On Friday night, the L.A. Lakers hosted the fourth game of the series against the Golden State Warriors. It was a very crucial game for both teams and as things started to heat up, Kobe Bryant gave his all on the court; so much actually that he pushed his body beyond the limits and suffered a great injury. He felt a searing pain during the second half of the game and apparently torn is Achilles’ tendon, which means that the Lakers will have to continue the rest of the season without their main player.

Kobe Bryant injures his left knee

Despite finishing the game with Kobe on the bench getting medical attention, the Lakers managed to pull through and claim the win against the Golden State team at a final score of 118-116. Bryant managed to get in 34 points despite the fact that he was playing with an injury on his left leg and was eventually replaced with a bit over 3 minutes left on the clock. The extension on his tendon happened early in the second half but he was unwilling to give up in a very crucial game that placed them ahead of Utah by one game in the Western Conference. Bryant then suffered an injury as he made a simple drive, a move which he has made countless times in his career, and the season was over for the 34-year old superstar.

The tests will take place on Saturday to see how much damage actually is but it is very likely that Kobe Bryant will not be able to play again this season. Injuries on an Achilles’ tendon normally take months of recovery and it largely depends on the severity. Needless to say that Kobe’s knee has a lot of mileage on it since he played in 17 NBA seasons so far and played more than any other player on his team during this season, averring more than 38 minutes.

His teammates picked up the ball and showed some great plays with Howard and Gasol getting some nice baskets during the last couple of minutes to seal the win. Howard finished with 28 points and 7 rebounds and Gasol added another 26 points on the scoreboard.

Sports betting law

With Kobe on the bench, things will most certainly get a bit more difficult for the Lakers as they are close to making it into the playoffs. Sportsbooks are already considering the injury for the next games and gamblers can take advantage of the situation to place a wager. Be sure to stay up to date with the latest changes in online gambling law 2013 and get your bets in on the internet for sharper lines. Los Angeles is now 43-37 which gives them a one game advantage against Utah, 42-38. The two teams are fighting for the 8^th spot for the playoffs and there are two more games to go.

There have been quite a lot of discussions regarding basketball betting law recently, especially for the NCAA games. The tournament finished earlier this week with the Louisville Cardinals taking the title – their first one in 27 years – but talks about the regulations regarding betting and online gambling in the US continue.

Online casinos

For more gambling options, keep up with the most recent casino news in the industry and learn which online casinos have the best bonuses and promotions as well as the amazing looking games. Sites that cater to the US market offer a great opportunity to wager on various casino games and there are also some great choices that have sports betting, casino games and poker in one place. Players can simply use one account and enjoy their favorite gambling activities without having to waste any time.

Miami Heat is looking unstoppable at this point and it is surely the strongest team in the NBA with 18 consecutive wins. Of course, the superstars in the team are quite familiar with this kind of records as LeBron James has won 66 games with a team, Ray Allen had 19 consecutive wins with another club and Dwayne Wade carried a team in the Eastern Conference to set the best record. However, for all these achievements, the teams didn’t win the championship in their respective year and it remains to be seen if Heat will go all the way this season.

Betting on Miami

Clearly, the safe bet to make right now is on the Miami team since there is no argue that it is performing better than any of its opponents in the NBA. Some gamblers that want to get more familiar with all the basketball betting terms should always have a betting dictionary close by. So far, the Heat has a very good chance at finishing the East playoffs in the top spot as the end of the month gets closer. The next match for the Heat is coming up quickly and will be played on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks; a team which they met three times this season and won every one.

On Wednesday, the team will make a trip to Philly where they will face the 76ers in a game which is expected to be quite one-sided. The 76ers have lost the last 13 games in the regular season against the Heat and if things go well for the NBA giants, this will most likely be their 20^th consecutive win. If this happens, the Miami Heat will be the fourth team to win 20 consecutive games during one season. While the opportunity is certainly there, nothing is certain.

