Sports Betting Overview

There is no way that the NHL schedule makers could have known that loading the end of the season with a few games between the St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings would have a profound effect on the end of the regular season. Even baseball betting enthusiasts are having a hard time following the extreme ups and downs of the Detroit Red Wings’ season. The team was flying high as one of the best teams in the Western Conference for months until it was destroyed by injuries. In the past few weeks, the mighty have fallen in Detroit. While the Red Wings are not in any imminent danger of falling out of the playoff race, Detroit could be as low as fourth in the Central Division and sixth in the Western Conference if it cannot pull itself together. With the injuries continuing to pile up, the Red Wings may be in bigger trouble than fans want to admit.

Sportsbook reviews of the St. Louis Blues’ season shows that the Blues have been well-coached this year by new head coach Ken Hitchcock. St. Louis has mastered the art of using two starting goaltenders and has put itself in a position where it can rise to the top of the Western Conference if it can win its last few games. The battle for the top spot in the Western Conference between the Blues and the Vancouver Canucks comes down to these last few games, and St. Louis is falling behind ever so slightly. But all it would take would be a season-ending winning streak to put St. Louis back on top and ready to dominate in the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings tend to lose games in bunches and then come back strong with long winning streaks. But the team is 3-5-2 in its last 10 games and far removed from the status it held after breaking the single-season home winning streak earlier in the year. The price per head bookie experts honestly have no clue what to make of the Red Wings. It seems that the team goes as goaltender Jimmy Howard goes. Howard is 1-3-1 in his last five games. If that is any indication of what the Red Wings can expect to finish the season, then it may be a short playoff run for Detroit.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues have a lot of talent and are a very disciplined hockey team. But even with all of its success this season, St. Louis is still fighting with a poor road record. This game at home will be a good way of boosting the team’s confidence as it heads into the playoffs. But with a road record of 18-16-6, the Blues could look right past this game and start focusing on developing momentum on the road.

The Bottom Line

The Red Wings need this game and the Blues really do not. The NHL fans in St. Louis will want to see a show from its team against the Red Wings, but the Blues may be already looking to make a statement on the road when the team plays in Dallas to finish out the season.

Pick: Detroit Red Wings

PGA Betonline News: 76^th Masters Tournament Gets Underway Thursday

The 76^th annual Masters tournament will get underway Thursday, with former world No. 1 Tiger Woods taking the spotlight once again as he looks to build some momentum following his first PGA Tour win of the season at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Woods hasn’t won a major tournament since the 2008 US Open, and hasn’t won the Masters in seven years, but his win at Bay Hill has everybody optimistic about his potential for the upcoming tournament. Another player to keep an eye on is another former World No. 1 in Rory McIlroy, who suffered a meltdown at this event a year ago and will be looking for redemption. McIlroy bounced back from an awful final round that cost him the Masters by winning the US Open, and it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure in his return. Luke Donald ranks No. 1 in the world heading in to this tournament despite not having a major tournament win to his name, and Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, and Justin Rose all appear to be on the verge of something special and will definitely draw some interest as well if they can continue their strong play.

Baseball Betting News: Cardinals, Marlins Play First 2012 Regular Season Game On North American Soil Wednesday

While the MLB regular season opened overseas in Japan this season with Ichiro and the Seattle Mariners taking on the Oakland Athletics, the first pitch on North American soil won’t come until Wednesday night, when the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals take on the Miami Marlins. Wednesday night’s contest will precede a list of seven regular season games to be played on Thursday, with Jon Lester and Justin Verlander going head-to-head in a matinee game between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers to begin the afternoon.

NHL Betting News: Fight For Playoff Positions Narrows On Final Week Of Regular Season

With only a single playoff spot up for grabs in the Eastern conference, and two playoff spots still available in the Western conference, the race to the postseason will take center stage as the countdown to the end of the regular season continues this week. In the East, the Buffalo Sabres will need to make up two points on the Washington Capitals with a home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, before two road games against the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins to finish the year, while the Capitals host the Florida Panthers on Thursday, and then travel to face the New York Rangers on Saturday. Meanwhile out west, the Dallas Stars will host the Phoenix Coyotes in a crucial matchup on Tuesday, before traveling to face the St. Louis Blues in the lone game of the night this Friday.

NBA Pay Head News: Playoff Contenders Slug It Out In Big Week

It will be a busy week on the hard court this week as teams fight for their playoff positions in both conferences, with a couple of key games to look forward to on the schedule. The San Antonio Spurs are in Boston Wednesday to play the Celtics in a matchup of two veteran teams with championship experience, each looking to lock down home court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Celtics will travel to the Windy City the following night to face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, the same night that the New York Knicks are in Orlando to face the Magic without Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudamire, who are both out for the rest of the season.

