NBA Betting Lines: Knicks Look to Crush Magic Again on Thursday

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After destroying the Orlando Magic last week the New York Knicks will get a chance to do that again on Thursday night when the teams hit the NBA betting lines down in Florida.

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The Knicks got 25 points from Carmelo Anthony on March 28 as they rolled to a 108-86 home win over Dwight Howard and company to give their playoff chances in the Eastern Conference a bit of a boost.

Iman Shumpert also scored 25 points that night for the Knicks, who are taking the floor without injured players Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin. Steve Novak was good for 16 points off the bench for New York in that contest.

Howard was held to 12 points and five rebounds by the Knicks in that defeat, and he sat out Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons with a sore back. That leaves Howard as day-to-day heading into Thursday’s home game against New York.

Jameer Nelson scored a team-high 17 points for Orlando in that March 28 contest, but he didn’t play against the Pistons on Tuesday either because of a calf injury. Ryan Anderson (sprained ankle) is expected to miss about a week of action.

Despite their win in late March the Knicks are still only 3-7 in their past 10 games against the Magic, going 4-6 against the spread in those 10 contests. The OVER wager has paid out for totals bettors in each of the last nine games between the teams.

On the NBA futures at Bovada heading into the weekend the Knicks are listed at 30/1 to win the championship this season, with the Magic just behind them at 35/1 odds.

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MLB Betting: Friday’s American League probable pitching matchup capsules

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The AL East-favored New York Yankees – who project to have to most wins in baseball this season – open on Friday against the division-rival and New York trots out one of the AL Cy Young favorites in CC Sabathia at Tropicana Field. Bet on every game at WagerWeb.com.

NY Yankees at Tampa Bay – Yankees LHP CC Sabathia vs. Rays RHP James Shields. Sabathia will make his ninth career Opening Day start, and his fourth as a Yankee. He has gone 95-40 with a 3.09 ERA over the past five seasons, leading the Majors in wins, winning percentage and innings pitched. … Shields is coming off his best season after going 16-12 with a 2.82 ERA in 2011. Included in his body of work were 11 complete games and 249 1/3 innings. Shields is 5-11 with a 4.14 ERA in 20 career starts against the Yankees.

Chicago White Sox at Texas – White Sox LHP John Danks vs. Rangers RHP Colby Lewis. Danks is ecstatic to have stayed with the White Sox after agreeing on a five-year, $65 million extension during the past offseason. The southpaw will make his first career Opening Day start in his home state of Texas. … Lewis will make his first Opening Day start. The Rangers like his experience and ability to pitch in big games. He is 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA in eight postseason starts. He was 11-9 with a 4.51 ERA in 29 regular-season starts in Arlington in 2010-11.

Minnesota at Baltimore – Twins RHP Carl Pavano vs. Orioles RHP Jake Arrieta. Pavano, 36, will make his second successive Opening Day start for the Twins. The veteran right-hander is the leader of Minnesota’s staff, as he’s pitched more than 220 innings in each of the past two seasons. … From elbow surgery in August, to the Opening Day nod, Arrieta has come full circle. He may have history on his side, having tossed six scoreless frames to beat the Twins the only time he faced them last season.

Kansas City at LA Angels – Royals LHP Bruce Chen vs. Angels RHP Jered Weaver. Chen, 34, is making the first Opening Day start of his 15-year career. A lefty with an array of pitches and arm angles, he’s not a hard thrower and depends on his location and veteran knowledge to succeed. He led the club with 12 victories in 2011. … Weaver finished second in Cy Young voting last year and now gets his third straight Opening Day start. Last year, the 29-year-old finished second in the AL in ERA (2.41), third in wins (18) and fifth in innings (235 2/3).

Seattle at Oakland – Mariners LHP Jason Vargas (0-0, 1.42) vs. A’s RHP Brandon McCarthy (0-0, 1.29). Vargas faces Oakland for a second straight game, having gone 6 1/3 innings with one run on two hits in last Thursday’s 4-1 loss in the Opening Series in Tokyo. He’s 3-4 with a 3.97 ERA in nine career games vs. A’s. … More than a week removed from his Opening Series start vs. Seattle in Tokyo, McCarthy is set to take the mound a second time vs. the Mariners. On March 28, he held them to one run in seven innings with three K’s, but left with a no-decision.

