The Los Angeles Clippers made several attempts to bolster their line up by making offers to a variety of the top names available in free agency, but like the city’s attempt to land an NFL betting team, the Clippers missed out. Despite a solid stable of young talent, incredible city and arena, and the cap space to sign at least two of the top names on the market, the Clippers will enter the 2010-11 season only marginally better than they were the year before.

The New York Knicks were even bigger losers than the Clippers, missing out on the biggest name in the business in Lebron James. The city of New York rallied for the superstar to join their side for the past couple of years, even making posters, billboards, and t-shirts in an attempt to convince the King to come to the Big Apple. The Knicks managed to sign free agent forward Amare Stoudamire, but that move was regarded by many betting on sports fans as being another factor in the team’s attempt to convince James to join them. In the end, the team failed to land any of the big four names, winding up with an injury-plagued forward that many didn’t even want to take the chance on. In the end, the only response from fans focused on something other than college football betting lately has to be disappointment.

Both the Knicks and the Clippers missed out big in free agency, but no team missed out bigger than the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost the biggest superstar to ever play in their city. Lebron James was not only the face of the franchise, but the city’s best chance of ending one of the longest streaks without a championship there is. James didn’t even have it in him to tell the team ahead of time, instead announcing the move on national television, infuriating Cavaliers’ ownership. Now, with so much uncertainty pushing forward, it seems as though one of the brightest periods in the history of sports in Cleveland is now over, and fans are left with nothing to be proud of.

Aaron Rodgers – Quarterback – Green Bay Packers (+1200 Odds to win MVP)

The NFL MVP award is supposed to be given to the player that is most valuable to his team, and not the guy that makes the most Sony commercials. The Green Bay Packers cannot win without Aaron Rodgers. He has established himself as a solid quarterback, and now he is ready to push himself and his team to the next level. All the Packers need is an offensive line to protect Rodgers, and there is no telling how far he can take them.

Maurice Jones-Drew – Running Back – Jacksonville Jaguars (+1500 Odds to win MVP)

Jones-Drew has emerged as the biggest little man in all of football. He returns kicks, he runs for touchdowns and he blocks guys twice his size with effectiveness. Jones-Drew gets lost in the MVP voting because the Jaguars are not a winning team, but the wins they do get can be attributed directly to Jones-Drew in most cases. He is beginning to emerge as the leader on the Jaguars, and he has the potential to have an MVP season.

Peyton Manning – Quarterback – Indianapolis Colts (+500 Odds to win MVP)

There are very few quarterbacks like Peyton Manning in the NFL. Manning puts in tireless hours during the off-season working with his rookie wide receivers to develop a chemistry with them, and to develop them as NFL players. He turns rookies into stars, and he does it with a shaky offensive line. The problem with Manning is that he tries to do too much. He forces himself and makes bad throws in key situations. If he can regain his composure from three or four season ago, then he could be a lock for the MVP.

Drew Brees – Quarterback – New Orleans Saints (+500 Odds to win MVP)

There is no greater leader in the NFL than Drew Brees. The team plays for him, they fight for him and they win for him. He is the center of the New Orleans Saints universe, and he is the face of that team. He is an elite quarterback that could very well take the Saints to the Super Bowl again this season. There are very few flaws in his game, and all of that sounds like an NFL MVP.

Adrian Peterson – Running Back – Minnesota Vikings (+1800 Odds to win MVP)

Adrian Peterson’s chances of winning the MVP this season hinge on a lot of scenarios that need to play out prior to NFL week 1 betting. If Brett Favre does not come back then Peterson becomes the focal point of the Vikings offense. If Peterson becomes the focal point of the offense and takes the Vikings to the playoffs then he has to be a serious candidate for league MVP. Unfortunately for Peterson, if Favre comes back then it will mean a drastic drop in his carries for the season. Peterson also needs to stop fumbling the football.

There is great, raw talent in Adrian Peterson that could be molded into one of the greatest running backs of all-time. But his quarterback situation, and the fact that no one can seem to teach him how to hold on to the football, will be problems for him.

