It is strange to think that we are at the quarter pole of the 2012 NBA schedule, but most teams are through right around 16 of their games. Here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to try to capitalize on some of the up to date 2012 NBA championship odds by picking out some of the teams with the best value.

We still think that this is the world belonging to the Miami Heat (Current 2012 NBA Finals Odds: 1.75 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) and that the rest of the world is just playing in it. Dwyane Wade has been out of the lineup at times, and the combo of LeBron James and Chris Bosh has still been able to carry the load against some of the best teams in the league. Come playoff time, there will be a whole new set of pressures placed on men like rookie Norris Cole, but considering the fact that he was able to come right in and produce, we are optimistic that the team is really in a lot better shape now than it was a year ago, assuming that the Big Three are ready for the playoff push and fully healthy in the summer.

If there is a team that is knocking off the Heat in the East, it is the team that they beat soundly in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the Chicago Bulls (Odds To Win the NBA Finals: 5.65 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). The Bulls have already played 10 road games this year, and they have already survived one major West Coast swing. They are undefeated at home, and they clearly play in one of the inferior divisions in the NBA, and unless the Indiana Pacers do really prove to be that legitimate of a contender, there is no way that this team won’t be at least the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Derrick Rose and the gang have another year of playoff experience though, and that might make all the difference in the world and give the boys from the Windy City the edge needed to win the whole enchilada.

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Out West, we think that the Oklahoma City Thunder (2012 NBA Championship Odds: 6 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) are the very deserving favorites in the conference. They inked Russell Westbrook to a long term deal this week, guaranteeing to keep he and Kevin Durant together for quite some time. The Thunder have looked great both at home and on the road this year, and though they do play in one of the tougher divisions in the league, they are clearly the best team in the bunch. As long as Durant and Westbrook stay healthy, this is team that is a true force to be reckoned with.

We’re still not ruling out the consummate underdogs in the West though, the Los Angeles Clippers (2012 NBA Finals Odds: 18 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). There is no doubt that this is the best team in the city of LA this year (in spite of the fact that, for some unknown reason, the Lakers still have the shorter odds to win it all). Dwight Howard has put Lob City on his list of potential trade destinations, and if he ends up combining forces with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and Chauncey Billups, look the heck out! This all of a sudden could go from a team that has been the laughing stock of the league to one that wins the whole enchilada in a hurry.

List Of Past NBA Finals Champions
2011 NBA Champions: Dallas Mavericks
2010 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2009 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2008 NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
2007 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2006 NBA Champions: Miami Heat
2005 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2004 NBA Champions: Detroit Pistons
2003 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2002 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2001 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2000 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers

We aren’t that sure that it is going to last, but we think that it is worth taking a flyer on the Philadelphia 76ers (Odds To Win The 2012 NBA Finals: 70 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) right now. The Sixers are leading the Atlantic Division by four games, and neither the New York Knicks nor the Boston Celtics really feel like they are going to be challenging for the league title this year. Philadelphia ranks No. 3 in the league in total offense and No. 2 in total defense, and for as long as that keeps up, this is a team that is going to contend. Challenging in the playoffs might be a different story when it is all said and done, especially with the Bulls and the Heat in this conference, but if the 76ers do end up as the No. 3 seed in the East as they would be right now, they would certainly be worth the bet at these odds.

Up To Date 2012 NBA Finals Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 1/20/12):
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Miami Heat 1.75 to 1
Chicago Bulls 5.65 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder 6 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers 8 to 1
Dallas Mavericks 16 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers 18 to 1
Boston Celtics 26 to 1
New York Knicks 26 to 1
Portland Trail Blazers 26 to 1
San Antonio Spurs 26 to 1
Orlando Magic 33 to 1
Memphis Grizzlies 40 to 1
Atlanta Hawks 44 to 1
Denver Nuggets 50 to 1
Indiana Pacers 66 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers 70 to 1
Houston Rockets 125 to 1
New Jersey Nets 150 to 1
Utah Jazz 150 to 1
Golden State Warriors 200 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks 200 to 1
Phoenix Suns 200 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 250 to 1
New Orleans Hornets 250 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers 300 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats 500 to 1
Detroit Pistons 500 to 1
Sacramento Kings 500 to 1
Toronto Raptors 500 to 1
Washington Wizards 500 to 1

