Sportsbook

Kobe and the Lakers Overwhelm Nash and Suns

Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns kicked off the NBA's Western Conference finals in game 1 in Los Angeles. The end result was a 128 to 107 win for the Lakers. Star guard Kobe Bryant dominated the Suns defense, contributing 40 of the 128 pts the Lakers scored. Suns star guard Steve Nash on the contrary only chimed in 13 points and 13 assists. When participating in NBA betting, fans would have expected a high scoring affair from two of the league's top offenses, but at the same time would also be expecting a close matchup. Instead, viewers placing a bet online for the game saw one of the most dominant performances in NBA history, as the Lakers led from start to finish.

Aside from the second quarter in which the Suns were able to win the quarter 29 to 27, the Lakers were fierce as they reeled off an average of 33 points a quarter. Amar'e Stoudemire and Jason Richardson chimed in with 23 and 15 points respectively for the Suns in the losing effort while Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom each contributed with 21 and 19 points in the winning effort. If the Suns have any chance of winning in this series, they will need to get off to a much better start, as although they have come back the most times out of any team in the NBA this season, if last night is any indication it appears the comeback streak may be drying up. Further if the Suns expect to have any chance, they need the bench to step it up as they only contributed a lowly 35 points for the entire game.

Bulls Fire Head Coach Vinny Del Negro

The Chicago Bulls have made the move many anticipated would go through a long time ago, announcing that they would hold a press conference to announce the firing of head coach Vinny Del Negro on Tuesday. Sources out of Chicago have reported that General Manager Gar Forman will address the Bulls' coaching situation, in which he is sure to face several questions about his feelings with Del Negro, as it has been rumored for months that a deteriorating relationship between the two would eventually lead to Del Negro's demise. The former coach still has one year left on the guaranteed contract he signed with Chicago, which is worth approximately $2 million.

The Bulls finished 41-41 in the regular season, before being eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the opening round of the playoffs. ESPN originally reported back in December that after this season, Chicago was expected to make a change in bench bosses. The move was finally made six betting days after they were eliminated.

It was revealed when the basketball betting series started that Del Negro had also clashed with Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson over the playing time of center Joakim Noah in March. At the time, Noah was recovering from a foot injury, and the dispute was over how many minutes the 25-year old would play. The argument reached its climax when Paxson shoved Del Negro, after the latter got too close during the heated debate.

Lakers Will Not Be Stopped In West

Despite the injuries and inconsistencies, that have plagued the Los Angeles Lakers this season, they are still the sport betting favorite to make it to the NBA Finals this season. Superstar Kobe Bryant and starting center Andrew Bynum have both spent time on the bench leading in to their opening round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that didn't make the Lakers look any less explosive when those two made their appearances in a Game One 87-79 win. Bynum and Pau Gasol both posted double-doubles in that win, and were able to control play in the post.

This is the same team that won the NBA championship odds series only one year ago, and since then, has actually improved. No matter how banged up Bryant is, its still Kobe that will have the ball in his hand with the game on the line, and there is no player in the league that is better with the ball in his hands in pressure situations than the man wearing number 24 for the purple and gold. Coach Phil Jackson has done this dance so many times he has all the steps memorized already, and will now how to handle the playing time of his stars, and when to go to his bench to ensure the Lakers are healthy as they go deeper in to the playoffs. That will make Los Angeles hit their peak right when it matters the most, which is why they will represent the Western conference once again in this year's finals.

Cavaliers Primed For Championship Run

For NBA betting enthusiasts looking to lay their money down on one team to win this year's NBA Championship, look no further than the squad that finished with the best record in the association during the regular season when you punch your ticket and bet NBA finals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as a team not only primed to reach the final, but to take the first NBA title in their sportsbook history. The Cavaliers pushed the Orlando Magic to six games in the Eastern conference final a season ago, and since have taken the necessary steps to ensure they don't fall short again. Cleveland added Shaquille O'Neal in the middle to hold fort against Dwight Howard should those teams meet again, and can you imagine the motivation "Big Diesel" will have if the Cavaliers face the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals? Don't overlook the addition of Antawn Jamison as yet another inside weapon that can help play off James when the King once again elevates his game to another level come postseason time.

Speaking of the Lakers, injuries and inconsistent play are the two biggest reasons why Los Angeles will not repeat. Despite an improved roster on paper, the Lakers will have a much tougher road to the finals through the Western conference if they are to make it all the way, and with the Cavaliers getting fully healthy just in time for round one, Cleveland will be the fresher and hungrier team in the championship series.

NBA Championship Pick: Cleveland

The Historical Data Trap

As bettors prepare for Florida Alabama game and other big sporting events in the near future, many sharps will do their homework and look for good sports betting advice- studying stats galore for hours on end. Anyone betting on the SEC championship game, for example, will examine last year’s 31-20 Florida victory to look for clues about this year’s result.

Usually, studying the numbers is a good thing, but there can be pitfalls if you read too much into historical data – particularly about team vs team history. It's like playing online casino games: sometimes you just have to play by what you feel.

Take the Patriots and Dolphins’ AFC East rivalry in the NFL, for example. The two storied foes meet this week in Miami and some bettors will immediately think, “Gee, it’s great that these two teams play twice a year, as I can examine some long-term statistical trends regarding their matchup.” Those types of foolish bettors will see Miami’s 11-6 home record versus the Patriots since 1992 and get excited.

That stat is a perfect example of why you can definitely look too far back at historical trends. For many of those Miami victories, some guy named Dan Marino was the Dolphins’ quarterback. Some guy named Tom Brady wasn’t the Patriots’ quarterback.

The better stat is the recent data; the Patriots are 4-1 in their last five meetings with Miami and have won each of their last two trips to Miami, beating the spread in the process.

When making your football picks or any sports picks, it’s not a bad thing to look at team vs team history. But you should only go as far back as the key players on a team’s roster go. Ignore the pre-Belichick Patriots’ record against Miami; that information is completely irrelevant as all the players on that team are gone.

Remember to be careful when trying to trust history in your bets! That's advice a poker seo /gambling seo consultant once gave me.