With the NBA All-Star game just around the corner it is always fun to
talk about which players deserved to make the roster. First here is a
list of who made the team in the East:
Eastern Conference
Carmelo Anthony
Lebron James
Kevin Garnett
Rajon Rondo (injured)
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Tyson Chandler
Luol Deng
Paul George
Jrue Holiday
Kyrie Irving
Joakim Noah
Eastern Conference Snubs:
Brook Lopez- I find it hard to believe that Lopez was left off the All
Star team this year. He probably has the largest case in the East as he
leads all centers in scoring at 18.6 points per game and he is averaging
2.1 blocks which ranks as 7th best in the NBA. His team is also having a
great season and he is one of the main reasons why. The Nets look very
fortunate to keep Brook Lopez in what may have been a disasterous trade
for Dwight Howard, who is shockingly an All-Star in the West.
Greg Monroe- Monroe who is referred to as "Moose" in Detroit is having
another workman like year on a bad team. Greg is averaging close to a
double-double with 15.4 points and 9.1 rebounds and throw in 3.3 assists
and 1.3 steals to boot. If guys like Kyrie Irving and Jrue Holiday can
slide in playing for bad teams then Monroe should have been able to as
well. Look for Monroe to make many All-Star games in the East for years
to come.
Josh Smith- Josh is filling up the stat sheet every night for the
Atlanta Hawks and he is clearly the guy running the show in Atlanta now
that Joe Johnson is gone. His numbers are even better than Monroe's as
he is averaging 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.0 blocks, and
1.0 steals. Smith is clearly an all around player but what hurts him is
he settles for jump shots when playing tougher opponents.
Paul Pierce- Perhaps he can replace Rondo on the East roster but it is
difficult to understand how Pierce doesn't make it in while Garnett
does. Pierce is averaging 18.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
The fact that the Celtics are struggling this year is probably why
Pierce doesn't make it but he is clearly still one of the best players
in the Eastern Conference.
Now lets take a look at the West:
Western Conference
Kevin Durant
Blake Griffin
Dwight Howard
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul
LaMarcus Aldridge
Tim Duncan
James Harden
David Lee
Tony Parker
Zach Randolph
Russell Westbrook
Western Conference Snubs
Serge Ibaka- Serge has finally turned into an all around player instead
of just a defensive specialist. His reputation as only a defensive
player probably hurt his chances at making the All-Star team but this
guy is averaging a respectable 14.0 points per game this year which is
higher than Tyson Chandler in the East. OKC Thunder traded Harden in
part so they could keep Ibaka and he is proving his worth on the court
this year. Ibaka has a strong case to make the West All-Star team over a
guy like Zach Randolph.
Stephen Curry- Steph probably has the strongest case to be made for
being on the All-Star team in the West. Curry is leading the resurgence
of the Golden State Warriors who currently sit as the 5 seed out West.
Curry is averaging 20.9 points, which is second among point guards in
the West, and he is averaging 6.6 assists. His three point shooting
percentage is third in the league at over 45% and without him Golden
State would not be in contention. I hope Curry finds a way onto the
West's roster as he deserves it more than any other snub at this point. Stumpthespread
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
2012: A Sports Handicapping Year in Review
StumptheSpread.com enjoyed a highly successful and profitable year in 2012. Our expert handicappers locked in massive and steady profit throughout the entire year. StumptheSpread.com did not have one unprofitable month throughout the year of 2012. Looking deeper into our data set, we've only had three unprofitable months in our entire history. That is a statistic very few if any other sports handicapping professionals can state.
StumptheSpread.com profited 661.56 total units last year with many great achievements along the way. We had arguably the best MLB season of any professional handicappers. STS totaled 242.09 units of profit during the baseball season with a 57.3% winning percentage. You will not find a better record from any sports service which picks over 400 games and publishes their results on a daily basis.
We are excited about 2013 and look forward to continuing our streak of positive unit months. Try out our premium picks by purchasing a week of expert picks for just $40.
StumptheSpread.com profited 661.56 total units last year with many great achievements along the way. We had arguably the best MLB season of any professional handicappers. STS totaled 242.09 units of profit during the baseball season with a 57.3% winning percentage. You will not find a better record from any sports service which picks over 400 games and publishes their results on a daily basis.
