At 6/1 online sports betting odds before the regular season got underway, the Philadelphia Phillies were considered by many to be a lock to make the playoffs in 2012. However, with just 17 wins through their first 36 games, the Phillies have been downgraded to 10/1 odds to make it, and there are MLB blogs that have already written this team off. Despite a starting rotation that ranks first in quality starts with 26, the Philadelphia offense has really struggled to keep pace and provide the run support needed to put wins on the board. However, a quick look at some important statistics and factors shows that even though they are currently in the National League East basement, the Phillies are still very much alive in the NL race.

Consider that despite its awful struggles to open the sportsbook season, Philadelphia is just 5.5 games back of the Washington Nationals for the division lead, and we are still only 36 games in to the year. Unlike last year when the Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, and Arizona Diamondbacks ran away with their respective divisions, there appears to be a much greater degree of parity throughout the NL this season, except in the NL West where the Los Angeles Dodgers are already running away their division. The best thing that could happen for Philadelphia would be for the four teams that they are competing with eachother in the NL East to beat eachother up and allow them to climb back in to the race.

While the Phillies’ scoring offense ranks just 19th in the majors, that number is good for ninth in the NL, which is considered around the middle of the pack. Even more important is that Philadelphia ranks ninth in the majors in batting average with a .258 mark, which means that although they have struggled to score, they are still getting runners on base and eventually that should translate to more runs each per head inning. Couple that with the healthy return of both Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, and there is every reason to believe the Phillies’ offense will be better.

Although Philadelphia’s offense needs to score more runs, which it will, the pitching staff already ranks among the best in baseball, so there is no change needed there. The trio of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels at the top of the starting rotation ranks among the best groups in baseball, and when you factor in some of the lights out performances that Vance Worley has provided, Joe Blanton lowering his ERA, and a dependable closer in Jonathan Papelbon, you have all of the ingredients needed for arguably the best pitching staff in baseball.

With the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, and St. Louis Cardinals all coming up on the schedule, the Phillies may have to concentrate on holding their ground as they enter one of the toughest portions of their 2012 schedule. Reinforcements are on their way to help the Philadelphia offense, and if it can find a way to remain in striking distance over the next few weeks, then the Phillies’ slow start could be forgotten by the middle of June as they come all the way back to regain their status as true playoff contenders according to the odds listed by the sites under the sportsbook reviews.

The Texas Rangers were expected to be on top of their division in the middle of May. The Baltimore Orioles were not expected to be on top of their division at this point in the season.
Texas Rangers @ Baltimore Orioles – Thursday, May 10
Sports betting line: No line
Why Texas Will Win
In the process of betting on baseball this season, you will be able to find a number of games that require the ability to look beyond earned-run averages. It’s true that Texas starter Derek Holland carries a 4.43 ERA into this game, while Baltimore’s Jason Hammel totes a snappy, tidy 2.09 earned-run average into this game. By those measurements, one would naturally be inclined to pick the Orioles. However, Texas’ 14-3 win in the first game of this four-game set on Monday night sent a message from one dugout to the other. The Rangers are the team that knows how to carry itself through the long haul of the regular season. Baltimore wants to be seen as a legitimate contender in the American League, but the only way a ballclub can get to that point is by winning well into the month of August. It’s still very early in the season, too early to think that Baltimore is going to be in the thick of the American League East Division race when summer gives way to autumn. The Rangers have the better, more powerful, and more disciplined hitters. Holland has excelled in the postseason, and he should be able to outpitch Hammel on a very intriguing Thursday evening in Baltimore.
Why Baltimore Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you just have to look at the reality surrounding starting pitchers. They are creatures of habit and products of rhythm. Right now, Jason Hammel clearly is in a groove. His release point and mechanics, his confidence and location, everything about him is functioning as well as one can possibly expect. Hammel isn’t just pitching solidly; he’s been brilliant so far, a key reason why manager Buck Showalter has his Orioles playing far beyond anyone’s expectations in a division that is probably the deepest and most competitive in baseball. Before the season, it was plainly logical to think that the Orioles would finish fifth behind the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and the much-improved Toronto Blue Jays. Through five weeks of baseball, though, the Orioles have stood logic on its head. They haven’t just competed well, though; they’re getting great starting pitching, which is the true cornerstone of any team’s sustained success. Because Texas starter Derek Holland has struggled in the first month of the season, it’s quite reasonable to think that Hammel will be the better starting pitcher in this game, giving the Orioles the edge they need.
Who Will Win
It’s tempting to go with Baltimore, but it’s safer and more logical to ride the horse that’s won the last two American League pennants. Texas wants to knock back Baltimore and claim undisputed ownership of the American League. Take the Rangers here.
MLB Baseball Betting Pick: Texas

