Online Sports Book Bet - Betting Tips

Monday Night Football Preview: Patriots at Dolphins

2010-10-04T05:49:00.001-07:00

If the NFC West division is the epitome of mediocrity, with three teams tied at 2-2, than the AFC East wrote the rule book on diversity:

- Four teams, three different records and after tonight’s battle, a two-way tie for first place

The New York Jets (3-1 SU) have already secured their top ranking for at least another week and later this evening they will be joined by one of these foes.

The sportsbook have the line currently pegged as the visiting Patriots -1, with a Total of 45.5.

New England (2-1 SU) have been sharp for two and-a-half games this season, stumbling just once in the second-half against those same Jets in Week 2.

Miami (2-1 SU) also ran into the Green Monster last week in the Dolphins’ home opener. Before that the Dolphins played reasonably well but it’s hard to gauge a team on all levels when they kickoff the season with back-to-back road games.

Even after one start at home we can’t be a hundred percent sure of the offense but tonight the spotlight is on QB Chad Henne. He has been in the league long enough that the Mark Sanchez-type rookie mistakes no longer fly. And while it wouldn’t be fair to grade him against tonight’s opponent, Tom Brady, Dolphin bettors need to decide if this is another case of the Pennington’s or if Miami is a legitimate contender.

MATH MAN PREDICTOR

New England comes into this game as the NFL leader in points per game (30.0). Indianapolis (29.2) is a close second but saw its average drop slightly with yesterday’s loss in Jacksonville.

New England's defense has given up more than 27 points per game and has had trouble defending the Wildcat formation in the past. For New England to maintain its lead as the top scorer they need to score at least 27 points and the last time the Dolphins scored more than 25 points was Week 8, 2009 – 12 games ago.

JOE PUBLIC GOES "Over"

According to online sportsbook, 86-percent of bettors are predicting this game to see more than 46 points. New England has played over the total all three games this season – and five-straight if you count back to the end of last season, but the heavy public favs did not do very well on Sunday.

Washington at Philadelphia (88-percent) and Chicago at New York Giants (86-percent) were the two most popular Over/Under bets of Week 4 and both stayed under.

PREDICTION

Henne and his favorite new weapon, WR Brandon Marshall, will likely continue to get better as the season goes on. If Miami’s run game can find a good rhythm and stay there it will be a nice compliment to the offense and this team has good potential.

That’s too big of an “if” for us to consider backing any team against New England. Miami has historically been very successful on Monday Night Football but New England should be able to cover this small number.

Pick: Take the Patriots

Soccer Betting: English Premier League Picks

2010-10-01T04:20:00.001-07:00

All the big sides are in action this weekend in the English Premier League and we will be looking at their matches and offering our insight on where the best value lies.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea

The biggest game of the weekend sees Chelsea entertain Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Both sides had impressive results in their midweek Champions League matches against Marseille and Partizan Belgrade respectively. Chelsea kept their eighth straight clean sheet at home in their Champions and Premier League games as they won 2-0, while Arsenal beat their Serbian opponents 3-1 away from home. Both sides will want to win the game, with Chelsea looking to extend their lead at the top of the table, while Arsenal will close to within a point of Chelsea with a win. Also Chelsea have won the last four matches against Arsenal, so Arsenal will want to prevent it getting to five in a row. The game could either way to be honest as both sides are so good this season, but we’re backing over 2.5 goals in the match. We see sportsbook with the line 1.77 on that one. Five of the last six games have had at least three goals in them and we foresee more goals this time around.

Play this one Over 2.5

Manchester United vs. Sunderland

On Saturday afternoon Sunderland host Manchester United in a game that both sides will feel that they can win. Sunderland have impressed this season, with Darren Bent in sparkling form and he has found the net on five occasions from their opening six fixtures. Despite winning both away games in the Carling Cup and Champions League, United are yet to win away from home in the Premier League having drawn all three matches so far, but will they carry their away form with them after beating Valencia in midweek? This is another game that could easily go either way, so we’re leaning towards goals in this match too and we’re putting our money on over 2.5 goals @ 1.87 (line is from Sportsbetting.com).

Play this one Over 2,5

Newcastle United vs. Man City

The final game we’re looking at sees big spending Manchester City host Newcastle United at Eastlands at Sunday lunchtime. City’s last league game saw them defeat reigning champions and current league leaders Chelsea through a Carlos Tevez goal, now can they beat newly promoted Newcastle? Newcastle have an up and down season with some impressive wins and then some mystifying losses. Do they have the quality to beat Manchester City? Probably not and we’re on the home win wagon here, and we’re backing Manchester City to win @ 1.31.

We’re backing Man City

Check all the EPL Odds

Have a great weekend

Hot Lines for Week 4

2010-10-01T04:19:00.001-07:00

Donovan McNabb’s much anticipated return to Philadelphia this week has instantly made the Redskins-Eagles one of the more popular games for early-week bettors.

Online sportsbook opened the line for this contest at Eagles -6.5, but the bait for Redskins backers, including those who were paying the extra juice to ‘buy the hook’ up to seven was too tempting. Early public money was coming in at 65-percent according to odds trackers but since the line dropped to -6 the action has started to even out.

Washington has a 7-3-1 record against the spread (ATS) in its last 11 meetings with the Philadelphia.

PUBLIC FAVORITES

Houston (90-percent), San Diego (86-percent) and New Orleans (82-percent) are three of the most popular bets on the board this week but huge public favorites have not proven to be a wise investment through the first three weeks of the season.

Huge fan favorite teams attracting the most money at the ticket windows are hitting at a dismal 29-percent (4-10 ATS).

While the readings from early in the week are likely to change since the majority of bettors don’t start buying until the weekend, it’s a worthwhile practice finding a consistent source of information that lets you watch where the money is going through the week.

WEARY TRAVELLERS

Seattle (-1), Denver and San Francisco will all be travelling decent distances this weekend for road games at St. Louis, Tennessee (-6.5) and Atlanta (-7) respectively.

While the Broncos will only wind their watches one hour to the Central time zone and the Seahawks only click two zones ahead, San Francisco is falling into the classic ‘Early body clock’ trap synonymous with West Coast teams playing in the Eastern time zone.

The 49ers were 0-5 straight-up in 2009 the first five times they traveled to play Eastern/Central time zone opponents, finally breaking the slump in Week 17 at St. Louis. San Francisco is also just 1-8 SU in their past nine road games overall and if last week’s game in Kansas City was any indicator, 2010 looks like another good spot to fade these weary travellers.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when getting +7 points or more, the 49ers were 2-1 ATS in 2009.

There’s a look at a few games this weekend. Best of luck with your bets.

If you’re looking for a free NFL Picks contest, check this one out:

$100,000 FREE “NFL Games of the Year” Contest

You can win $100,000 this football season by playing the SPORTSBETTING.com free "$100,000 Games of the Year Challenge"

It's FREE to enter, SIMPLE to play and delivers entertainment all season long.

Make your picks today and get set to cheer on your teams all season long.

Check out the details

http://www.sportsbetting.com/promo/gamesoftheyear/

Thursday Night Football: NFL Bye Weeks Begin

2010-09-29T23:13:00.001-07:00

Thursday Night Football Betting: NFL Bye Weeks Begin

Right from the first Thursday night game of the NFL season the weekly football betting routine can fly by at a furious pace. NFL lines for the following week’s games are often posted by online sportsbook before we have even heard the final whistle on Sunday Night Football but as fans and bettors, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s hard to believe three weeks have already passed and as we work through the Week 4 card, it’s time to start focusing a little closer on matchups and situational football handicapping.

The bye weeks are here, starting with the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It means a little less action from a viewing standpoint but the smaller card also frees up more time to handicap the other 14 games on the card.

LONG DIVISION

In Week 4, even with the bye weeks coming into effect, there are more divisional games scheduled than in any other week through the first month. Week 1 had seven, Week 2 there was only three and in Week 3 we saw six divisional matchups.

The road team will be favored in at least four of the nine divisional contests, possibly five, depending which way the line moves in New England at Miami.

There is a trend developing this season that involves divisional road favorites and it’s certainly worth noting for Over/Under bettors.

- When favored by -3 points or more, divisional road favs this year have played 0 overs, 4 unders and 1 push.

Cincinnati (-3) at Cleveland (Total of 37), NY Jets (-5) at Buffalo (Total of 37) and Indianapolis (-7.5) at Jacksonville (Total of 46) all fit the criteria and the "Under" in these three matchups is a play for you to consider.

PICK A SPOT

When looking at these divisional rivalries it is impossible to ignore certain trends that have developed between some of the teams. Two guaranteed meetings per season boosts the credibility of a betting trend because it involves more of the same players and coaches.

Just from the above matchups we can see that the underdog in the Bengals-Browns series is 6-0 ATS since 2007.

We also noticed that the road team in the Colts-Jaguars series is 6-0 ATS the past three seasons.

The road teams is 5-0 ATS in the past five tilts between the Jets and Bills but one of the more glaring trends shows that Buffalo has been a terrible play as a home underdog, going 1-8 ATS the past nine times.

Road favorites were 4-4 ATS in Week 3 but it doesn’t completely make up for their 0-4-1 ATS mark in Week 2. In these three divisional matchups we’ve listed, the road team and the "Under" look like the solid picks but before you circle any of them as a best bet, make sure to do thorough research into the local papers and team websites for injury information.

Think of it this way – with only 14 games on the card you should have some extra time!

Free Ryder Cup Contest

Aside from football, there is also a great golf event this weekend.

The best American golfers go head-to-head against the best Europe has to offer in the 2010 Ryder Cup. It only happens once every four years and for my money, is one of the top sports events of the fall when it tees off.

This year’s starts on Friday and runs through Sunday.

Check out this fun contest to make the event even more interesting.

Play the $100 Ryder Cup Contest…get your picks in today!

Champions League Picks: Champions League odds

2010-09-29T04:01:00.003-07:00

The second half of this week’s Champions League action kicks off today, but who will claim the points in today’s eight games? Let’s previews a selection of games.

Group C – Valencia v Manchester United:
The night’s biggest game comes from the Mestalla Stadium as La Liga leaders Valencia host second in the Premier League table Manchester United. Will United turn around their away form record this season with a victory? Valencia are the favourites to win the match with odds of 2.63, while Man United can be backed at 2.75 and the draw is available at 3.20.

Despite being massively in debt and selling off the majority of their top players, including David Villa, David Silva and Nikola Zigic, over the summer, Valencia have begun the La Liga campaign in fine form and top the table after five games. They have dropped just two points from their opening five games and they are ahead of Barcelona by a point and Real Madrid by two. They also thumped Bursaspor 4-0 in Turkey in their opening Champions League fixture, now can they add another win to their collection against Alex Ferguson’s men?

