Sports Betting Online & Sports Books Reviews

With NBA MVP LeBron James now on board with the Miami Heat, some props related to the signing of the game’s top player are now available. Here’s a look at a several of the props:

Miami Heat – Total wins in the 2010-2011 NBA Regular Season (Ov/Un: 65)

In his final two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James led the club to the best regular season mark in the league. The Cavs won 61 games last season after putting together a 66-16 record in the 2008-09 campaign. Miami’s best year was a 61-21 mark in the 1996-97 season. Since Dwyane Wade has been with the Heat, the team’s top year was a 59-23 record in 2004-05.

How Many NBA Championships will the Miami Heat win in the next 6 seasons? (Ov/Un: 2.5)

In the last two decades, three franchises have been able to win three or more titles over a six-year period. The Chicago Bulls won six championships over an eight-season run from 1990-91 to 1998. The Los Angeles Lakers captured three consecutive titles from 1999-2000 to 2001-02. Finally, the San Antonio Spurs were able to win three championships in a span of five years from 2002-03 to 2006-07.

How Many Points will LeBron James average during the 2010-2011 NBA Season? (Ov/Un: 23.5)

With the opportunity to play alongside Wade and Chris Bosh, most feel that James will see his scoring numbers decline a little bit this season. Last year, James finished second in the league in scoring at 29.7 points per game. In his career, he is averaging 27.8 points per outing. The only time that James averaged less than 23.5 points per game was in his rookie season (20.9). In the last six years, his totals have ranged from a low of 27.2 in 2004-05 to a high of 31.4 in 2005-06.

How Many Assists will LeBron James average during the 2010-2011 NBA Season?  (Ov/Un: 9)

Last season, James posted a career high in assists at 8.6 per game. In his career, he is averaging an even 7 assists per outing. While James is a small forward, there are times when he handles the ball like a point guard. With Wade and Bosh as options on the Miami offense, James could have some easier opportunities to build up his assists total than he did with a Cleveland squad that lacked another dominant scorer.

In a defensive struggle, the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 13-point third quarter deficit to secure an 83-79 victory over the Boston Celtics in the deciding seventh game of the NBA Finals at the Staples Center last Thursday.

Heading into Tuesday’s Game 6, LA trailed the series 3-2. In a must-win contest, the Lakers cruised to an 89-67 victory as a 6-point favorite. For the fourth straight game in the series, the game went under the closing total (190).

The victory by the home team led to just the third Game 7 in the NBA Finals in the last 22 years. While the Lakers won the title, bettors cashed in on the Celtics in the deciding game. Boston closed as a 6.5-point underdog with a total of 187.

Free agency props

The highly anticipated NBA free agency period is set to get underway on July 1st. While the main focus involves the destination of MVP LeBron James, there are several other notable players that could be suiting up in new uniforms next season. Here’s a look at some of the other top free agents:

Dwyane Wade

Wade is a -200 choice to remain with the Miami Heat. He helped the franchise to its first and only NBA title four seasons ago. The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks are the next choices at odds of +300. Wade is a Chicago native. The Los Angeles Clippers and New Jersey Nets are long shot options at +1000 each.

Chris Bosh

While many top free agents usually opt to stay with their existing teams, it appears that Bosh won’t be staying with the Toronto Raptors. As the lone Canadian franchise in the NBA, it is difficult for the franchise to draw elite players north of the border. Four teams appear to be in a dead heat to land the services of Bosh. The Heat, Bulls, Knicks and Houston Rockets are all at odds of +300. The Clippers and Washington Wizards are the next options at +800. At +1000, the Raptors and Nets are long shots.

Amare Stoudemire

Like Bosh, Stoudemire is expected to have a new address for the 2010-11 campaign after helping the Phoenix Suns reach the Western Conference Finals last season. The Bulls, Heat and Knicks are the front runners to land him at odds of +220. The Nets are in the running at +500 while the Suns are still in the mix at +700.

More often than not in the last two decades, the NBA Finals has crowned a champion before a deciding seventh game. In the last 21 NBA Finals, there have been only two series that have been decided in a maximum of seven games. In 1994, the Houston Rockets defeated the New York Knicks in seven games. Eleven years later, the San Antonio Spurs took down the Detroit Pistons in a deciding seventh contest. If the Los Angeles Lakers can come through as a home favorite on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics, the 2010 finals will go to a seventh game on Thursday evening at the Staples Center.

Home teams have won the last four seventh games in the NBA Finals. The 1978 Washington Bullets were the last road squad to win a seventh game  in the NBA Finals.

Boston takes lead back to west coast

After stealing the homecourt edge with a road win in Game 2 at Los Angeles, the Celtics promptly lost Game 3 at home last Tuesday. The Lakers came away with a 91-84 victory in Game 3 as a 2.5-point underdog. The game went under the closing total of 191. In a critical Game 4 on Thursday, the Celtics responded with a 96-89 win as a 4-point choice to even the series at two games apiece. Once again, the contest went under the closing over/under of 190.5.