2011-12 Odds To Win The NBA Finals @ BetRevolution Sportsbook (as of 1/20/12):
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Miami Heat 1.25 to 1
Chicago Bulls 4.25 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder 4.55 to 1
Dallas Mavericks 15 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers 9 to 1
Portland Trail Blazers 25 to 1
New York Knicks 16 to 1
Orlando Magic 25 to 1
San Antonio Spurs 25 to 1
Atlanta Hawks 35 to 1
Memphis Grizzlies 60 to 1
Boston Celtics 25 to 1
Phoenix Suns 125 to 1
Houston Rockets 105 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers 14 to 1
Denver Nuggets 45 to 1
Golden State Warriors 150 to 1
Utah Jazz 60 to 1
Indiana Pacers 48 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats 250 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers 24 to 1
New Orleans Hornets 150 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks 125 to 1
New Jersey Nets 125 to 1
Detroit Pistons 250 to 1
Washington Wizards 350 to 1
Sacramento Kings 150 to 1
Toronto Raptors 250 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 250 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers 250 to 1

At the outset of the season, pretty much all of the expert NBA handicappers out there thought that the Miami Heat would be the representatives in the Eastern Conference Finals playing host to the first two games of the series. Of course, everyone thought that the Boston Celtics would be the team that they were playing. The Chicago Bulls crashed the party though, and they are the team hosting the first two duels in this series. Check out our NBA playoff picks for this very, very highly anticipated series.

NBA Series Prices
Chicago +170 vs. Miami -190 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Chicago +160 vs. Miami -185 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Chicago +160 vs. Miami -200 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The Heat had a heck of a time trying to beat any of the best teams in the league on a consistent basis this year, and Chicago was definitely no exception. In fact, the Bulls swept the season series with three straight wins, and they went 2-0-1 ATS to show for their work as well. Yet the oddsmakers are favoring the Heat in this series in spite of the fact that both of these teams have clearly hit their stride.

Miami reached this point in the playoffs by taking care of the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, both of which happened in five games. Chicago didn’t have to work all that hard either. Sure, the Bulls know that they struggled a bit more with the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks than perhaps they should of, but when push came to shove, winning out in five games and six games respectively, especially since the last two came in awesome fashion against the Hawks, was nothing to forget about.

The Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning record. They’re also 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games. However, there is definitely a problem going against teams from the Central Division. Miami is only 0-5 ATS in its last five against the Central Division. To make matters worse, it is 0-5 ATS in its last six playoff games as an underdog.

The Bulls, on the contrary, have absolutely nothing to worry about. They dominated this year at home, going 36-5, and they are now 5-1 in the playoffs here at the United Center in the postseason. Chicago is 36-16-2 ATS in its last 54 games against teams with a winning record SU. It is also 12-2-2 ATS in its last 16 home games against teams with a winning road record.

Underdogs are 3-0-1 ATS in the last four games in this series. The home team though, is 5-2-1 ATS, while the Heat are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last five trips to the Windy City.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: Home Court Advantage – The Bulls were never supposed to be able to snare home court advantage in the playoffs, but they did just that by playing well down the stretch and snaring the top overall seed, not just in the Eastern Conference, but in the entire league as well. We’ve already mentioned this great record for Chicago in its own backyard, but the Heat have yet to lose a game at American Airlines Arena as well in the playoffs. Things are amped up another notch in the playoffs, especially in a series like this, and the crowd can really be that sixth man on the court quite a bit. Chicago just cannot lose one of these first two games in this series, or the Heat are most likely going to end up winning this series in six games.

Key 2: The Role Players – Head Coach Tom Thibodeau knows that Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, and Luol Deng aren’t going to be able to do all of this by themselves. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen also had men like Steve Kerr and Dennis Rodman in the Bulls’ great runs in the 90s. Kerr was the man with ice running through his veins, and the truth of the matter is that Kyle Korver could be the same type of player. We know that the Heat have three superstars in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but these three cannot win games by themselves. Whether it is James Jones, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, or any of the other role players that this team has, someone else is going to need to step up to be able to run with the Bulls.

Key 3: Series Fit For a King, or an MVP? – LeBron James has had a heck of a career, but the truth of the matter is that he has never won the big one. The Cleveland Cavaliers were never in a position where they were supposed to win the NBA Finals, but this time around, James and his new team in Miami are favored to win it all on the NBA Finals odds. Derrick Rose has stood in the face of every situation that he was never supposed to get through, and he has really played well in all of them. We know that both of these men are going to be taking 20+ shots per game. Though neither one is going to be able to win this series on their own, they can both lose it on their own. Rose and James are going to be the spotlight players in this series, and the NBA is going to know which one of its stars is really going to bring it into the next generation.