Pick: Drew Brees

The Philadelphia Phillies just cannot score runs, and even the addition of Cy Young winning pitcher Roy Halladay has not helped the Phillies to grab first place in the NL East as they trail the Atlanta Braves by seven games. As college football betting starts to come into focus for this season, the Phillies’ chances of making the playoffs begin to blur.

This game is extremely important to both teams because if either team wants to be in the MLB betting considerations for the post season, they need to start winning games. In the wild card race the Rockies trail the leading Cincinnati Reds by one game and the Phillies trail by four games. The Phillies have lost six of their last 10, including a devastating four game losing streak. The Phillies need to turn it around now, or they can forget the playoffs.

The Rockies are .500 in their last 10 games, and they continue to lose on the road as their most recent loss came in Florida against the Marlins. Both the Rockies and the Phillies have losing records on the road, and if you want to make the playoffs you have to learn to win in the other team’s building.

The Phillies will send Roy Halladay to the mound for this critical game. Halladay has a 10-8 record but he also has a 2.40 ERA. How does an elite pitcher post a great ERA like that and still hover at the .500 mark? The Phillies just cannot score runs. The Phillies can hit the long ball, but they are having problems turning those home runs into multiple RBI situations. They cannot get on base, and they cannot get runners in scoring position. So Halladay goes out and pitches a perfect one run game, only to lose 1-0.

The Rockies send out Aaron Cook and his 4-5 record along with a 4.56 ERA. Cook has a good history against the Phillies as he pitched the only game the Rockies won in the playoffs against the Phillies last season. In his last start Cook went seven innings of scoreless baseball. He has momentum on his side, he is facing a team he has beaten in a clutch situation in the recent past and the Phillies cannot hit the baseball.

When you add everything up it just does not look good for the Phillies. When you have a pitcher like Roy Halladay and he is not at 14 or 15 wins by now considering how he has been pitching, then your team offense is broken and needs serious repair. The Rockies need to start a push towards the playoffs, and they may as well start it against last year’s NL champions.

Pick: Colorado Rockies 2-1

It’s just another summer in the Southeastern Conference. Just another summer in which the police blotter is getting a pretty good workout, especially in the SEC East.

As a result, one team just lost a backup running back, making online betting experts even more inclined to distrust Georgia as the upcoming college football season approaches.

On Saturday, July 10, Georgia’s Dontavius Jackson was charged with six misdemeanors: driving under the influence of alcohol, underage possession of alcohol, following too closely, leaving the scene of an accident, violation of the move-over law, and violation of learner’s permit. Within the next week, Jackson decided to leave the team and seek another school where he might be able to play football.
In the original incident, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that University of Georgia Police Chief Jimmy Williamson had two of his unit’s patrol cars on the scene at the Athens campus. Apparently, a vehicle which was eventually determined to have been driven by Jackson passed at an inappropriate speed and failed to move over.  That was the alleged violation of the move-over law.

Moments earlier, another UGA police officer broadcast a radio transmission in connection to another incident. In this instance, a vehicle had left the scene of a minor accident. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “The description of the vehicle that allegedly left the scene of the accident – a Chevrolet Avalanche – matched the one being pursued for the move-over violation,” according to Police Chief Williamson.

Tavarres King, a starting wide receiver for Georgia, was charged with underage possession of alcohol in the incident involving Jackson, but no further word has emerged on King’s status relative to the team. Jackson, though, is gone.

This was not the summer for Georgia to deplete its stockpile of talent. The Bulldogs blew a big chance to win the SEC in 2008, when they had a stud quarterback (Matthew Stafford) and an elite running back (Knowshon Moreno). Last year, they predictably slipped in the SEC East and fell all the way to the Independence Bowl, a postseason game with a level of (non-)prestige far below the program’s lofty standards. With profound uncertainties swirling around the quarterback position this season, Georgia’s offense needs as many hands on deck as humanly possible. More specifically, the team needs to show defenses a vigorous and robust rushing attack, as any NCAA football betting expert could tell you. The loss of Jackson represents a setback in the larger attempt to beef up coach Mark Richt’s backfield. It makes an already tenuous situation even more fragile.

