NFL Draft Winners – Fringe to Legit Super Bowl Contenders

NFL DRAFT: COULD ANYONE TAKE A LEAP?

When teams make selections in the NFL Draft, it is not always a matter of getting immediate help, but laying the groundwork for something that could bear fruit in the future. The Detroit Lions don’t expect Matthew Stafford to be the savior right away, but they want to plant the seed for a winner two or three years down the road. We want to take a look at those clubs who are not far from getting to a Super Bowl, and whether they may have made some additions that fit important pieces to a puzzle that may get them there THIS season.

Here are some of the teams I felt may have made strides in that direction, and improved their "futures" chances of getting through their respective conferences:

NEW YORK GIANTS (+450 to win NFC at BetOnline) – The Giants needed to go get receivers to replace Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, and they were looking for some size at that position. They grabbed Hakeem Nicks, who some thought was as good as anyone, and added 6’6" Ramses Barden out of Cal-Poly who was a hero in a near-upset of Wisconsin last season. Barden doesn’t have a lot of speed, but he could be an interesting proposition on third downs. Travis Beckum gives them a backup tight end who will have to overcome injuries, but would have been drafted a round higher (he went in the third) if he hadn’t gotten hurt in his senior year. Andre Brown of N.C. State will be a third down back for them, and he supplies a pass catcher out of the backfield. Clint Sintim is an outside linebacker (from Virginia) who some thought had first-round talent. Rhett Bomar was a fifth-round steal, and the former Oklahoma signal-caller (who transferred to Sam Houston State after being kicked out of the program) will eventually become Eli Manning’s backup. A lot of these are role players who will fit in right away, and the Giants are at the point where they just need some key roles filled in order to get back to the Super Bowl.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (+650 to win NFC at BetOnline) – Clearly, Eagles management was catering to Donovan McNabb when looking for draft selections this year. Jeremy Maclin might be the best receiver in this draft, and someone who can not only go coast-to-coast at any time, but will also be able to do some return work if that’s what Philadelphia wants. He makes for an interesting combo with DeSean Jackson, because both of them can really run with the ball. LeSean McCoy is someone who fills a need for them – a running back who can take some of the pressure off Brian Westbrook. Cornelius Ingram of Florida could be something at tight end, but he’ll have to get by his torn ACL. You also have to figure Jason Peters, the Pro Bowl left tackle, as someone who is a product of this draft, since the Eagles gave up first and fourth-rounder’s this year for him.

ATLANTA FALCONS (+1200 to win NFC at BetOnline) – The Falcons made a strong statement that they intend to win now when they traded next year’s second-rounder to the Chiefs for Tony Gonzalez. Peria Jerry, the defensive tackle for Ole Miss, helps them address one of their glaring needs which is to stop the run, something they didn’t do very well last year. It’s tough to say whether safety William Moore of Missouri, the #2 pick, will be a standout or a role player with this team, but he and third-rounder Christopher Owens will play at least some role. The guy with some upside is defensive end Lawrence Sidbury Jr. of Richmond, who came on the fourth round and is going to help with situational pass-rushing.

HOUSTON TEXANS (+2000 to win AFC at BetOnline) – It depends on whether you think Houston can elevate itself quickly to be a contender. After two straight 8-8 finishes, they may be ready to make the leap. They keep gathering building blocks for the defense; this time it is Brian Cushing, the USC linebacker, and pass rusher Connor Barwin of Cincinnati who got the nod. Brice McCain, a corner who ran a 4.31 forty-yard dash at the combine, is an interesting proposition but lacks size. This is a very competitive division, but the Texans, who can score, are not that far from positioning themselves for a wild card run.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (+1600 to win AFC at BetOnline) – The Jags had massive offensive line casualties last year, so they simply went out and got two of the better tackles in the draft. Eugene Monroe of Virginia was considered by some people I know to be the best overall player available, and Eben Britton of Arizona had a first-round rating by many people. Cornerback Derek Cox of William & Mary, the third-round selection, is a big-time sleeper. Jarrett Dillard of Rice was a highly productive receiver who won’t necessarily solve Jacksonville’s problems there, but will fit in somewhere. I’m betting seventh-round compensatory picks Rashad Jennings of Liberty and Tiquan Underwood will make the roster and find some role to play with the Jags. Zach Miller played option quarterback at Nebraska, then transferred to Nebraska-Omaha after Bill Callahan took over the Huskers. He is projected as a tight end and has speed. He’s another sleeper. The only curiosity was wide receiver Mike Thomas of Arizona. For a team that went through some headaches with Matt Jones, it’s surprising that they would take Thomas since he had a big problem dealing with his coaches.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (+2200 to win AFC at BetOnline) – The Dolphins will have to play a tougher schedule this coming season, and Vontae Davis of Illinois, the first-round pick, comes to Miami with a lot of baggage (and Miami is one place you don’t want to bring a lot of baggage). Sean Smith of Utah becomes a corner who might be able to start soon for this team, and Chris Clemons, the fifth-round pick out of Clemson, is a speed burner. A lot of people criticized the Dolphins for spending a second-round selection on Pat White of West Virginia, I see it differently. When you made a big move last season, partially because you installed the "Wildcat" or "spread" or whatever you want to call it, you not only owe it to yourself to add personnel that is suited to it, but you also need to take it to the next level. Many of the other teams who are now using the package themselves will be better prepared for it so they needed to add new dimensions. Miami got the one player in the draft who is ideal for this scheme, and he’ll add the element of someone who can pass or run equally well out of the formation. They’ll be able to use it on more snaps, and more efficiently than with Ronnie Brown at the controls, and will make defensive coordinators spend more time game-planning for it.

This is by no means the end of this conversation. We’ll talk more about it next week.

Houston at Cincinnati – Volquez hasn’t found his Groove

BetOnline MLB betting odds:  Reds -150, Astros +130, Total 9

Right-hander Felipe Paulino (1-0, 3.00 ERA) will go to the hill for the Astros, while fellow righty Edinson Volquez (2-2, 6.20 ERA), who started the season as the ace of the Cincinnati staff, gets the start for the Reds.

Here are some of the MLB Baseball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

(Numbers may go back to last season)

• HOU has played four of its last six games UNDER the total
• HOU has played four of its last six road games UNDER the total
• CIN has played eight of its last 12 games UNDER the total
• CIN has lost five of its last seven home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

• HOU has won 19 of the last 25 meetings
• Five of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total
• HOU has won the last eleven meetings as the road team
• Eleven of the last 16 meetings in Cincinnati have gone OVER the total

On Tuesday night the Astros got an offensive boost from Ivan Rodriguez, who hit a homer and a double, with Wandy Rodriguez (no relation) giving them seven innings of one-run ball and Houston beat the Reds 8-3. Cincinnati did not help matters, committing three errors. Houston has not yet climbed out of the National League cellar, but they have won three games in a row.

Felipe Paulino was brilliant against the Reds back on April 19, going six innings and allowing just three hits while holding Cincinnati scoreless. He struck out six batters in the game, which came just a day after he was called up from Round Rock. Paulino was more permissive last time out against Milwaukee, allowing ten hits and four runs over six innings. Paulino has shown good control, walking just two men in 12 innings as a starter. Some Astros fans are very excited about the presence of the 25-year-old Dominican in the rotation, even though he carried a 7.11 career ERA into this season.

Edinson Volquez has mastered the Astros thus far, going 3-0 since the beginning of last year with a sparkling 1.37 ERA. He held Houston to a run on four hits over six innings on April 19. That was Volquez’s only standout performance of the season, however, as his ERA has soared over the 6.00 mark with a generous WHIP ratio of 1.87. When you consider that he was 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA in his rookie season, the Reds are lucky that they have gotten good work from other pitchers in staying at the .500 level.

We know what Volquez is capable of doing, but please note that there is no current run of road dominance like the Astros hold over the Reds at the Great American Ball park. Tuesday’s win was their eleventh straight in Cincinnati. We’re going with Houston in this National League matchup, and grabbing the +130 price as the underdog.

