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.

Belmont betting players are anxiously awaiting the final jewel in the Triple Crown, which will be decided on June 11^th at Belmont Park in New York, and if the other Triple Crown races are to be believed, we’re going to have a close and exciting encounter to watch. Early odds are forecasting a three-horse battle for all the marbles.

Animal Kingdom, Shackleford and Nehro are all listed at +400 to come away with the win, and the first two horses should be no surprise. Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby, while Shackleford led a large portion of the Derby before the field caught up to him, then he won the Preakness Stakes by holding off a late charge from, you guessed it, Animal Kingdom. Nehro was held out of the Preakness by his handlers, but he finished second at the Kentucky Derby and he was one of the horses who caught up to Shackleford late in the race. He’s been close with three second-place runs in his last three starts, so Nehro is going to earn some consideration among Belmont betting players.

All three would be very good picks on June 11^th, as Animal Kingdom has a strong late kick, which bodes well at a 1.5-mile race, while there will be skepticism about Shackleford’s stamina. Nehro has trouble closing, but his closing run at the end of the Kentucky Derby was very encouraging and could pay off over the long haul of the Belmont. This is definitely the trio to watch in your sports betting book.

As if it was prancing right through the finish of the Preakness and into the Belmont Stakes, Animal Kingdom will trample the field when it reaches New York for the final leg of the Triple Crown in a couple of weeks. After a slow start saw it fall behind all but one horse through the first couple of corners, the Kentucky Derby winner came on strong and nearly caught eventual winner Shackleford before finishing the race just a half-length back at the line. That has set the stage for a rematch between the Kentucky and Preakness winners, and although there will be no Triple Crown in 2011 the final leg should be just as exciting with this key matchup taking the spotlight.

The Belmont Stakes betting race will feature a ton of familiar faces, including both Nehro and Mucho Macho Man. Both of those horses placed at Kentucky, and should be primed for one final run of the season. However, although their presence will add to the atmosphere for the Belmont, this has developed into a two-horse race with the recent developments. Shackleford held on with a pretty consistent effort throughout the race, but with the Belmont at 1 ½ miles it may have a tough time holding on against Animal Kingdom. There will be a ton of chatter about whether the trifecta of strong online sports betting finishes can be completed, but in the end it will be Animal Kingdom that comes through and finishes in front at the 2011 Belmont.

It has been 30 days, and finally Preakness betting fans also following the NBA, can watch the Conference finals. For the first time in roughly three years, the four remaining teams in the NBA sports betting finals have an opportunity to wipe the label of middle of the pack from their resumes. Here is our prediction for which two teams will move on from the Conference finals to battle it out for the NBA title.

The NBA Conference finals are already underway, with the Chicago Bulls up one game to nothing over the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks will renew acquaintances tonight for game one in Dallas. On paper, the Mavericks should be able to crush the Thunder, since they have been resting for the last week, while Oklahoma City has just finished up a grueling seven game series with the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the Eastern Conference, already up one game to nothing, the Chicago Bulls appear poised and ready to return to the NBA finals for the first time in 13 years. Meanwhile, the new look Heat is aiming for their second NBA finals appearance since 2006, when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA title.

As breeders cup betting sports fans, we are all about dream finals, and for many people, they would like to see the Dallas Mavericks take on Miami in the finals. However, a Dallas verses Chicago final wouldn’t be too bad either. But what about the Oklahoma City Thunder? Are they simply a stepping stone for the Mavericks to return to the NBA finals?

In our opinion, the Oklahoma City Thunder should be able to get over the hump this year and into the NBA final. They will face the Chicago Bulls, similar to the Seattle Supersonics (OKC before location change) from 1996 – 1997 seasons. Only this time, with Kendrick Perkins at center, the Thunder should be able to win the franchise’s first NBA title since being in Seattle in 1979.

The 2011 Preakness betting lines opened earlier this week. However, if you are a sports betting enthusiast looking for something exciting to wager on before big racing event, look no further than the Eastern Conference Finals in the NHL. Featuring the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, sports fans are being spoiled by a league that usually puts its owners first. Here is a preview of the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals, set to start on Saturday May 14, 2011.