The savvy sports betting player also has to realize that this summer’s lawbreaking-based turmoil at the University of Georgia has not been limited to the ranks of players. A few weeks ago, Athletic Director Damon Evans was cited for a DUI while also having the pantyhose of a female between his legs. (Subsequent reports have indicated that Evans, a married man, exchanged hundreds of text messages with this much younger woman, who is not his wife.) Evans was asked to resign shortly after the embarrassing episode, and a once-promising career in athletic administration was cut short. Georgia’s program is adrift right now, and the last thing it needed was yet another player arrest. The Jackson “six-pack” of misdemeanors will only hurt this program more on the playing field come September.

Phillies Cardinals Betting (Tuesday, 8:15 PM ET): There will be 35 years of experience on the mound on Tuesday night as the Phillies will go with 47-year-old Jamie Moyer, while the Cardinals give the ball to 35-year-old Chris Carpenter.

Giants Dodgers Betting (Tuesday, 10:10 PM ET): On the contrary in Los Angeles, youth will be the theme of the night as San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum, at 26 years old and already a two-time defending Cy Young winner, will take on 22-year-old Clayton Kershaw. 

Nationals Reds Betting (Wednesday, 7:10 PM ET): NCAA football betting players would compare Stephen Strasburg to a freshman who comes in as a Heisman candidate, and the kid hasn’t disappointed one bit.  The surprising Reds will go with Bronson Arroyo.

Giants Dodgers Betting (Wednesday, 10:10 PM ET): In the series finale between these National League West rival, the Giants will go with the resurgent Barry Zito, while the Dodgers will hand the ball to Chad Billingsley, who has been all over the place and is either hurt, or lacking in confidence…..possibly both.

Blue Jays Tigers Betting (Thursday, 1:05 PM ET): Horse betting players will be treated to a pair of thoroughbreds, but not the kind they’re used to.  The Jays will give the ball to southpaw Ricky Romero, while the Tigers will go with their ace, Justin Verlander at home.

Phillies Cardinals Betting (Thursday, 2:15 PM ET): In the finale of this four-game set, the Phillies will get behind lefty Cole Hamels, while the Cardinals will go with the second half of their potent one-two starting duo as Adam Wainwright gets the call.

Angels Rangers Betting (Thursday, 8:05 PM ET): The Rangers got Cliff Lee for this reason specifically as they kick off a four-game set at home, sending Lee out on the mound to face the Angels’ Jered Weaver.  The Angels are Texas’ main competition in the American League West, and a win would get them off to a good start for the weekend.

Golf Betting

The Canadian Open (Thursday morning) tees off at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Etobicoke, which is just outside of Toronto, and it should be still worth a bet even though most of the PGA’s best will stay at home after a tough week at the British Open.  Nathan Green is the defending champion, but most eyes will be on Anthony Kim, who is making his first start since May due to a wrist injury.  With his talent, expect to see Kim as a sports betting favorite in this event.

Leading the Big Ten in to the 2010 season is the Ohio State Buckeyes, which has 15 starters returning from the team that went 7-1 in conference play in 2009, and 11-2 overall. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor will once again be the key to this team’s success, as he aims to build on the 2800 total yards he gained throwing and rushing a year ago. The two-headed monster made up of Brandon Saine and Dan Herron at running back is arguably one of the best in the country, and while the Buckeyes should be able to move the ball on the ground, wide receiver Devier Posey keeps defenses honest with his big play capabilities. This season will be about more than just the returning stars however, as Ohio State brought in some of the top recruits in the country to help complete their roster. All the talent that this team has collected and developed over the past couple of years should keep them at the top of the Big Ten conference, with the real goal being the chase for a national title.

