Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers – We Have Your Pick

The road has not been kind to the Bulls this season as they have gone just 12 and 27 ATS away from the United Center. That’s just where they’ll be tonight as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers.

Despite the Pacers having an ugly 31-43 ATS record for the season, they have been decent at home, going 21 and 14.

Here is the BetOnline betting line for this game.

Chicago Bulls +2 -110 O 215 -110

Indiana Pacers -2 -110 U 215 -110

Here are a few online wagering trends for this game.

The Chicago Bulls have gone 3 and 7 ATS in their last 10 road games.

The Under is 10 and 1 in the Indiana Pacers last 10 games at home.

The Under is 7 and 2 in the Indiana Pacers last 9 games at home.

The Home team is 9 and 4 ATS in the last 13 meetings between these two teams.

This game is going to come down to a few simple facts. First, the Chicago Bulls are just horrible ATS on the road. The Indiana Pacers are terrific ATS on the road.

The Chicago Bulls have averaged over 109 points a game in their last 5. The Indiana Pacers have averaged over 104.

Both the Bulls and the Pacers have players that can score. The Bulls have Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon. The Pacers have the underrated Danny Granger.

The reason I bring up the stats regarding the Total is because even though the trends point to the under, I truly believe that betting over or under is a risky wager.

Instead, I’m inclined to ride with the Pacers in this game. Indiana has a horrible ATS record overall but look closer and they’ve got a fantastic ATS record at home.

The Bulls can’t cover spreads on the road.

I’ll be making a wager that the Indiana Pacers cover the -2 points in the sportsbook.

World Cup Qualifiers – Spain vs. Turkey and Czech vs. Slovakia

UEFA World Cup Qualifiers: Soccer Quick Picks

The BetOnline soccer-betting menu serves up veritable buffet of UEFA World Cup Qualifiers this week. All the nations around the world put forward their bid for a spot in the most prestigious and coveted soccer competition that is the World Cup. The excitement is palpable. The soccer betting intense. Who will qualify and keep the championship dream alive.

The jam-packed soccer betting menu at BetOnline Sportsbook covers all the soccer action around the world. Here is a look at some of the exciting action on offer at BetOnline Sportsbook.

Match times 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time Wednesday April 1 2009

BetOnline Soccer odds:

Turkey +½  -145   +225   2  O -140   U +120    1  O Ev   U -130  Draw   +215    
Spain  -½  +125   +125   2  O -140   U +120    1  O -145   U +115  Draw   +215    

Soccer betting Verdict: This should be one of the more competitive matches of the day. Turkey had a dream Euro Cup run last summer, reaching the semis. Spain went one better and won the coveted Euro Cup prize. Indeed this should be a battle royale and the plum pick in the marketplace. I fancy Spain though to win. Given the firepower of both teams take the over 2 goals.

Soccer Free Picks: Spain +125 | 2  O -140

BetOnline Soccer odds:

Austria pk  +120   +200   2½  O +110   U -130  1  O +110   U -140   Draw   +215    
Romania  pk  -140   +135   2½  O +110   U -130  1  O -125   U -105   Draw   +215    

Soccer betting Verdict: Austria gave a good account of themselves during the 2008 Euro Cup. They were co-hosts with Switzerland and it was their first taste of an international competition. They will hope to do better on the World Cup stage. They draw fierce competitors Romania. This will be a tough match. Austria are more defensive minded so if they can neutralize Romania on the attack this should be a tight affair. Most pundits expect Romania to win; therefore, they are the better play. Take the Under 2 ½ goals.

Soccer Free Picks: Romania +135| Under 2.5 goals -130

BetOnline Soccer odds:

Czech Republic  -1  +110   -200   2½  O -105   U -115    2  O +120   U -150    Draw   +260    
Slovakia  +1  -130   +625  2½  O -105   U -115     ½  O -140   U +110  Draw   +260    

Soccer betting Verdict: These are familiar foes what with once being a part of Czechoslovakia. Czech Republic is favoured and they have the home edge. But Czech soccer has seen better days. They were disappointing during Euro Cup. They have to redeem themselves on the international stage here. Slovakia is the huge underdog but there is everything to play for. They might just want it more than the hosts. Either way, as typically, clashes between Czech Republic and Slovakia end in draws, the draw is the best play.