The American League’s list of legitimate championship contenders includes the two teams who will stare down each other on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Los Angeles Angels @ Tampa Bay Rays – Wednesday, April 25
Sports betting line: No line
Why Los Angeles Will Win
In the process of betting on baseball this season, you will be able to find a number of games that require the ability to overlook the strengths of a team and zero in on the quality of the starting pitcher on the other side of the divide. This is one such game. The Tampa Bay Rays have generally thrived over the years in Tropicana Field, their quirky home ballpark where pop-ups and medium-deep fly balls can hit an elevated catwalk and take strange bounces. The Rays have assembled a lineup that doesn’t give away outs very easily, so one could very understandably think that Tampa Bay is in position to beat a Los Angeles Angels team that has struggled over the first three weeks of the 2012 season. However, the Angels have the better pitcher in this game, without question. C.J. Wilson, acquired from the Texas Rangers in one of the sport’s major offseason transactions, is one of the two main reasons – along with Albert Pujols – why so many pundits placed a lot of stock in the Angels this season. Unlike Pujols, Wilson has not disappointed for Los Angeles to this point. In three starts, he’s pitched at least six complete innings and has not allowed more than three earned runs. Wilson totes a 2.37 earned-run average into this contest, an extremely low number at any point in the season but especially in April, a month when pitchers rarely attain top form. Wilson is very likely to keep Tampa Bay in check, which is why the odds will not be stacked too heavily against the Angels in this contest, to say the very least.
Why Tampa Bay Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you just have to look at the fact that the Angels have been very mediocre through three weeks. Texas has taken ownership of the American League West, but its foremost rival has gone in the exact opposite direction, falling to last place through Monday night’s action with a 6-10 record. The Angels aren’t hitting or scoring, with star slugger Albert Pujols making the adjustment to American League pitching after a long time in the National League. Pujols is having to see a lot of unfamiliar pitchers for the first time in his career, an understandable explanation for why he’s struggling so markedly at the plate. Pujols figures to eventually hit his stride – and hit the baseball hard – but the Angels seem to be behind the curve right now. It’s true that C.J. Wilson is the better pitcher in this game, but Tampa starter Jeremy Hellickson is 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA, and he’s been very good for the Rays as well. If Hellickson continues to display his current form, Tampa Bay will probably be able to scratch out a few runs against Wilson and make them stand up.
Who Will Win
It’s true that Wilson is a better pitcher than Hellickson, but not by enough of a margin to offset the fact that Tampa Bay’s batting order is better and more consistent than the Angels’ lineup at the current moment. Los Angeles will become a really good team before the season ends, but Tampa Bay has the better team right now. The Rays will win this game.
MLB Baseball Betting Pick: Tampa Bay

As the NBA regular season continues to wind down, the playoff picture in the Western conference hasn’t become any clearer, as the teams on the bubble continue to battle it out for positioning. The price per head list of contests for this Saturday night will feature three late games that will all have implications on the race in the west, beginning with both Los Angeles-based teams in action.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns
Saturday, 10:00 PM ET

The price per head bookie isn’t counting out the Suns just yet, not after the way that Steve Nash and company has been playing over the past week. Phoenix put together three-straight wins, including a big road victory at Utah that allowed them to leapfrog the Jazz up in to ninth in the Western conference, just one game back of the Denver Nuggets for that final playoff spot heading in to Friday’s contest between those teams. While the Suns haven’t been that bad on the road, the truth is that they have been much better at home, where they draw more energy from the crowd in order to execute. The Lakers head in to this game in a good spot, almost unable to catch the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the conference, but with good distance from the teams below them from the No. 3 position. Los Angeles is another team that has been only average on the road this year, and they could be susceptible to a hungry Phoenix team that should be hot enough to at least keep this game close.