The NCAA college football betting team that the sports books have projected as having the best chance of challenging Ohio State for Big Ten seniority is the Iowa Hawkeyes, which return 14 starters of their own from a roster that went 11-2 overall, and finished just one game back of the Buckeyes in overall conference record. Quarterback Ricki Stanzi is back under center, which should keep the Hawkeyes’ offense rolling, while a strong defensive line that features defensive tackle Karl Klud and defensive end captain Adrian Clayborn will help Iowa take its game to the next level and challenge for top spot.

Penn State finished with the same record as the Hawkeyes both within the conference and overall, but their outlook heading in to 2010 is much dimmer given that the Nittany Lions lost close to half of their starting roster. True freshman Paul Jones is expected to start at quarterback when the bet on sports online games get underway, and will be tested by a deep group of defensive units at the top of the Big Ten. Rounding out the conference is Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Michigan State, each of which have odds available to win the national title, but without massive development from last season in several key areas don’t stand a chance to challenge Ohio State. Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota and Illinois will all be battling just to stay close to .500 during the regular season, and despite improvements, it could be another couple of years before any of them is ready to compete.

Heading in to 2010-11 the picture isn’t much prettier for these NFL betting Patriots. Wide Receiver Wes Welker will not be ready for the start of the season, which is a major blow, and top offensive lineman Logan Mankins is in a dispute with the team over his current contract. The only positives that can be taken are that Brady is another year removed from his knee surgery, and that several of the young guys on this team will have another year of experience. Whether or not that is enough to keep pace with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in the race for top spot in the AFC East is yet to be seen.

After an incredible NCAA college football betting-type run that had them within a quarter of reaching the Super Bowl, head coach Rex Ryan’s jets enjoyed improbable success in 2009-10. A revamped defense and run-oriented offense carried the team back in to the postseason, where rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez proved that he could one day be one of the greats. New York loaded up on talent this offseason, adding names like Santonio Holmes, LaDanian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor, and first round draft pick cornerback Kris Wilson. Only time will tell if those moves were enough to get them over that hump and in to the big game.

The Dolphins added wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos, as well as linebacker Karlos Dansby from the Arizona Cardinals. Both moves will have an immediate impact on either side of the ball, while quarterback Chad Henne’s development remains the key heading in to the NFL preseason betting.

The only team in the AFC East not expected to compete for a playoff spot is the Buffalo Bills. Despite all the optimism on this team heading in to last season, the Bills struggled with poor line play on both sides of the ball, and despite talent in key areas couldn’t find a way to win consistently. With more subtractions than additions in the offseason, and no definite answer at quarterback, 2010-11 could be another trying season for the Bills.

MLB Betting

MLB All-Star Betting (Tuesday, 8:00 PM ET) has the American League as a -120 favorite in the 81^st Midsummer Classic, and not only are the home team as the game will be hosted by the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, but they’ve also won 13 and tied one of the last 14 All-Star games, the longest unbeaten streak in this series.  The National League starter will be Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez, who is 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA and has tossed a no-hitter this season, so there was no way that anyone else could be the starter in Jimenez’s All-Star debut.  There will be another All-Star rookie on the mound for the American League as Tampa Bay’s David Price will get the call, and college football betting players would compare this to a Heisman winner getting an All-Star nod (Price was the No.1 pick of the 2007 draft).  Price is 12-4, and his 2.42 ERA leads the American League.

British Open Betting

Tiger Woods is the British Open betting favorite at the 139^th edition of the Open Championship (as they call it outside of North America), and at St. Andrews, no matter how badly he is playing, Woods is going to be considered.  Woods has won the last two British Opens at St. Andrews, and his -19 romp in 2000 is still the best score ever in a major championship.  Woods will have a lot of competition, such as Englishman Justin Rose, who has won two of his last three starts on the PGA Tour.  Ireland’s Padraig Harrington won the British Open in 2008 and 2009.  Northern Ireland has a capable duo in 21-year-old Rory McIlroy, who was picked by Woods to win this week, and he already has his first PGA Tour win.  McIlroy is also the pick of his countryman Graeme McDowell, but McDowell could be in the running as well as he is coming off a nervy and gutsy win at the US Open at Pebble Beach.  Remember to check out the tee times, as the time change means that the first group will tee off at 1:30 AM ET Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  Therefore, make sure you have your online sports bet in before hitting the hay.

