Finally the NBA Playoffs are upon us. Not a minute too soon Craig Trapp has heated up with his NBA Plays going 10-2 last 10 days!! Today Craig will break down the future odds for the Western Conference Championship. Some great value to be had if you can get past the huge favorite: Los Angeles Lakers.
With just a few games in the regular season in the NBA it’s about time to start examining the playoff picture. The Eastern Conference has a solid three teams that all can win the Eastern Conference crown. Let’s look at all three of these Eastern Conference favorites and break down their odds to win the NBA Eastern Conference.
While Basketball Bettors will be going ga-ga over the grand finale of March Madness this weekend, Baseball Bettors will be focusing their attention on the opening day of the MLB season.
But before the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves to open the 2009 Major League Baseball season Sunday night (8 pm ET, ESPN2), bettors can lock in their pre-season picks for World Series champion and League Championships at betED.com.
Odds to Win MLB’s American League West
The AL West has been dominated by the Los Angeles Angels the last several seasons, winning their division four out of the last five years and in 2008 by a whopping 21 games. I do not see things being that easy for them in 2009 as the rest of the teams in the West have worked hard this past off season to try and close the gap.
The AL Central should be the most wide open race in baseball as three maybe four teams have a legitimate shot to win this division. It will all come down to who has the best pitching late in the summer when there are those “must win” games on the line. Most likely there will be little margin for error, so every win becomes that more important.
The American League’s Eastern Division was extremely competitive last season with Tampa Bay shocking everyone by edging out Boston for the division crown. The Red Sox captured the Wild Card and four out of five teams finished with winning records. With some major off season acquisitions and some juggling of the line ups, 2009 is shaping up to be even more competitive and should be a thrilling race to the finish.
With the exception of Mizzou, all the higher seeds have advanced on to the Elite 8. All eight teams looked extremely impressive in their victories setting up some great matchups in this next round. These next four games are going to be like watching two heavyweights slug it out until one of them drops. Here are my predictions for the Elite Eight.
In one of the better division pennant races from last season, the Dodgers outlasted the Diamondbacks to win the NL West by 2 games. With Manny Ramirez aboard for the whole season, LA should be able to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division.
Something tells me this isn’t going to be the case, as the NL West could be more competitive this season than most people think.
The NL Central has been dominated by the Chicago Cubs the last two seasons as they have clearly been the class of this division. While there have been some significant player moves by the rest of the teams to try and close the gap, it remains to be seen if it will enough to dethrone the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs -200: While shuffling their line up somewhat, this year’s team remains basically intact from last season’s team that won 97 games.
The NL East has basically been a two team battle the last few seasons with the Mets and the Phillies going down to the wire. The question this year is can anyone else in the division stay in the race long enough to challenge for the top spot.
Here is a look at the current odds to win the NL East.
The first two rounds of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament are in the books and how sweet it was. After all the smoke has cleared, there are sixteen teams left standing. There were some minor upsets, but for the most part the teams that advanced are pretty much who everyone expected. Now it gets interesting as these top teams are slated to square off against each other.
NFL betting is far from over as Sportsbook.com makes history with almost 30 different props available for the NFL Combine.
Running back will again be a big focus this year as this glamour position is one where rookies can immediately start and make an impact in the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4 SU, 11-7 ATS) vs. Arizona Cardinals (12-7 SU & ATS)
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
BetUS NFL betting odds: PITTSBURGH -6.5, Total 46.5
NOTABLE STAT: Pittsburgh is first in the NFL in points allowed and yards allowed
KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND: Arizona has played seven of its last nine games under the total
No this isn’t a preemptive article for Monday. This is a free-picks article for your degenerate face! The Eagles visit the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday to decide who is going to be the NFC Champion. The Eagles are road favorites heading in to this one, and I can completely understand why. They have a blitz-happy defense that boasts one of the best secondaries in the league.
The Baltimore Ravens (13-5 SU, 14-4 ATS, 9-8-1 O/U) have been keeping their opponents on ‘lockdown’ better than a Federal penitentiary. The Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4 SU, 10-7 ATS, 9-8 O/U) have not displayed the defensive prowess of their counterparts in this contest, but find themselves in the AFC title game after emphatically spanking the San Diego Chargers in their only playoff game this season.
BetUS NFL betting odds: PITTSBURGH -6, Total 34
NOTABLE STAT: Steelers gave up 237 yards per game (best in NFL)
KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND: Baltimore is 7-1 SU & ATS in last eight road games
In the BetUS NFL football betting odds, the Steelers are listed as a six-point favorite, with a posted total of 34 points.
