It’s not a BetOnline scam if you see the Super Bowl dominating your sportsbook next week, with all the props available for the big game, but kickoff isn’t until Sunday and there is plenty to keep you occupied through the week.

Monday

Thunder Clippers Odds (10:30 PM ET): Oklahoma City was thought to be the favorites in the Western conference this season if they could hold off teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas, but then the Clippers picked up Chris Paul and now they’re a contender at all sportsbooks from 5Dimes to BetOnline. The two meet on Monday night at the Staples Center for the first time this season.

Tuesday

Senators Bruins Odds (7:00 PM ET): The NHL season resumes in Boston, and many players that buy bookie software are still trying to figure out if Ottawa is for real. Meanwhile, the Bruins are still trying to work through the Tim Thomas/White House flap and it’ll be interesting to see if he is in nets when the game starts; the rumor is that Boston is shopping their two-time Vezina winner because of this distraction.

Wednesday

UConn Georgetown Odds (7:00 PM ET): If you work with price per head software, you know that the Big East is the toughest conference in the country and has been for a while now. The Huskies take their talents to the nation’s capital on Wednesday night, and rankings and records and everything can get thrown out the window when these rivals get together. It’s always fun when you see UConn-Georgetown on the schedule.

Thursday

Bulls Knicks Odds (8:00 PM ET): New York has been the biggest disappointment in the NBA this year, and it’s not even certain that Mike D’Antoni will still be in charge by the time the Knicks host Chicago in the opener of the TNT doubleheader. However, both teams have been hit by injury so far this season (and they aren’t the only ones, due to the congested schedule) and hopefully, they will be as close to full strength as possible.

Friday

Heat 76ers Odds (7:00 PM ET): On the other hand, Philadelphia has been the biggest surprises in the league, but some are skeptical because they say the 76ers haven’t had a tough schedule, and they were already blown out by Miami earlier in the season to bring them back to earth. The 76ers will try to avenge that on Friday night at home against the Heat, who will hopefully have Dwyane Wade back in the lineup, but don’t hold your breath as his ankle injury isn’t healing very quickly. This is an excellent matchup to take you into Super Bowl betting weekend.

Sport Betting Overview

Few teams were more disappointed to see the All-Star break than the Pittsburgh Penguins. After being hit hard by injuries that caused the Penguins to nose dive in the Eastern Conference standings, the Penguins found itself on a seven-game winning streak that the All-Star break effectively stopped in its tracks. While some sports fans in Pittsburgh were hoping to have a hometown interest in this year’s Super Bowl betting, others were wondering how the Penguins would do without superstar Sidney Crosby. Aside from that stretch of games that the Penguins just could not seem to win, Pittsburgh has shown that it can win without Crosby in the regular season. A Crosby-less Pittsburgh team did not fare so well in last year’s playoffs, but at least the team made the post-season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were the toast of the Northeastern Division for the first part of the season. Toronto was battling with the Boston Bruins for division supremacy until the Bruins pulled away and the Leafs started to tumble. The price per head sportsbook experts were extremely surprised by the Leafs’ start and are even more surprised to learn that goaltender Jonas Gustavsson had wrestled the starting goalie spot from James Reimer. Nothing ever seems to be consistent in Toronto and the landscape is always changing. But as long as the Leafs keep winning, the fans do not mind needing a program to determine who is on the ice and starting the game.

Pittsburgh Penguins

A 5 dimes review of the Penguins’ season to this point shows a roller coaster ride that has seen extreme highs and lows. The team thought it was back on track when Sidney Crosby was able to come back around Christmas, but that was short-lived as Crosby was out again within 12 games and he has not returned. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was also having issues for a stretch of games that saw him give up goals he does not normally give up. But the team has hung together and worked through the problems. After losing three consecutive games earlier in January, the Pens went on a 7-0-0 run to bring its record up to 7-3-0 in the last 10 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs have a two-game winning streak of its own going, but a record of 6-4-0 in the last 10 games shows that Toronto is having problems with consistency. The Leafs keep jumping back and forth between starting goaltenders which does not give the defense a chance to settle in to any kind of comfortable routine. The Leafs are a talented team that plays hard. But it will need to get back to the things that worked earlier in the season if it wants to make the playoffs.

The Bottom Line

Toronto and Pittsburgh were just starting to turn things back around when the All-Star break stopped them. The Penguins are the most likely to be able to pick up again and keep winning, but the Leafs won’t make it easy.

Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins