So much for a quiet trade deadline! Many of the best expert NBA handicappers on the internet forecasted a very slow day of movement on Thursday, and up until early in the afternoon, that’s exactly what we thought we were getting. However, there was a flurry of action there in the dying moments before the 3:00 ET deadline, and there was even at least one deal that just didn’t get done before the deadline. Check out how we stack up the biggest player on deadline day!

Portland Trail Blazers: A+: Of all of the teams that made moves at the deadline, this was the one that really did the best job. The Blazers picked up Gerald Wallace, who has the ability to be an All-Star caliber player, and they gave up on Joel Pryzbilla and Dante Cunningham for it. It’s a great move to bring another great wing player in to help out Brandon Roy, and with Marcus Camby getting back into the fold shortly, it was only a matter of time until Portland had limited minutes for Pryzbilla.

Chicago Bulls: A: Sure, we know that the Bulls really should have made sure that they picked up a shooting guard to help out, but the price was just going to be too high to do anything. Instead of doing something, Chicago realized that it didn’t really have to do anything at all to succeed, as it already has one of the most dangerous teams in the entire NBA. A move didn’t have to be made, and nothing was done. This team should be in great shape with all of its bigs come playoff time.

New Orleans Hornets: A: Mark Cuban might not like the fact that the Hornets went out and traded for Carl Landry, but it was a great move for a team that really needed a shot in the arm. It was a subtle move for sure, but it will be one that New Orleans love for the rest of the season.

New Jersey Nets: A: Okay, so Mikhail Prokhorov didn’t get his main guy. He got a pretty darn nice second option. It really is still unknown whether Deron Williams is going to be a Net for the rest of his life. If he is, Prokhorov is finally going to be bringing a true superstar into Brooklyn with the team. If not, Jersey could always turn around and deal off Williams next season. The asking price was relatively small, as Devin Harris and Derrick Favors with a couple of draft picks was certainly worthwhile, and it might even give Jersey some hope for a playoff push this year with as bad as the rest of the bottom of the East is.

Denver Nuggets: B: This was just a bad, bad situation for Denver with Carmelo Anthony, but it made the best of it and ultimately got a nice crop of players, most of which were awfully young back for its two biggest stars. It would’ve been nice to see Raymond Felton get moved again, as it is clear that he has no desire to be a bench player, but all in all, it was a decent trade deadline for the Nuggs.

New York Knicks: B: Yeah, the Knicks got their man… It also cost a heck of a lot as well. This could be a move that ultimately works out in the long run, but this season, New York is probably in some trouble, as this team really only has two months to work out the kinks to get ready for the playoffs. Melo did score 27 and have 10 boards in his debut on Wednesday, but the pieces around him have to do a lot better than that for this team to get to the next level.

Oklahoma City Thunder: B-: Oklahoma City has taken a real chance here by bringing in Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed, especially giving up Jeff Green in these deals, but this was a real message being sent to the rest of the West that this is a team that is getting a lot tougher. The Thunder have some real bangers in the post now, and this is going to make for a very interesting situation come playoff time. It could be a move that puts OKC over the top, but Green was a very, very steep price to pay.

Atlanta Hawks: C: We admire the Hawks for at least going out and trying something, but is Kirk Hinrich really the answer? Mike Bibby has been declining for quite some time, and perhaps the time was here to move him, but for a team that really isn’t all that strong to start off with in terms of depth, trading three pieces for two pieces from an awful team doesn’t seem like a move that will the club over the top.

Boston Celtics: C-: The C’s are potentially in a lot of trouble. Five men were ultimately traded for basically Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green. Krstic might ultimately start with Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal are getting over injuries, but this was a definitely downgrade in the post. Sure, Green is a great guy to bring off the bench, but he isn’t going to have the same impact that Perkins did. The Celtics are definitely not as strong of a team defensively as they once were, and they might have spoiled a team chemistry that was absolutely remarkable to this point for the past several years.

