2013 NHL Playoffs: Check the First Round Matchups and Game Schedule!

The NHL playoffs are here, and starting on this Tuesday, April 30th, the top 16 squads in the league will meet in the post season to crown the new hockey champion. So it’s time to check the schedule and matches programmed for this year’s post season.

Let’s begin with the games scheduled for this Tuesday, April 30th.  First, the defending NHL champion, the Los Angeles Kings will take on the fourth-seeded St. Louis Blues at 8 p.m. (ET).  The same night, the Chicago Blackhawks open the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild.  Tuesday’s playoff schedule closes with a high voltage match pitting the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks, winners of the Pacific Division title.

The 2013 NHL playoffs continue on Wednesday, May 1st when the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m. The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals will meet in the postseason for the third straight year. The Capitals captured the first two playoff series, but the Rangers defeated the Caps in a seven-game marathon in the Conference Semifinals last season. This season's playoff matchup kicks off Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

The Vancouver Canucks, winners of the Northwest Division for the fifth time in six seasons, face the San Jose Sharks starting at 10:30. The final two matches in the Eastern Conference features the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators.  Then the fourth-seeded Boston Bruins welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first post season series between the two squads since 1974, when the Bruins swept the Leafs in four games in a quarterfinal matchup. Both games are scheduled to start at 7:00 pm ET.

So let’s get ready to bet on hockey! While we prepare for some playoff action, here’s the complete schedule for the first round of the 2013 NHL courtesy of Sports Betting Online. Enjoy.

Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh Penguins vs.  New York Islanders
Season series: Penguins: 4-1-0. Islanders: 1-4-0.
Schedule:
Wed. May 1 at Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m. ET)
Fri. May 3 at Pittsburgh (7 p.m. ET)
Sun. May 5 at New York (noon ET)
Tues. May 7 at New York (7 p.m. ET)
*Thurs. May 9 at Pittsburgh (7 p.m. ET)
*Sat. May 11 at New York (TBD)
*Sun. May 12 at Pittsburgh (TBD)

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators
Season series: Canadiens: 2-1-1. Senators: 2-1-1.
Schedule:
Thurs. May 2 at Montreal (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
Fri. May 3 at Montreal (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
Sun. May 5 at Ottawa (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
Tues. May 7 at Ottawa (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
*Thurs. May 9 at Montreal (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
*Sat. May 11 at Ottawa (CBC, TBD)
*Sun. May 12 at Montreal (CBC, TBD)

Washington Capitals vs. No. 6: New York Rangers
Season series: Capitals: 1-2-0. Rangers: 2-0-1.
Schedule:
Thurs. May 2 at Washington (7:30 p.m. ET)
Sat. May 4 at Washington (12:30 p.m. ET)
Mon. May 6 at New York (7:30 p.m. ET)
Wed. May 8 at New York (7:30 p.m. ET)
*Fri. May 10 at Washington (7:30 p.m. ET)
*Sun. May 12 at New York (TBD)
*Mon. May 13 at Washington (TBD)

Boston Bruins vs. No. 5: Toronto Maple Leafs
Season series: Bruins: 3-1-0. Maple Leafs: 1-1-2.
Schedule:
Wed. May 1 at Boston (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
Sat. May 4 at Boston (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
Mon. May 6 at Toronto (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
Wed. May 8 at Toronto (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
*Fri. May 10 at Boston (CBC, 7 p.m. ET)
*Sun. May 12 at Toronto (CBC, TBD)
*Mon. May 13 at Boston (CBC, TBD)

Western Conference
Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild
Season series: Blackhawks: 2-0-1. Wild: 1-2-0.
Schedule:
Tues. April 30 at Chicago (CBC, 8 p.m. ET)
Fri. May 3 at Chicago (CBC, 9: 30 p.m. ET)
Sun. May 5 at Minnesota (CBC, 3 p.m. ET)
Tues. May 7 at Minnesota (CBC, 9:30 p.m. ET)
*Thurs. May 9 at Chicago (CBC, TBD)
*Sat. May 11 at Minnesota (CBC, TBD)
*Sun. May 12 at Chicago (CBC, TBD)

