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Trading Blows: Cloudbet’s expert take on the new NBA season

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Trading Blows: Cloudbet’s expert take on the new NBA season
Trading Blows: Cloudbet’s expert take on the new NBA seasonReading Time: 4 minutes

 

As the NBA prepares to go back to work, the trading team at Cloudbet, the leading crypto sportsbook and casino, assesses the latest market movers and shakers


The wait is almost over: The NBA is ready to go again, just two months after Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers trounced the Miami Heat in last season’s finals. The victory put an emphatic exclamation mark on the Covid-19 iteration of America’s premier basketball competition, which played out its final months in the league’s Disney World bubble in Florida.

Since then, there have been a flurry of draft and free-agency dealings, along with a few superstars returning to injury, which promise yet another humdinger of a season – all with the spectre of Covid looming in the background.

Cloudbet takes this opportunity to preview the action, with the first games tipping off on December 22. Buckle up, folks!

The West – A Lakers dynasty in the making

Champs get stronger

If last season made just one thing clear, it’s that the Lakers are back for good – and ominously, they’ve had probably the best off-season in the league, making all the right moves to improve in all positions over last year.

First of all, they re-signed Anthony Davis to a five-year, $190 million contract, a move that confirms that nothing less than a repeat this year is acceptable.

Trading Dennis Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder, while adding depth to the Center position through free agents Marc Gasol and reigning sixth man Montrezl Harrell has stacked the roster even further. Wesley Matthews taking Danny Green’s spot is the last piece of the puzzle.

They remain the team to beat in 2021 and are deservedly the No.1 title favourites. Cloudbet is offering odds of 2.88/+188 on the Lakers lifting the title and 1.85/-177 to take the Western Conference.

Clippers to contend

The Lakers’ cross-town rivals are looking to reboot their fortunes after their huge summer letdown, giving up a 3-1 series lead in the Western semifinals against the Denver Nuggets.

The Clips have a new head coach in Tyronn Lue and the team has locked in Paul George until 2025 with a contract extension. Meanwhile, the gap at center created by Harrell’s departure has been filled with Serge Ibaka – who has now been reunited with Kawhi Leonard: The two both shared a championship title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

The Clips will be looking for Ibaka’s defensive game to better contain players like Anthony Davis and the Nugget’s Nikola Jokic more effectively, especially in the post-season.

The Clips are currently at 8.18/+718 to take the title and you can get odds of 2.12/+112 that they end the regular season with a greater than 67% win percentage.

A nod to the Nuggets

While the hunt for the six remaining Western Conference playoff spots includes several teams in the mix-up, one looks to stand out from that group.

The Denver Nuggets seem to be a few steps (or years) away from going all the way, with a great young core by way of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Under the guidance of Head Coach Mike Malone, the Nuggets have built on strong foundations and will be a force to be reckoned for the foreseeable future. Denver is 20.9/+1996 to win it all this season.

The East – up for grabs

In the Eastern Conference, things look a bit more fluid.

The Milwaukee Bucks seem to have found a way of killing it during the regular season – and played some great basketball before the March shutdown – but still lack the knack of transforming these home-court advantages into deeper postseason quests for glory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo joined the elite company of only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon by winning both MVP (his second in a row) and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season last year. The Greek Freak looks hungry as ever to make the leap into the finals.

The most notable move made by the front office saw Jrue Holiday join from the New Orleans Pelicans in the off-season, while the waiting game around Giannis is over – on Wednesday he signed the full five-year, $228 million supermax contract. He’s committed to Milwaukee now for a long time.

Milwaukee’s title odds are currently 6.36/+536.

It was the Miami Heat (23.0/+2201 for the title) that knocked Milwaukee out in the bubble. The Bucks had no answer for the Heat’s physical and tactical approach, led by alpha dogs Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Butler’s unquestionable fighter mentality and work ethic is paired by a unique two-way talent. Bam was dominant in the paint while young sharpshooters Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson set the tone for a balanced offence that sets the bar high for 2021.

