Games to Bet (3/8 - 3/14)
by BoDog
Championship Week has arrived!.
College basketball?s conference tournaments are already underway ? congratulations to Northern Iowa for winning the Missouri Valley Conference on Sunday. This week, more schools look to punch their tickets as they go head-to-head in mini-brackets. Even though the college game is featured every day this week, gamblers can still wager on the NBA, NHL and much more!
1. Eastern War
Celtics at Cavaliers (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EST)
This potential Eastern Conference final should still be worth watching, even if Shaquille O?Neal (20.5 PPG) could be out for the rest of the year following surgery on his thumb. The Cavs are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in his absence (the one loss coming without LeBron James). O?Neal is still much better than your average center, and while Cleveland hasn?t quite figured out how to use him ? the Big Aristotle has a minus-1.1 Roland Rating ? starting J.J. Hickson (minus-3.0 Roland Rating) in Shaq?s place isn?t going to make things better. The Celtics (40-21 SU, 24-36-1 ATS) have their full lineup again and have won four in a row at 3-1 ATS.
2. Big Ten Baromerter
Illinois vs. Wisconsin (Friday, 2:25 p.m. EST)
There will be more important games than this, but we won?t know the identities of the teams involved until the early rounds have been played. This Big Ten matchup at Conseco Fieldhouse should nonetheless draw plenty of interest. The Badgers (23-7 SU, 17-11 ATS) have the No. 4 seed in this tournament; Illinois (18-13 SU, 12-18 ATS) is No. 5, but three games behind Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings and not nearly as talented. That was plain to see on Sunday when the Badgers pounded the Fighting Illini 72-57 as 3.5-point road faves. Caveat emptor: The Illini (+9 away) upset Wisconsin 63-56 one month ago. Check Bodog Sports for the latest NCAAB betting odds for Champ Week.
3. Headin' West
Raptors at Lakers (Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EST)
It?s hard to win when your best player is sick. Kobe Bryant (28.4 points per game) has a stomach virus and was uncertain for this past Sunday?s meeting with the Orlando Magic; Bryant scored 24 points, but on only 12-of-30 shooting as the Lakers fell 96-94. L.A. supporters got paid anyway as 2.5-point road dogs, only their second payday in 10 games. Chris Bosh (27.0 points, 12.6 rebounds/40) also came down with a stomach virus last week, posted a double-double against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, and watched the Raptors (-5.5) lose 114-101 to fall to 1-7 ATS since Bosh was originally put on the shelf with a sprained ankle. Hedo Turkoglu (15.4 points, 5.2 assists/40) also missed that game with an ankle sprain and could be out for the whole week.
4. Put up your Pucks
Bruins at Canadiens (Saturday, 7:00 p.m. EST)
Since we checked in on this bitter rivalry last week, the Canadiens (32-29-6, 11.24 units) have won three out of four games and picked up four units, starting with their 4-1 victory over the Bruins (29-24-11 SU, -2.07 units). Goalie Tuukka Rask (.926 save percentage) missed the next three games since then with a knee injury, but the Bruins won two of those matchups with the capable Tim Thomas (.916 SV%) in goal. The more pressing issue is with Marc Savard (33 points in 40 games), who was taken off the ice on a stretcher after absorbing a forearm shiver from Pittsburgh?s Matt Cooke on Sunday. Savard?s status was unknown at press time.
5. Best of the Best
Liverpool at Lille (Thursday, 1:00 p.m. EST)
The Europe League (formerly the UEFA Cup) has reached the Round of 16. Thursday?s first leg includes this competitive matchup between Liverpool, currently sixth in the English Premiership (14 wins, eight losses, six draws), and the Lille Olympique Sporting Club (fifth in France?s Ligue 1 at 14-7-6). Lille have had to deal with some injury problems of late and have two draws and a loss in their last three games. The home side is +215 on the ?three outcomes? betting line with Liverpool at +120 and the draw at +225. The Reds have three wins and a draw in their last four matches.
Honorable Mentions
NBA: Chicago at Orlando (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.)
NCAAB: Iowa State vs. Texas (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.)
NHL: Pittsburgh at New Jersey (Friday, 7:00 p.m.)
Soccer: Fulham at Juventus (Thursday, 3:05 p.m.)
Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey (Saturday, PPV at 9:00 p.m.)
by BoDog
Championship Week has arrived!.
College basketball?s conference tournaments are already underway ? congratulations to Northern Iowa for winning the Missouri Valley Conference on Sunday. This week, more schools look to punch their tickets as they go head-to-head in mini-brackets. Even though the college game is featured every day this week, gamblers can still wager on the NBA, NHL and much more!
1. Eastern War
Celtics at Cavaliers (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EST)
This potential Eastern Conference final should still be worth watching, even if Shaquille O?Neal (20.5 PPG) could be out for the rest of the year following surgery on his thumb. The Cavs are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in his absence (the one loss coming without LeBron James). O?Neal is still much better than your average center, and while Cleveland hasn?t quite figured out how to use him ? the Big Aristotle has a minus-1.1 Roland Rating ? starting J.J. Hickson (minus-3.0 Roland Rating) in Shaq?s place isn?t going to make things better. The Celtics (40-21 SU, 24-36-1 ATS) have their full lineup again and have won four in a row at 3-1 ATS.
2. Big Ten Baromerter
Illinois vs. Wisconsin (Friday, 2:25 p.m. EST)
There will be more important games than this, but we won?t know the identities of the teams involved until the early rounds have been played. This Big Ten matchup at Conseco Fieldhouse should nonetheless draw plenty of interest. The Badgers (23-7 SU, 17-11 ATS) have the No. 4 seed in this tournament; Illinois (18-13 SU, 12-18 ATS) is No. 5, but three games behind Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings and not nearly as talented. That was plain to see on Sunday when the Badgers pounded the Fighting Illini 72-57 as 3.5-point road faves. Caveat emptor: The Illini (+9 away) upset Wisconsin 63-56 one month ago. Check Bodog Sports for the latest NCAAB betting odds for Champ Week.
3. Headin' West
Raptors at Lakers (Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EST)
It?s hard to win when your best player is sick. Kobe Bryant (28.4 points per game) has a stomach virus and was uncertain for this past Sunday?s meeting with the Orlando Magic; Bryant scored 24 points, but on only 12-of-30 shooting as the Lakers fell 96-94. L.A. supporters got paid anyway as 2.5-point road dogs, only their second payday in 10 games. Chris Bosh (27.0 points, 12.6 rebounds/40) also came down with a stomach virus last week, posted a double-double against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, and watched the Raptors (-5.5) lose 114-101 to fall to 1-7 ATS since Bosh was originally put on the shelf with a sprained ankle. Hedo Turkoglu (15.4 points, 5.2 assists/40) also missed that game with an ankle sprain and could be out for the whole week.
4. Put up your Pucks
Bruins at Canadiens (Saturday, 7:00 p.m. EST)
Since we checked in on this bitter rivalry last week, the Canadiens (32-29-6, 11.24 units) have won three out of four games and picked up four units, starting with their 4-1 victory over the Bruins (29-24-11 SU, -2.07 units). Goalie Tuukka Rask (.926 save percentage) missed the next three games since then with a knee injury, but the Bruins won two of those matchups with the capable Tim Thomas (.916 SV%) in goal. The more pressing issue is with Marc Savard (33 points in 40 games), who was taken off the ice on a stretcher after absorbing a forearm shiver from Pittsburgh?s Matt Cooke on Sunday. Savard?s status was unknown at press time.
5. Best of the Best
Liverpool at Lille (Thursday, 1:00 p.m. EST)
The Europe League (formerly the UEFA Cup) has reached the Round of 16. Thursday?s first leg includes this competitive matchup between Liverpool, currently sixth in the English Premiership (14 wins, eight losses, six draws), and the Lille Olympique Sporting Club (fifth in France?s Ligue 1 at 14-7-6). Lille have had to deal with some injury problems of late and have two draws and a loss in their last three games. The home side is +215 on the ?three outcomes? betting line with Liverpool at +120 and the draw at +225. The Reds have three wins and a draw in their last four matches.
Honorable Mentions
NBA: Chicago at Orlando (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.)
NCAAB: Iowa State vs. Texas (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.)
NHL: Pittsburgh at New Jersey (Friday, 7:00 p.m.)
Soccer: Fulham at Juventus (Thursday, 3:05 p.m.)
Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey (Saturday, PPV at 9:00 p.m.)
