Our 2012 CFL season preview as here, as we are going to be taking a look at the CFL betting odds at the outset of the season on the road to the 100th Grey Cup! Join us for our initial Grey Cup predictions!

The team that we’ll start with is the defending Grey Cup champions, the BC Lions (Odds to Win Grey Cup: 4.60 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). Returning for the Grey Cup champs is QB Travis Lulay, who quietly had a great season last year. He doesn’t quite have the same type of talent at wide receiver this year, but with the new stadium at BC Place ready to go and the confidence of coming off of the Grey Cup victory, there is no doubt that this is going to be a team to watch out for.

However, in the West, it isn’t Head Coach Wally Buono and the gang that are favored to win the Grey Cup. Instead, those honors go to the Calgary Stampeders (Favorites To Win Grey Cup: 5 to 1 at BetOnline Sportsbook). With Henry Burris gone, the job belongs to QB Drew Tate, who took over last year and nearly got the Stamps into the Grey Cup. RB Jon Cornish is back for what should be another great season in the backfield, and an incredibly talented set of receivers is back as well. Expect to see a lot of points put on the board for Head Coach John Hufnagel and company this year. Calgary is the real deal, though it will have a difficult time here in the West.

The team at the bottom of the West this year might be the Edmonton Eskimos (100th Grey Cup Odds: 9 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). Of course, we really didn’t think all that much of the Eskies last year either, and QB Ricky Ray went on to put on a good show. Of course, the team fell apart down the stretch of the campaign, and in the end, Ray was shipped out on town. Now, it appears as though the starting QB job belongs to QB Steven Jyles who is ready to step in and prove that he can get the job done. That being said, there are a ton of other options for this team to use at quarterback, including Kerry Joseph, Matt Nichols, and Jeremiah Masoli. The offense added a huge star in WR Greg Carr, but there are definitely some holes elsewhere that need to be filled.

And that leaves the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Grey Cup Odds: 11 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). It is going to be an interesting season in Riderville after a lousy 2011 campaign. QB Darian Durant is still a turnover machine, and this year, he really has nothing but relatively inexperienced signal callers behind him, including Drew Willy and Levi Brown. This receiving crop awfully good with Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg, and the newly added Sinorice Moss and Dallas Baker amongst others, but there are still some major issues for this team to work out defensively.

In the East Division, the favorite is the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2012 Grey Cup Lines: 4.75 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). We are always wary of backing the Tabbies, as they have been a team of late that has had a heck of a lot of issues living up to the hype. This year though, with the addition of QB Henry Burris and the return of RB Avon Cobourne, it really seems as though this team is set to make some real noise. There is a heck of a lot of confidence right now in the Ti-Cats with their new quarterback, as they had a defense that was most certainly good enough last year to be competitive. The beasts of the East, though? That might be a different question.

That’s especially true when you consider the veteran presence of the Montreal Alouettes (Odds To Win 100th Grey Cup: 5.75 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). QB Anthony Calvillo is back, and he is clearly one of the best that this league has ever seen. QB Adrian MacPherson remains a great backup plan just in case anything goes down. For the first time though, AC knows that he has to break in some new receivers, and that could prove to be difficult. The secondary still looks as strong as could be though, and that could make the difference. The feeling is that Montreal underachieved last year when it finished second in the East Division, but that could all change this year.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Grey Cup Gambling Lines: 5.75 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) were a bit of a surprise team last year, knowing that they were able to come from out of nowhere to win the East Division. QB Buck Pierce stayed healthy for the most part, and when he didn’t, QB Alex Brink picked up the slack and did well. The receiving corps is going to hurt a bit with some offseason departures, but SB Terrence Edwards is still one of the best at his trade in the game. With a new stadium opening up this year after a few games at Canad Inns Stadium, the effect could be the same that it was last year for the Lions after getting to open up their newly remodeled stadium.

