NCAA basketball betting players watched the final unbeaten team in the country fall as Wisconsin took down Ohio State in a massive game, but now they have to turn around and head to Purdue, where they haven’t won in six years and the Boilermakers will want to avenge a tough loss at Wisconsin from two weeks ago.

Wisconsin Purdue Betting – Wednesday, 6:30 PM ET

The No.10 Badgers (19-5, 9-3) overcame a 15-point deficit to drop then-No.1 Ohio State 71-67 at home, and Jordan Taylor was the story as he poured in 27 points, including 21 in the second half as Wisconsin stormed back. Jon Leuer had 12 points, as did Mike Bruesewitz, who came off the bench to hit a couple of big three-pointers for the Badgers, who were 12-of-24 from beyond the arc. At the NHL trade deadline, teams will be looking for resilient players, and Taylor was the epitome of that on Saturday as he put the Badgers on his back in a highly emotional win, but you have to wonder if they have enough left in the tank to head into Purdue.

The No.11 Boilermakers (20-5, 9-3) pulled away in the second half of an 81-70 win at Illinois, outscoring the Fighting Illini by 16 points after halftime. JuJuan Johnson led the way with 24 points and nine rebounds, while E’Twaun Moore added 20 for the Boilermakers, who outrebounded Illinois 37-25 and forced 14 turnovers. Johnson and Moore showed a lot of senior leadership in helping their team stay cool in a hostile environment, and the Boilermakers haven’t missed a beat this year without the injured Robbie Hummel.

We’re betting services will have the Boilermakers as the home favorites in this huge Big Ten clash, and Wisconsin hasn’t won at Purdue since January 2005, a span of four games, and they’re 1-3 ATS during that time. The Boilermakers came within minutes of winning at Wisconsin on February 1^st before they fell apart in a 66-59 loss in Madison, and that is something that won’t happen at Purdue. Johnson and Moore will draw on their experience to get their teammates up, especially in the second half, but that’s not the main reason that Purdue will win. Wisconsin used a lot of energy and emotion to come back against the No.1 team in the country, and we’re not sure that they have enough left to go to Purdue and pull out a win. Combine that with the fact that they haven’t won at Purdue in a while anyway, and the revenge factor from a couple of weeks ago, and we’re going to wager on Purdue to cover the online sports betting spread on Wednesday.

MLB Betting – Atlanta Braves @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Derek Lowe (11-12) vs. Zach Duke (7-12)

Lowe vs. Pirates Hitting

Lowe is mired in a bit of a slump, having not won a game since August 8^th; not a great showing for the ace pitcher of a division-leader. Lowe’s most recent start was one of his worst, allowing five runs on six hits in just three innings of work. He’s also battling injuries, a rarity for the pitcher who has never once spent time on the DL in his career. Lowe missed his scheduled start last Friday, and Braves management is hoping he’ll be ready for this game. Although he’s not having his greatest year statistically, Atlanta can ill afford to lose a starter like Lowe this late in the year.

Another reason why Atlanta needs Lowe healthy for this start? The right-hander is absolute money against the Pirates. Lowe is 9-0 in nine career starts against Pittsburgh, sporting a very healthy 2.76 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Lowe is 1-0 against Pittsburgh this year, allowing just one run on four hits in seven innings. The Pirates have been bad for a long time, and the 2010 version is no different. If healthy, I’m betting Lowe won’t have any more trouble then he’s had in his career against Pittsburgh.

Duke vs. Braves Hitting

Although Duke is 2-0 in his last three starts (a relative miracle for Pittsburgh pitchers), his overall numbers in those wins haven’t been that great. In 17 1/3 combined innings, Duke has allowed 9 runs and 19 hits. In the start before his mini-streak, the lefty allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings, an outing much more representative of the season he (and the rest of his team) is having. Statistically, Duke is having one of his worst years as a starter; his ERA (5.24) and WHIP (1.59) are both above his career averages.

Duke has faced Atlanta twice this season, and each game showed a different side of the veteran lefty. In one outing, Duke threw seven shutout innings and struck out five in an eventual Pittsburgh win. In his next start against the Braves, he allowed seven runs and 12 hits in just 5 1/3 innings. Career-wise, the latter start is more representative; he’s 2-4 with a 4.58 ERA in nine career starts. There is some real talent in the Braves lineup, and if you bet on MLB, know that there’s a good chance that lineup is going to continue their good fortunes in this game.

Bullpen Comparison

The Braves reliever duo of Johnny Venters and Bill Wagner is one of the best in the bigs. Wagner is a legit contender for comeback of the year, with 32 saves and a 1.56 ERA. Venters has pitched over 70 innings and has 81 K’s and a 1.77 ERA. Takashi Saito and Eric O’Flaherty are having solid seasons as well, but are overshadowed by the spectacular duo in the back of the ‘pen.