Needless to say that Miami is just focusing on the championship title, a goal which was firmly stuck in their target when the season started and continues as the team got the seventh longest winning streak in the history of the NBA. James declared that winning one game after another is not what their goal is and that winning the championship is all that matters. Of course, winning games does help them on their journey and he also added that they just have to get better every game and constantly try to improve. As any basketball player will be quick to point out, the trophy does not go to the team that has the biggest winning streak.

Miami Heat beats Indiana Pacers 105-91

Mario Chalmers from the Miami Heat after scoring a three-pointer on Sunday

Miami’s most recent win came on Sunday when they faced the Pacers in a very significant game. The Indiana team can be considered as the closest rival to the Heat right now and despite LeBron not having a very good night, Miami still managed to take the win after getting a nice lead in the third quarter and never looking back.

Six weeks ago, the race in the East was looking very close with the Pacers taking the second win against the defending champions in early February but things changed a lot in this short amount of time. Wade stated that the players don’t even feel like they are on a winning streak and they are just playing basketball, giving it their best every game. A few weeks ago, some of the top players took part in the NBA All Star game where the West took the win at 143-138.

18-game streak stats

Taking a look at the numbers from the last 18 games Miami Heat played in the regular season, James is at the top with an average of 27.2 points per game and 60% shooting. Wade is not far behind him with a 24.3 average and 55 percent while Chris Bosh is averaging 16.6 points from 54% shooting.

Of course, they haven’t won so many games alone with some other stars getting the chance to shine in a few matches. Shane Battier got some impressive shots that made the difference on a few occasions and Allen is looking in top shape again. During the game against the Pacers on Sunday, Mario Chalmers was the one who helped carry Miami to victory as he got 26 points in from nine shots.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association organizes a basketball tournament every year that determines the national champion. The 2013 tournament involves 68 teams that will play against each other in a single-elimination format starting from March 19 and ending on April 8. To make things even more exciting, this is the 75^th edition of the Men’s Basketball Tournament showing once again the long history of the tournament. Out of the 68 teams that will take place in the competition in 2013, the 30 teams that will win their conference tournament will be given automatic bids while the remaining automatic bid will be awarded to the Ivy League champion. The other 37 teams will receive different bids, called “at-large” which will be given by the Selection Committee.

Sunday March 17, the selection will take place which will determine the brackets for the 2013 Division I men’s college basketball tournament.

The First Round will take place on March 19-20 at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

The Second and Third Rounds for March 21 and 23 will be played at:

• The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, in the state of Michigan
• The Rupp arena in Lexington, in the state of Kentucky
• The Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, in the state of Utah
• The HP Pavilion in San Jose, in the state of California

The Second and Third Rounds for March 22 and 24 will be taking place at:

• The Frank Erwin Center in Austin,  state of Texas
• The UD arena in Dayton, state of Ohio
• The Sprig Center in Kansas City, state of Missouri
• The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, state of Pennsylvania

The action will then be split amongst the four regionals with the East Regional taking place on March 28 and 30 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. and the West Regional being held at the same dates at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Midwest Regional will be going on at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on March 29 and 31 when the South Regional will be played at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The National Semifinals, also known as the Final Four, will be played on April 6 on the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. This will put the winners for the regionals in head-to-head matches leaving just the final two teams.

The Championship Game will be played on April 8 on the Georgia Dome with the winners being declared the 2013 NCAA Division I Champions.

NCAA College Basketball Betting

With so much action taking place in just one month, it is easy to see why basketball enthusiasts refer to it as March Madness and is one of the most betting intensive periods of the year. Gamblers from around the United States, and also the world, want to show their support for the top teams and also make some money in the process.

Online bookmakers will offer some attractive lines as soon as the matches get revealed and interesting users can easily place their bets on the winners of every game or go for something more exciting and try to predict the overall champions. Last year, the title went to the Kentucky Wildcats, their 8^th victory in the NCAA, just 3 titles behind the UCLA Bruins.