Finally, we have the team that is hosting this year’s Grey Cup, the Toronto Argonauts (100th Grey Cup Betting Lines: 7.50 to 1 at Bovada Sportsbook). QB Ricky Ray is the man in town now, but there has to be a level of pessimism for sure for the Boatmen. Remember the last time that they made one of these splashy type of quarterback signings? QB Kerry Joseph came to Toronto and was absolutely atrocious. It was only a year ago that we were wondering if Ray wasn’t at the end of his career. Granted, it didn’t cost the Argos all that much to get Ray relatively speaking, but they are hitched to the CFL veteran now and will only go as far as he can take them.

2012 CFL Grey Cup Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 6/13/12):
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Calgary Stampeders 4 to 1
BC Lions 4.60 to 1
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 4.75 to 1
Montreal Alouettes 5.75 to 1
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 5.75 to 1
Toronto Argonauts 7.25 to 1
Edmonton Eskimos 9 to 1
Saskatchewan Roughriders 11 to 1

Odds to Win 2012 CFL Championship @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 6/13/12):
(Get a FREE 20% Bonus at Bovada.lv By Using This Link)
BC Lions 9 to 2
Calgary Stampeders 9 to 2
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 9 to 2
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 5 to 1
Montreal Alouettes 11 to 2
Toronto Argonauts 13 to 2
Edmonton Eskimos 8 to 1
Saskatchewan Roughriders 9 to 1

Grey Cup 2012 Odds @ BetOnline Sportsbook (as of 6/13/12):
(Get a FREE 100% Bonus at BetOnline.com By Using This Link)
BC Lions 4 to 1
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 4 to 1
Montreal Alouettes 5 to 1
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 5 to 1
Calgary Stampeders 5 to 1
Toronto Argonauts 7 to 1
Edmonton Eskimos 8 to 1
Saskatchewan Roughriders 10 to 1

There are just four players that are left on the men’s side of the French Open draw, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are analyzing the four players that are left standing and see how they are going to fare on the 2012 French Open betting lines.

2012 Men’s French Open Predictions & Info
2012 French Open Dates: Sunday, May 27th – Sunday, June 10th, 2012
2012 French Open Location: Roland Garros, Paris, France
Defending Men’s French Open Winner: Rafael Nadal
2012 French Open TV Schedule & Live French Open TV Coverage: ESPN2, Tennis Channel, NBC

With a record now of 50-1, it is impossible to think that there is any way we could bet against Rafael Nadal (Favorite To Win French Open: 1 to 2.80 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Nadal hasn’t lost a set here at Roland Garros this year, and that’s not a shock for a man that has won this title six times and is just two matches away from breaking Bjorn Borg’s record for the most French Open titles in the Open Era. The Spaniard also has had the draw open up for him, and he is a -1150 favorite on the French Open odds in his semifinal match. It is clear that this is still the King of the Clay Courts, and with Andy Murray out of the way, there really is just one match that should be left for Nadal to play of any note before he claims that seventh title.

The man that is going to be trying his best to get past Nadal is another fellow Spaniard David Ferrer (Odds To Win French Open: 19 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Ferrer knows that he is up against it in this one, but he was up against it versus Murray as well. It only took four sets for Ferrer to dispose of the Brit, and now, he is in the semifinals of a Grand Slam event for just the second time in his career. Of course, this is probably the end of the road for Ferrer, knowing that he is going to be a tremendous underdog against Nadal, and it is difficult for him to overcome that outrageous 50-1 record that Nadal has here at Roland Garros.

List Of Past Men’s French Open Winners (Since 2000)
2011 – Rafael Nadal
2010 – Rafael Nadal
2009 – Roger Federer
2008 – Rafael Nadal
2007 – Rafael Nadal
2006 – Rafael Nadal
2005 – Rafael Nadal
2004 – Gaston Gaudio
2003 – Juan Carlos Ferrero
2002 – Albert Costa
2001 – Gustavo Kuerten
2000 – Gustavo Kuerten

On the other end of the bracket sits Roger Federer (2012 Men’s French Open Tennis Odds: 10.17 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). At the outset of this tournament, Federer was just 11 to 1, so as you can see, nothing really has changed in spite of the fact that he has made it into the semifinals of the French Open. The problem for Federer is that he has had a very tough road to get to this point. The master of the Grand Slam events needed five sets to get past Juan Martin Del Potro, and now he has to deal with the best player in the world right now and then the man known as the King of the Clay Courts. Federer is still a fantastic player, but at this point in his career, he is clearly in that second tier of players. He is going to need to be at his best to beat Djokovic for the second straight year in the French Open semifinals, and then likely Nadal, a man that he has never beaten in the French Open.

