The decision part 2 is officially in the books for the greatest player in the game.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s impossible not to know where Lebron James will be taking his talents this year.  However, what does it all mean from a Vegas perspective?  Clay Travis and I broke it all down last night on Let It...

The NBA landscape will drastically change tonight around 9:01 Pacific.  Well, maybe not as drastic as we’d all like to see for offseason drama but you get the idea.  Jason Kidd traded for 2 second round picks? I mean c’mon man if I was part of the Nets front office there’s a good chance I help him pack his bags and even throw in a 6 pack of Coke for his troubles.  Here’s a look at the current futures board courtesy of the LVH. We’ll be updating throughout the summer as high profile talent finds new landing spots. 2014-2015 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP HEAT 5-2 THUNDER 9-2 SPURS 9-2 CLIPPERS 7 PACERS 20 BULLS 7 WARRIORS 20 ROCKETS 20 BLAZERS 40 WIZARDS 30 NETS 40 GRIZZLIES 40 MAVERICKS 40 NUGGETS 50 RAPTORS 50 KNICKS 50 WOLVES 100 PELICANS 60 LAKERS 50 CELTICS 100 CAVALIERS 40 SUNS 60 HORNETS 75 HAWKS 75 JAZZ 200 KINGS 200 PISTONS 200 MAGIC 100 76ERS 500 BUCKS 300 ODDS TO WIN 2014-2015 EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAT 4-5 PACERS 7 BULLS 11-4 WIZARDS 13 NETS 18 RAPTORS 23 KNICKS 23 CELTICS 40 CAVALIERS 18 HORNETS 35 HAWKS 35 PISTONS 80 MAGIC 40 76ERS 200 BUCKS 120 ODDS TO WIN 2014-2015 WESTERN CONFERENCE THUNDER 9-4 SPURS 9-4 CLIPPERS 7-2 WARRIORS 10 ROCKETS 10 BLAZERS 20 GRIZZLIES 20 MAVERICKS 20 NUGGETS 25 WOLVES 50 PELICANS 30 LAKERS 25 SUNS 30 JAZZ 100...

The Pro Basketball finals tip off tonight and it’s the matchup everyone wanted to see. Well unless you’re a Pacers, Thunder, Bulls fan..etc. There are plenty of compelling handicapping angles with which to attack not only Game 1 but also the series.  Last night Jay Onrait and I tried to share a little wisdom before you walk to the window.  Also, it would be awesome if you could help Jay get #LotusofSiam to trend on twitter....

The NBA playoffs start today and I don’t really keep it a secret that the opening rounds are often anti-climactic.  However, betting lines mean everything is exciting and well our goal is to make money even if it’s a snail race (sorry Heat vs Bobcats series).  Last night Charissa and I broke it all down on FS Live when it comes to identifying value.  Also included are a full list of playoff future odds and series prices.  Enjoy 1st Round Series Prices NBA SERIES PRICES Atlanta Hawks (Series Prices)                 +425     (17/4) Indiana Pacers (Series Prices)                -650     (2/13)   Charlotte Bobcats (Series Price)             +1000   (10/1) Miami Heat (Series Price)                       -2500   (1/25)   Brooklyn Nets (Series Prices)                 -160     (5/8) Toronto Raptors (Series Prices)             +140     (7/5)   Washington Wizards (Series Prices)       +170     (17/10) Chicago Bulls (Series Prices)                 -200     (1/2)   Dallas Mavericks (Series Prices)            +550     (11/2) San Antonio Spurs (Series Prices)          -900     (1/9)   Memphis Grizzlies (Series Prices)           +300     (3/1) Oklahoma City Thunder (Series Prices)   -420     (5/21)   Golden State Warriors (Series Prices)     +300     (3/1) Los Angeles Clippers (Series Prices)      -400     (1/4)   Portland Trail Blazers (Series Prices)      +180     (9/5) Houston Rockets (Series Prices)            – 220     (5/11) 2013-2014 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP  HEAT 9-5 THUNDER 4 BULLS 40 SPURS 5-2 PACERS 5 CLIPPERS 10 GRIZZLIES 60 WARRIORS 30 ROCKETS 20 MAVERICKS 100 NETS 40 HAWKS 500 BLAZERS 40 WIZARDS 100 RAPTORS 60 BOBCATS 200ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAT 5-8 BULLS 15 PACERS 3-2 NETS 15 HAWKS 200 WIZARDS 40 RAPTORS 20 BOBCATS 80 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 WESTERN CONFERENCE THUNDER 7-4 SPURS 5-4 CLIPPERS 5 GRIZZLIES 30 WARRIORS 15 ROCKETS 10 MAVERICKS 50 BLAZERS...