Memphis Grizzlies: C-: We aren’t so sure how we would’ve felt about Josh McRoberts and a first round draft pick for OJ Mayo anyway, but how on earth can you not get the deal done at the trade deadline, Memphis? The only reason this isn’t an ‘F’ is basically because Shane Battier for Hasheem Thabeet was a great move, and it is one that could make this team a legitimate contender in the West. However, Mayo was already essentially out of favor in Memphis, and he needed to be traded. Now, he thought he was dealt, yet he is still stuck with the team. It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out by the end of the season, seeing whether this proves to be nothing but a big time distraction.

Utah Jazz: D: The only reason that the Jazz don’t get an F is because this was a move that had to be made eventually one way or the other. The problem is that the fan base has basically been told that this season is a wash, as there just aren’t enough guards for this team to play with. It felt like Utah really needed to make another move, whether it be to send off Derrick Favors, Paul Millsap, or any of the other big guys on this team. The bottom line is that there are now about 100 big men and no stars in the backcourt for a team that desperately needs some help just to get into the second season out West.

Golden State Warriors: F: If the Warriors were sellers at the trade deadline, why didn’t they really trade any pieces to the puzzle like Monta Ellis? If they were buyers, how come they didn’t actually get anything productive done? Trading for Troy Murphy wasn’t great, especially knowing that he might just be bought out anyway, so this team, as always, is just kind of sitting in a state of flux, not knowing what in the heck is really going on.

Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers: F: C’mon guys, what the hell was this trade really all about? For Cleveland, sure you’re getting a first round draft pick that is going to be a lottery choice, but you’re taking in a guy that is a head case and a known cancer in the locker room when he is unhappy. You know that Davis isn’t going to want to visit the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame all that often, and once that luster wears off, he is sure to become disgruntled. If you’re the Clippers, why are you doing this to a player that you had a lot of faith in once upon a time, and giving up a first round pick to do it? Mo Williams contemplated retirement not that long ago, and he’s certainly not going to help. Goodness knows what this trade really accomplished for either team.

Orlando Magic: F: No team did worse by doing nothing this year than the Magic, who badly needed another move. This big maneuver that GM Otis Smith made to bring in Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu was great, but the one with Gilbert Arenas clearly backfired. Dwight Howard is apparently a bit disgruntled with his position in Orlando, and knowing that he can opt out after next season, the moves really had to start to be made now, not just for this year, but for next season as well. There are too many guards and not enough big men, and if the opportunity was really on the table to pick up Zach Randolph from the Memphis Grizzlies, it was a move that needed to be done.

The NBA Trade Deadline is now here, as teams have less than 12 hours to make their final moves for the rest of the season. The action has been hot and heavy over the course of the last day and change, and here is a recap of what we have seen, plus what we might see in the closing hours today…

The biggest blockbuster deal that we have all been waiting for has finally gone done. The New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets have finally agreed on a deal that will send Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple, his desired destination. New York is expected to give Anthony a three year, $65M extension that will keep him playing at MSG through 2015. The Knicks also received back Chauncey Billups, who will immediately start at the point guard spot, along with Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman, and Anthony Carter. In exchange, Denver will be getting Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, a first round draft choice, two second round draft choices, and $3M in cash. Melo scored 27 points and had 10 boards in his first game playing with the Knicks, who beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

The wheeling and dealing wasn’t done there, though. New York also sent off Eddy Curry’s expiring contract and Anthony Randolph for Corey Brewer. Brewer didn’t make it into the lineup on Wednesday.

For Denver, the trades are almost certainly not complete. Gallinari and Felton might never suit up for the Nuggs by the time this is said and done. Felton is now the second former North Carolina Tar Heels point guard on the team, joining Ty Lawson. Rumors also have it that Nene could be sent off in a deal before Thursday’s deadline as well, and he is now the leading point scorer still left on the team at 15.0 per game. Al Harrington, who was signed last summer to a huge free agent deal, now could also be traded. The Nuggets play their first game since the trade tonight against the Boston Celtics at home.