And that brings up to the No. 1 ranked player in the world, Novak Djokovic (2012 Men’s French Open Tennis Betting Lines: 4.24 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Djokovic has won three straight Grand Slam titles. He would be one of the few to ever have a career Grand Slam, but it would be even more impressive if he were to end up with all four of the Grand Slam titles at the same time. We were saying this about Federer for quite some time. His career wasn’t going to be validated until he won here at Roland Garros. Now, Djokovic is in the same boat. Granted, he has quite some time to get this last leg of the Grand Slam, but it would be awesome to see him get the job done here. Getting past Federer on the clay courts would be part of career validation, but beating Nadal in a French Open finale, who has never been beaten in a French Open final, who ensure that the Serb is known as the best of his generation.

2012 Men’s Odds To Win The French Open @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 6/7/12):
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Rafael Nadal Wins French Open -280
Field Wins French Open +240

Novak Djokovic Wins French Open +424
Field Wins French Open -547

Roger Federer Wins French Open +1017
Field Wins French Open -1533

David Ferrer Wins French Open +1900
Field Wins French Open -3800

The NBA Finals odds are getting hot and heavy, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking a look at the odds to win the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics series gets underway this week!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Boston @ Miami (Monday 5/28, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 2: Boston @ Miami (Wednesday 5/30, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 3: Miami @ Boston (Friday 6/1, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 4: Miami @ Boston (Sunday 6/3, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 5: Boston @ Miami (Tuesday 6/5, 8:30 PM, ESPN) (If Necessary)
Game 6: Miami @ Boston (Thursday 6/7, 8:30 PM, ESPN) (If Necessary)
Game 7: Boston @ Miami (Saturday 6/9, 8:30 PM, ESPN) (If Necessary)

Key #1: Rajon Rondo has to be the best quarterback on the court
When the “Boston Three Party” first came together, all eyes were pointed at Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. Everyone knew that the C’s were going to need a fourth player – some sort of a role player to try to get everything to come together. That man turned out to be the fourth man in the “Big Four” in Rondo. All of a sudden, the man from Kentucky that no one seemed to want on their team at the beginning of the year has nine triple-doubles in his playoff career, including two here in this postseason. Rondo has the ability to take over a game at the point guard spot as a slasher or a passer, and in the end, he might be the most dynamic player on the court. Rondo is really the only one that has young enough legs for the Celtics to keep up with the Heat when they are running up and down the floor as well, and that might be a big time difference making factor in this series.

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Series Odds at
Wager Web Sportsbook
Boston Celtics +415
Miami Heat -525
Click Here to Bet The Celtics vs. Heat Picks!

Key #2: Boston has to exploit any Miami weakness in the paint
When the Celtics were busy winning championships, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis were doing the job in the paint. They weren’t always good for the biggest numbers in the world, but those two were pulling down the important rebounds and altering shots that opponents were taking in the middle of the court all game long. Now though, both are gone, and the bigs for Boston just aren’t as good as they once were. Brandon Bass really isn’t your prototypical center, and there isn’t one that is going to be on the court for either side. Chris Bosh is still hurting for the Heat, and he might end up being out of this entire series with that abdomen injury. If that’s the case, it is up to really just Udonis Haslem for the first two games of this series, and Dexter Pittman as well after that when he returns from his suspension. Whether it be Bass, Garnett, or one of the other big men that the Celtics have to bring off of the bench, someone is going to have to find a way to dominate in the paint the way that Roy Hibbert did at times for the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs against Miami.

