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02/20/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When was the last time that a team held the eighth and final playoff spot at the All-Star break and was the second choice to win its conference? Miami is currently a .500 club at 26-26 but yet is 2-1 to win the East!
At 32-19, Detroit has won 11 of its last 14 games and leads the Heat by almost seven full games in the standings. The Pistons, however, only are favored by the slimmest of margins at 9-5. Which club, at this stage of the season, provides the most value for the money? No doubt that its the Pistons, who are a lock to be either a one or a two-seed come the postseason. Miami, on the other hand, will be lucky to host a first-round playoff series.
In the Western Conference, the Mavericks and the Suns are the teams to beat, which is why they are the top two choices at 7-5 and 5-2, respectively. Dallas has not missed a beat all year long, losing only nine of its first 53 games. Phoenix has been hit with the injury bug, as all-world guard Steve Nash has missed the last four games with a badly bruised right shoulder. Coincidentally, the Suns have dropped their last three games.
Time to examine the top teams in the league and figure out which clubs present the best value to win each conference:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1) DETROIT (9-5)
All the Pistons could do in last seasons playoffs vs. the Heat was fail to reach 93 points in all six games. Their defense was stellar in the first two rounds, as they held both Cleveland and Miami to an average of 92 points per game. The last 11 contests they played all went UNDER. Since January 1, 2007, Detroit has played 22 games and has held the opposition to an average of 90 ppg, so the solid defense is still there. The Pistons, 14-8 in those contests, are 11-5 against the other top eight teams in the conference standings. Another statistic of note is that Detroit is the only Eastern club with a .500 or better road record at 15-9. In fact, the closest team is Indiana at 11-14. The Pistons are the best squad in the East, and their 9-5 odds seem about right.
2) MIAMI (2-1)
It is true that Shaquille ONeal has played only 13 games this year, and thats the main reason the Heat are so close to missing the postseason. Obviously, a lot of people think Shaqs return will propel the Heat to loftier standings, but will it really? ONeal, at 13.5 ppg, is averaging approximately half his career mark of 26 points per game. He is also at the lowest point of his career in rebounding with only six boards per game. Miami is dead last at 5-10 against the other top eight teams in the East. I know that Shaq has missed most of those games, but at 2-1 odds, the Heat quite possibly could be the worst bet of all time.
3) CLEVELAND (9-2)
The Cavaliers have the second-worst record at 7-10 vs. the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. LeBron James is doing all he can to carry Cleveland, but hes averaging five points less per game this year than last, and the team had a better winning percentage last season. On the flip side, the change in the rules allowing the second-best team in a conference to be in the two-spot will be a huge benefit and that could carry the Cavs all the way to the conference finals. Cleveland is very playable at 9-2.
4) CHICAGO (6-1)
Most of the so-called experts were jumping all over Chicagos bandwagon during the preseason after the club added Ben Wallace. His numbers with the Bulls are extremely similar to when he was with Detroit, but its obvious the supporting cast here is nowhere near the level of that of the Pistons. Chicago is playing great ball within its division (7-2) and is 10-7 vs. the other top eight teams in the conference. However, the Bulls need more playoff experience before they can seriously challenge the top teams in the league. Pass.
5) WASHINGTON (15-1)
The Wizards are much-improved from last seasons squad that took Cleveland to six games in the conference quarterfinals. The series was tied at two before the Cavs won the final two games in overtime. Washington very well could make an even better run in this years playoffs, especially considering how well the club has played against Detroit (5-2) and Cleveland (4-2) in the last couple of seasons. A fantastic longshot play at 15-1.
THE REST OF THE EAST
Indiana, Toronto and Orlando sit at 16-1, while New Jersey, with all its injuries, is 25-1. The Pacers have gone backwards in recent years, from the conference finals, to the semis to the quarters. Despite their mid-season acquisitions, they still lost to Denver, Seattle and Golden State all at home earlier this month.
Toronto is definitely a team to watch in coming years, but this season will be a learning year for the young Raptors. The Magic are 5-12 in their last 17 games, so I won't even waste my time with them. Finally, the Nets are battling too many injuries to even be considered a factor down the stretch.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1) DALLAS (7-5)
The Mavericks have been the best team in the league all season long, with winning streaks of 12 and 13, and they currently are riding high on a nine- game stretch. For the Western Conference, only six teams will be included: Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Utah, Houston and the Lakers. To no ones surprise, the Mavs have, by far and away, the best record vs. the other teams at 10-4. After failing to win the NBA title last season, Dallas has been on a mission to do so this year, and the Mavs get my vote to take the West even at 7-5 odds.