Evan Meek has been the biggest bright spot of the bullpen this season, and maybe the entire team. The All-Star has been the bullpen workhorse, throwing a ‘pen high 68 1/3 innings and owning a reliever low 2.11 ERA. No other regular reliever has an ERA under 3.50, although Joel Hanrahan has an impressive strikeout-to-inning ratio (83 K’s in 58 2/3 IP).

Outlook

On paper, the Braves clearly have the better team. On the field it’s the exact same thing. A series against the Pirates is exactly what the Braves need to create more space between them and the Phillies in the NL East. And with Lowe on the mound, despite his recent struggles, I’m betting that’s what is going to happen.

MLB Betting Pick: Atlanta Braves

Before UFC 116 betting, the NBA will hold their annual draft on June 24 at the mecca of basketball betting, Madison Square Garden, in New York City.  While everyone is talking about the top two picks, Kentucky’s John Wall and Ohio State’s Evan Turner, there is an abundance of quality among the big men, of which there is a lack of in the NBA.  Here are the top five big men available in this draft.

Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech

Favors is the one player that people think will challenge Wall and Turner in the top two picks, while New Jersey would be happy to take him with the third pick. He may be the most intriguing player in the draft as Favors was hampered by awful point-guard play, but he’s an athletic freak who can run the floor as well as any big man in a long time.

DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky

Cousins/Favors may be the next big debate after Wall/Turner, and it was Cousins, not Kentucky teammate Wall, who was the SEC’s Freshman of the Year.  He has amazing footwork and an array of post moves for a young player, and he’s a physical monster, although he could stand to turn some of his bulk into muscle.  The biggest question about Cousins is his maturity, but if he can harness that, he’ll be a solid addition to any team’s NBA championship betting odds.

Greg Monroe, Georgetown

Monroe isn’t a bruiser by any stretch.  Think a young Kevin Garnett, but without the intensity on defense, or in general, really.  But Monroe’s skill set is enough for someone to make him a lottery pick as he’s a phenomenal passer for a 6’11” player, and he’s long enough to be a pain on the defensive end.  The big knock on Monroe is that he doesn’t have a killer instinct, and he really should have dominated more in college, and that may not be good for a team’s online betting odds.

Cole Aldrich, Kansas

Aldrich, along with Cousins, is a legitimate center and his defensive instincts will earn him playing time right away for whatever team takes him.  He also improved his offensive game during his time at Kansas, and he probably could have left after his sophomore year, but decided to come back for a title, which shows a bit of maturity.

Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

Another player who probably could have left prior to this year, Aminu was a double-double threat for his two years at Wake Forest, but like Favors, was bogged down with bad guard play.  Aminu could stand to extend his range, but he’s a tremendous athlete with a huge upside, moreso than North Carolina’s Ed Davis.  Aminu could end up being an NBA betting darkhorse for Rookie of the Year.

World Cup betting players have seen Brazil beat Italy twice in the final, once at Mexico 1970, and again at USA 1994.  But that’s nothing compared to the history in the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, who are meeting for the 12^th time with everything on the line.

Lakers Celtics Betting

It’s a bit more one-sided than Lakers fans would like to hear as the Celtics have won nine of 11 meetings in the Finals over their rivals from the West Coast, including the first eight meetings and four of those series went to seven games.  The first came in 1959 when the Lakers were in Minneapolis, but they were swept in four straight by a team that included the likes of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones and Tommy Heinsohn.  The two met six times during the 1960s, with the Celtics continuing their domination of the Lakers and the rest of league, going onto win eight titles in a row (which is still the longest championship streak in any of the four professional leagues).

After 1969, the Lakers wouldn’t meet the Celtics in the NBA Finals until 1984, which featured the first meeting between Boston’s Larry Bird and Los Angeles’ Magic Johnson in a rivalry that has been said to save the NBA.  The Celtics would win in seven games, but the Lakers would come back the next year to finally beat the Celtics in a six-game Finals matchup.  They would meet again in 1987, and it ended in another six-game victory for the Lakers.  The rivalry would then take a back seat to the Chicago-Detroit and Chicago-New York battles of the 1990s, and it was tough for anyone to win a championship in the Michael Jordan era (indeed, Jordan’s Bulls beat Johnson’s Lakers in the 1990 NBA Finals to start their first three-peat).

The last meeting was in 2008, when the Celtics and their “Big Three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen beat the Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in six games.  The series was punctuated with a 131-92 romp for the Celtics in Boston in the series clincher for their 17^th title as a franchise, and their ninth at the expense of the Lakers.

