With just a few games in the regular season in the NBA it’s about time to start examining the playoff picture. The Eastern Conference has a solid three teams that all can win the Eastern Conference crown. Let’s look at all three of these Eastern Conference favorites and break down their odds to win the NBA Eastern Conference.
The best sport to wager on is Major League Baseball and it has been for many years because there is just so much value with several games being played everyday and yet it astounds me how few people bet on MLB. If you want to make money betting on sports and you do not wager on MLB then you are cheating yourself out of a lot of money and you are definitely not a professional sports bettor.
Even NBA betting players were focusing on the NCAA Tournament, but with the playoffs coming up, the NBA power rankings are returning with a new No.1 team, and some movement in the top 10.
1. (2) Cleveland Cavaliers (63-15): The Cavs finally take the top spot, but a blowout loss in Orlando last Friday is worrying. Sunday’s visit from Boston should be entertaining.
2. (1) Los Angeles Lakers (62-16): The Lakers didn’t do much to lose the top spot, but losing in Charlotte didn’t help. Andrew Bynum should be back very soon to join the Lake Show for their playoff run.
The premier golf event on the calendar arrives this week, with its emerald green fairways, blooming azaleas and its other colorful array of flowers and shrubs.
Be sure to get in on the action for this year’s Masters by visiting the LIVE ODDS page at Sportsbook.com.
The Masters this year has a different feel and anticipation from the last several for reasons outside of the tournament.
NBA Oddsmakers like LeBron James’ chances of capturing his first NBA Title as his Cleveland Cavaliers are now the favorite to win it all this season.
The Cavs, with just four losses in their last 27 games, moved to +175 odds and are now listed in front of the previously favored L.A. Lakers.
“Cleveland looks great right now and a lot of bettors are feeling like this is LeBron’s time to win a championship,” said Sportsbook.com spokesman Dave Staley. “This team is unbeatable at home and if they get home court in the playoffs, they’ll be tough to take down.”
Tiger Woods is back where he left off – as a heavy favorite in one of PGA Golf’s Major tournaments.
The 2009 Masters Tournament gets underway at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday with the World’s No. 1-ranked golfer as a +150 favorite in betED.com PGA Golf Betting Odds.
The Betting Numbers
As of this writing, no NBA line has been released but we should expect to see the Lakers favored anywhere from five to eight points and a total well over 210.
2008-09 Season Series
The Lakers won the first two meetings this season, but both of those victories took place in November. The Nuggets gained some revenge with a home win in February as two-point home underdogs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were stuck in neutral until they acquired a player who might just be the best right-handed hitter in Major League Baseball history. They were a small-ball team until they acquired Manny Ramirez at the trade deadline last season but now that he’s here for the long haul, MLB betting fans know that the Dodgers will be as well.
Earlier this week in MLB betting, we discussed the rise and fall of the Colorado Rockies between 2007 and 2008, and how they were an extremely tough team to forecast this season. Well, their division rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks, are in a similar boat for the 2009 MLB odds. We know they have talent – particularly in the pitching department – but can the young bats catch up to the arms and lead the D’Backs to the playoffs?
The most exciting day in golf betting is finally upon us: the Masters odds. This year’s trip to Augusta National may be the most anticipated in years thanks to a plethora of interesting storylines entering the event. Will Tiger put the cherry on top of his long road back from a broken leg? Will Lefty overcome his virus? Will Sergio end his years of suffering?
The NL Central was the toughest division in the MLB last year. I am not looking for a repeat in 09. Several big time players left the division during the off-season. Milwaukee will feel the biggest losses after a 2nd place finish. How far will they fall? Keep reading to find out.
San Francisco is an MLB betting darkhorse in the National League West, which is more of a statement about the weakness of the division than it is about the Giants. San Francisco has a great pitching staff, but unless its finds a way to generate more run support, it could be another long season in the City by the Bay.
In 2009 MLB betting, few teams are tougher to predict than the Colorado Rockies. A year after a magical late-season run boosted them into the playoffs and the World Series, the Rockies tumbled to a 74-88 record. Which is the real Colorado team? Most online betting fans would answer “why, somewhere in between, silly,” but even that is no sure thing.
Line Movement
The oddsmakers opened North Carolina as a 7-point favorite on Saturday night after the semi-final games were complete and the early money has since pushed the line to -7½. The Over/Under line opened at 153 total points and was quickly bet down to 152, before settling at 152½ when the majority of sportsbooks posted a line on Sunday.
2009 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game
Monday April 6, 9:15 PM ET
Detroit, MI Ford Field
These two teams met earlier in the year at Ford Field. North Carolina dominated the game and won 98-63. Michigan State did not have the services on Goran Suton. Michigan State is not even close to the same team now as they were in December. In the earlier matchup the lone bright spot for MSU was Raymar Morgon which had 21 points on 8-14 shooting.
2009 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship Prediction
Way back on March 15th when the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament brackets were first unveiled, I would think that most people, myself included penciled in or mouse clicked the name North Carolina all the way to the final. My question is how many people out there had the mental fortitude to do the same with the name, Michigan State? My guess is not nearly as many, myself included.
