Sports betting roundup: NHL and NBA playoffs finish first rounds with several Game 7s
The first rounds of the NHL and NBA playoffs are complete.
The weekend saw two Game 7s in the NHL, where the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in double overtime on Sunday.
In the NBA, there were also two Game 7s, where the Denver Nuggets blew out the Los Angeles Clippers 120-101 on Saturday and the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 103-89 on Sunday.
Trends of the Week
At the BetMGM online sportsbook, Denver closed as a short favorite (-2.5) in their win over the Clippers, where they led 93-66 going into the fourth quarter. The Nuggets took in 76% of the bets and 71% of the money in against-the-spread betting.
On the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler won his home tournament, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, just outside of Dallas over the weekend. He finished at 31 under, winning by eight strokes. He also tied the PGA Tour scoring record for a 72-hole event. Scheffler was a massive favorite at +300 going into the event, and took in the most bets (11.8%) and most money (36%) in pre-tournament outright winner betting.
Upsets of the Week
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Indiana Pacers upset the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-112 on the road. Indiana closed as an 8.5-point underdog and took in 44% of the bets and 39% of the money in against-the-spread betting. In terms of the moneyline, the Pacers were +290 and took in 57% of the bets and 33% of the money.
The Warriors were slight underdogs (+2.5) in their Game 7 win over the Rockets. Golden State took in 64% of the money in against-the-spread betting, and 71% of the bets in moneyline betting, where they were +115.
The Blues-Jets Game 7 saw Winnipeg score two goals in the final two minutes of regulation, including one with just under three seconds remaining to force overtime, and then Adam Lowry won it at the 16:10 mark of double overtime. Going into the third period, when the Blues led 3-1, they were -1000 on the moneyline, and the Jets were +575.
Coming Up
After just over a month of the MLB season, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain big favorites in World Series odds at +240. Los Angeles is currently 23-11 and leads the NL West by half a game over the San Diego Padres.
The New York Yankees have the second-shortest odds at +800, followed by the New York Mets at +900 and the Philadelphia Phillies at +1200.
___
This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM online sportsbook.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
21 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Oilers' penalty woes and composure issues lead to blowout loss and put them in precarious spot
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Falling behind early, parading to the penalty box and losing their composure, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in an all-too-familiar position trailing the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final . Not much went right for them in Game 3 on Monday night, a 6-1 blowout loss that put them down 2-1 in the series after taking the opener at home. By Tuesday, they were back on the ice for practice, eager to put their worst performance since early in the playoffs behind them.
San Francisco Chronicle
22 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jets' Jermaine Johnson expected to be healthy in time to face Aaron Rodgers and Steelers in Week 1
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jermaine Johnson's long-awaited comeback from a torn Achilles tendon is on track to happen the same day a former New York Jets teammate makes what's sure to be a much-hyped return. Week 1 at MetLife Stadium — against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. 'We actually were just texting last night,' a smiling Johnson said of Rodgers on Tuesday after the first practice of the Jets' three-day mandatory minicamp. 'It's funny. But obviously, I'm excited, he's excited.' Johnson, a promising edge rusher who was coming off his first Pro Bowl selection, tore his right Achilles tendon in Week 2 last year and missed the rest of the season. Coach Aaron Glenn said the 2022 first-round draft pick should be 'close' to being ready for training camp in July and could start on the physically unable to perform list, 'but he'll be ready for the season.' During the early days of his recovery, Johnson was comforted by Rodgers, who made a comeback of his own last season after tearing his left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut with the Jets in 2023. Rodgers was released by New York in the offseason, signed last week with Pittsburgh and made his practice debut with the Steelers on Tuesday. 'It was a pleasure having Aaron around and stuff like that and I wish him the best,' Johnson said. "But when I get between those lines, there's no friends. And I think he knows that and he feels the same, so I'm excited. 'It's just another game, but for me, it's going to be my first game back and there's a lot of emotions. And when my emotions run high, I tend to play pretty well.' Johnson declined to say what he and Rodgers texted about Monday night, but acknowledged the quarterback was instrumental in helping get his mind right as he prepared for the tough recovery and rehabilitation. 'First thing he said, he's like, 'You'll be good. You've got a 10-year-plus career here. You're all right. Chalk it up,'' Johnson recalled. 'It just kind of let me calm down a little bit and be able to gather myself and just take it on the chin and handle it and do a good job at it. So that's how I've attacked it. Aaron's been a tremendous help in so many ways.' Despite the uncertainty over the injury, Glenn and the Jets showed their belief in Johnson as part of their defense moving forward when they picked up his fifth-year contract option, along with those of fellow 2022 first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson. 'It was a big investment,' Johnson said. 'They've seen enough of me and heard enough about me that they're willing to dive into that for at least one more year. So it means a lot to me. I'm always a man of my word and a man of honor, so to me, that's them lifting their end of the couch and now it's my turn to lift my end of the couch.' Johnson had 2 1/2 sacks in 14 games as a rookie after being drafted 26th overall out of Florida before breaking out with 7 1/2 in 2023 while starting all 17 games for New York. He also had 16 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss and returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. Then came the setback last season, just as he was blossoming into a force on the Jets' defense. 'I cried a little bit like right after I got hurt,' Johnson said. 'But I'm just a man a faith, so God wanted me to walk through this and I took it like that and, you know, embodied this rehab. And I have full confidence I'm gonna come back without missing a beat.' The Jets are banking on that, envisioning Johnson as a key part of their pass rush. Glenn was a member of the Detroit Lions staff that coached at the Senior Bowl in 2022, and Johnson left a lasting impression on him. 'He's a hard-nosed, physical, violent player that's very athletic that has the ability to win off the edge and make plays on the quarterback,' Glenn said. "Listen, you don't get a lot of guys that have the athleticism as he does but still be strong and powerful to be able to hold against the run. So I'm excited to see that player get out there in training camp and going into the first game. 'So he's going to be a huge part of what we're doing. He knows that. But again, he understands what he's got to get better at, too.' ___