As the NBA All-Star game on Sunday, February 17, took place between the East and the West, fans got to enjoy some superb plays thanks to the players that brought magic to the court. Amongst the stars was Kobe Bryant who showed some impressive defensive skills, especially against LeBron James whom he stopped on more than one occasion.

LeBron James dunks after passing Kobe Bryant during the 2013 NBA All-Star game in Houston

He blocked a jumper attempt from James and gave Kevin Durant the chance to land a dunk which helped put the Western Conference in the lead even more and secure the win.

Durant stated after the game that he hasn’t seen any MVP block a jumper like Bryant did and applauded him for his great play. Adding the fact that he did it against the best player in the league made things even sweeter for the guy with five championship rings; one more and he is tied with Michael Jordan.

Gamblers that were looking to put some money down for the All-Star game really needed to do their homework and apply some basic college basketball betting tips since there were a lot of important elements to take into consideration. Getting as much information as possible about the players and the teams is essential when looking to wager on any sport.

The MVP of the night went to Chris Paul who got 20 points and 15 assists while Durant got 30 points in for his team. Paul declared that he liked making passes considering that there was so much firepower on the court. He did have a point with Kevin Durant on one of the lanes and with Kobe and Blake on the wing.

As far as the East goes, Carmelo Anthony got 26 points and 12 rebounds. Stopping LeBron was not a small task which landed on Kobe several times during the night.

It only took 16 seconds for the first dunk to be made and Griffin had the honors after getting a pass from Paul. The West got an early 7-0 lead and stayed in the lead at the end of each of the first 3 quarters but the East didn’t allow them to get further than eight points ahead during this time. When the fourth quarter began, the West managed to pull ahead even more and got double figures thanks to James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Towards the end of the game, Paul got 3-pointers, Bryant with a layup and a block on James meant that Durant’s dunk would secure the 136-126 win.

The night was filled with amazing plays and big dunks and it seemed that every one of the players wanted to show exactly why they deserve to be in their respective All-Star team. At one point during the night, Durant went so hard that he appeared woozy after he landed and stumbled a few steps backward. If it weren’t for the great finish Paul had, Durant would have most likely got the MVP award for the second time in a row.

NBA Betting

Recent basketball NBA news show that the Warriors lost against the Jazz at 101-115, Spurs won against the Kings 108-102 and the Suns also got a win against the Trail Blazers at 102-98. More games are coming up tomorrow as the Pistons face the Bobcats and the Knicks play against the Pacers as well as many others. Online sportsbooks are offering various betting options for NBA matches and enthusiasts of the sport can add a bit more excitement to the games by placing a wager.

The regular season will be played until April 17 and the playoffs will begin on April 20, 2013 with various things to bet on in the meantime and with some teams beginning to look unstoppable.

With a large number of the three hundred million plus residents of America loving a little bet on their favourite sports or having a game online at the casinos, the question is where are the places to go to do this?

Read on as we go through some of the best USA gambling sites, including current and new basketball betting sites and more. You will be amazed and the options available for US citizens, there are plenty of places you can frequent.

Great US Gambling Sites

With a wealth of US Gambling sites out there that you can enjoy legitimately in the eyes of the US government, its difficult to know which ones are suitable for you. We have found a number of great US gambling sites and you can read about a few of these below.

Bovada – Bovada is an immense place to play. Here you can enjoy one of the best sports books on the internet and one that also allows US players to be part of the fun too. Whats more, you can also play at the Bovada online casino too as this is a site that offers a multitude of gambling options to choose from.

In our experience, Bovada eclipses all others when it comes to gambling fun for US players.

Casino Titan – Casino Titan is a titan by name and titan by nature. This is a place where you can play casino games a plenty and also enjoy some of the best promotions and bonuses the online casino world has to offer. Casino Titan is a reputable and enjoyable place to play.

