creating your own identity.
Give ACC football its props. They are branding an image that is leaving other football conferences green-eyed.
MLB odds followers knew the Dodgers had a walk in the NL West this season, but weren’t the Cubs supposed to cruise as well? They haven’t held up their end of the bargain, as the NL Central has been very competitive. A series win against the first-overall Dodgers would go a long way for them.
Race: Autism 400 presented by Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips & Cheese – Dover International Speedway
Date: Sunday, May 31, 2009
Time: 2:16 PM EST (scheduled green flag)
TV: 1:30 PM EST on FOX
Gamble At Our Best NASCAR Sportsbooks Today!
Preview: Dover is a one-mile racetrack known for two things – its concrete racing surface and its very difficult pit road. Off-season remodeling is supposed to eliminate some of the pit road problems that have plagued even the best drivers in the past, but the surface is still concrete – something that drivers tend to either like a lot or not at all.
In Saturday’s boxing betting lines, Nikolay Valuev gets his rematch against Ruslan Chagaev. Brock Lesnar gets another shot at Frank Mir in UFC 100 come July. Now, the Pittsburgh Penguins get a chance for revenge against the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final odds.
By Tony George
The NFL continues to show its 2 emotions, greed and more greed once again. While the NFL frowns upon any point spread or gambling related activities, they once again show their hunger for dollars by being total hypocrites. It has long been stated by myself that that sports gambling is the 5000 pound elephant invited to the annual NFL Christmas party every year, but no one talks to him or buys him a cocktail. Sports gamblers have driven TV ratings and Direct TV sales since day one, and the NFL knows it and rakes in the cash while turning a cold shoulder to the hint of gambling on sports.
NBA odds are turning on their head faster than we can say “Rashard Lewis for three.” Rapidly, the dream Lakers/Cavaliers final is becoming a mirage. Can the big guns fight back tonight and tomorrow night in basketball betting?
Lakers vs Nuggets odds: Game 5 tonight at 9:05 p.m. ET
NBA odds: Lakers -5 ½
If you’re betting on golf this week and don’t see Tiger Woods in the PGA field, don’t panic. The Crowne Invitational at Colonial features a solid field and is among the most storied tournaments in golf betting. Fun fact: only Augusta National has hosted a tournament for more consecutive years than this week’s stop, Colonial Country Club in Forth Worth, TX. Let’s break down some intriguing picks.
Most bettors are focused on NBA odds picks and French Open betting this week but another MMA betting spectacular isn’t far away. UFC 99 may not have a title fight, but anyone who dismisses the card will miss a night jam-packed with great fights.
Let’s break down two matchups from a card that should have real fireworks.
Scott Dixon
Indy 500 odds: +425
The defending champ isn’t even favored this year but he is pretty close at just over 4-to-1. Dixon has been in six Indy 500s and he’s placed in the Top 10 four times, including last year’s outright win.
The Indy 500 odds and UFC 98 odds will distract many a sports bettor this weekend, but there’s also some hot baseball betting action to as interleague play arrives and features some marquee series. The Mets vs Red Sox odds feature a matchup many online betting fans figured would be a World Series preview at the beginning of the season.
Race: Coca-Cola 600 – Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, May 24, 2009
Time: 5:35 PM EST (scheduled green flag)
TV: 5:00 PM EST on SPEED
Gamble At Our Best NASCAR Sportsbooks Today!
Preview: Tony Stewart won his first race as owner/driver of Stewart-Haas
Racing in last week’s Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This week, the cars are back on the same track, but for a much different race.
Most hockey betting fans are likely irritated to no end at the NHL’s strange scheduling of the Conference Final matchups, but there’s a silver lining to the big gaps between action; those betting NHL have more time to prep their NHL picks. Let’s break down Thursday’s and Friday’s NHL lines.
Below is a look at some of the hottest bets this week, covering an array of different sports and events.
NBA
DENVER NUGGETS
Despite their 105-103 loss in Game 1 on Tuesday night, the Denver Nuggets still got the pointspread win as a 6½-point road underdog. The Nuggets are now 10-0-1 ATS in their eleven NBA playoff games this season.
By Tony George
Each year I write something that pertains to this subject. Let me preface by saying that baseball is my least favorite spectator sport as a fan of the game, straight up or with action on it. I am a huge College Football fan, being from Nebraska I have no choice, as well as NFL, NCAA Hoops (what’s better than March madness, really?) as well as the NBA.
While UFC 98 odds and Indy 500 odds are at the top of the online sports book list this week, the NBA playoffs are down to the final four and the action tips off on Tuesday. NBA odds have the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers favored in a dream Finals matchup, but the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic will be looking to make it interesting.
The final four teams in this year’s NBA playoffs have been set, as the Conference finals are set to tip off this Tuesday. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets had already closed out their second round series as the Cav’s took out Atlanta in 4 games and the Nuggets disposed of Dallas in 5. The other two series came down to a “winner take all” game 7, with Orlando shocking Boston at home and Los Angeles cruising past Houston in a rout.