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NHL Hockey Futures: Detroit Team To Back at +650

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

New York Rangers (+200 to win Eastern Conference)
You have to do a wide range of things in the NHL playoffs to be successful: score lots of goal, prevent lots of goals, have a killer power play…these are all things you expect to hear. But toughness is the biggest scale tipper in the NHL playoff scene and the Rangers have it in truck loads. The biggest weakness in their game is their power play, which is the fourth worst in the league but with Henrik Lundqvist in net there isn’t much concern. And if you’re into cosmic voodoo (which 23% of my betting psyche is), then this seems like a good year to go all-in on New York, doesn’t it?

Boston Bruins (+500 to win Eastern Conference)
If you loved them last year, there are just as many reasons to love them this season. Handicpapers haven’t adored their inconsistency, but they’re ending the season on a strong high note after beating the Rangers 2-1. That put the Bruins at 7-3 SU in their last 10 games and they’re on as much of a momentum building streak as any team in the league right now. Nothing has changed from last season, except that Tyler Seguin has more experience. Plus they have a taste for blood and gold.

Pittsburgh Penguins (+190 to win Eastern Conference)
The worry with Pittsburgh is that they’re not as physical as they need to be in the playoffs, and since Sidney’s return they haven’t been that consistent going 6-5 SU in eleven games. They’ll find their legs soon enough, and after that beware if you bet against them especially with Evgeni Malkin playing far and away his best hockey ever.

The obvious reason to go against Pittsburgh is that Sidney is one brutal hit away from going back to the shelf indefinitely. These odds are very tight, but even without Sid The Kid, this team was absolutely formidable during big stretches of the season. There won’t be any buyer’s remorse here no matter what happens to Crosby, but those buyers should definitely beware.

Favorite Sleeper: Washington Capitals (+1600 to win Eastern Conference)
Listen, I know this isn’t a great bet, but you have to think that Ovechkin and company have to breakout of their playoff slump eventually, right? With a $100 flier thrown their way you could reap massive profits if they do. Still, there’s just as many reasons to bet on them (star studded roster) as there are to bet against them (star studded roster never performs in April).

The Rest of the East: Philadelphia +600, Buffalo +1600, New Jersey +1400, Ottawa +1800, Florida +1800

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Vancouver Canucks (+170 to win Western Conference)
You know who is hedging against this bet? The city of Vancouver! There’s a damn good reason that they have the best odds in the conference, and it has everything to do with the fact that they own the best record in the entire NHL. The main difference between last year and this year is that the Canucks have depth at goaltending. You can’t fault Roberto Luongo for being absolutely useless on the road in the Stanley Cup Finals last season in the Boston hosted games (ok maybe you can), but if he falters then the Nuckleheads have Corey Schneider to sit between the pipes.

Detroit Red Wings (+650 to win Western Conference)
There’s simply no possible way to write a column about “favorites to win the west” without mentioning the Red Wings. The Wings have lost their footing recently, going just 3-7 SU over their last ten games, but they also are likely candidates to have home ice heading in to the first couple rounds of the playoffs. It’s never a bad investment to bet on the Detroit Red Wings in NHL futures.

San Jose Sharks (+1200 to win Western Conference)
I’m basically putting them here because I wanted to remind you that this isn’t a bet to “appear in the Western Conference Finals and lose”. The Sharks are the ultimate non-closer in the NHL playoffs. Throwing your money at them this year is just a waste of time.

Favorite Sleeper: St. Louis Blues (+300 to win Western Conference)
If defense wins championships, the Blues should be your pick. With only 1.86 goals allowed through this season, the Blues are the unexpected NHL stalwarts on defense in the entire league ranking first in defense. It helps when you have a goalie like Brian Elliott in net and a slew of great two-way players coming back from the injured reserve.

All that being said, there’s a reason they’re my sleeper pick. They haven’t been this good or relevant for pretty much ten years. In fact, the last time they won a playoff series was ten seasons ago. Since then, they’ve made the playoffs three times and never survived the first round.