Manchester United sit second in the Premier League after an undefeated start to the season and, although they have shown glimpses of their brilliance, they are underperforming this season. They have played eight matches this season between the Premier League, Carling Cup and Champions League and they have won four and drawn four of these. Away from home they have drawn with Fulham, Everton and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League and their only win has come at Scunthorpe United in the Carling Cup. Can they change that around and claim their first big name away win?

United are without Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes for this game, as well as the injured Antonio Valencia, and missing these players will affect them slightly. This will give Valencia an opportunity to win the game and I feel that they will take it and claim all three points. Both sides have good goal threats and I see plenty of goals in this game and, as a result:
we’re backing a Valencia win and over 2.5 goals to be scored.

Group A – Tottenham Hotspur v FC Twente:
This match sees the side that finished fourth in the Premier League take on the Dutch champions in the second round of matches from Group A. Can Twente get anything from their first away Champions League match of the season at White Hart Lane? Bet365 do not think so as they make Spurs the 1.73 favourites to claim all three points, with Twente available at 5.00 and the draw can be backed at 3.60.
Spurs have been an up and down this season so far and have followed up some impressive European results with poor showings in the Premier League. When they defeated Young Boys to qualify for the Champions League they were beaten by Wigan Athletic and after their 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen they were beaten by West Bromwich Albion, both games that they should have won. Last week was a poor one for Spurs too, losing to bitter rivals Arsenal in the Carling Cup before being beaten by West Ham at the weekend. Can they turn their poor week around and claim their first Champions League win?
FC Twente will be no pushovers for Spurs in this match as they are on an unbeaten run of thirteen games in all competitions in a run that stretches back as far as April. They began their Champions League campaign with a 2-2 home draw with defending champions Inter Milan and they sit fourth in the Dutch league following three wins and four draws in an unbeaten start to the season. They are drawing too many games at this early stage and they will need to step up a gear if they are to claim all three points in London.
Harry Redknapp will have his players psyched up for this game and although they are missing several players through in injury I expect to see a home win in this game. However, with the injuries that they have I do not expect things to be easy for them and I see both sides getting on the scoresheet in this game.
Our money is on a Spurs win with both sides to score.
Check the Champions League odds @ sportsbetting.com
For chat and plenty of bets on all of this week’s Champions League action, check out the Champions League Online Betting Stadium!
Some Recommendations:
• Valencia to beat Manchester United @ 2.63
• Over 2.5 goals in the Valencia v Manchester United game @ 2.10
• Tottenham Hotspur to beat FC Twente @ 1.73
• Both Tottenham Hotspur and FC Twente to score @ 1.73

NFL Betting: An Early AFC Update

2010-09-29T04:01:00.001-07:00

Before the season began, an argument could have been made for any one of three AFC divisions to be the top of the class. Sorry West, you weren’t invited to the party.

After three weeks, not a lot has been settled in the debate for divisional supremacy. The East and South divisions each contain three teams with identical 2-1 straight-up (SU) records while Baltimore and Cincinnati balance the North.

Miami impressed with back-to-back road wins to start the season but couldn’t handle the New York Jets Sunday night. New England has looked very good on offense for two and-a-half of its three games but a defensive breakdown cost bettors against the Bills and in the only half where the Pats offense was shutout, the Jets made them pay dearly.

Going back to the end of last season, New York’s record is now 6-2 SU/ATS in its past eight games and 9-3 SU/ATS in its past 12. No one seems willing to crown King Sanchez just yet, but a 75-percent record for bettors is at least worth a tip of the cap.

The Bengals have an edge over the Ravens, not just for beating them straight-up in Week 2 but also for dominating the Panthers Sunday with an offense that didn’t even shift out of second gear.

Baltimore does lead the AFC in fewest points allowed (41) but Tennessee is right behind, giving up just 42. And Houston is the only one of 10 teams in the conference with a winning record that has allowed more points (78) than they have scored (77).

But then there is Pittsburgh...

NO OFFENSE, NO PROBLEM
If you can find anyone that says they projected the Steelers (3-0 SU/ATS) to win three-straight games to start the season, shake their hand, say “Congratulations” and then never buy any real estate or insurance from that person.

QB Charlie Batch guided the Steelers to a an absolute drubbing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, making plays and proving he is a capable backup. A Steelers team that was lost in `09 when defensive standout Troy Polamalu went down has positioned themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. With one game left to play before Ben Roethlisberger returns, bettors need to have a strong system or trend in effect before fading Mike Tomlin’s crew.

The Baltimore Ravens are in Pittsburgh for Week 4 and the early line at sportsbook is Steelers (-1.5). The Over/Under is 34. Early betting action at Sportsbetting.com has 55% of the action on the visiting Ravens and 58% of the volume on the “Under”.

HOT STREAKS
We mentioned how well the Jets have performed if you include last season’s results, but Pittsburgh slips under the radar since they missed the playoffs in January.

- Pittsburgh is 6-0 straight-up in its last six games and for sports bettors, they have a record of 4-1-1 against the spread in that stretch.

- The Steelers are outscoring opponents 44-12 in the first-half through the first three weeks of the season

Not bad for a team built on defense!

FREE CONTEST
$100,000 FREE “NFL Games of the Year” Contest
You can win $100,000 this football season by playing the free "$100,000 Games of the Year Challenge" @ sportsbetting.com

Have a great week.

Monday Night Football – Green Bay at Chicago

2010-09-26T23:15:00.001-07:00

The Packers started the season with a decisive win in Philadelphia and backed it up with a proper throttling of Buffalo in Week 2 at Lambeau Field. Last season Green Bay had made a habit of beating up on lesser foes (by an average of more than 25 points per game) and last week’s 34-7 final was right in line.

Sportsbook have the line in this one posted as the Packers -3, with a Total of 46.

Chicago barely avoided an opening week upset at the hands of the Detroit Lions, while they were big underdogs Week 2 in Dallas, a game they won straight up.

Now Chicago is 2-0 SU on the season and looking for its first 3-0 start since a memorable 2006 campaign that ended with Super Bowl loss to the Colts.

In 2009, the Bears did start the year with a 3-1 SU/ATS record but the loss was suffered in Week 1 against these same Packers.

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
Chicago won only seven games last season so it’s not surprising they were 0-2 SU/ATS against the 11-win Packers. Green Bay also swept the Bears in 2008 against the number. In fact Chicago bettors have not had a winning season backing the Bears against the division since 2005 (4-1-1 ATS)

BACK IT UP
Green Bay was 5-1 SU/ATS against low-tier opponents last year, all five wins coming by a margin of 19 points or more (26.6 ppg avg). In the contest that immediately followed the five blowout victories Green Bay was 3-2 SU/ATS with 2 overs and 3 unders.

Worth noting is that both losses were against divisional foes and both of those game went "Over" the total.

GAMEPLAN
Green Bay was No. 1 against the rush last year and has to be expecting Chicago to go airborne in an attempt to free up lanes for Matt Forte. The Packer have to be on the lookout for swing passes, though, as all three of Forte’s TDs this year have come via the pass.

The Packers run game is still a bit of a mystery since Ryan Grant went down, as Green Bay split carries between Brandon Jackson (11, 29 yards) and John Kuhn (9, 36 yards). Expect Jackson to get a slightly heavier workload but for Green Bay’s offense to focus mainly on the passing game.

Monday Night Pick
Chicago is 6-14-2 ATS after its past 22 wins and has covered the spread back-to-back times just twice in the past two years. Their early season performance has forced online books to post a modest line for this game but getting at least three, we like the home underdog in this primetime matchup.
Take the Bears

You can check the props and NFL odds for the Monday nighter at Sportsbetting.com

English Premier League Picks

2010-09-24T02:56:00.003-07:00

There is another full card of English Premier League matches this weekend and after the excitement of last weekend’s games we’re expecting more fireworks this Saturday and Sunday! Let’s look at the four biggest games.
Chelsea vs. Man City
The weekend kicks off with the biggest game as Manchester City host Chelsea at the City of Manchester Stadium in Saturday’s lunchtime kickoff. Chelsea have started the season off in impressive style, winning all six of their Premier and Champions League matches and scoring 25 goals in the process. This game will be their first big test of the season though and it was one they failed last season, losing both games against Manchester City. However, they look stronger and better than last season when they won the Premier League. Checking the sportsbook lines, we like the Chelsea to win this one.

West Bromwich Albion vs. Arsenal
Also in action on Saturday are Arsenal, who entertain newly promoted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates Stadium. West Brom will be in high spirits after beating local rivals Birmingham City last weekend, but a trip to the Emirates is daunting at any stage, but especially this season as Arsenal are in devastating form at home so far.

Arsenal have scored 16 goals in their 3 home matches this season, scoring 6 goals on two occasions and 4 in the other match. We expect that there will be plenty more goals to be seen in London this weekend too, so we’re putting our cash on the Over 2.5 goals.

Sunderland vs. Liverpool
Another game we’re looking at on Saturday sees Liverpool welcome Sunderland to Anfield. Both of these sides are fairly poor away from home, with Liverpool lucky to come so close to beating Manchester United last weekend and Sunderland having picked up just one point from three away games this season so far. We expect Liverpool to have the edge at Anfield this weekend and we’re backing a home win in this one @ 1.33.

Man U vs. Bolton
The final game we’re looking at comes from the Reebok Stadium, where Bolton Wanderers take on Manchester United. Last weekend Dimitar Berbatov scored a great hat-trick to claim the match ball and all three points against Liverpool. He’ll be looking to add more goals to his name this weekend and with Manchester United having won their last five matches against Bolton it is likely that he’ll be on the scoresheet again. Can Bolton do anything to stop Man United? There two home games have seen draws against Fulham and Birmingham City this season, so we’re expecting an easy win for the visitors in this one and we’re putting our money on a Manchester United to win @ 1.39.
You can check all the Premier League odds @ sportsbetting.com

NFL Betting: What Bettors Need to Know for Week 3

2010-09-24T02:56:00.001-07:00

Upsets ruled the board in Week 2 of the NFL season with underdogs going 5-10-1 against the spread (ATS).

Divisional favorites were a bad bet, as Baltimore, Carolina and New England were all on the losing side – not only at the betting window – but straight-up (SU) as well.

The Patriots (-14.5) this week were already listed as the biggest favorite of the season when sportsbook opened the line for their game against the Buffalo Bills. Heavy action since Monday though, has pushed the line has high as 15 points at some places. Given Buffalo’s performance so far it is quite likely that number will touch 16 points by kickoff.

SPORTS BETTING FACT
The New England Patriots (66-percent) are the second highest picked public favorite among sports bettors since 2007.

DRAW A LINE
We’ve had a chance to see most NFL teams in home and away situations but during the next few weeks bettors are going to have to start considering other factors such as early bodyclock games, divisional sandwich situations and look-ahead spots. Perhaps it will be a revenge situation or even worse – a playoff revenge game.

When this happens, astute bettors will jump quickly on favorable lines but it can work both ways. An example is this week when San Francisco (-2.5) travels to Kansas City.

Against a team that finished last season 4-12 SU that seems like an awfully low line, especially for a 49ers team that nearly knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions just a few days ago. Or does it?

