Basketball Betting

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Pistons host the Bulls in Detroit, the Hornets and Rockets clash in Houston, and the Orioles get ready for the Rangers.

Tipping off on the hardwood  . . .

There are a dozen games on the NBA schedule for Monday night as the league enters the final week of its regular season. Among those games is a meeting between the Bulls and Pistons in Detroit, with both of those teams looking to avoid finishing in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and getting a date with LeBron James in the first round of the playoffs. Chicago beat Charlotte 113-106 on Saturday, and Detroit is coming off a 106-102 loss to Indiana that same night.

James and the Cavs will be on the road facing the Pacers on Monday, while it'll also be Toronto at Washington, Charlotte at New Jersey, Orlando at Milwaukee, Minnesota at Dallas, Sacramento at Denver, the Clippers at Utah, Memphis at Phoenix, Oklahoma City at Portland, San Antonio at Golden State, and New Orleans at Houston. The Hornets and Rockets last met on the hardwood back on March 16, with Houston rolling to a 95-84 win on the road as a 6-point underdog.

Gambling prohibition…

Luckily Georgia Power has electricity pumping into the OffshoreInsiders.com international headquarters. As tax day approaches and people file for their tax extension and track down IRS forms, the betting news section monitors whether New Jersey, Delaware, or Barney Frank prove successful on making the honorable activity of betting will become a fully legalized taxable activity.

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Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Koji Uehara will get his second Major League start on Monday as the Orioles hit the road to take on the Rangers. The Japanese righthander impressed in his debut against the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing just one earned run on five hits over five innings in a 7-5 Baltimore victory. Countering Uehara for the Rangers will be Vicente Padilla; the righthander also grabbed a win in his first start of the year, giving up three earned runs in 5 2-3 innings versus the Indians.

Cleveland is at Kansas City and the Yankees play in Tampa Bay in other AL action on Monday. As well, it'll be the White Sox at Detroit, Toronto at Minnesota, and Boston at Oakland. The Red Sox will go with Jon Lester on Monday; he was knocked around for five runs over five innings by the Rays on Wednesday night.

Over in the National League the Giants will give the ball to Randy Johnson on Monday night in their game against the Dodgers; the Big Unit struck out seven in his San Francisco debut last week, but he also surrendered four earned runs over five innings in a loss to the Brewers. Rounding out the Senior Circuit slate: Houston at Pittsburgh, Colorado at the Cubs, Philadelphia at Washington, San Diego at the Mets, Cincinnati at Milwaukee, and then finally St. Louis at Arizona.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League's regular season ended on Sunday night, with first-round playoff matchups beginning on Wednesday. Still in the hunt for the Stanley Cup from the Eastern Conference: Boston, Washington, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Carolina, the Rangers, and Montreal. Advancing to the playoffs in the Western Conference: San Jose, Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago, Calgary, Columbus, Anaheim, and St. Louis. Vegas oddsmakers have the Wings pegged as the 3/1 favorites to win the Cup this spring, followed by the Sharks at 7/2, the Bruins at 11/2, and both the Capitals and Devils at 6/1. The biggest longshot on that odds chart are the Blues, who are listed at 60/1 to claim the title.