Sports betting experts are going to have some lively discussions about this series after the New Jersey Devils won Game 2 to tie the New York Rangers at one game apiece. New York won Game 1 in all three of its playoff series this spring, only to lose Game 2. The Rangers won Game 3 in their previous two series against Ottawa and Washington, only to lose Game 4 before eventually winning in seven. After seeing the first two games, the sense here is that this is setting up to be a long series.

New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is the best goalie in the NHL, and he offers a powerful and convincing reason to go with the Rangers, but the Devils have been the better team for most of the first six periods played in this series. New Jersey is stronger along the boards and is winning battles for loose pucks. The Devils are generating more pressure than the Rangers, creating high-quality chances and usually carrying the run of play. Which team will rise to the occasion in Game 3? History recent history, as in the past month of competition suggests that the Rangers will bounce back and take a 2-1 series lead behind Lundqvist.

NHL Betting Pick: New York Rangers

West Finals, Game 4: Phoenix Coyotes @ Los Angeles Kings – Sunday, May 20

When you do your homework and assess this game, you will find that online betting sites are only going to be more inclined to favor the Los Angeles Kings. What might have seemed like a long series at the outset has quickly changed to a one-sided affair. The Western Conference Finals have become the Kings personal playground. Los Angeles registered almost 50 shots on goal in Game 1, and the eighth seed in the West then followed up that primo performance by delivering a 4-0 beatdown to the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 2 of the series on Tuesday night. Los Angeles has exhibited complete control of this series so far, while Phoenix has lost its composure at so many points along the way. Los Angeles is demonstrating superior skill, a much greater work ethic, and evidently abundant mental toughness. Goaltender Jonathan Quick is out-performing Phoenix netminder Mike Smith, giving the Kings an advantage in the one area where the Coyotes felt they had the upper hand before this series began.

When you take a quick look at this game in an attempt to make a play at the best online best sportsbook, you will find it hard to find a strong and convincing reason to take Phoenix. This has been a series shaped and owned by Los Angeles, and any notions of Phoenix making this a six- or seven-game battle have largely fallen by the wayside. Go with the Kings over the Coyotes on Sunday afternoon in the City of Angels.

NHL Betting Pick: Los Angeles

What: MLB Betting
When: Monday, May 21st-Thursday, May 24th
Where: Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH
Pick: Cincinnati Reds

Mike Minor (2-3, 7.09) vs. Mike Leake (0-5, 6.21) Monday, 7:00 PM ET

Leake will be hoping that he isnt winless by the time this start rolls around and it hasnt been a great start for the 24-year-old, who is 1-0 in two starts against Atlanta with an ERA of 1.50, but those numbers may not matter much as badly as Leake is struggling. Minor, although he has a couple of wins, is in the same boat as he hasnt had his best stuff and he is simply trying to get to this start without being sent to the minors (pun not intended). Minor, who is also 24, will be going up against the Reds for the first time in his career, but a 7.53 ERA on the road isnt encouraging and he has given up six runs or more in each of his last four starts.

Your best bet is to lean towards Cincinnati at home in this matchup.

free sports picks: Cincinnati Reds

Brandon Beachy (4-1, 1.60) vs. Mat Latos (2-2, 4.54) Tuesday, 7:10 PM ET

Beachy has been strong since losing in his 2012 debut, and he has made one start against the Reds in his career, taking a no-decision in Cincinnati last season. Latos had a rough start after he was acquired from San Diego, but he seems to be settling into his new surroundings and he has been good against the Braves with a 2-2 record in five starts to go with a 2.43 ERA.

Latos is 1-1 in four starts at home with a 3.91 ERA, and Beachy is 3-1 in five road starts with a 1.74 ERA. Even though those are great numbers, give the edge to an improving Latos in Cincinnati.

free sports picks: Cincinnati Reds

Tommy Hanson (4-3, 3.43) vs. Bronson Arroyo (2-1, 3.25) Wednesday, 7:10 PM ET

Arroyo has a ton of experience against the Braves with 15 appearances (14 starts), posting a record of 6-3, but he has a 5.68 ERA and is 0-1 in four home starts with an ERA of 4.94. Hanson has had his issues with the Reds in the past, going 1-2 in four starts with a 5.03 ERA, but he has been better away from home than at Turner Field, going 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA. Despite is record against the Reds, Hanson has been phenomenal in Cincinnati, splitting a pair of starts and posting an ERA of 0.68 ERA.