The New Jersey Nets were figured to be the biggest losers of the trading deadline, as they once again seemed to miss out on acquiring all of the superstars that were available, just like what happened in the offseason. However, we have learned to never count out Mikhail Prokhorov and company, as New Jersey got its man, and it arguably got a better deal than it would’ve gotten had it picked up ‘Melo. In a late breaking deal on Wednesday, the Nets acquired Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz. Jersey sent packing Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and two draft choices to Utah.

Meanwhile, the Jazz are now absolutely ripe as could be, as they have a ton of pieces to the puzzle that could, but probably won’t be moved by the 3:00 ET deadline today. Favors is a man that a lot of teams are still asking about, especially on a team in which he may never crack the rotation. Remember that Utah still has Al Jefferson, Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, and Paul Millsap, essentially all of which have the same type of skill set as Favors does. The Jazz still need a two guard and would be wise to try to send one of these bigs off to make that happen.

Williams won’t necessarily resign with the Nets, as he is reportedly unhappy with the trade. However, he still has a full season under his belt with his current contract and cannot get out until 2012. New Jersey could always turn around and trade him off next year if things don’t work out, but the hope is that Williams becomes the cornerstone to the franchise as it tries to turn around its misery.

We mentioned two days ago that the Atlanta Hawks were looking for a point guard, and they finally found their man, though it came at a hefty price tag. Atlanta traded Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans, and a first round draft choice to the Washington Wizards for Hilton Armstrong and Kirk Hinrich. If you’re the Wiz, you have to love this deal, as it rids you of Hinrich, who is only standing in the way of the growth of John Wall, and it gives you yet another draft pick to try to build around. Atlanta gets its point guard, but it takes three key players out of its rotation to do so.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a nice move in the middle of the night on Wednesday as well, picking up Baron Davis and a lottery draft pick this coming year to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. Davis is clearly at the tail end of his career, and it is clear that the team just wanted to move him for the sake of moving him. It essentially cost a first round pick to do so, but this might not be the end of the world for an LA team that does have a ton of players under the age of 25 on its team. It might also be a nice switch for Williams, who has just seemed to be totally lost since losing LeBron James to the Miami Heat this past offseason.

Speaking of the Heat, they could be in on a minor move as well, though teams don’t seem to be all that interested in their most tradeable asset, Mike Miller. Still, keep an eye on this situation, as Miami is trying to bring in another veteran big to help out Chris Bosh on the inside.

Up the road, the Orlando Magic are surely looking to make a move, especially after losing to the Sacramento Kings last night. General Manager Otis Smith knows that he really needs to make a major move sooner than later, or he’ll probably end up losing Dwight Howard in two seasons to free agency, a la LeBron James, something that would seal his fate and cost him his job for sure. The problem is finding the pieces to the puzzle to deal since Orlando already made the big time trade with the Phoenix Suns earlier this season. Could Steve Nash be coming to Orlando? What about Zach Randolph? The Randolph deal makes some sense, though it would require reportedly sending back at least Brandon Bass and Jason Richardson to do so, a heavy price to pay.

Teams are also contacted the Memphis Grizzlies about the availability of Hasheem Thabeet, who has largely been a tremendous bust in his career after being a high draft choice two seasons ago.

The Portland Trail Blazers are still trying to make a move, but it’s a question as to what they’re looking for. There are plenty of bigs to trade on this team, and it seems like the only names that aren’t being bantered around just a bit are those of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Aside from that though, it all seems to be fair game, and anyone coming to the table with the right asking price can seemingly get anyone else they want off of this team. One of those talks are with the Charlotte Bobcats, who have had inquiries about Gerald Wallace. That deal doesn’t seem to be in the makings though, as Wallace is still looked at as the cornerstone of Charlotte’s team.

We’ll keep you up to date here at Bankroll Sports with all of the ins and outs of the 2011 NBA Trade Deadline rumors!

