Basketball Betting
 

Basketball Betting


NFL Football
NCAA Football
NCAA Basketball
MLB Baseball
NHL Hockey
Soccer
Auto
Horse Racing
Golf
Tennis
 

NBA Basketball Betting

Too Many NBA GM's Score Low Grades In FA Class

Basketball Betting Lines

07/09/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I'm wondering how many general managers did their homework in preparation for the greatest free agent class in NBA history, considering how many ludicrous contracts were given out. Apparently the inmates are running the asylum with the kind of money a number of mediocre-to-average players are taking to the bank with their new deals.

Let's grade the significant signings up to this point.

MIAMI HEAT: Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh (financials TBA)

A ten-year old could have figured out it was the right move to sign these three, but you have to give Pat Riley credit for making it happen. Grade: A

CHICAGO BULLS: Carlos Boozer, 5 years, $75 million

This is an upgrade at the power forward position for Chicago, but with Taj Gibson having such a good rookie year, I don't know if I would've spent this much money on Boozer. Grade: B

ATLANTA HAWKS: Joe Johnson 6 years, $124 million

Maybe Atlanta thought it was signing Magic Johnson. Speaking of magic, it's amazing how Joe Johnson's disappearing act in the playoffs led to a max contract. John Salmons would have been a very viable alternative for the Hawks. Grade: F

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: David Lee, 6 years, $80 million

Golden State gave up a talented young player in Anthony Randolph in the sign- and-trade to get Lee, who puts up good numbers but doesn't really impact games. Grade: C

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Rudy Gay, 5 years, $81.6 million

Memphis finished 40-42 and failed to make the playoffs with Gay last season, so why pay him superstar-type money? I know the Grizzlies would have faced a public relations nightmare to let Gay walk so soon after trading Pau Gasol, but you eventually pay the price for vastly overcompensating a player. Grade: D

MILWAUKEE BUCKS: John Salmons, 5 years, $39 million

This is clearly the steal of the free agent market so far. Salmons averaged 19.9 ppg in his 30-game stint with Milwaukee, putting up better numbers than the likes of Paul Pierce and Rudy Gay. This is called getting a bang for your buck, or should I say Bucks. Grade: A

BOSTON CELTICS: Paul Pierce, 4 years, $61 million; Ray Allen, 2 years, $20 million; Jermaine O'Neal, 2-years, $11.5 million

Boston might regret giving four years to Pierce, who is 33, and two years to Allen, who will turn 35 later this month. Grade: B-

DALLAS MAVERICKS: Dirk Nowitzki, 4 years, $80 million; Brendan Haywood, 6 years, $55 million

The Nowitzki signing was a no-brainer, but giving a 30-year old role player like Haywood a six-year deal for that kind of money makes no sense. Grade: C

NEW YORK KNICKS: Amar'e Stoudemire, 5 years, $100 million

Donnie Walsh was banking on the signing of Stoudemire leading to another big free agent coming to the Big Apple, but the Knicks came up empty. This is too much of an investment for someone who's not a top-10 player. Grade: C

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: Darko Milicic, 4 years, $20 million

This signing proves why America is the land of opportunity. Where else could one of the biggest busts in the history of the NBA draft earn such a big pay day? Grade: I (Ignorant and Incomprehensible)

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: Steve Blake, 4 years, $16 million

As important as Derek Fisher was in last season's playoff run to the championship, Kobe Bryant had to guard the likes of Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo. The problem with the Blake signing is he's a worse defender than Fisher, and doesn't have his big-game resume. Grade: F

ORLANDO MAGIC: Chris Duhon, 4 years, $15 million

Orlando adds yet another player who doesn't make other players better, along with shooting 39% for his career. Grade: D

QUICK DRIBBLES

Lance Stephenson looks like he'll be one of the big steals of the draft. The former Cincinnati guard, who was selected with the eighth pick in the second round and number 40 overall by the Pacers, has really stood out in the NBA's Orlando Summer League. He's got size, athleticism, and good basketball skills along with an excellent feel for the game and tremendous on-court confidence.

The Nets also look like they got a really good player late in the first round in Damion James. He might even be more NBA-ready than teammate Derrick Favors, who was picked third overall.

<< Report: Yankees close to acquiring Lee
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees are reportedly close to acquiring pitcher Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners. According to the New York Post, the Yankees would send prized catching prospect Jesus Montero to Se

<< Modell: Cleveland fans will 'carry on' post-James
CLEVELAND (AP) -LeBron James' decision to abandon Cleveland is drawing comparisons to Art Modell. But the man who moved the Browns to Baltimore in 1995 says the situations are different.Modell tells Cleveland radio station WTAM that ``you can't equa

<< Mavs lock up C Haywood
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Mavericks reportedly agreed to terms with center Brendan Haywood on a multi-year contract. According to multiple reports, the deal is worth $55 million over six years. The 29-year-old started the 20

<< Clippers add Foye, Gomes
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers have come to terms on contracts with forward Ryan Gomes and guard Randy Foye. The Los Angeles Times reports Foye's deal is for two years and more than $8 million. Gomes' deal is

<< Report: Heat clear more cap space, send Beasley to Minnesota
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat have apparently sent the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Michael Beasley, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 2011 second-round pick and a swap of future first-round picks.

