Nigel Ridgway
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NBA Playoffs
Western Conference
Live betting - MIN TWolves v SAC Kings
Sa May 8 - 9:30 pm (ESPN)/May 9 - 01:00 GMT
Live betting - SAN Spurs v LA Lakers
Su May 9 - 3:30 pm (ABC)/19:30 GMT
The San Antonio Spurs jumped to a 2-0 Series lead on Wednesday night with a 95-85 home win, thanks to a star performance from Tony Parker who scored a career-high 30 points. After blowing nearly all of a 19-point lead, Parker took over to spark a 12-5 run in the final 5 1/2 minutes and put away the LA Lakers in the fourth quarter for the second straight game. It remains to be seen if they can maintain this momentum in LA, where a split would give them a 3-1 lead and a chance to close a team averaging just 81.5 in two games against them and getting outscored by 10 points a game. The Minnesota Timberwolves lost their home-court advantage in a 104-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings in Game 1 of their semi final in the Target Center. Now they're really under pressure to prevent heading to Sacramento on Saturday night 2-0 down in the best-of-seven series.
bet365 'To Win The Series' prices … Spurs 1/5, Lakers 15/4 … Kings 5/8, TWolves 7/5.
bet365 Western Conference prices … Spurs 5/6, Lakers 7/2, Kings 7/2, TWolves 11/2.
Eastern Conference
Live betting - MIA Heat v IND Pacers
Sa May 8 - 7:00 pm (ESPN)/23:00 GMT
Live betting - DET Pistons v NEW Nets
Su May 9 - 8:00 pm (TNT)/May 10 - 00:00 GMT
The Indiana Pacers must have been feeling pretty satisfied with themselves watching Miami Heat finally finish off the Hornets with a Game 7 win on Tuesday, giving them just one day to prepare for Game 1 of the second round series against the top-seeds on Thursday night. The Heat will be hoping they can take advantage of the Pacer's probable lack of sharpness after such a layoff, but even if they did take Game 1, it should only serve as further motivation for the Pacers to take them out! On Friday night we'll see Game 2 of the other East semi-final, as the New Jersey Nets attempt to redeem themselves in the Palace of Auburn Hills, after setting franchise records of the bad sort in a 78-56 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
bet365 'To Win The Series' prices … Pacers 1/30, Heat 14/1 … Pistons 5/19, Nets 3/1.
bet365 Eastern Conference prices … Pacers 100/130, Pistons 7/5, Nets 9/1, Heat 40/1.
bet365 NBA Championship prices … Spurs 5/4, Lakers 5/1, Kings 5/1, Pacers 13/2, others on bet365 website.
Join us for live betting on all the playoff games this weekend, where our betting will include: Point Spread; Game Total; and Who Will Win the Quarter.
MLB
Live betting - LA Dodgers @ FLA Marlins
Th May 6 - 7:05 pm EST (FOX Sports)/May 6 - 01:05 GMT)
A pair of pitchers off to a great start this season do battle at Pro Player Stadium on Thursday night, as Kazuhisa Ishii leads the Los Angeles Dodgers against Dontrelle Willis and the Florida Marlins in the rubber match of a three-game series. The Dodgers won 4-3 in 11 innings on Tuesday and last night the Marlins rode 7 2/3 scoreless innings from Brad Penny on the way to a 2-0 triumph. The Dodgers are 9-0 in one-run games this season, and have won eight of the last 11 meetings against the Marlins.
Join us for live betting on this game, and all this weekend's live matches, where our markets will include: Game Total; Money Line; Run Line; Most Hits In The Innings; Team To Win Next Innings; Team To Score Next Home Run; Total Hits Next Innings; and Runs Next Innings.
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NHL Conference Finals
Live betting (Sa Game Only) - Tampa Bay v Philadelphia
Sa May 8 - 3:00 pm EST (ABC)/19:00 GMT
Mo May 10 - 7:30 pm EST (ESPN)/23:30 GMT
Th May 13 - 7:00 pm EST (ESPN)/23:00 GMT
The benefit of home-ice-advantage, and having time to rest thanks to their quick victories in each of the first two rounds, may just give the Lightning the edge in this series. They also boast a strong defensive system, whose work in their own end is often overshadowed by their key role in the team's transition play. What's more their goaltender, Nikolai Khabibulin, is playing well enough to be considered for MVP, and is still in with a shot of the postseason record of seven shutouts (four in nine games so far). The Flyers have already overcome two very good teams to get this far, but are not without injury worries, notably their best defence man Eric Desjardins. Tampa to win 4-1 @ 4/1.
bet365 Series prices … Tampa 5/8, Philadelphia 7/5.