JAY’S PLAY:  HOUSTON +130

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

Porsche Grand Prix – Dementieva and Wozniacki bid for quarters

Stuttgart, Germany – The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix enters the second round on Thursday and BetOnline Sportsbook has already rolled out online tennis odds on some marquee matchups. World No.3 Elena Dementieva, seeded second,  is set to meet Agnes Szavay of Hungary in the second round, while Caroline Wozniacki, the seventh seed, faces tough customer Marion Bartoli. A quarterfinal berth is on the line. Who will advance. Here is a look at their upcoming billings, complete with tennis betting verdicts and free picks.

Tennis Betting Line: Agnes Szavay  +375        Elena Dementieva     -650

Match Time: 07:00 A.M. Eastern Time Thursday April 30 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Elena Dementieva was one of several Russian starlets to advance to the second round in Stuttgart, but unlike her counterpart Dinara Safina, who made a confident start, she was severely tested. Wild card Anna-Lena Groenefeld took it to the second seed, forcing the match into a third set when she won the second. Dementieva survived the scare eventually 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Next up for Dementieva is Agnes Szavay who is also coming off a three set marathon against Ai Sugiyama. Szavay advanced into the second round, beating the Japanese veteran 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(4).

Neither Dementieva nor Szavay looked particularly solid in their opening rounds. They both need to tidy up their games. So a bit of a dilemma: who to back in this matchup. Only one can advance and I expect the Russian will do so. She has more experience in clutch matches and she is in fine form overall this season.

Tennis Betting Picks: Dementieva in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Caroline Wozniacki   -375          Marion Bartoli     +235

Match Time: 07:00 A.M. Eastern Time Thursday April 30 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Dane Caroline Wozniacki is seeded seventh in Stuttgart. She enters the main draw with an enviable 27-8 mark on the season, which includes a title in Ponte Vedra Beach (clay) and runner-up finishes in Memphis (hard) and  Charleston (clay). Prior to winning her first career clay court title in Florida this year, Wozniacki did not consider clay her best surface. In seizing the title and finishing runner-up in Charleston a week later, she proved to herself and tennis bettors that she can play on the dirt, and rather well. This will be important for the young Dane not only in this event but also during the run-up to and including the French Open. In terms of this matchup, Wozniacki is the firm favourite at -375. Recommending her further is a 3-0 lifetime edge over the Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli. Bartoli has had a good season to date and she enters the event 21-8 on the season with one title – Monterrey (hard). She was also a runner-up in Brisbane. Bartoli is a tough competitor and on any other surface she would be a threat. However, clay is perhaps her weakest surface, because movement is not her strong suit.  That said, she did have a good run in Charleston, reaching the semis. Might she surprise everyone and orchestrate the upset tomorrow?

Tennis Betting Picks: Wozniacki in straight sets

Twinkies will take it – Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins

MLB BETTING

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins
Game Match-Up 4/29 — 8:10 ET

On Wednesday night, a pair of teams hoping to kick start their sluggish 2009 seasons square off in the Metrodome for a rubber match when the Tampa Bay Rays (8-13, -$635) match wits  with the Minnesota Twins (10-11, -$188). In Tuesday night’s sports betting affair, the Rays rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to knot the game in the 9th inning with a pinch-hit homer from RF Ben Zobrist off of Minnesota closer Joe Nathan, but LHP JP Howell couldn’t retire the side without giving up the winning run in the bottom of the inning. The loss assured the Rays will close out their nine-game road trip with a losing record, but the winner of this series is still to be decided.

You can find Tampa Bay at -135 and a ‘total’ of 8 over -120 at BetOnline Sportsbook right now!

Things always get interesting for Tampa Bay bettors when LHP Scott Kazmir is on the mound. His last outing against Oakland was of the fantastic variety, as he threw six shutout innings and gave up only two hits and three walks. The problem was that he threw 96 pitches in those six frames, making it the 21st straight start where the lefty failed to complete seven innings of work. Though those numbers could be a disaster for a bullpen, Kaz almost always leaves the game with his team in a position to pick up a victory. He has only had one miserable outing this year (six runs in 4.0 innings against the White Sox on 4/18), and as a result, is 3-1 for baseball bettors (+$172). Kazmir is also one of just three pitchers to be 4-0 for ‘over’ bettors. Tampa Bay’s southpaw is only 2-3 in his career against the Twinkies, but he did throw six shutout innings in his lone start against them last season. That day, the Rays clinched their first playoff birth in team history.

