Sports Betting

Sports Betting
Weekend Sports Preview: February 17While the world's best hockey players will be competing in the Winter Olympics over in Turin, Italy this weekend, the world's best basketball players will taking to the court at the Toyota Center in Houston for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. Those two events, along with the Daytona 500 down in Florida, highlight this weekend in sports. The Eastern Conference will be looking to make it two in a row this weekend when they take on their All-Star counterparts from the NBA's Western Conference. The Eastern Conference won this game 125-115 last year in Denver, with Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers picking up the contest's Most Valuable Player award. That victory by the Eastern Conference ended a run of three straight wins by the West. In their last 10 meetings, the East and West have five victories apiece, with neither team scoring under 110 points in any of those games. The high-water mark for combined score in the last decade came in 2003, when the West won 155-145 in double overtime. This year's West All-Stars (under coach Avery Johnson) are Ray Allen, Elton Brand, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tony Parker. For the East (under coach Flip Saunders), it's Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, Richard Hamilton, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Jermaine O'Neal (injured), Shaquille O'Neal, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace. Over in Italy, the men's Olympic hockey tourney takes Friday off, and then continues with round-robin action on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, it's Kazakhstan-Russia, Italy-Germany, Canada-Switzerland, Sweden-Latvia, Slovakia-United States, and Czech Republic-Finland. On Sunday, it's Germany-Switzerland, Russia-Latvia, Slovakia-Kazakhstan, United States-Sweden, Czech Republic-Italy, and Finland-Canada. The tournament's round-robin portion concludes on Tuesday, with the quarterfinals set for Wednesday and the semifinals being played next Friday. The Bronze Medal Game will be played on February 25, with the Gold Medal Game going on February 26. Jeff Burton will start from the pole on Sunday in the Daytona 500, the season-opening race for the 2006 Nextel Cup Series. Burton was the fastest driver in last weekend's qualifying sessions. The defending Daytona 500 champion, Jeff Gordon, finished second in qualifying and will start from the outside pole on Sunday. Gordon has won six career races at Daytona International Speedway. Kurt Busch picked up a second-place finish in last year's Daytona 500, with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Scott Riggs, and Jimmie Johnson making up the rest of the top five. Finishing in spots 6-10 were Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Sterling Marlin, Kevin Lepage, and Rusty Wallace. Last year's pole sitter, Dale Jarrett, ended up in 15th place. Burton finished 29th at Daytona in 2005 after starting from the number six spot on the grid. In college basketball, the top-ranked Connecticut Huskies will be looking to shake off Tuesday's loss to No. 4 Villanova when they take on No. 11 West Virginia on Saturday afternoon. That defeat knocked UConn into second place in the Big East standings, and jeopardizes their No. 1 ranking. Villanova, meanwhile, takes on No. 17 Georgetown in a Sunday afternoon contest. In other Top 10 action this weekend, it's No. 10 Florida at Arkansas, No. 8 Tennessee at Alabama, No. 5 Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount, No. 7 George Washington at Richmond, No. 3 Memphis at Tulane, No. 9 Pittsburgh at Marquette, No. 6 Texas at Oklahoma State, and Miami at No. 2 Duke. And finally, in the Arena Football League, it's Austin at Dallas and Georgia at Las Vegas on Friday, Colorado at Nashville, Utah at Arizona, and Chicago at Los Angeles on Saturday, and San Jose at Grand Rapids, Columbus at Kansas City, New York at Philadelphia, and Orlando at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
http://www.sport-betting-links.com

College Basketball Betting

College Basketball Betting
Duke Backers Profiting On Over WagersWe all know Duke is winning and is arguably the best team in college basketball, yet again. At 24-1 straight up (SU) and 12-0 in conference play, the No. 2 Blue Devils have a stranglehold on the first place in the ACC. That's great if you're a passive hoops fan, one of the Cameron Crazies or Dick Vitale, but what if you're among the millions of Duke bettors? As far as pointspread betting is concerned, things aren't so great. The Blue Devils are just 11-11-1 against the spread (ATS) through their first 23 games. On the other hand, bettors wagering on the total in Duke games are cashing in. The Blue Devils have seen an amazing 15 of 24 games top the posted total (63 percent). And it has been getting better - Duke's last 10 games have all gone OVER. Wagers on the total in Duke road games have been particularly profitable - seven of nine road games with a posted total have gone OVER. A big reason why Blue Devils' games have been high-scoring has been the team's offense, which ranks first in the ACC averaging 83.9 ppg. Duke's primary offensive weapon has been guard J.J. Redick, who's averaging 28.9 ppg and is currently the top scorer in the nation. Redick has been neck-and-neck with Gonzaga's Adam Morrison as the top scorer in Division I all season. Forward Shelden Williams has also been a big offensive threat and is second on the team in scoring averaging 18.4 ppg. All that said, Duke backers may want to consider placing bets on the UNDER this Sunday when the Blue Devils host Miami (5:30 p.m. ET). The Hurricanes have the second-lowest scoring offense in the ACC at 69.4 ppg. They also have the top-scoring defense in the conference allowing just 64.2 ppg. Duke is just 6-5 on the OVER/UNDER at home. Unlike the Blue Devils, a team that has not seen many OVERs this season is Cal Poly of the Big West Conference. The Mustangs have seen just five of 17 games top the total (29 percent). Meanwhile, wagers on the Mustangs to cover the spread have also cashed in. As of Wednesday, Cal Poly was 14-3 ATS, the best betting record in Division I. This Saturday, the Mustangs visit St. Mary's (8 p.m. ET). Cal Poly is 8-1 ATS and 3-6 O/U on the road.
http://www.sport-betting-links.com