Key #3: The Super Friends have to continue to be super
It seems to go without saying that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are going to have to be the two best players on the court for the Heat to win this series. Miami has had its wakeup call, though. The team was pushed just a bit by Indiana, but in the face of adversity, D-Wade and LeBron both game up with huge games down the stretch of the series to make that series look ultimately like Secretariat pulling away from the rest of the field at the Belmont Stakes. This Miami team was assembled specifically to beat Boston, and LeBron knows that he has already had his NBA Finals dreams shattered by these Celtics once before. Not only could the Super Friends figure out how to get their first NBA title together if they can get past Boston, but they might be able to end the legacy in Beantown once and for all. That being said, if LeBron and Wade go back to what they were doing at the end of last year, alternating which one has the ball at the most important junctures of the game instead of playing the best matchups that are on the court, all of a sudden, Miami might find itself to be in a lot of trouble for the second straight series against a clearly inferior team.

Click Here to get the best NBA picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Boston vs. Miami picks and the NBA playoffs picks for the rest of the postseason odds.

Of all of the great games that we have seen on the 2012 NBA Playoffs Schedule, the best of the bunch may have yet to get started. The top two teams in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, are set to get it on in the Western Conference Finals, and the winner will move on to play for all of the marbles on the 2012 NBA Finals odds! Don’t miss our 2012 Western Conference Finals preview and series picks!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Sunday 5/27, 8:30 PM, TNT)
Game 2: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Tuesday 5/29, 9:00 PM, TNT)
Game 3: San Antonio @ Oklahoma City (Thursday 5/31, 9:00 PM, TNT)
Game 4: San Antonio @ Oklahoma City (Saturday 6/2, 8:30 PM, TNT)
Game 5: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Monday 6/4, 9:00 PM, TNT, If Necessary)
Game 6: San Antonio @ Oklahoma City (Wednesday 6/6, 9:00 PM, TNT, If Necessary)
Game 7: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Friday 6/8, 9:00 PM, TNT, If Necessary)

Key #1: The post defenders for the Thunder have to stay strong
This could really be the key to the whole series. The Spurs are going to be using their depth for sure to consistently give the Thunder everything that they could ever want, and that means a heck of a lot of driving into the paint and trying to control the low block. Battling it out in the paint, there just hasn’t been a team that has been able to body with San Antonio yet. That being said, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, and Nazr Mohammad are going to be waiting in the lane this time around for the slashing guards and the bigs for the Spurs, and we think that this is going to be a remarkable matchup. It isn’t about the stats for the big men for the Thunder. They just need to play well defensively, clean up the glass, and alter (or block) a ton of shots to make the Spurs uncomfortable. If they don’t and San Antonio can slash into the lane freely, this series is going to be a one-sided romp.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Series Odds at
5Dimes Sportsbook
Oklahoma City Thunder +175
San Antonio Spurs -210
Click Here to Bet The Thunder vs. Spurs Picks!

Key #2: The Spurs have to be careful with the pace of this series
Depth has been the key for the Spurs over the course of the first two rounds of the playoffs. They clearly had more bodies to throw at both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz, and they were able to just keep running up and down the court to take care of those teams without all that much in the way of problems. Save for Tony Parker and Tim Duncan though, no one averaged more than 26 minutes per game. The good news is that it kept legs fresh. The bad news in this series though, is that the Thunder are ready, willing, and certainly able to keep up at this type of a pace with the Spurs. San Antonio has to be careful to say the least. Yes, this is a team that has the experience of winning NBA Finals, but those wins all came in situations where defense won championships. Now, the Spurs are going to try to run their way to a title. When it ran into a younger team that was willing to run last year in the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio was in some trouble and eventually got knocked out of the playoffs. We know that this is what got the Spurs to this point, but the possibility is there that the Thunder could force this tempo even faster, and that could make things very uncomfortable for the flow of the Spurs.

Key #3: The Spurs cannot commit too many fouls and send the Thunder to the foul line
If the Spurs are going to lose this series, there is a good chance that they do it at the charity stripe. For all of the good things that they do, the Spurs really don’t shoot foul shots that well. Tim Duncan is a liability from the foul line for sure, and though the guards are usually all good shooters, there are too many on the court that could be fouled and sent to the line for crucial free throws that might be nervy. The argument could be made that Oklahoma City had that issue last year when it was deep into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history (since moving from Seattle), but this year, with the experience that the team has, there should be no jitters. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are all great free throw shooters, and these are the men that are going to have the ball in their hands. We have seen this team knock down foul shots all postseason, making teams pay for trying to get too physical with them, and the Thunder are going to continue to do that in this series. The Spurs have to find ways to stay out of foul trouble, not so much for their depth, but just to keep Oklahoma City off of the charity stripe.