This season’s Brooklyn Nets (7.55/+655 for the crown) are perhaps the most intriguing entity in the East. The return of Kevin Durant (10.5/+959 for regular season MVP) and Kyrie Irving (92.9/+9192 for the same) at full strength automatically flips the switch on the Nets to contender status, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert should again play integral roles having had their best professional seasons in 2020.

The arrival of Steve Nash as head coach was the story of the off-season. The hiring of the former Suns two-time MVP has been met with some skepticism though, mainly due to his lack of experience in the position. No doubt both fans and pundits will be watching closely.

The Covid elephant in the room

We can’t end any major competition preview without a generous nod of the head to the bogeyman du jour. The NBA’s solution to covid last season – the Disney World bubble – was an enormous undertaking and an undeniable success. Building on that experience, the league now has strict protocols and a slightly rejigged playing schedule in place this season.

Perhaps the biggest change for players, aside from the relative isolation, will be road-trip restrictions and playing matches back-to-back while visiting. It’ll be interesting to see how teams (and betting odds) respond to sudden line-up and venue adjustments if Covid rears its ugly head.


Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Trading Blows: Cloudbet’s expert take on the new NBA season

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia 2024: Split 1 – Cup 2 Grand Finals To Be Hosted In Vegas Mall Dwarka In Delhi

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Leading gaming and esports media company NODWIN Gaming and renowned video game publisher Riot Games has announced that the upcoming OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia 2024: Split 1 – Cup 2 LAN Finals will be hosted in Delhi. This announcement follows the successful conclusion of Cup 1 in Pune.

The decision to host the finals in Delhi is part of a strategic effort to expose a broad audience to high-stakes esports competition, capitalizing on the region’s rising enthusiasm for esports. The inaugural Cup of the  OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia 2024: Split 1 successfully captured significant attention, drawing an impressive crowd of over 25,000 attendees who watched the champions being crowned at the venue. The event also enjoyed robust online engagement, accumulating more than 700,000 views and more than 100,000 hours of gameplay streamed across various digital platforms. OMEN by HP served as the tournament’s title partner and Philips as the styling partner.

OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia 2024: Split 1 – Cup 2 Finals will be held on 18th and 19th May, featuring the top 4 teams, True Rippers, Revenant Esports, MLT Esports and GrayFox Esports battling it on LAN in Vegas Mall, Dwarka in Delhi. The event will be live streamed on NODWIN Gaming’s YouTube channel. Like Cup 1, the grand finals will be a LAN event aimed at providing a thrilling esports experience to the attendees.

Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, commented on the choice of Delhi, “The successful completion of the Split 1 is a testament to the growing popularity of esports in the region. We are excited to host Cup 2 Grand Finals in Delhi and aim to provide fans in the region a top notch esports competition where the best teams from across regions compete for the championship title. I would like to sincerely thank our partners for their continued support and for sharing our vision to elevate esports in the region.”

Sukamal Pegu, Esports Lead, India & South Asia, Riot Games, said “The OMEN VCSA is an important platform for us to identify top VALORANT Esports talent from India and showcase them. This year we have seen the competition get more intense with international athletes such as SK Rossi playing in the circuit, giving the fans non-stop entertainment and excitement. The Delhi event will be a cracker!”

Arun Rajappa, Country Manager, India & South Asia, Riot Games, said “We are absolutely elated by the support and enthusiasm that the fans, players and teams of the region have shown to VALORANT. After an exciting Cup 1, we are thrilled to bring Cup 2 to Delhi. We are committed to the growth of esports in the region by fostering the ecosystem and providing more opportunities to fans and players alike.”

This announcement coincides with the conclusion of the VCT Game Changers South Asia Split 1, also hosted by NODWIN Gaming, where MLT Esports was victorious. This tournament is part of a broader initiative to promote inclusivity and provide competitive opportunities for women and other marginalized genders within the VALORANT community.

The Delhi grand finals promise to be a highlight for the VALORANT esports community, offering another chapter of high-level competition in the region.

