Warriors, Capitals favourites for NBA title, NHL Stanley Cup

WE’RE starting to get into the pointy end of the NBA and NHL seasons and there is a clear favourite on the court, while the Stanley Cup appears a race in three.

It’s the off season in the NFL and MLB, but we’d be remiss not to take a look at how the markets are shaping as punters try to decipher what teams have improved over the off season.

Warriors rule NBA roost

The Golden State Warriors are now odds-on to take out their second consecutive NBA title after recording the best record at an All Star game break in NBA history.

On track to smash Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls record of 72-10 back in 1996, the Warriors are -125 with Bovada.lv.

With reigning Most Valuable Player Steph Curry enjoying an even better year than last season, the Warriors, through guns Klay Thompson and Draymond Green look the deserved favourites to make it two in a row.

Standing in their way are the Cleveland Cavaliers(+325),who they vanquished in the finals last season, and the San Antonio Spurs (+375). The King Lebron James leads the way for the Cavs in the east, but can the ‘big three’ in Cleveland keep from imploding?

That leaves the stunning Spurs, who have quietly grafted out the second best record in the NBA and, thanks to a changing of the guard, with LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard becoming the team leaders, taking over the mantle from Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who have just quietly sat back, done what they had to do to gear up for the playoffs.

There are already six teams that can’t make the playoffs and have therefore been eliminated from the betting and there are three rank outsiders in the Orlando Magic, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, who are all getting +100000 odds to go near the title. Don’t bother with them.

NBA title winner market:

Golden State Warriors (-125)
Cleveland Cavaliers (+325)
San Antonio Spurs (+375)
Oklahoma City Thunder (+900)
Los Angeles Clippers (+2500)
Toronto Raptors (+3300)
Chicago Bulls (+4000)
Atlanta Hawks (+5000)
Boston Celtics (+5000)
Miami Heat (+6600)
Indiana Pacers (+7500)
Houston Rockets (+10000)
Memphis Grizzlies (+12500
Charlotte Hornets (+15000)
Washington Wizards (+20000)
Detroit Pistons (+25000)
Dallas Mavericks (+25000)
New York Knicks (+50000)
Sacramento Kings (+50000)
Utah Jazz (+50000)
Portland Trail Blazers (+50000)
New Orleans Pelicans (+100000)
Orlando Magic (+100000)
Milwaukee Bucks (+100000)
Odds provided by Bovada.lv

Capitals, Blackhawks, Kings battle out for Stanley up favouritism

There are still two months until the NHL playoffs, but we got a a glimpse of what might be the potential Stanley Cup finalists when the overwhelming favourite Washington Capitals (+400) rolled the Los Angeles Kings (third on the line at +800), 3-1, this week.

The Caps boast the best record in the NHL, while the Kings have won two of the past four Stanley Cups. Those two teams sandwich the Chicago Blackhawks, at +800, in the betting, with the Dallas Stars (+1000) the only other getting consideration.

Gun Kings defender Drew Doughty expects the Capitals to be there when the whips are cracking.

“If we get to the Stanley Cup final there is a good chance they will be there too. We were excited to play this team and excited to hopefully win this game. I thought we played OK, but bottom line is we have to score goals and we have to win games, and right now we are not.”

The Caps are firing in more than three goals per game, but it doesn’t mean anything unless they can take out the Stanley Cup, according to Washington’s Andre Burakovsky.

“We were kind of excited to play against these guys. They already got two Cups and we’ve got none. We’re trying to be the best team in the league and if we want to be the best we have to take out the best. It felt like a playoff game. It was a fast game and we battled it through and had a big two points.”

If that is the match up for the cup, we’re licking out lips.

