A Chance for a Great Start for the Indiana Pacers

As good of a team as they may be, the Indiana Pacers had had the tendency to start slow in the season. Last year, they started the season losing even against mediocre teams. That is why despite finishing the season great, they mostly went under the radar as most NBA fans have already looked as a non-exceptional team that is not worth paying attention to.

Now, after making a noise as they made a successful run in the recent playoffs that saw them taking the eventual champions Miami Heat to 7 games before bowing out, the Pacers will have a chance at a great start for a season as they open the year with very winnable games against not-so-good teams.

The First Three Games

On the opening day of the NBA, they play against the Orlando Magic, a team that is laden with young talent but is still in the process of rebuilding and expected to be one of the worse teams for the upcoming season. 

Their second game is against the New Orleans Pelicans, another team that is loaded with talented players but is still lacking experience and also considered to be in the process of rebuilding and might want to tank the season to help the cause.

The third game might be tougher as they play against a Cleveland Cavaliers team that made transactions in the off-season that was intended to make them competitive this season.

Basketball and More

If you want more views and opinions that will help with your betting on sports, you can check out the most popular website in Australia that allows you to bet on sports.

NBA Will Have New Finals Series Format

With golf online betting having it's downtime as the year ends, let us talk about one of the most popular sports league from online sports betting Australia. Here's the article from NBA.com detailing the changes made to the NBA Finals series format for next year and beyond. I've grabbed the important tidbits from the report and posted it here. 

Beginning with the 2014 finals, the higher-seeded team will host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. The lower seed gets Games 3, 4 and 6, following the same format the NBA uses in all other rounds.

The NBA for the previous 29 years has used what's referred to as the 2-3-2 format, in which the higher seed hosts the first two games, then goes on the road for three straight.

The 2-3-2 format was instituted in 1985 in part to ease the amount of cross-country travel with the Celtics and Lakers frequently meeting for the championship. But some felt it also worked against the team that should have the advantage.

The unanimous vote to approve the 2-2-1-1-1 format came Wednesday during Stern's final preseason meeting with his board of governors. Owners also voted to add an extra day between Games 6 and 7.

The league's competition committee had recommended the change last month back to 2-2-1-1-1, which was used in all but one finals from 1957 to 1984.

Stern has often said he was acting on advice about the travel from former Celtics boss Red Auerbach when the finals format was switched. But with commercial flights long since replaced by charters, teams didn't have the same difficulties now with the number of trips.

Stern has often said he was acting on advice - or complaints - about the travel from former Celtics boss Red Auerbach when the finals format was switched. But with commercial flights long since replaced by charters, teams didn't have the same difficulties now with the number of trips.

Silver, who will become commissioner after Stern retires Feb. 1, is a proponent of the 2-2-1-1-1 format, though he said Stern and other league executives all thought it was time for the change.

EPL Results: Hotspurs Win Over Villa 2-0

Tottenham Hotspurs was victorious over the weekend as they played and won against Aston Villa. And while defeating a lower rung team isn't something to call home about, it's a very much welcomed news to the team who has lost and drew in their last two matches.

A Quick Recap of the Game

The first 30 minutes of the match left much to be desired from the Spurs as they struggled to create scoring attempts despite having dominated the ball possession during that span of time. This is thanks in part to Villa's tightening of the center that was able to contain the Spurs' midfield and keeping striker Roberto Soldado isolated thus effectively stifling the attack.

However, things quickly turned around after Andros Townsend was able to luckily kick in a cross from the right that was able to go past Guzan. After the first score, the Spurs became more comfortable with their offense and became aggressive with attacking Aston Villa's defense, resulting to several good goal attempt and finally a second goal from Soldado. The win is the fifth for the Hotspurs while Aston Villa incurred their fourth loss of the season. The Hotspurs are currently ranked fifth while Aston Villa is placed at thirteenth. 

More EPL News and Activities

If you want more news regarding your favorite team from the Barclays Premier League or if you want to participate in soccer online betting, you can do so by joining the most trusted website for sports betting in Australia.

Images from http://www.premierleague.com/

Why Chelsea Loaning Away Lukaku Isn't So Bad

Chelsea has caught plenty of flak for lending away  Romelu Lukaku to Everton for the entire season. And it isn't likely to stop as Belgian striker scores for his borrowed team. However, I'm having a hard time understanding all these criticisms mixed with anger for the team. It's not like Lukaku is never coming back. In fact, the decision to loan Lukaku to Everton can even be very beneficial for the team in the near future.

Helping his development

Despite showing brilliance, the 20-year old still needs to further develop his game. And the best way to help him develop is to give him playing time and a significant role without the burden of a heavy responsibility. These are things can't offer him right now that Everton can. Some of the things he needs to improve his touch and he also needs to develop his decision-making. In a way, it benefits all parties. Everton becomes more entertaining or competitive. Chelsea is growing a talent. Lukaku is improving himself.

Weightless Comparisons

I can definitely understand people who are saying that Lukaku deserves to be on the team over other Chelsea strikers. Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba aren't exactly looking so great right now. However, they aren't that so bad either.