NBA Betting Pick: Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Clippers
Saturday, 10:30 PM ET

The per head team closest to the Lakers in the standings is the Clippers, but after another tough loss at the Staples Center on Wednesday that pushed them to 2.5 games back of the purple-and-gold, it’s unlikely they have enough time to catch them. Still, the Clippers hold only a slim lead over the Grizzlies and Mavericks for fourth in the conference, and will need a strong finish to secure home-court advantage for at least the first round. With just five wins through their first 27 road games, the Kings won’t do much to stand in Blake Griffin’s way.

NBA Betting Pick: Los Angeles Clippers

Denver Nuggets @ Golden State Warriors
Saturday, 10:30 PM ET

The idea that the Warriors needed only a coaching change to become a contender this season was ludicrous, and while the fans in the Bay area have voiced their displeasure about the team’s performances over the years, the best thing that Golden State can do now is lose and secure a lottery pick for a stacked draft class. The Nuggets meanwhile can’t afford to drop any more games to non-contenders if they are going to reach the postseason, and that will mean winning pay head games regardless of where they are played. Denver has actually put up decent numbers on the road this season, and should come out with a renewed sense of urgency in this crucial game.

NBA Betting Pick: Denver Nuggets

As the NBA regular season continues to wind down, the last couple of weeks have brought with them some notable questions that will need to be answered before the playoffs begins, with the biggest surrounding the health of reigning MVP Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls. Rose has missed significant time this season dealing with different health issues, and while the Bulls have managed to survive on top of the Eastern conference without him thanks to solid team defense and depth, their two most recent losses are proof that they are vulnerable without him. Despite Chicago’s struggles without one of the top superstars in the association, the Miami Heat haven’t been unable to unseat the Bulls at the top of the conference, which leaves us to take a look at the top-5 teams in the NBA as of the first week of April.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The fact that the Thunder actually lost five games in March after combining for just seven losses from December through February hasn’t shaken anyone’s belief that Oklahoma City is still the top NBA championship sports betting contender. The biggest reason is the fact that the Thunder managed a combined plus-39 point differential in three wins over the Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Bulls this past week and still have the fewest total losses in the NBA. Russell Westbrook is finally coming along with his decision-making, while James Harden and Serge Ibaka have developed in to solid depth scorers. This is still Kevin Durant’s team, but at the end of the day the talent around him has really improved.

Chicago Bulls

While the majority of Betonline players might want to throw the Bulls to the wolves following a couple of tough losses, the fact is they are still winning games without a healthy Rose, and we have no reason to believe he won’t be ready for the postseason. The Bulls are still 14-6 without their MVP in the lineup, and there may not be a better head coach in the association right now than Tom Thibodeau.

San Antonio Spurs

If any coach is going to challenge Thibodeau for that role right now, it has to be Spurs’ head coach Greg Popovich. San Antonio is once again right back near the top of the Western conference and looking like a true contender, and Popovich is one of the biggest reasons why as he continues to manage Tim Duncan’s minutes and a solid cast of reserves with Manu Ginobili spending most of the season on the sidelines.

Miami Heat

The fact that the Heat haven’t been able to pass the Bulls in the Eastern conference has to be a concern, and the loss to the Boston Celtics this past Sunday didn’t help matters one bit. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has managed to avoid the headlines this season thanks to Vinny Del Negro’s job with the Los Angeles Clippers, but if Miami can’t get things back on track early on this month, his job will undoubtedly be in trouble.

