Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping News Articles

This Week in Sports Betting, A-Z
by Ricky Dimon - 6/9/2014

A. Achilles. Johan Santana—yes, he is actually still a thing—made headlines for the first time in a while last week. Unfortunately for the 35-year-old southpaw, he won’t be making any more anytime soon. Santana, currently in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization, suffered a torn Achilles’ during extended Spring Training last Friday and is out for the season. Due to recurrent shoulder problems, the two-time Cy Young Award winner has not pitched in the majors since 2012. Baltimore (Norris) is a -130 home favorite over Boston (Peavy) on Monday, per Sports Interaction.

Thank God it’s Friday: Heat Goes Out, ‘Hawks Grounded
by Ricky Dimon - 6/6/2014

You could not have asked for a better NBA Finals matchup, which is a rematch of last year’s seven-game classic between Miami and San Antonio. The Heat, though, could have asked for a better start. On the ice, meanwhile, the Stanley Cup Finals started without the 2013 champion. That’s because Chicago lost a roller-coaster of a game and a roller-coaster of a series to Los Angeles.

Back to the Futures: Miami, California Chrome Looking for Three Straight
by Ricky Dimon - 6/5/2014

The Miami Heat’s bid for a three-peat begins its final stage on Thursday night when LeBron James and company pay a visit to familiar foe San Antonio. On the horse track, California Chrome is looking for a third triumph not in the last three years, but in the last six weeks. If he prevails on Saturday in New York, he will be the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 6/3/2014

Doc’s Sports: We have been dissecting the NBA playoffs since the opening tip in the first round with the same conclusion that Miami and San Antonio were on a collision course with one another to once again meet in the NBA Finals. Now that this matchup is in place, can the Spurs come through as -130 series favorites to end the Heat’s impressive run?

Betting with The Prop Machine and Free Tuesday Pick
by Doc's Sports - 6/3/2014

To enhance the betting action on college football and the NFL, the NBA and even Major League Baseball, the oddsmakers will release a number of player props bets for whatever games are available any given day of the week. Betting on player props is an excellent way to build your overall bankroll as long as you know how and where to look.

Thank God it’s Friday: Heat-Spurs? Not Quite Yet
by Ricky Dimon - 5/30/2014

Has home-court advantage ever played a bigger role in an NBA playoff series? The Thunder trail San Antonio by a mere 3-2 margin in the Western Conference Finals, but they know they would eventually have to win a Game 7 on the road in order to advance. Nothing suggests that will happen. Speaking of advancing, the Heat missed a chance to do just that in a competitive Game 5 at Indiana.

This Week in Sports Betting, A-Z
by Ricky Dimon - 5/30/2014

A. Adam Scott. The current world No. 1 is playing like a No. 1 right now. No, Tiger Woods is no longer the top-ranked played. It’s Scott, who triumphed last weekend at the Colonial in a playoff over Jason Dufner. Scott is +1200 at Bovada Sportsbook to win next month’s U.S. Open.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 5/27/2014

Doc’s Sports: It appears that Miami is headed back to its fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference with a 3-1 series edge over Indiana. However, does the return of Serge Ibaka to Oklahoma City’s starting lineup give the Thunder a fighting chance at upsetting San Antonio in the West?

Back to the Futures: With Three-Game Streak, Heat Favored to Three-Peat
by Ricky Dimon - 5/27/2014

Miami briefly trailed its Eastern Conference Finals series against Indiana 1-0 after a road loss in Game 1, but the Heat are now playing like the two-time defending NBA Champions that they are, and the Pacers have reverted back to what had been on display earlier in these playoffs. The result is three in a row to the good for LeBron James and company, leaving them one game away from a return trip to the finals.