As betting on NFL games starts to come into the sports spectrum, the Atlanta Braves continue to surprise everyone in baseball. Betting on the Braves to win the World Series this season would be like betting on NCAA football teams that never make a bowl game to be national champions. When the season started, the Braves were a distant +2000 to win the World Series. Ever since Atlanta took over the NL East lead, their World Series odds have improved to +900.

The NL East has been a surprise to everyone this season. The Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins were supposed to be sparring all season for the top spot in the division. The Braves were young and up and coming, while the Mets were not even expected to finish above .500. No one expected a series between these two teams so close to the All-Star break would be for first place in the NL East, but that is exactly what is going on.

The Braves lead the Mets by three games in the NL East, but the Mets have been going in the wrong direction the past couple of weeks. The Mets have lost six of their last 10 games, which includes a loss in the last game of their series against the Cincinnati Reds. The Braves have won six of their last 10, and they are riding a two game winning streak into this series.

In the first game of the series the Mets are putting R.A. Dickey on the mound. Dickey has quietly become a key member of the Mets starting rotation compiling a 6-1 record and a 2.62 ERA. He out-pitched the young phenom Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals, and he is seeking his seventh win of the season when the Braves come to town.

Tommy Hanson comes to the mound for the Braves and he brings an 8-5 record along with a 4.19 ERA. Hanson is one of those young pitchers that the Braves were identified with when the season started. He is very inconsistent, and in his last two starts he has given up 15 combined earned runs. Hanson can be brilliant one start, and then terrible the next. It is all part of growing up in the big leagues. At some point Tommy Hanson will be a formidable starter in the majors, but until he gets there the Braves will have to put up with his inconsistent play.

This series may not decide first place, but it will give the Braves a good idea of where their young pitching staff is at as far as their development. The Mets have the bats to take advantage of a young and inconsistent pitching rotation, and that is exactly what the Braves will throw at them.

Pick: New York Mets 4-2

Germany Spain Betting – Wednesday, July 7, 2:30 PM ET

The Germans absolutely trashed Argentina with a 4-0 scoreline, and if you’re betting on NCAA football, it was like Florida against the likes of Florida International.  Actually, that’s a slight to Argentina, who were in it for the first 65 minutes as Germany was up 1-0.  Then they started to chase the game, and Germany’s lethal counterattack decimated the Argentineans, who then fell apart.  Miroslav Klose is now tied with countryman Gerd Muller for second in World Cup goal-scoring behind Brazil’s Ronaldo after scoring two against Argentina, while Thomas Muller and Arne Friedrich added singles for the Germans.  Muller will miss the match against Spain due to a late handball, robbing the Germans of one of their main goal threats.

Spain needed another clutch goal from David Villa to take out Paraguay 1-0, but that wasn’t even the highlight of the game.  There were two penalties stopped within three minutes of each other, one by each team, and this was the first time that had happened since Argentina and Mexico got together in 1930.  But the Spanish still haven’t proven why they were the pre-World Cup favorites heading into the tournament; the only thing that has been proven so far by Spain is that Villa is worth all over the $48 million that Barcelona paid for him prior to the tournament.

If you’re betting on NFL odds, you’ll be waiting for the season opener between New Orleans and Minnesota, a rematch of the NFC final.  Spain is a slight favorite at +155 in their rematch with Germany, who is rated at +165, and a draw comes in at +225.  These two met in the final of Euro 2008, which Spain won 1-0 on a Fernando Torres goal.  But Torres has been awful, to put it mildly, while midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso are battling injuries.  The Germans will look to close down Xavi, the Spanish playmaker who hasn’t had the same effect he has at Barcelona, and he will be closely watched by Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was the Man of the Match against Argentina.  This German team is focused, even though they’re still very young, and the way Spain has looked, we can’t see them taking down “The Team”.

Online sports betting pick: Germany +165