Calling Canuck fans everywhere >>
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The word "frenzy" is often used to describe the NHL's free agency period, but sitting here today on July 9th, the word "flop" might be more appropriate in describing the excitement level amongst hockey fans.

Coroner: Turpin died of self-inflicted gunshot >>
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -A coroner's report says former Kentucky basketball star Melvin Turpin died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.The report Friday gave no other information about the investigation, including whether Turpin left a suicide note. Faye

Bruins sign Stuart to one-year deal >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman Mark Stuart to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Stuart has spent his entire career with the Bruins, who made the Rochester, Minnesota nat

Record crowd watched Clijsters beat Serena >>
Brussels, Belgium (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The largest crowd to ever watch a tennis match saw Belgian Kim Clijsters beat Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in an exhibition bout Thursday in Brussels. The former world No. 1 Clijsters topped the c

2010 FBS Positional Analysis: Tight Ends >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The collegiate tight end has traditionally received little-to-no fanfare, except for the truly exceptional in that category. However, the position remains a quarterback's best friend. Whether it is serving as

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.

What Is the Point Spread?

What are Sports Betting Point Spreads?

In any football or basketball game (the main sports that use point spreads) there are two teams playing against each other.

Those teams, though, are rarely exactly evenly matched – meaning that typically one team has a better chance than the other to win the game. If bettors were allowed to bet on who was simply going to win the game, smart ones would obviously bet on the better team (likely winning more than 50% of the time in the process).

If winning were that easy the Las Vegas and online sportsbooks would stop taking any bets! This is where the point spread comes in: the basic function of the point spread is to balance the likelihood of each team “winning” by adjusting the final score by the point spread. After this adjustment is made you get the Against The Spread result (ATS result for short).

Let’s look at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Most people believed the defending champ Patriots to be the better team – so if betting were simply based upon which team would win the game, an uneven majority of people would have wagered on New England. But, by using the point spread, the bookmakers adjusted the terms of the bet, evening the proposition so about half the people believed the Pats to be the smart bet, while the other half considered Philly to be the smart bet.

How to Read Point Spreads

New England Patriots -7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The better team, called the Favorite, is expected to win the game and must “give” or “lay” points to the weaker team. The favorite is listed with a minus sign and the number of points they are favored by (e.g., New England -7)

In the case of our example, New England must not only win the game, but they must win by more than 7 points for Pats bettors to have a winning ATS result. An Eagles bettor wins his bet either if:

  • Philly wins the actual game by any amount of points
    OR
  • Philly loses the game by less than 7 points.

  • There was also the possibility that the final score could land exactly on the spread number (for example, the Pats winning 28-21 when -7), which is called a “push” or “no action” and a refund is then issued to bettors of both teams.

    The same game with the same point spread can be considered from the weaker team’s perspective: The Underdog (Philly in the case of our example) is not expected to win the game and online football betting thus receives or “gets” points given by the stronger team. When a game is stated from the underdog’s perspective the team is listed with a plus sign and the number of points they are underdogs by:

    Philadelphia Eagles +7 vs. New England Patriots

    Keep in mind that Philadelphia +7 and New England -7 is the same point spread on the same game, simply stated differently. The first is from the underdog’s perspective; the later is from the favorite’s.

    For Those Who Like to Consider Things Mathematically

    Not a must, but for some a mathematical approach is insightful. You can determine the ATS winner by either:

  • Subtracting the point spread from the favorite’s score (thus the minus sign before the number) and then compare to the underdog’s score
    OR
  • Adding the point spread to the underdog’s score (thus the plus sign before the number) and then compare to the favorite’s score

    Who Really “Won” the Super Bowl odds ?

    Let’s look at the actual result of Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24 Philadelphia 21

    The favorite, New England, won the game but not by more than the point spread they were favored by (7), so the ATS result was a LOSS for Pats bettors.

    Looking at it from the underdog’s perspective, Philly did not win the game, but they lost by less than the point spread (7), so the ATS result was a WIN for Eagle bettors.

    Mathematically considered, 24 for the favorite Pats minus 7 equals 17, which is less than the 20 the Eagles scored, so the underdog Eagles win the ATS result (or you could figure 20 plus 7 equals 27 for the Eagles, which is more than 24 for the Pats).

    Emily’s boyfriend understood the point spread and wagered $100 on the Eagles at +7. The Eagles may not have gotten a Super Bowl ring, but since they won the ATS result Emily’s boyfriend cashed his bet – giving him money to take her out to a nice dinner.

    And now hopefully you understand how to read point spreads, putting you one step closer to joining the fun of sports betting.

To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting and World Series odds.