Anaheim Ducks vs.  Detroit Red Wings
Season series: Ducks: 1-2-0. Red Wings: 2-1-0.
Schedule:
Tues. April 30 at Anaheim (10:30 p.m. ET)
Thurs. May 2 at Anaheim (10 p.m. ET)
Sat. May 4 at Detroit (7:30 p.m. ET)
Mon. May 6 at Detroit (8 p.m. ET)
*Wed. May 8 at Anaheim (10 p.m. ET)
*Fri. May 10 at Detroit (TBD)
*Sun. May 12 at Anaheim (TBD)

Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks
Season series: Canucks: 0-3-0. Sharks: 3-0-0.
Schedule:
Wed. May 1 at Vancouver (10:30 p.m. ET)
Fri. May 3 at Vancouver (10 p.m. ET)
Sun. May 5 at San Jose (10 p.m. ET)
Tues. May 7 at San Jose (10 p.m. ET)
*Thurs. May 9 at Vancouver (10 p.m. ET)
*Sat. May 11 at San Jose (TBD)
*Mon. May 13 at Vancouver (TBD)

St. Louis Blues vs. No. 5: Los Angeles Kings
Season series: Kings 3-0-0. Blues 0-3-0.
Schedule:
Tues. April 30 at St. Louis (CBC, 8 p.m. ET)
Thurs. May 2 at St. Louis (CBC, 9:30 p.m. ET)
Sat. May 4 at Los Angeles (CBC, 10 p.m. ET)
Mon. May 6 at Los Angeles (CBC, 10 p.m. ET)
*Wed. May 8 at St. Louis (CBC, TBD)
*Fri. May 10 at Los Angeles (CBC, TBD)
*Mon. May 13 at St. Louis (CBC, TBD)

Monday Night NBA Playoff Betting: Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets

Date/Time: Mon, Apr 22 / 08:05:00 PM ET, Barklay Center, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Series: Nets lead 1-0

The Nets were one of the eight teams that all won their opening home games in the first round of the NBA playoffs after routing a completely overmatched Bulls squad 89-106 on Saturday night.

Now the Nets will look to take a commanding lead in the series when they welcome Chicago for the second game in the series and with the impressive game that Deron Williams and the Nets are playing, there is no reason to believe they can’t do it. Brooklyn was truly balanced in game one and when they play that brand of basketball there are very few teams that can actually beat them.

On the other hand, the Bulls have definitely overachieved this season thanks to a long list of sensible injuries; including their leader and team super star Derrick Rose, who has been sidelined since May, 2012. But despite the injury-plagued season, the Bulls still have what it takes to compete in this series, but they just need to figure out a way to get their offense going and score more points to avoid returning home with an 0-2 deficit.

 If The Bulls want to have a chance at the Barclay's Center, they are going to need an improvement both defensively and offensively. The team also requires a great game out of Loul Deng on both sides of the ball and will need Kirk Hinrich to score a lot more then the two he did in game one.

Game Odds:
Chicago Bulls: +5-110, ML +185              

Brooklyn Nets: -5-110, ML -215

Game Total: 183, o/u -110

For More Odds on NBA, Visit Sports Betting Online.

An interesting fact to see this Monday night is Brooklyn’s capability to maintain the balance, patience and execution shown during Game 1. The game was the first major sports playoff game held in the city since the 1956 World Series and the atmosphere was simply unmatched.

“Everybody was excited for this game. I think it has been a long time coming for this franchise, this organization with the move and everything. We expected to be here, so we came out playing like we wanted to be here.” said point guard Deron Williams, who scored 22 points. Center Brook Lopez added 21 points and shooting guard Joe Johnson scored 16.

