Miami will be looking to keep the heat on the unbeaten Pacers this weekend as they take on a Bobcats team who lie third in the Southeast Division on November 16.

It’s been another solid start for the NBA champions, who have disposed of four of their last five opponents, having only been edged out in a thrilling final quarter against the Celtics. Taking on the Mavericks on Friday before they meet up with the Bobcats, it could be a pivotal weekend for  Erik Spoelstra’s men as they look to remain top of the Southeast. Dallas are hot on their heels, so should the Heat see off Friday’s opponents, a win at The Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday could prove pivotal in their quest to regain the championship.

The Bobcats meanwhile are coming in off the back of an impressive win at Boston despite struggling in previous weeks, failing to hold a solid defence against both the Knicks and the Hawks, and conceding 101 and 103 respectively. Meanwhile their attack is less than a force, averaging only 90 points per game, they have struggled to get on top of match-ups and have only once passed the 100 mark in regular season. However, the North Carolina side will be buoyed by the form of Center, Al Jefferson.

Signing in the close season, the former Jazz man ran the game at the Celtics on Wednesday. Blighted this season with a series of ankle problems, the $41 million signing left Boston with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Instrumental in Charlotte’s victory, fans will be hopeful he can stay injury free for the rest of the season and continue his performance, beginning on Friday, with what could potentially be a good warm up against the Cavaliers before the Heat come to town.

The Heat are comfortably at the top the division and have netted over 100 points in every game this season. LeBron James is also, as expected, in blistering form, with the best shooting percentage in the NBA at 67%, whilst he’s also netting an average of 25.5 points per game. Teams have struggled to cope with James so far this season and he’s continually proving why he’s regarded as one of the best forwards of all time. A plus 25 point performance is almost a certainty for James as is the Heat reaching a century for those fancying a bet on the NBA.

Head-to-head, it’s been one way traffic the past few seasons with the Heat beating the Bobcats in the last ten match-ups, including an 86-75 victory in preseason at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. And it’s expected there will be more of the same this weekend as the Heat set their sights on yet another Championship ring.

F1 Comes to the U.S., and No Surprise – Record-Seeking Vettel is Favored

There is a nice “cult” following for Formula One in the United States; indeed the market is fed by the NBC Sports Network, which televises the races live. However, the starting times are often too early on a Sunday morning for most of America to see it, and NASCAR has such a foothold in the U.S. motor racing landscape that it is hard to get people across the country interested in F1 action. In plain English, while F1 is a very big deal almost everywhere else, it isn’t the case in the U.S. of A.

The folks from F1 are taking steps to change that, and started last year with the return of Grand Prix action to the States after a four-year hiatus.

After a hugely successful race in 2012, the F1 circuit heads to the USA as the season draws to a close

The United States Grand Prix debuted in Austin, TX last year, and will be run for the second time on Sunday, November 17. The current location assures that the event, and the sport itself, will not serve as a “red-headed stepchild,” the way it was when the race was run in Indianapolis previously, at a venue that is synonymous with a different form of auto racing (IndyCar) and a different event over and above anything else (the Indianapolis 500). This particular venue exists specifically for this event. And we are relatively certain that no other race promoter on the calendar gives cowboy hats to the top three finishers on the podium.

Maybe someday the competitors on the Formula One circuit will become household names in the United States. As it is, the average person on the street would not know a Michael Schumacher or Sebastian Vettel, as legendary as they might be. But F1 betting fans in America know exactly who they are, and they couldn’t be more excited.

Here are the Formula One odds, as they are posted at Bovada.lv, on winning the United States Grand Prix. Remember to check out the OnlineGambling odds converter tool if you aren’t familiar with the American odds format.

Sebastian Vettel -350
Mark Webber +500
Lewis Hamilton +1800
Fernando Alonso +2000
Romain Grosjean +2000
Nico Rosberg +2200
Kimi Raikkonen +2500
Felipe Massa +15000
Jenson Button +25000
Sergio Perez +25000
Nico Hulkenberg +50000
Paul di Resta +75000
Adrian Sutil +75000
Daniel Ricciardo +150000
Jean-Eric Vergne +150000
Pastor Maldonado +200000
Esteban Gutierrez +200000
Valtteri Bottas +250000
Giedo van der Garde +500000
Max Chilton +500000
Charles Pic +500000
Jules Bianchi +500000

The idea of a Grand Prix in the United States is not all that unusual, but it has not had a lot of staying power, at least in any individual location. There have been Grands Prix in the U.S., most notably in Watkins Glen and Indianapolis, but the Austin course, known as the “Circuit of the Americas” is relatively new.

