Category: Basketball

NBA Betting: Elite Teams Struggling as Playoffs Loom

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There is now less than a month until the end of the regular season and the league’s elite teams have started playing a long game. This has seen the likes of the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards all suffer a slump as they surrender to fatigue and complacency. They already have one eye on the playoffs and are trying to ensure they are in ship shape come mid-April, so now can be a good time to bet against them covering the spread.

Top Teams Struggling

No top team is in a greater period of malaise than Golden State, hit by injury to Kevin Durant and enduring its worst spell since Steve Kell took over as head coach in 2014. The Warriors lost three times in a row – against the Celtics, Timberwolves and Spurs – and then, as we predicted last week, failed to cover the spread against Philadelphia. Golden State has since bounced back with heavy wins over Orlando and Milwaukee, but it could be worth opposing them in spread betting over the next couple of weeks. Ditto the Cavs, who have regularly failed to cover the spread of late. The Wizards have also lost focus and dropped against teams with losing marks.

Teams Finding Form

As the elite teams have suffered, some teams further down the conferences are finding their feet and making a late push for the playoffs. In the east, it is Miami and Milwaukee. At 7-3 and 8-2 respectively, they have the best recent records in the conference and both look set for the postseason. Milwaukee is really one to watch, driven by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is on course to be the first player ever to finish the regular season in the top 20 for points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. In the west, the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers are both 7-3 in 10, and only the San Antonio Spurs can match that.

Futures Update

The recent struggles of Golden State have opened the door for the in-form Spurs. They have a head-to-head advantage over the Warriors and look set to steal top seed in the west if things continue as they are, so the 4/1 Ladbrokes is offering on them winning the east looks interesting. The Cavs’ inconsistency and the Wizards’ recent woes have left the Boston Celtics as the form team of the east and the 7/1 at Sky Bet on them taking that conference is another intriguing option.

Upcoming Games

Golden State travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Wednesday, and Dallas is the league’s fifth-best team for covering the spread, so that looks a great bet. Antetokounmpo’s in-form Bucks play the Kings in Sacramento on Thursday and should win that outright, and cover a modest spread. The Nuggets look a great bet to cover the spread against the Cavs that day too, while on Friday a Spurs-Celtics-Trail Blazers outright treble looks a good option as all three are playing well.

March Madness: Rhode Island can spring an upset against Creighton

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The First Round of March Madness concludes on Friday with 15 games that feature some of the leading contenders to win the NCAA Championship. There is plenty of value to be had, and here we pick out some of the most intriguing games:

Michigan v Oklahoma State

This is one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the tournament as it comes less than 10 games after the Michigan team escaped unscathed from a plane crash. They were evacuated from the runway and ended the week as Big 10 champions. Michigan was seeded eighth and had to beat top seed Purdue, then fourth-seeded Minnesota and finally second-seeded Wisconsin to win the automatic bid for March Madness. The Wolverines pulled it off in style and go into the NCAA Tournament full of belief and heart. Confidence pride is on the line as this pits the Big Ten against the Big 12, and Michigan can win it. Oklahoma State has had a turbulent season and is 0-7 in March, while Michigan has won five straight against top notch opposition, so the 8/11 that 888Sport has on Michigan looks great.

Creighton v Rhode Island

The Creighton Bluejays go into this game as slight favourites (10/11 with William Hill), while Rhode Island is the underdog at 19/20 with BetVictor. Creighton is the sixth seed, while Rhode Island is 11, but Rhode Island looks to have been under-seeded here. The Rams are a very good team and can harbour realistic hopes of not only beating Creighton but going as far as the Sweet Sixteen or even the Elite Eight. They would be unlikely to get past Kansas, but they can really go on a run in this bracket. These two teams come into March Madness as polar opposites. Creighton started the season sensationally as it raced to an 18-1 record. Then they lost star player Maurice Watson and have since gone 7-8. The Rams have momentum, having finished the regular season with eight straight wins and then earned three victories in a row to claim the A-10 Championship. That 19/20 on Rhode Island at BetVictor looks great value.