NHL fans have a big weekend on deck as the playoffs are almost here, but in the MMA world, it is always the playoffs and on Friday night, Bellator will have the quarterfinals of their welterweight tournament in Connecticut. Here is a look at the odds for Bellator 63, which will be shown on MTV2.

Karl Amoussou (13-4-2) vs. Chris Lozano (9-2)

Lozano is a slight -175 favorite at Bet Online (for which you can read a review for here) over the Dutchman Amoussou, who is rated at +155, and Lozano is likely favored because American MMA fans are more familiar with him; he participated in the fourth season welterweight tournament. This is also Amoussou’s first fight at 170 pounds after dropping from 185, although he did knock out Jesus Martinez in a 175-pound bout at Bellator 59.

Raul Amaya (9-0) vs. Ben Saunders (12-4-2)

Saunders is a huge -340 favorite in this clash, but 2012 March Madness betting players know the value of a solid underdog and that could be the undefeated Amaya, who comes in at +285. Saunders fell out of the UFC and was rolling through the welterweight tournament in season five before he was knocked out by Douglas Lima. Amaya is making his Bellator debut and he is well-balanced with knockout power and submission skills.

Jordan Smith (17-2-1) vs. David Rickels (8-0)

Another undefeated fight comes into a match as an underdog as Rickels is rated at +145, while Smith is favored at -165. Those who buy price per head sportsbook services who follow Bellator should be treated to an exhibition of mat skills as both fighters are excellent in terms of submissions, although Smith has a little more power in his striking and the edge in experience. Rickels has submitted all three of the opponents he has faced in Bellator, but he has still only been in the MMA game since February 2010. He’ll have to battle inexperience and jitters in order to score the upset on Friday.

Bryan Baker (16-3) vs. Carlos Alexandre Pereira (33-9)

Baker is a heavy favorite at –285, while Pereira is listed at +240 and this is Baker’s third try in a Bellator tournament as he lost in the final of the second middleweight and then in the semifinals of the fifth season in the same weight class. He has decided to drop down to 170 pounds to try his luck, but he could have his hands full with Pereira, who has 22 knockouts and is finally in a major promotion (well, as major as Bellator can be). If you’re looking for an upset, this could be the one for sport betting players.

Sports Betting Overview

There are still some very good playoff races in the NHL that will come down to the last game of the season. As the NHL season enters its last week, many teams are still fighting for the right to be in the post-season. This time of the year is always filled with college basketball betting and the anticipation of the NHL playoffs. As the Western Conference teams continue to jockey for position, the fate of the Los Angeles Kings is not yet decided. Even after adding Mark Richards and Jeff Carter from the Philadelphia Flyers, the Kings can still not score goals and have problems winning games. It is getting frustrating for the fans and team executives in Los Angeles to try and figure out what is going wrong.

The Calgary Flames are making a late season push to try and bolt itself into playoff contention. The Flames are only two points out of seventh place in the Western Conference and the team is playing very well. The price per head bookie experts did not expect Calgary to still be in contention this late in the season. But now that Calgary has put itself in a position to grab a playoff spot, it needs to keep winning down the stretch to get into one of the last two playoff spots that are up for grabs. Calgary has been getting superb goaltending lately and that has helped to propel the team into the playoff hunt.

Los Angeles Kings

It is getting to the point in Los Angeles where the Kings’ management may have to start seriously considering the idea of making some significant roster moves to get the team motivated for next year. The Kings are one of the best defensive teams in the league and goaltender Jonathan Quick is having a stellar season. But Los Angeles is unable to score any goals. Sportsbook reviews of the last two games for the Kings show that the team lost both games and could not put up key goals at key moments in either game. The most recent loss epitomized the problems when the Kings lost to the Vancouver Canucks 1-0. Jeff Carter has not picked up a single point in the last three games and Mike Richards is having a sub-par offensive season by his standards with only 39 points so far this season.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames is 5-2-3 in the last 10 games and making a serious push for the playoffs. This game against the Kings is what Calgary needs to leap into a tie in points for eighth place in the Western Conference. Calgary owns the tie-breaker over Phoenix, so it would put the Flames in the playoff hunt. That is not bad for a team that most NHL fans have ignored for the better part of the last few years. Calgary is strongest at home and that is not something that the Kings do not want to hear.

The Bottom Line

The Los Angeles Kings just cannot get the job done this year. Each time the team needs a win or two to jump into the playoff hunt, it falls short. There is no reason to expect that to change at this point.