Stanley Cup winner market:

Washington Capitals FT (+400)
Chicago Blackhawks FT (+500)
Los Angeles Kings FT (+800)
Dallas Stars FT (+1000)
Anaheim Ducks FT (+1400)
Florida Panthers FT (+1400)
Pittsburgh Penguins FT (+1600)
Tampa Bay Lightning FT (+1600)
St. Louis Blues FT (+1800)
New York Rangers FT (+1800)
Detroit Red Wings FT (+1800)
New York Islanders FT (+2200)
Montreal Canadiens FT (+2500)
San Jose Sharks FT (+2500)
Boston Bruins FT (+2500)
Minnesota Wild FT (+3300)
Nashville Predators FT (+4000)
Colorado Avalanche FT (+5000)
New Jersey Devils FT (+5000)
Philadelphia Flyers FT (+6600)
Vancouver Canucks FT (+6600)
Arizona Coyotes FT (+6600)
Edmonton Oilers FT (+10000)
Ottawa Senators FT (+10000)
Calgary Flames FT (+10000)
Carolina Hurricanes FT (+10000)
Winnipeg Jets FT (+15000)
Toronto Maple Leafs FT (+30000)
Columbus Blue Jackets FT (+50000)
Buffalo Sabres FT (+50000)

Odds provide by Bovada.lv

Cubs well backed to get the job done in MLB World Series

Chicago finished with the third best record in baseball last season and almost completed a fairytale, before being swept by the New York Mets in the NLCS. Some shrewd recruiting has made them the overwhelming favourites at +400 to take out the World Series, building on that disappointment of last season. The San Francisco Giants, always in the market, are +800, on the same line as the Mets, who lost to the Kansas City Royals (fallen champs at +1600) in last year’s big dance.

2016 World Series winner market:

Chicago Cubs (+400)
San Francisco Giants (+800)
New York Mets (+800)
Boston Red Sox (+1200)
Toronto Blue Jays (+1200)
Los Angeles Dodgers (+1200)
Washington Nationals (+1600)
Kansas City Royals (+1600)
Houston Astros (+1800)
St. Louis Cardinals (+2000)
Arizona Diamondbacks (+2000)
Detroit Tigers (+2000)
Pittsburgh Pirates (+2200)
Texas Rangers (+2200)
New York Yankees (+2200)
Cleveland Indians (+3300)
Los Angeles Angels (+3300)
Chicago White Sox (+3300)
Seattle Mariners (+4000)
Baltimore Orioles (+5000)
Minnesota Twins (+5000)
Miami Marlins (+7500)
Tampa Bay Rays (+7500)
Oakland Athletics (+7500)
Milwaukee Brewers (+10000)
Cincinnati Reds (+10000)
San Diego Padres (+10000)
Philadelphia Phillies (+10000)
Atlanta Braves (+15000)
Colorado Rockies (+15000)

Odds provide by Bovada.lv

Pats power to Super Bowl 51 favouritism

Rolled by the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are the favourites at +750 to take out Super Bowl 51. With big Rob Gronkowski in tow, the Patriots always seem to be the team to beat. But they have competition. Even with the doubt surrounding Peyton Manning’s future, the defensive beast that is Denver is on the second line of betting at +900. The Broncos share that line with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while defeated Super Bowl losers the Carolina Panthers and eternal challengers the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks are all +1000 as the main contenders.

2017 Super Bowl 51 winner market:

New England Patriots (+750)
Pittsburgh Steelers (+900)
Denver Broncos (+900)
Seattle Seahawks (+1000)
Green Bay Packers (+1000)
Carolina Panthers (+1000)
Dallas Cowboys (+1600)
Arizona Cardinals (+1800)
Indianapolis Colts (+2000)
Cincinnati Bengals (+2500)
Minnesota Vikings (+2500)
Kansas City Chiefs (+2800)
Baltimore Ravens (+3300)
Atlanta Falcons (+4000)
Detroit Lions (+4000)
New Orleans Saints (+4000)
New York Giants (+4000)
Philadelphia Eagles (+5000)
Chicago Bears (+5000)
Houston Texans (+5000)
Buffalo Bills (+5000)
New York Jets (+5000)
Los Angeles Rams (+5000)
San Diego Chargers (+5000)
San Francisco 49ers (+5000)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5000)
Washington Redskins (+5000)
Miami Dolphins (+6600)
Jacksonville Jaguars (+6600)
Oakland Raiders (+6600)
Tennessee Titans (+10000)
Cleveland Browns (+15000)

Odds provided by Bovada.lv