Game 5 – Saturday, June 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET
NHL betting favorite: Red Wings -155
From a potential sweep to a classic – that’s the type of turnaround we’ve seen in Stanley Cup betting over the last couple of games. The Red Wings are tiring, struggling to keep up with the bigger, younger, more physical Pens.
It will be déjà vu for jockey Calvin Borel at the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Borel could pick up a personal Triple Crown as he jumps back on Mine That Bird, the favorite to win the $1-million, 1.5-mile ‘Test of Champions’ in New York.
Borel rode then-longshot Mine That Bird to victory at the Kentucky Derby, and then switched to the filly Rachel Alexandra for the Preakness Stakes, riding her to the winner’s circle. The filly was not entered in the Belmont Stakes.
The universe appears to have corrected itself.
A year ago, the Tampa Bay Rays, a perennial doormat, surprised everyone as they dominated the AL East division, beating out the usual contenders, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, for the division title.
The Belmont odds will likely steal the attention on Saturday, but sports fans shouldn’t forget about MLB betting this weekend. There are some crucial matchups, including a Rays/Yankees tilt that will tell us a lot about just how far the Yankees have come – and how far the Rays have to go.
Race: Pocono 500 – Pocono Raceway
Date: Sunday, June 7, 2009
Time: 2:16 PM EST (scheduled green flag)
TV: 12:30 PM EST on TNT
Gamble At Our Best NASCAR Sportsbooks Today!
Preview: Pocono is known as the “Tricky Triangle” racetrack. It’s 2.5 miles in length with three different corners and three different straights, making it a challenge for both drivers and crew chiefs. Rain may be an issue at Pocono, particularly on Friday, though it’s in the forecast all three days. NASCAR announced a significant rule change this week with restarts throughout the entire race going to double file.
The Belmont Stakes odds were supposed to be a two-horse race but, with Rachel Alexandra pulling out, it’s not a one-horse show.
In the 2009 NBA Finals, many people were expecting a two-horse race between Kobe and Lebron, and although it didn’t happen, it might be a two-horse race of a different kind.
The NBA brass wanted the dream matchup Kobe vs. Lebron but Orlando would have no part of it upsetting Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Championship. The Lakers will have the home court advantage but Orlando has overcome the advantage in the last two series. In the regular season Orlando swept the LA Lakers and also covered the spread in both games.
Got time to bet on the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals begin this Thursday, June 4th in Los Angeles. Below is a look at some key numbers in the matchup between the Lakers and Magic.
16.7
This was the regular season scoring average for Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson who averaged 16.7 points in the 42 games he played in before injuring his shoulder against Dallas on February 2nd. Nelson was ruled out for the rest of the season after having surgery on February 19th, however the Magic’s extended playoff run has given him extra recovery time and the team might now activate him for the NBA Finals.
This series is a very interesting match-up between two teams that have brought questionable efforts at times in the NBA playoffs. They played each other twice this season, once in December and once in January.
Orlando won both games, one at Los Angeles, and one at home. However, Jameer Nelson was a very key contributor in both games, so his absence could hurt the Magic’s chances.
The lines are up for every game in the NBA Finals. Want to bet Game 3 in Orlando? The Magic are 3-point favorites, and if there is a Game 7 back in LA, the Lakers are 6-point favorites.
SPORTSBETTING.com has all the lines up with their “Prospective Bets”, which have been running all NBA playoffs.
And while the Finals matchup won’t feature a Kobe vs. King James battle, it is still an intriguing series.
Cleveland.com said it best: “It’s time to put the puppets away. There will be no LeBron James-Kobe Bryant NBA Finals.” It looked like a shoo-in for the top two seeds to meet, setting up a Kobe/LeBron Finals.
But once the Eastern Conference Finals began, you could see the Magic were a terrific team that matched up very well with the Cavs.
The French Open odds took Rafael Nadal away from us and we all know what happened to LeBron, but never fear – Tiger Woods is back in golf betting. He’s not just back – he’s ready to win. Let’s preview the more intriguing sportsbook options for this week’s Memorial odds.
Tiger Woods
Golf odds: +275
Event: 3rd Leg Of The 2009 Triple Crown – The 2009 Belmont Stakes
Date: Saturday June 6th, 2009
Location: Belmont Park in Elmont, NY
Post Time: 1PM (EST)
The Belmont Stakes will be run this Saturday June 6th at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. This race is the third jewel of the Triple Crown and the longest of all three. We have already seen a 50-1 shot, Mine That Bird win the Kentucky Derby and had a philly, Rachael Alexandra run away from all the colts in the Preakness so you have to wonder what surprises are in store for us in the Belmont. Here is a preview of the top contenders for Saturday’s race along with their current odds from Bodog.com.
Would it be that shocking in the Belmont Stakes odds to see a long shot like Miner’s Escape leading the pack partway through race? After all, the Florida Marlins started the season 11-1, Rafael Nadal lost on clay and the Cleveland Cavaliers failed to reach the NBA Finals.
Consider the enormity of the feat facing the Orlando Magic only a few weeks ago. Fresh off their victory over the 76ers, they knew they now had to draw the equivalent of an inside straight to win their first NBA title. Up next were the defending champion Boston Celtics, followed by a rested and ready Cleveland and finally the Lakers.
There have been just 44 complete games tossed through the first two months of the season.
They have occurred in less than six (5.8) percent of this year’s games.
In contrast, there have been 209 blown saves-about 28 percent of games–already this year.