With the regular season winding down and a few win totals still in doubt, the real focus shifts towards finding value (if any) in the chase for NBA supremacy. I’m a big believer in the value future markets offer but the NBA is one sport where I don’t see much benefit in investing given the top heavy nature of the league.  However, that doesn’t stop me from sharing the odds and being intrigued by both the Bulls and Nets at 15-1 to win the East. All prices courtesy of the LVH Complete list of NBA power ratings ODDS TO WIN NBA TITLE HEAT 9-5 THUNDER 7-2 BULLS 40 SPURS 5-2 PACERS 5 CLIPPERS 10 GRIZZLIES 60 WARRIORS 30 ROCKETS 20 MAVERICKS 100 NETS 40 HAWKS 1000 BLAZERS 40 WIZARDS 100 RAPTORS 60 SUNS 200 BOBCATS 300 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAT 4-7 BULLS 15 PACERS 8-5 NETS 15 HAWKS 400 WIZARDS 35 RAPTORS 20 BOBCATS 120 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 WESTERN CONFERENCE THUNDER 8-5 SPURS 5-4 CLIPPERS 5 GRIZZLIES 30 WARRIORS 15 ROCKETS 10 MAVERICKS 50 BLAZERS 20 SUNS 100...

Futility comes in different forms (think Chicago Cubs with their unending quest to be World Series champions).  Professional franchises go long stretches without titles, making the playoffs, or even rattling off a .500 season here and there.  However, right this very moment there’s a dubious distinction ready to be bestowed on a team that calls our country’s heartland home.  The Pacers struggles are well chronicled and while they’ve seen their lead in the East completely vanish, there is something disappearing even faster than their playoff seeding: bettor’s bankrolls.  Over their last 25 games Indiana is a wallet breaking 3-22 ATS.  Even the 76ers were 8-17-1 against the number while they rattled off 26 straight outright losses.  Given the Pacers struggle to cash tickets and their place among the so called elite teams in the NBA, it was interesting to get the perspective from 2 offshore sportsbooks on the unique betting trends that have emerged. How far has Indiana fallen in some power ratings? Click here for the complete list ” To say the Pacers are a mess is an understatement. They have no failed to cover in 9 straight games and their locker room seems to be joke. They seem to be tanking at exactly the wrong time, a time when they could have wrapped up the #1 seed in the East,” Mike Perry told me. He wasn’t done there regarding the impact it’s had on his operation at Sportsbook.com. “Despite their recent skid, the Pacers have been backed by the majority of bettors cash in 7 of the now  9 straight games (Needed  Indy vs Heat on March 26th & vs Spurs on Mar. 31st) that  they have failed to cover. I think it all comes to who they play. Even though Atlanta smoked the Pacers on Sunday, I expect...

LVH ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP HEAT 3-2 THUNDER 6 BULLS 100 SPURS 7 PACERS 3 CLIPPERS 12 GRIZZLIES 60 KNICKS 100 LAKERS 1000 NUGGETS 100 WARRIORS 10 ROCKETS 15 MAVERICKS 60 CELTICS 200 NETS 100 HAWKS 100 JAZZ 9999 BLAZERS 15 WOLVES 40 PELICANS 500 KINGS 2000 CAVALIERS 200 WIZARDS 100 RAPTORS 50 76ERS 1000 BUCKS 9999 SUNS 100 PISTONS 200 MAGIC 1000 BOBCATS 1000 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAT 1-2 BULLS 40 PACERS 6-5 KNICKS 40 CELTICS 80 NETS 40 HAWKS 40 CAVALIERS 80 WIZARDS 40 RAPTORS 20 76ERS 400 BUCKS 4000 PISTONS 80 MAGIC 400 BOBCATS 400 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 WESTERN CONFERENCE THUNDER 11-4 SPURS 3 CLIPPERS 5 GRIZZLIES 25 LAKERS 400 NUGGETS 40 WARRIORS 4 ROCKETS 13-2 MAVERICKS 25 JAZZ 4000 BLAZERS 13-2 WOLVES 18 PELICANS 200 KINGS 800 SUNS...

