Sporting Events to Bet on

Although golf online betting is entering a slow stretch as the year winds down, there are plenty of other sporting events that will keep sports fans who are into online sports betting in Australia occupied. The MLB is now in the exciting post-season while the NBA is just about to begin another year. Then for cricket fans, the Ashes series is just around the corner. If you want some fighting action, there's the upcoming boxing matches that features the biggest names in the sport. Then there's soccer with some of the best leagues already playing ball. Oh, and there's the NFL that has just started their season. What more can a you ask for?

The First Day of NBA Season

There's a good and bad for the first day of the NBA season. The good is that fans can finally see their team play again after months of break. The bad is that most teams are usually sloppy during the start of the season. However, both cases add to the uncertainty and the excitement of games.

It is safe to say that the first day of an NBA regular season offers the unpredictability that makes betting even more exciting.  So if you want to join the thrill, mark October 29 on your calendar. There are three matches for that day, each featuring a contender for the next year's finals. The Indiana Pacers will play against the rebuilding Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat against the Chicago Bulls with their best player being back and the Los Angeles duel between the Clippers and Lakers.

The Rockets in 2013-14

Just because a team looks good on paper doesn’t mean they’ll perform as beautifully come season time. That is one of the greatest lessons from the Lakers last season when everyone betting on sports got excited with Steve Nash and Dwight Howard coming to LA to join Kobe.

Well, everybody knows how it all went. The team got to a slow start and some unfortunate injuries resulted to a very disappointing season. It wasn’t just simple bad. It was chaotic bad.

That is why the fact that Dwight Howard is heading to Houston haven’t made as much noise as many expected. Yes, it is acknowledged that the Rockets have the potential to be very good next summer. The only problem is that the Lakers too had the same “potential” prior to the start of last season. That is why if you want to evaluate the chances of the team winning it all next year you will also have to consider the possibility of things to go wrong.

In order for Dwight to be effective, he needs teammates who can shoot and stretch the floor for him.  There are plenty of factors that could change everything

There are the injuries to watch out for, and with a young roster, there is somewhat a chance that one of the better players on the team last season only had a fluke year.

Take for example forward Chandler Parsons.

He was great last year, contributing with his scoring and his defense. However, with only one year under his belt, it’s hard to predict if he can consistently do what he did last season. So if you bet on sports, try to hold on a bit before going all out with Houston.

The 2013-14 Lakers

Image from: www.basketwallpapers.com

Is it too soon to make a preview of the Los Angeles Lakers? You can argue your case, but with most of the big signings already done, what you see with the team’s lineup right now is what you’re getting next season. That is why the I’m convinced that the current odds and rankings from sports betting Australia for the 2014 NBA championship is going to remain the same until the start of the season.

Quite frankly, I’m not expecting much from the team for next season. Despite having added young players, the team’s core is still composed of aging players.

Obsolete core

Although I’m a fan of Kobe, Nash and Gasol, I can’t help but think that these three players are on the downside of their career.

Kobe isn’t just old. The injury that ended his season is going to limit him physically despite what many are expecting as an early recovery. The same can be said of Nash who suffered a fractured leg at the start of last season that limited him throughout and has a chronic problem with his back. I also doubt that Gasol will be able return better than what he once was.

On a side note, as someone who’s into soccer online betting, seeing Nash looking good on the field with Inter Milan kind of gives me optimism that he’ll be healthy this season.

The fact of the matter is that these three players who now serve as the backbone of the team will have to play plenty of minutes to neutralize the inexperience of the rest of the team. The more minutes, the higher the risk of them getting injured or hobbled by the end of the season.

The Lakers will have a hard time making the playoffs in a stacked western conference. And if they do, the odds are still going to be against them.

NBA Summer League’s Bests: Rookies

www.basketwallpapers.com

If your passion is to bet on sports, here’s something special from the website that takes betting on sports to a whole new level of fun and excitement: A look at the most impressive rookies from the recently concluded summer league.

Rookies, for the front office of rebuilding teams and teams trying to improve, have the opportunity to build on or turnaround the fate of an NBA franchise. A player doesn’t have to be a star-caliber talent to help a team. A key role player who fits well with what’s already been established can be just as important.

The 2013 NBA draft wasn’t nearly as deep as many fans had hoped for, in terms of star prospects. When an undersized and injured center was rumored to be the number 1 pick, it puts into perspective the lack of star-potential from the draft pool.

However, the recently completed summer league has shown that there are indeed plenty of quality players that are going to be key pieces for their teams. Here are two of the rookies that really caught my attention.

