NBA Eastern Conference Final Preview: Can the Pacers take an Early Lead in the Series?

Date/Time: Wed, May 22nd, 8:30 ET American Airlines Arena - Miami, Florida

The Indiana Pacers visit the Miami Heat for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night, and Sports Betting Online brings you a quick overview and odds for the first game of the series.

This is the third time Heat and Pacers meet in postseason history, but the first time they face each other in the Conference Finals.  Indiana won the first postseason meeting, 4-2, in the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Then last spring, the Pacers battled Miami for six games in the semifinals, taking a 2-1 game lead in the series before dropping three straight games and losing the series 4-2.

While the battle does not kick off until 8:30 PM ET, both teams have engaged in a verbal war that started last Saturday night when Pacers coach Frank Vogel said: “This is not about getting back at Miami. You’re in the final four, you’re competing for a championship, you’re competing for a championship. And they’re just the next team that’s in our way. And that’s how we’re approaching it.”

Miami’s star LeBron James took the comment personally, responding to the media:  “We’re not just another team. He said we’re just another team in their way. We’re a great team. If we’re just another team, you really don’t prepare for just another team. You have to prepare for us.”

This season, the Pacers won the season series over the Heat, 2-1, winning both at home.  While the Pacers reached the Conference finals by their own merit, they face a dominant and powerful team that destroyed the Milwaukee Bucks in 4 games and handed the Bulls their worst playoff loss in franchise history and lowest playoff points total ever. 

Playoff Records:
Indiana: 8-4. The Pacers won the First Round Series vs. Atlanta 4-2 and beat the New York Knicks 4-2 in the Second Round.
Miami: 8-1. The Heat swept the Milwaukee Bucks in first round 4-0 and then beat the Bulls 4-1 in the Second Round.

Game Odds:
Indiana Pacers: +8-110, ML +355
Miami Heat: -8-110, ML -425
Game Total: 182, o/u -110

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Pats Starter Kyle Love cut by his Team after Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

The past two weeks have been a living hell for 26-year old defensive tackle Kyle Love. First, New England’s player received bad news regarding his health: He was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. But then again this Wednesday, 6-foot-1, 315-pound Love got another blast: The Pats rescinded his contract with a non-football-injury designation.

"We have been informed by the New England Patriots that Kyle Love will be released NFI (non-football injury/illness). This comes on the heels of Kyle having been diagnosed within the past two weeks with Type 2 diabetes.” stated Love’s agent, Richard Kopelman of KLASS Sports.

Love, who played college football at Mississippi State, was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2010. In three years of professional career, Love records a total of 25 starts in 41 career games, including 11 starts last season.

In addition, Kopelman said that prior to the diagnosis, Love lost some weight, including muscle mass, but added that doctors assured him that he’s able to keep his condition under control with proper observation and a special diet. For Kopelman, Love’s diagnose shouldn’t be interpreted as an issue, and highlighted the fact that several other players diagnosed with the same condition have had very successful careers in the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA.

Over the last years, several professional football players have been diagnosed with diabetes. Probably the most popular is Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2008; two years after the Denver Broncos picked him in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Sinclair, who played for the Seattle Seahawks between 1992 and 2001, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Offensive guard Kendall Simmos, who started 83 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills from 2002 through 2009, also suffers from Latent Autoimmune diabetes.

"He's disappointed but he told me this is just a minor blip he's expecting to overcome. He's a great guy with a wife and a baby he's supporting. The goal is to get back healthy, play for a new team and set himself up for a big contract next season." added Kopelman.



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2013 NBA Playoffs: Recapping the Second Round

The 2013 NBA Playoffs Conference Semifinals are here, and the first round of games are turning out to be a wild ride for basketball and sportsbook betting fans in general.

In the first conference semifinal game of the week, the Indiana Pacers beat the Knicks, 102-95 at Madison Square Garden, grabbing a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.  That means trouble for the Knicks, who have lost three of four after starting the postseason 3-0. David West added 20 points, Paul George 19 and D.J. Augustin 16 for the Pacers. George Hill and Roy Hibbert scored 14 points apiece.

The Oklahoma City Thunder also made it rain behind Kevin Durant's 35 point performance in game one and are also up 1-0 over the Memphis Grizzlies. Durant also grabbed 15 rebounds, handed out six assists and blocked two shots. OKC’s sixth man Kevin Martin had a great game with 25 points and seven rebounds; he also blocked a shot late in the game. Point guard Reggie Jackson was the only other Thunder player in double figures, scoring a total of 12 points.

There were two interesting games on Monday night. First, the Chicago Bulls made the surprise after beating the Miami Heat 93-86 at the American Airlines Arena. The Bulls had an amazing recovery in the 4th quarter, scoring 35 to pull away from the Heat, rallying from a seven-point deficit.  Game 2 at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Then the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Golden State Warriors in a double overtime game at the AT&T Center. San Antonio was behind 127-126 with 3.9 seconds left in the second overtime, but Manu Ginobili launched a high 3-pointer off a cross-court inbounds pass from Kawhi Leonard, sealing the victory for his team 129-127.

Despite the early loss, it's no surprise that the Heat are still the favorites to win the title; what is surprising, is the team they're facing in the second round of the playoffs. The Chicago Bulls have found their way here even when most of their key players have at one point or the other suffered from game preventing injuries. And the fact that these two teams have no love for each other perhaps makes things even more interesting and fun to watch.

What else is coming tonight? (Odds on NBA provided by Sports Betting Online)

Pacers vs. Knicks (7:00 P.M ET)
Indiana Pacers: +6-110, ML +225
New York Knicks: -6-110, ML -265
Game Total: 183, o/u-110

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (9:05 P.M ET)
Memphis Grizzlies: +2.5-110, ML +125
Oklahoma City Thunder: -2.5-110, ML -145
Game Total: 188, o/u-110