http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/OddsShark/home Recent OddsShark Posts en-us One top seed for these NHL playoffs is one win away from advancing to its conference finals; the other top seed is one loss away from elimination.  One seven seed is one victory away from winning a second-straight series, while the other seven seed needs a victory to stay alive. And the defending champs, who were given at best a slim of repeating, are one win away from advancing to the conference finals. All of which should make for an interesting weekend of NHL Stanley Cup playoff betting for all the puckheads out there. This weekend's icy action begins Friday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins, the top seed in the East and up three games to one, look to put the Ottawa Senators out of their misery when the teams meet for Game 5 at the CEC (7:30 pm ET). Pittsburgh won the first two games of this series at home, lost Game 3 in Ottawa, then scored four times in the first half of the third period Wednesday night to win 7-3. If the Senators can push this series to a Game 6 it will be played Sunday in O Fri, 24 May 2013 13:35:15 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/nhl_playoffs_weekend_betting_preview/13687670 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/nhl_playoffs_weekend_betting_preview/13687670 NHL Playoffs Weekend Betting Preview http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/nhl_playoffs_weekend_betting_preview/13687670 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Orb drew the post position that has seen only one winner since 1960 and Preakness Stakes oddsmakers didn’t flinch. Orb remained the huge 1-1 favorite to follow up his Kentucky Derby victory with another win, despite getting the rail position for Saturday’s race. Only Tabasco Cat in 1994 has won from that position since Bally Ache did it way back in 1960. You know, before John F. Kennedy became president. The second betting choice in Preakness Stakes betting at Bovada for 2013 is Mylute, who ran fourth in the Kentucky Derby. He is 5-1, while Departing – winner of four of his five career starts – was the third betting choice at 6-1. With just a nine-horse field, drawing the inside position may be less of an in issue. And Orb seems to be the class of the field with plenty of horse wagering action on the Shug McGaughey trainee.  “The No. 1 post in the Kentucky Derby is more of a problem than the Preakness, despite what the statistics say,” said Michael Dempsey of TurfnSport.com “And don’t f Thu, 16 May 2013 12:12:17 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/preakness_stakes_betting_lines_no_change_after_post_draw/13630790 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/preakness_stakes_betting_lines_no_change_after_post_draw/13630790 Preakness Stakes Betting Lines: No Change After Post Draw http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/preakness_stakes_betting_lines_no_change_after_post_draw/13630790 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Kansas City Royals made some upgrades over the off-season and so far things are working out; KC sits just a half-game out of first place in the AL Central. This weekend the Royals get a chance to prove themselves worthy of at least mention when it comes to contender status when they host the AL East-leading New York Yankees for three games at Kauffman Stadium, starting Friday night. KC just dropped two of three games in Baltimore, but before that the Royals hadn't lost a series since losing two of three to Toronto nearly a month ago. So in its quest for its first winning season in a decade KC is off to an 18-13 start and this is reflected in the MLB betting odds for their weekend action. That start has also helped Royals backers pocket a profit of $580 so far this season, based on those theoretical $100 wagers on each game. New York, meanwhile, has coped well without the likes of Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson to win 20 of its first 33 games. So the Yanks enter the weekend Mon, 13 May 2013 09:41:21 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/royals_surprise_contenders_baseball_odds_preview/13605137 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/royals_surprise_contenders_baseball_odds_preview/13605137 Royals surprise contenders: Baseball odds preview http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/royals_surprise_contenders_baseball_odds_preview/13605137 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png How much wood would a Wood Memorial winner win if a Wood winner would win the Kentucky Derby? That’s a silly twist on the woodchuck tongue twister, but it begs the question since Derby favorite Verrazano’s last win was the Wood Memorial on April 6: why do winners of that historic race never seem to perform well a few weeks later when they run for the roses at Churchill Downs? And what is the recent hex that has seen three of the past four Wood Memorial