Soccer Free Picks: Draw +260| Under 2.5 goals -115

Horse Players Pay Day – Mountaineer Racetrack Race

Despite Tuesday’s usually being a dark day for the Class A tracks in the United States, BetOnline is offering odds on some potential winners.

Horseplayers should take a stab at a race at Mountaineer Park, because Mountaineer often times provides full fields and plenty of overlay opportunities for bettors.

Let’s analyze Race 9 at Mountaineer on Tuesday.

Mountaineer Racetrack – - Race 9

Allowance $28,400 n3L

For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Up Which Have Never Won Three Races

5 ½ furlongs on dirt

Chase Em – - 6/1 morning line

2 for 2 at Mountaineer including a sensational maiden score by 14 lengths means that Chase Em certainly likes the track. She gets the perfect draw as the speed is to the inside of her. The odds makers must believe that she bounces in this race because she is going up in class, but speed is speed. If she can lay close and then take over at the top of the stretch, forget it. She’s the fastest.

Kitty Came Home – - 6/1 morning line

She finished second going a mile in her first try over the Mountaineer Racetrack dirt course. If she improves at all, then this thing could be over because she’s as fast as anything in here. The problem, of course, is that she gets the rail where the other speed can just watch her but because she’s out of Came Home, the class is there. She’s a serious contender at nice odds in this.

Girl Humor – - 7/5 morning line

The likely chalk should be tough in her first try over the Mountaineer main track, but there are some issues. First, even though she’s out of Distorted Humor, she looks to have some injury issues. Second, is she really that much faster than Chase Em and Kitty Came Home? I’m not sure about that. Class doesn’t always prevail going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt. If she gets caught in a speed duel or she isn’t on top of her game, then she could lose at very low odds.

Wagering Strategy

I like Chase Em to continue her winning streak and will bet her to win and place. I will put Chase Em, Girl Humor and Kitty Came Home into an exacta and trifecta box.

Los Angeles at Charlotte – Are the Lakers Slipping?

Los Angeles Lakers (58-15 SU, 37-35-1 ATS) at Charlotte Bobcats (33-40 SU, 44-29 ATS)

BetOnline NBA Betting Odds: L.A. LAKERS -5.5, Total 191

Here are some of the NBA betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* LA has covered four of its last five games

* LA has won five of its last six games SU

* LA has played seven of its last eight games UNDER the total

* LA has won and covered six of its last seven road games

* LA has played four of its last five road games UNDER the total

* CHAR has won and covered five of its last seven games

* CHAR has played five of its last six gams UNDER the total

* CHAR has covered 14 of its last 18 home games

* CHAR has won eight of its last 11 home games SU

* CHAR has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total

Also…

* CHAR has covered seven of the last eight meetings

* CHAR has won five of the last six meetings SU

* Three of the last four meetings have gone UNDER the total

* CHAR has had the shooting edge in five of the last seven meetings

* CHAR has had the rebounding edge in each of the last five meetings

We recognize that the Lakers will be looking for a little redemption after shooting a horrid 35% against Atlanta in Sunday’s ballgame in the process of dropping an 86-76 verdict. Obviously it was out of character for Kobe & Co., with that point total falling 31.5 points below the season average for the Western Conference leaders. That was this team’s first loss after four wins on the current road trip. Now, if you want to hear something really interesting, it’s that the Lakers are anything but a bunch of stoppers when they’re the visiting team, giving up almost 47% shooting to the opposition.

Some of the Lakers are, of course, playing very well. Pau Gasol has achieved double digits in rebounds in each of his last six games, and he exploded for 36 points against New Jersey on Friday. Lamar Odom has scored above his season average in six of his last seven outings.

Now here’s the rough part: Kobe Bryant has shot 40% or less in six of his last seven games. And in case you were wondering about Trevor Ariza, in his first six games as a starter, he averaged 15 points a game. In his last four, he’s down to eight points a game.

Charlotte has won five of the last six meetings in this series, so you know they pump up the intensity when they face off against this opponent. They’ve squared off once this season, on January 27, where Charlotte won a 117-110 double-overtime thriller, as two of Larry Brown’s key acquisitions, Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, combined for 40 points. Gerald Wallace suffered a collapsed lung and broke a rib in this game, and had to spend some time in a Los Angeles hospital. He eventually missed seven games. He’s since come back to spearhead the Bobcat playoff drive, and has shot 58% in the month of March.