Pick: Calgary Flames

There is no 2012 March Madness betting (which you can read about here) until Saturday’s Final Four games, but there is plenty to get you through the week from the NBA and the NHL.

Monday

Heat Pacers Betting (7:00 PM ET): Miami was manhandled on Sunday in Oklahoma City, which means they won’t be in a good mood by the time they get to Indiana. The Heat have beaten the Pacers in all three meetings this season, so they should be the 5dimes favorites in this contest, and Indiana needs to win this to prove they belong among the elite in the East.

Tuesday

Minnesota Washington Betting (9:00 PM ET): The NIT may not get as much attention as NBA scores or the NCAA Tournament, but there has been some solid hoops action on display and the semifinals are on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. This is the nightcap after UMass-Stanford opens it up at 7:00 PM ET, and the top-seeded Huskies are a team that many thought would be a problem in the NCAA Tournament if they managed to make it there.

Wednesday

Sharks Ducks Betting (10:00 PM ET): This all-California clash on the ice has more than bragging rights on the line. San Jose desperately needs a win to avoid missing the playoffs, while the Ducks don’t have much left to play for, other than the role of spoiler. San Jose was a team that many players who purchase price per head sportsbook services figured would challenge for the Stanley Cup, or at least the Western Conference title, and this game is massive for the Sharks.

Thursday

Thunder Lakers Betting (10:30 PM ET): Miami-Dallas tips off the TNT doubleheader on Thursday night, but the nightcap is intriguing as we’re watching a changing of the guard. The Thunder look to be the best team in the West, but the Lakers aren’t going to go away easy and they’re not going to roll over for the Thunder at home. Also, Derek Fisher, who won five titles in Los Angeles, will make his return to the Staples Center after he was traded to Houston, then bought out before the deadline.

Friday

Stars Canucks Betting (10:00 PM ET): Vancouver has been all over the place since the All-Star break, but they need to put the hammer down and get their act together for the playoffs, although they may have to do it without the injured Daniel Sedin. The Stars have been red-hot and stormed to the top of the Pacific Division, sitting one spot behind Vancouver as of Monday, but they’re 12 points back in the standings. A win on the road in Vancouver would do a lot for online sports betting players’ faith in Dallas.

NHL hockey news will have to take a back seat to mixed martial arts on Friday night as Bellator 62 will go off in Laredo, Texas, but the main event has been scrapped for a rematch that many were anticipating.

A 5dimes review of the heavyweight bout between Thiago Santos and Eric Prindle had Santos as a huge favorite in the second meeting between the two, as the first was ruled a no contest after Santos kicked Prindle in the groin 1:24 into the first round of their fight in November. The two were supposed to fight earlier this month, but Prindle had the flu, so it was postponed another week while Prindle recovered. But ahead of Friday’s matchup in Texas, Santos weighed in at over 277 pounds, which is more than the 265-pound limit and as a result, Prindle was named the winner of the Bellator heavyweight tournament. March Madness betting players would compare this to a team forfeiting on the night of the national-championship game, and it’s a shame because Santos was forecasted to run over Prindle. The two could meet down the line, however.

But there is still the lightweight tournament for sharps that work with sportsbook software as the first four matches of the tourney will take place. J.J. Ambrose is a +225 underdog against Brent Weedman at -265, while Rick Hawk is favored at -175 against Ricardo Tirloni at +155, Rene Naraze is favored at -160 against Thiago Michel at +140 and finally, Patricky Freire is favored at -360 against Lloyd Woodard at +300. The 155-pound fighters now have the spotlight to themselves, so expect them to raise their game on Friday night for Bellator.

There is also the “Ultimate Fighter: Live” tonight, and the headlining match features Cristiano Marcello against Justin Lawrence. Marcello represents the team of Urijah Faber, while Lawrence will fight for bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, and Lawrence is rated as a -250 favorite against Marcello, who comes in at +210. Marcello could be a dangerous underdog as he is a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has a little extra motivation as he had to submit Jared Carlsten just to get into the house, while Lawrence is only 21 and just started MMA training in 2007. He has three professional fights under his belt, while Marcello is a veteran and the head jiu-jitsu coach at Chute Boxe, which has been the home of such legendary fighters as Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and other great Brazilian MMA fighters. There could be an upset brewing, so you would do well to jump on an undervalued Marcello on Friday night in your sports betting sitesbook.