For further updates and information about the VALORANT Challengers South Asia, follow NODWIN Gaming on social media:YouTube/Instagram/Twitter/Facebook

The post OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia 2024: Split 1 – Cup 2 Grand Finals To Be Hosted In Vegas Mall Dwarka In Delhi appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Golden Matrix Group Joins Rio Grande do Sul Flood Relief Program

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Golden Matrix Group (NASDAQ: GMGI), a leading B2B and B2C gaming technology company utilizing proprietary technology and operating globally across 17 regulated markets, today announced its participation in the global coalition initiative for flood relief efforts in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

This partnership aims to provide substantial support to the communities in this Brazilian state that have been most devastated by the recent severe flooding.

This initiative is part of the gaming industry’s larger collaboration with local NGOs and humanitarian organizations, marking a significant expansion of our intensive CSR efforts, which saw over 225 community impact campaigns last year alone, primarily through the actions of its subsidiary Meridianbet.

The past week has witnessed unprecedented rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul, turning streets into rivers and isolating entire towns. The current situation remains dire, with hundreds of individuals still unaccounted for, while rescue operations have successfully evacuated over 200,000 residents using boats and helicopters.

The floods have wreaked havoc on infrastructure, with numerous bridges destroyed, severely disrupting access to Porto Alegre. The aftermath of the disaster has also led to looting in supermarkets during the night, adding to the urgency of the relief efforts.

Golden Matrix Group invites its stakeholders and the global community to contribute to this cause.

About Golden Matrix Group

Golden Matrix Group, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a leading B2B and B2C gaming technology company utilizing proprietary technology and operating globally across 17 regulated markets. The B2B division of Golden Matrix develops and licenses branded gaming platforms for its extensive list of clients, and RKings, its B2C division, operates a high-volume eCommerce site enabling end users to enter paid-for competitions on its proprietary platform in authorized markets. The Company also owns and operates MEXPLAY, a regulated online casino in Mexico. In 2024, Golden Matrix completed the acquisition of MeridianBet, a well-established and B2B and B2C sports betting and gaming platform operating and regulated in multiple markets in Europe, Africa and LatAm, providing the combined entity with additional international operations.

The post Golden Matrix Group Joins Rio Grande do Sul Flood Relief Program appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Sky Vegas to sponsor new ITV reality show

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Sky Vegas has been announced as the headline sponsor of The Fortune Hotel, a brand new ITV1 reality entertainment show hosted by comic actor, Stephen Mangan, and produced by Tuesday’s Child.

The new series, set in a five-star resort in the Caribbean, is a gripping new format which sees contestants work in pairs to compete against other hotel guests and get their hands on a briefcase containing a life changing amount of money.

10 pairs of contestants will arrive at The Fortune Hotel, where they will be given an all-important briefcase. Inside one case is the ultimate jackpot of £250,000 in cash, while eight are empty, and one contains the dreaded Early Checkout Card – whichever pair is left holding that case at the end of each show will see their stay brought to a dramatic, premature end.

​​G​uests will attempt to figure out who is in possession of the cash case, whilst trying to keep the contents of their own a secret, and viewers will be treated to a blend of suspense, subterfuge and glamour as the duos compete over eight episodes.

Airing on Monday 13 May on ITV1 and ITVX (and STV in Scotland), Sky Vegas’ sponsorship includes 80” of accreditations per episode, spanning Monday-Thursday over a two-week period.

The ​​​​sponsorship deal also includes 10” bumpers around free programme streaming ​ ​content on the ITVX and STV Player, including website and mobile ​​apps*.

​​​Sky Vegas also has rights to include The Fortune Hotel logo and reference to the sponsorship across​ their own​ platforms​,​ including website and social media.

Commenting on the sponsorship, a Sky Vegas ​​spokesperson said: “​The F​ortune ​​Hotel has the potential to be the next big TV hit, and we are incredibly excited that we are going to be a part of this new show with ITV.

“Our customers enjoy fun and entertaining games, so this sponsorship opportunity just made sense. We’re looking forward to watching the show and enjoying all of its twists and turns with the rest of the ​​​​nation.”

Bhav Chandrani, Director of BE Studios, added: “It’s brilliant to be bringing a brand new format to screens and The Fortune Hotel is real shout-at-the-telly fun. It’s going to be full of twists and turns as we get to watch the gameplay unfold.”

The post Sky Vegas to sponsor new ITV reality show appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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