Posts From: May 2016
Sharks Beat the Blues, Will Play First Stanley Cup Final
The San Jose Sharks made a lot of people betting on hockey happy by beating the St. Louis Blues 5-2 in game 6 of the NHL playoffs Western Conference Finals and winning the series 4-2. The team led by Joe Pavelski will not go on to compete for the Stanley Cup championship for the first time in its 25-year history. Goalkeeper Martin Jones is the only Shark who has won the cup – as a backup netminder for the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 – while Dainius Zubrus is the only one of his teammates who has played in Stanley Cup final – actually in two; in 1997 with the Philadelphia Flyers and in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils (both losing efforts).
Can Brazil be favorite in spite of what happened back in 2014?
Brazil is one of the soccer betting favorites to win the Copa America 2016, but have they gotten over Macho Grande? The place was the Estadio Mineirao on July 8th, 2014. The offender was Germany, and the crime? Four goals in 6 minutes, and seven goals in total. That night in Belo Horizonte, Brazil wasn’t just humiliated. They were absolutely and irredeemably obliterated, the 1-7 final score robbing the hosts of what little pride they had left. It was the single worst loss in the team's storied history, and managed to top even the Maracanazo of 1950 – when Brazil lost the World Cup final versus Uruguay at home – as the country’s worst tragedy.
Can Argentina end a 23-year Copa America trophy shortage?
After engineering Argentina's victory versus Belgium in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals, former manager Alejandro Sabella sang the praises of Lionel Messi in a way in which the vast majority of people who bet on soccer, when looking for the right words to describe the star, simply couldn't muster. Back then, it was undoubtedly more a reflection of the individual. Messi led Argentina to the semifinals of the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, and, of course the final, one of a string of losses Argentina have come to expect in that stage in the last 10 years. And now, probably more than ever, words are better put to use to call to action not just to Messi, but the whole team to direct the world's top-ranked team – and thus the best because statistics are all that matter in sports – to its first major tournament win since 1993.
Odds to Win the Copa America Centenario
Fans betting on soccer are going to be so spoiled this summer, as we are not just getting the Euro, we are also getting the Copa America! The prestigious South American tournament is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary and to mark the special occasion they are hosting a big tournament in the US that will include Caribbean, Central and North American National teams, making it the biggest continental tournament the Americas have ever experienced. And with the Euro going on at almost the same time, well it’s kind of like having the next best thing to the World Cup.
Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid Pt. 2: Simeone’s Revenge
Soccer betting fans who are sticklers for statistics would note that the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final on Saturday 28th is actually Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid Part 213 or so. In fact, this is probably not even the first time the square off in European competition. However, this is the second time that the two teams will do battle for the UCL trophy. Part 1 came in 2014 when Real dramatically tied the match in injury time and then proceeded to – in much less dramatic fashion – to crush Atlético into cosmic particles to the surprise of none who bet on soccer.
Canelo-Golovkin Negotiations Not Dead But Zombie-like
Last week fans who bet on boxing were disappointed by the news that Saul Canelo Alvarez vacated the WBC Middleweight Title – which was immediately awarded to Gennady Golovkin – in order to avoid “artificial deadlines.” The World Boxing Council had decreed that a championship fight between Alvarez and the mandatory No. 1 contender GGG must be settled on by both parties involved within a fortnight, or else – to which Canelo basically said to take your belt and shove it (rumors that he didn’t know what the word fortnight means have not been confirmed). Recent developments have made the boxing betting mega-fight even more unlikely in the near future.
Auto Racing Betting Odds to Win The Monaco Grand Prix
Nico Rosberg (+170) and Lewis Hamilton (+160) are the auto racing betting favorites to win the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix. Monaco is arguably the signature event of the Formula 1 season, and is part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Rosberg currently leads the F1 season with 100 points after winning four of the first five races. In addition to that, the German driver is the fourth racer in history to win the Monaco Grand Prix three consecutive times – as it turns out, the last three editions of the race.
Ronaldo at his ‘best’ for UCL final despite injury scare
Soccer betting fans need not worry over Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury scare during practice yesterday. According to Ronaldo he “had a small problem in the training session” but will be at his “best level” for the UEFA Champions League Finals versus Atlético Madrid regardless. The Portuguese star left practice early under his own power after colliding with should-be-starting-goalkeeper-instead-of-you-know-who Kiko Casilla. Perhaps they were recreating Draymond Green’s low blow of Steve Addams – though thankfully it was Ronaldo’s thigh that took the brunt of the clash. However, doctors quickly dismissed any potential injuries.
Auto racing betting favorites to win Indianapolis 500
The auto racing betting favorites to win the 2016 Indianapolis 500 will not just be competing to win any race – and under no circumstances is the Indy 500 any race. In addition to being, as always, the premier event of the Verizon IndyCar Series season – also known as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing – this will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Technically speaking, this will actually be the 99th scheduled 500-mile race of the canon, since the the1916 race was in fact scheduled as a 300-mile race – but don’t let that a matter as small as a couple hundred miles spoil the fun. This is still such a momentous occasion that Darius ‘Hootie’ Rucker himself will sing the national anthem.
SF Giants on a Roll, Win 12 of Last 13 Games
At the start of the season the Cubs, due to their troubled history, and the Giants, due to their great acquisitions were considered the top picks for fans betting on baseball. Last weekend the Giants upset the Cubs in their series and moved on to the Padres, prolonging their run to 12 out of 13 games, culminating in a 8-2 thrashing to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, the Giants are further cementing themselves as a top team in Major League Baseball for those who like to place the occasional baseball bet.