Charlotte’s working hard, and has plenty to play for, sitting just two games in back of Chicago for the 8th spot in the East. That would be a triumph for Brown in his first year at the helm. We’re grabbing the points with Charlotte, the 5.5-point underdog in the BetOnline NBA basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: CHARLOTTE +5.5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

Hawks at 76ers – Watch out for Hotlanta

BetOnline NBA Basketball Sports Betting Odds: PHILADELPHIA -2, Total 193

Here are some of the NBA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* ATL is 9-2-1 ATS in its last 12 games

* ATL has won nine of its last 12 games SU

* ATL has played four of its last five gams OVER the total

* ATL has covered three of its last nine road games

* ATL has lost six of its last seven road games SU

* ATL has played four of its last five road games OVER the total

* PHIL has covered two of its last seven games

* PHIL has played six of its last seven games OVER the total

* PHIL has covered two of its last nine home games

* PHIL has won four of its last five home games SU

Also….

* ATL has covered six of the last eight meetings

* ATL has won four of the last six meetings SU

* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total

* ATL has covered four of the last six meetings as the road team

* PHIL has won seven of the last nine meetings SU as the home team

* ATL has had the shootng edge in seven of the last eight meetings

* PHIL has had the rebounding edge in four of the last six meetings

The Hawks recently went through the meat grinder, having to face NBA powers San Antonio, Boston and the Lakers in consecutive games, but this team has covered ten of its last 12 games and maintained a hold on fourth place in the East, which will bring a home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. As far as action against the Sixers is concerned, Atlanta was obviously not intimidated in the City of Brotherly Love last season, winning both meetings in the Wachovia Center. This is a team with some mental toughness, as they exhibited last year in extending the Celtics to seven games as a prohibitive underdog in the opening playoff round.

Tony DiLeo, the "company man" who took over as interim coach after the firing of Maurice Cheeks, has done a good job of having his Sixer team playing hard most night. But this team has faltered defensively in recent outings, as Philadelphia has surrendered 50% or more from the field five times in the last eight games. There’s no surprise that there was just one cover in those five games. Atlanta showed that it can shoot poorly (39%) and still beat a good team when they topped the Lakers by ten points Sunday at the Phillips Arena (of course, L.A. shot even worse in that one). After you get past the three elite teams in the East – Cleveland, Boston and Orlando -you’ve got the Hawks, who could get beyond the first round this time and be dangerous again.

Atlanta has lost six of its last seven road games, but the Hawks are the team playing better basketball right now. Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert, one of the more imposing defensive enforcers in the middle, is being bothered by a calf injury, and if he is not 100% that obviously helps Atlanta’s cause a bit more. He’ll be happy to take points with Atlanta, the two-point underdog in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: ATLANTA +2 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

Western Conference Playoff Push – Utah at Portland

BetOnline NBA Betting Odds: PORTLAND -6, Total 192.5

Here are some of the NBA betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* UTAH has covered two of its last nine games

* UTAH has won five of its last six games SU

* UTAH has played 14 of its last 19 games UNDER the total

* UTAH has covered one of its last five road games

* UTAH has lost four of its last five road games SU

* UTAH has played four of its last six road games UNDER the total

* PORT has covered six of its last seven games

* PORT has won five of its last seven games SU

* PORT has covered four of its last six home games

* PORT has won 15 of its last 17 home games SU

* PORT has played five of its last six home games OVER the total

Also…

* PORT has won and covered the last five meetings as the home team

* Three of the last four meetings in Portland have gone UNDER the total

* PORT has had the rebounding edge in three of the last four meetings

* PORT has made more three-pointers in each of the last seven meetings

Here’s the update: Utah and Portland are currently tied for fifth place in the Western Conference, and while they’re only a half a game ahead of the New Orleans Hornets , they’re also a game and a half behind the Nuggets and Rockets. Things are very tight in the conference, and so this game takes on all that much more meaning.

This series has been dominated by the home team, which has won and covered the last six meetings. That’s a trend Portland welcomes, because the Blazers are a solid 22-14 ATS at the Rose Garden this season, and have destroyed Phoenix and Memphis by 20 points apiece in the last two contests at the Rose Garden. Brandon Roy is lighting it up, as he’s hit 53% or better from the field in three of his last four games, and LeMarcus Aldridge has 71 points, 31 rebounds and seven blocks in his last three outings.