Los Angeles Lakers

While some pay head bookies will argue that the Clippers, Celtics, or some other team deserves this spot, the only other team that can compete for a championship with the teams listed above at this point is the Lakers. Kobe Bryant and his teammates survived one of their worst weeks of the season and still have work to do, but there is a ton of talent there if they can manage to put it all together before the playoffs begin.

The 2012 NBA basketball season is down to its final month. The Denver Nuggets are trying to fight their way into the playoffs. They can’t afford to lose on Wednesday in Canada.
Denver Nuggets @ Toronto Raptors – Wednesday, March 28
Sports betting line: No line
Why Denver Will Win
No one will examine this NBA contest and come away thinking that the Nuggets are likely to be flat when they go north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors. Complacency or the rigors of travel are the only two reasons to think that Denver will fall short in this contest. The Nuggets have no excuses if they lose this game. They’re currently tied with Utah and Houston for seventh place in the Western Conference standings, but in that three-way tie, Denver is third, putting the Nuggets technically in ninth place and out of the playoffs at the moment, given that each NBA conference allows only eight teams into the postseason. Denver has to grab every game it can, and while winning all of its remaining 16 games is certainly unlikely, the Nuggets certainly must pounce when they get a bad team on the slate, and Toronto qualifies as a bad team. The Raptors entered Tuesday as a 16-34 team, well out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. This organization is adrift, its future bleak, its sense of morale at rock bottom, its identity in shambles. This is precisely the kind of NBA team that tanks as it approaches the end of the season, looking for a higher draft pick while players know that their paychecks are still going to come in the mail. Denver should be energetic and focused for this game, while Toronto is not likely to put up a big-time fight. Those are excellent reasons to go with the Nuggets here.
Why Toronto Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you will acknowledge that Denver is the better team, but you will also conclude that the Nuggets are hardly a sure thing. Given the trades they made in recent years, especially the blockbuster deal with the New York Knicks that shipped Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple, the Nuggets figured to be the future of the Western Conference, a quick and relatively young team that would be able to outmaneuver opponents at the offensive end of the floor. However, the pieces haven’t meshed as seamlessly as many observers expected, and as a result, the Nuggets are just four games above the .500 mark with April just about on the horizon. The Nuggets are not what one would call a dependable or consistent team. Toronto, for all its woes, could pick off Denver in this game.
Who Will Win
It’s not a guarantee, but Denver certainly figures to play harder than Toronto. Teams won’t always be at their best on a given night, which means that effort level is often a decisive element. The Nuggets should play with more passion because their playoff hopes are on the line. That will carry Denver to victory in this game.
NBA Basketball Betting Pick: Denver

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, which also means that the trade deadline in your fantasy league has also probably passed and that means the waiver wire could be your route to the playoffs. Here are five players who are worth a look this week on the wire.

Greivis Vasquez, New Orleans

Vasquez backs up Jarrett Jack, but that can’t be set in stone and more than a few BetOnline players think that he should be the starter full-time, but he has to be more consistent. Vasquez is a taller point guard who can get to the hoop and plays with passion, and he can fill the stat sheet in a number of ways, and his consistency issues could be tied to his playing time.

Patrick Patterson, Houston

Patterson must be a little inspired right now as his Kentucky Wildcats are the March Madness betting favorites to win the NCAA Tournament, and he is playing some of his best basketball of the season. The Rockets have had a few injuries across the board, which means more touches for Patterson, who appears to be a clear part of Houston’s future plans. The Rockets almost got rid of Luis Scola in the offseason, and they could try to again if Patterson continues to play well.

C.J. Watson, Chicago

Watson is on this list because of more injuries to Derrick Rose, who is now dealing with a pulled groin and the Bulls are going to be cautious with the league’s reigning MVP. Rose may be the most important player to a team’s playoff chances, and those that work with price per head players know that the Bulls are cruising towards a top-two seed in the East anyway, so they’ll keep Rose out as long as they have to. Watson will have to share time with John Lucas, however.