Minnesota will counter with RHP Nick Blackburn. Blackburn has only faced the Rays once in his career, and he’d much rather forget the outing. The righty conceded six runs in just 1.1 innings of Minnesota’s 11-1 loss at Tropicana Field. The 27-year old has been the epitome of consistency so far this season. In four starts, he has allowed four runs three times, but his most recent start was clearly his best where he gave up just one run on six hits in Cleveland last Friday to secure his first victory of the season.

After another long day of work yesterday, the Tampa Bay bullpen simply has to be exhausted. James Shields and Matt Garza are the only pitchers to complete seven innings in a start for the Rays this season, and only once all year has a pitcher thrown into the 8th inning (Shields on 4/23, 7.1 innings @ Seattle). This is a road-weary squad that has only played seven home games this season and hasn’t had a day off since 4/20 (its only off day of the season to date). It’s hard to see why the oddsmakers’ made them the choice in this game.

Rose’s Recommendation: 3* Minnesota Twins +115

(Rating Scale: 1* – 5*)

Quail Hollow Championship – Tiger is back on the Prowl

Quail Hollow Championship

Making at least one golf betting selection got a whole lot easier for golf bettors this week. With Tiger Woods slated to return to the links this weekend in the Quail Hollow Championship most bettors will likely drop a few bucks down on Tiger even though he remains low on the profits scale.

For casual golf fans the Quail Hollow Championship may not sound too familiar. That’s because the tournament, which is played at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been known as the Wachovia Championship since its inception in 2003.

Woods last played at Quail Hollow in 2007 when he won the tournament after shooting 13-under par. That earned him a two-stroke victory over Steve Stricker. Woods was unable to defend his title last season while rehabbing from his first knee surgery. Woods also played at Quail Hollow in 2004, when he tied for third, and in 2005, when he tied for 11th. Woods will easily be favored on the golf odds this week, but it won’t be a walk in the park to reclaim the title as he will be battling six of the rest of the Top 10 golfers in the world, and 14 of the Top 25.

With Woods sidelined last year Anthony Kim took charge at Quail Hollow and won his first career PGA Tour event. Kim shot 16-under par, which was five strokes better than second-place Ben Curtis. Kim returns to defend his title this week and will be looking to turn around what has been a disappointing season so far. Since finishing second in his season debut in the Mercedes-Benz Championship in January Kim’s best finish was tying for 17th in the WGC Match Play Championship. Kim finished tied for 20th at Augusta in his last Tour stop and could be ready to break out at Quail Hollow.

Along with Woods and Kim every former champion of the Wachovia Championship returns to Quail Hollow this week, except for 2004 champ Joey Sindelar. The other former winners include inaugural 2003 champ David Toms, 2005 winner Vijay Singh, and 2006 winner Jim Furyk. Toms, Furyk, and Singh are all winless on the season so far, but Toms and Furyk both have at least one Top-4 finish. Singh hasn’t looked like his old self so far this season and his best finish was tying for 17th at the WGC Match Play Championship.

Last week the Tour was at TPC of Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Jerry Kelly recorded his third career Tour win and first since 2002 after shooting 14-under par. Rory Sabbatini, Charlie Wi, and Charles Howell III all tied for second, one stroke back. Kelly is committed to play at Quail Hollow this week, but he will be a huge underdog to make it back-to-back wins on the golf odds. Kelly missed the cut at Quail Hollow last season, and his best finish in five attempts was tying for 31st in 2006.

West Coast Ballers – Los Angeles at San Francisco

MLB baseball betting fans on the West coast will get a late-night treat tonight as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants meet up at 10:15 PM ET.

The Giants will be the hosts of the evening but they won’t be very cordial as baseball betting fans will see them send out their ace and reigning Cy Young Award winner, Tim Lincecum to the mound.