College Basketball Betting

College Basketball Betting
Duke Backers Profiting On Over WagersWe all know Duke is winning and is arguably the best team in college basketball, yet again. At 24-1 straight up (SU) and 12-0 in conference play, the No. 2 Blue Devils have a stranglehold on the first place in the ACC. That's great if you're a passive hoops fan, one of the Cameron Crazies or Dick Vitale, but what if you're among the millions of Duke bettors? As far as pointspread betting is concerned, things aren't so great. The Blue Devils are just 11-11-1 against the spread (ATS) through their first 23 games. On the other hand, bettors wagering on the total in Duke games are cashing in. The Blue Devils have seen an amazing 15 of 24 games top the posted total (63 percent). And it has been getting better - Duke's last 10 games have all gone OVER. Wagers on the total in Duke road games have been particularly profitable - seven of nine road games with a posted total have gone OVER. A big reason why Blue Devils' games have been high-scoring has been the team's offense, which ranks first in the ACC averaging 83.9 ppg. Duke's primary offensive weapon has been guard J.J. Redick, who's averaging 28.9 ppg and is currently the top scorer in the nation. Redick has been neck-and-neck with Gonzaga's Adam Morrison as the top scorer in Division I all season. Forward Shelden Williams has also been a big offensive threat and is second on the team in scoring averaging 18.4 ppg. All that said, Duke backers may want to consider placing bets on the UNDER this Sunday when the Blue Devils host Miami (5:30 p.m. ET). The Hurricanes have the second-lowest scoring offense in the ACC at 69.4 ppg. They also have the top-scoring defense in the conference allowing just 64.2 ppg. Duke is just 6-5 on the OVER/UNDER at home. Unlike the Blue Devils, a team that has not seen many OVERs this season is Cal Poly of the Big West Conference. The Mustangs have seen just five of 17 games top the total (29 percent). Meanwhile, wagers on the Mustangs to cover the spread have also cashed in. As of Wednesday, Cal Poly was 14-3 ATS, the best betting record in Division I. This Saturday, the Mustangs visit St. Mary's (8 p.m. ET). Cal Poly is 8-1 ATS and 3-6 O/U on the road.
http://www.sport-betting-links.com

NASCAR Betting

NASCAR Betting
NASCAR: Daytona 500 Wagering PreviewThe 2006 Nextel Cup Series season begins in earnest on Sunday when the drivers take to the track in the Daytona 500. Jeff Burton will start from the pole on Sunday, having earned that position with a strong showing during last weekend's qualifying sessions. Jeff Gordon, the defending Daytona 500 champion, will start from the second spot on the grid. All other starting positions for the race will be determined at the Gatorade Duel, a pair of 150-mile races which take place on Thursday night (weather permitting). The annual Budweiser Shootout also took place at Daytona on the weekend, with Denny Hamlin the surprise winner of the event. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second on the day, with Tony Stewart, Scott Riggs, and Jimmie Johnson rounding out the Shootout's top five. Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Joe Nemechek, and Dale Jarrett made up the rest of the race's top 10. Although Stewart fell short in the Shootout, he won the last race to be held at Daytona International Speedway. That was the 2005 edition of the Pepsi 400, which was just one of Stewart's five victories en route to the 2005 drivers championship. Stewart finished 35 points ahead of both Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards in last year's Chase for the Nextel Cup standings. Martin and Johnson finished fourth and fifth in 2005. Gordon raced to the win from the No. 15 position on the grid in last year's Daytona 500. That victory earned him $1,497,150, and a temporary place atop the driver standings. Overall, Gordon has picked up an impressive six career wins at Daytona International Speedway, the most among active Nextel Cup drivers. Kurt Busch finished second in the Daytona 500 last year, followed by Earnhardt Jr., Riggs, and Johnson. Martin, Stewart, Sterling Marlin, Kevin Lepage, and Rusty Wallace also picked up top-10 finishes. Burton started from the sixth spot in 2005, and ended up way back in 29th place. Last year's pole sitter, Jarrett, wound up in 15th place. Jarrett, however, has had success at Daytona in the past, as he's raced to victory four times in his career at the Florida track. Michael Waltrip (three), Marlin (three), and Earnhardt Jr. (two) have also earned multiple wins at Daytona, while Biffle won the 2003 Pepsi 400, and Burton won the 2000 Pepsi 400. Vegas Odds to Win Daytona 500 J Gordon 4/1 D Earnhardt Jr 6/1T Stewart 7/1J Johnson 8/1K Harvick 8/1C Edwards 10/1G Biffle 12/1M Martin 12/1E Sadler 151M Truex Jr. 18/1Kyle Busch 18/1 D Jarrett 20/1Kurt Busch 20/1R Newman 20/1M Kenseth 20/1J Burton 25/1S Marlin 30/1C Bowyer 35/1J Nemechek 35/1M Waltrip 35/1K Kahne 35/1D Hamlin 35/1B Vickers 35/1J McMurray 40/1B Elliott 40/1J Mayfield 50/1JJ Yeley 50/1S Riggs 75/1C Mears 75/1B Said 75/1 Field 10/1After racing at Daytona, the drivers of the Nextel Cup Series head west to California Speedway for the Auto Club 500. March's NASCAR schedule features the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
http://www.sport-betting-links.com

