NASCAR Speeds In To Talladega

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series speeds in to Talladega, Alabama for this weekend’s sportsbook race. After the spectacle at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to weather conditions, the drivers will have even less time to prepare for what has become known as one of the most dangerous tracks of the NASCAR season. Massive collisions marred last season’s pair of races at Talladega Superspeedway, and if Monday’s finish is any indication of what is to come this upcoming weekend, drivers will be wise to take the side of caution for this weekend’s race.

Denny Hamlin needed only 12 laps led to take the checkered flag at Texas the same night the NHL betting was on, his second win in three weeks after finishing first at Martinsville. A massive nine-car wreck provided Hamlin with enough room to make his move to the front of the pack after starting the 334-lap race in the 29th spot. Jimmie Johnson finished in the top-five for the second consecutive race, and although he couldn’t find a way past Hamlin for the lead, finished in the top-10 for the fifth time in his past six races.

Players looking to place their money on any single driver this race, like the Kentucky Derby betting, may find it difficult to predict just one sport betting favorite. The tracks on the schedule that require restrictor plates are both hard to predict, but Talladega may be the hardest. Often referred to as a, “high-speed chess match”, no one driver has dominated at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Brad Keselowski and Jamie McMurray captured the checkered flag in the two races here last season, and McMurray took the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, the other restrictor plate course. However, McMurray has fallen off big time since his only win, with just one top-10 finish since, and three finishes 24th or worse to fall to 21st in the SCS standings.

Jeff Gordon is the all-time wins leader at Talladega Superspeedway among active drivers with six wins in 34 starts, and his performance at Texas was nothing short of impressive as his 124 laps led was the most of any driver on the day. Gordon looked as hungry as he has in years banging and bumping his way to the front of the pack before eventually colliding with Tony Stewart in that massive nine-car wreck that ended his day. Gordon’s teammate and perennial favorite Jimmie Johnson has just one win in 16 career runs at Talladega, but after failing to take the checkered flag in his last three starts after winning three of his first five, Johnson will be hungry to get back on top, as has been the case with Pittsburgh in the Senators vs Penguins odds series.

Perhaps the dark horse heading in to this weekend will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is third all-time in wins at Talladega behind only Gordon and father Dale Earnhardt with five wins in 20 races. Earnhardt Jr. had captured two of his three top-10 finishes over the past four weeks, and this would be a suitable track for NASCAR’s favorite son to finally break through for the win.

NBA Basketball Betting – San Antonio-Dallas Game 2 Preview

The current discussion involving Spurs vs. Mavericks odds is simple in some ways but much more complicated in others. There’s definitely reason to think that San Antonio just won’t be able to keep up with Dallas in the first round of the NBA postseason, but one could also find some legitimate reasons to think that the Spurs will rebound and tie this series at one game apiece. Which NBA betting perspective will win out on Wednesday night? We’ll find out soon enough.

Western Conference First Round: San Antonio @ Dallas, Game 2

Wednesday, April 21

Bookmaker Odds: No line (as of yet)

When people talk about sports betting, they have to take a larger view. There are many considerations to mull over after Game 1 of this all-Texas tussle. The Mavs’ 100-94 win wasn’t quite as close as the score indicated, but it definitely wasn’t a blowout, either. Dallas should be happy with the victory, but San Antonio shouldn’t be devastated about its inability to pull out a win. A different narrative in Game 2 would radically reshape the nature of this best-of-seven battle.

Sunday’s series opener was noteworthy for a number of reasons. First and foremost, San Antonio – as is often the case – had no answer for Dallas superstar Dirk Nowitzki. Sometimes, the big German went over the top of defenders, especially the smaller Matt Bonner. On other occasions, Nowitzki used pump fakes to draw defenders in the air and dribble around them before releasing mid-range jumpers without any problems whatsoever. When Game 1 was all over, Nowitzki hit 12 of 14 shots from the field and all 12 of his deliveries from the free-throw line. A 36-point masterpiece – a supremely clinical and efficient outing – enabled Nowitzki to produce a victory and increase the confidence level in the Dallas locker room. This is a newly-reconstituted team that owner Mark Cuban is depending on to make a deep run in the postseason. Dallas has a lot of work to do, but a Game 1 victory over a tough opponent might enable this team to flourish as the playoffs continue.

One reason to bet on the Mavericks in Game 2 is that they won Game 1 without any appreciable production from a few reliable sources. Shawn Marion scored only nine points; he’s going to have to do much better as the playoffs roll along. More conspicuously, sixth-man stud Jason Terry went just 2 of 9 from the field and scored only five points for coach Rick Carlisle’s crew. If Terry plays a solid game on Wednesday, San Antonio will have just as many problems defending the Mavs as it did in Game 1. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will not have enough answers for Dallas if Terry delivers the goods.

On the other hand, the NBA playoff odds will shift if San Antonio can get some production from a few people. The biggest concern for the Spurs is guard George Hill, one of the most improved players in the league this season. Hill injured his ankle on Wednesday in the regular-season finale, and he looked ineffective in 18 minutes in Sunday’s Game 1. If he can work through that injury and regain the form he displayed for much of 2010, the Spurs will become a very dangerous team.

How will Jason Terry shoot? How healthy will George Hill’s ankle be? The odds here suggest that Terry is likely to play better, while Hill is more of a question mark. Give the edge to Dallas in Game 2.

Online basketball betting pick: Dallas