Utah is 5-1 in its last six games, but the Jazz is still not operating on all cylinders. Carlos Boozer has not really regained his offensive touch; the 6’9" former All-Star power forward has averaged only 13 points since coming back from his knee injury, and has connected on just 43% of his shots in his last five games. That’s just not Boozer, who has always been a high-percentage shooter. There’s Portland has a decisive scheduling edge here, as they have had two days of rest while Utah is coming off a win hosting the New York Knicks last night. That’s an important handicapping factor when you consider that the Jazz is just 5-12 ATS when playing the second end of back-to-back games.

There is no doubt this game will be hotly-contested. In the end, though, it’s a Portland team that is better rested and enjoying the comforts of home, and the six-point favorite in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: PORTLAND -6 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

NBA Picks – Pistons Ten-Point Dogs in Cleveland

It was only a couple years ago that LeBron went bananas in the historic Game 5 of the Pistons-Cavaliers playoff series. My how the tables of turned. At the time, Detroit was a perennial playoff powerhouse and Cleveland was a team with a legend in the making. Well that legend took off in that game and, while the Cavs have surged to the top, Detroit has never truly recovered.

You can watch the highlights on YouTube and see just how shocked Tayshaun Prince is during the whole debacle. He’s speechless. And for the vast chunk of this NBA betting season, he’s been just as quiet. The Pistons are in the middle of an awkward rebuilding phase, which makes Allen Iverson an even more confusing player to bring on board. Rodney Stuckey has been fine in his place, but he’s not a championship point man, nor is he leading a championship team. The Pistons have sucked a big fat one this season, and the trends are solid proof.

NBA Betting Trends

-Detroit is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games

-Detroit is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games

-Detroit is 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games on the road

-Detroit is 4-11 ATS against Cleveland

-Cleveland is 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games

-Cleveland is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games

-Cleveland is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games at home

-total has gone UNDER in 14 of 16 when Cleveland plays Detroit at home

Meanwhile, Cleveland has made it a habit of becoming the team to beat. And now that the Celtics have opted to sit Kevin Garnett for a large chunk of the remainder this season, the Cavs look like a cinch to win the Eastern Conference. A 102-74 drubbing of the Mavericks is certainly proof.

And while most critics would have you believe that Cleveland may take their foot off the peddle, I’d beg to differ. They’ve gone in to “raising the bird” mode, crushing both Minnesota and Dallas by more than twenty-points. If that isn’t evidence that a ten-point spread against Detroit shouldn’t worry you too much, then nothing will.

Detroit Pistons (36-37) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (60-13)

Tuesday, March 31st — Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland — 7:00pm EST

NBA Betting Line: Cleveland -9.5 (179.5)

The UNDER is likely a good bet, because Detroit simply doesn’t get it done on the road. They’ve beaten Washington *(whoop-de-doo) but were outlasted by Chicago when they visited the Windy City. I’m not comfortable with the road offense of Detroit, especially when LeBron has had their number for the last few years.

NBA Free Pick: Cleveland -9.5 (UNDER)

UFC Fight Night – Preliminary Fight Picks

UFC fans have been starving for a new event to hit the airwaves. It seems like its been forever since the last fight night between Joe Lauzon and Jeremy Stephens, especially casual fans who don’t have the money these days to spring for pay-per-view contests.

Wednesday night’s UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann has a very distinct Ultimate Fighter feel to it as many well-known alumni of the show will battle it out to keep the momentum going in a positive direction in their young careers. With such spirited competitors, UFC Fight Nights often bring some of the best UFC action and some of the most memorable fights around to the table.

The most anticipated preliminary fight for Wednesday’s 8 p.m. ET Spike TV Fight Night might be Gleison Tibau vs. Jeremy Stephens. This is a classic jiu-jitsu vs. striker matchup. Efrain Escudero was supposed to fight in place of Tibau but got hurt leading up to this one.

Tibau is a great all-around ground fighter and a savvier fighter than Stephens. While Stephens is exciting and possesses knockout power and always looks to put on a show, Tibau is a little better at this stage and should take this one. This will be an interesting test to see if Stephens has matured since his fight with Joe Lauzon or not.

