NBA Conference Championship Betting Preview
Hoops bettors get the conference finals this week, with the Heat and Celtics battling in the East and the Thunder taking on the Spurs in the West.
As well, the Stanley Cup final hits the ice in New Jersey, while in MLB action NL East matchups heat up on the diamond, and the Sprint Cup Series drivers head to Dover to race in the FedEx 400.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the Heat will try to buck the NBA trends starting on Monday night as they take on the Boston Celtics in the opener of the Eastern Conference Finals. [ NBA underdogs are bigger here ]
The Heat are the higher seed and the favorites on the NBA betting lines for the series, but the Celtics beat Miami three straight times in the month of April and they've managed to pay off ATS in each of the last four games between the clubs.
While that series offers up betting opportunities on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday this week, the Western Conference Finals between the Thunder and Spurs resumes in San Antonio on Tuesday night with Game 2.
Those two teams will also hit the hardwood in Oklahoma City on both Thursday night and Saturday night this week. Watch Bovada for the latest lines.
On the ice the Los Angeles Kings are favored on the NHL lines at the sportsbooks to win the Stanley Cup final over the New Jersey Devils, with that series getting underway on Wednesday night.
Los Angeles has steamrolled through the Canucks, Blues, and Coyotes so far in the playoffs, making up for a middling regular season that saw them lose both of their matchups against the Devils back in October. Game 2 is on Saturday.
Around baseball early this week the National League East teams take center stage, with Washington at Miami and Philadelphia at the Mets, plus the Braves playing host to a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Phillies were expected to dominate that division again in 2012, but instead they find themselves in a dog fight with the other four clubs for positioning right now. Later in the week it's Miami at Philadelphia and Atlanta at Washington, while the Mets will be at home for a series against the Cards.
Finally, the Sprint Cup Series travels from Charlotte to Dover for this Sunday's race, the FedEx 400. Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth were the last two drivers to pay off on the NASCAR betting lines in Cup events at Dover, with Busch winning the AAA 400 last October and Kenseth claiming the FedEx 400 last May.
Jimmie Johnson has been a lucrative wagering option on the track as well, winning three times there since 2009.