San Francisco Chronicle
22 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
NHL's state income tax debate heats up with the Florida Panthers back in the Stanley Cup Final
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers are two wins away from becoming the fifth Stanley Cup champion in the past six years from a U.S. state with no income tax. The run has made taxes something of a hot topic around the league. Many contenders going deep in the playoffs come from Sun Belt locales, but the financial benefit is one advantage of many for them in attracting and retaining players. Or is it? "The tax thing is marginal at best, and I think the real reasons are that we're trying to do figure out a way to do our best to try to win," Florida general manager Bill Zito said, adding that team ownership and coach Paul Maurice are also key assets. 'The sun doesn't kill us. It's a nice environment to live in. It's a good place for families. It's a good place for singles. It's got a little something for everybody,' Commissioner Gary Bettman said before the final he 'hates the issue," and that was evident Monday night on TNT when retired player-turned-analyst Paul Bissonnette suggested tax problems should be addressed in the next collective bargaining agreement. Bettman called it ridiculous and rhetorically asked if the league should subsidize teams in places like New York and Los Angeles. The NHL tax landscape The Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken are the six NHL teams out of 32 in a place with no state income tax. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said some other franchises have raised it as a concern but added the league does not share that thinking. 'These imbalances have existed forever,' Daly said. 'There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location for a particular team for a particular coach that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market.' The union seems to agreed that nothing needs to be negotiated in the next CBA to mitigate varying tax levels. NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey, who played for seven teams over 17 seasons from 2003-20, cited a run of Cup winners in places like Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh over a decade-plus span as a hole in the argument. 'I'm kind of baffled at times that this is the topic it is,' Hainsey said. 'To react this way out there because Florida and Tampa are having their moment here where they have the players, good teams, took less to stay — it's the same thing that's happened the previous 12 years with all these other things. So, when we talk about, is it really an issue, I'm not certain that it is." Hainsey also pointed out that this is not a top issue in the NFL and NBA. Of course, hockey still has a ways to go to catch up with football and basketball player salaries, even with the NHL cap rising over the next few years because of revenues setting records. Alan Pogroszewski, who has studied and worked with players on tax matters for more than a decade, said a flexible salary cap would account for the range of tax situations. His AFP Consulting found that since 2016, teams in places with no state income tax qualified for the playoffs at a higher rate, providing what he called 'an innate-built-in tax advantage for several of these cities.' 'It's a combination of many things,' Pogroszewski said Tuesday. 'There's more factors than just the amount of money that's spent. It's how it's spent. But when you come into an equal playing field and your dollar's worth more, then that allows you some leeway.' What do players think? Brad Marchand, a Canadian who played in Boston for a decade and a half before getting traded to Florida in March, does not dismiss taxes as a factor in choosing where to play. "The Canadian teams, most of them have an extremely high tax rate, and then the California teams, same thing: Those teams are going to have to pay more money to get certain players than others,' Marchand said. "When you look at a team like Montreal, what are they 52, 54%? Versus a team like here or Dallas or whatever. That's a 15% difference. When you add that up, it's a tremendous amount of money.' Of course, money isn't the only motivating factor. Success for Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas and Dallas directly coincides with Zito, Julien BriseBois, Kelly McCrimmon and Jim Nill being some of the best executives around and knowing how to evaluate talent and manage the cap. Being able to golf in the winter does not hurt either, and some players prefer smaller markets with less pressure. Others are drawn to hockey-crazy places where fans care deeply and hockey is either the top dog or the only game in town. The Edmonton Oilers, in the final for a second consecutive year, are the perfect example of that. 'The passion obviously that this fanbase has for their team is incredible,' said Oilers forward Evander Kane, who has also played in Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo and San Jose. 'Once you actually get here and get to know your way around the city a little bit more, you realize there's actually quite a bit to do and it is a good spot for families and they have great summers.' NHL players get paid in U.S. dollars, even in Canada, taking some of the tax bite out of places like Montreal and Toronto with high tax rates because of the exchange rate. But that can also get cut into based on where guys choose to live. 'It helps while you're there, but also the living costs in Canada are extremely high, too, because you're taxed through the roof on everything: what you buy, what you sell, what you make,' Marchand said. 'So, yes, at the time, the costs are a little bit different but not much, and then when you move back, you have 20, 30% less money, so it absolutely plays a part.'