Click Here to get the best NBA picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio picks and the NBA playoffs picks for the rest of the postseason odds.

The 2012 Ladies French Open bracket is about set to be released, and the tournament is set to get underway this weekend! Be sure not to miss out on the Roland Garros odds for the women’s draw on the odds to win the French Open!

2012 Ladies French Open Predictions & Info
2012 French Open Dates: Sunday, May 27th – Sunday, June 10th, 2012
2012 French Open Location: Roland Garros, Paris, France
Defending Ladies French Open Winner: Li Na
2012 French Open TV Schedule & Live French Open TV Coverage: ESPN2, Tennis Channel, NBC

Beating the ladies tennis odds are difficult in virtually every single tournament, as there are so many question marks in all of these best-of-three set matches. That being said, the woman that we know is going to be hanging around for the mass majority of this tournament is the favorite, Serena Williams (Favorite To Win French Open: 2.55 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Williams has only won the French Open once in her career, and that was a decade ago, and there is a heck of a lot of work that she is going to have to put into grabbing a second title on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Williams comes into this tournament ranked No. 6 in the WTA rankings, and No. 5 in the field, but she has a lot of question marks ahead of her. Remember that Williams has only been to one Grand Slam Tournament final of late, and that was the US Open last year. She finished as a quarterfinalist the last time that she played at Roland Garros two years ago, and she hasn’t even made it to the second full week of a Grand Slam tourney since that point. Williams might be the best women’s tennis player in the world, but there is a reason that she isn’t an insanely huge favorite on the odds to win the French Open.

The 2012 French Open winner is back to defend her title. Li Na (Odds To Repeat As French Open Ladies Champion: 12.85 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) won her first major tournament last year at the French Open at the age of 29, and she is going to be one of the ladies that is to be reckoned with for sure. Since that point that she won the French Open though, the Chinese tennis star has been knocked out in the first round, the second round, and the fourth round of her Grand Slam events. The good news though, is that she has a great history here on the clay courts of Roland Garros, getting into the third round in all of her efforts at this tournament.

List Of Past Ladies French Open Winners (Since 2000)
2011 – Li Na
2010 – Francesca Schiavone
2009 – Svetlana Kuznetsova
2008 – Ana Ivanovic
2007 – Justine Henin
2006 – Justine Henin
2005 – Justine Henin
2004 – Anastasia Myskina
2003 – Justine Henin
2002 – Serena Williams
2001 – Jennifer Capriati
2000 – Mary Pierce

The woman of the hour this time around might be the one of the top ranked player in the world though, Caroline Wozniacki (Odds To Win French Open: 40 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Wozniacki has had herself an interesting career. She has won plenty of tournaments, but none at this level of competition. She has been the No. 1 ranked player in the world as recently as last year, though she has still not quite tasted that Grand Slam glory. This could be her year, though. Wozniacki was a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open this year, and she has had a good history on the hard courts, though this might be tough for her to get the job done on the clay courts, where she usually struggles. Wozniacki has a lot going for her, but she needs to get over the hump in the toughest of matches to be able to win the plate at Roland Garros.

But of course, the woman that is going to have all of the attention on her is the great Maria Sharapova (2012 French Open Tennis Odds: 6.15 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Sharapova’s beauty always makes her a popular tennis pick to make, but in the end, she has the skill to back it up. Sharapova was a finalist at the Australian Open earlier this year, and she has used that to get all the way up to the No. 2 ranking in the world. That means that she is going to likely be avoiding a draw with some of the top contenders here at the French Open, and she might be able to claim this jewel of the Grand Slam as a result. If Sharapova can beat the French Open odds this year, she will be one of the few that has the career Grand Slam.