Heading into Saturday’s matchup at the TD Garden Center in Boston, MA, hockey handicappers are looking forward to a fast paced defensive minded series between two of the NHL best teams. On the one hand, the Boston Bruins have destroyed a lot of demons this playoffs, as they went through their two biggest obstacles, the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers in rounds one and two. Conversely, the Tampa Bay Lightning are seen as an underdog in these playoffs, despite having an All Star roster that has grossly underachieved for the better part of the last three seasons.

On paper, this series has all the makings of a seven game triple overtime affair. What’s more, both of these teams are ridiculously balanced, as all four lines on either side of the ice can be matched up against each other. From top to bottom, every player on both Boston and Tampa Bay can counter one another.

In all honesty, the only area of the lineup where we can see playing an advantage to one team over the other is in net. Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas looks to be as good as he was during the 2008 – 2009 seasons in which he won the Vezina Trophy. Meanwhile, Dwayne Roloson at 41 years old has been channeling his inner Marty Brodeur. However, against a deep and determined Boston Bruins squad, does Roloson have enough in the tank to carry the Lightning to a series victory?

PayPerHead.com, an online sportsbook service provider for local bookmaking agents, today unveiled a new campaign featuring Vince Curatola, Johnny Sack of The Sopranos fame.

The campaign leads with Vince asking “Five bucks per head, that’s what I wanna pay…” and the website, featuring video and voice overs by Vince, walks you through the product, the process and the competition.
“Five bucks a head is really an industry first given our level of service,” a spokesman from PayPerHead.com explained. “And we very carefully and in great detail delineate on the website exactly what you get and at what price level at PayPerHead versus the other serious players, such as Price Per Head.”

And what you get is a lot, including not only the traditional online sportsbook but an optional casino, live poker, in game live betting, mobile betting, tools for managing players and their funds, layoff and scalp accounts, even a “sharp check.” “We have the sharpest lines out there and one of the most experienced stages anywhere offshore,” the spokesman said, “so if we start seeing sharp action from one of your players, we can give you a heads up. What you want to do with him is up to you.”

The choice of Vince Curatola was an interesting one. “We always liked Vince’s character on The Sopranos, as John “Johnny Sack” Sacramoni,” the PayPerHead spokesman said. “He had a certain style, classy, but not over the top; there’s a calmness and authority about him that we really admire.  He brings that serious business demeanor to PayPerHead.com, the first sportsbook-service to EVER feature any kind of celebrity in its marketing.”
With post-up books like BetUS, Sportsbook.com and SportsInteraction stopping taking US players, Bodog and others struggling with “Ecom” processing problems, the street scene is heating up and players are posting daily in forums looking for a “local out.” Players want the huge selection of markets, including live in-game betting, and the convenience of anytime betting online or via their mobile, but more and more say “they want to bet online but prefer to settle in cash on Monday.”

Is this the future of online sports betting? Quite possibly. And with firms like PayPerHead.com investing in marketing in an unprecedented way (celebs, who’d have thunk it?!) and in product (they also offer live poker, casino and in-game betting), expect to see this sector grow significantly this season.

For more information, see PayPerHead.com.

The second leg of the Triple Crown just wouldn’t be the same if the winner of the Kentucky Derby winner did not participate in the race. But after Animal Kingdom defied the online sports betting odds to win the opening leg at Churchill Downs earlier this month, there is the possibility that trainer Graham Motion might not argue in favor of it racing at the 2011 Preakness Stakes. Motion has said that he will at least take Animal Kingdom to Pimlico for the opportunity to run if they decide that it is the right thing to do, but with the uncertain status of the Derby winner and several horses that might still not race the field is wide open with the exception of a couple of early favorites.

While the attention will remain on the MLB betting month of May for the next couple of weeks, Dialed In will try to work its way back into form for the Preakness Stakes. The 4-1 favorite faded early at the Derby and couldn’t recover, but will now get another chance. One of the early favorites for the Preakness has to be Mucho Macho Man after a strong third-place finish at the Derby, but after watching what happened to Uncle Mo as the early favorite for Kentucky, there is no guarantee. One horse to keep an eye on heading into the Preakness is Shackleford, which finished fourth at the Kentucky Derby. Shackleford looked strong early on and overcame a couple of tough obstacles to close in on the show, and could have a better finish if it gets a better post position in what is shaping up to be a relatively weak field.