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The 2008-09 Orlando Magic were about as close as you can get to winning their first NBA Championship in franchise history. In the offseason, the team cut ties with F Hedo Turkoglu, a man that was largely considered the heart and soul of a squad that is headlined by C Dwight Howard.

In order to replace the Turkish superstar, GM Otis Smith went out and traded G Courtney Lee and a few other minor pieces for G Vince Carter, who was largely thought to be washed up, and a host of role players, including F Matt Barnes, G Jason Williams, and C Brandon Bass.

So just like most Magic fans, I immediately thought to myself, “Fantastic. We just replaced a superstar for a has-been, two stiffs, and a nut case.”

All that has-been has done this year is average 16.3 points per game and rejuvenate his career.

All the nut case does is annoy the heck out of the opposition, score 8.7 points per game, and does a little bit of everything. Oh yeah, and he got down and dirty and got into the face of G Kobe Bryant when the Lakers came to town last weekend.

Believe it or not, this version of the Orlando Magic may really be better than ever. And there’s never been a better time to strike and capture the city’s first major championship ever than right now.

Just take one look at the Eastern Conference. Even though things aren’t as disgraceful this year as they were a year ago when everyone outside of Orlando, Boston, and Cleveland were all god awful, they’re still pretty bad.

Does anyone really believe that the Magic (or Cavs for that matter) are going to even get remotely challenge by Miami, Charlotte, or anyone else in the bottom of the Eastern Conference in the first round?

Setting up a date with the Celtics in the second round seems like a very realistic possibility, and it also feels like a lot easier task than the Magic faced last season when they had to win Game 7 at Boston Garden to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

So let’s just fast forward to the inevitable Orlando/Cleveland matchup, shall we?

Last season, there really wasn’t a warm body that could hang with F LeBron James defensively. Now, that nut case Barnes is the man that can get the job done. F Rashard Lewis and Cleveland’s F Antawn Jamison are largely the exact same player and will cancel each other out.

Who’s stopping Superman again? Shaq? I think not.

Cleveland may be the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but after six games, Orlando will once again be the team playing in the NBA Finals.

However, that’s not good enough in the home of Mickey Mouse this year. It’s championship or bust, and the entire franchise and the city of Orlando both know it.

Unlike last year’s team that lived and died by the three-pointer and Howard in the post, this team has more slashing ability to the paint. Carter isn’t afraid to get his jersey a little messy, and G JJ Redick has developed a lot more of an inside game that he has had in years past when he was nothing but a three-point shooter. The bench is utilized a lot more as well, as any combination of 11 guys can play 15+ minutes any given night. It’s also a team that can play at the sluggish knockdown , drag out pace that both Cleveland and Boston like to play at.

No team in the NBA is holding teams to a worse shooting percentage than Orlando is at 43.6%. Its 95.3 points per game allowed in the sixth best mark in the league.

The one thing that you can’t measure based on statistics is heart, and it’s that heart, along with tenacity, and toughness that has led the Magic to a six-game winning streak that will probably be stretched out to at least 11 before playing at Atlanta on March 24th.

Mickey Mouse has an angry scowl on his face this season, and if he doesn’t walk away from this season with an NBA Championship, he may never get one.

Hey Edmonton Oilers, are you ever going to win a game in 2010? Remember when you were riding high after a five-game winning streak that wrapped up on December 11th? Since then, all you’ve done is win exactly one… that’s right… ONE game. You’ve been outscored by the aggregate score of 84-39 in that stretch, and now you’ve hit the low of all lows. Facing a Calgary team that had lost nine straight games itself, you came out and got thrashed 6-1 on Saturday night. So until you pick up a ‘W’ and make yourselves even remotely relevant again in the NHL betting world… C’mon Man!!!