MLB betting sharps can never be too sure what theyre going to get from Arroyo; he is a little like A.J. Burnett in that respect. Some days he looks like a world-beater, and others he cant get out of the third, and he has been like that throughout his entire career, which makes it difficult to get behind him. Hanson has been throwing the ball well as of late, and the Braves should get their first win of the series.

free sports picks: Atlanta Braves

Randall Delgado (2-3, 3.79) Vs. Homer Bailey (1-3, 4.35) Thursday, 7:10 PM ET

Bailey hasnt had his best stuff this season, but he has also pitched well in spurts and its enough that hell be in the rotation for a while now. He is 1-0 in two starts against the Braves with an ERA of 2.13, but Bailey is 0-1 in his first three starts at home with a 4.50 ERA. The Braves, on the other hand, have started Randall Delgado in this spot the past two trips around the rotation and the rookie has done well; his last outing actually came against the Reds, and he didnt give up any earned runs in 6.2 innings of work. Delgado is eighth in the National League in walks, but that is to be expected of a young pitcher who is still figuring out what a major-league strike zone is.

However, that outing was in Atlanta and now Delgado will head out on the road to Cincinnati, and he hasnt gotten out of the sixth inning in all three of his road starts in 2012. This is the perfect game for Bailey to get on track and jumpstart his season, facing a team that he has been successful against in the past. Thats a big reason why you should take Cincinnati to end the series in your sports betting picks.

free sports picks: Cincinnati Reds

A matchup between the Cardinals Lance Lynn and the Dodgers Ted Lilly doesnt immediately scream pitchers duel, but theyre both throwing like aces these days.

Runs could be hard to come Friday night at Dodger Stadium when Lynn and Lilly square off to open a series between division leaders.

Lynn (6-1, 1.81 ERA) earned a spot in St. Louis starting rotation only because 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter is on the disabled list, but he has taken full advantage of his opportunity. His ERA is third-best in the majors and his .171 opponent batting average ranks second. Lilly (5-0, 2.11), meanwhile, is limiting opposing hitters to a .172 average.

Like Lynn, Lilly isnt the most prominent pitcher in his teams rotation – that would be reigning NL Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw – but he has been outstanding in his own right, ranking eighth in the majors in both ERA and WHIP (0.97).

Despite the sensational starts, Lilly and Lynn are coming off their respective worst showings of the season.

After posting a 1.41 ERA in his first five starts for the Dodgers (25-13), Lilly permitted five runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings against Colorado on Sunday, but received plenty of run support and emerged with an 11-5 victory. The 14-year veterans winning streak is now up to eight dating to last season, and he is trying to become the first Dodgers starting pitcher to open 6-0 since Kazuhisa Ishii in 2002.

Although Lilly has pitched in the NL for the last half-dozen years, he hasnt faced the Cardinals (22-16) since 2009, while playing for the Cubs. The left-hander is 4-1 with a 2.79 ERA in his last eight starts versus St. Louis.

Lynn yielded a season-high three runs – all on Jason Heywards bases-clearing double in the third – and four hits in six innings of Sundays 7-4 loss to Atlanta. The right-hander has never faced Los Angeles and, after Friday, hell still never have faced Matt Kemp, who is on the DL with a strained left hamstring. However, the Dodgers proved they can still generate offense without their No. 3 hitter in Thursdays 8-1 win over San Diego.

“We just seemed to have more energy (Thursday),” Don Mattingly said of his team, which had totaled three runs while losing its first two games without Kemp.