Another interesting bout is Tim Credeur vs. Nick Catone. Catone was supposed to take on former TUF winner Amir Sadollah but Sadollah is still sidelined with injuries. Credeur came off of the same season as Sadollah but didn’t quite make the finals, but he still has the jiu-jitsu skills and moxie to pull of a win against Catone.

Ricardo Almedia is one of the better jiu-jitsu specialists in the MMA world, but Matt Horwich is the kind of scrappy fighter who can make life difficult for him. Almeida should pull this one out but in a three-round fight against the underdog Horwich, a UFC Fight Night shocker could possibly unfold. Keep an eye on this one if it is indeed shown on Spike TV.

Rounding out the interesting UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann preliminary fights is a return to the Octagon by Brock Larson, an aggressive, powerful wrestler whose only loss in the past 13 fights was to headliner Carlos Condit in the WEC. He also has taken Jon Fitch to decision in his career, losing on points. Larson should make short work of Jesse Sanders in what should be an entertaining night for UFC fans.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers – Take the Over

One of the top teams in the NBA Power Rankings, the Atlanta Hawks, take on the Philadelphia 76’ers on Tuesday night. Atlanta has been very good recently going 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games. Overall, their record against the spread is 41-32-1 and 19-17 on the road.

The 76’ers haven’t had a very good season. They could make the playoffs because after Boston, Cleveland, Orlando and Atlanta, there aren’t a lot of teams capable of making the playoffs in the east. But Philly’s straight up record of 37 and 35 has to be considered a disappointment after the changes they made during the off-season. Their against the spread record is 32-38-2 while their record ATS at home is a bleak 15-19-2.

Here is the BetOnline betting line for this game.

Atlanta Hawks +3 -110 O 193 -110

Philadelphia 76’ers -3 -110 U 193 -110

Here are a few online wagering trends for this game.

The Atlanta Hawks are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS win.

The Over is 4 and 1 in the Atlanta Hawks last 5 games on the road.

The Philadelphia 76’ers are 2 and 7 ATS in their last 9 games at home.

The Over is 6 and 1 in the Philadelphia 76’ers last 7 games overall.

The last time these two teams met they put up a total of 203 points. Why the sudden change from the odds makers?

Philly routinely puts up 100 to 110 or more points in every game. What that means is that even on a bad shooting night, Philadelphia can score at least 95.

The Hawks appear to be more conservative because of their 86 to 76 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in their last game. A closer look reveals that the victory over the Lakers by only scoring 86 points was an anomaly. The Hawks usually put up between 95 to 105 on most nights.

That means that Atlanta and Philadelphia should hit the relatively low BetOnline Total of 193.

That’s the bet that I will be making. That this game goes over the BetOnline Total of 193 points.

New Orleans at Sacramento – Hornets Need to get Rolling

The New Orleans Hornets (45-27 SU, 31-39-2 ATS, 29-41-2 O/U) and the Sacramento Kings (16-56 SU, 34-38 ATS, 36-36 O/U) will both be gunning for an SU and ATS victory in the BetOnline Sportsbook when they battle at ARCO Arena tonight.

The Hornets snapped their modest two-game losing streak, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 90-86 as a 1.5-point home underdog on Sunday.

All-star point guard Chris Paul scored a game-high 26 points to go along with seven rebounds and nine assists for New Orleans while fellow all-star David West added a double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds in the win while the combined score checked in Under the posted O/U total of 178.5 points.

The Kings defeated the reeling Phoenix Suns 126-118 as a 6-point home underdog on Sunday while the combined score played OVER the posted over/under total (236.5).

Rookie forward Jason Thompson scored a game-high 21 points for Sacramento and blossoming center Spencer Hawes added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Picks.

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 5 games

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 5 games on the road

The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Sacramento

The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans’s last 9 games when playing Sacramento

Sacramento is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans

Sacramento is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against New Orleans

Sacramento is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against New Orleans

The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento’s last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans

NBA Odds

New Orleans Hornets -6½ -110

Sacramento Kings +6½ -110

Over 201½ -110

Under 201½ -110

Analysis: While the New Orleans Hornets have struggled against better competition this season, they are the correct pick tonight despite playing on the road.

The Hornets are clearly the better team and know they need to kick it in high gear as the postseason quickly approaches and will take a step in that direction by beating the Kings tonight.

NBA Free Picks: New Orleans -6½ Points/Under 201½ Total Points

Next Page »