San Francisco played in just one Monday Night game in 2009, it was at home and they covered the spread as an underdog. Sound familiar?

Next, the Niners had to travel to Philadelphia which is three time zones ahead for San Francisco. Kansas City is only two hours different but the unusual travel situation can still take its toll.

Kansas City is also a non-Conference foe and wouldn’t you know it; the Niners lost each of their past three road games against AFC teams. In fact the only inter-Conference road game they’ve won since Mike Singletary took over the team was 10-3 at Buffalo.

So after just a quick look at this matchup the oddsmaker’s line starts to make a lot more sense. The Chiefs’ 2-0 SU record also needs to be considered but we’re discounting a few points away from any win against the Cleveland Browns!

TIME TRAVELERS
The 49ers were 0-4 straight-up in 2009 the first four times they traveled to play Eastern/Central time zone opponents

INTER-CONFERENCE BETTING STAT
In eight non-Conference matchups so far this year favorites are 6-2 SU but only 3-3-2 ATS.

Every one of the early games this week is either an inter-Conference or divisional matchup. Several more trends and systems are sure to develop as we move into Week 4. While it’s tough to look at all the angles, be sure to look at more than just one before placing your bets.

Check the updated NFL Odds @ sportsbetting.com

UFC 119:UFC Betting

2010-09-22T23:07:00.003-07:00

UFC 119 is this Saturday September 25 in Indianapolis, Indiana and online sportsbook Sportsbetting.com has the odds on the upcoming fight card. This fight card may not have a Championship title on the line, it does offer plenty of opportunities to move into a position to challenge for one.

Frank Mir -250 vs Mirko Cro Cop +180
This is the last gasp for two great warriors of MMA. Frank Mir 13-5 coming off a devastating 1st round loss to Shane Carwin gets a chance back on the road for the heavyweight championship against Pride legend Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop 27-7-2 is riding a 2 fight winning streak and coming off an impressive come from behind win against Pat Barry. Cro Cop is a replacement for an injured Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and this could be the break Cro Cop need. Classic striker vs BJJ match where if Frank Mir doesn’t watch himself, he may get caught. Likewise, Cro Cop’s chin isn’t what it used to be which makes this an exciting headliner.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira +140 vs Ryan Bader -170
Little “Nog” has been on an impressive seven fight win streak while Ryan Bader enters this fight undefeated at 11-0. This is Bader’s toughest fight in his young career and the wrestler will have all he can handle. A win for Little “Nog” will put him in the spotlight for a shot at the light heavyweight title.

Matt Serra +105 vs Chris Lytle -135
Rematch of TUF 4 finale, and a candidate for fight of the night, Chris Lytle gets his shot at revenge of a split decision that went Matt Serra’s way. Chris Lytle, the busier of the two since TUF finale, is a slight favorite and gets his chance at revenge. The underdog, Matt “The Terror,” Serra will be plenty motivated to get back on the road to regaining his welterweight title he lost in 2008. Serra has a dangerous punch that Lytle will have to guard against and then pressure Serra on the ground. Should be an exciting fight.

Sean Sherk +180 vs Evan Dunham -230
Sean Sherk’s last fight was 16 months ago, a loss to current champion Frankie Edgar, and ring rust may be Sherk’s enemy in this fight. Sherk will need to overcome the rust fast, as fast rising Evan Dunham may not give him any time to overcome it. Dunham is a heavy favorite on his 11-0 record with big wins over Tyson Griffin and Efrain Escudero. Sherk has experience on his side, but he’ll need more to defeat Dunham and his layoff.

Melvin Guillard -170 vs Jeremy Stephens +140
Looking for an underdog to place a bet on? Jeremy Stephens may be your man. Tough fighter, with great striking abilities, Stephens is a live dog in this fight. Melvin Guillard is no slouch who has is 5-1 in his last 6 fights. Guillard is favored with a win over Glieson Tibau while Stephens lost to the same fighter. Stephens has stepped up his game since then and there will be fireworks between the two. A knockout is likely the outcome in this fight.

You can check all the UFC Betting & Odds @ Sportsbetting.com

NFL Betting: Look into the Futures

2010-09-22T23:07:00.001-07:00

Parity is looming large through the first two weeks of the NFL season with eight teams at 2-0, eight more at 0-2 and the remaining 16 teams sitting with a 1-1 straight-up record.

It has set Week 3 up as a pivotal start for several teams and sportsbook have posted some tight lines. Out of 16 games, online sportsbook, Sportsbetting.com, has 10 teams favored by four points or less.

One way bettors can take advantage of the situation is to look ahead to Week 4 matchups and check ‘Prospective Betting’ lines that are currently being offered.

Prospective Betting involves picking sides from an upcoming point in the season and placing a bet based on odds being offered today. When the game comes "live", odds for the bet that’s already in your pocket don’t change.

For example, if you place a bet on a Week 5 underdog at +7.5 points and by game time the number is down to +5.5, you have given yourself a two-point advantage. And if the favorite wins by a touchdown, your play on the dog +7 is still a winner.

Indianapolis (-6) is at Denver this week and the following week the Colts travel to Jacksonville. Sportsbetting.com currently lists the Colts (-6) and while it will be second of back-to-back road games, if Peyton Manning plays in Denver the way he did last Sunday vs. his brother, laying six points will be a steal. You can check all the NFL odds.

CAUGHT RED HANDED
The new location for the umpire this season has had an immediate impact on the number of offensive holding penalties this season and teams that can’t help but hold are getting beat by the books.

Of the seven most-penalized teams (Jets, Cardinals, Raiders, Eagles, Titans, Rams and Cowboys), not one team has been a good bet this year.

New York, Arizona, Tennessee and St. Louis are 1-1 ATS while the others are a combined 0-8 ATS.

Compared with early season stats from 2007-09, offensive holding calls are up nearly 75-percent and while teams take time to adjust, bad offenses will continue to struggle, setting up solid plays AGAINST for bettors.

EAGLE FLYING HIGH
The Philadelphia Eagles have announced they will stick with Michael Vick as their starter for this week’s matchup in Jacksonville. Vick took over when Kevin Kolb was injured vs. Green Bay and led the Eagles to a road win in Detroit last weekend.

It was thought that Kolb would take back the starter’s job once he was cleared by medical staff but in the NFC East, where three teams share a tie for first, a Reid’s gotta do what a Reid’s gotta do!

F1 BETTING – SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

2010-09-22T23:06:00.001-07:00

The Formula One World Championship is heating up as the season nears its completion! There are five drivers who could possibly win the title and they are all separated by fewer points than can be claimed for winning a race, and this weekend we return to Singapore – the site of the biggest scandal in Formula One in recent years.

The Singapore race was first held as part of the Formula One World Championship in 2008 and that race was won by one of this season’s title contenders Fernando Alonso in a Renault. Alonso started the race in 15th and went on to win the race following a safety car period after his team-mate crashed when he was the only driver to have stopped for a pit stop. This allowed Alonso to control the race from the front, however it later emerged that Renault had order Alonso’s team-mate, Nelson Piquet Jr., to crash on purpose to allow Alonso to win the race. Following an investigation, several members of Renault were banned from Formula One and Renault were handed a suspended ban from F1.

While we don’t expect to see anything of this level of incident at this season’s race, the top five drivers will all be battling for the race win and there should be plenty of action and excitement. Red Bull are the favourites to win the race, with their drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber available at odds of 3.25 and 4.00 respectively with sportsbook, and with their car having the best aerodynamic package one of their drivers likely to take the win. Can Alonso (available at 5.50) or the McLaren drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button (available at 4.50 and 12.00 respectively) – stop the Red Bull cars?

Alonso will be in confident spirits after his win in Italy two weeks ago and Button will upbeat about his chances after a strong showing at Monza that saw him lead the race and eventually finish second to Alonso. Hamilton won in Singapore in 2009 and after crashing out in the last race, he will want a good performance. Despite all this, we feel that the Red Bull cars will be the ones to beat as they have been on non-power based tracks this season.

Will it be Vettel or Webber to take the chequered flag though? After being beaten by Vettel at Monza, Webber will want to reassert his dominance over Vettel this season and we feel that he will take the win in the Far East.

As a result we’re backing Mark Webber to win the Singapore Grand Prix @ 4.00.

You can check all the Formula 1 Betting & odds @sportsbetting.com

NFL Betting Update

2010-09-21T02:01:00.000-07:00

In case there was any uncertainty, Indianapolis laid everyone’s concerns to rest Sunday night in front of a national TV audience: Peyton Manning’s offense is still one of the best in the business, a championship defense can in fact be built on speed, and the Colts are the top team in the AFC South (yes, Houston we know you scored the victory Week 1).

A performance like Sunday’s win over the Giants makes the price that sportsbook have on the Colts (+400) to win the AFC look attractive and the opportunity for such an offer is likely only going to be around for a few more days.

Indianapolis is at Denver in Week 3 and Sportsbetting.com has listed the Colts as a 6- point favorite. After that one, Indy will face Jacksonville and Kansas City, a pair of 1-and-1 clubs, and even though Indy may not cover the spread in all three matchups, odds are very good they will be 4-1 SU (straight-up) by Week 6.

- Houston improved to 2-0 SU with an overtime win at Washington, who the Colts will meet in Week 6 and then Indianapolis has a bye. When they return it’s a rematch with the Texans on Monday Night Football!

Wouldn’t it be something if the Colts are 5-0 SU for that game since that loss in Houston Week 1.

‘Prospective Betting’ lines for that and every matchup from now through Week 17 are available now at the sportsbook . The current line shows Indianapolis (-6).

LITTLE BROTHER
Eli Manning must be used to getting picked on by his older brother. It started when they were kids and even in the pros Peyton has kept on given little brother the beats.

What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, though, and its possible bettors could find value looking for the Giants to go on a roll.

The last time big bros beat up on Eli was Week 1, 2006. The Giants followed that loss with a straight-up win as a divisional road dog in Philadelphia and then went on to five of their next six games SU (4-2 ATS).

New York is home for back-to-back games against two beatable foes stating Sunday (Tennessee, Chicago), and oddsmakers have listed the Giants as -3.5 favorites.

Ex-Giant Kerry Collins was calling signals for the fourth quarter of the Titans’ 19-11 loss against Pittsburgh but Coach Fisher says Vince Young will start in New York.

QB SCRAMBLE
One quarterback that will not be back under center this week is Steve Moore. Coach Fox did not liked what he saw in either of Moore’s first two starts and announced Monday that rookie QB Jimmy Clausen will make his first NFL start Sunday when the Bengals visit Carolina.

Cincinnati (-3.5) was far better at home against Baltimore than they were in New England and early money has already started to come in on the road favorite for this inter-Conference game.

There is also concern that Steelers QB Dennis Dixon (knee) could be out longer than expected with a torn lateral meniscus that could require arthroscopic surgery to repair the damage. Ben Roethlisberger would be back with the team before Dixon but in the meantime Pittsburgh has re-signed Byron Leftwich as a backup to Charlie Batch.