This year’s edition of the rivalry has the Lakers as the NBA betting favorites, and they’re the defending champions after beating Orlando last year, although you can bet your last dollar that they would traded anything for the Celtics to replace the Magic.  Now, they’ll get their chance to avenge their 2008 misery, and pull to within one of the Celtics for the most championships in NBA history.  Whether you’re a betting player or not, this is a matchup you need to tune into.

World Cup betting players would compare Lakers-Celtics to a meeting between Brazil and Italy: a clash of the two with the most championships.  These two have also met 11 times in the NBA Finals, and the Celtics own a massive 9-2 lead over the Lakers, including a six-game victory in 2008.  Can Los Angeles keep the NBA title on the West Coast, and exact revenge for a 39-point loss in the clinching game?

Celtics Lakers Betting – Game 1 is Thursday, 9:00 PM ET in Los Angeles

The Celtics have had to go through the top two teams in the East, Cleveland and Orlando, in six games each after a five-game win over Miami in the first round.  The Celtics that we’ve seen over the playoffs are the closest we’ve seen to the 2008 championship team as they’re playing outstanding defense, and a lot of that has to do with a healthy Kevin Garnett, but the “Big Ticket” looked a step slow in the Orlando series.  The Celtics are very much a perimeter team with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, but if Boston is going to overcome being an NBA Final betting underdog, Garnett is going to have to put the pain aside and play like he did in the first two series.

The Lakers have a pair of six-game wins over Oklahoma City and Phoenix, as well as a sweep over Utah, and this is a different team than the one that faced the Celtics in 2008.  Kobe Bryant is, well, Kobe Bryant, but the rest of the cast has the championship experience of last year behind them.  This will be especially so for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, who looked out of their element two years ago.  The Lakers now also have Ron Artest, which will aid Bryant and Derek Fisher on the perimeter.  Fisher actually played decent defense on Steve Nash in the last series against the Suns after he was abused by Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and Utah’s Deron Williams.

The Lakers are -180 NBA betting favorites in this series, and the two split a pair of meetings this season with the road team winning by a point on both occasions.  The Lakers are 15-15 in the Finals, while the Celtics are 17-3, and as we mentioned before, nine have come in 11 meetings with the Lakers.  This Los Angeles team is tougher now after what they went through since losing to Boston, and the addition of Artest will be crucial as he looks to make Pierce, who is a Los Angeles native and grew up close to the old Forum in Ingelwood, work for all of his points.  Revenge is a major motivating factor, and we’re banking on the Lakers to come through this time.

Online sports betting pick: Lakers -180

Before making a World Cup betting pick on Germany, players should know that the Germans have a host of injuries to some pretty important members of the squad.  The same situation is raising its head in the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs this year as Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers have a couple of injury worries that could have an effect on the series.

The Lakers have had a close eye on the status of Andrew Bynum’s knee, which has gotten worse throughout the playoffs.  The young center averaged 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 65 games, and he averaged 30.4 minutes during the regular season, but all of his numbers are down ahead of the Lakers’ Game 4 meeting with the Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix as Bynum has put up 9.4 points and 7.8 boards in the playoffs, and his minutes have gone down to 24.8.  Over the first three games of the Phoenix series, Bynum has 6.3 points and 4.3 boards in 15.0 minutes of play, and he was limited to only eight minutes in Game 3.  The Lakers’ big advantage in this NBA betting matchup is their size, and even though they have enough with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, their job would be a lot easier if Bynum was at 100%.

World Cup Group D betting players will liken Germany losing captain Michael Ballack to Phoenix losing Steve Nash, but at least the Suns will get to go through the playoffs with their star.  Nash had his nose broken when he collided with Derek Fisher in Game 3, and he will have surgery before Game 4.  This is the second blow that Nash has suffered in this postseason as he was elbowed above the eye by San Antonio’s Tim Duncan in the last round, but Nash came back in that game to score 10 points in the fourth quarter of a win.  Nash is the unquestioned leader of the Suns, and his loss to Phoenix would be far greater than that of Bynum and Los Angeles.  The two-time MVP has averaged 16.8 points and 10.2 assists in the playoffs, and his ability to drive and dish opens up the floor for the rest of the Suns, especially for Amare Stoudamire.  The power forward had 42 points in the Suns’ 118-109 win in Game 3, and a lot of those came off of running the pick-and-roll with Nash, something that the whole league has had trouble stopping all season.  The Suns are already behind the eight-ball going against the defending NBA champions, but they have a great chance to tie the series at two games apiece on Tuesday night, and their online sports betting odds are much better with Nash in the lineup.

