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All-Sports Expert Betting Tips to Help Win Cash this Week

by - 4/19/2016

Jonathan Toews Chicago Blackhawks

Betting on individual games in an extended playoff series such as the current best-of-seven matchups in both the NBA and NHL playoffs can be a very lucrative way to build your betting bankroll if you believe in the notion that familiarity leads to predictability. It also helps to have some inside information on a particular series or game that may tip the scales one way or the other.

The expert team of handicappers at Doc's Sports understands the true value of inside information and they use it on a regular basis to release their top plays with the help of Doc's Unit Betting System. Looking at this week's sports action, the following insider betting tips are all geared towards helping you win some extra cash.

Jumping On the Blackhawks When They are Down

Few hockey experts would argue against the fact that the Chicago Blackhawks have been one of the most successful franchises in the NHL the past few seasons with Stanley Cup titles in both 2013 and 2015 to help prove the point. BetOnline has recently updated its series price odds for the opening round of the playoffs. And heading into Tuesday's Game 4 between the Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues, you can now win $165 on a $100 bet that Chicago wins this series despite being down two games to one.

A loss in Game 4 as a -155 home favorite would put the Blackhawks in a very precarious hole that they would most likely be unable to climb out of against a very talented St. Louis team. However, a win on Tuesday would turn this series into a much more manageable best-of-three affair. This is why it makes some betting sense to take the favorable odds on Chicago in the series price.

As mentioned above, familiarity can often lead to better predictability in a matchup. The Blackhawks are solid favorites at home to win Game 4, so the next step in the handicapping process when it comes to the series price is to determine if they can win two of the next three games in this Central Division showdown. One big advantage in Chicago's favor is goaltender Cory Crawford. He has already proven that his time to shine brightest is in the postseason, and through the first three games of this series he boasts goals-against average of 1.50 to go along with a .939 save percentage.

Heat Stay Hot at Home

The Miami Heat and success in the NBA Playoffs went hand-in-hand when LeBron James was still on the team's roster, but so far the Heat are doing just fine with their current lineup. Heading into Wednesday's Game 2 of an opening-round matchup against Charlotte as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, Miami will be looking to take a 2-0 series lead as a 4.5-point home favorite. In Game 1 of this best-of-seven affair, the Heat hammered the Hornets 123-91 to easily cover as 4.5-point home favorites.

Miami is now 6-0 straight up in its last six home games and it has covered against the spread in each contest. It has also gone a very profitable 9-3 both SU and ATS in its last 12 games within the Southeast Division. What really makes the Heat attractive in Wednesday's matchup is the way they rolled over Charlotte in the series opener.

Veteran players such as Dwyane Wade (16 points and seven assists) and Luol Deng (31 points and seven rebounds) really stepped up their game, and third-year player Hassan Whiteside continues to prove that he deserves to be in the starting lineup by adding 21 points and 11 rebounds to the winning effort. Miami is one of those teams that has gotten hot at the right time of the year, and riding the Heat right now makes all the sense in the world.

Betting on Texas Bragging Rights in a Series Price

A three-game series between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers gets underway on Tuesday night in Arlington and BetOnline has the Rangers listed as -125 favorites to win at least two of the three games. The betting odds on Houston to win the series have been set at +105. A few years back this would have been considered an interleague matchup. However, with the Astros jumping to the AL West in 2013 it has turned into a great division rivalry over the past three seasons.

Texas is off to a 7-6 start in its first 13 games and Houston comes in with a record of 5-8 out of the gate. The betting odds for Game 1 have the Astros listed as slight -109 road favorites with right-hander Scott Feldman getting the start. Lefty Derek Holland is scheduled to be on the mound for Texas. Look for Doug Fister and Dallas Keuchel to be Houston's starters in the next two games of this series while Texas counters with Cole Hamels on Wednesday and AJ. Griffin in Thursday's series finale.

One of the reasons I would go with the Rangers in this series is a lineup that has already belted in 61 runs, which is the most in the AL. The Astros got quite a bit of mileage out of their bullpen en route to the division title in 2015, but so far this season it ranks 23rd in the Majors with an ERA of 4.71. The recent betting trends in this series also favor Texas, with the home team winning 10 of the last 11 meetings.

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