Sports betting guide

The 2012-13 Golden State Warriors made things interesting and exciting in the Western Conference Semifinals, but when all was said and done the San Antonio Spurs were the bigger, better and more patient team. There’s no shame in losing to the Spurs, who never seem to panic and are capable of adapting to several different styles of play. There’s a reason why Gregg Popovich has four titles and a pair of Coach of the Year awards. So, the Warriors are

There are a few reasons why the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated from the playoffs last night. Great defense from the Heat and Grizzlies, spotty bench play, a lack of low post production, and LeBron James being at the forefront. However, the absence of All-Star point guards Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook was the most critical, especially in the case of the Thunder.

Many opponents of the 2012-13 Indiana Pacers have slunk away battered and bruised in defeat. The New York Knicks are finding that out the hard way in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. Last night’s 93-82 loss has left the Knicks on the brink of elimination, due in large part to the Pacers muscle inside. Through four games, Indiana has a +42 advantage on the glass.

While none of the four NBA Playoff series has a clear-cut favorite to march on, this past weekend proved that a couple of teams are beginning to separate from their opponents. As expected, the Heat rebounded from a sluggish Game 1 to seize control against the Bulls. Out West, the Grizzlies did the same versus the Thunder by utilizing an ugly brand of basketball to win their second straight. Here’s how the action went down and what it means going

Bowing to the Knicks in six games during the opening round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Boston Celtics displayed the heart and grit that has been evident since winning the NBA Championship in 2008. They could’ve rolled over and been swept after falling behind 0-2, but they didn’t. Instead, veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, with help from Jeff Green and Jason Terry, went down swinging. It was an impressive effort but ultimately not enough, which begs the question:

Watching the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Warriors and Spurs, it’s abundantly clear that the former is the better team. So far. If not for a defensive breakdown and Manu Ginobili’s overtime heroics in Game 1, San Antonio would be heading to Oakland down 0-2. There’s a lot of basketball left to play in this series, but the Warriors can’t be taken lightly anymore.

In the thick of the 2013 NBA postseason, there are plenty of stories making headlines both on and off the court. Injury updates, coaching rumors, and draft news are just some of the reports circulating across the interwebs. To help navigate this evergrowing mountain of bites and blurbs, here are the ones that matter most.

And then there were eight. The second round of the NBA playoffs tipped off yesterday when the Thunder and Pacers opened up their Conference Semifinals with wins. Friday night ended up being not so dramatic as all four series concluded in six games. On Saturday, the Derrick Rose-less Bulls finally disposed of the pesky Nets, who promptly announced interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo won’t be back. Here’s how the action went down and what it means going forward.

Five opening round NBA playoff series are still in progress and each of them is up for grabs. Both the Knicks and Thunder are looking to avoid collapse after racing out to 3-0 series leads, while the Bulls are staring at a win-or-go-home Game 7 after holding a 3-1 advantage over the Nets. Meanwhile, the Pacers-Hawks and Grizzlies-Clippers have been trading blows since the beginning. How will each series play out? Let’s take a look.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about horse racing–or more specifically the betting component of the sport–is its complexity. To be successful a handicapper has to deal with countless interlocking variables and other ‘moving parts’. Pedigree, past performance, class of opposition, workouts, jockeys and weather are just a few of these. Once a handicapper understands how each individual horse will perform on a specific track he has to figure out how these horses will compete against each other–to do that the