Three of the four regular-season meetings between the two teams were decided by four or less points, a fact that made Brooklyn’s easy victory more confounding for Chicago. There is simply just no way sportsbook betting fans can trust the Bulls right now, especially on outside the United Center. With Noah banged up, no Derrick Rose, and an offense that leaves a lot to be desired, this is a highly complicated situation for them. The Nets are growing in confidence and ended the regular season playing some of their best basketball all season long. Considering all that, bettors can be confident the Nets will take control early and never look back in game 2.

The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale: Middleweight Prospects Uriah Hall and Kelvin Gastelum Meet in Las Vegas

Date/Time: Saturday, April 15th, Mandalay bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Ultimate Fighter 17 gets to an end this Saturday, April 13th, with a special event headlined by former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber and long time contender Scott Jorgensen as well as the top prospects from this year’s class fighting for a spot in the UFC.

Set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale (also known as The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale) features two of the most talented prospects in the history of the event, as Jamaican-American Middleweight fighter Uriah Hall faces team mate Kelvin Gastelum.

Hall, who owns a successful 4–0 run on the show and a 7-2 MMA record, entered the season as the number two fighter selection for Team Sonnen., Hall defeated Andy Enz in the opening round (via decision), and knocked out Adam Cella and Robert McDaniel in the quarter-finals. Hall then faced Dylan Andrews in the semi-finals, securing a spot in the final with a TKO in the second round.

Gastelum got a spot in Season 17 of the Ultimate Fighter after defeating Kito Andrews in the first round of the show. He was picked last for Team Sonnen. His next fight was against Robert McDaniel, wining via second round submission with a rear naked choke. In the quarter-finals, Gastelum took on Collin Hart, winning via 1st round KO with a punch. Gastelum moved to the semi-finals, defeating Team Jones No. 2 pick Josh Samman via first round rear naked choke.

The card also features the second women’s fight in UFC history as former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate meets former Invicta and Strikeforce fighter Cat Zingano. The winner of this bout will face UFC Champ Ronda Rousey for the title and become a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 18 against Rousey.

The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale Main Card (for more Odds on MMA, click here):

Bantamweight:
S JORGENSEN: +350            
U FABER: -450

Middleweight:
K GASTELUM: +280
U HALL: -350

Women's Bantamweight:
C ZINGANO: -130
M TATE: EV

Heavyweight:
G GONZAGA: +215
T BROWNE: -275

Middleweight:
G SMITH: +150
R MCDANIEL: -180

Looking for a trusty Mobile Sportsbook? Visit Sports Betting Online and bet  the latest odds and lines directly from your smartphone or tablet.

Mavericks’ Owner Considering Drafting First Female Player in NBA History

The NBA is always willing to take the entire sports industry by surprise. As it has been covered in recent news, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said last Tuesday night that he’s willing to give Baylor women's star Brittney Griner the chance to test her skills and prove she has what it takes to make it to the NBA.

Despite the negative comments and questions about whether a woman could have a role in the NBA, the truth is that Griner has the same merits and deserves the same chances as any male NCAA player.  Just take a look at her numbers. The 23-year old is the first NCAA basketball player ever to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. Last season, the three-time All-American Griner led Baylor with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocked shots to win the Division I Women's Basketball Championship, 80-61 over Notre Dame. Thanks to her amazing performance, Griner was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player after leading Baylor to an undefeated season with 40 wins, the most in NCAA history

According to Cuban, he’s willing to consider selecting Griner in the second round of the NBA draft, but if the Mavs don't draft her, Cuban said he would invite her to try out for a spot in the Maverick’s summer league team.

"If she is the best on the board, I will take her. I've thought about it. I've thought about it already. Would I do it? Right now, I'd lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance, and it's not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it." Cuban said before the Mavs' Tuesday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The former Baylor star responded to his offer over Twitter, saying “@mcuban so when do I show up for try-outs!!!

What kind of effect would a female player have in the sportsbook betting world? Well, that’s unknown ground yet, but regarding the possible implications, the fact that Cuban is willing to at least giving her a chance to try deserves praise and commendation.