Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal ended the competitions at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics as we look ahead.
The 2010 Vancouver Olympics are over and what an ending for Canada.
Not only did the Canadians surge in the gold medal standings during the last few days but Team Canada won gold in men’s ice hockey in the most dramatic fashion. Sidney Crosby, quiet for the last two games, slid a Jerome Iginla pass through the legs of American goaltender Ryan Miller to give the men gold in Vancouver in front of a capacity audience at Canada Hockey Place.
Pre-tournament Canada was anywhere from -200 (1/2) to +110 (11/10) depending on the sportsbook you used so while the Canadian team did not cash in big time for their backers, there are certainly a lot of Canadians out there that topped up their bankroll a bit.
Looking ahead at sports betting now that the Olympics are over there’s a lot to focus on.
Firstly, the NHL will be back in action as early as tomorrow as many Olympians will have to hop flights and get back with their club teams following the dramatic win (or loss, for the American players). Can Ryan Miller take his Buffalo Sabres (+500, 5/1 to win Eastern Conference; Players Only) and lead them to the Stanley Cup following on the heels of a fantastic Olympic showing?
Secondly, NBA basketball is heading toward it’s stretch drive and the Cleveland Cavaliers may overtake the Los Angeles Lakers in the futures market soon for the NBA title:
Cleveland to win the NBA championship, +160 (8/5; Players Only)
Los Angeles to win the NBA championship, +140 (7/5; Players Only)
For tennis, both Indian Wells and the Miami Masters in March will help lead the way to the clay court tournaments and the 2010 French Open. We’re backing Roger Federer (+250, 5/2; Ladbrokes) for first place at Roland Garros as we’re not totally sold on the idea of Rafael Nadal being such a heavy favorite.
Of course with March 1st now upon us, everyone will be thinking about NCAA basketball, buzzer beaters, the conference tournaments, and the 2010 March Madness tournament. Here are the odds from Players Only for what could be the 4 number 1 seeds heading into the NCAA tournament:
1. Kansas +200 (2/1)
2. Kentucky +300 (3/1)
3. Syracuse +400 (4/1)
4. Villanova +1000 (10/1)
