It's a busy day in the sports world. The betting news section has the breaking news on the apparent suicide of Rx and EOG founder Ken Weitzner, AKA "The Shrink". Also get the latest developments in states waking up to possible gambling legalization.
Sizzling hot ScoresOddsPicks has free NBA picks for Wednesday. Also sensational poker advice website SportsBooksAndPoker.com has just updated with the latest poker betting tips.
NHL betting fans are amped up for the start of the Eastern Conference playoffs. A big reason why: even though some of the East matchups seem lopsided on paper, we see upsets every season in the early rounds – arguably more so than in the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball. Which team has the best chance at an upset?
Behold – Eastern Conference semifinal predictions, courtesy of your (hopefully) favorite sports betting blog.
(1) Washington Capitals vs (8) Montreal Canadiens
NHL odds: Capitals -600, Canadiens +450
The storyline: After arguably the most dominant regular season since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings won 62 games, the Capitals have everyone asking if 2010 is their year. The Montreal Canadians are essentially fighting to avoid a coaching and front office cleanout; getting swept in Round 1 like they did last year could result in just that.
Free pick: Capitals in five. Even though Jaroslav Halak was quite the revelation in goal this season, he seemed to tire down the stretch. That's bad timing considering that Washington is far-and-away the best offensive team in the NHL, featuring prolific scorers Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin. Sure, their goaltending is a question mark, but Montreal doesn't have the firepower to test Jose Theodore or Simeon Varlamov.
(2) New Jersey Devils vs (7) Philadelphia Flyers
NHL odds: Devils -225, Flyers +185
The storyline: The Devils are right where they are virtually every season, entering the playoffs as solid contenders thanks to a sound defensive system. Philadelphia hopes to be a surprise team after squeaking into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season.
Free pick: Devils in six. The Flyers' deep forward corps, led by Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, will hammer New Jersey's weak defense and keep this series interesting. But New Jersey's edge in goal – Martin Brodeur over Brian Boucher – is gargantuan. Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk should light the lamp early and often.
(3) Buffalo Sabres vs (6) Boston Bruins
NHL odds: Sabres -175, Bruins +150
The storyline: Consider this series the battle of the forgotten teams. The Sabres won the Northeast Division but aren't as flashy as contenders like Washington and Pittsburgh, so they're under the radar. Boston qualified for the playoffs so quietly that some sports betting sharps may not have even realized that they made the big dance.
Free pick: Sabres in five. To me, the Sabres are simply a bad matchup for Boston. The Bruins struggle horribly to score and the Sabres are among the league's top defense teams, led by show-stealing goalie Ryan Miller. The Sabres aren't great scorers but they're better than Boston and they have an answer to Zdeno Chara in big Tyler Myers.
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (5) Ottawa Senators
NHL odds: Penguins -270, Senators +220
The storyline: The Penguins had a solid regular season to open their title defense but didn't wow everyone. Were they playing possum or will the ho-hum Senators actually give them a run?
Free pick: Penguins in five. Ottawa has a decent team but it can't hold a candle to Pittsburgh's experience, offense (Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? Come on) and, most importantly, goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury is a big-game puckstopper; I doubt Brian Elliott and/or Pascal Leclaire can steal a game for Ottawa the way Fleury can for Pittsburgh.
The NHL's Western Conference is starting to mimic the NBA situation; it's a deeper, more competitive group and should yield some closer, tougher-to-predict first-round matchups than the East will.
Try these sports betting predictions for the Western Conference quarter-final.
(1) San Jose Sharks vs (8) Colorado Avalanche
NHL odds: Sharks -400, Avalanche +320
The storyline: After yet another first-place finish, the Sharks are hoping to finally shake their "choker" reputation. Colorado defied expectations in the regular season, so playoff expectations aren't too high. They're happy to be here.
Free pick: Sharks in six. The pesky, speedy Avalanche forwards have the makeup of future playoff heroes and should push the Sharks harder than many sports betting blog pundits believe. But San Jose's overall talent, led by Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley, will at least propel the Sharks into round two.
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs (7) Nashville Predators
NHL odds: Blackhawks -400, Predators +320
The storyline: For the first time in years, the Blackhawks enter the playoffs expected to make a deep run and maybe even win the Stanley Cup. Their opponent, Nashville, sneaks into the postseason almost every year but hasn't yet advanced past the first round.
Free pick: Blackhawks in five. The Preds are a plucky group, extremely well-coached, and have a talented blueline. But they can't keep up with Chicago's boatload of depth and high-end talent (Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa) up front. The Hawks should come out flying; they won't have to answer goaltending questions in round one.
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (6) Los Angeles Kings
NHL odds: Canucks -250, Kings +200
The storyline: Vancouver enters the playoffs as a popular sleeper pick. After all, the Sedins twins exploded this season, with Henrik winning the scoring race and their all-world goalie, Roberto Luongo, won a gold medal for Canada. The Kings are hoping to do what Chicago did last year: power through the first two rounds ahead of schedule. They have the players to do it but they're inexperienced.
Free pick: Canucks in six. A year from now, the series may go the other way, as the Kings are truly stacked with rising stars – none more important than Drew Doughty. But Vancouver is built for the playoffs – how dynamite is Ryan Kesler as a two-way center? – and mature enough to win now. The Kings' pure skill will keep them in the series but I think Luongo will step up despite his late-season struggles.
(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs (5) Detroit Red Wings
NHL odds: Coyotes +165, Red Wings -190
The storyline: No sportsbook respect for the Coyotes, the only team with home-ice advantage who isn't favored in its opening-round matchup. Can Ilya Bryzgalov's stellar goaltending stop the surging, finally healthy Red Wings?
Free pick: Red Wings in five. Since their injured players returned, they've played much more like the team that reached the Stanley Cup final the last two seasons. The Coyotes are just too reliant on Bryzgalov; I don't see them scoring enough to compete much in this series.
Top expert picks on today's card: Get seven winners, one day and six night from GodsTips, the anchor of OffshoreInsiders.com. The night card includes two MLB Wise Guys, both underdogs or small favorites. Also get an NBA winner and an NHL playoff Wise Guy. Click now to purchase