Online Sportsbook Overview

This is the time of the year when the Vancouver Canucks kick things in to high gear just in time to disappoint fans in the playoffs again. But this season is something different. Rather than stampeding towards the playoffs, the Canucks are limping into the post-season. As the March Madness spreads for the next round in the NCAA tournament get announced, the Canucks are actually struggling to finish the season strong. Fans in Vancouver should not worry about the Canucks’ standing in the Western Conference because Vancouver has a huge lead in the Pacific Division and a lock on second place in the Western Conference. But Vancouver is not making a push to overtake the St. Louis Blues for the Western Conference lead and that may be a good thing for the Canucks.

Every team from the Central Division, with the exception of the Columbus Blue Jackets, is making the playoffs this season. The Chicago Blackhawks still have a chance to move up to fourth in the Western Conference but no chance of catching the Blues for the Central Division lead. Considering how the season started for the Blackhawks, being in sixth place in the conference with a comfortable six-point pad between itself an the eighth place teams is a pretty good accomplishment. But even with some consistency in its game as of late, the price per head sports experts are still not sure how the Blackhawks will fare when the playoffs begin.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks is 3-5-2 in the last 10 games and facing a crisis. While it can be refreshing to fans that the Canucks are not breaking out all of the stops to try and win the Western Conference, the play of both goaltenders is not been impressive lately. Roberto Luongo is 0-3-0 in his last three starts and Cory Schneider is 2-2-0 in his last four starts. A betonline.com review of the Canucks’ situation shows that Vancouver may still not know which goalie it intends to start when the playoffs begin. Any hockey fan will tell you that goalie indecision heading into the playoffs is a very bad thing.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and is riding a three-game winning streak. To top that off, Chicago is 25-7-5 at home, which is the third-best home record in the conference. The Blackhawks started putting winning streaks together right around the time that the NBA trade rumors were getting strongest and has been able to build confidence heading into the playoffs. The Blackhawks still need defensive help if it is going to go deep into the post-season, but it won’t need that help in this game.

The Bottom Line

This is a momentum game. The Blackhawks will use its momentum to roll over the Canucks and the Canucks will be forced to pedal forward without any sustainable momentum at all. Canucks fans are hoping the team picks up the pace some time soon.

Pick: Chicago Blackhawks

March Madness Betting News: Tar Heels Head To Sweet 16 Without Marshall

The North Carolina Tar Heels will approach their Sweet 16 matchup against Ohio the same way that they would any other team, however they will be without their starting point guard Kendall Marshall. Marshall suffered a fractured wrist in North Carolina’s third-round win over Creighton on Sunday, and although he finished the game, he will not play the rest of the tournament. While that may not have the biggest impact against the 13^th seeded Bobcats, a possible Elite Eight matchup with Kansas could be on the horizon. Ohio is the lowest remaining seed in the tournament behind the No. 11 North Carolina State, which will play Kansas on Thursday, a day after the Sweet 16 tips off with Syracuse taking on Wisconsin in a 1 vs. 4 in the East region.

NHL Betting News: Flames, Jets Look To Bounce Back From Brutal Losses

The Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets both suffered crucial losses on Sunday, with the Flames getting doused by the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 2-1 shootout loss, while Winnipeg fell to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in regulation. The fact that Columbus is the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and Carolina was only two points up on last place in the Eastern conference added insult to injury for the Flames and Jets, which both face tough matchups to open this week on Tuesday. Winnipeg is in Pittsburgh to take on a Penguins’ team that just had its 11-game win streak snapped, before a showdown with the eighth-place Washington Capitals on Friday. Meanwhile, the Flames are in Colorado to face the Avalanche on Tuesday, before traveling to Minnesota for a must-win game against the Wild on Thursday.

NBA Pay Head News: Knicks Look To Extend Hot Streak In Post-D’Antoni Era

In the midst of a six-game losing streak when former head coach Mike D’Antoni stepped down last Wednesday, the New York Knicks have been on fire ever since, and will look for a fourth-straight win on Tuesday when they host the Toronto Raptors. New York has won its last three games, including a 32-point blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, and then back-to-back wins over the Indiana Pacers this past weekend. The Knicks opened the week just one-half game up on the Milwaukee Bucks for the final playoff spot in the East, but could continue to climb with another strong week.

Golf Betonline News: Donald Back On Top Heading To Arnold Palmer

After beating out a four-man field in a playoff on Sunday to take the Transitions Championship, Luke Donald is back at No. 1 in the world rankings. Donald beat out Jim Furyk, Robert Garrigus, and Sang-moon Bae in the playoff after finishing the final round tied at 13-under, and will now head in to this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill as the top-ranked golfer in the world, where a former world No. 1 could also be making a return with Tiger Woods set to play after missing the Transitions Championship.