The drivers are not all that used to this track and the surface, because most of them have traversed it only once under actual race conditions. It is here to stay, though, with the event being in the second year of a ten-year contract with Formula One.

It is no surprise that these F1 odds more or less coincide with the odds on being the fastest qualifier, since starting first gives a driver a tremendous advantage in a race if he knows how to handle it properly.

Will that qualifier be Lewis Hamilton? The British ex-champion obviously likes the U.S. courses; in fact, he has won the last two races that have been held on American soil. Hamilton took the flag in the last outing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and then won last year’s race in Austin. He yielded the pole to Sebastian Vettel, who won all three parts of qualifying and was also fastest in practice sessions. But at the finish, it was Hamilton who had Vettel in his rearview mirror, having passed him for the lead with fourteen laps to go. No one fretted for Vettel, who won last year’s world title, because with the second-place result he was able to clinch the Constructor’s championship for Red Bull Racing.

Nonetheless, with everyone else except the newly-crowned repeat champion in “plus” figures on the odds list, Hamilton has to be considered a great possibility to provide value at +1800 in the Bet365 F1 odds.

Romain Grosjean looms as a driver who might have to be taken seriously here. Since his return to Formula One racing with Lotus at the start of last season, he has competed in 36 races without a win or a pole. But he finished fifth in qualifying and seventh in the race at Austin last year and he would be a threat to get to the podium. Grosjean is priced at +2000 in the Formula One odds for this race.

Of course, there is really one name that can be discussed when exploring betting favorites for ANY race in F1 these days. That is Vettel, who not only wrapped up his fourth straight world title in India, but has also won seven consecutive individual races. Vettel (-350) has won eleven of the 17 races on the schedule, and has been kept off the podium only three times – with fourth-place finishes in China and Spain and a retirement in the British Grand Prix. When he was racing with Sauber in 2007 he ran at Indy in the Grand Prix and finished eighth. Then there was last year’s runner-up result. So you can say with any and all justification that this is one of just two races he has not won. That doesn’t seem to matter; he goes off as the -350 favorite in the United States Grand Prix betting odds at Bet365.

Even though he has to do no more to be a world champion and the anchor of the championship team, for Vettel there are other things to shoot for, such as all-time records. He is, at the moment, one of only three drivers to have won seven consecutive events (the others are Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascan). But he can set himself apart by winning his eighth straight.

That would seem to be enough incentive for anyone – mere mortal or not.

Get the best selection of Formula One betting odds available by opening up an account at Bet365!

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The Melbourne Cup is the biggest event on the Australian horse racing calendar

With Fiorente, Waterhouse May be On Track For Her First Melbourne Cup

Betting on the Melbourne Cup is one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar for bookies in Australia and this week sees the whole of Australia turn their eye towards the ponies with many hoping the Gai Waterhouse can finally break her duck in the event.

There has never been anyone in Australian thoroughbred racing quite like Gai Waterhouse.

The 59-year-old has a story that is the stuff of legend. A native of Scotland, she is the daughter of Tommy Smith, an immensely successful trainer of horses himself, and indeed, she served as an apprentice for fifteen years at her father’s side, carefully learning the trade.

But she had another life beforehand – that of an actress, appearing most notably on the Australian soap opera The Young Doctors. She’s not escaped scandal, as transgressions on the part of her husband and son brushed up against her (not that she was completely clean, mind you) and even made getting licensed a chore. But once she was established, she was hard to stop. Five Sydney training premierships can attest to that.

She’s been saddling entrants in the Melbourne Cup for 20 years now, having sent her first challenger, Te Akau Nick, to post in 1993. In that race her charge finished second to Vintage Crop, and there must have been the feeling that there would be many trips into the winner’s circle after that result.

Well, there haven’t been. In fact, in her Hall of fame career (that accolade awarded her in 2007), a Melbourne Cup win is the one prize that has eluded Waterhouse.

Of course, as far as many Australians are concerned, it is THE prize. And it leaves a tremendous void.

You see, for Aussie sports bettors “Down Under,” there is nothing quite like the Melbourne Cup, which takes place on an annual basis at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. When an event carries a tag line like “the race that stops a nation,” and delivers on that brand, you know you’ve got something very big. For its length (two miles) it is the richest handicap race in the world. And it plays host to some of the sport’s premier marathon runners.

It is older than any of America’s Triple Crown races, having been first run in 1861, and it accommodates more contestants than any of them do. Indeed, there could be many more. Although there are hundreds of horses who aspire to be involved (actually, we’re pretty sure it’s their connections who harbor the aspirations) the field is “limited” to 24 starters (for safety reasons). That is done through a process of “balloting,” which takes into account many factors, including the prize money the horse has won over the previous two years, and performances in the prep races that come before. Since there are horses from all over the world, it is difficult to come up with uniform standards to use. But there is a list of races that offer an exemption and automatic entry to the winner. Among them are the Arlington Million and San Juan Capistrano Handicap in the United States.

This year Waterhouse may have her best chance yet to win the Cup, as she will send the 13/2 favorite, Fiorente, to the gate on Tuesday at Flemington. Here are the odds on the contenders as they are posted at leading Aussie bookmaker Bet365.

Fiorente 13/2
Mount Athos 7/1
Dandino 9/1
Verema 9/1
Sea Moon 12/1
Simenon 12/1
Hawkspur 14/1
Voleuse De Coeurs 16/1
Seville 16/1
Brown Panther 16/1
Fawkner 16/1
Royal Empire 16/1
Tres Blue 20/1
Dear Demi 20/1
Foreteller 28/1
Green Moon 33/1
Masked Marvel 33/1
Dunaden 40/1
Red Cadeaux 50/1
Super Cool 50/1
Ruscello 50/1
Ethiopia 66/1
Ibicenco 100/1
Mourayan 150/1

Waterhouse will have not just one horse, but two in the running when the Cup gets underway. Aside from Fiorente, she’s got Tres Blue as well. And she feels pretty good about that three-year-old’s chances, saying that he “oozes talent, that fellow.”

Tres Blue is priced at +2000 in the Melbourne Cup odds at Bet365.

But Fiorente could be due. He ran second to Green Moon in last year’s Melbourne Cup, running for the first time in Australia.

A win in the Group I Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes and then third place in the Cox Plate, in what was not the best of trips, reinforces the chances for Waterhouse’s horse in the minds of many.

This is actually one of the few Australian-trained horses in the race, although Waterhouse has had him only a little over a year. The fact that all the Australian bettors (punters) have seen the horse now contributes to his favorite’s status.

So does the post position, which puts Fiorente in the #5 “barrier.”

Some experts in the horse racing betting community think that Waterhouse’s star may have had too much taken out of him in the Cox Plate to come back on such short notice and put out for this race. But not everyone is on board with that, obviously.

Crown Casino founder Lloyd Williams, who, as owner, directed Green Moon along the Cup path last year, describes Fiorente’s form as “impeccable” and adds that “if none of his SIX entrants is worthy of winning this year’s race, I hope Gai does. I’d be as thrilled for her to win the race as I would be for myself. I would just love her to win the Cup.”

But he would REALLY love to see Green Moon (33/1) win it for the second straight year. That’s something only four other horses have done – Archer, who took the first two Melbourne Cups in 1861 and 1862; Rain Lover (1968, 1969), Think Big (1974, 1975) and of course, Makybe Diva, the only three-time winner of the race, from 2003-05. Green Moon drew the #10 barrier. Dunaden (40/1 at Bet365), the 2011 winner (in what has been the closest finish ever), who has won three out of four starts in Australia, is on the inside #1 barrier.

Your headquarters for betting “the race that stops a nation” is www.Bet365.com!

Title Chase is Over, But Vettel Has F1 Records in Sight at Abu Dhabi

Last week in India, Sebastian Vettel wrapped up another world driving championship, which was totally expected. With that, Vettel has joined an exclusive club, and now he can scale new heights as he continues to circulate among the all-time greats. On Sunday he will be seeking his seventh straight Formula One victory as he competes in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit.