I doubt that the Blues themselves care that much about the past. They play like they believe in themselves, and if you do too then this is as worthy a bet as anyone else on the board.

The Rest of the West: Chicago +750, Nashville +700, Dallas +1800, Colorado +3500

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MLB Betting: Brewers Open Defense of NL Central Title vs. Cardinals on Friday

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The Milwaukee Brewers begin defense of the National League Central Division title on Friday afternoon when the Brew Crew host the St. Louis Cardinals in a rematch of the 2011 NLCS. Milwaukee opened as a -125 favorite on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds for this game.

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The Cardinals already have taken the field this season as they begin life without Albert Pujols. They opened on Wednesday night in Miami and won 4-1 behind a stellar outing from Kyle Lohse.David Freese, the World Series MVP, had a two-run single in the first inning to give Lohse the cushion he needed. Freese and Rafael Furcal each had three of the Cardinals’ 13 hits. Lance Berkman has moved from the outfield to Pujols’ spot at first base and Berkman was 1-for-3 with two walks.

Milwaukee won 96 games in 2011 and took the division by six games over St. Louis, which won the wild card on the final night of the season. But the Cards ousted Milwaukee in six games in the NLCS. There’s no way to fully replace Fielder’s production, but Mat Gamel gets the shot at first base now. He tore up the minors last year but hit just .115 with no homers in 26 big-league at-bats in 2011. At least the Brewers have reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun. He was suspended 50 games by MLB for failing a drug test during last year’s playoffs but stunningly won the appeal. New third baseman Aramis Ramirez now hits in Fielder’s spot behind Braun in the lineup.

The Brewers start righty Yovani Gallardo for the third straight Opening Day. Gallardo had his best season in 2011, going 17-10 with a 3.52 ERA in a career-high 33 starts. However, the Cardinals own him as Gallardo is 1-7 with a 5.66 ERA in 11 regular season starts vs. St. Louis. Of course, those Cards teams had Pujols. Milwaukee is 0-4 in Gallardo’s past four home starts vs. the Cards.

St. Louis counters with lefty Jaime Garcia. He was 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA last season. Garcia made two starts against Milwaukee, going 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 14 innings. The Cards have won five of their past six at Miller Park.

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2012 MLB Baseball Futures: Yankees Seek Improvement after Early 2011 Exit

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Just reaching the playoffs makes a season a success for most teams, but not for the New York Yankees. After getting bounced in the ALDS by the Tigers in 2011 the Bronx Bombers will be looking to make a little more noise this time around.

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The Yankees’ wins OVER/UNDER for the year is sitting at 93.5, while the Bovada MLB props have Robinson Cano at 12/1 to win the AL MVP award. Mark Teixeira is at 18/1 to win the AL MVP, with Alex Rodriguez at 25/1, Curtis Granderson at 40/1 and both CC Sabathia and Derek Jeter at 50/1.

New York cruised to the American League East title in 2011, going 97-65 and ending up six games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and seven games up on the rival Boston Red Sox – who missed the playoffs altogether.

Despite having the best record in the Junior Circuit, the Yankees couldn’t get past the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs and started their offseason early.

Still, the Yankees’ lineup remains loaded and they enter the 2012 season as the -130 favorites on the MLB futures at Bovada to win the AL East once again. Boston is next at +275, with Tampa Bay at +450, Toronto at +1000, and Baltimore the +7500 longshot.

New York is also atop the AL Pennant odds at 7/2, which puts them ahead of the 4/1 Tigers and Angels, and they’re behind only the Phillies at 7/1 odds to win the World Series this season; Philadelphia is listed at 11/2 on those futures.

The Yankees will get their 2012 campaign underway on Friday afternoon on the road against the Rays, with ace starter Sabathia taking the mound for New York against Tampa Bay’s James Shields. First pitch is set for 3:10pm ET.

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MLB Odds: Rays Look to Buck Opening MLB Odds and Win AL East

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After getting back to the playoffs in 2011 the Tampa Bay Rays will try to navigate the tough AL East again in 2012 and take another shot at the MLB betting lines and a World Series championship.

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Tampa Bay went 91-71 last season, which was just good enough to edge the 90-72 Boston Red Sox for second place in the AL East and the league’s Wild Card berth. The Rays ended up six games back of the first-place Yankees in the division standings.