Pittsburgh (-2.5) is in Tampa Bay (2-0) this Sunday and the Steelers are 0-5 ATS in their past five non-Conference meetings away from Heinz Field.

Good luck this week @ sportsbetting.com

NFL Betting: Saints vs. 49ers Preview

2010-09-19T23:35:00.001-07:00

Monday Night Football is usually considered the ‘big’ game of the week during the regular season, but with the run the Saints have been on, primetime matchups are starting to become old hat. In a stretch that goes back to last year’s playoffs, tonight marks the fifth consecutive game for New Orleans in front of a national TV audience.

The Week 1 opener vs. Minnesota was not exactly the brand of football Saints bettors have become accustomed to, but a 14-9 win was enough to get the team past the mythical post-Super Bowl jinx that has sent several past champions to the mat.

San Francisco not only lost its first game, they were slapped hard by a divisional opponent (Seattle) who this weekend at Denver proved they were not very special after all. The pressure in this game for a strong performance is clearly on the 49ers.

Sportsbook have the line as New Orleans -5.

PAST PERFORMANCES
2010 marks the third straight year the Saints have opened the season at home and followed it with a non-divisional road game the very next week. They are 3-0 SU in the home portion and the games that followed the last two years had completely different results (5 point loss – 26 point win). Today’s Saints are nothing like the group from `08, however, so it’s not worth putting too much weight into the trend.

It is worth noting that the Saints are 6-9 ATS on Monday Night and they have won five straight over the 49ers since being swept in a 2001 home-and-home series against their then-NFC West rival.

San Francisco is looking to avoid its first 0-2 SU start since 2005. They are 4-1 SU in their home opener the past five years and 3-2 against the number.

SPOTLIGHT
No wonder the Saints don’t mind a lot of attention!

2009 Divisional Finals – Saints (-7) hosted the Arizona Cardinals, winning 45-14 (Over 57)

2009 Conference Championship – Saints (-3.5) beat Minnesota 31-28 in overtime (Over 54)

Super Bowl XLIV at Dolphins Stadium – Saints (+4) upset Indianapolis Colts 31-17 (Under 56.5)

2010 NFL Season Kickoff – Saints (-5) welcome Brett Favre back with another defeat, 14-9 (Under 49)

PUBLIC EYE
According to online sportsbooks, only three teams this week including the Saints (87-percent) were heavily over weighted with public money to one side. The other big favorites Sunday, Philadelphia (89-percent) and New England (89-percent), both came up short at the betting window.

Combine it with figures from Week 1, where overweight public favs went 1-3 ATS and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Joe Public. Can the Saints change the market?

PREDICTION
Expectations for the 49ers were high coming into the season and after the blowout at Qwest Field, no one should be sounding the alarms just yet. A 0-3 SU day for NFC West rivals on Sunday helps the cause and with a win today, San Francisco would be right on pace. Now getting that win vs. the most explosive team in football is another story.

QB Smith is going to be under a lot of duress from the front seven and when he does get the ball away the Saints’ ball hawking secondary will be looking to make plays. San Francisco’s run-game was good for only 49 yards against Seattle and if they fall behind it will be hard to get untracked.

The Niners also converted just 1-for-15 on third downs and while no team is ever ‘as bad’ as they were the week before, Mike Singletary’s squad has a lot of ground to make up.
Pick: Take the Saints

Check the updated NFL odds @ sportsbetting.com

NFL Betting: Season Win Totals Still Offered

2010-09-15T01:56:00.001-07:00

In the weeks leading up to the kickoff of the new NFL season, sportsbook offered lines on win totals for each team. These “Season Win Total” plays are always popular with the sports betting public.

Sportsbetting.com - However, with the advent of free agency and so much movement and parity interjected into the league these days, there is a sense it has become more difficult for bettors to handicap individual teams on a year-to-year basis.

With one week in the books we’ve now had a chance to see the first teamers respond to different playbooks, new teammates and coaching changes. Its knowledge we can use for betting sides and totals on the Week 2 card, but there is another option available that could offer even more value.

One sportsbook, Sportsbetting.com, is giving bettors a chance to make plays on Adjusted ‘Season Win Totals’ with revised pricing based on Week 1 results.

So now you can apply some of the things you learned opening week to handicapping these bets, something that hasn’t been an option in the past.

Favorites came out of Week 1 with a 10-6 straight-up (SU) record and for the six teams that were upset, this could be a viewed as a good buying opportunity as the loss gets swept under the carpet and these teams prepare for Round 2.

One play you might want to look at is the San Diego Chargers (Over 10 -120). The defending AFC West champs were rained on, beat up and bowled over by a feisty Kansas City team celebrating the grand re-opening of Arrowhead Stadium. San Diego was using a new O-line, featured a rookie running back and played its first game without last year’s top receiver (V. Jackson). The team was got caught off guard by a "live" divisional home dog.

The reward for bettors that waited is a half-point advantage over the Chargers preseason win total and the insurance of a ‘Push’ option on 10 wins. Remember, this team is notorious for starting slow but they did finish 2009 with 11-straight wins.

Or how about teams that mildly shocked the sports betting community with Week 1 performances that weren’t even on the radar screen for handicappers? Seattle, Washington and Houston are all 1-0 SU right now and it created a spike in their projected win total for the season. Will the winning ways continue?

The Redskins host the Texans in Week 2, guaranteeing (almost certainly) that one of these teams will be 1-1. If you think Arian Foster is the new Chris Johnson, the value for betting Houston "Over" may be gone. If Donovan McNabb’s first win was a hoax, however, and there’s no way the Redskins will survive such an obvious lack of chemistry for an entire season, then playing the inflated win total "Under" 8 wins offers immediate value.

A good strategy while setting up for Week 2 is to check the lines for all 32 teams in the football betting section your sportsbook. Compare your preseason thoughts with impressions from Week 1 and then look at this week’s matchups. If a team that lost in Week 1 has a good chance at winning straight-up in Week 2, reference the odds for their adjusted win total.

Spotting line value means more than just looking at the current matchups. If there is a good ‘Futures’ pick available, it could be your best bet.

You can check all the updated NFL Odds @ sportsbetting.com

Wednesdays Champions League Betting

2010-09-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

The second night of Champions League football this week arguably has more anticipated clashes than last night. Where does the betting value lie? Let’s look at some selections.

Real Madrid v Ajax:

Europe’s big spenders take on the former European Cup holders from the Netherlands in a match that sees last year’s Champions League winning manager get back into action. Can Jose Mourinho get his attempt to win a second successive Champions League title off with a win? Bet365 make Real Madrid the 1.30 favourites to claim all three points, with Ajax available at 9.50 and the draw can be backed at odds of 5.50.

Neither of these two sides have looked particularly impressive at the start of the seasons, with Real Madrid having scored just one goal in their first two league matches and Ajax struggling to get into the Champions League. Real are undefeated in La Liga under Jose Mourinho with a draw and a win under their belt, but the highlight is that Mourinho has worked his magic already and Real are yet to concede a goal. Ajax were lucky to reach this point of the tournament, having overcome Greek side PAOK on away goals and beaten Dynamo Kiev 3-2 on aggregate in the qualifiers. However, they are joint top of the Dutch league having gone unbeaten for five league matches, winning four and drawing one, but can they remain unbeaten against massive superior opposition that the teams in the league?

I can’t see Ajax getting anything from this game as Real will keep things tight under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho, and I expect to see a Real win in a tight game. My money for this match is on Real Madrid to win the game by at least two goals. Check the odds at your sportsbook.

Bayern Munich v Roma:

Neither of these sides have started off the season well and Bayern sit mid-table in the Bundesliga, while Roma are doing even worse and sit second bottom of Serie A after two games. How will this game go? Books believe that Bayern will take all three points and make them the 1.67 favourites, with Roma available at 5.30 and the draw can be backed at odds of 3.80.

Bayern began their domestic season with a win over Wolfsburg, now managed by former England boss Steve McClaren, but since then they have picked up just one point from their following two games and they failed to find the net in either match. However, that pales in comparison to the start had by Roma this season. After pushing Inter Milan all the way to the title last season they would have hoped to start this season well, but a 0-0 draw on the opening day against newly promoted Cesena and a 5-1 thumping at the hands of Cagliari see them sit second bottom of the league. Both teams need to turn things around in this match, but which one of them will do so?

With Roma’s dismal away performance at the weekend against Cagliari I feel that they will struggle at the Allianz Arena this Wednesday and i’m backing a home win in this game despite their poor start to the season. As well as backing a Bayern Munich win at odds of 1.67, I’ll also be putting my money on both teams not to score at odds of 2.10. Both set of odds come from Bet365.

Arsenal v Sporting Braga:

The oddsmakers have Arsenal as 1.29 favourites to pick up all three points in the first Champions League match of the season at the Emirates Stadium. Braga are available at odds of 11.00 and the draw can be backed at 5.50. Will the game go according to these odds?

Arsenal have started the Premier League season well and have dropped just two points from their opening four games as they sit in second place in the table. The dropped points came on the opening day of the season against Liverpool at Anfield as they were outplayed by a ten man Liverpool side. Since then they have scored twelve goals and conceded just two, with ten of those goals coming in two matches at home and this will give them the confidence to believe that they can collect all three points against Braga.

However, Braga will be no pushovers as shown by the manner in which they qualified for the Champions League – a 4-3 victory at Sevilla, who had just previously beaten Barcelona 3-1 at the same ground days previously. However, they come into this game having been beaten in the league by FC Porto, will this motivate them to get all three points or will they fail to get anything from the match?

Arsenal are devastating at home at the moment and while Braga are a decent team they are will still be unable to deal with an Arsenal side that is at the top of its game at the moment. However, they have shown that they can score goals away from home, having scored in six of their last seven away games, and with Arsenal’s weak point being their goalkeeper I expect this game to see both teams on the scoresheet. My money is on Arsenal to win the game by at least two goals at odds of 1.80 and both sides to score.

Check all the Champions League Odds @ sportsbetting.com

Champions League Picks

2010-09-14T02:15:00.001-07:00

The Champions Leagus returns to action this mid-week, but who will start off their campaigns with a victory and the three points? Let’s preview two of the opening Tuesday’s fixtures.

Group A - FC Twente v Inter Milan:

The reigning champions kick off the defence of their Champions League title in the Netherlands at the home of last season’s Dutch league champions. They were slow out of the blocks last season, but can they collect all three points first time around this season? Sportsbooks make Inter the odds on favourites to win the match at 1.85, with Twente available at odds of 4.50 and the draw can be backed at 3.40.

This season, Twente started off the defence of their domestic league title slowly as they drew their first two matches 0-0. Since then they have won their following three games and they sit third in the table, just two points behind giants of the game PSV and Ajax. In their five games so far they have scored nine goals and conceded one and they seem to have made the transition to their new manager, following the departure of former England boss Steve McClaren, very well and they a good side and Inter will not find it easy to claim all three points.

