A lot of players chosen in the NBA Draft each year aren’t expected to hit the ground running. Teams that pick them know that it will take a year or two for them to grow up physically, learn the pro game, and adjust to the mental and physical demands of the new league. Each year, though, there are guys that are valuable contributing players to their teams pretty much right out of the gate. Stephen Curry fits that bill from last year, and Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans really did – they were arguably the best players on their teams. Here’s a look at six guys who could be useful for their new teams right from the start:

Continue reading “2010 NBA Draft – Players With Biggest Impacts”

NFL weekly recap June 14 – 20

OT Brown to Redskins for conditional pick

The New Orleans Saints traded offensive lineman Jammal Brown to the Washington Redskins for a conditional draft pick. The Saints picked the 29-year-old with the 13th pick of the 2005 draft. He started all of his games between 2005 and 2008, but spent 2009 on the injured reserved list, due to a hip injury and sports hernia surgery.

Continue reading “NFL Weekly Recap Jun 14th – 20th”

Arizona heads back home after a 1-5 road trip and now faces the first-place Yankees on national television.

New York Yankees at Arizona Diamondbacks

The New York Yankees captured the latest installment of the Subway series, picking up 4-0 home victory over the Mets behind a sterling performance by ace C.C. Sabathia.  1B Mark Teixeira provided all the offense, hitting his first grand slam as a member of the Yankees.  “I didn’t get all of it,” Teixeira said.  “I made sure I ran out of the box.”  New York leads the Majors with seven grand slams, including two hit earlier on this homestand by catcher Jorge Posada.  The club is now 7-5 (-220) against the National League this season and head out on the road hoping to improve upon its 18-16 mark on the road (-330).  The Yankees are just an even 3-3 on the year as a road favorite of -150 to -175 (-190).

Continue reading “ESPN Monday Night Baseball Betting Preview – Yankees at Diamondbacks”

All eyes will be on former Red Sox OF Manny Ramirez with the Dodgers looking to avoid a sweep in this interleague clash.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox

Los Angeles is set to play its sixth game (2-3) of a nine-game road trip, as the team looks to avoid being swept by Boston.  “You know you’re in a fight when you play in this ballpark,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.  The club is five games into a stretch of playing 15 of 18 games on the road.  Tonight’s television coverage will certainly center around OF Manny Ramirez’s return to Beantown.  Since his arrival in Los Angeles on July 31, 2008, the Dodgers have a 163-121 record, the best mark in the NL over that span.  In two games this weekend at Fenway, Ramirez is 3-for-9 with a home run and RBI.  The team finds itself a game back of the division-leading San Diego Padres going into tonight’s game.

Continue reading “ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Betting Preview – Dodgers at Red Sox”

The start of the NFL season is still three months away, but the major transactions have been made. There are still some question marks regarding suspensions and holdouts – read Ben Roethlisberger, the Williams Wall, and Albert Haynesworth – but there is enough information about the new teams for the bookies to release their lines.

Continue reading “Week 1 NFL Odds: An Early Look For Value”

The Yankees captain hopes to return to the lineup, as a pair of aces close out the 2010 Subway Series.

New York Mets at New York Yankees

The New York Mets had its eight-game winning streak snapped on Saturday afternoon, dropping the second game in the series, 5-3.  The club is still a dominating 19-6 in its last 25 games since May 22, giving them the best record in the majors over that span.  The Mets still hold a 3-2 record against the Yankees this season, but will be up against a 3-9 all-time mark in series in the Bronx.  Starting rotation has carried the load especially on the road, posting a 9-2 record and 2.99 ERA in their last 11 games away from Citi Field.  The staff still has quite a disparity between its home/road numbers, with the team having a 4.66 road ERA compared to just 2.73 at home.

Continue reading “Sunday MLB Daytime Betting Feature – Mets at Yankees”

San Diego looks to push its record to a game above .500 this month and hold onto first place in the NL West.

Baltimore Orioles at San Diego Padres

Baltimore held a 2-1 lead on Friday night heading into the bottom of the ninth, only to see the Padres rally for a 3-2 victory behind 1B Adrian Gonzalez’s bases loaded single.  The club has converted just 47.8 percent of its save opportunities, the lowest percentage in the major leagues.  The Orioles have now lost 18 of their last 21 games, being outscored 127-50 over that span.  Friday’s loss also dropped the club to 2-8 in interleague play this year.  In facing a left-handed starter tonight, Baltimore’s offense will be paced by OF Nick Markakis, who leads all left-handed batters in baseball with a .375 batting average against them.  The club has been outscored 65-28 in their last 12 road games, as they are 8-37 in their last 45 games away from Camden Yards.

Continue reading “Saturday MLB Betting Preview – Orioles at Padres”

A pair of veteran right-handers are on display in the second game of this interleague series between two historic franchises.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox

Los Angeles fell 10-6 in the series opener against Boston at Fenway Park and has dropped five straight in interleague play.  This series marks just the second time the two teams have met at here, with the first coming on June 11-13, 2004, when Boston took two out of three.  The Dodgers are four games into a stretch where 15 of 18 games will be played on the road (2-2).  Of course this series is highlighted by OF Manny Ramirez returning to Boston after spending 7 1/2 seasons in front of the Green Monster.  “Manny is certainly going to have a lot of emotions here,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.  “This was a huge part of his career.”  Since Ramirez’ arrival in Los Angeles, the club has posted a 163-120 record, the best mark in the National League.

Continue reading “Saturday MLB on FOX Betting Preview – Dodgers at Red Sox”

It seems like the dust may finally be settling on NCAA re-alignment. Armageddon didn’t arrive to the extent it could have, but there is still a different landscape for next year. Three conferences added teams and three lost teams in a widespread shuffle driven almost entirely by money. There may still be a move or two, but where we are at right now is a logical stopping point, so hopefully things will stop for at least a while.

Continue reading “College Football Realignment Winners and Losers”

The 2010 College World Series will mark the last time the event will be held at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. For 61 years the ballpark was the site of college baseball’s biggest stage. The NCAA Tournament, for years dubbed the “Road to Omaha”, will need a new name next season.

Continue reading “College World Series Betting Odds Preview”

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