Weekend Betting Preview - May 16-17
Those who are betting online should have an exciting weekend lined up, as the second jewel in horse racing’s “Triple Crown” goes off on Saturday, while last year’s NBA finalists are facing elimination in a pair of Game 7. The NHL drops the puck on the conference finals, and NASCAR’s top drivers head to Charlotte to race for a million bucks. We're coming down to the wire for many sports betting playoff series, so make sure to check our picks in order to get the best value out of your wager.
The 134th running of the Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore at 5:00 PM ET on Saturday, May 16th, and Rachel Alexandra is a massive 8/5 Preakness odds favorite to become the first filly since Minnie Norse in 1924 to win the Belmont. She’s facing competition from Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who was ridden by Calvin Borel – Rachel Alexandra’s new jockey. Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile will be in the field as well, along with Derby favorite Friesen Fire, who is looking to bounce back from a disappointing previous performance.
Rockets vs Lakers odds (Sunday, May 17, 3:30 PM ET) favor Los Angeles at home by 12.5 points in their Game 7 meeting with Houston, who fought off elimination with a 95-80 win over the Lakers in Game 6 at home. Magic vs Celtics odds (Sunday, May 17, 8:00 PM ET) are backing Boston at home by 2.5 points, and Orlando bounced back from a potentially-demoralizing Game 5 loss to win Game 6 by a score of 83-75.
Blackhawks vs Red Wings odds (Sunday, May 17, 3:00 PM ET) favor Detroit at home at -180 as they kick off their Western Conference series with Chicago in this battle of Original Six teams. In terms of players, Detroit is the oldest team in the league, while Chicago is the second-youngest, so this is a age-old clash of youth versus experience.
This weekend’s big games come from the National League Central, as Astros vs Cubs odds are favoring Chicago at home. Watch out for the pitching matchup on Saturday at 1:05 PM ET, when Houston ace Roy Oswalt takes on Chicago’s Sean Marshall. Brewers vs Cardinals odds are favoring St. Louis at home, and Sunday’s pitching matchup at 2:15 PM ET wraps up the series as Milwaukee’s Manny Parra meets a struggling Todd Wellemeyer of St. Louis, who was rocked in his last outing.
Kyle Busch is the online sportsbook betting favorite in the 25th All-Star race, where the prize isn’t points - it’s a cool million dollars. Kasey Kahne is the defending winner, but it’s the Hendrick stable that most players should look towards with drivers such as Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, not to mention Hendrick satellite team Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. The race takes place at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, May 16th, so NASCAR betting players should get their online sports bets in.
For more online sportsbook betting, visit the sportsbook at BetOnline.com.