Since Jose Mourinho left Inter Milan to take over the reins at Real Madrid and former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez stepping into his shoes, Inter have been inconsistent. They will hope that it is just ‘New Manager Syndrome’ where it takes a while to get used to new methods employed by the new man in charge, but after Benitez’s poor last season at Liverpool we will have to wait and see. Benitez guided Inter to an impressive 3-1 win over Roma in the Italian Super Coppa final in his first competitive game in charge, before slumping to a 2-0 defeat against the impressive Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. They then started their Serie A campaign off with a 0-0 draw at Bologna before claiming their first victory at home to Udinese 2-1 last weekend. Can they pick up another win in this match?

The two sides have never met before and although this is Twente’s first ever Champions League game I expect to see them get something from the match, and although Inter are blowing hot and cold I feel that they have a decent performance in them. As a result of this my money is on the draw at odds of 3.50 at the sportsbook.

Group C – Manchester United v Rangers:

This clash sees the first meeting between Manchester United and Rangers in the Champions League since Alex Ferguson’s men won both home and away fixtures in the 2003/2004 campaign. Can Rangers get revenge and beat United at Old Trafford? SPORTSBETTING.com say no as they make the home side the 1.17 favourites to claim all three points.

Manchester United have started off the Premier League season well, but a lack of concentration has cost them dearly. At home they have claimed two wins from two games, scoring six goals and keeping two clean sheets, however away from home they have thrown away four points in injury time as they Fulham and then Everton this weekend scored three goals in added time to claim two draws against last season’s runners up. Alex Ferguson will not be happy with the way that his side threw away two points against Everton on Saturday, can they appease him with a win here?

Rangers have started the Scottish Premier League season well, winning all four games and sitting level on points with league leaders Celtic. The only problem that the Scottish side have had is that they have leaked at least one goal in three of their four games this season and should they continue to do this they face a large defeat at Old Trafford this Tuesday. Can they tighten things up defensively for this game?

I feel that Rangers are in trouble for this game and that they are in for a beating. I expect Manchester United, with Wayne Rooney eased back into the side, to win this game comfortably. As a result of this my money is on Manchester United to win by at least three goals.

Check all the Champions League Odds @ sportsbetting.com

Monday Night Previews: Ravens at Jets and Chargers at Chiefs

2010-09-14T00:22:00.001-07:00

What better way to cap off Week 1 then with a Monday Night Football doubleheader!

Sunday featured its share of hard hits and upsets and tonight promises to deliver more of the same when Baltimore stops in at the new Meadowlands Stadium.

BALTIMORE AT NEW YORK JETS
Line: Jets -2.5
Over/Under: 35.5

Sportsbook opened this game at New York -3 but the Darrelle Revis holdout and 65-70 percent support from Ravens backers edged this line off the key number down to -2.5.

Both of these teams finished last season at 9-7 straight-up (SU) and put up a good fight in the playoffs. Key additions to the offense will bolster the attack but the edge in QB has to go to the Ravens. Joe Flacco is in his third year and having a legitimate downfield threat in WR Boldin will stretch the field for a passing game that ranked 18th overall last year.

Mark Sanchez was prone to turnovers and rookie mistakes in 2009 and the absence of WR Holmes (suspension) won’t help. New York will look to its ground game to take pressure away from Sanchez but this Ravens defense ranked first overall at limiting yards per carry.

New York also saw their leading rusher RB Jones leave for Kansas City; although RB Greene did show he was ready to take over. Veteran RB Tomlinson will also help and LT showed in preseason he still has a move or two left in the tank.

Monday Night Pick:
Revis will cover Boldin but Flacco also has TE Heap, TJ Houshmandzadeh, WR Mason and one of the top RBs in the game with Ray Rice. Beyond the hype that Coach Ryan has put into his team’s Super Bowl chances, the Ravens are one of the top teams in the conference. Getting points, we like the road team.
Take the Ravens

SAN DIEGO AT KANSAS CITY
Line: Chargers -4.5
Over/Under: 45

It was an active off-season for San Diego and rookie RB sensation Ryan Matthews is set to take his first steps as the new face of the Chargers ground game. WR Jackson’s absence will be felt, but TE Gates and WRs Floyd and Naanee will still provide plenty chances for QB Rivers to connect.

More unsettling for Rivers may be the contract dispute that will keep veteran left tackle Marcus McNeill away from Monday’s game. For a Chiefs defensive unit that finished 30th overall last season, it’s never going to be any easier for them trying to break into the Chargers pocket.

San Diego was slow out of the gate last year, going 2-3 SU and 1-4 against the spread (ATS). Denver’s 6-0 start triggered an alarm that sent the team into an 11-game winning streak beginning in Week 6 at Arrowhead against this Chiefs team.

Monday Night Pick:
Slow starts aren’t new for San Diego, the team is 5-7 in September the past three seasons, but the sense of urgency is more apparent right now and we don’t see HC Turner letting this game slip by. Lay the points on the road with the better team in this one.

Take the Chargers

NFL Betting: Vikings at Saints

2010-09-09T01:44:00.001-07:00

The long wait is over. The rosters have been cut, practice squads set and now the games actually count.

The NFL serves up a true marquee matchup to kick everything off, as the Vikings head back to the scene of the crime when they visit the New Orleans Saints. Sportsbook have been seeing heavy action on this one as the game gets closer.

The last time Minnesota played here it was the NFC Conference Championship game and we all remember how that finished for Favre and crew. Although those bettors who backed Minny in that one were able to smile as they cached in, playing the underdog at +4 in a 31-28 loss.

The Vikings are underdogs again, this time by 5 points. They will play without standout WR Sydney Rice, but otherwise have their usual assortment of weapons (Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin).

The defending Super Bowl champs, as stated, are laying 5 points in this game as they are again touted as one of a handful of Super Bowl contenders. The team is mostly in tact, with the exception of safety Darren Sharper, who was placed on the PUP list with a knee injury.

Will the Saints enter the game with the dreaded Super Bowl hangover? Or will they be fired up looking to defend their title? Will the Vikings avenge the Conference Final loss from last season? Or will they start the season the same way it ended last year? It should be a lot of fun finding out.

Looking at the sportsbetting.com, currently the action is heavily tilted to the home team, with 80% of all the money on the Saints.

Check all the NFL odds

Enjoy the game.

NFL Betting: Week 4 Pre-Season Picks

2010-09-02T06:34:00.001-07:00

We’re a week away from the kick-off to the real 2010-2011 season, as the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints prepare to start it all next Thursday night. However, before those festivities take us into the new season, there are still a few questions that need answering during the Week 4 preseason.

Let’s look at the betting action on a few of the games from the final week of the exhibition schedule.

Washington at Arizona
Who cares about this one? Let’s start with Willie Parker and Matt Leinart…and maybe Albert Haynesworth. Actually Albert probably doesn’t really care, but it is worth noting that everyone on the Redskins 1st team defense is getting the night off, but Haynesworth is expected to start and get a lot of playing time in this one.

On offense, Willie Parker will start at RB, but for him, this is more likely a showcase for other teams needing depth at running back, as it looks improbable that he will make the ‘Skins.

For the Cardinals, rumors are swirling that they’re actively shopping QB Matt Leinart. Look for Anderson to start behind center as they try and get a handle on that messy QB situation.

But bettors still like the home side, with 65% of the action at the sportsbook on Arizona -6.

Carolina at Pittsburgh
Most star QBs will not see much action in any Week 4 preseason games. The exception is if your star QB is about to serve a four-game suspension to start the season. That’s the current scenario for Ben Roethlisberger, who will see his last action until his suspension is completed. Byron Leftwich will hold down the fort until his return.

For the Panthers’ QBs, Matt Moore is expected to get a little time, followed by a brief stint from Jimmy Clausen. The majority of the snaps will be shared between Tony Pike and Hunter Cantwell. If you think Week 4 doesn’t mean anything, watch this one, as it is possible whoever plays better between Pike and Cantwell will get the #3 spot, and the loser may be unemployed.

Bettors are all over the home team, with sportsbooks reporting 80% of the betting is on Pittsburgh -6.

Miami at Dallas
The big news out of Dallas is that Dez Bryant is back to the practice field, but will not see any action Thursday night. This is because the 1st team offense will not play in the final regular season game. Jerry Jones has stated that Bryant’s first action will be versus the Redskins in Week 1, as a starter (always love how the owner is the one announcing news like this in Dallas).

Dolphins’ coach Tony Sparano was not pleased with the performance of his team last week and is looking for greater focus and urgency versus Dallas. He hasn’t indicated how long his starters will play, just that “they better be ready to play.” Henne will start at QB, and Pennington will also see some action.

Bettors are listening, as they think the Dolphins have an edge. A lopsided 85% of the action is on Miami -1.

Enjoy the games. You can check all the NFL Odds

F1 Betting: Belgian Grand Prix Picks

2010-08-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Formula One makes a welcome return after several weeks away, and we’re back at Spa-Francorchamps in

Belgium

. Where will the teams stand after their time off? Let’s preview the weekend’s action here.

This weekend the Formula One teams visit Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the track is one of the most fearsome circuits that the drivers have to drive upon all season long. The track rewards skill, bravery, a good aerodynamic package and a powerful engine and for these reasons I see the race being another straight fight between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

Last season’s race saw a victory for Ferrari as the KERS device on Kimi Raikkonen’s car allowed him to stay ahead of the clearly faster car of Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India. In fact Ferrari have won the last three Belgian Grand Prix and only McLaren and Ferrari have won at Spa since Damon Hill triumphed for Jordan in the 1998 race that saw Jordan claim their maiden victory.

Red Bull have the aerodynamic efficiency to be able to get the car around the track well but fall down on the engine power area, meaning they could struggle at the ends of the long straights and getting the car up Eau Rouge, which is one of the greatest corner complexes in motor racing. Ferrari have the power but their aerodynamics are lacking slightly in comparison to both Red Bull and McLaren. However, McLaren have the perfect balance for this race and with their F-duct, powerful engine and smooth aerodynamics I see the race win going to either Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button. With Button’s lack of speed on Saturday ensuring that he has only out-qualified Hamilton four times in this year’s twelve races so far, I see Hamilton getting the advantage against his team-mate from the start and going on to win the race. At odds of 6.00 Hamilton is excellent value to win this weekend too.

Prior to the race, we have qualifying but can Red Bull continue their dominance of this session in 2010 and record their twelfth pole position from thirteen races? As I explained above, I feel that this race weekend will belong to McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton taking all the spoils, including pole position. He is the only man not in a Red Bull car to start from the front of the grid and I’m sure that he will repeat Canadian Grand Prix pole position start. At odds of 10.00 for Hamilton to be on pole, Bet365 clearly do not agree with me, but this is where my money is going this weekend.