Lincecum had a rough start to the season in his early outings. In his first two starts, he had 8.1 innings pitched and allowed seven earned runs and 14 hits. In that span, he struck out 10 batters and walked six.

But in his last two starts, Lincecum has been back in form. The Cy Young winner has really picked it up and has been virtually untouchable.

In his last two starts, Lincecum has pitched a total of 16 innings, striking out 24 batters, walking just one and allowing just one earned run. He’s also allowed a mere 10 hits in those 16 innings pitched.

Last year, Lincecum dominated the Dodgers in two starts. As a team, the Dodgers hit just .211 against him as he gave up just eight hits in 11 innings pitched.

Lincecum will face off with Eric Stults of the Dodgers, who has been a pleasant surprise for the team.

Baseball betting fans might think that Stults is a prospect, but he’s in fact a 29-year-old veteran who is trying to hang on to the back end of the Dodgers rotation.

Stults is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA this season, which is much better than the Dodgers expected.

One trend that has been somewhat disconcerting is the fact that Stults has progressively allowed more runs in each of his three starts.

He hasn’t lasted more than 5.1 innings pitched in any of his starts but has allowed one, two and three runs progressively through each of his starts.

Another ominous sign has been Stults’ strikeout-to-walk ratio.

In his first start, he had five strikeouts and just two walks. In his second start, he had two strikeouts and three walks. In his third start, he had three strikeouts and five walks.

For tonight’s game, look for the Giants to dominate at home behind their ace. It could be a low-scoring contest but the Giants should be able to control the game as Lincecum has been really good of late.

The Pick: Giants -1 ½ (+145)

Rome Masters Round of 16 – Robredo vs. Djokovic

Rome, Italy – The Round of 16 tennis odds for the ATP Masters Series in Rome are currently available at BetOnline Sportsbook. The tennis betting market is heating up as the tournament takes one-step closer to crowning a champion on Sunday. So let us start with the reigning champ himself, Novak Djokovic and his upcoming challenge in Tommy Robredo.

Tennis Betting Line: Tommy Robredo +300          Novak Djokovic     -500 

Match Time: 08:30 A.M. Eastern Time Thursday April 30 2009

Tennis Betting Analysis:

Djokovic -500: The fact that Djokovic has yet to defend successfully a title is well documented. And as he enters the Rome Masters event most tennis bettors would have his throne in jeopardy. However, we are a bit of a ways from the championship match on Sunday. We are still at the very early stages, the last 16 and only his second match of the tournament, having received a bye into the second round.

Djokovic moved into the last 16 with a routine victory over Albert Montanes of Spain. The Spaniard gave a good account of himself in the first set, taking Djokovic to a tiebreaker. However, he all but disappeared in the second set, losing it at love. Djokovic has to be happy with the start to his title defence campaign and glad he got through in straight sets.

Next up is Tommy Robredo of Spain. Djokovic holds a 4-1 edge over the veteran Spaniard, having beaten him four consecutive times since the 2006 Wimbledon Championships R64. However, their last match at the 2008 US Open was a controversial affair and as such lends a bit of added drama to their encounter in Rome.

At the time, Robredo accused Djokovic of taking advantage of timeouts and calling for the trainer in an unsportsmanlike manner. But, mercifully, all the medical attention, did not appear to affect his play. Djokovic was able to complete the match, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Robredo +300: Robredo would like nothing better to avenge the loss he suffered at the hands of Djokovic at the US Open. Seeing as they are meeting on his favourite surface, clay, one would think that if Robredo would ever have a chance of getting into the win column over Djokovic it would be on this surface. There is motivation for Robredo in this match. Moreover, he is in fine form this season, having picked up already two titles on clay.

Tennis Betting Verdict: Though the bookies don’t give Robredo a shot to win this match, tipping him as a significant underdog at +300, he has to like his chances. So do his fans. Granted a Djokovic win is more likely than a loss but I would not be surprised if it were to happen. Heck, I will give him my vote.