Grand Parker – Grand Parker has built itself a reputation for being a gambling site of note, but you probably didn’t know that US players are welcome here as well. If you want to play at this great online casino where you get to enjoy the casino experience of grandeur then Grand Parker is for you.

Top Basketball Betting Sites

There are a great many top basketball betting sites to choose from, currently however there are a top four in our minds that stick out as the best. Lets talk through these four and tell you what we think.

TopBet – Top Bet hosts a huge number of basketball games to lay bets on. Here you are not only restricted to the NBA, you can also get involved in basketball matches across a number of nations so you have a lot more choice on offer.

BetOnline – BetOnline has always been a brilliant place for sports betting, but now you have such an array of choices when it comes to basketball that it sits among the top basketball betting sites.

Bet365 - Bet365 is one of those safe names that ensure you feel secure in your betting, but it is also a place where all bets are taken. There are endless options available when it comes to basketball betting at Bet365, the only downside is that you cannot legally play here in the US.

William Hill Betting – William Hill may be the grandfather of mainstream sports betting, but it is also a place that encapsulates the words “world betting” as all sports are catered too. More importantly basketball has its own massive selection of choices from across the globe. The only downside is that US players are not supposed to play here.

With all the above sites on offer there is a wealth of choices for United States based players, all of these places are of top quality.

The NBA is the epitome of the basketball world; it is the zenith of any basketball tournament. Because of this it draws the attention of the whole world, not just America. This means that not only do you find Americans using sport books to place bets on the basketball; people across the globe do too.

With the above in mind lets delve into this weekend’s games to see what offerings were available and how anyone of us could have cashed in on the glory of the NBA teams in action.

On Friday evening there were 10 games to choose from with the Hornets, Raptors, Knicks and Bulls playing to name a few.

Friday night NBA games

The Raptors were at home to the Pacers and it was a good scoring, close match. The Raptors having the home advantage was a real help as they edged the match by 100 points to 98.

Magic have been okay recently but have struggled to keep a strong form and this showed in their home match against the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers romped to victory in this match 119 to 108.

Another big win was that of Thunder who were away to the Suns. Thunder really pulled their socks up in this match as they annihilated the Suns 127 points to 96.

The other matches all lived up to expectations with the Hornets, Pistons, Heat, Knicks, Rockets, Grizzlies and Bulls all winning the matches they played. The Grizzlies and Bulls matches were lower scoring with neither team breaking the 100 point barrier.

Saturday NBA Games

Saturday would take a lot to live up to Fridays big games, but it managed to even though there were only 5 games on offer.

On Saturday you had the Nuggets against the Cavaliers, the Bobcats against the 76ers, Pistons at home to the Bucks, Warriors against the Mavericks and Jazz against the Kings. With this bevy of games there was sure to be some betting fun and it seems many did get involved at the sports books.

The biggest scoring game of Saturday was the match between the Jazz and Kings. This was a hard fought match but the Kings were victorious in the end, winning 120 points to 109. The lowest scoring match was the Bobcats vs the 76ers where the 76ers won by 87 points to 76. To be fair to the 76ers, they were in front for the whole match and didn’t look like losing.

NBA Betting

There are more games on today that you could have a side bet on, other than this there are other matches you can enjoy. The NBA offers huge opportunities in the betting arena so if you are in for a rip roaring ride with bets a plenty, great odds and huge potential of winning big, why not bet on the NBA.

We suggest Bovada as one of the best sports books for NBA betting so why not read here for a Bovada sports betting review. Alternatively you can stay tuned and keep coming back here for more basketball news!

Not ONLY Looking at Bonuses

One of the biggest issues that I tend to find that some online gamblers will have is the ability to not be able to overlook a huge bonus.  Remember, not all bonuses that are huge are great for players.  Look into the terms and conditions of the bonus, as the play through requirements could be quite large and take a very, very long time to get through.  On top of that though, some bonuses have to be cleared in a specific time, which makes it tough to do, and this is something that should not be a sole reason for joining up at an online gambling site.

