LeBron To Miami: The Day After
July 9, 2010
So, LeBron James is now a member of the Miami Heat.
What does this mean for the franchise that won the 2006 NBA title, dumped a set of aging big-name players, endured four lean seasons, but has now reloaded in its attempt to go for the brass ring?
In the immediate aftermath of LeBron’s decision, made in tortuous and drawn-out fashion on a national ESPN broadcast, it needs to be said that the Heat are not yet the clear-cut Eastern Conference favorite.
Yes, Miami has become an instant contender, but that’s not quite the same as being the hands-down favorite in the East. Any half-decent team that wants to compete at the highest level of professional basketball needs to have a core of at least six quality players.
The 2010 Los Angeles Lakers featured Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but they also went to battle with Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, and Andrew Bynum.
The Lake Show had just enough of a mixture to get the job done at both ends of the floor. The Lakers weren’t one-dimensional and could hurt opponents while playing different styles.
Coach Phil Jackson’s club was able to win shootouts against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals, but the team also managed to prevail in grind-it-out affairs against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Does Miami currently own the balance and heft needed to win the NBA championship? No – not at the present moment.
The enormous salaries commanded by LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will eat up so much money that the Heat won’t be able to draw particularly big names to play alongside the Big Three.
Yes, the Heat dealt Michael Beasley to Minnesota late Thursday, right after King James made his announcement.
However, Pat Riley – the architect of a dizzying set of deals – has not landed the defense-first big man he so obviously needs.
What’s true is that Miami doesn’t need an overwhelming amount of talent to supplement the LeBron-Wade-Bosh trio.
The Heat already have more scorers and crunch-time shooters than 95 percent of the league’s teams.
This franchise needs defense and rebounding so that it can snag more possessions per game and enable its offense to outclass the opposition.
Unless or until Riley acquires that defensive piece near the rim, Miami still has to be questioned.
Surely, the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic will be very tough to deal with for Miami. Both teams play a rugged brand of defense and will be formidable near the rim.
The Chicago Bulls, now with Carlos Boozer in their lineup, have a terrific starting five with numerous complementary parts. Boozer will be the scoring power forward, while Joakim Noah can remain focused on defense and rebounding as the team’s true center.
This gives the Bulls a great mix under the leadership of Tom Thibodeau, the defensive guru who helped Boston attain Eastern Conference supremacy in two of the past three seasons.
One can expect Miami and Pat Riley to go after and eventually land some good role players, but that hasn’t happened just yet. Don’t bet against the Heat; just withhold your bets until you know a little bit more about this team.
World Cup Betting – Spain vs. Netherlands
July 9, 2010
World Cup betting comes to a close when Spain takes on the Netherlands in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Both nations are playing for their first World Cup title, making this a dynamic matchup between not only two of the world’s top soccer powers, but also its hungriest.
Here’s an inside look at the World Cup final odds:
Spain (+115) vs. Netherlands (+235, 2)
Spain hasn’t wowed soccer fans in South Africa after being tagged the favorite to win the World Cup heading into the tournament.
But it has battled through group play and the knockout stage, ousting a tough German squad in the semifinals with a 1-0 win.
The Netherlands hasn’t walked a much easier path to the final, defeating upstart Uruguay 3-2 in the semifinals after shocking Brazil 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
The Dutch have been steadily improving with each game, placing two peaking programs against each other for soccer’s biggest prize.
The Netherlands has maintained a sound defense during the World Cup betting, giving up only one goal in Group E play and holding Slovakia and Brazil to one goal each in their knockout contests.
However, that defense crumbled a bit during the semifinals, allowing Uruguay to pull within one goal in extra time.
The Dutch held on for the win but those defensive lulls are a concern against a powerful Spanish attack that had Germany on its heels for most of their semifinal matchup.
Spain has scored only seven total goals during the tournament but has the potential to explode for offense with players like David Villa, Xabi Alonso, and Fernando Torres prowling the pitch.
Villa has carried the bulk of the scoring this year, tallying five goals in South Africa. On the other end, Torres has been shut out despite firing 13 shots on goal.
