It's not a bad time of year to be a sports fan. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin, and the NBA's postseason will not be far behind. We're two weeks into the Major League Baseball season, so excitement predominates prior to the dog days of summer. The 2014 PGA Tour unofficially kicked off last week in Augusta, where Bubba Watson's driver made people forget Tiger Woods wasn't at the Masters. Okay, not really, but Bubba was impressive.

Odds provided by Sportsbook.ag

Stanley Cup

Boston Bruins (+300) - At 54-19-9, Boston had a ridiculous 117 points in the regular season-16 more than anyone else in its division and eight more than anyone else in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins are looking to go one step further after losing in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.

Colorado Avalanche (+600) - The Avalanche went 8-1-2 in their last 11 games to snag the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. How will an inexperienced roster handle playoff pressure? Colorado has not been to the postseason since 2010, and it has not won a series since the 2008 first round.

Chicago Blackhawks (+600) - The defending Stanley Cup Champions did not exactly set the world on fire during the regular season. Their 107 points have them as the No. 5 seed in the West, meaning they have to go on the road for Game 1 in the first round at St. Louis.

St. Louis Blues (+600) - It does not get more blockbuster than a conference quarterfinal showdown between the Blues and Blackhawks. Surprisingly, though, the Blues have lost six games in a row. St. Louis, Colorado, and Chicago are all +350 to win the Western Conference.

2015 NCAA Championship

Arizona (+600) - The Wildcats were No. 1 in the nation for much of last season before narrowly missing out on a Final Four berth. Aaron Gordon is gone and Nick Johnson is also leaning toward the NBA, but Arizona has plenty returning and is bringing in freshman Stanley Johnson.

Duke (+700) - Jabari Parker is making his decision on Wednesday, and that will go a long way in terms of Duke's chances. Either way, though, the Devils will be contenders. They are young, and their 2014 recruiting class includes Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justice Winslow.

Kansas (+1200) - Bill Self is watching both Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid bolt for the NBA. Of course, that is no surprise-they could be the first two picks of this summer's draft. Often short on results but never on talent, Kansas is bringing in recruits Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre.

Kentucky (+1200) - Kentucky just has to assume that pretty much everyone is leaving. Well, except for Willie Cauley-Stein (he announced earlier this week that he is returning). However, the Wildcats almost won it all this season with five freshman starters. What's to say they can't next year?

Regular Season Home Runs

Mark Trumbo (+400) - Trumbo is your prototypical slugger. He can't hit for average and he strikes out a ton, but when he makes contact it goes a long way. He delivered between 29 and 34 home runs each of the last three seasons with the Angels. Now in Arizona, Trumbo is batting a wretched .219 but already leads the majors in both homers (six) and RBIs (18).

Jose Bautista (+700) - Bautista led Major League Baseball in home runs in both 2010 (with 54) and 2011 (with 43). He is no longer hitting that many, but neither is anyone else-for obvious reasons. Like Trumbo, Bautista rarely hits for average but can certainly hit it far. Toronto's slugger is batting .225 through 13 games but is second behind Trumbo with five blasts.

Miguel Cabrera (+700) - Cabrera launched 44 homers last season, good for second in the majors and eight more than anyone not named Chris Davis. The undisputed best hitter in baseball is off to a slow start with a lifetime contract in hand from the Tigers, but his incredible consistency and durability over the last 10 years is reason for encouragement.

Giancarlo Stanton (+700) - One question mark is if Stanton can stay healthy for a full slate of games, something he has not done in four previous seasons. Miami's right fielder went deep 37 times in just 123 games in 2012, so he is a proven contender for this title. Stanton is off to an outstanding start through 14 contests, hitting 305 with four dingers and 16 RBIs.

RBC Heritage

Jordan Spieth (+1450) - The 20-year-old phenom is getting right back in action after his runner-up performance at the Masters. To be sure, it will be tough to recover so fast after putting in that kind of emotional investment from last Thursday through Sunday. On the bright side, Spieth is playing great and he also finished tied for ninth last season at Harbour Town.

Matt Kuchar (+1500) - Kuchar is also looking to bounce back from a near-miss at Augusta National. Of course, he is accustomed to such a requirement as the guy contends week in and week out but rarely wins. Playing in Hilton Head near his residence in Sea Island, Kuchar finished a mediocre T-35 at last year's RBC Heritage.

Luke Donald (+1700) - Donald is not in the form that once had him at No. 1 in the world, but there is at least something to like. He has two top-10 performances since the beginning of March, and even though he missed the Masters cut, he fired a 2-under 70 in the second round. Furthermore, Donald finished T-3 last season at Harbour Town.

Jim Furyk (+1900) - Furyk has to like his chances at this particular event. He won it in 2010, and even though he placed T-42 in 2013, he actually contended through three rounds before a final-round 78. The 43-year-old is coming off a T-14 showing at Augusta National, where he was in contention early on Sunday before Bubba blew away the field.

Read more articles by Ricky Dimon