Every Dodgers regular except leadoff batter Dee Gordon had at least one hit Thursday, and Gordon had a sacrifice fly. Andre Ethier had two hits and drove in his NL-leading 35th run, and could be poised for another big game. He has hit safely in 12 straight home games against the Cardinals, batting .468 with eight doubles.

St. Louis Carlos Beltran ranks second in the NL with 32 RBIs, but has not started in the last four games because of a right knee injury. It is uncertain if Beltran, who hit .360 with two homers in seven games at Dodger Stadium last season, will be in the starting lineup for the series opener.

The Cardinals arrive in Southern California after suffering a 7-5 loss to San Francisco on Thursday, their fifth defeat in seven games. St. Louis owns a 2 1/2-game Central lead despite the slump.

Los Angeles, owner of baseballs best record, won the final four games of last seasons series with St. Louis after losing the previous seven meetings between the clubs dating to 2010.

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Their answer told Brown that this unbelievable bunch of Kings is almost ready to play for the Stanley Cup.

Anze Kopitar scored the tying breakaway goal just 2:07 later, Dwight King added the winner early in the third period and the Kings rolled to the brink of their first Stanley Cup Final in 19 years with a 2-1 victory over the Coyotes in Game 3 on Thursday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the West finals.

Quick made 18 saves, and the eighth-seeded Kings improved to 11-1 in an undeniably charmed run through the NHL postseason by a franchise with 44 seasons of frustrating, Cup-free history.

For the third straight series, the Wests final playoff team will play for a sweep in Game 4 on Sunday.

More on Kings-Coyotes Analysis Adam Gretz
Kings lead series 3-0, continue to roll through Western playoffs Tippett unhappy with officiating Team pages: Kings | Coyotes TV Schedule and results More NHL coverage Latest news | Twitter| Facebook

“Phoenix was a lot better tonight, but we found a way to win,” Brown said. “Thats what it takes this time of year. Its exciting. Theres a lot of guys in here that havent experienced this … but the thing thats made this work is how were handling all this. Were up 3-0 again.”

Although the Kings trailed for the first time in nearly 18 periods since April 28, they bounced back swiftly before largely controlling the third period. King scored his fourth goal in three games against the Coyotes, who face a deficit only three teams have overcome in NHL playoff history.

King connected 1:47 into the third, beating Mike Smith high to the glove side. The massive rookie scored two goals in the series opener and added the winner in Game 2.

“Everybody is answering the challenge and being better,” said King, who has outscored the Coyotes all by himself in the series. “Were playing good, playing consistent. With the way were going, were tough to beat right now.”

Smith stopped 26 shots in a standout performance for the third-seeded Coyotes, who must win four straight to reach their first Stanley Cup Final in club history.

“None of us planned on being in [a 3-0 hole],” Phoenix captain Shane Doan said. “I dont think its disbelief, but I think its disappointed.”

In front of a long-suffering crowd gratefully enjoying its unexpected good fortune after decades of disappointment, the Kings dominated the third period in front of Quick. They forechecked relentlessly in the final minutes, forcing Smith to play a long stretch without his goal stick because Phoenix couldnt clear the zone so he could retrieve it.

The crowd soaked in another memorable performance during the best playoff run by this Second Six franchise since Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille led Los Angeles to its only conference title in 1993, while the Coyotes wondered if their own remarkable postseason run has any chance of continuing beyond Sunday.

“We want to play with a lead, but we didnt even have a chance,” Phoenixs Mikkel Boedker said. “They got a breakaway and came right back. … Theyre a good team, and we know that, but the series isnt over. We still have time to win it.”

Los Angeles largely dominated the first two games of the series in Glendale, outshooting the Coyotes 88-51 while winning by a combined 8-2. Phoenix had no more luck than Vancouver or St. Louis against the surprising No. 8 seeds, who finished two points behind the Pacific Division champion Coyotes in the regular season before steamrolling the Wests top two teams in a combined nine games.

“Well take a couple of days here and rest up, and what have we got to lose?” Phoenix coach Dave Tippett asked. “Well come here and play as hard as we can. Well give a real honest evaluation of who we are and how we got here.”