2012 Ladies Odds To Win The French Open @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 5/24/12):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.eu When Using This Link)

Serena Williams 2.55 to 1
Victoria Azarenka 4.75 to 1
Maria Sharapova 6.15 to 1
Na Li 12.85 to 1
Petra Kvitova 13.75 to 1
Samantha Stosur 13.85 to 1
Agnieszka Radwanska 23.75 to 1
Angelique Kerber 38 to 1
Caroline Wozniacki 40 to 1
Ana Ivanovic 50 to 1
Venus Williams 50 to 1
Francesca Schiavone 55 to 1
Mona Barthel 70 to 1
Julia Goerges 80 to 1
Kaia Kanepi 90 to 1
Marion Bartoli 125 to 1
Sara Errani 125 to 1
Svetlana Kuznetsova 135 to 1
Sabine Lisick 145 to 1
Jelena Jankovic 145 to 1
Vera Zvonareva 175 to 1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 175 to 1
Carla Suarez Navarro 175 to 1
Dominika Cibulkova 240 to 1
Simona Halep 250 to 1
Yanina Wickmayer 255 to 1
Flavia Pennetta 300 to 1
Ekaterina Makarova 400 to 1
Lucie Safarova 470 to 1
Shuai Peng 480 to 1
Sorana Cirstea 500 to 1
Petra Cetkovska 550 to 1
Nadia Petrova 550 to 1
Maria Kirilenko 600 to 1
Anabel Medina Garrigues 675 to 1
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 700 to 1
Tsvetana Pironkova 700 to 1
Roberta Vinci 725 to 1
Andrea Petkovic 1,000 to 1
Anastasija Sevastova 1,000 to 1
Bethanie Mattek Sands 1,000 to 1
Daniela Hantuchova 1,000 to 1
Elena Vesnina 1,000 to 1
Iveta Benesova 1,000 to 1
Aravane Rezai 1,000 to 1
Bojana Jovanovski 1,000 to 1
Jie Zheng 1,000 to 1
Shahar Peer 1,000 to 1
Alexandra Dulgheru 1,000 to 1
Jarmila Gajdosova 1,000 to 1
Polona Hercog 1,000 to 1
Christina McHale 1,000 to 1
Irina Begu 1,000 to 1
Monica Niculescu 1,000 to 1
Ksenia Pervak 1,000 to 1
Marina Erakovic 1,000 to 1
Sofia Arvidsson 1,000 to 1
Timea Babos 1,000 to 1
Silvia Soler Espinosa 1,000 to 1

The San Antonio Spurs are going to be back in action against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the playoffs, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to make our NBA playoff predictions and our Spurs vs. Clippers series picks for what could be quite the entertaining series!

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Tuesday 5/15, 9:30 PM, TNT)
Game 2: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Thursday 5/17, 9:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 3: San Antonio @ Los Angeles (Saturday 5/19, 3:30 PM, ABC)
Game 4: San Antonio @ Los Angeles (Sunday 5/20, 10:30 PM, TNT)
Game 5: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Tuesday 5/22, TBD, If Necessary)
Game 6: San Antonio @ Los Angeles (Friday 5/25, TBD, If Necessary)
Game 7: Los Angeles @ San Antonio (Sunday 5/27, TBD, If Necessary)

Key #1: CP3 has no choice but to take over
The Clippers are just tremendous underdogs in this series, and for good reason. If there is any chance to pull off the upset though, Chris Paul needs to be the man of the hour. CP3 went off for 36 points when these two teams last met at the AT&T Center, and it took all 36 of those points to be able to get out of Dodge with a ‘W’. Of course, Mo Williams also put together 33 points off of the bench that day to help out, and that made all of the difference in the world. Still, it is going to come down to what CP3 can do. He is still hurting with a hip pointer, and it is clear that that is going to hamper him for as long as the Clippers are in the playoffs. Still, this is why Paul was brought to Tinseltown, and he is going to have to be the man that does everything for the Clippers if they want to stand any chance.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs Series Odds at
5Dimes Sportsbook
Los Angeles Clippers +1350
San Antonio Spurs -2200
Click Here to Bet The Clippers vs. Spurs Picks!