winners sustain injuries and unable to fulfill their duty as leading Kentucky Derby contenders? Since 2004, the Wood has been a springboard for 19 Kentucky Derby starters. But none of them finished any better than a fourth in those nine races. “Maybe it is a curse or just really bad luck,” said veteran handicapper Michael Dempsey of TurfnSport.com, who has covered the New York circuit for three decades. The last time a Wood Memorial winner turned out to be a successful bet on the Kentucky Derby, it was Fusaichi Pegasus back in 2000. Verrazano, the Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:37:45 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/kentucky_derby_contenders_odds_say_verrazano_will_end_wood_memorial_curse/13488646 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/kentucky_derby_contenders_odds_say_verrazano_will_end_wood_memorial_curse/13488646 Kentucky Derby Contenders: Odds say Verrazano will end Wood Memorial curse http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/kentucky_derby_contenders_odds_say_verrazano_will_end_wood_memorial_curse/13488646 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Pirates go for a sweep of the Diamondbacks Wednesday, the Rangers shoot for a sweep of the Rays and the Giants go for the sweep of the Rockies, while the Reds and Cardinals, Phillies and Mets, and Brewers and Cubs play rubber matches. Here's a quick look at some of what's happening in baseball over the next couple of days, with some MLB betting odds for contemplation. Texas (6-2) has taken the first two games of its series with Tampa (3-5) in Arlington by scores of 5-4 and 6-1. For Wednesday's game (2 pm ET) the Rangers with lefty Derek Holland were early -125 favorites over the Rays with lefty Matt Moore. Defending World Series champion San Francisco has won the first two games of its series at home with Colorado by scores of 4-2 and 9-6. So the Giants have now beaten the Rockies 24 of the last 30 times the teams have met. For Wednesday's series finale San Fran (5-3) with lefty Barry Zito was an early -135 favorite over the Rocks (5-3) with lefty Jeff Francis.  Philly lost to New Yo Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:00:39 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/baseball_odds_watchers_busy_with_texas_vs_tampa_series/13401838 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/baseball_odds_watchers_busy_with_texas_vs_tampa_series/13401838 Baseball odds watchers busy with Texas vs Tampa series http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/baseball_odds_watchers_busy_with_texas_vs_tampa_series/13401838 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The first weekend of the baseball season offers up some cherce betting opportunities, with several good series match-ups to choose from. Among them, the Tigers and Yankees meet in an AL championship series re-match; the Cardinals and Giants meet in an NLCS re-match; the Angels and Rangers begin their season rivalry; and the Nationals hit Cincy to take on the Reds. What are the MLB odds looking like for those wanting to learn how to bet on baseball? Check out the details below. The banged-up Yanks, who just escaped getting swept by the Red Sox, will shoot for better results against the Tigers, who swept New York out of the ALCS last Fall. Detroit opened this season by losing two of three games in Minnesota, scoring eight runs total in the process. The Yanks will throw Ivan Nova for Friday's series opener in Detroit, David Phelps Saturday and CC Sabathia Sunday, while the Tigers will go with Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. As of Friday AM Detroit was listed at -290 to win this series at Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:39:22 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/mlb_weekend_betting_preview_odds_and_predictions/13344079 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/mlb_weekend_betting_preview_odds_and_predictions/13344079 MLB Weekend Betting Preview, Odds and Predictions http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/mlb_weekend_betting_preview_odds_and_predictions/13344079 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Louisville continues to win and continues to cover point spreads and their winning ways have made them a popular choice among March Madness prop bets in 2013. The Cardinals, a No. 1 bracket seed, are 3/1 odds to win the tournament, according to the NCAA basketball tournament props listed by Bodog. They are favored to win the Midwest Regional and Russ Smith is the 5/1 choice to be named the Most Outstanding Player according to player props. Check out the full list of Madness props, courtesy of Bodog.eu. Odds to win the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship  Louisville #1                   3/1 Florida #3                      19/4 Indiana #1                     5/1 Miami Florida #2            15/2 Ohio State #2                15/2 Michigan #4                   11/1 Duke #2                        12/1 Kansas #1                     12/1 Michigan Stat Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:19:24 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/louisville_dominates_march_madness_sweet_16_player_prop_betting/13245670 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/louisville_dominates_march_madness_sweet_16_player_prop_betting/13245670 Louisville Dominates March Madness Sweet 16 Player Prop Betting http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/louisville_dominates_march_madness_sweet_16_player_prop_betting/13245670 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Every year, a new batch of teams appear in the March Madness bracket and in the college basketball betting odds menus. And every year, some of the same teams following the same trends – to the Final Four or to the upset scrap heap in the first round. Check out some of the March Madness betting trends courtesy of the Bovada Sports Betting blog. Florida 9-3 ATS past 12 tournament games Davidson 6-2 ATS past 8 Madness games Gonzaga OVER is 8-2 past 10 tournament games Indiana 6-1 ATS past 7 first-round games Louisville 4-0-1 ATS last year in Madness Marquette 3-6 ATS past 9 first-round games Marquette UNDER is 5-1 past 6 March Madness games Memphis OVER is 10-2 past 12 tournament games Memphis 1-4 ATS past 5 first-round games Missouri OVER is 12-2-1 past 15 tournament games Missouri 1-4 ATS past 5 tournament games Notre Dame 1-7 ATS past 8 tournament games Notre Dame UNDER is 8-1-1 past 10 tournament games Ohio State 13-5 SU in tournament since 2007 UNLV 0-4 SU & ATS in tournament since 20 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:09:04 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/march_madness_bracket_betting_trends/13190194 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/march_madness_bracket_betting_trends/13190194 March Madness Bracket Betting Trends http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/march_madness_bracket_betting_trends/13190194 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Verrazano won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby March 9 to solidify his early standing as favorite for the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs. The colt was 6-1 in Kentucky Derby future odds released by Bovada this week. He is 3-0 in his career and is slated to make one additional start before he ships to Louisville. Trainer Todd Pletcher said this week his  final Derby prep will be the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. [ US Racebook offering new rates and new customer specials ] A few other early Derby hopefuls will likely challenge Verrazano at the Big A, including Vyjack and Normandy Invasion both currently at 16-1 and Overanalyze at 40-1. Who is No. 2 behind Verrazano? Itsmyluckyday is the second choice in Derby future wagering odds. He is 10-1 and unbeaten in two starts in 2013, including the Gulfstream Park Derby and the Grade 3 Holy Bull on Jan. 26. He is pointed to Florida Derby on March 30, where 2012 juvy champ Shanghai Bobby (16-1) and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth winner O Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:27:32 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/kentucky_derby_odds_verrazano_early_betting_favorite/13142371 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/kentucky_derby_odds_verrazano_early_betting_favorite/13142371 Kentucky Derby Odds: Verrazano Early Betting Favorite http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/kentucky_derby_odds_verrazano_early_betting_favorite/13142371 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The last of the conference tournaments begin Thursday as the ACC, Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Big Ten and Big West all get in on the action with opening-round play. Meanwhile, multiple other tournaments roll on into their quarterfinal and semifinal rounds as the push to a final bracket and an onslaught of March Madness betting odds continues. Here's a quick look at what's happening today in college hoops, with early NCAA basketball point spreads to ponder. At the Big Ten tournament in Chicago, in a battle of bubble teams Minnesota was favored early by two points over Illinois; Michigan was favored by 14 points over Penn State; Purdue was favored by six points over Nebraska; and Iowa was favored by 10 points over Northwestern.    