Phoenix played Game 3 without forward Martin Hanzal, who served a one-game suspension for boarding Brown in Game 3. Doan, who escaped suspension for his own hit, took up the job of agitating Brown, facewashing the Kings high-scoring captain with his glove during one scrum.

After Smith came up with several stellar saves during a scoreless first period, Keith Yandle slipped a long pass behind Mike Richards to Langkow, who beat Quick between the legs for his first goal of the postseason 1:03 into the second. Los Angeles hadnt trailed since the first period of Game 1 in its second-round series with St. Louis 19 days ago.

Staples Center briefly fell silent, but reached full roar moments later when Brown found Kopitar with a long pass behind the Phoenix defense. The Slovenian star beat Smith with a backhand for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

The teams were even in goals and shots heading to the third period, but King quickly put Los Angeles ahead with the latest impressive play of his incredible first NHL playoff run. Moments after Smith made a spectacular point-blank save on Stoll, King collected the puck during a delayed penalty and wired a high shot past Smiths glove into the top corner of the net.

“What a shot, and an even better look on his face when he saw where it went,” Stoll said.

Tippett didnt love the call that created the delayed penalty.

“If I told you what I really thought [about the officiating], I think it would cost me a lot of money,” he said.

Phoenix responded to its deficit with more physical play in Game 3, although keeping most of it within legal limits after the borderline goonery of the Game 2 blowout. The Coyotes inserted enforcer Paul Bissonnette into their lineup for the first time since Game 4 of the opening round.

Notes

The game was the first of six playoff contests in four days at Staples Center, where the NBAs Lakers and Clippers will host back-to-back second-round p also finishes outside the arena about 30 minutes before the puck drops on Game 4 Sunday. Marc-Antoine Pouliot took Hanzals spot in the Coyotes lineup, and Bissonnette replaced Gilbert Brule. D Adrian Aucoin has missed the entire series with an injury. The Kings have won seven straight road games, and they stuck with coach Darryl Sutters scheme to keep the road vibe at home by staying in a hotel across the street from Staples Center on Wednesday night. USC QB Matt Barkley attended the game.

Miami Marlins @ Cleveland Indians
Friday, 4:05 PM ET

The Indians have managed to gain position in the AL Central despite a pitching staff that ranks 25th in overall ERA and a sub-.500 record at home, two things that will need to improve if they are going to have any chance of staying there. One of those starters that Cleveland is relying on is 27-year old Justin Masterson, who will get the call in the series opener on Friday. Masterson has struggled with his control early on this year with a 5.40 ERA, and the Indians are just 3-5 in games that he starts. Meanwhile, Miami has been a .500 team on the road early on, and has to love what it has gotten out of veteran starter Carlos Zambrano. Despite a 1-2 record, Zambrano has a 1.88 ERA and has allowed just one earned run over his last 23 innings of work.

MLB Betting Pick: Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins @ Cleveland Indians
Saturday, 4:05 PM ET

The Marlins could have the slight pitching edge again in the second game of this set with Anibal Sanchez starting against the Indians Jeanmar Gomez, however, Gomez was very good in his last start going seven strong without allowing a run in a 5-4 win. The 24-year old Gomez is working with a 3.75 ERA, but a big part of that has to do with the eight runs he gave up in 6.2 innings of work in a loss to the Chicago White Sox earlier this month, his only start this season in which he has allowed more than three runs. Miami has lost its last two starts when Sanchez pitches, so this represents a strong opportunity for Cleveland to even this sports betting series.

MLB Betting Pick: Cleveland Indians

Miami Marlins @ Cleveland Indians
Sunday, 1:05 PM ET

The betting sites finale of this three-game set will be played Sunday afternoon, with Josh Johnson getting the call for the Marlins against Derek Lowe. The 38-year old Lowe has been lights out for the Indians this season with a 6-1 record and 2.05 ERA, and has allowed just four runs in his last 28.2 innings of work, including a complete-game shutout over the Minnesota Twins. Johnson has really struggled so far this season with an ERA on the wrong side of 5.00, and despite the fact that Miami has won the last three games he started, he has allowed 10 combined runs in just 16.2 innings of work.