Software For All Gambling Types

The software that an online gambling site uses is big, but remember that the software is going to vary for each different type.  For example, if you are a fan of all three gambling types, having a site that offers a great sportsbook is strong, but making sure that they offer you excellent software for their casino play and online poker room is important as well.  Take the time to check this out by doing the research and looking at the site as a whole.  We’ll take a more in-depth look at the research option below, but the software is crucial.

Research and Reviews

Research is big in sports betting, and many other factors relating to online gambling.  With that being said, taking the time to research and read reviews on specific online gambling sites is big.  For example, you can read the Bovada sports review to get a bulk of information for all three of the popular parts of the gambling site.  This is going to cover things like the software at the online poker site, the casino will cover the games offered and the limits for games, and the sports betting site is going to cover the different bets offered, the sports they cover, and much more.  This is some great information that you can pick up from reviews and research.  Take the time to do the research and look at the reviews, as this can translate into finding a great site to take your action to.

There are quite a few online gambling sites out there that offer all three of the popular options for gamblers.  Sorting through them is the task, but fortunately many gambling news sites are going to break down the sites in-depth, and help you find the best online gambling site for the all-around gamblers today.  You can even cross reference it from a few sites, but simply checking the reviews is going to more than likely get the job done for you.

The NBA Basketball season is in full swing now and many are looking to who they would like to place their money on to top the league. Betting on a team is a very easy task nowadays with the prevalence of the internet, which now houses some of the best odds not only in sports betting but also with online casinos. Users can now have a game of Baccarat or Blackjack after a few simple flicks of the thumb on a smartphone. This has led to a huge choice of card and slots games becoming available at some of the leading sites such as http://www.luckynuggetcasino.com/au. Online bookmakers have reaped similar benefits and are now able to offer odds that rival any land-based bookies.
Sports betting on basketball is occurring as both fans and avid bettors place wagers on a multitude of aspects. When betting on upcoming basketball events, there are different kinds of bets that can be placed. Parlays and teasers are one kind of sports bet that is a rather exotic bet in comparison to other types. When placing a parlay or teaser on basketball, the wager is placed on who will win two of more game. Specifically, with parlays, bettors can opt for betting on the point spread or the money line. Teasers involved betting on the money line. The difference with a teaser is that the player can adjust the point spread to their favour. There is a catch to placing parlay and teaser bets on basketball. All of the teams in the bet must win or the bet will lose. It doesn’t matter even if all the teams win but one. The bet is still a losing bet.
Another bet that can be made on upcoming basketball games is a totals bet. Some online casinos may refer to it as over/unders. The essence of a totals bet is making a prediction on the combined score for the two teams playing in the basketball game. The sportsbook will post a number for the game. Those wishing to place a wager can choose whether the total score will be over this amount or under the amount. In the event that the actual score is the predict score, the bets would be considered a push or a tie. For those starting out in basketball sports betting, this kind of bet is a simple one with which to begin.

Back when the first online casino games made an appearance online, they were every bit as primitive as you’d expect. Back in the 1990s, when the first casino games made an appearance online, they were crudely drawn and had few of the features that you can find in every game today.

But the gambling sites were quick to adopt new technologies whenever they became available. Better graphics allowed people to immerse themselves in the world that the games created, while an increased security allowed for players to have some peace of mind. In fact, security has made it all possible, as without the promise of security nobody would have dared to invest in this domain.

Where they are today

Now that we’ve seen where these online casino games started from, it’s time to take a look at where they are today. If you’ve opened any online casino software over the past months you certainly know that today’s games are good enough to go head to head against the best games out there. The graphics are great, the storyline actually tells a story and the gameplay is optimized to the point that everything you need is within reach on the screen.