Key #2: Gregg Popovich has to continue to rotate his players
Well, at least we know that that shouldn’t be all that much of a problem. The Spurs use at least 11 players seemingly every single night, and Popovich is known to use all 13 that he has available to him regardless of whether the game is close or not. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker can’t all play 40 minutes per game like they used to, and that means that the likes of Tiago Splitter, Danny Green, Gary Neal, etc. have no choice but to step it up. None of them really need to contribute more than perhaps about 20 minutes on the court, but those 20 minutes are key, especially the ones that come without the big time scorers on the hardwood.

Key #3: The Clippers absolutely cannot get killed on the glass
Even dating back to 2010, it is quite easy to see the key to winning games in this series. The team that controls the glass is the one that is going to have the best chance to win. The Clippers outrebounded the Spurs 41-35 in the 120-108 win back in March at the AT&T Center, and they held the 53-42 edge in a 103-100 loss at Staples Center in overtime in February. The Spurs were +13 in a 115-90 win right at the outset of the season in December, while the Clippers won the battle on the boards 50-43 in the last meeting of last season, a 90-85 win. That means that Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and the likes really need to make sure that they are sure-handed on the glass and don’t let a somewhat undersized San Antonio team have its way. If the Spurs win the rebounding battle every night, the Clippers are going to be in a heck of a lot of trouble.

Click Here to get the best NBA picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Los Angeles vs. San Antonio picks and the NBA playoffs picks for the rest of the postseason odds.

The Western Conference finally gets involved in the second round of the playoffs on Monday night, and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to square off. Check out our keys to the game for the Thunder vs. Lakers, as well as our Lakers vs. Thunder series picks and a preview of what should be a great, two-week battle.

Click Here For All Of The NBA Finals Odds

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 1: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Monday 5/14, 9:30 PM, TNT)
Game 2: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Wednesday 5/16, 9:30 PM, TNT)
Game 3: Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles (Friday 5/18, 10:30 PM, ESPN)
Game 4: Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles (Saturday 5/19, 10:30 PM, TNT)
Game 5: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Monday 5/21, TBD)
Game 6: Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles (Wednesday 5/23, TBD)
Game 7: Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City (Sunday 5/27, TBD)

Key #1: Oklahoma City has to get its head back in the game quickly
About the only disadvantage that a team generally has when it finishes off a sweep in the first round is that it could show some rust. We aren’t as worried about this with the San Antonio Spurs as we are with the Thunder, knowing that the Spurs have some veteran leadership to lead the way during the absence. However, no matter who you are, nine days off is going to be tough to say the least. The Thunder are going to have to hit the ground running in this series though, knowing that they are going against an LA team that only finished its first round series two nights ago. If Oklahoma City is going to slip at home, Games 1 and 2 are going to be quite dangerous for sure, especially with Kobe and the gang starting to pick up some confidence.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Series Odds at
Wager Web Sportsbook
Los Angeles Lakers +390
Oklahoma City Thunder -430
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Key #2: Kobe needs some help from his bench
There are two things that we know for sure from the Lakers every single time we see them on the court. 1: Kobe Bryant is going to be amazing. He has averaged just under 30 points per game in the playoffs this year, and the truth of the matter is that it is always disappointing when he doesn’t play 42 minutes and score 35 points when he is out there this time of year. 2: The rest of the team is going to be a giant crapshoot. Sure, once Metta World Peace came back to the lineup, matters helped dramatically. He put up 15 in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. However, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are below the numbers that we are expecting, and that is putting the pressure on the bench. Steve Blake shot the ball well from beyond the arc in the first round, and that has to keep up. Where is the rest of the help coming from, though? Ramon Sessions? Jordan Hill? Devin Ebanks? No matter who it is from, the Lakers are going to need their supporting cast to really step up, or they will get blown away in this series.

Key #3: The team that keeps its composure will win this series
We have seen it with the Lakers time and time again. They are a team that is able to be frustrated. The Dallas Mavericks did it to the point last year that they were able to sweep LA out of the second round of the playoffs. However, we know that Oklahoma City can be ruffled as well. Metta World Peace has the ability to be a stifling defensive player (as long as his elbows are staying close to his own body), while the combo of Gasol and Bynum in the paint is usually fantastic defensively. If Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook start to have some issues driving to the basket and become strictly jump shooters, the Thunder are in trouble. Whichever team is able to really play its game and forget what the other is trying to make it do will be in the best shape in this series.

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