NBA Thursday Night Preview – NBA Basketball Betting

After 16 games in the first two days of regular season action, NBA Basketball Odds takes it easy Thursday night for a pair of games featuring one home favorite (Portland) and one small road favorite when San Antonio tips off at Chicago.

The Spurs (-3) are already 1-0 on the season after a 113-96 home win Wednesday night against the New Orleans Hornets. NBA Basketball Odds at sportsbooks opened with the Spurs listed as high as four-point favorites but the Bulls have had support from bettors suggesting Chicago can build on a positive training camp. Chicago is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home and after a playoff appearance last season expectations are high in the Windy City.

Over/Under NBA Betting has led the total down one point from an opening total of 194, no doubt helped by a trend between these two teams that has seen five of the last six games land under the number.

In a game that tips off at 10:30 ET, a pair of 1-0 Northwest rivals will treat fans to the first of what promises to be a highly contested battle for the division title in 2010 when the Denver Nuggets travel to Portland (-7.5) to take on the Trailblazers.

Denver earned its first win of the season on 30 points from Carmelo Anthony which led the team past the Utah Jazz 114-105. The total has also stayed under in five of the past six meetings between these two teams but public money is calling for a reversal tonight as online wagering has inched the total above 200 at sportsbooks across the board.

Friday night the NBA Betting card goes back to full strength when 26 teams go into action, starting at 7 pm ET with the New York Knicks vs. the Charlotte Bobcats (-2.5) and the Milwaukee Bucks against the Philadelphia 76ers (-8).

Expect to see plenty of early line movement as bettors weigh in on the first full weekend of pro basketball betting of the season.

Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Yankees - Expert Picks

MLB wagering fanatics will get a chance to sink their teeth into all of the great action between the Philadelphia Phillies (100-71, +$908) and the New York Yankees (110-61, +$1,677). The National League champions advanced to this stage by defeating the Colorado Rockies in four games and the Los Angeles Dodgers in five. Meanwhile, Yankees betting fans got to the Fall Classic by sweeping the Minnesota Twins and dismissing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in six games.

Having an entire week off between the closing game of the NLCS and the first game of the World Series has given manager Charlie Manuel plenty of time to set up his pitching rotation the way he wants it. It should come as no surprise to anyone that LHP Cliff Lee is his choice to try to take a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven baseball gambling set.

Lee has gone 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA in this postseason, but he hasn't led the Phils to a 3-0 record by himself. His offense is averaging 7.0 runs per game in his starts in these playoffs. Keep an eye on 1B Ryan Howard, who has already knocked in 14 runs in this postseason. He is also one of four Phillies who is batting at least .300 in the playoffs.

The man given the task of holding that potent lineup down on Wednesday night will be LHP CC Sabathia. Manager Joe Girardi made the controversial decision to start LHP Andy Pettitte in Game 6 of the ALCS as opposed to giving the ball to his horse, but that risk has been rewarded, and now Sabathia will certainly be able to throw in three games if necessary in this series.

New York wagering aficionados are a perfect 3-0 with Sabathia on the hill in these playoffs. The southpaw is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA, but much like Lee, he has gotten a ton of run support. The Yanks are also giving him 7.0 runs per game. Sabathia started one game against the defending champs this season, as he allowed three earned runs in eight innings of work in New York's 4-3 loss back on May 24th.

Even though they are -200 choices to capture the World Series, the Yankees have only been lined at -165 on the MLB wagering line on Wednesday night. The baseball gambling 'total' has been set at 7.5 over -120.

More expert picks on World Series betting.

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