Seton Hall v Arkansas

This is a classic 8/9 game featuring an eighth and ninth seed that are virtually impossible to split, such are the similarities between the two teams. It is an interesting game as the winner will surely go on to face tournament favourites North Carolina in the next round, where they are overwhelmingly likely to be knocked out. But they will give this game all they have got and it is likely to be ferociously competitive. Arkansas plays with intensity and energy and has the better record, but Seton Hall has more impressive wins under its belt and loves to slow the game down. The two styles contrast and we could be in for a low-scoring game here, so the best bet could well be the under 146.5 total points at 10/11 with Bet365.

March Madness Betting Begins: First Round Picks and Futures Predictions

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The most frenzied betting period in the US sporting calendar begins this week and there are several intriguing clashes to look forward to as college basketball’s finest teams go all out to win the NCAA Championship. March Madness begins with the First Four, a series of four games that whittles the pool down from 68 teams to 64. Then a round robin style tournament starts, with 64 becoming 32, then 16 and so on until the best two teams compete in the final.

First Four

This is similar to the wildcard round in the NFL playoffs and features the four lowest ranked at-large teams and the lowest automatic bid teams. There are four games and the winners progress to the First Round, while the losers go home. This year the fixtures are New Orleans v Mt St Mary’s; Wake Forest v Kansas State; NC Central v UC Davis; and Providence v USC. These games are hard to call, but New Orleans should beat Mt St Mary’s and the 5/6 on offer at Ladbrokes looks good. NC Central was superb in winning its three games by an average of 23.7 points in the MEAC Tournament and they can be confident of beating UC Davis. You can get 5/9 with Bet365, but for more value go NC Central -4 at 10/11 with Bet365. Providence v USC looks close but USC should shade it (4/6 with Bet365), while the 10/11 Coral has on Wake Forest beating Kansas State looks risky but interesting.

First Round

The First Round starts on Thursday and this is where the real excitement begins. With the First Four out of the way, all the remaining teams in March Madness go into a knockout tournament, and by the end of this round, only 32 will be left standing. You can expect Villanova, Kansas, SMU and UCLA to instantly knock out the teams that progress from the First Four. Highly rated teams Gonzaga, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky and Arizona should also win their games pretty comfortably. That sounds like an interesting 10-team accumulator right there.

Elsewhere the 10th seeded Wichita State Shockers play the 7th seeded Dayton Flyers and should win that one at 4/11 with Bet365 as the Shockers have looked very dominant in recent weeks. The Wisconsin Badgers are 4/9 with Bet Victor to beat Virginia Tech and should pull it off as you would expect seniors Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig to prove too strong for the inexperienced Virginia Tech. A tight looking game sees Vanderbilt face Northwestern, and the 10/11 on Northwestern +1 at Bet365 looks good. Another trendy upset pick is Rhode Island to beat Creighton. Rhode Island won the A-10 Championship with a 70-63 victory over the VCU and has a strong defensive record along with excellent three-pointer stats. Creighton lost four of their last six games and struggled offensively, so Rhode Island could shut them out for large periods, and Rhode Island +1 looks interesting at 20/21 with Ladbrokes.

Futures

Select committee chairman Mark Hollis has declared that this year’s March Madness bracket is the most competitive he has ever seen, and experts are divided over who will seize the crown. The NC Tar Heels have been made 15/2 favourite with Betway, followed by Kansas (17/2 with Bet365), Gonzaga (9/1 with William Hill), Villanova (9/1 with Betway), Duke (10/1 with Bet Victor), Kentucky (11/1 with Bet365) and Arizona (14/1 with William Hill). It is very close and congested, emphasising Hollis’ point. Villanova has been made the overall top seed and the defending champion looks a good bet at 9/1. But the team with real momentum is Kansas and they look a great option at 17/2. Pre-season favourite Duke has secured a comfortable draw and can go far, while Arizona is a great longer shot at 14/1. To make things really interesting, you could back Kansas, Villanova, Duke and Arizona and if any come in you would still be well in profit. If you had to go for just one, Kansas is the team to beat.

NBA betting becomes more interesting as Golden State Warriors implode

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Golden State Warriors are going through their worst spell in years as they are 5-5 in their past 10 games and on a three-game losing streak. After going 146 games without suffering back-to-back defeats, it has happened twice this month. The downturn in form has coincided with the loss of Kevin Durant to injury, and suddenly the Warriors have gone from near certainties to win the NBA Championships to a team in real trouble. It has blown the battle to win the Western Conference wide open and the NBA is looking more unpredictable and exciting than it has all season.