To finish off, we’ll be looking at the best value prices on people to finish on the podium and in the top six places. I could very easily back Hamilton again for a top three finish as he is available at 2.25 to stand on a step of the podium with some online sportsbook, but I like the look of his team-mate, Jenson Button, to find himself on the podium at the end of the race as McLaren are going to dominate this race. He is available at odds of 3.75 to finish in the top three and this is where my money is going.

The top seven drivers – both Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari drivers along with Adrian Sutil – are all available at worse than evens odds, so sportsbooks are covering the bases that all three of the big teams this season are going to get their drivers to the chequered flag and claim the top six spots. They’re also are covering Adrian Sutil after last year’s excellent performance by Force India, but Force India have not performed as well this season as they had done up to the same point last season. As a result I’m going with the team that are using the same engine as McLaren to grab a top six place – Mercedes GP. Michael Schumacher may have won this race on six occasions, but he is being out performed by his team-mate Nico Rosberg this season and I see Rosberg claiming a place in the top six in this race. I will be backing him to do so at odds of 2.50.

For further bets over the course of the race weekend, please visit BetRepublic.com, where resident expert Anto will be providing a selection of bets for Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race. We look forward to seeing you providing your own bets and joining in the chat with Anto.

Recommendations:

· Lewis Hamilton to start the Belgian Grand Prix on pole position @ 10.00

· Lewis Hamilton to win the Belgian Grand Prix @ 6.00

· Jenson Button to finish the Belgian Grand Prix on the podium @ 3.75

· Nico Rosberg to finish the Belgian Grand Prix in the top six @ 2.50

US Open Betting Preview

2010-08-27T05:04:00.001-07:00

The 2010 US Open tournament begins this week and we should see plenty of action and thrills, but who should we be backing to win at Flushing Meadows?

Men’s Tournament:

The reigning champion – Juan Martin Del Potro – is out of this year’s competition with injury, but will this mean that Roger Federer, last year’s beaten finalist, can reclaim the title he held for five years previous to that loss? Or will Andy Murray win his first Grand Slam? Or could Rafael Nadal finally win at Flushing Meadows and complete the set of winning all four Grand Slam events?

US Open Odds for the Top 10 Players:

Roger Federer – 3.50

Andy Murray – 3.75

Rafael Nadal – 3.75

Novak Djokovic – 11.00

Andy Roddick – 17.00

Robin Soderling – 17.00

Tomas Berdych – 17.00

David Nalbandian – 21.00

Nikolay Davydenko – 34.00

Mardy Fish – 34.00

With Juan Martin Del Potro out of the picture and unable to defend his title at this year’s competition, the online sportsbook have, predictably, Federer, Nadal and Murray at the top. The question is, like last year, can one of the dark horses manage to cause an upset at the final Grand Slam of the year?

Federer is the favourite to claim the title and he has looked good on the hard courts so far this season and he has reached the final of his last two tournaments on this surface. As well as this Federer has reached the US Open final in each of the last six years (winning all five titles between 2004 and 2008, dropping just two sets in those five finals). Despite this, Federer has not had his best season in 2010 and has looked off the pace at several stages. However, he seems to be getting things back in order and the Swiss legend has an excellent chance of reclaiming his US Open title.

Top seed for this year’s tournament, Rafael Nadal, has not had a good time of things at the US Open (it is the only Grand Slam that he has not won). His best results came in 2008 and 2009 when he was beaten by runner-up Andy Murray and winner Juan Martin Del Potro at the Semi Final stage. Nadal has played the same warm up tournaments as Federer, but he only reached the Quarter Finals in Cincinnati and lost at the Semi Final stages to eventual winner Andy Murray at the Rogers Cup. However, Rafael Nadal loves playing the big events and he will have saved his best efforts for the final Grand Slam of the year, so expect him to come out swinging, so to speak.

Andy Murray comes into the tournament as joint second favourite with Nadal after playing three warm up tournaments. He reached at least the final eight in each of three tournaments, notably winning the Rogers Cup by beating Roger Federer in straight sets. Murray is yet to win a Grand Slam event, but he reached the final of the Australian Open this season and he reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2008, losing to Federer on both occasions. He has performed well in the run up to the US Open this season and seems to enjoy playing on the hard courts. I think that this tournament gives the Scotsman his best chance of winning a Grand Slam to this point in his career.

I can’t see anyone but one of the previous three winning the title, but I’m going to look at one dark horse pick for laying off later in the tournament. My pick for this is home favourite Andy Roddick. The current world number nine and 2003 US Open champion will again be looking to put on a good show for the home support. Roddick always puts in good performances on home soil and he won tournaments in San Jose and Miami as well as reaching the final at Indian Wells earlier in the year following the Australian Open. In his warm up preparations for the US Open Roddick reached two Semi Finals, at Cincinnati and Atlanta. Roddick will want to improve on last year’s third round elimination and this will make him tough to beat. He will at least want to reach the Quarter Finals like the two years previously and I can see Roddick doing at least that, but I cannot see him getting any further than the Semi Finals at best.

Our Betting Recommendations:

With Nadal never having won at the US Open and Federer having an off season, I feel that Andy Murray will claim his first Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Back an Andy Murray victory at odds of 3.75.

NFL Betting: AFC West Preview

2010-08-26T02:17:00.001-07:00

Team On The Rise: Oakland Raiders

NFL betting handicappers are used to betting against the Oakland Raiders and taking it to the bank each year as they lose 10+ games. This year, things are different. They had a decent finish to 2009 (by their standards) and then picked up quarterback Jason Campbell to solidify a position that has been their Achilles heel. Campbell will move the ball and more importantly, he won’t cripple the team like JaMarcus Russell did.

The defense is tough and the offense will be more effective; that’s enough for an 8-8 season. For the Raiders, that would be a huge success.

Team On The Decline: Denver Broncos

Sportsbook were shocked when this team started 6-0 in 2009 but boy does that look like a distant memory now. The Broncos finished the year with just two wins in their last 10 contests and then put in an ugly offseason. They traded away stud wideout Brandon Marshall, then traded for quarterback Brady Quinn, drafted Tim Tebow and signed Kyle Orton to an extension. Their running backs are already injured and after signing their best defensive player, Elvis Dumervil, to a long term contract, he tore his pectoral muscle and will miss about half the season.

Head Coach Josh McDaniels continues to act like he knows more than anyone else but usually this type of arrogance leads to plenty of losses and a pink slip. The Broncos are squarely on that track.

Predicted Winner: San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are the biggest division favorite out there (by a long shot) and the reason is simple: they are the only team in the division that is not rebuilding. Beyond that, they are a definite Super Bowl contender. They have some question marks with Pro Bowl holdouts Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill, but outside of that, this team has been the epitome of consistency in the division.

There’s no reason to bet against them here. The Chiefs are a wreck, nobody knows what the Broncos are doing and while the Raiders are getting better, quantify that with the fact that they lose double-digit games every year. The Chargers no-brainer pick in the West.

Good luck this season.

Liverpool vs. Man City Preview

2010-08-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

This Monday evening sees the final game of the Premier League and the action comes from Eastlands as Manchester City take on Liverpool Let’s have a look at this one and give out a couple of picks.

20:00 – Manchester City v Liverpool:

The first week of the Premier League held a lot of things in common for these two sides as they both drew their first matches and then won 1-0 in their Europa League playoff games in midweek, but who will take the honours in this match? Online sportsbook make Man City the favourites to collect all three points at odds of 2.38, with Liverpool available at 3.10 and the draw can be backed at odds of 3.20.

Last weekend Man City were on the back foot against Spurs at White Hart Lane and only came away with a draw thanks to the Man of the Match performance from goalkeeper Joe Hart. They looked disjointed and they were unable to fashion many chances to score, however they were away from home and Roberto Mancini will be hoping for a better performance in their first match at Eastlands this season. Roy Hodgson, on the other hand, will have been happy with the vast majority of the performance against Arsenal, with only the red card of Joe Cole on his debut and the own goal from Pepe Reina putting a damper on proceedings.

Both sides put the Premier League disappointments behind them in midweek as they both recorded 1-0 wins in the Europa League as Man City won 1-0 in Romania against FC Timisoara and Liverpool entertained and defeated Trabzonspor of Turkey by the same scoreline. However, will Man City’s travels in mid week have worn them down? Will playing away against one of the pre-season title favourites away from Anfield level the playing field?

I happen to think that it will and my play on the outright market for this game will see my putting my money on the draw. I also feel that this game will be a low scoring match, and not just because there have been just four goals in the four games that these two sides have played so far this season. With the form that Joe Hart is in and with the way that Liverpool defended so well against Arsenal, I feel that both sides will find it difficult to find the net and, as a result of this, I will also be backing under 2.5 goals to be scored in the game. I’ll be backing the draw @ 3.25 and under 2.5 goals at 1.73.

Recommendations:

· Manchester City v Liverpool to end as a draw @ 3.25

· Under 2.5 goals in the Man City v Liverpool game @ 1.73

NFL Betting: Pre-Season Previews

2010-08-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

The second week of pre-season ball serves up a full schedule of games for bettors. Let’s look at a few of the games that have caught the sports betting public’s attention from this weekend’s NFL lineup.

Saturday, August 21

Steelers at Giants

Both teams are fresh off preseason Week 1 wins. Coach Tomlin has acknowledged that Big Ben will see some playing time during this game, but was non-committal with respect to how he will be used, or for how long. On the other side of the ball, Eli Manning has already been ruled out by Coach Coughlin following the head wound he suffered versus the Jets last week.

That news likely has something to do with the fact the betting action has been pretty one-sided so far. 83% of the money is currently on Pittsburgh -3.5.

You can check the latest NFL Odds

Sunday, August 22

Vikings at 49ers

He’s baaaaaaack – but it is unconfirmed to date if he will see any reps versus the 49ers in this game. It is safe to assume that speedster Percy Harvin will be sitting it out after his migraine scare Thursday.

For the ‘Niners, it’s out with Coffee and in with Westbrook, who joins Gore for a pretty potent one-two punch at RB. Both teams put their 1-0 preseason records on the line in this sole Sunday game.

61% of the action is on San Francisco -3.

Monday, August 23

Cardinals at Titans

Life after Kurt begins this season. The Cards won their preseason home opener 19-16 over the Texans. Leading the way statistically were Derek Anderson and Beanie Wells.

Conversely, the Titans lost their game 20-18 on the road in Seattle. The betting public feels that these teams will both be 1-1 after this Monday nighter as 86% of the money is currently on the Titans -3.5.

Enjoy all the NFL Betting action

Champions League Betting

2010-08-17T23:27:00.001-07:00

Champions League Betting

This Wednesday sees the second five Champions League playoff first leg matches being played. Who will take an advantage into the second leg ties?

Let’s look at the Champions League preview brought to you by Sportsbetting.com

Sporting Braga v Sevilla:

Portugal

faces Spain in this match and sportsbook make Sevilla the favourites to claim the win, just like the national side did at the World Cup. Sevilla can be backed at odds of 2.40 for the victory, with Braga available at 2.90 with the odds for the draw being the outsider of the three outcomes at 3.30.