At the ACC tournament in Greensboro Georgia Tech was favored by two points over Boston College; North Carolina State was favored by 11 points over Virginia Tech; Maryland, which probably has to win the conference tournament to make the NCAA tournament, was favored by five poi Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:44:33 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/march_madness_betting_looms_ncaa_conference_odds_continue_this_week/13141216 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/march_madness_betting_looms_ncaa_conference_odds_continue_this_week/13141216 March Madness betting looms; NCAA conference odds continue this week http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/march_madness_betting_looms_ncaa_conference_odds_continue_this_week/13141216 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Atlantic 10 and Conference USA join in on the conference tournament madness, with CUSA starting Wednesday in Tulsa and the A-10 commencing Thursday on a big stage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It ramps the search for college basketball betting odds into even higher gear after numerous titles were decided in recent days and just ahead of the Big Ten and other major conferences launching their post-season playoffs. The Memphis Tigers went a perfect 16-0 in CUSA play during the regular season, and are understandably heavy favorites to win the conference tournament. But in the A-10, while the Saint Louis Billikens and VCU Rams top the betting, a half-dozen other teams seem capable of making a run. The CUSA tournament begins Wednesday with three first round games matching Marshall and Tulane, UAB and SMU, and Houston and Rice. Thursday fourth-seeded East Carolina takes on fifth-seeded Tulsa, while top-seeded Memphis, second-seeded Southern Miss and third-seeded UTEP entertain Wednesday’s winners. Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:33:31 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/college_basketball_betting_odds_focus_on_tournament_championships/13128742 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/college_basketball_betting_odds_focus_on_tournament_championships/13128742 College basketball betting odds focus on tournament championships http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/college_basketball_betting_odds_focus_on_tournament_championships/13128742 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png If anyone thinks the Baltimore Ravens feel slighted by being underdogs on the Super Bowl odds menu, think again. Baltimore just won outright on the road as a 9-point underdog at Denver and then as an 8-point underdog at New England. Getting 4.5 points (bet down to 4 points early in the week according to the NFL odds menu at Bovada) just makes it easier. Top online sportsbooks and most of the Las Vegas shops opened San Francisco as 4.5-point chalk for Super Bowl XLVII. The total was sitting around 47 at most shops early in the week. The fact Super Bowl underdogs are 8-3 ATS in the past 11 Super Bowls just gives more ammunition to Ravens backers, who feel the team can send Ray Lewis into retirement as a champion. San Francisco got here with a dramatic rally from 24-7 down at Atlanta. Rookie QB Colin Kaepernick led the rally as the 49ers covered the closing spread of -3.5 (but failed to beat the opening number of -4.5). The final was 28-24. Baltimore stifled Tom Brady in the second half en route to a 28-13 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:53:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/super_bowl_betting_odds_favor_49ers_over_ravens/12717811 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/super_bowl_betting_odds_favor_49ers_over_ravens/12717811 Super Bowl Betting: Odds favor 49ers over Ravens http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/super_bowl_betting_odds_favor_49ers_over_ravens/12717811 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Special to OddsShark.com courtesy of Breeders Cup Odds Drosselmeyer proved in 2011 that longshots can hit on horse racing's biggest stage. The horse he beat in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic - Game On Dude - is the morning line favorite this time, but there is plenty of longshot value on Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup card at Santa Anita. Among the nine championship races, headlined by the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, are . The Classic featured the biggest upset in Breeders’ Cup history when the European invader Arcangues paid a hefty $269.20 for a $2 win bet, despite being saddled by legendary trainer Andre Fabre and piloted by Jerry Bailey. Last year’s Classic was won by Drosselmeyer, who returned $31.60 despite his Hall of Fame connections, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Mike Smith. Game On Dude, ran second at 14-1 last year, with 17-1 longshot Ruler On Ice checking in third. The $2 exacta paid $444.80 and the $2 trifecta returned $5,427.40. There are sure to be more big price Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:52:24 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/breeders_cup_betting_saturday_longshots/12108223 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/breeders_cup_betting_saturday_longshots/12108223 Breeders’ Cup Betting: Saturday Longshots http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/oddsshark/article/breeders_cup_betting_saturday_longshots/12108223 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png