MLB Betting Pick: Cleveland Indians

Manager: Paulo Bento (since September 2010)
Best Euro Finish: Second place (2004)
Soccer Betting Odds: +400 to win Group B, +1800 to win Euro 2012

Offense

Portugal scored 21 goals in their 10 qualification matches as they finished in second place in Group H behind Denmark, and seven came off the boot of captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who just powered Real Madrid to the top of La Liga in Spain and is one of the top soccer betting favorites for World Player of the Year. A big Euro 2012 will put Ronaldo in the driver’s seat for the award, but the criticism on the forward is, like his Barcelona rival Lionel Messi, Ronaldo has never really carried over his club play to his country. This is a massive chance to quiet those critics, especially with the competition Portugal faces in their group.

But Ronaldo has to have some help and that should come in the form of fellow striker Helder Postiga, who scored four goals in six 2011 matches, while Nani added three goals and two assists from the wing and he has the ability to be a gamebreaker for Portugal. Ronaldo is surely going to attract a lot of attention from opposing defenses and Nani provides a good outlet for the Portuguese counterattack. He has been inconsistent for Manchester United this season, but when he is on, Nani can be a handful for any fullback.

Defense

This is where the Portuguese struggled during qualification as they allowed 12 goals in 10 matches, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but in soccer that is the sign of a leaky defense. Rui Patricio seems to be the man between the sticks, but he is only 24 and has just 10 international appearances under his belt, although five of those came in 2011. Bruno Alves is the most experienced defender and should be joined by Joao Pereira, Pepe and Fabio Coentrao, but Portugal was shaky at the back and allowed three goals at home against Iceland, a team that isn’t exactly loaded with attacking options.

Miguel Veloso and Joao Moutinho will be crucial to Portugal’s soccer betting hopes this summer as they’ll have to form a defensive shield in front of the back four to take some of the pressure off Alves and company. Portugal are going to run into Germany and the Netherlands, two of the best attacking sides in Europe, and if the midfielders don’t track back and help, Portugal are going to find themselves out of the tournament quickly, no matter how many goals Ronaldo can score.

Intangibles

Paulo Bento took over the team from Carlos Queiroz after Portugal failed to make it out of the group stage at the World Cup in South Africa, and he was the federation’s second choice after another failed attempt to lure Jose Mourinho from Real Madrid. But Bento has led the side to a few big wins, such as a 4-0 thrashing of rival Spain in a friendly in November. Even though it was only a friendly, it was still an encouraging performance from the team, which lost just once in 11 matches in 2011.

However, Bento represented the national team 35 times as a defensive midfielder and he understands that Portugal has to tighten things up at the back if they’re going to win their first international tournament. Look for defense to be a priority of his leading up to Euro 2012.

How It Will Play Out

As was mentioned before, the soccer betting odds are against Portugal in this tournament’s “group of death” as they’re rated at +400 to win Group B, and then +1800 to win the European Championship. Germany is one of the pre-tournament favorites along with Spain, while the Netherlands are coming off a trip to the World Cup final and Denmark just beat Portugal to the top of Group H in qualification as the pair split two meetings. This isn’t an easy road for the Portuguese at all, and they’re going to need a superlative effort from their captain, Ronaldo,

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Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

More on Lakers-Thunder Analysis Royce Young
No longer inexperienced, the Thunder are showing championship toughness Related links Andrew Bynum fined $15,000 NBA fines Lakers F Ebanks $25,000 NBA Expert Picks: Conference Semifinals Playoff schedule Team updates: Lakers | Thunder Video Durant drains game-winning shot Kobe Bryant fails down the stretch More NBA coverage Latest news | On Twitter | Subscribe to newsletter

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to claw back from that deficit in the closing stages of a game for the second time this postseason. The Thunder were also seven down with 2½ minutes left in Game 1 against defending NBA champion Dallas in the first round.