Martell Webster, Minnesota

Webster is also the beneficiary of an injury as Ricky Rubio is out for the season, while J.J. Barea has been in and out of the lineup all year, which sets up well for Webster down the stretch. He is obviously no Rubio, but as long as Webster stays within himself, he gives the Timberwolves a chance to win. He just can’t try to be the second coming of Rubio, who was in the running for Rookie of the Year and should still get some consideration.

Kirk Hinrich, Atlanta

Hinrich has taken over the point-guard position with Willie Green on the injured list, and he has shown in the past that he can do a job for a team for a short period of time. On Atlanta’s team, Hinrich doesn’t have to do a lot except run the offense, hit open shots and play hard-nosed defense; some even think that with Hinrich starting, the Hawks improve their sports betting odds.

The North Carolina State Wolfpack weren’t the last team to make the NCAA Tournament in terms of seeding, but they were the last team announced. How will they respond?

North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. San Diego State Aztecs – Friday, March 16

Sports betting line: No line

Why North Carolina State Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you must immediately confront the possibility that the seedings in this game – North Carolina State as an 11 seed, San Diego State as a 6 – mean absolutely nothing. The NCAA Tournament is all about matchups, and in this case, the intangibles certainly seem to reside on North Carolina State’s side of the ledger.

North Carolina State is thrilled just to have the chance to play in this game. The Wolfpack lost by two points to North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament this past Saturday. The Pack and head coach Mark Gottfried were upset about several calls that went against them down the stretch, especially a no-call on a charge by North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall in the final 15 seconds. North Carolina State then watched on Selection Sunday, as the teams were announced, one by one. The Wolfpack’s name had not been called heading into the final game on the board. Sixty-six teams had been called, and only two were left. The Wolfpack were feeling excluded from the tournament, but then came “N.C. State” on the CBS television feed. The Pack were shown dancing and hugging in the hotel ballroom where they were staying. One can’t begin to imagine the euphoria this team is feeling. The game is being played in Columbus, Ohio, and the Eastern time zone. San Diego State is the higher seed, but it will have to play an early game (12:40 p.m. Eastern time) that will feel like a 9:40 a.m. tip-off according to the Aztecs’ Southern California body clocks. This situation sets up well for North Carolina State; pick the Wolfpack in what would only be a slight upset.

Why San Diego State Will Win

The college basketball betting experts who follow the Mountain West Conference know that while North Carolina State possesses a number of advantages in this contest, San Diego State has overachieved all season long. The Aztecs lost a lot of top-quality talent from their 2011 team, which made the Sweet 16 for the first time in the history of the program. Yet, San Diego State coach Steve Fisher – in what was probably his single best coaching job in San Diego – guided the Aztecs to a share of the Mountain West regular-season championship alongside the New Mexico Lobos. San Diego State wasn’t expected to be this good in 2012, but here are the Aztecs, carrying a respectable seed into the NCAA Tournament and boasting a rugged defense that could give North Carolina State problems. San Diego State might not shoot the ball well, but its defense will always keep games competitive. If the Aztecs can get to the foul line, which is very possible against an N.C. State frontline that frequently struggles with foul trouble, the boys from Southern California will be in very good shape.

Who Will Win

This is not an easy game to pick, but the early tip time for a West Coast team traveling to an Eastern time zone city is hard to ignore. San Diego State wins this game if it’s played in other NCAA Tournament sites such as Albuquerque or Portland. In Columbus, Ohio, however, take North Carolina State.

College Basketball Betting Pick: North Carolina State

When it comes to locking up seeds for the annual March Madness betting tournament, Championship week is as much about the teams on the bubble locking up their spots as it is the teams at the top locking down the top seeds. With a current top-four that features Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas, and North Carolina, there is a ton of talent at the top, with each of those teams deserved of representing a top seed in one of the four regions. Whether or not Championship week changes anything at the top only time will tell, but the bottom line is that right now there really is no need for change as those top teams look to clinch their conference titles.