Tennis Betting Picks: Robredo in straight sets

Party’s Over – Billups’ Nuggets will Dispatch Paul’s Hornets Tonight

The Denver Nuggets (57-29 SU, 48-37-1 ATS, 44-42 O/U) will look to dispatch the all-star point guard Chris Paul and the struggling New Orleans Hornets (50-36 SU, 35-49-2 ATS, 36-48-2 O/U) tonight when they battle at the Pepsi Center tonight at 10:30 PM ET in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

Denver has a commanding 3-1 series lead and has covered the spread in every game including their historic 121-63 Game 4 rout in New Orleans.

High-scoring forward Carmelo Anthony had a team-high 26 points, adding seven assists and six rebounds for good measure as the Nuggets won by a whopping 58 points to easily cover the spread for BetOnline NBA Sportsbook members as 3-point road underdogs.

All-star forward David West scored a team-high 14 points for New Orleans as the final score played under the 193-point O/U total.

All-star point guard Chauncey Billups scored 17 points for the Nuggets, besting counterpart Chris Paul in a big way as the Nuggets limited him to just four points on 2-of-7 shooting.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Picks.

• The Hornets are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring less than 75 points in their previous game.
• The Hornets are 6-15 ATS in their last 21 games following a S.U. loss.
• The Nuggets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
• The Nuggets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
• The Over is 4-1 in Hornets last 5 games after scoring less than 75 points in their previous game.
• The Under is 5-0-1 in Nuggets last 6 games after allowing less than 75 points in their previous game.
• The Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Denver.
• The Hornets are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

NBA Odds

• New Orleans Hornets +10½ -110
• Denver Nuggets -10½ -110
• Over 197½ -110
• Under 197½ -110

Analysis: Despite the double digit point spread in this contest, I like the Denver Nuggets to win and cover as they are clearly the better team and have already routed the Hornets twice in this series including their last contest where they ripped the heart out of the injury-riddled Hornets.

Playing in front of their home fans and led by unflappable point guard Chauncey Billups, I fully expect the Denver Nuggets to win and cover the spread in this contest while sending the Hornets packing for the summer.

NBA Free Picks: Nuggets -10½ Points/Over 197½ Total Points

PGA Prop Betting – Quail Hollow Top Ten

Tiger Woods returns as the favorite to win the Quail Hollow, a $6,500,000 tournament, in Charlotte, North Carolina this week.

There’s a reason that Woods is the favorite.  He won the Quail Hollow in 2007.  The chances of him finishing off the board in the Quail Hollow and out of the Top Ten, aren’t very good.

But there are other golfers that BetOnline online sportsbook fans need to think about wagering on if they hope to make profits when betting the Top Ten for the Quail Hollow.

Let’s take a look at some of the better wagering propositions for golfers to finish in the Top Ten in the Quail Hollow.

Golf:  Quail Hollow Top Ten

1. Tiger Woods -325 – - Woods is an underlay at -325 to finish in the Top Ten, right?  Hell, no!  Woods is actually an overlay because he’s finished in the Top Ten in 3 out of the 4 tournaments he’s played in this year.  He’s also won a tournament, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and has done exceptionally well in the Quail Hollow with a victory in 2007.  He will be on top of his game.  A victory is likely and a Top Ten finish is almost guaranteed.

2. Jim Furyk +300 – - Furyk has 3 top tens already this season out of the 6 events he has made the cut in.  That’s not the only good news regarding Furyk.  The fact that he took last week off and decided to instead study up for this course is a good sign.  It’s particularly good because Furyk won the Quail Hollow in 2006.  So, he has history on the course and his playing well.  At 3 to 1, the odds are excellent on Furyk to make the Top Ten.

3. Rory Sabbatini +350 – - Sabbatini finished 3rd at Quail Hollow in 2007.  That’s not the reason he should make the Top Ten this week in the tournament.  The reason he should make it into the Top Ten is because he has finished 20th, 8th and then 2nd in his last three tournaments.  Sabbatini’s on fire right now.

4. Geoff Ogilvy +200 – - The money list leader and top ranked putter on the PGA Tour deserves some mentioning to finish in the Top Ten, but gamblers should note that he hasn’t been all that successful at Quail Hollow.  His best finish was 10th.  Can he improve?  Well, he’s having his best year ever and that might be enough for him to at least get another Top Ten finish at Charlotte.