The Spaniards are hoping he breaks out of this funk in time for Sunday’s final.
The Dutch have netted 12 goals despite putting just 83 shots on goal during the World Cup. They’ve made the most of their chances, getting stellar striking from Wesley Sneijder.
The diminutive sniper, who stands just 5-foot-7, has found the back of the net five times and is tied with Villa for the goals lead.
He scored in the win over Uruguay along with Arjen Robben, who has been on fire since returning from injury midway through the tournament.
The midfielder has scored twice in South Africa, lifting the team’s playmaking to another level.
The Oranje have won eight straight World Cup outings and are riding a 25-game winning streak in international play.
They reached the finals in 1974 and 1978, losing both games.
Spain has never been to the final, but has big-game experience after defeating the Germans for the European Championship in 2008 – a tournament in which the Netherlands fell 3-1 to Russia in the quarterfinals.
Spain has been ranked as the top team in the world for the last two years, posting a 48-2-3 record in that span.
The last five World Cup finals have averaged under two goals with the 1994 final finishing 0-0 and going to penalty kicks.
Spain has given up just two goals all tournament while the Dutch have allowed only five during World Cup play.
Oddsmakers have posted Sunday’s total at 2 goals.
Davis Cup Betting Futures – Spain Takes on France, Russia Battles Argentina
July 9, 2010
World Group Davis Cup action features in the tennis betting market at BetOnline Sportsbook this week. Entering the World Group Quarterfinals stage, eight nations remain all hoping to vie for a spot in the semi-finals: Spain, France, Argentina, Russia, Chile, Czech Republic, Croatia and Serbia.
Spain vs. France
Defending champions Spain take on France for their quarterfinal tie. Spain will be playing sans Rafael Nadal, who begged off national duty to properly rest for the upcoming hard court swing. Yet, even without Nadal Spain are strong favourites in the competition, tipped at +250 to successfully defend their title.
Spain’s bench is a coach’s envy: tons of depth and talent represented by Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez , and Nicolas Almagro. Together they combine for a mighty force, giving Coach Alberta Costa plenty of options for each respective rubber.
France is taking a significantly watered down field to Davis Cup action this week, yet they are the third favourites to win the title after co-favourites Spain and Serbia. France is listed at +450 to win the tournament.
Tsonga begged off national duty. His absence will be missed and it could hurt France’s bid, methinks. Monfils, Michael Llodra, Julien Benneteau and Gilles Simon are tasked with the job of taking out Spain. And a tough job it will be.
Considering young guns, Monfils and Simon have been off form this season, it is hard to imagine how they will find form in time. Only veterans Llodra and Benneteau have had measured success in this group but resting national hopes on this pair alone doesn’t bode promising.
The only thing France has going for them is home edge in this tie. Will it be enough to take out the defending champions?
Tennis Betting Free Picks: Spain to sweep tie convincingly 3:0
Russia vs. Argentina
Russia takes on Argentina in the second World Group quarterfinal tie. Nikolay Davydenko leads the Russian contingent and joining him is Mikhail Youzhny, Igor Kunitsyn and Teimuraz Gabashvilli. The Russians have to be favoured to win this tie. They own a 3-2 edge over Argentina in this competition, which inspires a bit of confidence. Moreover, Russia are hosting the event and they have never enjoyed defeat to Argentina on home soil.
Importantly, and what perhaps swings the tie wholly in Russia’s favour, is the absence of Argentina’s best in the game: Juan Martin Del Potro through a wrist injury. Without the 2009 US Open champion, Del Potro out of the line-up, Argentina’s chances are not too hot.
Their bid rests solely on the collective effort by Nalbandian, Mayer, Schwank and Zeballos. Nalbandian once flew the Argentine standard but in recent years, he was replaced by Del Potro as the best Argentinean export. Moreover, there is the injury concern with Nalbandian. Fresh off hip surgery earlier this year he just hasn’t been the same.
Tennis Betting Free Picks: Russia 4-1