2013-14 NBA REGULAR SEASON WINS via LVH HAWKS               40.0 CELTICS              27.5 NETS                     52.5 BOBCATS            27.5 BULLS                  56.5 CAVALIERS       40.5 MAVERICKS       44 NUGGETS            47.0 PISTONS              41.0 WARRIORS        49.5 ROCKETS            54.5 PACERS               53.5 CLIPPERS           57.0 LAKERS               33.5 GRIZZLIES         49.0 HEAT                    60.0 BUCKS                  28.5 T-WOLVES         41.0 PELICANS          40.0 KNICKS               49.5 THUNDER          50.5 MAGIC                 24.5 76ERS                  16.5 SUNS                   21.5 BLAZERS          38.5 KINGS                31.5 SPURS               55.5 RAPTORS         36.5 JAZZ                   27.5 WIZARDS         42.0     ** ALL SIDES ARE -110 **** TEAMS MUST PLAY 82 REGULAR SEASON GAMES FOR ACTION...

Tim Donaghy had a major hand in the last big point shaving scandal in American professional sports.  Jim Rome recently interviewed him on Showtime and while we should have expected fireworks given Rome’s past (see Jim Evrett), things stayed pretty calm and well tame. 206 Donaghy from 441 Productions on...

When is too soon to put up lines for future games?  According to head of marketing at Betonline the answer is officially never. I had a chance to get a brief interview with Dave Mason who heads up the marketing team for the Panama based sportsbook and he shared some candid responses. “Our players have grown accustom and appreciate the fact that we usually open our odds up before the competition. Since the NBA Christmas Day lineup always gets plenty of attention, we decided why wait? Put the numbers up early and get an early gauge on who the bettors like.” It only makes sense considering bettors expect football numbers to be up months in advance that basketball should be afforded the exact same luxury. As far as limits, well all the big shots out there might just have to wait if they’re itching to fire dimes into the virgin market.  You also guessed it, bettors seem to love them some defending champion action especially against a Lakers team who still remains unsure of Kobe’s status. “Not surprising  that 80% of the early money is on the Heat minus-5.5 at the Lakers. Right now we are keeping the limits at just $250; we’ll look on raising a little later.” Here are the prices on all 5 holiday clashes Chicago Bulls New Jersey Nets -3 Oklahoma City Thunder -2 New York Knicks Miami Heat -5.5 Los Angeles Lakers Houston Rockets San Antonio Spurs -4 Los Angeles Clippers Golden State Warriors -3      ...

After a pulsating 2013 NBA Finals series between the Heat and Spurs, in an exclusive inside look, Pinnacle Sports’ lead NBA trader takes an in-depth look back at the odds movement over the seven games and explains what may have influenced them, essential insight for any NBA bettor. Desperation a key factor in odds movement One of the key factors affecting the spread in the NBA Finals was the level of desperation of a team, rather than a perceived momentum for the team that had previously won. A key factor affecting the spread was desperation. This was strongly demonstrated before Game 4, when Miami were in a desperate situation (2-1 down, playing in San Antonio and set to stay there for Game 5). The Heat needed to win, and coupled with their small perceived skill advantage over the Spurs, were set as 1-point favourites. Had Miami been in less of a desperate position, a different handicap could have been set. The exception to this “desperation” advantage was in Game 5, where despite having evened the series, Miami were roughly the same 1-point favourite as they were going into the need-to-win Game 4. In fact, if desperation were to favour anyone, it would be the Spurs, as Game 5 was their last shot at home. Instead, having leveled the series, public confidence in Miami’s Big Three – Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade – may have returned to shape that market. Click here to read full article Todd’s Take: Understanding where an oddsmaker is coming from when he sets a number is of huge value to bettors.  Everyone quantifies factors differently from the very real impacts of home court to the more intangible factors like desperation and motivation.  This is where the best handicappers...

Special thanks to NBA guru Rob Perez for forwarding his compiled photo gallery of David Stern images posted on the net during his reign.  It’s only fitting as free agency kicked off today to pay homage to a man known for blocking trades, growing ratings, and navigating through a point shaving scandal. Words will not do this man justice, instead a photo journey through his time in the limelight was the only way to go. And then, who can forget the lasting images from draft...