The Indiana Pacers played a fantastic NBA betting affair on Friday night at home against LeBron James and Co. Not only were they outscored 36-18 in the opening stanza, they also only dropped nine points for the entire fourth quarter. But they had to expect better out of F Danny Grainger, right? Grainger is averaging 22.9 points per game, but the only thing that was more uninspiring than his 14-point effort against the Lakers on Wednesday was his 6/23 shooting performance against the Cavs on Friday. You know kid, I know you want to get the heck out of town, but can you at least try a little bit harder and shoot just a tad better than 26% from the field for a game in which you take so many shots? Pacers betting fans appreciate it… C’mon Man!!!

Does anyone know what’s going on with the Texas Longhorns? All of a sudden, they’ve allowed three straight teams to hang 80+ points on them even though they’re only conceding 67.5 points per game on the season. Once upon a time, this team was ranked #1 in the nation. Now, with three losses in its L/4 games, the worst of which came at home to Baylor on Saturday, the Horns will be lucky to hold in the Top-10. What makes matters worse? Texas hasn’t covered a college basketball betting line since December 22nd against Michigan State. Tickets to a Longhorns game: $10. Losing NCAA basketball betting ticket: $550. Watching a team fail to beat the number in eight straight games: Priceless… C’mon Man!!!

Let’s hear it for the Los Angeles Clippers, who became the first team in the NBA all season to lose to both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New Jersey Jets this season! However, what made that feat all the more impressive is the fact that they did all of that in a span of three nights! Want an even better one? Check out the margins of victory for the two worse teams in the NBA… The T’Wolves won by 14, while the Nets won by 16. There’s never any excuse for play this… oh wait… It’s the Clippers… C’mon Man!!!

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The NBA lottery selection for the 2009 NBA Draft took place Tuesday night from Secaucus, New Jersey. The selection show officially molded what order the teams would select their picks for the festivities that will take place on June 25th. The Los Angeles Clippers came out smelling like a rose after landing the overall first pick in this year’s draft. The Clippers were held at 17% chance to win the overall pick and the luck just happened to fall their way. Now since we know the orders the teams will select their picks we can now break down how the NBA Draft could shape out with our own 2009 mock draft. We break down the top 10 picks and how we expect them to turn out on June 25th in New York.

1. L.A Clippers – Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)

Blake Griffin is the extreme overwhelming favorite to be taken first overall this year by the Clippers. Griffin dominated the college ranks last season like no other sophomore in recent memory. Griffin averaged 22.7 points per game for the season which led the Big 12. Griffin perhaps was even more impressive in the way he dominated the glass. The 6’10 sophomore led the nation averaging 14.4 rebounds per game. The LA Clippers will jump on the opportunity to grab Griffin who has all the expectations to be among the best in the NBA in a very short time.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ricky Rubio (International)

The Grizzlies major need is a guard mainly someone to handle the basketball. Ricky Rubio will likely be the selection to fill that desperation. Rubio is a gifted young 17 year old who has a ton of upside. The point guard out of El Masnou, Spain has great ball handling, strong defense, and can shoot the ball fairly well. The Grizzlies will likely bypass the opportunity to grab Hasheem Thabeet and grab Rubio to control the ball. However, not exactly sure how big of a scoring threat Rubio will develop into. He has all the makings of a solid guard, but perhaps not a great one.

3. Oklahoma City – Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)

Oklahoma City would love to add a huge scorer to the lineup. However, they simply can not afford to lead Hasheem Thabeet slip by. The 7’3 center out of Connecticut is a beast on the defensive side of the ball. The junior averaged 4.5 blocks this season. Thabeet also averaged stout double-double type numbers with 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The tall center may not be an immediate huge threat on the offensive side of the ball, but could become a Kevin Garnett type of defensive player and surely the scoring will develop as time passes.

4. Sacramento Kings – Jordan Hill (Arizona)

Many people think the Kings may go after a guard in this position, but there may be more need from some strength in the paint. Jordan Hill was a player who really came on strong for the Arizona Wildcats through the end of the season. The junior forward averaged 18 points on the season along with a strong 11 boards. Hill could give the Kings some depth on the inside and become an eventual playmaker on the inside. Sacramento already has a solid scorer in Kevin Martin on the outside and believes they will give up the opportunity to go after a guard.