While NCAA March Madness action rages on, Bellator 61 airs on Friday night for MMA fans looking to get their fix. Here is a look at the odds and lines for this event, which will be held in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Brian Rogers (8-3) vs. Vitor Vianna (12-1-1) – Middleweight

Vianna is a -155 favorite in the first middleweight contest of the night, and a BetOnline.com review of is odds would show that he is a second-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu with knockout power, but he is coming off a loss in his last fight in November. Rogers’ last fight was also a loss to the same opponent as Vianna, Alexander Shlemenko, in the season five middleweight tournament, but he lost via knees, while Vianna went to a decision. That may have influenced the lines a bit.

Victor O’Donnell (11-3) vs. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (15-1) – Middleweight

Vasilevsky is a huge -275 favorite over O’Donnell at +230, but like 2012 March Madness betting players know, anything can happen. Vasilevsky is a sambo artist who has won titles at light heavyweight, and he is well rounded with the same number of knockouts as submissions (five). O’Donnell is a submission artist who lost to Rogers in September, and he’ll try to take this to the mat as quickly as possible. This is a major opportunity for O’Donnell as Vasilevsky is well regarded for being one of the top up-and-comers in the 185-pound division, and the lines reflect that.

Bruno Santos (12-0) vs. Giva Santana (17-1) – Middleweight

Santana is a slight -140 favorite after a first-round armbar win in his Bellator debut, while Santos is still undefeated with 10 decision wins in his 12 fights in what will be a tough pick among those that use pay head software. Santana is known for his armbars as 13 of his wins have come via the maneuver, and this is the biggest match of Santos’ career, so it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the nerves of fighting on a bigger stage. This could end up being the best fight of the night and it could turn into a grappling exhibition, which definitely favors Santana in this anticipated middleweight encounter.

Norman Paraisy (10-1) vs. Maiquel Falcao (28-4, 1 NC) – Middleweight

Falcao is a massive -345 favorite from Brazil, armed with a black belt in jiu-jitsu and ton of experience heading into his Bellator debut, while Paraisy is a younger fighter from France who has fought just once in Bellator, falling to Dave Menne in April 2009. Falcao is well known to knowledgeable MMA fans because of his explosiveness with 23 knockouts in 33 fights, and much like fans, sportsbooks also love knockout artists, so “Big Rig” will be a popular pick among online betting sharps.

Online Sportsbooks Overview

The  Buffalo Sabres have a chance to do something that no other team has ever done in the NHL since the league went to Eastern and Western Conferences. No team has ever come from last place in a conference to claim a playoff spot with 30 games or less remaining in the season. As the March Madness spreads get announced, the Sabres get ready to play the Colorado Avalanche in a game that could put the Sabres in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. If the Washington Capitals lose to the New York Islanders on Tuesday and the Sabres win in this game, then Buffalo controls the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference with only 11 games left in its season. The Sabres have put itself in a position where it needs to rely on a lot of “ifs” to get where it wants to be, but Buffalo is taking advantage of its opportunities.

The Colorado Avalanche is caught up in the battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Avalanche currently holds on to that spot, but there are three teams within two points of Colorado in the standings. The price per head bookie experts did not expect a playoff run from the Colorado Avalanche and the Avalanche are having a pretty good time proving the critics wrong. Colorado has been playing some good hockey lately and has a chance to move into seventh place in the Western Conference with a win in this game.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres owe a lot of its success lately to goaltender Ryan Miller. But the team has started to come around as of late and fans are starting to see the kind of play that could have put the Sabres way up in the Eastern Conference standings if it had happened earlier in the season. A betonline.com review of the Sabres’ most recent success shows that the team is 7-2-1 in the last 10 games and riding a two-game winning streak. While the Sabres have a terrible road record for the season, the most recent road efforts have been quite successful for Buffalo. But it is at home where the Sabres have become most dangerous as the team has now won five consecutive home games.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have been quite successful as well lately posting a 7-3-0 record in the last 10 games and bringing a two-game winning streak of their own to Buffalo. Colorado has also been getting stellar play from its goaltender as Semyon Varlamov is 4-1-0 in his last five starts and that includes a shutout over the Minnesota Wild. Colorado has always been able to put the puck in the net and now the defense and goaltending is starting to catch up as well.

The Bottom Line

The Denver Nuggets are not part of any potential NBA trade rumors this year, so the talk of Denver has been the Avalanche. The last time the Sabres battled to be within two points of a playoff spot, Buffalo lost the game that would have put it into the top eight. Unfortunately for Sabres fans, they can expect the same results in this game.

Pick: Colorado Avalanche