Vettel and his Red Bull Racing team have dominated the sport for years; the team itself won its fourth straight Constructors title as well last week. But there is no “cruising” to the end of the season; there is too much money at stake for that to happen, as teams like Vettel’s spend well into the nine figures on their racing operations. So you will see an honest effort by both Vettel and colleague Mark Webber to capture the checkered flag.

In the Formula One betting odds that have been posted at Bet365, Vettel is the overwhelming favorite to win:

Sebastian Vettel -333
Mark Webber +400
Lewis Hamilton +1400
Romain Grosjean +1600
Kimi Raikkonen +2200
Nico Rosberg +4000
Fernando Alonso +4000
Felipe Massa +25000
Jenson Button +25000
Sergio Perez +50000
Paul di Resta +100000
Daniel Ricciardo +100000
Nico Hulkenberg +150000
Adrian Sutil +150000
Jean-Eric Vergne +200000
Esteban Gutierrez +200000
Pastor Maldonado +250000
Valtteri Bottas +250000
Giedo van der Garde +500000
Max Chilton +500000
Charles Pic +500000
Jules Bianchi +500000

If you are watching this on television (check your local listings), you may think you’re seeing something unusual, and you will be. Not only is the course part of a breathtaking locale, but it is also run counter-clockwise. Don’t adjust your set. It is one of the few places you’ll see that. And the drivers will be starting in daylight, but completing the 55 laps under the lights.

Vettel, who joined Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio as the only drivers to win the championship four years running, is not the defending champion in this event, and even though he won the race in 2009 and 2010, he also suffered the “agony of defeat” on this course as he had to retire from the race in 2011.

Kimi Raikkonen (+2200 to win at Bet365) captured the Abu Dhabi title a year ago, and there was a certain level of significance to it as well. Not only did he manage to win when starting behind the front row (not a frequent occurrence in F1), he also brought Lotus into the winner’s circle for the first time since way back in 1987. Raikkonen, as many F1 bettors can recall, left the Grand Prix circuit after the 2009 season; one where he was, at $51 million, the highest-paid driver in the business, to race in the World Rally Championship. The 2012 Abu Dhabi win was his first in three years.

However, last year’s Abu Dhabi event was also a triumph of sorts for Vettel, in that he had to start at the back of the grid due to rules violations during the qualifying phase, yet came on strong to finish third. They just can’t seem to keep him off the podium.

And lately he has been right at the top of that podium. Alberto Ascari of Italy holds the all-time Formula One record for consecutive races won, with nine, spanning the 1952 and 1953 seasons. But Vettel has a chance to equal the so-called “modern” record this weekend; it is a mark currently held by the legendary Schumacher, who captured seven straight wins for Ferrari in the 2004 campaign, and Jim Clark, who did it in 1965.

Lewis Hamilton (+1400 in the F1 odds at Bet365) won last year’s pole, but in the brief history of this particular event (only four races), only one driver has won from the pole. As Formula One standards go, that makes this pretty competitive.

What do we mean? Well, Vettel has won ten races this year; no one else has more than two. And victories in these races (16 of them thus far) have been restricted to just four teams – Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus. There are drivers who have labored for quite a while without even scoring a point (for a finish from 1-10) in the F1 series. In fact, nobody with the Caterham or Marussia teams has done it in their three Formula One seasons. And it’s very tough in a driver’s first year; in fact, Esteban Gutierrez (+250 to score points in this race in F1 betting) is the only rookie to do that this year, for the Sauber team. Considering that scoring points constitutes the substance of some Formula One props, this carries some significance for sports bettors.

There are some other interesting “sporting” propositions at Bet365. Raikkonen, for example, is priced at +200 to lead this race on ANY lap; Mercedes is +1000 to have the winning car; Toro Rosso, which is Red Bull’s “farm team” *(for the uninitiated, that means “red bull” in Italian) is favored to be the first team to have a driver retire from the race, along with Force India. Vettel is even money to have the fastest lap of the race, and he indeed holds the record for the fastest lap ever at Abu Dhabi, clocking at a minute 40.279 seconds in 2009. His teammate, Webber, is -250 to reach the podium (which happens with a top three finish).

Check out all the Formula One odds and props at Bet365!