On Sunday, Boston took a lead in the series for the first time with a 92-86 victory in Game 5 as a 2-point favorite. For the third straight game, the total result was an under for an over/under of 189.5. In Game 6, the Lakers are a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 187.5. While all three games in Boston went under the total, the first two games of the series in Los Angeles went over the total.

Regarding the odds to win the series, both teams are at -110. If the Lakers can send the finals to a deciding seventh game, history will be against Los Angeles. On four previous occasions (1962, 1966, 1969 and 1984), the Celtics and Lakers have gone the distance in the NBA Finals. Each time, Boston emerged with a victory. Overall, the Celtics are a perfect 7-0 in seventh games of the NBA Finals. Since the franchise moved to Los Angeles, the Lakers are just 1-5 in seventh games of the NBA Finals.

As the NBA Finals head to Boston for the next three games, the Celtics are now the club with the home court advantage after a Game 2 win in Los Angeles. The Lakers cruised to a 102-89 win in Game 1 as a 6-point favorite. The game barely went over the closing total of 190.5.

In Game 2, Boston evened the series with a 103-94 win as a 5.5-point underdog. The total in the contest was 192.5. For Tuesday’s Game 3, Boston is a slight 2.5-point choice with a total of 192.5. Despite losing the home edge, the Lakers are still favored to win the series at -130.

Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant is a -120 favorite to win the NBA Finals MVP. Celtics guard Rajon Rondo is the next choice at +100. A couple of more Boston standouts are the next choices in the betting pool. Forward Paul Pierce (+275) and guard Ray Allen (+600) are also in the running. Allen set a finals-record by connecting on eight 3-point shots in a 32-point effort in Boston’s Game 2 victory.

When the two squads met in the finals two years ago, the Celtics won all three games at home against Los Angeles. The Lakers are just 2-7 on the road in its last three appearances in the NBA Finals.

Wall expected to land with Wizards

After winning the NBA Draft lottery, the Washington Wizards are expected to open this year’s draft by selecting Kentucky guard John Wall. He is a -1000 choice to play his first NBA regular season game for Washington. To play for any other squad in the league, Wall’s odds are at +550.

Ohio State forward Evan Turner is projected to land with the Philadelphia 76ers at the number two spot in the opening round. Turner’s odds of playing his initial NBA game for the 76ers are at -300. While these two college standouts are expected to be the first two picks of the draft, neither player is the favorite to win the NBA’s 2010-11 Rookie of the Year award.

Despite being on an NBA roster last season, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin is eligible to win the award after missing all of last year due to injury. He is a +220 favorite to capture the award. Wall is the next choice at +250 while Turner is at +300.

Of the four conference semi-finals series in this year’s NBA postseason, the matchup between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs was expected to be the most competitive. After four frustrating setbacks to the Spurs in the playoffs since 2003, the Suns gained a small measure revenge with a surprising four-game series sweep.

Eastern Conference

The defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic are a perfect 7-0 in this year’s postseason heading into Game 4 of its semi-finals series against the Atlanta Hawks. Orlando has won its first three games against Atlanta by an average margin of 29 points. For Monday’s Game 4 in Atlanta, the Magic were favored by 6.5 points.

In the other series, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are in a tight battle with the Boston Celtics. With the series tied at 2-2, the Cavaliers were a 7.5-point favorite for Tuesday’s Game 5 in Cleveland, and they procured a spectacular win. For the series price, the Cavaliers are a -425 choice. In the NBA futures pool, Orlando is now the overall favorite to win the championship at +165 while Cleveland is just behind at +170.

Western Conference

The Suns are back in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in four years. In the other semi-finals series, the Los Angles Lakers left with a series sweep on Monday night at Utah against the Jazz. In Game 4, Utah was a 3.5-point choice to keep the series alive. For NBA title odds, Los Angeles is at +195 while Phoenix is priced at +525.

Duke favored to repeat in college hoops

The Duke Blue Devils have been installed as the early favorite to capture the 2010-11 NCAA hoops title. Duke is at +500 to repeat as national champions. With some key personnel returning and a talented freshman class on board, the Blue Devils are in a good spot to make another run this season.

Despite the loss of most of its top players from last season, the Kentucky Wildcats (+800) are still expected to be in the hunt this season. Head coach John Calipari has assembled another top flight recruiting class to replace the players that are heading to the NBA. With most of its top performers from last season set to return, the Purdue Boilermakers are also at +800. After last year’s run to the national title game, the Butler Bulldogs have odds of +3000 to win the championship.

