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1. NBA: Boston at L.A. Lakers (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.)

The NBA is jumping into Sunday’s void with its marquee rivalry, and a rematch of last year’s finals between the Lakers (32-13 SU, 20-24-1 ATS) and the Celtics (33-10 SU, 20-21-2 ATS). Both teams have seen their recent winning streaks snapped; the Lakers are 2-2 SU and ATS in their last four, including an embarrassing loss to the L.A. Clippers (+5), while the Celtics had their five-game streak broken by the Washington Wizards (+6.5 at home). Boston could be thin in the middle with Shaquille O’Neal (hip) listed as day-to-day and Jermaine O’Neal (knee) out for the next few weeks. Kendrick Perkins (knee) isn’t due back for the Celtics until February 4.

2. NCAAB: Kansas State at Kansas (Saturday, 7:00 p.m.)

The Wildcats (13-7 SU, 4-10 ATS) were supposed to be the team to beat in the Big 12 this year, but they’ve lost 4 of their first 5 conference games SU & ATS. The UNDER is 11-3 for the ‘Cats; they’re shooting 59.8 percent from the free throw line and are turning the ball over 23.1 percent of the time, both among the worst in Division I. The Jayhawks (18-1 SU, 8-9 ATS) were undefeated until Saturday’s 74-63 loss to the Texas Longhorns (+7), which broke a 69-game winning streak for the ‘Hawks in Lawrence. Kansas leads the nation in defensive efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy’s stats. Check Bodog Sports for fresh NCAAB betting lines as they become available.

3. NBA: Miami at New York (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.)

It might not be Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing, but these two Eastern Conference teams have been revitalized this year and should put on an entertaining show at MSG. The question will be whether Chris Bosh (ankle) will be healthy enough to play for the Heat (31-13 SU, 21-22-1 ATS). He’s officially listed as day-to-day; reports on his progress have been mixed. Dwyane Wade also missed Saturday’s game against the Toronto Raptors with the flu, but LeBron James scored 38 points in a 120-103 blowout. The Knicks (22-21 SU, 26-15-2 ATS) have lost six in a row at 2-3-1 ATS.

4. NHL: 58th NHL All-Star Game (Sunday, 4:00 p.m.)

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Super Bowl fever is on everyone’s mind, but there’s another great American sport sweeping the nation. The NHL has grown steadily in the United States since the 2004-05 lockout; attendance may be suffering in the Sun Belt, but television exposure is up, and hockey betting has never been busier.

There was a time not too long ago when virtually every player in the NHL was Canadian – even though four of the league’s Original Six teams were based in the United States. American interest and participation in the sport was goosed by a pair of Olympic victories: Squaw Valley in 1960 and the “Miracle on Ice” 20 years later at Lake Placid. Today, over 20 percent of the nearly 1,000 players in the NHL are from the States. Canada represents half the league, with most of the remaining players hailing from Europe.

At first, the spread of hockey throughout the U.S. was met with a relative shrug in the sports betting world. The NHL is still the fourth of the 4 major pro leagues on the Strip – one recent estimate had 3% of the action in Nevada coming in on hockey. But the growth of online sports gambling allows handicappers from more traditional hockey markets to lay down more cash.

The NHL betting lines themselves have been tailored to meet this increasing demand. There are two standard lines available: the moneyline and the Canadian line, also known as the puck line. If you’re familiar with baseball betting, you’ll recognize the latter as the cousin of the run line, where the favorite is typically set at –1.5 (or –0.5 in some cases). With more Americans playing the NHL market, the more familiar moneyline is generating bigger and bigger business. You’ll find both the standard lines, along with totals, props and futures, on our NHL betting page.

The larger part of the betting action is coming from the New England states, where the NHL first laid roots in 1924 with the Boston Bruins – currently one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference at 27-14-7. If you had bet the puck line on every Boston game thus far, you’d have gone 26-22 for a league-high profit of 19.05 units. The Bruins are enjoying something of a comeback season this year with former Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas (.945 save percentage) standing on his head in goal.

The best team in the league right now is the Philadelphia Flyers at 32-12-5. The Flyers joined the league during its first major expansion in 1967, and rose to national prominence in the 1970s as the “Broad Street Bullies” with a pair of Stanley Cups. Those teams were among the league leaders in both scoring and penalty minutes; today’s Flyers aren’t known for their fisticuffs, but they’re once again first in scoring with 3.42 goals per game. That’s enough firepower for Philly to go 26-33 against the puck line for 13.33 units of profit.

The Flyers may be on top of the league, but the most famous team in Pennsylvania right now is the Pittsburgh Penguins (30-15-4). They’ve developed a national and international following over the past 25 years, thanks to the exploits of two of the greatest hockey players to ever lace up the skates: Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby. Lemieux has become even more of a local hero after rescuing the team from bankruptcy and moving them into the brand-new Consol Energy Center. Crosby led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup two years ago, and another could be on the way – once Crosby returns from a concussion that has cost him the past eight games. The Pens are still pulling in 8.83 units of profit at 23-26 against the puck line.

Handicappers can’t seem to get enough of the rivalry between the Penguins and the Washington Captials (27-14-8). These two teams met at the recent Winter Classic at Heinz Field, with the Caps winning 3-1 as +130 road dogs on the moneyline. But when it comes to the crunch, the Penguins have beaten Washington seven times in eight playoff series, including an epic second-rounder in 2008-09 that went to Game 7. The Pens-Caps rivalry is made even more popular by the “rivalry” between Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, both Hart Trophy winners as the league’s MVP. These two teams meet again on February 6 for one of NBC’s popular Sunday afternoon broadcasts. To paraphrase former Penguins coach and great American “Badger” Bob Johnson, it will be a great day for hockey.

Hockey players get a well-deserved three days off before reconvening in Raleigh, N.C. for a very special version of the All-Star Game. This year’s format sees two captains – Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom – pick their teams in a schoolyard-style draft on Friday. The pool of available All-Stars includes Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the latest word on Crosby (concussion) is that he will not play, while Malkin (knee, sinus) is iffy. We do know that Mike Green and Ryan Kesler will serve as alternate captains on Team Staal, with Patrick Kane & Martin St. Louis joining Team Lidstrom in the same capacity.

5. Soccer: Manchester United at Blackpool (Tuesday, 2:30 p.m.)

Amidst the turmoil of mounting debt and rumors of a takeover bid from Qatar, Manchester United has remained undefeated in the English Premiership with 13 wins and nine draws. Eight of those draws were on the road, which will be some relief to supporters of Blackpool, the No. 12 team on the EPL table (eight wins, 10 losses, four draws). The Tangerines are 3-4-2 at Bloomfield Road against middling competition, but they’ve done remarkably well for a team that finished sixth in The Championship a year ago and needed to win the playoffs to be promoted.

Honorable Mentions
NBA: Orlando at Chicago (Friday, 8:00 p.m.)
NCAAB: Texas at Oklahoma State (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
NHL: Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
MMA: Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos (Card Begins Saturday, 10:00 p.m.)
Tennis: 2011 Australian Open (Ongoing)

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