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.
Well its been over two weeks since Craig has released his Power Rankings for College Basketball. The Madness has officially begun and the upsets are only just starting. Not a ton of change at the top of Craig’s Power Rankings but the top 5 has had a few changes.
by T.O. Whenham – 03/11/2009
Big East – We’ll start with a tough one. The odds would logically suggest that three teams are favored well above the rest – UConn and Pitt at 7/4, and Louisville at 9/4. Head to head matchups don’t help much – Pitt beat UConn twice but lost to Louisville, and the Cardinals lost to UConn.
by T.O. Whenham – 3/10/2009
Maryland Terrapins, ACC – Maryland played one of the most exciting and impressive games I saw all season when they beat North Carolina in overtime last month. Greivis Vasquez had a triple-double and was as good as a player can be.
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The opening round of the Pac-10 Tournament gets underway Wednesday with the Stanford Cardinal taking on the Oregon State Beavers (9 pm ET, FSN). Stanford is 17-12 SU and 15-11-1 ATS this season while Oregon State is 13-16 SU and 11-13 ATS.
The regular season has ended, and the Conference Championships are in full swing as the top college basketball teams in the nation jockey for position heading into the Big Dance.
With Selection Sunday only days away, prized bracket seedings are still on the line as anything can happen over the next few days.
Madison Square Garden plays host to tonights Big East matchup between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the West Virginia Mountaineers. Notre Dame comes into this matchup off a 61-50 win over Rutgers, while West Virginia brings some anger in off their last game loss to Louisville.
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The Detroit Tigers flabbergasted MLB betting fans last year; so much talent, such poor results. While the Tigers weren’t the only bust in last year’s MLB odds – the Diamondbacks and Indians come to mind – they may be the least likely to bounce back of all last year’s disappointments.
NCAA Tournament is always exciting and we all know why we call it March Madness. Everybody is always looking for the next Davidson or Kent State that can upset and make it deep into the tournament. Winning your bracket though is not about picking the big upsets instead it’s about picking the most winners overall.
Championship Week has taken over campuses across the United States. Some teams need to perform extremely well at these conference tournaments to get invited to the Big Dance. Teams like Maryland, Providence, Oklahoma State and about half of the Big Ten are in danger of falling off the bubble.