The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat both have aspirations of beating the NBA Finals odds this year to claim glory. These two titans will run into each other like two runaway trains going in opposite directions starting on Sunday, and only one will be able to survive.

NBA Series Prices
Miami -195 vs. Boston +165 @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook
Miami -200 vs. Boston +170 @ SportBet Sportsbook
Miami -190 vs. Boston +155 @ BetUS Sportsbook

Series Trends and History
The Celtics did a nice job in this series this year in the regular season. They won 88-80 in a great game in October and came back to South Beach to score a 112-107 ‘W’. February’s meeting also went Boston’s way in 85-82 form at TD Garden. The difference making win went to Miami, though. In one of the last games of the regular season, the Heat scored a 100-77 victory. Because of that, they finished in front of the C’s in the standings and earned home court advantage in this series.

The Celtics are still 9-3 ATS over the course of the last 12 meetings in South Beach, and they had covered four in a row and seven out of eight before that romp here at American Airlines Arena. The favorite is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 clashes of these titans.

Keys to the Series
Key 1: The Battle in the Paint – There really isn’t anything more important in this series. The Celtics know that they have a huge deficiency without Kendrick Perkins. They might get Shaquille O’Neal back in the fold at some point during this series, but we don’t know whether it’s going to make much of a difference. If Joel Anthony and Zydrunas Ilgauskas can figure out how to give just a few contributions, that should be good enough for the Heat to dominate.

Key 2: LeBron’s Passion – LeBron James is going to be the best player on the court in this series, but that doesn’t mean that he is going to be putting up the best numbers. James was knocked out of the playoffs by these Celtics last year, and he really needs to be at his best to avenge that defeat from last year. Boston figured out how to bottle LeBron up last year, and if it does so again, the Heat are in a ton of trouble.

Key 3: Overcoming the Past – We’ve already mentioned just how badly the Heat played against Boston this year, but this wasn’t the only rock solid team that they didn’t do so great against on the campaign. Miami was knocked off twice by the Dallas Mavericks and all three times by the Chicago Bulls. This has been a huge problem for the Heat, and if they can’t get over their problems against the best of the best, they’ll never be able to beat the NBA Finals odds.

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It’s playoff time once again for the men of the hardwood and on the ice! Here at Bankroll Sports, we’re still taking our best shots at the teams, players, and situations that really cost us sports bettors in a big way in the week that was.

Rap Sheet Picture of the Week
Montreal Canadiens G Jaroslav Halak, who blew a three goal lead and gave up this game-winner 31 seconds into overtime.

All of the home teams in the NHL playoffs should be ashamed of themselves. Not a single one of the are hitting the road up two games this week. However, the team we really need to take a stab at right off the bat is the Montreal Canadiens. The rest of the NHL hates you right now, Montreal. After all, the Habs were up 1-0 in the series after stealing Game 1 at the Verizon Center, and they held a 4-1 lead following LW Andrei Kostitsyn’s third goal of the game with just over two minutes to play in the second period. G Jose Theodore had already been ran out of the game and replaced by G Semyon Varlamov, and the Habs looked primed to take a 2-0 lead back to the Great White North. Not so fast, my friends. They were outscored 4-1 during the next 20 minutes of hockey, and then just 31 ticks into the overtime, C Nicklas Backstrom connected for the game-winner, his third goal of the game. Enjoy being bounced from this series in five games, Montreal. You had your chance to slay the giants in the playoffs, and now you’re going to pay the ultimate price for not succeeding.

