Sports Betting: Burpie’s Picks

When people think of sports betting they think that all you have to do is just pick who is going to win or lose the game and that will determine whether or not they win. Some people don't even know the jargon used in the sports betting world than just bet on the winner or loser. I'm going to tell you in this article the words used and what they mean in the world of betting. I am also going to tell you which team to bet as the winner tonight in game 2 of the New York Knicks vs the Indiana Pacers.

The Knicks are the odds on favorite to win this game according to the odds makers in Vegas by -4.5 points. For those who don't know what the -4.5 points mean and why there is a negative sign in front of the numbers, here's your explanation. This means the Knicks are projected to win by at least 4.5 points and they can't win by more than 4.5. points. This way of betting is called betting on the money line. You have "the spread" which is a number set by the oddsmakers in Vegas to level the playing field between two teams. You have the "parlay" which is really your sports bet slip. that's the sheet that shows all the bets you placed, for example. if you bet on the Knicks/Pacers game but you also bet on how many points the Pacers and Knicks players will score individually. Those 2 bets on your slip are what make up your parlay.

The money line is your straight up bet, you choose which team will win. That simple. The over under is a collective number that you think both teams will put up together. Will they score more than that set number or less than that amount?

For this game, you want to take the hot hand and lean on them. That hand is Jalen Brunson, he's scored 40 or more points in 4 straight games and I don't think that streak ends tonight. Take the Knicks moneyline for tonight's game and for the in game bets take Jalen scoring 40 or more points, also take Halliburton scoring more than 20 points tonight and he might mess around and get a triple double because of how badly he played in Game 1.

Canelo Alvarez is truly king in the ring. The super middleweight champion towered over Jaime Munguia in their much-anticipated fight on Saturday (May 4), and he scored a unanimous win. So, who are the best boxers in the world right now, pound-for-pound?

Before we get to the best boxers in the world right now, let's look closer at Alvarez and his win. Now that he's consistently pulled off definitive wins, the public wants to see him fight David Benavidez, "The Mexican Monster," who caught everyone's attention after beating both Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade.

After the May 4 fight, Alvarez was asked about fighting Benavidez, who has been talking smack about him, as they say. "If the money's right ... I can fight [Benavidez] right now," Alvarez said in a post-fight press conference. "I don't give a s---. It's only a matter of money at this point. Everybody is asking for everything. When I fought [Erislandy] Lara, Austin Trout, Miguel Angel Cotto, [Floyd] Mayweather, Billy Joe Saunders, GGG, everybody said I don't want to fight them, and I fought all of them. So right now ... I can do whatever I want."

It's true that Alvarez can do whatever he wants, as he's very successful. But, is he really the best if he won't fight the one guy that everyone wants him to fight? Hey, I can't contest Alvarez's record and legacy. But, give the people what they want, Alvarez. Everyone would love to see some of the best boxers in the world duke it out.

Benavidez wants the fight with Alvarez. He wants it badly. He was there Saturday, promoting his June 15 Las Vegas fight vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk. "The fans now are getting upset because this is the biggest fight on the table," Benavidez told ESPN during a news conference. "And why are we going to leave it on the table for no reason? This is a fight that has to happen. ... And I'm going to keep putting these types of performances on where people are going to want to see it. The demand of this fight is really high. It's bad blood. I don't like him. He doesn't like me."

So, we all want to see the fight. If it happens, it will draw a lot of money and interest. For now, lots of interest rests on Benavidez's upcoming fight against Gvozdyk. He's moving up to light heavyweight for the fight. I'm such a fan of boxing, since it's so classic and old-fashioned. My dad was actually a boxer in Detroit when he was in high school, and I've always loved the sport. Now, let's get into some of the best boxers in the world right now, pound-for-pound. Reach out to me with your thoughts, too.

Dmitry Bivol is the current light heavyweight champion. The Russian currently lives in California and has been in the spotlight for years, but especially took the limelight when he beat Canelo Alvarez in 2022 in a controversial fight. He's super fun to watch in the ring.

Canelo Alvarez just upped his game with another win, as he took down Jaime Munguia in the two's much-anticipated fight on Saturday (May 4). I want to see him fight David Benavidez. Make it happen, guys and agents.

Oleksandr Usyk has held the the unified heavyweight titles since 2021. The Ukrainian professional boxer is one of the best Ukrainian boxers and cruiserweights of all time. He has a May 18, 2024, fight against Tyson Fury. He also takes on David Benavidez June 15, 2024, in Las Vegas.

Naoya Inoue is such a versatile boxer. The Japanese boxer is actually only the second male boxer, behind Terence Crawford, to be the undisputed champion in two weight classes in the four-belt era. He has also won multiple world championships in four weight classes.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Terence Crawford is ranked No. 1 on this list. He has won multiple world championships in three weight classes and multiple World Boxing titles. On Aug. 3, 2024, he'll go up against Israil Madrimov.

He's not one of my top five, but David Benavidez absolutely deserves a mention. He's more than proven himself after beating both Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. He talks a lot of smack, too, which fans love. Let's see if he finally gets his fight with Canelo Alvarez.