Once in the playoffs, however, the Rays went away meekly, falling in just four games to the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.

And despite finishing second in the AL East in 2011, the Rays are actually listed third on those MLB futures at Bovada heading into this season; they’re at +450 odds to claim the division title, which has them behind New York (-130) and Boston (+275).

The Rays are also sixth behind the Yankees, Tigers, Angels, Red Sox and Rangers at 9/1 odds to win the American League this season, and they’re at 20/1 odds to win their first World Series in franchise history.

On the props market the Rays’ wins OVER/UNDER for the season is listed at 87.5, with Evan Longoria at 12/1 odds to win the AL MVP award this season. Longoria, who hit 31 home runs in just 133 games last year, is also at 25/1 to lead the AL in long balls.

Tampa Bay has given Longoria some extra support in the lineup this year, as they brought first baseman Carlos Pena back to the team after he played last season with the Cubs. The Rays also signed outfielder Luke Scott over the winter.

The Rays get their 2012 campaign underway on Friday afternoon at home against the Yankees, with right-hander James Shields getting the ball against New York left-hander CC Sabathia. The first pitch of that contest is set for 3:10pm ET.

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Bet on the NBA: Celtics, Bulls Meet on NBA Betting Lines in Clash of Division Leaders

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A pair of Eastern Conference division leaders will meet in Chicago on Thursday night as the Bulls play host to a Boston Celtics team that has picked up its game in the past two weeks.

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Boston has moved ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for first place in the Atlantic Division standings, thanks in large part to a dominant record at home. The Celtics, however, enter Thursday’s matchup just 11-14 on the road this season.

And the Celtics have also managed to lose four of their past five games against the Eastern-leading Bulls, covering the posted spread on the NBA lines at Bovada in just one of those contests.

The last time the two teams met was on February 16 in Chicago, with the Bulls grabbing an 89-80 win and covering the 7.5-point spread on the night in the process. The combined score was an UNDER result for totals bettors.

Chicago Bulls played that game without star guard Derrick Rose, who has been out of action with a groin injury; he is considered questionable to return on Thursday.

Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng each scored 23 points in that win over Boston in Rose’s absence, with Boozer adding 15 rebounds on the night. Joakim Noah chipped in with 15 points that game while grabbing 16 boards.

Kevin Garnett led the way for Boston with 18 points in that loss, with Rajon Rondo scoring 17 points and picking up eight assists, and Paul Pierce adding 14 points.

Despite sitting in first place in the East heading into Thursday’s schedule the Bulls are just third on the NBA futures at Bovada at 15/4 odds to win the championship. The Celtics are farther back at 22/1 odds to win the title this season.

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Washington Wizards against Detroit Pistons on Thursday: NBA Gambling

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Washington vs Detroit Betting

When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan

The Opening Line is : — - Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Detroit Pistons look for their fifth win in six games when they host the Washington Wizards on Thursday. Detroit began the stretch with a road victory over Washington on March 26 and its most recent victory came against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. The Wizards have lost three straight games and eight of nine after falling to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. Both teams are well out of contention for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Washington, Fox Sports Detroit

Washington Wizards (12-42): Center Kevin Seraphin scored in double figures for the fourth straight game with a career-best 19 points to go with 10 rebounds against the Pacers. Seraphin has started three consecutive games with Nene sidelined with a foot injury and has taken advantage of the increased playing time by averaging 16.7 points during the span. Seraphin has scored in double digits in six of seven games and the second-year player from France is showing signs that he can be a valuable contributor next season. Forward Trevor Booker has also missed three straight games with a foot injury.

Detroit Pistons (20-33): Veteran forward Tayshaun Prince has played well during Detroit’s recent surge. Prince is averaging 20 points during the stretch after totaling just 23 points over the previous three games. Prince was one of four Pistons to score 15 or more points in the victory over Orlando and the Detroit offense has more precision to it when Prince is playing efficiently. Greg Monroe had 22 points and 11 rebounds against Orlando for his 26th double-double. Guard Rodney Stuckey (hamstring) could return against Washington after a three-game absence.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Washington is just 5-21 on the road and one of the victories was a 98-77 rout of Detroit on Feb. 12.

