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Last night we crowned a new NCAA Champion as Virginia beat Texas Tech. This game was very close at the end of regulation and there were some real opportunities for Texas Tech to seize the title. I think poor shot selection ultimately cost them at the end and Virginia won in overtime. A great win and a great comeback story for a team that lost to a #16 seed last season.
With the NCAA champion crowned, it is now time to start the playoffs. The NBA Playoffs start this weekend while the NHL Playoffs start tomorrow. As is custom, here’s a look at the current championship odds for the NHL Stanley Cup.
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +245 |
| Calgary Flames | +1000 |
| San Jose Sharks | +1050 |
| Boston Bruins | +1200 |
| St. Louis Blues | +1250 |
| Nashville Predators | +1300 |
| Washington Capitals | +1300 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1400 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1400 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +1400 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +2000 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +2000 |
| New York Islanders | +2000 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +2000 |
| Dallas Stars | +3000 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +4000 |
The Lightning have been historically good this season and it would be a huge upset if they somehow don’t win the Stanley Cup this year. They have been the most well-rounded team this year and their offense is just dynamic.
A far more interesting bet to me is the Finals Match-up. I am torn between these three as my favorites:
Tampa Bay Lightning vs San Jose Sharks +1265
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Nashville Predators +1435
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights +1435
I am slightly leaning the Knights on that one as they really played well after the trade deadline. Plus, this team just did it last year. Regardless of who wins, it’s going to be a lot of fun and there is going to be a ton to watch over the next couple weeks.
MLB Betting Tips:
Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals: The Mariners remain the hottest offense in the league. They won 12-4 last night at Kansas City and I expect them to do well again here. Marco Gonzales has been the ace for this team thus far and I think he’ll be carving up the Royals weak offense. The Royals send Jakob Junis who, while decent, isn’t scaring anyone on this Mariners team right now.
Texas Rangers at Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks offense has been almost shockingly good thus far this season and they’ve hit lefties especially well. Mike Minor had a great start last time out against the Astros, but I can see him struggling here as he’s historically been a worse pitcher on the road. Zack Greinke goes for the D-backs and while there is risk involved, I love his strikeout potential against this team that has struck out 26% of the time thus far this season.
NBA Betting Tips:
Memphis Grizzlies at Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have lost four straight and are in real danger of missing out on the playoffs. The Hornets and Heat are both one game behind them, with all three having one left to play. The Pistons get huge boost from the Grizz here though as Memphis will play without Mike Conley, Jonas Valanciunas, and every other player that you might think of as good. Blake Griffin is listed as questionable here, but Memphis looks like a D-League team here and I expect them to get back on track with a win.