Kentucky is currently holding down the No. 1 spot, and hasn’t moved from that position since late January, when the No. 2 Orange lost their first game. The Wildcats finished their regular season with 22 straight wins, including a 74-59 victory over the No. 13 Florida Gators in their season finale, sweeping their 16-game SEC schedule. The fact that the SEC may not be as strong as other conferences doesn’t take away from that accomplishment in the least, especially considering that Florida is a top-25 team, and Kentucky won each of the sports bet games between those programs by at least 15 points. The Wildcats also took down both the third-ranked Jayhawks and fourth-ranked Tar Heels before SEC play got underway earlier in the year, and are led by one of the most dangerous and complete players in college ball in freshman Anthony Davis.

With news breaking out of Syracuse that there will be another investigation concerning potential violations, the timing could not be worse for a school that could have a case to be 1-B to Kentucky this year. A tough road loss at Notre Dame was all that kept the Orange from a perfect season, but finishing atop the Big East with a 30-1 record to match the Wildcats isn’t all that bad either. Syracuse will be as dangerous as any other pay per head contender once the tournament gets underway, and it will be interesting to see how the program handles even more controversy.

An overtime win over Missouri down the stretch elevated Kansas to No. 3 as they survived the battle of the Big 12 giants, while UNC is ranked fourth after they knocked off Duke in the second meeting between those ACC rivals. Whether or not those teams meet eachother again in conference tournament play could have an effect on where they are seeded for the national title tournament, but at this point it is safe to say that those spots belong to the Jayhawks and Tar Heels. With potential rematches between Missouri and Kansas as well as North Carolina and Duke, Championship Week cannot be overlooked. The Madness is right around the corner and should be another exciting tournament, but first we will get to see the top Betonline contenders as they try to clinch their respective conference titles.

The Long Beach State 49ers are trying to do something special… no, not just make the NCAA Tournament, but go through a full regular season without losing a conference game.

Long Beach State 49ers @ Cal State Fullerton Titans – Saturday, March 3

Sports betting line: No line

Why Long Beach State Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you must immediately confront the possibility that Long Beach State will achieve something extremely significant in this contest at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State University at Fullerton.

Mississippi Valley State (Southwestern Athletic Conference) and Kentucky (Southeastern Conference) are two teams in bid-eligible conferences who have not yet lost a league game in 2012. Long Beach State is the third team to claim such a prominent distinction through February 28. The Niners shut down UC Santa Barbara in a Wednesday night tilt last week before cruising past UC Riverside this past Saturday to move to 14-0 in the Big West, four full games ahead of both Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara. This is a team that has been resolute all season long, fueled by the memory of losses in each of the last two Big West Tournament championship games (to UC Santa Barbara). Coach Dan Monson’s team has been on a mission all season long, and its abundance of quick ballhandling guards has confounded opponents for a full two months. Big West foes have also been unable to solve Long Beach’s length at the defensive end of the floor. The 49ers have rangy defenders who make it hard for opposing guards and wings to get into the paint. This is a balanced team that can win defensive grinders or fast-paced 94-foot games. That’s why it hasn’t yet lost a Big West game this season… and doesn’t figure to do so on Saturday.

Why Cal State Fullerton Will Win

The college basketball betting experts who follow the Big West Conference know that while Long Beach State is a terrific team, Fullerton has a great chance to pull the upset. This has been a long journey for Long Beach, and just before the finish line, the 49ers could be mentally weary. They know they need to win the Big West Tournament to feel good about their NCAA chances, so this regular-season finale could involve a Long Beach letdown, a bit of a mental vacation before tournament play begins. Fullerton is also a very competent team. The Titans rank in the top 60 in the nation in rebounds per game, the top 40 in assists per game, and in the top 20 in both points and field goal shooting percentage. Long Beach drilled Fullerton in the first meeting between these two schools this season, but that game was on the Niners’ home floor. This game is in Fullerton’s back yard, so the Titans have an excellent chance of dictating tempo and shooting the ball well.

Who Will Win

This is truly not an easy game to pick. Fullerton has a very good shot at an upset. However, Long Beach State has not one, but many great guards. That’s probably the biggest reason why Long Beach State will probably be able to find a way to win this contest, but it’s likely to be decided by fewer than five points.
College Basketball Betting Pick: Long Beach State