NBA Betting

NBA Handicapping
Astute Handicappers Have Been On The RaptorsThey may be one of the worst teams in the NBA in the overall standings, but for astute handicappers the Toronto Raptors have been an excellent pick this season. As of Feb. 6, the Raptors were next-to-last in the Atlantic Division with a 17-31 record straight up, just ahead of Larry Brown's pitiful New York Knicks. But the young Raptors haven't been as bad as their record suggests. They've stayed close in many games and have had a few winning spurts as well. After starting the season 1-15, Toronto went 7-7 through December and 7-8 in January. The highlight of those two months was a five-game winning streak. Against the number, things have been even better for Toronto. Through their first 48 games, the Raptors had the top ATS record in the NBA at 27-19-2. During one stretch from late December into early January, Toronto went on a tear winning 10 straight games ATS. The Raps have also gone on a five- and four-game ATS win streaks. In part because of their poor overall record through the first half of the season, the Raptors fired general manager Rob Babcock in late January. Nevertheless, with an emerging star in F-C Chris Bosh, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, as well as rookie F Charlie Villanueva, the Raptors look well-positioned for future success. Besides Toronto, NBA wagering enthusiasts might also want to take a look at the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have had among the fewest games go OVER the posted total this season. Through their first 44 games, only 17 games topped the total. A big reason for this has been defense - the Spurs are allowing the second fewest points in the league at 87.5 ppg. At the same time, they are not putting up big numbers on their side of the scoreboard averaging just 94.3 ppg, 22nd overall in the league. A stingy defense combined with a lower-scoring offense is resulting in more Spurs' games dipping below the total. As of Feb. 6, the Spurs had seen nine of their last 12 fall UNDER. On the flipside, with the second-highest scoring offense in the league (102 ppg) and the worst-ranked defense (106.6 ppg), the Seattle SuperSonics have been a slam dunk pick on the OVER. Of the Sonics' first 46 games, 32 games topped the total (70 percent).
http://www.sport-betting-links.com

Olympic Hockey Betting

Sports Betting
Hockey Handicapping - Olympic Best Bet(s)The 2006 Winter Olympics are upon us. And whether you want to call them the Turin Games or the Torino Games, Olympic handicappers speak one language: hockey. Here's a look at the top four men's teams on the odds list and what bettors can expect starting Feb. 15. Keep in mind that odds will change as many teams are forced to shuffle their rosters at the last minute. Canada (11/10): On the surface, the Canadian team is in trouble. Defensemen Ed Jovanovski and Scott Niedermayer are both injured, and one of the men called up as a replacement, Bryan McCabe, is also hampered by a groin problem. Many of the big-name veterans from Salt Lake City, like Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman, are not around anymore, replaced by the likes of Dany Heatley and Martin St. Louis. But Canada is still replete with talent at both ends of the ice and has to be considered the team to beat, especially with Martin Brodeur in net. Czech Republic (5/2): The 1998 gold medalists are back for more, including the indomitable Dominik Hasek in goal. The more open style the NHL has adopted, which should translate well to Olympic hockey, has allowed skilled Euros like Jaromir Jagr to enjoy comeback seasons, and illustrates how dangerous the Czechs will be in Turin. They don't have the same depth as Canada, but in a short tournament on Olympic-size ice, they have every chance of winning. United States (4/1): This looks like a down year for Team USA. Only eight players remain from Salt Lake City, and their top gun, Keith Tkachuk, has battled injuries all season. Relative youngsters such as defensemen John-Michael Liles and left-winger Erik Cole are going to have to carry the team, and Roberto Luongo will have to play better in net than he has for the Florida Panthers this year. Don't be surprised if Ryan Miller takes his job early. Sweden (4/1): Forget about that bizarre loss to Belarus in 2000. Sweden is still a serious threat to win gold, even though the Tre Kronor will be without Markus Naslund and possibly Peter Forsberg. Henrik Lundqvist is the real deal in goal, surrounded by a defense led by Nicklas Lidstrom and enough scoring punch up front to give even Canada (still stung by Forsberg's 1994 performance) the willies.
http://www.sport-betting-links.com