“They wont quit. Thats not in their DNA,” coach Scott Brooks said. “Theyre not wired that way and if they were, they wouldnt be here. Were not going to win every game but were going to fight to the last second of the game and we did that tonight.

“If we would have gotten down on ourselves with two minutes to go, we would have lost by 12 and we would go to L.A. 1-1.”

Instead, Oklahoma City will take a 2-0 lead into Game 3 on Friday night at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynums hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

After struggling throughout the second half and missing 20 of their first 27 shots, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Brooks called timeout following Bynums basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryants jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldnt connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

“I wish it was my magical words. All I told the guys was, Were down seven. You dont have to play perfect basketball but we better come pretty close, ” Brooks said.

Steve Blake missed an open 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldnt get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play.

Brown said he thought Bryant was open on the back side of th agreeing that Bryant was supposed to be the first option.

“Blake was wide open. We didnt have any timeouts left and he got a clean look, a really good look,” World Peace said. “He can knock that down.”

Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made h failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peaces long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden.

“What they did the last few minutes there, they just made gambles,” Bryant said. “They just jumped in the passing lanes. Its something that were not accustomed to seeing. Its just flat-out risks defensively.”

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchises days in Seattle.

“Its not good. I dont think anybodys happy in there [in the locker room],” coach Mike Brown said. “We felt like we let one slip away.”

Bryant was right at the heart of the meltdown, missing two shots and having a hand in two turnovers in the final 2 minutes. The first turnover came when Durant used his nearly 7-foot frame and impressive wingspan to come up with an energizing steal and fast-break chance.

“He used his length on Kobe. Coming up with that steal was huge,” Brown said. “Thats what great players are supposed to do. Theyre supposed to take on the challenge at the end of the game and he did.

“He won the game for them, basically.”

Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the victory. The Thunder had ripped apart the Lakers defense with their pick-and-roll attack in Game 1, scoring 119 points in a 29-point blowout.

“We dominated defensively,” Bynum said. “We stopped them, made them play through their bigs and turn the ball over. In the last two minutes, we gave the game away.”

In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, the Lakers started inching away early in the fourth quarter while Westbrook was on the bench.

Bryant drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free the Lakers largest lead to that point.

Westbrook returned then but only provided the briefest of sparks for the struggling Oklahoma made it 75-68 with 2:09 to play.

Until that point, Oklahoma City had more turnovers (eight) than made baskets (seven) in the second half after committing an uncharacteristically low four turnovers in Game 1.

Notes

The NBA on Wednesday fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum, who has had recent disciplinary issues within the team, talked at the Lakers morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. “I think hes learning. Is he going to be a perfect citizen the rest of his career? I dont know,” Brown said. “Hes bound to make mistakes. I think everybody makes mistakes.” World Peace has said he supported Brooks to become Sacramentos coach back in 2007, when Brooks had been an assistant under Eric Musselman. “Little does he know, if I would have got the job, I was going to ask for him to be traded,” Brooks joked. He then called World Peace, or Ron Artest at the time, the third-best two-way player at the time behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett. Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter.

Western Conference Finals: Los Angeles Kings vs. Phoenix Coyotes Series Overview
Sports betting line: N/A

Why Los Angeles Will Win

When you place a bet on an NHL playoff series after looking at any of several betting sites, you have to look at which team is playing the better brand of ball at the moment, and its clearly the Kings. Los Angeles swarmed Phoenix in Game 1 of this still-young series on Sunday, winning its sixth road game of the playoffs in as many outings. The Kings got almost 50 pucks on goal, a season high for them. Coach Darryl Sutter is squeezing the most out of his team, which is clicking on all four lines and is getting top-shelf play from goaltender Jonathan Quick. The Kings also ought to feel good about themselves because they made two stupid plays in Game 1 on Sunday. Quick allowed a very bad goal on a mid-ice shot, and Quick also gave up the puck behind his own net to a player who was being closely followed. The exchange led to a turnover and a quick Phoenix goal. Los Angeles ability to overcome these mistakes should only fuel the Kings confidence to a much greater degree.