We are excited about 2013 and look forward to continuing our streak of positive unit months. Try out our premium picks by purchasing a week of expert picks for just $40.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Handicapping NHL Stanley Cup Odds Post-Lockout
Hockey fans rejoice, the lockout is over! The lockout was a long one but our handicappers have not taken their eyes off the proverbial puck. We are geared up and ready to have a profitable accelerated NHL season. Hockey is one of the least bet on sports along with baseball. This means that bookies spend less time setting the lines and our systems penetrate the holes. Last season, our NHL winning percentage was an outstanding 76.5%. This is an unheard of winning percentage for handicapping any sport. Our expert handicappers are back with their lethal systems to lock in another winning season. StumptheSpread.com dominated the playoffs last year as well with a killer 84% winning percentage. While these numbers are going to be tough to obtain again, we will be working hard to secure solid numbers and keep you in the green.
The NHL season is slated to start on January 19th, 2013. Be on the cutting edge of our NHL systems by purchasing the Full Post-Lockout Special NHL Season including the playoffs for just $219.99. Or receive these hockey picks by purchasing a One Month All Sports Package or a One Month NHL Premium Package.
Handicapping potential champions is always challenging but there are certainly valuable spots when it comes to these long term projections. We'll offer two potential Stanley Cup values.
The St. Louis Blues were massively impacted by the first lockout of the last two decades. After making the playoffs for 20 straight seasons they were an abysmal team and failed to come close to a playoff appearance. The management of the St. Louis Blues and Doug Armstrong have made some incredible moves over the past years and have quietly positioned the Blues as a top tier NHL team again. The Blues are practically bringing back the entire squad from the successful campaign of last season while cutting the fat and adding some great talent. St. Louis made a significant playoff run last year and while there did not appear to be a hotter team going into the playoffs, star goalie Jaroslav Halak became injured and the Blues ran into the brick wall that was the Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis sported a two goalie system last season and while I was shocked initially when I heard they picked up Brian Elliot, he made a complete turn around and was an all-star goalie however I do think Halak's injury in the playoffs is what ultimately resulted in the Kings sweeping them. Both goalies will return with the Blues this season and there is not a better 1-2 punch in the league right now. Moving forward to the defense, Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk (possibly the two best young defensemen in the league) will be returning although there contracts are a bit of a mess right now, they will be signed. Another solid move the Blues made was getting rid of former 1st round draft pick of the Maple Leafs, Carlo Colaiacovo and moving up Ian Cole from the minors. Cole is the real deal and I am glad to see him take Carlo's spot. Carlo was a solid defensivemen but he had a knack for making terrible decisions in key spots in the game whether that be taking a dumb penalty or an errand pass. The Blues will benefit from his absence. St. Louis didn't make any big moves in free agency to pick up defensive talent because they have a solid group and know Petriangelo and Shattenkirk will deserve top dollar contracts. St. Louis was able to retain their core young offensive players including Tj Oshie, David Perron, Patrick Berglund, Ryan Reaves, and Chris Stewart. The Blues locked up young stars Oshie and Perron for 5 and 4 years respectively. This is a great group of guys with solid chemistry and minor league all star Jaden Swartz will be moved up to play with the big boys. The time he has spend in the minors should show that he is ready for the NHL and we look forward to seeing his contributions. Captain David Backes is also one of the most overlooked players in the NHL, his leadership is unmatched. The biggest offensive news the Blues have this offseason is bringing over 21 year old KHL all star Vladimir Tarasenko. Whether he will play this year or not is unseen but this is the missing piece for St. Louis. Tarasenko is a lethal scorer, putting up 99 points in the KHL over 175 games. Tarasenko is a top end weapon and is poised to be a superstar in the NHL. Coach Ken Hitchock will be coming back for two more years and that is huge news. He went 43-15-11 after taking over the Blues and completely changed the atmosphere and culture of the St. Louis franchise in a short amount of time. The Blues have a great foundation set and have built upon it tremendously. St. Louis has top end goalies, top end defense, and an explosive offense. They will be a force to be reckoned with in this short season and our systems predict them at 9/1 to win the Cup. Give them a shot at their current price of 16/1.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had one of the busiest off seasons in the NHL with GM Steve Yzerman at the helm. He's added some key players including stiffening up the blue line with huge additions of Matt Carle and Sami Salo. Anders Lindback was selected in the first round and he has some great potential to be a starting goalie in the NHL. Yzerman also added some grit with forwards BJ Crombeen and Benoit Pouliot. The biggest question is how all these pieces will mesh with the accelerated schedule and much less practice time. For that question, I have Lightning coach Guy Boucher as an answer who is possibly one of the most cerebral and underrated coaches in the league. We all remember that hideous Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay last year. Boucher will have this team ready to go and with a core of veterans like the Lightning have, they'll get their act together and put together a playoff run. Our systems have the Lightning projected at 15/1 which makes the current price of 28/1 a serious bargain.