Give it up for Jason Marquis, ladies and gentlemen! The right-hander has been an absolutely abortion of a signing for the Nationals on the outset of this season, as he has given up at least six earned runs in each of his starts and is 0-3 to show for it. On Sunday though, he had one of the more embarrassing starts that any pitcher has seen in this ’10 MLB betting campaign. Marquis gave up a single to Rickie Weeks, a single to Craig Counsell, a single to Ryan Braun, plunked Prince Fielder, walked Casey McGehee, plunked Jim Edmonds, and gave up a single to Gregg Zaun, and was promptly removed without recording an out. Seven batters faced. Seven batters scored. Solid job, Marquis. Your numbers for the year now? 8.1 innings pitched, 18 hits, 20 runs (19 earned), 2 HRs, 7 walks, 3 plunks, 3 strikeouts, a WHIP of 2.88, a batting average against of .419, and an ERA of 20.52. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Hey, Kevin Garnett, you haven’t cost us any money yet, but we totally see this one coming. For whatever reason, you decided to elbow G Quentin Richardson in the face with 40 seconds to play in a game in which your Celtics stormed back from a 61-47 deficit halfway through the third quarter to win by nine. Now, the NBA’s sheriff, Commissioner David Stern, is inevitably going to suspend you for Game 2 of this series (if not longer). Isn’t your team already woeful enough at home with you in the lineup that you can’t afford to take yourself out of a playoff game for no good reason? C’mon KG, you’re better than this.

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Remember a few years ago when the Boston Celtics were considered the “feel good champs” in the NBA? After all, F Kevin Garnett finally got his ring after all of those years mired in one of basketball’s many purgatories with the Minnesota Timberwolves, F Paul Pierce was finally recognized as one of the true warriors in the game, G Ray Allen was now an East Coast hero after being a Seattle send off that almost always flew under the radar, and other role players like G Rajon Rondo and F Glen Davis were just generally loved.

Now, the C’s are nothing more than the bad boys of the NBA that we can’t wait to see get knocked out of the playoffs.

One thing is for certain, and that’s that this team is becoming a lot like the Detroit Pistons both of the Chuck Daly era and the Larry Brown era. This Boston squad isn’t afraid to bloody you up a bit and smack you right in the mouth to get their point across.

Unfortunately, KG took that mantra a wee bit too seriously on Saturday night.

The term “flipping the switch” was heard in the Boston locker room for the entire second half of the season. The Celtics went 27-27 in their final 54 games of the year, which is hardly acceptable for a team that was the most feared in the NBA over the L/2 seasons. After falling behind 14 points halfway through the third quarter in their Game 1 of the NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat, the proverbial switch was flipped.

Boston was fantastic over the next 19 minutes of play, outscoring the Heat by a whopping 23 points in that stretch to win the game going away. The switch has been flipped.

However, that same switch might’ve been flipped for Miami as well, and it had nothing to do with the basketball going into the net.

Garnett threw an elbow at G Quentin Richardson with 40 seconds to play in the game that earned him a pair of technical fouls and an immediate ejection. Commissioner David Stern is likely to suspend Garnett for at least Game 2 on Tuesday night, if not Game 3 in Miami on Friday as well.

Richardson responded after the game by referring to both Garnett and Pierce as “actresses.”

One thing is for certain though, and that’s that Miami is going to be ready to go regardless of whether KG is a part of the action in Game 2 or not. The Heat were nearly 3-1 underdogs to win this series at the outset of it. All action is off the board at all of the sportsbooks due to the potentially pending suspension.

Regardless of what the odds say about this series, you can bet that Miami has already taken Boston’s best shot and will be ready to take aim at the second round of the playoffs.

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Even though the 2010 NBA trade deadline wasn’t as active as some might’ve thought, there is still plenty of room for discussion. Here at Bankroll Sports, we’re issuing our grades for how teams did under the pressure of Thursday’s deadline.

New York Knicks: A+: There weren’t any teams that did a better job at the deadline than the Knicks. New York knew that it wasn’t competing for a championship this year, but it did successfully dump the salaries of Jordan Hill, Jordan Jeffries, Larry Hughes, Nate Robinson, and Darko Milicic in exchange for a couple first rounders and having to deal with Tracy McGrady’s garbage for the next couple months. Add G Sergio Rodriguez to the mix from Sacramento, and New York knows that these prudent deals can set it up nicely for a run at both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the offseason.

Houston Rockets: A: The Rockets really answered the trade by the Mavericks by adding a host of talent from the Knicks and Kings in that three-way deal. Plus, they’re rid of Tracy McGrady now as well and will pick up a couple of picks from New York in the future. The biggest question for HC Rick Adelman is whether he’ll be able to find roles for all of his new starts.

Dallas Mavericks: B+: Any time you can pick up an All-Star, you tend to pull out the stops, but did the Mavs give up a little too much by dealing Josh Howard and Drew Gooden to DC? Caron Butler had better push Dallas into the playoffs an give F Dirk Nowitzki a good counterpart, or Mark Cuban may be regretting this move. All in all though, the Mavericks are probably a better team now than they were before the All-Star Break.