Cody Zeller

In today’s NBA, the role of centers has focused more on their ability to impact the defense of a team. Cody Zeller, Bobcat’s number 4 pick, has indeed shown his ability to do that. His quick feet allows him to contain guards during pick-and-roll switches.

Dennis Schroeder

Dennis Schroeder, Hawks number 17 pick, looks promising as a point guard. His court-awareness, passing and ability to read defenses is something you won’t normally see from a teenage guard. He can also guard opposing guards quite well. The only downside is his low shooting percentage.

Mavs Chasing Oden, Likely to Lose Again

Image from: http://www.nba.com/playerfile/greg_oden/

After missing out on Dwight Howard and having not offered a contract to Andrew Bynum, the Dallas Mavericks are now somewhat desperate to fill the hole in their center position. That is why the front office has turned their heads towards Greg Oden, the number 1 pick of the 2007 draft that has suffered to litany of setbacks brought on by problematic knees.

If you’re just a casual follower of the sport of basketball, there’s no doubt that you’ve heard f the oft-injured player. To many basketball fans in online sports betting sites, Oden was a dream that never came true. Prior to his NBA career, he was looked at as the ring bearer of all the legendary big men who played the game.

He had the length, the build and the skills on both offense and defense that during his limited appearance in his so-far short NBA career, he always made an impact on the floor. The only thing he didn’t have was a healthy knee.

After several surgeries and failed comebacks, he opted to go for an early retirement. Or so everyone else thought. Before this season, talks have been floating around that Oden is looking for another comeback and that his health was better now than it was back then. So, what can he do when he returns?

I doubt he’ll ever be healthy, but the way he plays doesn’t require him to be at 100% to be effective. If the Mavs could sign him, they’ll have a quality big man they can rely on, even if only for short stretches. The only obstacle for the Mavs right now is that there are rival teams that are also looking to sign Oden. As sports bet Australia has reported, the Spurs and the Heat also want to sign the big man. That’s the best and the second-best team of the previous season.

If you were Oden, which team would you choose?

The Chase for Dwight is Finally Over

(Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Just a few days after interviewing with suitors, Dwight Howard has decided to sign with the Houston Rockets for a 4-year contract worth $87.6 million and ultimately ending the chase for the all-star center. Last week, bookmakers and websites for betting on sports had the Rockets as having the highest odds of landing Howard.

The decision to sign with the Rockets has plenty of implications to other teams and players. The losers of the Chase such as the Mavericks, Lakers, Hawks and Warriors will now have to move on. There are still plenty of quality free agents and potential trades waiting.

If you like to bet on sports, this decision is surely going to make it more interesting in the NBA next season. Looking at the Rockets roster, the team can still make significant changes if they see it fit. They have several quality players that other teams would love to trade for. A week ago, the team has dangled Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin in trades.

Regarding Lin, I think the point guard can still be very useful for the Rockets. He plays great in pick-and-roll situations by taking advantage of his speed and his sound decision-making. Trading Asik, on the other hand, is more logical. With Howard on board, the team has no use for an expensive backup center that’s going to play so few minutes. I also don’t think that Asik will be happy being reduced to a backup role when he has already experienced the taste of starter minutes.

Houston Making the Moves

It’s no news that one of the biggest goals for the Houston Rockets this summer was to sign Dwight Howard. As sports bet Australia has pointed out several times, the rockets are doing everything possible to lure in the all-star center from LA into the Texas state. Being a player that has the ability to positively impact any franchise he’s playing for, countless online sportsbetting sites have been keeping track of Howard’s offseason options.

LA’s money

If there’s one big factor that might persuade Howard to stay in LA, it’s the money. The Lakers can offer him one more year of contract and the opportunity to earn millions from product endorsements. However, if Howard’s inclination is towards winning while still making a comparable amount of money, there’s really only one team that can offer that to him right now.

Houston’s promise

The Rockets has a core of talented young players with lots of potential and offers a longer window for winning. The team certainly has what it takes to compete and having Howard on board is likely to make them contenders for the next season. Thus, they are making all the moves to give them a better chance of signing Howard.

The great thing about playing for the Rockets is that Howard isn’t really going to miss out much when it comes to earning dollars. The taxation system in Texas will help him recuperate some of the money he will miss out on not signing with LA. Another thing is that even though Houston doesn’t have the marketing prospects that LA has to offer, it has a nifty connection to China and some other parts of Asia which presents a whole new world of opportunities.

Image courtesy of: http://mundialcallejero.org/tag/houston-rockets