Be on the look out for the rise of the Blues and Lightning this season. StumptheSpread is 24-10 +63 units in the L8 days and looking forward to dominating the ice.
The NHL season is slated to start on January 19th, 2013. Be on the cutting edge of our NHL systems by purchasing the Full Post-Lockout Special NHL Season including the playoffs for just $219.99. Or receive these hockey picks by purchasing a One Month All Sports Package or a One Month NHL Premium Package.
Handicapping potential champions is always challenging but there are certainly valuable spots when it comes to these long term projections. We'll offer two potential Stanley Cup values.
The St. Louis Blues were massively impacted by the first lockout of the last two decades. After making the playoffs for 20 straight seasons they were an abysmal team and failed to come close to a playoff appearance. The management of the St. Louis Blues and Doug Armstrong have made some incredible moves over the past years and have quietly positioned the Blues as a top tier NHL team again. The Blues are practically bringing back the entire squad from the successful campaign of last season while cutting the fat and adding some great talent. St. Louis made a significant playoff run last year and while there did not appear to be a hotter team going into the playoffs, star goalie Jaroslav Halak became injured and the Blues ran into the brick wall that was the Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis sported a two goalie system last season and while I was shocked initially when I heard they picked up Brian Elliot, he made a complete turn around and was an all-star goalie however I do think Halak's injury in the playoffs is what ultimately resulted in the Kings sweeping them. Both goalies will return with the Blues this season and there is not a better 1-2 punch in the league right now. Moving forward to the defense, Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk (possibly the two best young defensemen in the league) will be returning although there contracts are a bit of a mess right now, they will be signed. Another solid move the Blues made was getting rid of former 1st round draft pick of the Maple Leafs, Carlo Colaiacovo and moving up Ian Cole from the minors. Cole is the real deal and I am glad to see him take Carlo's spot. Carlo was a solid defensivemen but he had a knack for making terrible decisions in key spots in the game whether that be taking a dumb penalty or an errand pass. The Blues will benefit from his absence. St. Louis didn't make any big moves in free agency to pick up defensive talent because they have a solid group and know Petriangelo and Shattenkirk will deserve top dollar contracts. St. Louis was able to retain their core young offensive players including Tj Oshie, David Perron, Patrick Berglund, Ryan Reaves, and Chris Stewart. The Blues locked up young stars Oshie and Perron for 5 and 4 years respectively. This is a great group of guys with solid chemistry and minor league all star Jaden Swartz will be moved up to play with the big boys. The time he has spend in the minors should show that he is ready for the NHL and we look forward to seeing his contributions. Captain David Backes is also one of the most overlooked players in the NHL, his leadership is unmatched. The biggest offensive news the Blues have this offseason is bringing over 21 year old KHL all star Vladimir Tarasenko. Whether he will play this year or not is unseen but this is the missing piece for St. Louis. Tarasenko is a lethal scorer, putting up 99 points in the KHL over 175 games. Tarasenko is a top end weapon and is poised to be a superstar in the NHL. Coach Ken Hitchock will be coming back for two more years and that is huge news. He went 43-15-11 after taking over the Blues and completely changed the atmosphere and culture of the St. Louis franchise in a short amount of time. The Blues have a great foundation set and have built upon it tremendously. St. Louis has top end goalies, top end defense, and an explosive offense. They will be a force to be reckoned with in this short season and our systems predict them at 9/1 to win the Cup. Give them a shot at their current price of 16/1.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had one of the busiest off seasons in the NHL with GM Steve Yzerman at the helm. He's added some key players including stiffening up the blue line with huge additions of Matt Carle and Sami Salo. Anders Lindback was selected in the first round and he has some great potential to be a starting goalie in the NHL. Yzerman also added some grit with forwards BJ Crombeen and Benoit Pouliot. The biggest question is how all these pieces will mesh with the accelerated schedule and much less practice time. For that question, I have Lightning coach Guy Boucher as an answer who is possibly one of the most cerebral and underrated coaches in the league. We all remember that hideous Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay last year. Boucher will have this team ready to go and with a core of veterans like the Lightning have, they'll get their act together and put together a playoff run. Our systems have the Lightning projected at 15/1 which makes the current price of 28/1 a serious bargain.
Be on the look out for the rise of the Blues and Lightning this season. StumptheSpread is 24-10 +63 units in the L8 days and looking forward to dominating the ice.
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