Thank God it’s Friday: Thunder Rolled Out of San Antonio
by Ricky Dimon - 5/23/2014

Some say that a series does not really start until one team wins a game on the road. Well, the Oklahoma City Thunder may not have heard the gun go off. And they are lucky if their Western Conference Finals series against San Antonio has not already ended. Oklahoma City is heading home trailing 2-0—and an extremely emphatic 2-0, at that. Off the playing surface, meanwhile, it has been rough sledding of late for Aaron Hernandez and Caroline Wozniacki…for much different reasons, of course.

This Week in Sports Betting, A-Z
by Ricky Dimon - 5/23/2014

A. Ben Affleck. Affleck’s cape for the upcoming “Batman” movie was revealed a few days ago. Blah. Who cares. The news from a few weeks ago is way more awesome, of course. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up. Affleck was banned from playing blackjack at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas after being caught counting cards. It sounds like he was about as successful in that attempt as his recent gambling-themed movie, “Runner, Runner.”

Back to the Futures: Nadal, Djokovic on collision course in Paris
by Ricky Dimon - 5/20/2014

Sure to be on opposite sides of the draw as the top two seeds, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have set the stage for a blockbuster French Open final. The action begins on Sunday in Paris, where Serena Williams—as always—is a heavy favorite in the women’s event. Meanwhile, post-draft odds are out for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 5/20/2014

Doc’s Sports: The much-maligned Indiana Pacers stunned Miami by 11 points in Game 1 of this year’s NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Was this win just a fluke, or can the Pacers go on to end the Heat’s run of three straight conference titles by actually winning this best-of-seven showdown?

Betting with The Prop Machine and Free Monday Pick
by Dave Schwab - 5/19/2014

This year’s NBA playoffs is down to just four teams, so the opportunity to cash in on some of the individual player props for the games has become rather limited. The Prop Machine has been hammering the NBA player props all season long with a return of over $13,000, but it has now turned its full attention to the MLB player props on a day-by-day basis.

Sports Betting Insights: How to Wager on this Year’s Preakness Stakes
by Dave Schwab - 5/14/2014

The second leg of this year’s Triple Crown horse racing season takes place this Saturday afternoon with the running of the 139th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. This is a Grade I stakes race that is contested over a distance of 1 ј miles on a dirt track. The total prize purse for this race is $1.1 million, which includes a $100,000 bonus for the winning horse.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 5/13/2014

Doc’s Sports: The cream appears to be rising to the top in the NBA with Miami, San Antonio and even Indiana in control of their Conference Semifinals series with 3-1 leads. The big question is which team survives the Clippers vs. Thunder series, which is knotted at two games apiece heading into Tuesday’s Game 5?

Back to the Futures: California Chrome Goes for Leg Two
by Ricky Dimon - 5/13/2014

California Chrome is one-third of the way to horse racing’s Triple Crown. He will go for the second jewel this week at the Preakness Stakes, which is generally an easier task for the Kentucky Derby champion than the finale at the Belmont in New York. Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth is back in action on the links after another near-miss at The Players Championship.

Betting with The Prop Machine and Free Monday Pick
by Doc's Sports - 5/12/2014

Between the NBA playoffs and the start of another MLB regular season, it’s a great time of the year to pick up some extra cash by wagering on any number of individual player prop bets that are released on a daily basis by oddsmakers for both sports. Just remember, it’s one thing to bet on these props, and it’s another to provide a steady stream of cash to help fuel your overall bankroll.

Case of the Mondays: Blazers, Penguins on the Brink
by Ricky Dimon - 5/12/2014

Just like that, the Portland Trail Blazers and Pittsburgh Penguins are one game away from hitting the golf course. Speaking of the links, Jordan Spieth has been oh so close to at least one career-defining win this spring. Perhaps the Blazers and Penguins, though, can take heart from Manchester City, which roared back from the brink of defeat in the final few weeks of the English Premier League season to break the hearts of Liverpool.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 5/6/2014

Doc’s Sports: The underdogs covered the spread in over two-thirds of the 50 games that were played in an extended opening round of this year’s NBA playoffs. What are your thoughts of the four underdogs in this year’s NBA Conference Semifinals as far as keeping this trend going?