2) PHOENIX (5-2)
Phoenix is the sucker bet of the West. The Suns failed the past two seasons in the conference finals, which shows that their style of play falters against the top defenses (Dallas and San Antonio) when the chips are on the table. Despite its 39-13 record, Phoenix sports the worst record against the other top five teams at 3-7, and at 5-2 odds, I'd rather put my dough on other teams with much better value.
3) SAN ANTONIO (5-1)
The Spurs have had a disappointing first half at 35-18 for a .660 winning percentage. They are currently fourth in the West, yet they would have finished third in the entire NBA last year with that very same winning percentage. San Antonio has failed to win more than five straight games the entire season and is 11-10 since January 1. Another disturbing statistic is a 5-9 record vs. the other top five Western clubs. Once again, this is where money management comes into play. Which team has a better chance of winning a conference, the Spurs at 5-1 having to go up against the Mavs and Suns, or the Cavs at 9-2 with Detroit being their main competition?
4) UTAH (9-1)
Carlos Boozer will be back by late February, and Utah has been playing magnificent as of late, winning six of the seven games that its leading scorer has missed. The Jazz should reach the final four in the West, and anything can happen from there. Utah is 8-4 vs. the top-rated clubs and has not lost to Phoenix since November 2005. If the Jazz square off with the Suns in the semifinals, all they would need is one more series win to reach the NBA Finals. If Dallas gets upset early, 9-1 looks very enticing as the longshot play in the West.
5) HOUSTON (10-1)
Every year, it seems that the Rockets must overcome some sort of major injury. Last year it was Tracy McGrady who missed 35 games, and this season, Yao Ming has played in only 27 of the teams 52 contests. Despite missing its big man, Houston is a mere 1 1/2 games behind San Antonio for fourth in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, thats not the spot to be in, as Dallas could very well be the Rockets' second-round opponent. Houston is not worth a flyer, even at 10-1.
6) LOS ANGELES LAKERS (16-1)
LA has dropped 11 of its last 15 games and finds itself only five games out of the playoffs. Of the top six teams in the West, the Lakers are the only club with a below .500 road record, which doesn't bode well for the postseason. No chance.
THE REST OF THE WEST
Why would anyone bet money on the Nuggets at 19-1? They are only one game over .500 and are 8-12 with Allen Iverson in the lineup. This is where value comes into play, as a team such as Washington at 15-1 is a much better play in the weaker Eastern Conference.
Minnesota and New Orleans are 28-1, while the Clippers are 32-1. None of these clubs has a realistic chance of winning the West, let alone making the playoffs and NOT playing the Mavericks in the first round.
<< Malisse retires from Memphis opener
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Belgian Xavier Malisse was leading
his first-round match Monday when he retired at the $665,000 Regions Morgan
Keegan Championships.
Malisse was ahead of Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili
<< Austin Peay head coach McCray resigns
Clarksville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Austin Peay State head football coach
Carroll McCray announced his resignation on Monday.
McCray's Governors posted just a 3-8 mark as an NCAA Football Championship
Subdivision Independent last
<< Chivas USA (MLS)
Signed forward Maykel Galindo as a Senior International player.
<< No. 6 Jayhawks top Wildcats, extend Little Apple dominance
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sherron Collins netted 20 points on 8-of-11
shooting as No. 6 Kansas continued its domination over rival Kansas State with
a 71-62 victory.
Mario Chalmers added 17 points while Darrell Arthur posted 13
Lakers' Radmanovic out at least eight weeks >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Lakers forward Vladimir
Radmanovic will be sidelined at least eight weeks after separating his right
shoulder.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the 26-year-old Radmanovic sustaine
Toronto Argonauts (CFL) >>
Signed quarterbacks Mike McMahon and Tom Arth.
Falcons soar into Sin City >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - No longer the only member of the Mountain
West Conference among the nationally-ranked, the Air Force Falcons put their
three-game win streak on the line tonight as they visit the UNLV Runnin'
Rebels
Lone Star State rivals meet in Austin >>
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Intrastate and Big 12 rivals will collide
in Austin this evening, as the 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns welcome the
Texas Tech Red Raiders to town.
Back-to-back wins have enabled Texas Tech to
Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds
Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.
The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.
The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.
Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.
MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:
Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)
Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)
Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.
Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with credit cards
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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