This team has lost only one playoff game so far. It has steamrolled through the first two rounds, it is winning games on the road with regularity, and it has the look of a team that believes in itself far more than any other team left in the National Hockey League playoffs. The Kings are not the same team they were in the regular season. They have undergone the kind of transformation that typically happens with a Stanley Cup favorite. They dismissed the top two seeds in their conference, beating teams that accumulated 220 points in the NHL regular season (Vancouver and St. Louis). It would be very hard to pick against the Kings at this point, especially since they already have a 1-0 lead in the series and have taken home ice away from the spirited but inferior Coyotes.

Why Phoenix Will Win

The people who are studying the best sportsbook odds in this series will calmly point out that as you assess your bet, the Phoenix Coyotes have made a living out of defying the odds this postseason. They won a series against the Chicago Blackhawks that featured five overtime games. Thats just not a very regular everyday occurrence. They were a clear underdog against the Nashville Predators but decisively won that series in five games. Phoenix loves being counted out. The Coyotes will just keep coming; they like surprising the experts.
Read more on the latest best sportsbook odds in the NHL playoffs.

Who Will Win?

While Phoenix will put up a very good fight, this is Los Angeles series to lose. The Kings are in a zone right now. Everything they touch turns to hockey gold. They will win this series, though Phoenix will push them.

NHL Betting Pick: Los Angeles in 6 games

Boston Red Sox @ Philadelphia Phillies Series Overview

Game 1: Friday, May 18

If you are interested in betting on baseball this season, the upcoming three-game series between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies presents the kinds of situations in which raw numbers arent all theyre cracked up to be. The first installment of this three-game series pits Boston starter Daniel Bard, with an earned-run average of 4.30, against Philadelphia hurler Cole Hamels, who totes a snappy 2.28 ERA at the moment. Hamels is a better pitcher than Bard; you wont get any argument on the matter from a baseball betting expert. However, one must also realize that earned-run averages in the American League and the National League have to be taken with a grain of salt. The American League, because of its use of the designated hitter, is a much tougher league in which to pitch. An ERA just above four runs per game is a lot worse in the National League than in the American League.

If Bard and Hamels switched leagues, their earned-run averages, currently two runs apart, would probably be within three-fourths of a run, maybe only half a run. The sense here is that Bostons better batting order will make Hamels work. Hamels relies on his mixture of speeds to get hitters out, so as long as Bostons hitters are patient, they will get hittable pitches in the strike zone. This game should be very close, but Boston is in a position where it can wear down the Phillies arms. The Red Sox will strike first and prove that ERAs dont tell the whole story in a baseball game… not all the time, at least.

MLB Betting Pick: Boston

Game 2: Saturday, May 19

The team that is a mystery for a lot of online sportsbooks is the Philadelphia Phillies, and the big reason for the teams slump is that it has not produced at the plate. In Saturdays game, Jon Lester of the Red Sox, with a 3.71 ERA, will face the Phillies Joe Blanton, who brings a 2.96 earned-run average into Citizens Bank Park. Lester should be able to shut down the Phillies, while Blanton a reliable starter at the back end of the Phillies rotation does not have the overpowering stuff that can silence Bostons bats. Blanton will pitch well, but Lester will pitch better, and thats a recipe for a Red Sox victory in game two.

MLB Betting Pick: Boston

Game 3: Sunday, May 20

The team that sports betting sites are not favoring at the moment is Boston. The Red Sox have more weaknesses than the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, and when they finish this Sunday game, theyre likely to have one more loss. The Red Sox will go with Josh Beckett, who carries a large 5.97 ERA into this game. Philadelphia will trot out its staff ace, Cliff Lee, who has been humming along this season with a 2.17 earned-run average. Lee will dominate, while Beckett immersed in a horrible season will find it hard to outduel his counterpart. Philadelphia will win the finale of this three-game set.

MLB Betting Pick: Philadelphia