Online betting fans know that Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash may be making World Cup predictions, as both have backgrounds in the beautiful game.  First, they’re going to have to focus on their day jobs, which is leading their team to the NBA Finals as Bryant and the Lakers will take on Nash and the Suns in a series that tips off next Monday at 9:00 PM ET under the bright lights of Los Angeles.

Suns vs Lakers Betting

The Suns finally got rid of the biggest thorn in their side when they swept San Antonio, who had eliminated the Suns in four previous postseason meetings.  Nash was out of control in this series, averaging 22.0 points and 7.8 assists, and he put up 20 and nine assists with a right eye that was basically swollen shut by a Tim Duncan elbow in the series-clinching game.  Amare Stoudamire was next with 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Suns, who are even playing a bit of defense to go with their run-and-gun offense.  Stoudamire put up 20.3 points and 8.8 boards in four games against the Lakers this year, while Nash is going to have to continue his fine playoff run if the suns are going to overcome the NBA playoff betting odds as he has just 13.8 points and 9.0 assists against the Lakers.

The Lakers are coming off their own sweep as they made short work of Utah in the second round, and now they’re in the Western conference finals for the third straight year.  Bryant bounced back from a tough first round against Oklahoma City to average 32.0 points against the Jazz, while Pau Gasol was next with 23.5 points and 14.5 rebounds for the Lakers, who won three of four against the Suns this season.  Bryant notched 27.5 points in those four games, while Andrew Bynum put up 17.8 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Lakers.

If you’re looking to bet NBA, the Lakers are favored at -300 to advance to the NBA Finals, and as we said before, they took three of four from the Suns this year.  But they’ll also have some revenge on their mind as the Suns eliminated the Lakers in the first round in 2006 and 2007.  The Lakers have a massive advantage in the post as Bynum and Gasol, as well as Lamar Odom, should be able to have their way inside, but they’ll also going to have defend the pick-and-roll that Nash and Stoudamire have used so well this year.  The Lakers’ bench is also going to have to step up because the Phoenix bench played brilliantly against the Spurs.  However, the Lakers’ championship experience should guide them to a sports betting win six games in this series.

After blowing the early sports betting lead against the Cavaliers in Game One, a game in which they led by 11 points in the first half, Boston made sure it would not make the same mistake in Game Two. The Celtics cruised to an 18-point win to earn a well-deserved road split heading back to Massachusetts for the next two.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics

Friday May 7, 2010 – 7:00 PM ET

NBA Basketball Betting Odds: Cleveland -120

The Celtics parlayed a four-point lead at halftime in to an 18-point win, looking dominant at times. Rajon Rondo was absolutely dominant at the point, directing the Boston offense while scoring 13 points and contributing 19 assists. Six Celtics players reached double figures, led by Ray Allen’s 22 points while shooting better than 50-percent from the field. That number was reached by the rest of the team as well, as Boston’s combined field goal percentage was 51.3-percent, including a 47.3-percent mark from beyond the arc. Kendrick Perkins led all Celtics with a plus-22 mark while on the floor, limiting the effect of Cavaliers’ center Shaquille O’Neal, as the four-time champion finished with just nine points and four assists.

Despite a sore elbow, Lebron James was his usual self, dropping 24 points, but he didn’t get much help from his supporting cast. After an outstanding Game One performance that helped the Cavaliers take Game One, guard Delonte West hit just one field goal in Game Two, finishing with just four points. As a team Cleveland shot just 40-percent. The Cavaliers were out rebounded 30 to 17, and were consistently outplayed down low. The starting backcourt tandem of Anthony Parker and Mo Williams shot a combined 3-for-16, and unless that changes when the series shifts to Boston, the Cavaliers will have an uphill climb to get back to the Eastern conference finals.

One area that could be the biggest concern for the Cavaliers will be the form of reserve center Anderson Varajeo, who left Game Two with back spasms. The Celtics may attack Cleveland down low with purpose in an effort to exploit the limitations of a thin bench of big men behind O’Neal and Varajeo, so bet Celtics

NBA Playoff Betting Pick: Boston + 110

Betting Lines: Over/ Under 190

Each of the opening two games in this series have at least hit the line for the over/under heading in to Game Three, and with the Celtics heading back home, these teams could hit an even higher number when the series shifts to Boston. In the two regular season games played between these teams at the TD BankNorth Gardens, the totals for the game were 230 and 196. While the Cavaliers have proven that they can score big no matter where they are playing, Boston plays a much better offensive game in front of its home crowd. Lebron James understands that his team can’t afford to fall behind two games heading back home, and after two slow starts to open the series, should come out flying in Game Three.

Pick: Over -190