Sports Betting Games to Bet on – Feb. 16th Edition
If Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were still around today, well, they’d be over 200 years old. And being two very smart people, they’d be betting on the following five events, presumably using some of those sharp observation skills that made them great. Don’t forget to tell Abe and Chuck that all times listed are Eastern, and to visit Bodog Sportsbook for the latest betting lines.
1. NBA: Boston at Phoenix (Sunday, 2:30 p.m.)
It had yet to be made official at press time, but the Suns (28-23 SU, 17-31-2 ATS) are almost certainly going to have Alvin Gentry as their head coach for this matchup. Terry Porter is getting the boot after less than a full season in the desert. There’s also the matter of which players Gentry will have at his disposal; Phoenix is evidently in cost-cutting mode and actively shopping Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline. Expect the Suns to try to please the restless home fans and their remaining players by reverting to a more up-tempo style. The Celtics (44-11 SU, 31-24 ATS) have won two straight SU and ATS on the road to get back on track after key losses to the Spurs (+6.5) and Lakers (+7) at the Garden.
Bet on NBA odds at Bodog Sportsbook.
2. NCAAB: Michigan State at Purdue (Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.)
After a shaky start, it looks like the Spartans (20-4 SU, 12-8-1 ATS) are going to take the Big Ten title this year. But first they have to get past a very tough Purdue team (19-6 SU, 10-11 ATS) that sports one of the best defenses in college – not to mention victories over Wisconsin (-1) and Minnesota (-1) on the road. Neither of these two teams is particularly good at shooting, but the Spartans should have a big advantage on the glass in this matchup with 6-foot-10 center Goran Suton and 6-foot-8 freshman forward Delvon Roe among the top offensive rebounders in Division I.
3. NBA: San Antonio at Detroit (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.)
The Spurs (35-16 SU, 25-24-2 ATS) have done their share of deadline wheeling and dealing in the past, but it’s the retooling Pistons (27-24 SU, 20-31 ATS) who will be under the microscope between now and Thursday. They’re 5-12 SU and 4-13 ATS over the past month with sophomore Rodney Stuckey manning the point. San Antonio, meanwhile, is 15-5 SU and 11-8-1 ATS in 2009, including 6-1-1 ATS over the past eight games.
Unlike recent years, the Spurs are deeper and somewhat younger as well with the addition of Roger Mason and the promotion of Matt Bonner to starting center.
NBA betting at Bodog Online Sportsbook
4. NHL: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (Saturday, 1:00 p.m.)
The in-state rivalry between these two clubs gets a little extra hot sauce on it Saturday afternoon with a TV audience on Comcast. The 27-25-5 Penguins fired head coach Michel Therrien on Sunday and replaced him with Dan Bylsma, who was coaching the Pens’ AHL farm team in Wilkes-Barre. Like most defense-oriented coaches, Therrien couldn’t keep his offensive-minded players happy, so expect a lot more scoring from Pittsburgh with Bylsma behind the bench. The 30-16-9 Flyers are only No. 16 in the NHL in goals allowed at 2.85 per game, and No. 6 in scoring at 3.17 goals per game.
Bet on NHL games at Bodog.
5. MMA: Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson (Saturday, card starts at 10:00 a.m.)
This is the main event of UFC 95 at the O2 Arena in London, England. Once again, the Brits are getting the UFC’s B-show, and we’ll all get to watch on tape-delay (9:00 p.m. ET) free on Spike-TV. Sanchez is the –325 favorite and the middleweight winner from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, although he’s fought at welterweight since. Sanchez (19-2 lifetime, 7-2 UFC) will be making his lightweight debut against Stevenson, who was the welterweight champion from TUF 2 and is 5-2 in the UFC at 155 pounds. Stevenson (+250) lost his one and only title match thus far against BJ Penn at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England.
Mixed Martial Arts lines at Bodog.
Honorable Mentions
NBA: New Orleans at L.A. Lakers (Friday, 10:30 p.m.)
NCAAB: Washington at UCLA (Thursday, 11:00 p.m.)
NHL: N.Y. Rangers at St. Louis (Monday, 7:00 p.m.)
Soccer: West Ham at Bolton (Saturday, 10:00 a.m.)
NASCAR: Auto Club 500 (Sunday, 6:00 p.m.)