5. Phil Mickelson -110 – - The odds aren’t that great, but how can gamblers possibly decide to bet against Mickelson to finish in the Top Ten in this tournament?  Mickelson has to be ready to destroy the field after his terrific Masters’ run and he has had success at Quail Hollow.  Enough to win?  Maybe not, but definitely enough for the Top Ten.

6. David Toms +450 – - Toms won the Quail Hollow in 2003 and has 4 Top Ten finishes this season out of the 7 tournaments he’s made the cut in.  That’s good enough to say that 4 ½ to 1 odds make him a fantastic bet to just make it into the Top Ten again this week.

Best Long Shot

Davis Love +800 – - Above 5 to 1 makes Davis Love a long shot in this category.  He only has one Top Ten finish the year, but he might be worth a bet because he skipped last week and had two solid rounds in the Verizon Heritage, a 67 and a 69, which means he just needs to be consistent to get into the Top Ten.

PGA Picks – Quail Hollow Match-up betting

BetOnline isn’t afraid to create terrific match-up opportunities by pitting the best against the best.  Take in point, this week’s PGA Tour Event, the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, N.C.

Let’s take a look at some of the best match-up bets being offered in the Quail Hollow.

Golf:  Quail Hollow Match-up Betting

1. Padraig Harrington +120 vs. Geofff Ogilvy -150 – - The money list leader, Ogilvy, has only 1 Top Ten finish to his credit at Quail Hollow.  That’s okay because he’s finished in the To 25 five other times.  Why is that good?  Because Harrington has never finished better than 40th at Quail Hollow and hasn’t really gotten his game going yet.  I see Ogilvy winning this match-up easily.

Pick:  Geoff Ogilvy at -150

2. Phil Mickelson +185 vs. Tiger Woods -150 – - Lefty has never won at Quail Hollow while Tiger finished 3rd in 2004 and won the tournament in 2007.  I picked Tiger to win the tournament (link to Quail Hollow To Win) but I’m gong to do an about face in this match-up.  Why?  Because the odds on Phil Mickelson to beat just one golfer, yes, even if his name is Tiger Woods, are too good to pass up.  I’ll bet Tiger to win and then use this match-up as a sort of “saver” bet.

Pick:  Phil Mickelson at +185

3. Hunter Mahan -120 vs. Rory Sabbatini -110 – - Sabbatini has been en fuego lately finishing 20th, 8th, and 2nd in his last three tournaments.  Mahan really shouldn’t have a chance if Sabbatini carries his fantastic form over to Quail Hollow a course that he finished 3rd on in 2007.  I like Sabbatini in this.

Pick:  Rory Sabbatini at -110

4. Geoff Ogilvy +200 vs. Tiger Woods -300 – - Woods is the favorite for a reason.  He’s never had a bad Quail Hollow while Ogilvy has had ups and downs over the course.  I’d love to take Ogilvy at the odds, but I’m not sure his game will translate as well to Quail Hollow as other courses.  It never has before while Tiger has dominated.  Ogilvy is terrific but in a head to head match-up, Woods, the choice to win this tournament, should be the wager.

Pick:  Tiger Woods at -300

5. Padraig Harrington Ev vs. Anthony Kim -130 – - Kim will be playing in the tournament of his first, and only PGA Tour victory.  It will be interesting to see how the youngster handles the pressure.  Of course, matching up against Harrington is a no-brainer because Harrington is more than likely using this event for bigger prizes down the road.  Kim should win this.

Pick:  Anthony Kim at -130

6. Angel Cabrera Ev vs. Stewart Cink -130 – - The 2009 Masters victor, Cabrera, looks like a serious contender in this, right?  Not really.  Twitter star Stewart Cink should win this match-up easily because Cabrera is known for taking off tournaments where he doesn’t feel the necessity to win.  Also, Cabrera isn’t exactly the best in shape golfer I’ve ever seen.  Angel will simply use this to stretch his legs in anticipation of the U.S. Open while Cink will play hard to get a Top Ten finish.

Pick:  Stewart Cink at -130

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