Those who are comparing Lukaku to Didier Drogba and thinking that the Belgian can lead the Chelsea offense also needs to realize that his game is still far from that of the latter. As mentioned, his game is still a bit raw. Putting him in a position with a heavy responsibility might even hamper his growth.

More Soccer News and Activities

If you want more soccer updates and activities, you can have it at one of the most popular sports betting sites for soccer. The same site that allows you place online sports bet on almost every sporting event on the planet.

NBA Predictions: Atlanta Hawks

The NBA season is just a few weeks away and with team rosters almost complete, it's much easier to predict how certain teams are likely to perform next season. Several websites for betting on sports have already released season predictions for every NBA team, providing general insights on teams that expected to be good and those that are anticipated to have a bad year. If you like to bet on sports, these predictions might come in handy for you.

The Hawks in Limbo

The Atlanta Hawks are one of the few teams that are still in limbo when it comes to season prediction. There's the assumption that the team will try to tank in order to get a better positioning for the next year's loaded draft. However, if you look at the current roster of the team, they have enough talent to be competitive in the east.

Master of Their Own Fate

 The Hawks can go whatever direction they see fit. They are the master of their fate. If they decide to compete for the playoffs, there's a very good chance that they'll be able to do so. However, I don't think that the team would want to only reach the playoffs.

The Likely Ending

The way I see it, the Hawks will try their best to be competitive in the early part of the season. If things doesn't pan out, you can expect the management to make some big changes in the middle of the season that is likely to worsen the team but help with the rebuilding cause.

Pelicans Showing Promise in Pre-Season

With the major leagues already in play, it's no surprise why soccer online betting is king of sports betting in Australia right now. I mean, just check out the links. There are already seven leagues that soccer fans can indulge in. However, the current might have to make a way for basketball as the NBA pre-season warms up for another year filled with fast-paced court action. Although pre-season games are often considered by many as meaningless fillers for the real deal, there are actually lots of things to learn from these things.

You can gauge a skill-set of a player, the strengths and weaknesses of the team that allows you to have a more accurate forecast for the regular season. One of the teams that showing a lot of promise right now is the New Orleans Pelicans. The team that is filled with young talents has shown plenty of upsides throughout the course of the pre-season tournament. 

In their first pre-season game against the Houston Rockets, the team got good production from second-year big man Anthony Davis who was able to hit shots at high percentage, scoring 21 points in 27 minutes. Another Anthony also had it going as he scored 26 points. He shot quite well from beyond the three-point line as he hit 3 of his 6 attempts. Austin Rivers also played quite well, scoring 21 points and made key plays like the steal and fast-break layup that helped won the game for the Pelicans. The only downer in the game for Pelicans fans is Tyreke Evans turning his ankle and Jrue Holiday getting pick-pocketed a handful of times by Rockets' Patrick Beverly.

What You Need to Know About Sports Betting

With the best soccer leagues already under way and the best players getting it on in the field, it's an exciting period again for fans of the most popular sport in the world. As the excitement for the sport continues to rise, sports betting sites for soccer are also getting quite the activity as loyal followers  and professional bettors alike wager on their picked teams. If you're a fan looking to get into some exciting betting action, there are several things you need to know.

You Can Make an Online Sports Bet

The internet allows you to do almost everything right now. One of which is making online sports bet. In Australia, there are plenty of sports betting sites that'll allow you to make a bet on your favorite team without ever leaving the comfort of your home. That's pretty convenient, right?

How You Can Join

Joining sports betting sites is also fairly simple. If you have tried signing up for websites that required membership, then you should have no problem. One of the most popular and the longest-running website in Australia allows you to join even if you're not in living in the country. You could be from any place in the world, and you are still allowed to join just as long as sports betting is also legal on your state or country.

Be Mindful Special Offers

Once you have joined betting website, you need to be mindful of special offers that most companies run from time to time that will allow you to get the most out of your money. Free bets and money-back promotions are just some of the many special offerings.

Did the Knicks Upgrade Over the Summer?

After a successful regular season wherein they were able to have the second-best record in the eastern conference, the New York Knicks faltered in the playoffs against a tougher opposition in the form of the defensive Indiana Pacers. The Knicks offense who featured the year's scoring champ were stifled. Their defense wasn't any better. To put it bluntly, the team still needed a lot of work if they are to become legitimate contenders for an NBA title.

In a tougher eastern conference

This offseason saw several new players added to the Knicks while some  players from last season were traded away or left during the free agency period. The team has been active, to say the least. However, all the transactions that the team have made still doesn't put them on the upper echelon of the league, or even the eastern conference for that matter. Even if they did improve, the other teams in the east has upgraded by leaps and bounds over what the Knicks have done so far.

Knicks' summer acquisitions

One of the significant transactions of the Knicks this summer is the trade for Andrea Bargniani that sent away Steve Novak. The presumption is that Bargnani, with his better skill sets, will provide the Knicks with another option in the offensive end. However, with several players on the Knicks that constantly handles the ball to be effective, it is very likely that his role will be relegated to what Novak used to do. The fact that his field goal percentages from last season  declined from the previous is a cause for more concern.

How is your favorite NBA team doing?

If you want to find more discussion about your favorite NBA team or if you want to bet on sports, you can visit the trusted website for betting on sports.