Also, these sites have reached such a level of safety and security that you never hear about an online casino getting hacked or the private information of its users getting leaked to the public. When handling the amounts of money that these guys have on their hands, it’s only natural that they try to guard them as much as possible!

Box24 Casino

One example of an online casino that features the newest types of games ever is Box24 Casino. This site is at the forefront of online casino gaming, featuring the latest casino games. Box24 Casino is a “general” online casino, which means that you’re going to find a couple of games from every genre out there, be it table games, card games (like the ever-popular Blackjack or types of poker games that are played against the house) and the newer, digital games like the online slot machines. They all feature the latest technologies available in the fields of safety and security, as well as graphics or gameplay.

And just like betting on basketball, online casino gaming comes with its benefits, and there are plenty of them to go around. Promotions and bonuses will be offered to you from the moment you sign up for a new account. For instance, Box24 Casino features a significant welcome bonus that reaches $2,400 and goes on over the course of your first five deposits. The first of them will bring you a 200% deposit bonus of up to $1,000, and the next deposits will carry with them smaller and smaller bonuses, so that the fourth and fifth deposits will be able to add $200 to your bankroll.

Also, Box24 Casino has another ongoing promotion that doesn’t require you to deposit a single cent in your account! This no deposit bonus will allow you to receive $24 just for signing up and becoming a member of the site. That’s all it takes!

Other online casinos

If you like Box24’s game lineup then you might want to try out some other sites as well, even if it’s just to compare what the sites have to offer. You can find other online casino sites reviewed in special casino resource websites whose authors do this for a living.

Alternatively, you can start browsing through online casinos yourself and try to figure out which is best for you. If you want to do this, there are a couple of things you need to consider. First and foremost, it’s the site’s reputation: if you google the site you’d want to join and see a bunch of negative opinions posted about it, that’d be the first red flag and the sign that you should probably find another place to play online gambling games at.

But if you want to ensure that you’ll make the right choice your best bet has to be checking out the reviews on an online casino resource site. So find one and check out the best online casino games!

LA Lakers News

The Los Angeles Lakers were the talk of the offseason. Bringing in Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace to compliment Pao Gasol and Kobe Bryant was supposed to make the Lakers one of the top teams in the league and a Championship threat. In fact the NBA bookies had the Lakers with odds of +250 to win the 2013 NBA Championship, next to only the +210 of the Miami Heat!

Needless to say things haven’t panned out the way many people expected with these 5 starts failing to find any chemistry to this point in the season. The Lakers currently sit in 11^th spot in the West with a 15-18 record and are 3.5 games back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

What They Have To Do

Just to make the playoffs the Lakers will likely need almost 50 wins. Let’s say 46 wins gets you into the playoffs in the West, which is what it was in the last full NBA season. That means that the Lakers must go 31-18 in their remaining games just to get that final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Then they would likely have to play the LA Clippers, OKC Thunder or San Antonio Spurs (each of who are battling it out for top spot in the West at the moment). That would make them big dogs heading into the playoffs and they would likely be out in the first round anyways.

To avoid playing these teams in the first round of the playoffs, which would allow them to get some footing under them and some playoff experience before having to take on all of the big dogs they would have to finish the season with about 50 wins (5^th place two years ago). That means they would have to go 34-14 from here on out. This is doable, but as you can see they will need to turn it up very soon to reach this plateau and it just doesn’t look like they have figured it out yet.

Current Championship Odds

The odds for the Lakers have lengthened significantly, but for some unknown reason the oddsmakers are still giving the Lakers a very good shot at the Championship. They are currently sitting at +1000 at 5Dimes, which is still the 5^th favorite in the league. Pretty generous for a 15-18 team if I do say so.

To find some good NBA picks, head over to NBABettingPredictions.com where Jeff has been picking winners this season. One thing is for sure. Jeff won’t be suggesting that anyone takes the Lakers to win the Championship at this point in the season. They would be lucky to just make the playoffs.