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5. Washington Wizards – James Harden (Arizona State)

The Washington Wizards owned the worse record in the Eastern Conference this season and will get the chance to add some strength to the lineup with the 5th overall pick. The Wizards likely seek a guard preferably someone that can knock down shots in this position. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were very effective at the forward positions this year, but they really lacked the outside scoring threat. James Harden could fill that void at the shooting guard position. Harden averaged 20 points per game this season while shooting just under 50% on the season. Harden can also shot the ball from behind the arc rather well which should make him a perfect fit for the Wizards at the number 5 selection.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Brandon Jennings (International)

Minnesota has plenty of needs on the court and could go in many different directions with their selection. However, we expect Brandon Jennings to be the most suitable expectation. Al Jefferson holds down the middle fairly strong for the Timberwolves and they may look to add an outside threat to take some pressure off Randy Foye. Brandon Jennings has great speed and a knack for getting to the basket. Jennings should become a solid player who can beat most defenders off the dribble right away.

7. Golden State Warriors – DeMar DeRozan (USC)

DeMar DeRozan does not have overpowering qualities that some of our previous selections maintain, however he is perhaps one of the most solid all around players on the board. DeRozan averaged 14 points in his freshman campaign at USC as he matured throughout the season. DeRozan knocked down 52% of his shots on the season. The big thing surround DeRozan is perhaps need a good bit of time to develop. We don’t expect the 19 year old to come in the league dominating, but expect him to be a solid starter in a year or two.

8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry (Davidson)

The New York Knicks made a lot of early season moves to try and grab some up and coming talent to the roster. The Knicks will get their chance at another up and coming star if Stephen Curry is still on the board at the number 8 selection. Curry led the nation this season with averaging a lucrative 28.6 points per game. Curry made a name for himself when he led a less than talented Davidson team to the sweet sixteen in 2008. Curry has the best shooting stroke of anyone in the 2009 class. If someone does not take a chance at him, surely New York will at the number 8 pick.

9. Toronto Raptors – Gerald Henderson (Duke)

Gerald Henderson is among the latest entries to add themselves to the 2009 NBA Draft. Henderson exploded in the second half of the season at Duke. Henderson actually tied with Kyle Singler at exactly 16.5 points per game this season to lead the Blue Devils. Henderson has molded into a Grant Hill type of star that also came out of Duke and entered the NBA. The junior has a solid shooting strong and some descent size that will probably take a small forward position. Henderson could find his way into the starting lineup in Toronto considering they have a need for scorers. However, after a big improvement in his junior season we wonder how much growing potential is left?

10. Milwaukee Bucks – DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh)

The Bucks could surprise a lot of people with this selection, but we have them taking the young sophomore talent out of Pittsburgh in DeJuan Blair. The Bucks are a team that was really beaten up against the glass last season. Andrew Bogut averaged 10.3 rebounds for Milwaukee but there many are some issues with how he will hold up in the future. DeJuan Blair is a big strong forward who can not only chance a game on the boards, but also a rather solid scorer as well. Blair has the strength to overpower defenders and make an early impact in this league. While many will have Blair going around the mid first round range, we think there could be a surprise at the number 10 pick.