Western Conference

Golden State finished the 2015 regular season with a win percentage of .817, the seventh best record in NBA history. Last season they finished on .890, breaking the Chicago Bulls’ 20-year record to post the best regular season stats of all time. They looked like putting in another record-shattering season this time around, but the wheels have really come off this month. They are now down at .788, well below their levels of the previous two years, as they have lost half of their last 10 games. That seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago, and it shows how much they have relied on Durant this season.

As the Warriors have faltered, the San Antonio Spurs have continued to be sensational. They are 9-1 in their last 10 games, they are now .785 and if they win their game in hand they will have an identical record to Golden State. The momentum is with them and they are now likely to claim top seed in the west. The 4/1 Paddy Power and 888 Sport are offering on the Spurs to win the Western Conference suddenly looks really interesting. It could even open the door for the Houston Rockets (12/1 with William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral), who are led by MVP frontrunner James Harden, scoring of 30-plus points in three of his last four games.

NBA Championships

Golden State seemed invincible, but their recent struggles have made things a lot more interesting in futures betting. They have gone out to 5/6, and interest is building on the Cleveland Cavaliers (14/5 with Bet365) and the Spurs (7/1 with 888 Sport). The Cavs are defending champions but have lost three straight too and have been horribly inconsistent all season. They have the best record in the east, at .672, but that record would leave them down in fourth if they were in the west, below the Warriors, Spurs and Rockets. They may be saving themselves for the playoffs, but these are worrying signs.

An interesting long shot from the east could be the Washington Wizards. They are 7-3 in their last 10 and on a five-game winning streak. They are second in the standings and could soon overhaul the Cavs for top seed if things continue in this vein. They have all the momentum after starting the season at 2-8 and turning it around to leave them 42-24. It has been a remarkable improvement, and they are in with a chance, so 33/1 at Bet Victor, Paddy Power and Boyle Sports looks great.

Upcoming Games

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers travel to California to face an out of sorts Golden State. Philadelphia has the best record in spread betting this season, and backing them to beat the spread here looks a good idea. On Thursday, the Spurs host in-form Portland and should put an end to the Trail Blazers’ streak by winning comfortably. On Friday, the Wizards host the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics are in Brooklyn to play the Nets. Boston and Washington are the form teams of the east and should both win against poor opposition, so that might make a nice double.

March Madness Betting Frenzy Looms for College Basketball Fans

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

March Madness is just one week away and bookmakers are preparing for the most hectic betting frenzy of the year. Sixty-eight college basketball games will take place over three weeks in a knockout tournament, and the winner will be crowned NCAA Champion 2017 on April 3. It always proves to be a thrilling ride for diehard fans and the wider sports loving public, full of buzzer beaters, teams snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and underdogs triumphing.

Last year witnessed the most exciting denouement in memory as Villanova blew a 70-64 lead to end up 74-74 with a mere 4.7 seconds remaining on the clock thanks to a three-pointer at the death from North Carolina. Overtime beckoned but Villanova settled it with an outrageous three-point buzzer shot that led to a court invasion from fans. This year’s NCAA Championships event is shaping up to be another classic, and here we run through the leading contenders and some interesting long-shots.

Top Seeds and Favourites

Four regional top seeds have been chosen by the Division 1 men’s basketball committee: Villanova, Kansas, Gonzaga and Baylor. They are deemed to be the pinnacle of the 68 teams taking part in March Madness, and upon announcing it committee chair Mark Hollis named defending champion Villanova the overall top seed. The bookmakers disagree. They have made Kansas (15/2 with Sky Bet) the pre-tournament favourites. They are slightly ahead of last year’s beaten finalists the North Carolina Tar Heels (also 15/2 with Sky Bet, but a point or so higher than Kansas with many bookmakers) in the betting, followed by Gonzaga (10/1 with William Hill), UCLA (10/1 with Ladbrokes) and Villanova (10/1 with William Hill and Bet365).

It is all very congested as Duke and Kentucky are both 12/1 and Arizona, Louisville and Oregon are all in the mix. The betting has shifted considerably in the last few weeks. When the seedings were announced, Kansas was favourite, followed by Gonzaga and then Nova. Now North Carolina has muscled its way in, and Gonzaga and Nova have been pushed out in terms of price. A few weeks ago Gonzaga was unbeaten but has now finally lost, to BYU, and gone to 31-1 atop the West Coast division. That air of invincibility has now gone and the price has drifted out to 10-1. Nova and Kansas have an identical record of 28-3, leading the Big East and Big 12 divisions respectively. North Carolina, meanwhile, is 26-6 at the top of the ACC. Of all the teams, Nova looks an interesting option at 10/1. They were named overall top seed for good reason and have been great on the road, with a superb record against top opponents.