2. Wizards guard Jordan Crawford had 28 points against Indiana for his ninth 20-point outing in 11 games.

3. Pistons center Ben Wallace is the 21st player in NBA history with more than 7,000 career defensive rebounds – his 7,003 total ranks fourth among active players behind Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki.

PREDICTION: Pistons 88, Wizards 85. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NBA Betting Predictions: Boston Celtics visit Chicago Bulls on Thursday

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Boston at Chicago Betting

When: 9:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

The Opening Line is : — - Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Boston Celtics are in the process of reasserting themselves as contenders behind their elite point guard. The Chicago Bulls are managing to hang onto the top spot in the Eastern Conference despite being without their reigning MVP at the point. Derrick Rose has missed the last 11 games with a groin injury but has been practicing recently and could return on Thursday. The Celtics got Ray Allen back on Wednesday.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Boston Celtics (30-23): Boston jumped into fourth in the Eastern Conference on the strength of a five-game winning streak, thriving with Rajon Rondo at the point and Kevin Garnett moving over to center. That streak came to an end on Wednesday with an 87-86 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics held the Spurs to 28 points in the second half but were undone by their Achilles heel – rebounding. Boston ranks last in the NBA in rebounding and is especially weak on the offensive glass. Rondo handed out 11 assists on Wednesday, marking his 14th straight game in double figures. He collected 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds at Chicago on Feb. 16 but Boston still suffered an 89-80 setback. The Celtics were outrebounded 52-37 in that contest.


Chicago Bulls (42-13): Rose missed the Feb. 16 meeting but Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer scored 23 points apiece to lead Chicago. The Bulls have taken two of three in the series despite Rose only suiting up for one of the meetings. Chicago owns a two-game lead over the Miami Heat for the top spot in the East but is coming off its first back-to-back losses of the season. The Bulls fell at Oklahoma City, 92-78, in a showdown of the conference leaders on Sunday and then ran out of gas in a 99-93 home loss to the Houston Rockets the following night.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Rose has averaged 21.4 points and 5.3 assists in 12 career games against the Celtics.

2. Rondo recorded one of his league-leading five triple-doubles against Chicago on Feb. 12.

3. Boston got Allen (ankle) back after a six-game absence on Wednesday. He managed five points in 35 minutes.

PREDICTION: Bulls 88, Celtics 85. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NBA Basketball Odds: Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings

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L.A. Clippers @ Sacramento Betting

When: 10:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, California

The Opening Line is : — - Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: After a tough 113-108 loss Wednesday to the Lakers that ended their six-game winning streak, the Clippers try to regroup on the road Thursday night at Sacramento. The loss dropped the Clippers 2 1/2 games behind the Lakers in the Pacific Division and gave the Lakers the season series. The Kings have won six of the last eight games against the Clippers in Sacramento. The Kings wrap up a four-game homestand Thursday.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS West (Clippers), CSN CA (Kings)

Los Angeles Clippers (32-22): Caron Butler looked like he was on pace for a career night, scoring 23 first-half points to match his season high. Butler scored five in the third and was scoreless in the fourth to finish with 28 points. In addition to seeing their best winning streak in 20 years end, the Clippers also had their seven-game home winning streak snapped. The Lakers shut down Randy Foye, who was averaging 21.6 points in his last three games. Foye had 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting and missed five of six 3-pointers.


Sacramento Kings (19-35): DeMarcus Cousins had a career-high 41 points on 16-of-25 shooting and 12 rebounds for his 32nd double-double Tuesday, but still couldn’t celebrate because the Kings lost to Phoenix 109-100. “It only feels great with a win,” Cousins said. In the 23 games since Isaiah Thomas took over at point guard, the Kings have averaged 105.7 points, up from 92.6. The Kings play four of their next five on the road.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Sacramento has scored at least 100 points in 11 of the last 12 games, averaging 109.4 points in that span.

2. Thomas is averaging 20 points and 6.8 assists in his last five games.

3. The Clippers have been a big draw on the road with an average attendance of 18,874, third-best in the league.

PREDICTION: Kings 108, Clippers 103. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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