Leave it to Bodog to combine a true casino classic like Blackjack with a true sports classic like March Madness®. Their newly themed Bracket Buster Blackjack game really does deliver the best of both worlds directly to your computer. As strange as it may seem, the two have more in common than you think.
There’s a huge slate of college hoops games on Friday and Sportsbook.com is giving you more for less with our Reduced Juice.
We’re offering -105 Reduced Juice all day and with the semifinals of the Big East, Big 12 and Pac-10 going on and quarterfinals of the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC, you do not want to miss out.
March Madness odds are here! Woo hoo! I – oh, sorry, wrong blog. Just getting a bit ahead of myself, I suppose. I can’t help it, though – there are few events in online sports betting more exciting than March Madness betting. Maybe when (if?) The WBC odds are around long enough to develop cache, they’ll get people more pumped at the sportsbook.
Anyway, why not make a few picks for the next round of World Baseball Classic betting?
Instead of Pools, this round breaks down into two groups, with the top two teams from each group reaching the semifinal.
Group 1: Korea, Cuba, Japan, Mexico
Picks: Cuba, Japan
Forgive me for not respecting Korea in the WBC odds, but I just think it got a bit lucky in winning Pool A. Jung Bong, who has major-league experience, befuddled Japan in a 1-0 shutout. But Japan crushed them 14-2 in the first meeting, so the discrepancy in results looks like a fluke to me. I think Japan may have the best 1-2 pitching punch in the WBC odds in Dice-K and Yu Darvish, so I think it can join Cuba, who has looked as dominant as any team, in the semifinal.
Group 2: Puerto Rico, Venezuela, USA, the Netherlands (!)
Picks: Venezuela, USA
No Puerto Rico? Can you trust me at the sportsbook? I dunno, but I just have a feeling. Puerto Rico breezed through its pool, admittedly, and pounded the Cinderella Dutch twice. But I still think Venezuela matches up to them pretty evenly in talent, hitting-wise and pitching wise. More importantly, the Venezuelans are playing chips on their shoulders, mainly due to some weird political undertones that had Venezuelan fans booing Magglio Ordonez in round one. Puerto Rico hasn’t really been tested yet and could be overconfident, whereas Venezuela had to grind its way out of Pool C. The U.S. is a lock, since it’s the deepest team and has the home-field advantage for the rest of the WBC odds.
Happy WBC betting, folks!
The brackets for the NCAA Tournament will be announced on Sunday night and the analysis will begin taking shape. Taking a look at the regular season, it was very similar to 2006-2007 as there were a lot of changes at the top of the rankings.
NCAA Basketball conference tournaments are moving into the semifinals Friday and betED.com has full-game and first-half lines available for all the matchups.
Two top-ranked teams meet in a Big East semifinal when the No. 13 Villanova Wildcats take on the No. 5 Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden (7 pm ET, ESPN).
In the 2009 MLB odds, the AL Central looks like a division on the rise. The Cleveland Indians, while they sputtered to a .500 record last year, could be one of baseball’s biggest bounce-back stories this season despite their increasingly tough local competition. They have enough young talent to challenge for the division crown, but only time will tell whether or not it all comes together at once.
Thursday was the first day for conference tournament action from the biggest conferences in the NCAA. There were some interesting results from those games, but they were not as surprising as you might think. Let’s take a look at how we can use these outcomes to help predict what will happen in the NCAA tournament, when it matters the most.
It’s Go Time – Selection Sunday draws nigh and while some teams are already booked in for a spot in the tournament, others have to make their case over the next few days.
It’s Championship week and invites to the big dance are waiting to be grabbed.
It’s time to foil up.
Yes, so the 1977 Paul Newman film Slap Shot remains the enduring image of hockey to many American sports fans. As far as they’re concerned, it’s either all about the fighting, or it’s a joke because of the fighting.
The ACC tournament tipped off today and there are some intriguing games even with the lower seeds.
Click here for a list of all Thursday basketball odds and don’t forget that Sportsbook.com is offering Reduced Juice on all first and second half NCAA sides during Championship Week.
There’s a new No.1 team in the NBA, but not by much. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers will probably fight for the top spot for the rest of the year, and NBA betting players will have a tough time deciding which team to go with in their offshore sportsbook.
Boston Red Sox (2008 Record: 95-67, 2 GB in AL East – AL Wild Card Winner)
After coming within 3 measly runs of another AL Pennant in 2008, the BoSox are back with what could be a much stronger team.
While the boys from the Bronx grabbed the East Coast headlines this Winter by spending enough money to purchase a small country, GM Theo Epstein and crew took a somewhat different approach to retooling. By taking fliers on injury risks with tremendous upside and proven track records like John Smoltz, Brad Penny, and Rocco Baldelli, they may wind up getting the most bang for their buck out of all the 30 MLB teams.
Even if the aforementioned players do not pan out, the Sox still boast a very strong roster. The outfield is made up of a formidable group featuring Jason “don’t call me Manny” Bay, Jacoby Elisbury, and JD Drew in right with Baldelli able to fill in at all 3 positions. Being with the team from the start of the season should boost Bay’s numbers, who still put up a respectable showing after having to fill some really big shoes down the stretch in ’08. The right side of the infield is solid with on-base machines Kevin Youkilis and reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia. The left side, on the other hand, is a bit of a question mark with third baseman Mike Lowell recovering from hip surgery and the shortstop position up for grabs in a battle between veteran Julio Lugo and 25-year old Jed Lowrie.
After a lot of uncertainty over contract details, the Sox were finally able to bring back the man with the C on his jersey to man the backstop. Reduced to a mediocre hitter at this point in his career, Jason Varitek is still crucial to the success of a pitching staff which is relying on some young but effective arms like phenom Jon Lester and even some key bullpen pieces such as Boston native Manny Delcarmen.
The starting rotation is as deep as they come, led by post-season hero Josh Beckett, Lester, and Dice-K, and rounded out by knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and newcomer Penny. Smoltz is expected back in May, which should push either Wakefield or Penny to an already solid pen. If injuries should hit, already experienced youngsters Clay Buckhholz and Justin Masterson are waiting in the wings as well as top prospect Michael Bowden. The fiery Johathan Papelbon may be the best 9th inning man in the league next to Mariano Rivera and he now has ex-Dodger Takashi Saito, a closer in his own right, to set him up. If David Ortiz can bounce back to anything close to his 2007 form, Terry Francona’s squad should once again be playing meaningful October baseball. Look for Boston to finish with around 97 wins this season.
Bet Online Under/Over: Under/Over 95 Wins (-115)
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Baltimore Orioles 2008 Record: 68-93, 28.5 GB in AL East
The O’s finally appear to be headed in the right direction after years of misguided acquisitions and poor draft choices. They are still a few years away from challenging in what should once again be baseball’s toughest division.
Whether it’s sheer luck or if there is really something to it, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin always seems to pick up his game when his parents come to visit from Russia.
Last season when they were in town Malkin who scored 106 points, picked up 15 points in five games.
By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports
The Florida Gators are two years removed from a national championship and they are now firmly on the bubble with a strong chance of missing the Big Dance for the second straight season. Florida plays a must-win game on Thursday night in the SEC tournament versus Arkansas, so now is an excellent time to take a closer look and to decide if the Florida Gators are for real.
My two favorite Conference tournaments, the ACC and the SEC, get underway here on Thursday afternoon. I’m a diehard South Carolina Gamecocks fan but I absolutely love the North Carolina Tar Heels. I’ve been a big Tar Heel fan since the mid 70’s back when Phil Ford ran the show.