Sevilla have played just one competitive game so far this season and that was a cup game against reigning La Liga champions Barcelona. Sevilla ran out 3-1 winners in that fixture in front of their own fans, now can they travel to Portugal and bring an advantage home? Braga will be in confident form as they are impressive in front of their own fans this season, having scored six times in two matches. They first defeated Celtic 3-0 in the final qualifying round for the Champions League before winning their opening game of the season 3-1 to top the Portuguese league. Will their confidence be well placed and can the home team upset the odds to claim the win?

Sevilla had a poor away record in La Liga last season and they lost ten of their nineteen away games. They will need to improve on that this season, but I feel that they have the better squad of these two sides and will overcome their poor away form. However, Braga will not just roll over and let the Spanish side take the win and this should be an excellent match. In the end, I see the game ending level with both sides finding the net at least once each. As a result of this, my money is on the draw at odds of 3.30 and both sides to score at 2.05.

Werder Bremen v Sampdoria:

This match sees two sides from the great footballing nations of Germany and

Italy

battle for the opportunity to represent their countries in the group stages of the Champions League. Sportsbooks make Bremen the favourites to claim the points at odds of 1.73, with Sampdoria available at odds of 4.80 and the draw can be backed at 3.50. Will the game go according to the odds though?

Werder Bremen had a great season in 2009/2010 as they finished in third place in the Bundesliga and they have played just one match so far this season, winning 4-0 away from home in the German Cup. Prior to that game, they played a pre-season friendly against Fulham and were beaten 5-1 by Mark Hughes’ men. They also had a poor home record last season, with their home form only being sixth best in Germany’s top league and their away form assisting them to their third place finish. However, their prize striker, and World Cup star, Mesut Ozil will be moving to Real Madrid and will play no part in this match to ensure he is not cup-tied. He will be a big loss to the German team.

Sampdoria placed fourth in Serie A last season, behind Inter Milan, Roma and AC Milan, to book their first Champions League spot. They will be keen to make a good impression in their first competitive match of the season and they will want to go on in this competition for as long as possible. Unfortunately for the Italian side, they were poor on the road last season and won just six of their nineteen away games, drawing four and losing nine of the other thirteen fixtures away from home. Can they turn things around with a win in Germany?

With it being early in Bremen’s season and the start of Sampdoria’s season I don’t expect much from this game. As a result of this I am going back a second draw from the previewed games and a low scoring encounter as well. My money will be on the draw at odds of 3.50 and there to be less than 2.5 goals in the match at 1.91.

Sportsbetting.com Recommends:

Sporting Braga v Sevilla to end as a draw @ 3.30

Both Sporting Braga and Sevilla to score @ 2.05

Werder Bremen v Sampdoria to end as a draw @ 3.50

Less than 2.5 goals to be scored in the Bremen v Sampdoria match @ 1.91

NBA Betting – Boston Celtics Value

2010-08-16T00:26:00.003-07:00

The demise of the Boston Celtics has been written over and over this NBA betting offseason. It seems many are giving the Miami Heat the best basketball odds to reach the NBA finals. Did we miss something here? Aren’t the Celts bringing back, essentially, the same team that was a few points away from winning the title?

Boston has been called aging and finished by the critics for a couple of years now. Still, their veteran stars continue to perform at a high level. NBA odds are starting to skew towards the Heat and all of their new acquisitions. However, basketball bettors at Sports Betting shouldn’t overlook the Celtics.

Boston had a very quiet offseason. They re-signed both Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, two of their key veterans. Boston also managed to replace the retired Rasheed Wallace with Shaquille O’Neal. In Shaq, Boston loses some of the outside shooting ability that Wallace brought, but they now have less of a risk of technical fouls and they upgrade their rebounding ability. Boston was terribly outrebounded versus the Lakers in the final postseason game last year and knew they needed to correct that element.

Meanwhile, point guard Rajon Rondo continues to emerge for the Celtics. Each year, he becomes more critical to the Celtics success and his game becomes more well-rounded. If he can develop a reliable outside jump shot, Boston should be able to match up with anyone in the league, and yes, that includes the Miami Heat.

Right now the Celtics are a 10-1 shot to win the NBA title at the sportsbook. Now is the perfect chance to get in on those favorable future odds. With Miami and the Lakers listed as 6-4 co-favorites to win it all, the respect for Boston has waned considerably. Look for this experienced team to use this as motivation in their quest to get back to the finals and finish what they couldn’t this past June.

NFL Betting: New England Patriots Preview

2010-08-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

When last we left the New England Patriots, they were getting their butts handed to them on home turf by the Baltimore Ravens. Tom Brady and company were deemed to be too thin at the grind positions and suspect on defense. They also saw their division rival New York Jets reach the conference final and nearly advance to the Super Bowl. It was not a banner year for the region that had become so self-entitled.

Fast forward to this training camp and the buzz has been electric. Both Tom Brady and Randy Moss have been exemplary veterans. Both superstars are out to improve upon pretty good seasons in 2009. Moss and Brady reported in great shape and football betting hopes are high once again in New England.

On Thursday night, the Pats took their act back to the same field they last stunk it up – at home. The Super Bowl champion Saints were in and expectations were high on both sides, even if it was only an NFL betting preseason game. With only the first quarter really of interest to anyone, the Patriots offense performed admirably, marching up and down the field. With precise routes and pinpoint throws, Brady and Moss seemed unbeatable.

We know it’s only preseason, but the early showing by New England’s offensive starters signified the beginning of what looks like an NFL odds renaissance for the Patriots. It’s odd to refer to 2010 as a comeback season for them when they actually won their division last year. But let’s face it, this team doesn’t play 16 games in the regular season to collect pay checks, they do it to reach the Super Bowl.

Sports Betting has the football odds for the Pats at 12-1 to win the Super Bowl. Those are pretty good odds if the team is ready to be one of the top AFC contenders once again.

NFL Pre-Season Pick

2010-08-11T02:13:00.001-07:00

The Oakland Raiders could be a good bet all season long on the point spread and moneyline for the NFL betting crew, and we might be able to start nice and early.

On Thursday night, the Oakland Raiders travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys for a preseason game that they should win outright. Looking at the current preseason odds, online sportsbooks have the Raiders as a 3.5-point dog.

The Cowboys already played in the Hall of Fame Game and came away with a comfortable 16-7 win. Betting fans also saw them come away with a season-ending injury to third-string tight end, John Phillips, and while he's not a big-time contributor, you have to wonder if the Cowboys will play it even closer to the vest in Week 2.

Meanwhile, sportsbook odds makers might be undervaluing the Raiders right now. In the preseason, they will have a quarterback rotation of Jason Campbell, Charlie Frye, Kyle Boller and Bruce Gradkowski. All four quarterbacks have made numerous starts in the NFL and while none of them stuck, picking apart a second- or third-string defense should be easy for them. Especially since they'll be fighting for a roster spot.

The Raiders are getting 3.5 points on the game and they have fared very well in their first preseason game of late. The Raiders are 4-0 in the last four years as far the first exhibition game is concerned, so they might even win this game outright. The Raiders have a lot more to accomplish than Dallas, who knows their identity, knows their team goals and knows who they are heading into this season. That should reflect in the motivation for both teams.

NFL Football Pick: Raiders +3.5

What About Brett?

2010-08-06T02:30:00.001-07:00

For the last two offseasons, almost all NFL betting handicappers speculated that Brett Favre was retiring. Now that we finally assumed that the he’d be coming back, he has reportedly decided to retire…or has he…wait a minute.

All sorts of rumors are flying from him deciding to hang it up, to still being undecided, to looking for more money and an extension from the Vikings, to possibly seeing Dr. James Andrews about his ankle that hasn’t fully recovered two months after surgery…and don’t even get started about sending text images of him in his crocs.

So the sportsbook have their hands full but so do the handicappers. The Green Bay Packers were previously the NFC North favorites, so the odds makers were already prepared. Expect money to pour in on the Packers even more so now that it looks like Favre is hanging it up.

Here are the two scenarios:

If Favre Retires…

The Vikings will turn to Tarvaris Jackson to take over and this again becomes Adrian Peterson’s team. Considering the amount he fumbled last season and how little he worked on it in the offseason, the sails will be deflated.

Furthermore, as the season approaches and the team realizes Favre isn’t coming back, they will feel fairly deflated to start the season. Football betting fans know that this is still a playoff team if he’s not there, but this is not a Super Bowl contender with Jackson at quarterback.

Handicappers who truly think he’s retired can wait. Right now, money is pouring in against the Vikings but that will balance out as we get closer to the season and the speculation mounts that he’ll return. If you’re betting against the Vikings, you should see better odds as the season approaches.

If Favre Returns…

Then nothing has really changed for the Vikings. They were expected to be a contender – and maybe the team to beat – in the NFC, and they’ll be back on track. Favre makes this team legit and they need him. Furthermore, the remaining Vikings who are going through the rigors of camp might think that they have to move on without Favre and if he comes back, he’ll give the team an inspirational boost.

If you believe he’s coming back, buy low now as the odds won’t get any lower on the Vikings. There are good price tags on them to win the division and win the NFC right now.

Check the NFL odds

2010 NFL Odds: Rookie of the Year Betting

2010-07-28T23:17:00.003-07:00

Well, if things remain as they currently are, betting on the NFL Rookie of the Year is going to be pretty easy at your favorite sportsbooks – just put your money down on the Cowboys’ Dez Bryant and get set to collect the cash. This of course, is because Bryant is the part of a pretty lonely group – he’s the only member of the Class of 2010’s first rounders who has signed and in training camp.

The Cowboys came to terms with their first-round wide receiver out of Oklahoma Sate (which is amazing considering Bryant is good friends with San Francisco 49ers wideout Michael Crabtree, who held out until Halloween last season).

Bryant has been anything but a wallflower since arriving at camp.

Early reports are that he was “electrifying” with a number of “one-handed catches” during the weekend workouts…and oh yeah, there was that whole “Screw you, I’m not carrying anyone’s pads” rookie hazing incident with fellow wideout Roy Williams.

Don’t fret if your favorite team as yet to wrestle their first-rounder into a contract as a good percentage will sign before the regular season kicks off. But missing even a portion of camp makes things more difficult.

The fact Dez Bryant will have a full camp under his belt should bode well for the upcoming season, as he will be ahead of the curve compared to his counterparts.

Bettors have picked up on this and are getting some action down on him to be the “NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year” at online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.COM.

They currently have Bryant listed as the odds-on favorite at +200. Said Sportsbetting.com sportsbook manager Brian Taylor, “Bryant had some heat on him before camp started, but with him being the first guy to put the pads on and then have all the media attention on him the last few days due to that rookie hazing incident, we have seen a bit of a spike in wagering volume on him.”

