All-Sports Expert Betting Tips to Help Win Cash this Week 5/9/2016

by Dave Schwab - 5/9/2016

As both the NBA and NHL postseason wears on, the inside scoop on the teams that are left in the playoffs can become a very powerful handicapping tool. All the teams are probably a bit banged up given the grueling nature of these best-of-seven series in either sport, but any access you can uncover as to both the physical and mental health of a locker room can go a long way in trying to predict future outcomes.

The expert team of handicappers at Doc's Sports rely heavily on quality exclusive information when it comes to releasing their official picks for the games. In conjunction with Doc's Unit Betting System, sometimes their most profitable big-unit plays were tied directly to news that was not in the public's eye. The following insider betting tips are all geared towards helping you win some extra cash in a few betting opportunities on this week's gambling radar.

Injuries Could Dictate Outcome of Raptors verses Heat Series

The Toronto Raptors took an important 2-1 series lead against the Miami Heat in the NBA's Eastern Conference Semifinals, but this past Saturday's 95-91 victory in Game 3 as 5.5-point road underdogs on 5Dimes' closing line may have come at a steep price.

Everyone knows the importance of both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to Toronto's chances to win this series, but the loss of Jonas Valanciunas for the rest of the way due to a sprained ankle in Saturday's win could help change the entire complexion of this matchup. The 7-foot-0 center was leading the team in rebounds in the postseason with 12.4 a game after averaging 9.1 in the regular season. He was also the third-highest scorer on the team with 15.8 points after averaging 12.8 this year. With the Raptors shooting just 40.9 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from 3-point range in these playoffs, there could be a huge void to fill underneath.

The Heat did not come away from that Game 3 loss unscathed, either. Their big man Hassan Whiteside is considered day-to-day with a right knee injury. He averaged 12 points and 10.9 rebounds in 10 previous postseason games, so there will also be a sizable hole in Miami's lineup if he cannot go on Monday night.

The bottom line is that according to Odds Shark, the Raptors have outscored Miami by 41 points when Valanciunas was on the floor and they have been outscored by 39 points when he was on the bench. Advantage Miami.

Home Ice Prevails for Sharks and Predators

The San Jose Sharks were able to successfully defend their home ice in Saturday's 5-1 drubbing of Nashville as -160 favorites to take a 3-2 series lead in one of two NHL Western Conference Semifinals showdowns. They also won the first two games of this series at the SAP Center before losing the next two games at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The betting lines for Monday's Game 6 have San Jose listed as a slight -111 road favorite with the moneyline on the Predators set at +101. This could be a great opportunity to ride the home team as an underdog. The Sharks have been able to outscore Nashville 13-5 on their home ice, but in the two appearances on the road they were doubled up by a combined score of 8-4. Over the extended course of this particular matchup, the home team is 41-18 in the last 59 meetings.

Finding Value in the Preakness Stakes Futures

Nyquist has already proven he was the best three year old on the track in the Kentucky Derby with his eighth straight career victory in this past Saturday's race. While the field for the next stop of the Triple Crown is far from being set, Bovada has already opened him as a -140 favorite to win the Preakness Stakes on May 21 at Pimlico Race Track.

The next horse on the list is Exaggerator at +450 after the Kentucky Derby's second choice on Saturday finished second. The futures odds for third-place finisher Gun Runner to win the Preakness are set at +1400. He went to post time at Churchill Downs with the third-best betting odds in the 20-horse field.

Since 1997, there have been 10 horses that won the Kentucky Derby only to go on and win the Preakness Stakes. Last year was the first time since 1978 that a horse won all three Triple Crown races when American Pharoah added the Belmont Stakes title to his resume to lay claim to one of the most elusive titles in all sports.

Given just how strong Nyquist did look against the best three year olds in the nation in the Kentucky Derby, an early wager that he does go on to add at least two legs of this quest to the list is shaping up as a pretty good bet.

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 3:30 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
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