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The NBA regular season will end later this week as we head towards the post-season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have locked up home court advantage throughout their Eastern Conference playoff run and are one game away from clinching home court advantage in the NBA Finals if they can make it that far in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are coming off a huge blowout win over the defending Champions the Boston Celtics 107-76 on Sunday. The Cavaliers big win over the number 2 ranked team in the East is actually Cleveland’s biggest victory in franchise history over the Celtics. The Cavaliers amazing home game run extended to a mark of 38-1 inside Quicken Loans Arena with the victory. The Cavaliers appear to be big favorites considering they will get the majority of the games at home were they have been unstoppable. However, the Eastern Conference has been extremely tough this year as Orlando blew out Cleveland a few short weeks ago similar to the Cavaliers big win over Boston. The 3 horse race all season out of the East will carry over to the post-season. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the big favorites after a big win over Denver last Thursday night. The return of Andrew Bynum will only be more beneficial for the Lakers who have appeared as the top notch team in the West all season. However teams like Denver, Houston, and Portland have really closed out the year strong and could be teams to put together impressive runs in the playoffs. We give brief breakdown of the major contenders for the 2009 NBA Playoffs along with their odds to win it all.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (7/5)

The Cavaliers extremely impressive home record makes them big favorites in the NBA playoffs. Their 38-1 record is among the best ever string of runs by a home team in NBA history. Lebron James is averaged 28.3 points per game, but more importantly is getting a lot of help from the rest of the team. Cleveland only lost one game all season at home meaning for them to be beaten in the playoffs a team is going to have to win at least one game in Cleveland while sweeping the Cavaliers away from Cleveland. Good luck with that.

Boston Celtics (4/1)

The Celtics chances to repeat as NBA Champions took a big hit with their embarrassing loss to Cleveland. However, Boston has played very well to close out the season winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics are another team that plays very well at home with a 34-6 record for the season. However, Boston is only 4-4 against Orlando and Cleveland on the year meaning they have been anything but dominant over the top teams in the East. Still the Celtics know what it takes to be Champions, but can they do it again?

Orlando Magic (8/1)

The Magic got the big win over Cleveland back in the first week of April, but they have now lost 3 of their last 4 games. Orlando got off to a tremendous start to the season, but really suffered a hit with the loss of Jameer Nelson despite putting together some solid winning streaks in recent weeks. Also, Rashard Lewis will likely miss the final games of the regular season with a knee injury and the Magic simply look to be too banged up down the stretch to be a legitimate threat as they appeared earlier this year.

Team to Watch – Chicago Bulls (100/1)

The Chicago Bulls have won 4 straight games and 12 of their last 15 games during that stretch. Chicago has put together a solid home record this season that is always crucial during the post season. If the Bulls can keep up the momentum and get some more big performances from Ben Gordon, they could really pull off a string off upsets and perhaps take down either Boston or Orlando who they will be likely playing in the opening round.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (8/5)

Thursday night’s victory over the emerging Denver Nuggets was icing on the cake for Western Conference bragging rights. The Lakers simply looked too strong for their closest competitors in the West and are big favorites at 4/9 favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. The Lakers got beat by a streaking Portland team on Friday 106-98, but they still appear to be too strong in terms of being beat in an entire series. The Lakers have had more problems with the teams in the Eastern Conference this season and until someone proves us wrong we will ride the Lakers bandwagon.

Denver Nuggets (20/1)

The Nuggets are really playing well to close out the season despite their setback to the Lakers last Thursday. Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith are becoming a dynamic duo posting big figures every night. The Nuggets have put together wins in 13 of their last 15 games The Nuggets could face the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round if things were to stay the same. Denver would not mind the pairing considering they are a perfect 4-0 on the season against Dallas. If the Nuggets could keep the momentum rolling I am sure they will be eager to get their chance at a series with the Lakers.

Portland Trailblazers (25/1)

The Trailblazers are in a heated battle with the Houston Rockets for 3rd place in the West as both teams stand at a mark of 52-28. The Trailblazers and the Rockets have also both put on a solid 4 game winning streak as Portland will get the Thunder and the Nuggets in the final two games. The battle for 3rd dictates whether they will get New Orleans or San Antonio in the playoffs. The Trailblazers have played the most solid basketball the 2nd half of the season and they should give teams problems if they can stay hot.