- Another top contender for the award will have his work cut out for him in St. Louis. The Rams selected Heisman trophy-winning QB Sam Bradford first-overall and it sounds like they’re getting close to a deal, one that would be, according to ESPN, the richest contract in NFL history.

The question obviously is, does he have a shot at winning the offensive rookie award? He’s playing for the Rams after all.

Bradford’s NFL odds are currently listed at +500 to take this year’s honor.

All NFL training camps will be in full swing soon, some before others, and the stragglers should start to roll in, albeit late.

Dez Bryant has a leg up on them; will it make the difference for bettors backing him?

Keep an eye on the camps.

Check out all the NFL odds

2010 NFL Draft: Bettors Like Chris Johnson

2010-07-28T04:14:00.001-07:00

It took all of 10 minutes for the first two maximum wager bets to come in at online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com after they posted up the prop “Which NFL running back will lead the league in rushing this year”.

And who was it that attracted the money right off the top? Not surprisingly it was the Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson.

Said sportsbook manager Brian Taylor, “we put up a bunch of betting options for the upcoming season focused on specific positions such as QB and running back and the “most yards” ones have been very popular. Bettors are tipping Johnson for another big season, with Adrian Peterson as the second most popular choice so far.”

The Titans’ Johnson was the king of the NFL’s rushing hill last season, becoming only the sixth player in NFL history to crack the 2,000 yard mark in NFL history (he ran for 2,006).

After that performance, a raise was in order. Johnson has only been around two years and was still earning rookie wages, but he’ll be making a tidy sum more this season.

Will the boost in salary lead to a repeat of Johnson’s 2009 performance?

The last repeat rushing champ was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006 and 2007.

Suffice to say, it’s tough to lead the league in back-to-back years. Bring over-worked is one of the issues and Johnson was certainly used a lot last season, rushing the ball 358 times with 14 TDs; he also had 50 receptions for 503 yards.

Online sportsbooks have him listed at +250 to capture the rushing crown again this season.

In the last 10 years, the defending rushing champ hasn’t fared well the following season.

Not counting Tomlinson, Ricky Williams, Jamal Lewis, Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson are the last four backs to capture the NFL’s rushing title.

After rushing for a league-high 1,853 yards in 2002 for the Miami Dolphins, Ricky Williams still had a good season in 2003 but didn’t come close to matching his stats from the year before, with only 1,372 yards rushing.

Like Chris Johnson in 2009, Jamal Lewis also cracked the 2,000 yard mark in 2003 as a member of the Baltimore Ravens and followed that up rushing for 1,000 yards less (1,066) in 2004 in only 12 regular season games.

NFL: Can Brees Shake the “Madden Curse”

2010-07-23T01:51:00.003-07:00

Strap on the helmets boys, the NFL offseason has come to an end and pigskins are about to fly again.

Training camp draws near for a number of teams, including the defending champion New Orleans Saints, who begin prepping for the regular season on July 29 in Metarie, Louisiana.

It’s been a good offseason for many of the returning Saints, especially quarterback Drew Brees.

Brees has done the talk show circuit after leading his team to the Super Bowl back in February and more recently, he took home a number of ESPY awards.

On top of that, he was selected to be on the cover of the Madden 2011…queue the scary music…as we all know this honor can be more of a curse than anything else.

Will the “Madden Curse” strike Brees?
Online sportsbooks are weighing in on that exact question. SPORTSBETTING.com posted up a “Madden Curse” prop. Bettors can wager on whether Brees will start all 16 games this season. Currently they have Brees listed at -150 not to be the Saints’ starting QB in all 16 regular season games and on the other side, he is +120 to start each one.

Last season the New Orleans Saints’ pivot completed 70.6 percent of his passes (NFL record) for 4,388 yards with 34 TDs and a league-high 109.6 QB rating.

Brees is also a popular choice in a couple of other NFL Future betting related categories. The sports betting public have been betting that he will lead the league in passing yards this season. Last year he ranked sixth overall amongst all quarterbacks. He is listed at +400 to toss for the most yards in 2010-2011.

He is also getting action in the MVP category. Brees has odds of +1400 to be the MVP of the league. So far, he is right in the mix with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in terms of wagering volume. Manning has the most action, but Brees is second with 15% of all MVP betting on him.

As for the actual team, the Saints went 13-3 during the last regular season, jumping out to a 13-0 record before losing their final three games and would regain that winning form in the playoffs en route to a Lombardi Trophy.

What about this season?

The Saints are listed at +450 and +900 to repeat as NFC and Super Bowl champions respectively.

Saints Season Win Totals:
As for the regular season, the Over/Under on New Orleans’ regular season wins is set at 10.5.

Are the defending champs headed for another 13-win regular season?

The Saints haven’t done well against teams from within their own division, going 5-6 straight up and 3-8 against the spread in their last 11 overall vs. NFC Southerners.

The AFC division that New Orleans will be playing this season is the North and the Saints are once again on the losing end of things as they are 3-5 SU and 2-5-1 ATS in eight games against the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens dating back to 2002.

Regardless, as you’d expect, the Saints are still the odds-on favorites to take the NFC South division, currently listed at -175.

It was a magical season for New Orleans last year, but the party is over as they start the defense of their championship.

You can check online sportsbooks for all the updated NFL Future Odds.

NBA Odds: Future Betting “Heats” Up

2010-07-20T03:03:00.001-07:00

With a tip of the hat to Dennis Green…”don’t crown their asses just yet”.

We speak of the Miami Heat of course, as fans, commentators and of course, the sports betting public have been weighing in with their thoughts on the 2010-11 NBA Championship since the Lebron decided to “take his talents” to South Beach. Joining him down there is, of course, Chris Bosh and with D-Wade re-signing Miami has become the center of the NBA universe for the time being.

The big question is can they close the deal?

After the big announcement, online sportsbook Sportsbetting.com had the Heat listed as the odds-on favorite to take next season’s NBA title with odds of at +175. Sportsbook manager Brian Taylor said, “not surprisingly, we’ve seen more interest in our NBA Future betting options than any other off-season I can remember. And also not surprisingly, the Miami Heat are seeing lots of the volume, but we are seeing a reasonable amount of money coming in on the Orlando Magic in the East and the LA Lakers”

But until Miami actually wins a fourth game in the 2011 NBA Final, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are the defending NBA champions.

Though a Lakers and Heat matchup in the next NBA Final is far from certain (despite what will undoubtedly be obsessive meddling by David Stern and co.), LA got an early punch in against Miami.

The Heat were said to be heavily courting Derek Fisher but the guard decided against joining LeBron, Bosh and Wade and opted to re-sign with his old team.

“I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles. While this may not be the most lucrative contract I’ve been offered this off season, it is the most valuable,” Fisher said on his website.

“I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin…”

The team also brought back the Zen Master, head coach Phil Jackson, who has been bench boss for the Lakers’ last five NBA titles.

Besides Fisher, the Lakers probably won’t be adding any big-name talent – the team is four players away from the association’s roster minimum of 13 players.

The Lakers are listed at +300 to repeat as NBA champs at the sportsbooks.

If the Miami Heat do become the power in the Eastern Conference, which team will present the biggest challenge?

The Boston Celtics, who are listed at +1000 to win the 2011 title, have re-signed Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and added Jermaine O’Neal and should pack some punch.

But the intra-state rivals, the Orlando Magic could be the major hurdle for the Heat.
The Magic have re-signed backup shooting guard J.J. Redick and have added point guard Chris Duhon from the New York Knicks and shooting guard Quentin Richardson from the Miami Heat and they already have the likes of Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson.

The Magic are listed at +200 to win the Eastern Conference title and +1600 to take the NBA championship during the 2010/11 campaign.

The Miami Heat have struck gold so far this off-season…but there are several teams who are ready to step up and keep the big prize out of South Beach.

You can check out all the NBA Future Odds.

We’ll keep an eye on the NBA Championship betting throughout the summer.

Have a great week.

Leaders Focus on World Series Run

2010-07-16T04:10:00.001-07:00

If you’re a “due factor” bettor, you might be smiling this week after National League won the 2010 Midsummer Classic for the first time in over a decade. “Over” bettors might not be so happy, as the game featured some impressive pitching.

Online sportsbook had the Total set at 8.5 to 9 across the board by gametime, with several reporting 60% to 70% of the Over/Under action coming in on the “Over”. It really didn’t get close, as the final was 3-1.

That win means the National League finally won homefield for this year’s Fall Classic. But will the NL come away with the World Series in 2010?

Despite the dominance of the AL in past All-Star games, the results have been close to even when it comes to World Series titles with the Junior Circuit taking six of them since 2000 and the Senior Circuit taking four – the Philadelphia Phillies were the last team from the NL to win the World Series, back in 2008.

You know the Atlanta Braves (NL East), the Cincinnati Reds (NL Central) and the San Diego Padres (NL West), all division leaders, were hoping for an NL all-star win to claim homefield.

Of the three current division leaders, the Braves have the biggest lead, with a four-game cushion on the New York Mets.

Sportsbook currently have Atlanta listed at -175 to take the division, +300 to take the NL pennant and +900 to take the World Series.

Looking over the Braves’ second-half sked, they play 13 series against teams from within their own division.

The Atlanta Braves have done well in their last 20 overall against teams from within the NL East, going 14-6 straight up and in their last eight such games, there have been only 2 Overs and 6 Unders.

It looks like the Braves will have to fight off both the Mets and the Phillies in order to win the division and take a run at the World Series.

While the Braves are 13-7 SU in their last 20 overall against the Metropolitans, they are only 3-5 SU in their last eight and the last 10 meetings between the two have all gone Under.

Against the Phillies, the Braves were on a 4-8 SU slide but things have picked up lately and they are 6-2 SU in their last eight against Philadelphia.

The Reds currently hold a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central and Cincy is -110 to take the division, +800 to win the pennant and +2500 to win the World Series, something they haven’t done since 1990.

Cincinnati’s road to a division title and the postseason, based on the current standings, looks to run through St. Louis.

However, the Reds only have six more games against the Cards (three at home and three on the road) and Cincinnati has struggled against the Cardinals in St. Louis, going 6-14 SU in their last 20 at Busch Stadium.

The L.A. Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies are tied for the NL Wild Card spot currently and they are also both two games back of division-leading San Diego.

The Padres are +1500 to win the World Series, +800 to take the NL pennant and the odds-on to win the NL West at -300.

If it goes down to the wire with the Rockies however, Colorado could have the upper hand.

In the San Diego Padres’ last 10 overall against the Rockies, they are only 3-7 SU with seven of their last nine going Over.

While the Padres are only 5-5 SU in their last 10 overall against the Dodgers, there have been 2 Overs and 8 Unders.

The NL ended an All-Star game losing streak to the AL in this year’s All-Star game taking homefield for the World Series.

But homefield advantage won’t mean a thing if the NL teams don’t win the World Series.

Leaders Focus on World Series Run

2010-07-16T04:09:00.001-07:00