Cleveland Cavaliers: B: The question here isn’t whether GM Danny Ferry would’ve preferred Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire coming to town or not. The question is whether LeBron James would’ve rather have Stoudemire over Antawn Jamison. Still, as we suggested in our article a couple days ago, Cleveland needed to do something to make sure that The King stayed happy, and this move only made things a heck of a lot harder for the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference. If the Cavs don’t win the East now, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Utah Jazz: B-: The Jazz get a decent grade for not making a move that they might’ve regretted. Utah is probably going to make the playoffs, and had it dealt Carlos Boozer, that might not have ultimately been the case.

Miami Heat: C: Kudos to the Heat for not giving up too much to get either Amare Stoudemire, Antawn Jamison, or Carlos Boozer. Miami just needs to convince Dwyane Wade that it is really in it to win him another championship, and it might take a big free agent signing to do just that.

Sacramento Kings: D: Who knows what the Kings were thinking by trading away Kevin Martin and Sergio Rodriguez. There wasn’t a heck of a lot that came back Sacramento’s way. It’s pretty clear that the Kings came out as the butt of that three-team deal with the Rockets and Knicks.

Washington Wizards: D-: If you’re a Washington fan, what reasons do you have to show up to the games anymore? No more Gilbert Arenas, no more Antawn Jamison, and no more Caron Butler. The only good news is that this team couldn’t get much worse than it already was, so it may as well try to start over again.

Phoenix Suns: F: No one deserves a worse grade than the Suns at the trade deadline. How on earth can you sit there and shop Amare Stoudemire for weeks and weeks and ultimately do nothing? Take a box of basketballs for him for crying out loud! Now, their leading scorer is disgruntled and probably will be for the rest of the year. Phoenix may not make the postseason, and if that’s the case, heads should role in the desert.

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The NFL betting season came to a close on Sunday night when the Indianapolis Colts beat the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. There was plenty to rant about in the week that was in the world of sports, so here at Bankroll Sports, we’ll pose these two words to the worst teams, players, coaches, and situations over the last seven days: C’mon Man!!!

I’m tired of all of these teams in the NCAA basketball betting world falling victim to sandwich games. I’m looking at you Georgetown Hoyas and Duke Blue Devils. G’Town looked awful in a home loss to South Florida, which was stuck between wins against both Duke and Villanova. The Dookies fell victim as well, barely beating Boston College in Chestnut Hill. They beat Georgia Tech in a huge revenge spot right before the BC game, and have North Carolina next week in Chapel Hill. Aren’t you supposed to bring it every single night? These aren’t the only two teams in this situation, but the Hoyas and Blue Devils are the ones that are guilty this week. C’mon Man!!!

What’s going on with the North Carolina Tar Heels? Who are these imposters wearing baby blue right now? North Carolina lost to both Virginia Tech and Maryland this week, and that loss to Maryland came by 21 points. The Tar Heels are now sitting in tenth place in the ACC, and they’re only a half game in front of being in dead last. Why is this team even remotely being talked about for the NCAA Tournament? Teams that are 13-10 are just trying to make the NIT. For you, the defending national champs, you only have two words coming your way: C’mon Man!!!

The Miami Heat are in really bad shape right now. They have lost five straight games and are only 1-4 ATS in those five. Don’t blame G Dwyane Wade. Flash is scoring 26.8 points per game this year and has averaged just under that in those five games. The problem? There are only two players in those five NBA betting battles that have scored more than 16 points in a game. F Jermaine O’Neal put up 24 against the Bulls on Saturday, while F Michael Beasley put up 21 on the Cavs earlier in the week. Wade, you’re exempt from this one. But for the rest of you: C’mon Man!!!

Yes, it was QB Peyton Manning that threw the pick that ultimately handed the Super Bowl to the Saints, but let’s take a minute to blame the special teams of the Indianapolis Colts. This was a unit that missed a field goal, only averaged 22.2 yards per kick return, and committed the biggest gaffe of the day, allowing New Orleans to recover the onside kick to start the second half. Indy took the lead in the third quarter after the Saints hit them with the onsider, but K Matt Stover’s missed field goal is what really broke the camel’s back. There are three facets to every football game, and the Colts failed miserably at the third one, which proved to be the most important. C’mon Man!!!