Team to watch – Houston Rockets (20/1)

The Rockets have put together 4 straight wins along with Portland. The only difference is Houston beat up on the Trailblazers 102-88 to start their winning streak. The Rockets have what it takes to match-up with the other teams from the West in the playoffs giving them a chance to knock off some wins in the postseason. The only thing is the Rockets have failed to beat the Lakers once this season at 0-4 meaning any dream type run at an NBA Finals may be more of a dream than a reality.

This will be the first edition of a set of weekly articles that will come out just before every weekend breaking down the best proposition bets for the weekend. Basically, we will break down some of the most interesting and intriguing prop bets heading into the weekend for you to consider placing bets on to earn some cash on your days off work. We will be reviewing and studying every sport to give the best prop bet at the right time for your money while also trying to include the always popular prop bets as well. Take a look at these Top 3 Prop Bets for you to consider heading into the weekend..

Bet #1 – PGA Golf (The Masters)
Head to Head – Paul Casey (-130) vs. Sergio Garcia (Even) (Thursday)
The PGA Tour will make a stop in Augusta, Georgia this weekend to tee off for the first Major Tournament of the 2009 campaign. The Masters has been one of the most beautiful and exciting golf spectacles for many years now providing some great action for the PGA Tour’s first big event. Bodog Sportsbook has many great betting actions on the event from head to head matchups, opening round group odds, and more. We found a very interesting match-up between Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia. Garcia made the news earlier this season as he closed in on Tiger Woods number 1 ranking while Woods was still recovering from knee surgery. However, Garcia has been playing anything but strong over the past few weeks heading into the Masters. Garcia has played in 4 events and has not been in the top 10 once including a 77th finish in the Shell Houston Open last week. Casey on the other hand won the Shell Houston Open making it his first victory in the United States and jumped from 12th to 6th in the world rankings. Garcia has never been consistent at Augusta National and we expect some more of the same type performance this weekend. While Casey will be riding a wave of confidence and we expect him to play well. Consider placing an above average type bet on Casey. Pick – Casey -130

Bet #2 NBA (Denver at Los Angeles) (Thursday)
The Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets late Thursday night at home in a showdown of front runners in the Western Conference. The Lakers are winners of 4 straight games and own a 2-1 record against the Nuggets so far this season. However, Denver is playing better than any team in the league perhaps winning 12 of their last 13 games and 7 straight. In the previous meetings these games have stayed unpredictably low in scoring despite both teams tendency to have high scoring averages. While nearly all indications point to the Lakers having a big night considering they are playing at home where they are 33-5 this season and Andrew Bynum will possibly return to the lineup. However, we are going to take Denver in this game considering how well they have been shooting the ball to be the spoiler this Thursday. J.R Smith and Carmelo Anthony have led the team in scoring every game since the middle of March. Both standouts are averaging right at 20 points per game over the winning streak. Even though Kobe Bryant has been stellar against the Nuggets this season, we expect Denver to have a similar outcomes as they did back in the previous meeting back in February when they got the victory 90-79 except this time there will be more points scored. Pick – Denver

Bet #3 – Kentucky Derby (May 2nd)
Whether you are a fan of horse racing or not, one thing is for sure that when you hear the Kentucky Derby you know it means something special. While most bettors tend to shy away from Horse Racing bets because they simply may not keep up with the sport, betting on a horse race may be the most profitable sport to bet on considering you always get great odds. The 2009 run for the roses is being hyped to be a very exciting spectacle mainly because there are so many great horses with legitimate shots to win this year. One of the horses to have your eye on is “I Want Revenge.” This California bred horse is a proven runner who captured a win just a few weeks back at the Gotham at Aqueduct. I Want Revenge is being posted as a 7/2 favorite to win the entire event this weekend. The horse is quickly emerging as the leading favorite to be covered in the blanket of roses after the most famous dash in horse racing on May 2nd. However, go ahead and get the odds while they are still reasonable and if you do not feel comfortable picking I Want Revenge as a winner be sure to place the horse for a bet to be a top 3 finisher. Pick – “I Want Revenge” (7/2)