The NBA postseason field has been cut in half with the completion of the first round of the playoffs. Only one of the opening series went the distance. The Atlanta Hawks rallied from a 3-2 series deficit to get by the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. There was only one significant upset in the opening round based on seeding. The seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs took out the second-seeded Dallas Mavericks in six games.

Eastern Conference

All four top seeds in the East have reached the conference semi-finals. Top-seed Cleveland is a -800 favorite to advance to the conference finals against fourth-seed Boston. Last Saturday, the Cavaliers rallied from an 11-point third quarter deficit to pull out a 101-93 victory over the Celtics in Cleveland to open the best-of-seven series. The Cavs narrowly covered as a 7-point favorite in the contest.

On the other side of the bracket, the second-seeded Orlando Magic are also a -800 choice over the third-seeded Hawks. Orlando is a 9-point favorite over Atlanta for Tuesday’s Game 1 at Amway Arena. The Magic will have had a week off since its last game on April 26th against Charlotte in the opening round. To win the NBA title, Cleveland is the overall favorite at +110 while Orlando is next biggest contender in the East at +350.

Western Conference

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers were able to pull out a 104-99 win in Game 1 of its conference semi-finals series against the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz on Sunday. Despite the absence of two starters, Utah was able to cover as a 6.5-point underdog against the top seed in the West. LA is a -700 favorite to win the series heading into Tuesday’s Game 2 at the Staples Center. The Lakers are a 6-point choice in that contest.

In the other semi-final matchup in the West, the Spurs will try to upend the third-seeded Phoenix Suns. Even with the home court edge, Phoenix is just a narrow -120 favorite to win the series. Since 2003, the Spurs have defeated the Suns four times in the postseason. Phoenix has been installed as a 4-point home favorite for Monday’s Game 1. The Lakers are the top NBA title choice in the West at +240. The two squads in the other series are also given a reasonable shot at capturing the crown. Phoenix is at +700 while San Antonio is a +900 choice to capture its fourth NBA championship since 2003.

While no team has yet advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs heading into this week, several are just a win away from moving ahead in the postseason. A couple of teams that were expected to mount a strong challenge in the Western Conference are in some trouble as the action continues over the next few days.

Eastern Conference

It appears that all of the top four seeds in the East are going to be able to reach the conference semi-finals. The top-seeded Cavaliers have a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Chicago Bulls heading into Game 5 of the series on Tuesday night in Cleveland. At odds of -110, the Cavaliers are still the favorite to win the NBA title.

Second-seed Orlando can sweep its first round series with a victory at Charlotte on Monday. The Magic (+300) are only behind Cleveland in the NBA Championship futures pool.

The third-seeded Atlanta Hawks could face an extended first round series against Milwaukee. The Hawks must win on the road on Monday evening to avoid a 2-2 series against the Bucks. In the other series in the East, the Celtics can finish off the Heat with a victory in Game 5 on Tuesday in Boston.

Western Conference

While form has held in the East, the West has been a lot more unpredictable. All four top seeds will need at least six games to advance to the conference semi-finals. The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers (+340 to win NBA title) are getting a major challenge from the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder. After getting blown away in Game 4 on the road, the Lakers will face a pivotal Game 5 at home on Tuesday night at the Staples Center. LA is a -270 favorite to win what is now just a best-of-three series against the Thunder.

The second-seeded Mavericks are down 3-1 in its series against the seventh-seeded Spurs heading into Tuesday’s Game 5 in Dallas. The Mavericks have dropped to a 45/1 price to win the NBA championship. Denver has the same price to win the title after facing a similar obstacle as the Mavericks in its postseason series against the Jazz.

The fourth-seeded Nuggets will try to stay alive on Wednesday night in Denver in Game 5. In the other series in the West, the Suns and Blazers are tied at two games apiece heading into Monday’s Game 5 in Phoenix. With Brandon Roy back in action for the Blazers, the series could be heading towards a Game 7.

In the first eight games of the NBA playoffs, home teams rolled out to a 7-1 record while covering in six of the contests. The Portland Trail Blazers were the only road squad to steal away the home court edge on the opening weekend of the postseason.

Eastern Conference

All four of the top seeds in the East were able to win at home in their Game 1 quarterfinal series matchups. While all four of the top seeds won by nine points or more, the point spread outcomes for each contest were tight.

Top-seed Cleveland narrowly covered over #8 Chicago in a 96-83 win as a 12-point favorite. Second-seed Orlando wasn’t able to cover in a 98-89 victory over #7 Charlotte as a 10-point choice. The third-seeded Atlanta Hawks handled the sixth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks as an 8.5-point favorite in a 102-92 victory. Finally, fourth-seed Boston rallied from a 14-point second half deficit to defeat fifth-seed Miami by a final of 85-76 as a 4.5-point favorite.

In the over/under outcomes, the contests in Cleveland and Boston went under the total while the games in Orlando and Atlanta produced overs. The Bobcats/Magic game barely finished over the closing total of 186.5. The Heat/Celtics series could very well be tied after Game 2.

