While the city of Vancouver continues to clean up the mess following the collapse of their beloved Canucks in the Stanley Cup finals, another Canadian team still has its eye on the future as they look to build a contender. The Edmonton Oilers have done well in previous drafts to build a roster that is stocked with young talent, and with the 2011 NHL draft right around the corner they have the opportunity to add another top talent with the first overall pick. With that selection the Oilers will add a center to play alongside winger Taylor Hall, who was the first overall pick for Edmonton in last year’s NHL draft.

Hall showed enormous potential in his first season, scoring 22 goals and registering 42 points in 65 games before his season ended with a tough leg injury that came as a result of a fight. That intensity level is an indication of how bad Hall wants to be recognized as one of the top players in the league one day, but in order to get there he is going to need the help of a top-line center. Enter Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the consensus top talent available on this year’s board. After averaging more than a point per game during his career with the Red Deer Rebels, the young center will make the jump to the NHL and is seen as a top-two way player with a ton of offensive upside. While it may take some time for him to develop, Nugent-Hopkins will be paired with Hall on a top scoring line for years to come as Edmonton looks to emerge as a sports betting contender once again.

While the debate rages on about which is the better online sports betting player of all-time between Miami Heat forward Lebron James and Chicago Bulls’ legend Michael Jordan, the answer can be found in the previous two lines alone. Scottie Pippen surprised everybody when he stepped up and said Lebron could be better, while Isiah Thomas joined the debate recently to also side with him, but both have made a critical error in judgment that has cost them in this debate. Lebron will never be considered in the same class as Jordan, and there is no question that at this point in his career he isn’t even close.

The biggest problem isn’t weighing the statistics in two eras where they can very well be skewed due to talent level, style, and the way that the game has developed. When Jordan broke through it was revolutionary, there was no debate. Now that Lebron is here it is all about comparison and debate. Jordan brought titles to Chicago like no player in the history of the game, while Lebron failed to bring one to Cleveland and then jumped ship to join Miami. If the Heat don’t win a title this year, they could very well not get another chance. How can a player that hasn’t won a single title be compared to one that has more than any player in the history of the game? Even if Lebron wins with the Heat, can he be called the best player on his own team? After all, Dwayne Wade will always be one title ahead of him, and he did it without the help of Lebron and Chris Bosh. The debate will live on even in the days after this finals and the 2011 Belmont Stakes betting race, but the fact remains that the title belongs to Jordan and always will.

With roughly four and a half months left until the playoffs, Belmont betting enthusiasts looking for a new sport, are dying to learn how to gamble on baseball. Today, rather than being another one of your typical MLB betting guides, we will be looking at the two factors that help set the lines in Las Vegas. By learning about these two factors, you should be able to make a good profit when you wager on your favorite teams.

Pitching – In baseball there is an old adage stating that good pitching always triumphs over good hitting. When it comes to setting lines, this adage is one of the main principles bookies use, and one that most bettors new or more experienced should be aware of. Essentially, when a good pitcher takes on a weaker offensive lineup, there will almost always be an advantage to the good pitchers team. Conversely, a poor pitcher facing a good offensive lineup will always be the underdog.

Tip: When two solid pitchers faceoff, it is important to look at the results of the last couple of games for each team. For the reason that, the bullpen may be depleted from trying to hold a team in their when another starter fumbles, you may be able to find an advantage. While solid pitchers continuously go late into ball games, it is rare that they will pitch a complete game every time.

Recent Performance – As we mentioned above, recent performance plays a huge success in how a team fares when betting in baseball. The MLB season is roughly seven months long, with 162 games being played. What this means, is that a team that starts out of the gate strong, will enter a valley at some point during the season, so you shouldn’t always bet on them.

Tip: Over a 162 game season teams are likely to have many peaks and valleys (win and losing streaks), however if you back a team with a winning streak for too long or fade a losing streak, you may not be able to turn a good profit.

Tonight, Belmont betting enthusiasts will shift their attention from horse racing to the NBA, as the 2010 – 11 seasons’ finals featuring the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks starts in Miami tonight. If you are sports betting with your brain, chances are you have the Miami Heat winning this series in six games. However, if you wager with your heart, you will take Dallas in seven. Here is a preview for tonight’s matchup.

This year’s NBA finals, is a rematch of the 2005 – 2006 finals when the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks became the first two teams ever to reach the NBA final each for the time in their franchises history. In that series, similar to this one, many fans and experts alike believed that the Heat would win the series. What’s more, that series seemingly was the turning point in Dwayne Wade’s career, where he went from relative unknown to elite level superstar.

Now five years removed, Wade has come full circle, as he looks to beat the Mavericks for a second time in the NBA finals. This time however, one can argue that the Heat have a much better supporting cast for Wade, as he now has friends LeBron James and Chris Bosh two other elite level players on his wings. What’s more, given the drastic change in image over the past 11 months, anything short of an NBA title for the Miami Heat, can be considered by many to be a disappointment.

On the other side of things, the Dallas Mavericks comparable to the Miami Heat are led by an elite level superstar in Dirk Nowitzki. This year’s Mavericks team has appeared to be the best in franchise history, as simply put they have dominated every team in the ever difficult Western Conference. From sweeping Kobe Bryant’s Lakers in the second round to a date with the big three in Miami, the Mavericks appear destined for great things. Like the Heat, if the Mavericks don’t win the NBA title, this year will be considered a disappointment for many.