Long Shots

The bookmakers really do not like the look of Baylor, one of the four top seeds, and have made them huge outsiders. They are as low as 20/1 with some, but William Hill is offering a very generous 40/1, so you have an interesting, highly rated long shot right there. Head over to the Big Ten and you will find more interesting schools to bet on if you are looking for long odds. A few weeks ago Purdue was on a roll and could be backed at 75/1 for the UCAA Championships, which was a great price. That form has continued and they have stormed to the top of the Big Ten, with a record of 25-6, and the odds on them have dropped dramatically, but they still look a good bet at 33/1 with Paddy Power. An even longer shot would be the Maryland Terrapins, second behind Purdue in the Big Ten and on 24-7 for the season, with better recent form than Purdue. They can be backed at 100/1 with Bet365. That is amazing when you consider Sky Bet will only go to 40/1 on Maryland, but it serves to illustrate the chaotic nature of March Madness, as bookmakers struggle to agree on a consensus due to the sheer number of teams taking part, so there is plenty of value to be had.

San Antonio Spurs Threaten to Usurp Warriors After Durant Injury

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

With less than six weeks until the playoffs, an injury to star player Kevin Durant has threatened to derail the chances of NBA Championships favourites the Golden State Warriors. Without him, the Warriors have lost twice in a row and the supremely consistent San Antonio Spurs are now hot on their heels in the race to emerge as the top seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors are now no longer a sure thing in the west, and that has blown the race to the Finals wide open, making the season more exciting than ever.

Western Conference

Durant sprained his knee in a freak accident that occurred when teammate Zaza Pachulia backed into him while fighting for a rebound. The team initially feared he would miss the rest of the season, but the prognosis now looks a little more positive as he might make it back in time for the playoffs. But by that time, Golden State could have been overtaken by San Antonio as the number one seed in the west. After losing Durant they suffered back-to-back defeats to the Wizards and Bulls, the first time in 146 games they had lost twice in a row – an NBA record. They missed his ability to stretch the court, and the Golden State offence has looked out of sync as opposing teams have crowded Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are 9-1 in their last 10, the best record in the league, and are on a seven-game winning streak. They are now just three wins behind Golden State and are driven by the constantly improving offensive prowess of Kawhi Leonard. This has pushed Golden State out to 2/5 with Betfred for the west, while San Antonio is now 9/2 with William Hill, which looks a very interesting bet. Even if Durant makes it back in time for the playoffs he could be carrying an injury still, and suddenly the Warriors do not look quite as invincible.

Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards have been putting pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers for top seed in the Eastern Conference for some time and that has continued. At 7-3 in their last 10, the Wizards have the best recent form in the east, which makes the 12/1 888Sport is offering on them to win it look an intriguing option. But the Cavs look back in business now that LeBron James is strapped up and ready for the home straight and the team has been bolstered by Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut and most of the action is likely to go on Cleveland, who are 4/11 with Sky Bet, William Hill and Boyle Sports.

MVP Race

Despite topping most player power rankings since Christmas, James Harden has failed to pull away from Russell Westbrook in the betting for regular season MVP. With just six weeks to go, Harden is evens with William Hill, while Westbrook is 6/4 with Bet Victor. What counts against Westbrook, however, is that the Thunder are not a great team and a lot of his hard work goes unnoticed. Harden’s Rockets are a genuine threat to Golden State and San Antonio in the west and he has emerged as the best point guard in the league this season with the stats to back it up, so even money at William Hill looks great right now.

Upcoming Games

A huge game that could help decide the ultimate Western Conference table sees Harden’s Rockets travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs. It should be close, but recent form points to a San Antonio win and the 3/5 at Bet365 looks good. On Wednesday the in-form Wizards are at the Phoenix Suns and should cover a heavy spread against a team committing 15.1 turnovers per game. On Thursday, Celtics v Warriors looks too close to call, but a treble of the Spurs to beat the Kings, the Wizards to beat the Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks to beat the Brooklyn Nets looks great.