Western Conference

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers survived a grind it out affair against the Oklahoma City Thunder in its opening playoff contest. The top-seeded Lakers barely covered as a 7.5-point choice in an 87-79 victory. This matchup was the only one in the West to go under the total.

The second-seeded Dallas Mavericks got by the seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs as a 4-point favorite in a 100-94 victory. Like the Bobcats/Magic game, the Spurs/Mavericks battle slipped over the closing total (193.5) by just half a point. Third-seed Phoenix was upended by sixth-seed Portland by a final of 105-100. The Blazers were an 8-point underdog in the contest. In another close over/under outcome, the Blazers/Suns game barely went over the closing number of 204.

In the four/five matchup in the West, the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets produced the highest scoring game of the weekend. The fourth-seeded Nuggets cruised to a 126-113 win over the fifth-seeded Jazz as a 6-point choice.

After the grind of 82 regular season games, 16 clubs will get an opportunity to take the next step when the NBA Playoffs tip-off on Saturday. Heading into the final day of the regular season, only one postseason spot is up for grabs. The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors are in a battle for the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference with just one regular season contest to play.

Eastern Conference

The top four seeds in the East are set. For the second straight year, the Cleveland Cavaliers (+175 to win NBA title) have recorded the best record in the league. Cleveland will be a huge favorite over either Chicago or Toronto in the conference quarterfinals. The Cavs are likely to face the fourth-seeded Boston Celtics (+2500) in the conference semi-finals.

Boston will likely meet up with Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat (+10000) to open the postseason. Defending conference champion Orlando (+800) is the number two seed. If the Magic can get past the seventh-seeded Charlotte Bobcats (+30000) to advance to the Eastern semi-finals, the emerging Atlanta Hawks (+3000) will be the likely opponent. The third-seeded Hawks have recorded its best regular season in 13 years.

Western Conference

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers (+200) are the top seed in the West. LA is just 4-6 in its last ten games and is a little banged up heading into the playoffs. The Lakers will face the eighth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder (+5000) in the conference quarterfinals. NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant will make his playoff debut for one of the most improved squads in the league.

The Dallas Mavericks (+1500) will be the second or third seed in the West. The only other club with a shot at the number two seed in the conference is the Utah Jazz (+2000). However, Utah could drop to a fifth-seed with a loss to visiting Phoenix in the final regular season contest of the year. A Utah defeat would enable the Denver Nuggets (+1200) to claim the fourth-seed. The Phoenix Suns (+5000) will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as a third or fourth seed.

The injury-plagued Portland Trail Blazers (+7500) are likely to be the sixth-seed in the conference while the San Antonio Spurs (+2000) are likely to land the seventh-seed. If the Thunder can defeat Memphis at home on Wednesday, all eight Western Conference playoff squads will have 50 or more wins.

In the closest NCAA Championship contest in over two decades, the Duke Blue Devils put an end to the title hopes of the game Butler Bulldogs on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. While most of the 70,000 fans in attendance were rooting for the hometown underdogs, Duke was able to win its fourth NCAA crown in the last 20 years.

Final Four recap

The Final Four opened up with a national semi-finals matchup between Butler and Michigan State last Saturday. Both clubs were fifth seeds. While the Spartans were in the Final Four for the sixth time in the last 12 years, the Bulldogs were in the Final Four for the first time. Still, Butler entered the game as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 126. The Spartans were without top scorer Kalin Lucas due to an injury.

In a defensive struggle, Butler narrowly covered in a 52-50 victory for its 25th straight win. In the other semi-finals battle, Duke was installed as a 2.5-point choice over West Virginia with a total of 130.5. The Blue Devils were the only top seed to reach the Final Four while the Mountaineers were a two seed. Duke pulled away in the second half in a 78-57 rout to reach the title game.

Butler covers in title game

Despite its impressive run, the Bulldogs were a 6.5-point underdog in the championship game to Duke. The total was set at 127.5. While Duke led for most of the game, the Blue Devils could never pull away from the Bulldogs. Duke’s biggest lead of the game was just six points. Trailing 60-55 with two minutes to play, Butler scored the next four points to pull within a point with just under a minute to go. After stopping Duke on its next possession, Butler’s Gordon Hayward missed a potential game-winning jumper with four seconds to play. Duke grabbed the rebound and made one of two free throws to take a two-point lead. Hayward almost banked in a half-court heave at the buzzer to finish off Butler’s improbable run.

Both clubs should be contenders again in the 2010-11 campaign. While Duke will have to replace three senior starters, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are expected to return for their senior years in 2010-11. In addition, there is a talented freshmen class that will be on board next season. Butler’s only key personnel loss heading into next year is senior forward Willie Veasley (10 ppg.).