San Jose v Calgary
Su May 9 - 4:00 pm EST (ESPN)/20:00 GMT
Tu May 11 - 9:00 pm EST (ESPN)/May 12 - 01:00 GMT
Ron Wilson's young and relatively inexperienced San Jose team have already exceeded expectations this season, and now look ready to progress even further thanks to a little more scoring balance than Calgary, and a healthier blue line. The Sharks' big gun in offence is Patrick Marleau, who got off to a great start in the playoffs before cooling off after two games against the Avs. Veterans Vincent Damphousse and youngster Jonathan Cheechoo have been making important postseason contributions as well. Calgary's defence is still without Denis Gauthier and Toni Lydman through injury, and that could hurt them. They may have outworked their opponents in the first two rounds but will find that a lot tougher to do against a determined San Jose team. San Jose to win 4-2 @ 9/2.
bet365 Series prices … San Jose 2/3, Calgary 13/10.
More Series Correct Score prices also available on the bet365 website.
bet365 Stanley Cup prices … San Jose 7/4, Tampa 9/4, Philadelphia 3/1, Calgary 7/2.
Join us for live betting on Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay Game 1, where our markets will include: Puck Line; Game Total; Next Goal Scored; Most Shots on Goal; Who Will Win the Period; and Next Period Total.
PGA Tour, Wachovia Championship, Quail Hollow GC
Th May 6 - 4:00 pm EST (USA)/20:00 GMT
Fr May 7 - 3:00 pm EST (USA)/19:00 GMT
Sa May 8 - 3:00 pm EST (USA)/19:00 GMT
Su May 9 - 3:00 pm EST (USA)/19:00 GMT
Last year's event was won by David Toms by two strokes, a deceiving margin considering he made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the final hole. However, with seven of the top ten players in the World Rankings in the field this week, including Woods, Mickelson and Singh, expect there to be a much closer finish this time around. At 5/1, Woods is the biggest price he has been for a long while, but until he shows that he can consistently hit the fairways with the big stick, the advice would be to hang fire, while Mickelson is unlikely to get away with the wayward driving of last week on this heavily tree-lined course. Vijay Singh on the other hand, already a three-time winner this season, has the game for steering through a tight layout such as this, and looks the man to beat again this week. Chad Campbell, another solid ball striker who should be suited to this layout, can make the frame at an each way price. He was in the thick of things here last season until a closing 74, but certainly knows how to get the job done judging on his brilliant finish at this season's Bay Hill. My final pick would be Zach Johnson, who has been 13th or better in four of his last five starts, including his maiden Tour win in the Bell South Classic, and ranks 22nd in Driving Accuracy on the PGA Tour - a useful stat to have on your side this week.
Bet the tournament In-Running with bet365, subject to TV coverage.
bet365 pre-tournament prices … Woods 5/1, Singh 11/2, Mickelson 15/2, Love 18/1, Campbell & Choi 25/1, Johnson 66/1, others on bet365 website.
Preakness Stakes, Pimlico
Sa May 15 - 5:00 pm EST (NBC)/21:00 GMT
Lion Heart, my pick for the Derby, was the subject of a late gamble (no connection there) into 5/1 second favourite but could not cope with Smarty Jones' pace in the final stages, finishing second. The winner is now unbeaten - the first unbeaten horse since Seattle Slew in 1977 to land the 'Run for the Roses' - and is now on course for a rematch in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday week. Conditions there are likely to be completely different to the sloppy surface encountered by Saturday's field, with Derby third favourite Tapit clearly not happy on the track. Rock Hard Ten, only left out of the field because of a lack of earnings in Graded Stakes, now heads to Pimlico as one of the favourites.
Nigel.
NIGEL RIDGWAY, an experienced punter and betting shop owner of many years, believes that "The key to successful gambling is getting value for money." Nigel was once forced by local bookmakers, to stop writing a tipping column in a UK newspaper, because he was costing them a fortune. Find out what offers and lines are hot at bet365.com
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