Soccer Picks – CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Gold Cup Match Previews and Picks: Canada and Costa Rica in Action

The tenth edition CONCACAF Gold Cup is upon us, set to kick off on Friday July 3, 2009. And what a competition it promises to be. After turning some heads with a runner-up finish at Confederations Cup, United States is now faced with the task of defending their CONCACAF Gold Cup. Two-time defending champions USA are gunning for their third consecutive and fifth overall Gold Cup. Tired and weary after their journey to South Africa Coach Bob Bradley has decided to send a B squad, featuring young players to answer the call of the nation. The competition boasts a strong field, including seven-time champions Mexico, three-time champions Costa Rica and two-time champions Canada.

Soccer Betting Line:

Canada +160

Jamaica +140

Draw +225

Match Time: 08:00 P.M. Eastern Time, Friday July 3 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: Canada have not won this competition since 2000. Their best result recently was a third place finish in 2007. They recently failed to qualify for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Regional success has not been translated to the international arena. Jamaica have never won this Cup and they are entering this competition after failing to qualify for the World Cup 2010. They are however coming off a victory at the Digicel Caribbean Championships (December). The Canucks enter slightly disadvantaged but this matchup is a good one for the Canucks as it is expected to be a close affair. They have a shot at winning this match but given how close Jamaica is tipped, I expect a draw to be the outcome.

Soccer Free Picks: Draw +225

Soccer Betting Line:

Costa Rica -250

El Salvador +550

Draw +300

Match Time: 08:00 P.M. Eastern Time, Friday July 3 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: Costa Rica are a perennial powerhouse in CONCACAF completion and the odds on them in this matchup reflect that sentiment. They enter as huge favourits at -250 to win this match. They are also huge favourites in the competition proper to win the title. They were runners up in 2007 when they lost to the United States in the final. Costa Rica are qualified for the World Cup 2010. They bring a solid team to this competition. They should have little trouble against El Salvador.

Soccer Free Picks: Costa Rica -250

Green Bay Packer Preview

With all the talk about their former franchise player, Brett Favre, spinning the turbines in the NFL newsreel, the Green Bay Packers are getting lost in the shuffle. Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago have all stolen the spotlight with draft picks, Brett Favre drama and Jay Cutler news. However, it’s the Packers who are my leading pick to emerge from the NFC North…and not just because they’re a better team.

No other team in the league had worse luck than the Packers (note: piss off Detroit. Your team sucked. That’s not luck. That’s skill. It takes skill to suck as hard as you guys did last year.). The Packers finished a dismal 6-10 SU and 7-8-1 ATS with a pretty solid team. In most cases, that accounts to bad coaching or poor player execution. The funny thing in Green Bay is that they achieved that record in spite of a solid effort.

Green Bay finished eighth in the NFL with 5,695 total yards of offense, fifth overall in scoring with 26.2 points per game and 419 total points. Defensively, they ranked in the high-twenties with 380 total points scored against, averaging out to 23.8 points per game. Even with a 22-point blowout against the Saints in Week 12, the Packers averaged a point differential of -6.3 in their 10 losses last season. That was the lowest loss differential in the league. When you see that they had a top-5 offense, the Packers faced more bad luck than any other elite team in the NFL.

Entering the 2009-10 season, so many questions surround the suddenly competitive NFC North division. But none are more relevant to the NFL’s sphere of conversation than the fate of the Green Bay Packers who have 15 guys entering contract years.

In most situations, when money is on the line, it causes holdouts, disputes, mutiny and utter disaster for the NFL betting community. That’s not the case with Green Bay, a team that was built through the draft. Playing together for years reduces the chance for things to go sideways when a clubhouse is as tightly knit as the intimate Green Bay Packers.

Only Greg Jennings, Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant have received extensions, and financial security meaning that the locker room could conceivably be split in to two. In one camp stands the small handful of players who have secured contract extensions, while the other camp will comprise of the large majority of the room that doesn’t. But that’s the strange thing about professional sports…

In most cases players playing for a pay cheques play far better than those that don’t. Individual incentives could lead the Packers to go for broke, and salvage the disaster from last year in to playoff success. At +1400 to win the NFC, and +200 to win a division mired by failure for the past five years, the Packers will find themselves surging ahead of the rest as players up their game in hopes of landing big contracts.

Do not write off the Packers because of supposed in-house disputes. Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings will see to it that your betting dollars are secure, and defensive stalwarts like Nick Collison will see their free-agent value doesn’t dip by disappointing the Green Bay betting faithful again this season.

A-Rod and Hewitt Collide in the quarters for spot in the Wimbledon semis

London, Great Britain – Even before the Wimbledon Championships began Andy Roddick announced his Wimbledon intentions. The seasoned American feels his best chance at another major title is on the hallowed grounds of the All England Club. Roddick is only two victories away from reaching the Wimby final and realizing his dream of winning the Wimbledon title. He was a finalist twice before, losing to Roger Federer on both occasions in 2004 and 2005. Standing in his way of taking a step closer towards Sunday’s finale is Lleyton Hewitt – the 2002 Wimbledon champion. The Aussie hit a fine run of form at Wimbledon; a culmination of a lot of hard work and commitment since returning to the ATP tour after taking a long stint off to have hip surgery (and recovery) last season.

Tennis Betting Line: Lleyton Hewitt +185 Andy Roddick -250

Match Time: 06:00 A.M. Eastern Time Wednesday July 1 2009

Head-to-head Analysis: Hewitt owns the slim 6-5 edge lifetime; whereas, Roddick owns the 2-0 edge in 2009. Most recently, Roddick beat Hewitt at London Queen’s Club R16 7-6(2), 7-6 (4).

Lleyton Hewitt : Lleyton Hewitt accounted for one of the biggest upsets – on paper at least – when he felled Juan Martin Del Potro in straight sets in the second round. He carried the momentum into the second week, beating Philipp Petzschner of Germany in the third round, and Radek Stepanek in the fourth round. The last match was a bit of a dramatic affair in that it went the distance; it also featured loads of injury time outs.

Andy Roddick: Love him or hate him, one cannot deny that Andy Roddick has had an enduring career in the game. True, he carries the one-hit wonder moniker and has been overshadowed by the achievements of both Federer and Nadal, and more recently, by Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic some, but despite all that, he has remained amongst the elite echelons. He gives it his all. It doesn’t always yield the results he (and his fans) desire. But there is something in the effort he gives. This season, Roddick looks the best he has in a long time. Larry Stefanki has worked wonders with Andy and his game. His fitness is better and his game has seen some improvements. All this hard work has positioned him well at Wimbledon. He is through to the quarters relatively untroubled. Two victories away from the title match.

Tennis Betting Verdict: When Hewitt beat Del Potro and showed what that victory meant to him with undisguised enthusiasm I could not help but wish him well. When he managed to build off that win to reach the R16, he seemed to be on his way to a Cinderella run at the All England Club. I wished it even more for him. After his R16 match against Stepanek, wherein he dropped the first two sets before storming back to win the match (the injury timeouts off the charts), I realised that from here on now it is but wishful thinking. Hewitt looked spent during his match. Even with the day off and irrespective of Wednesday’s schedule, one has to like Roddick’s chances.

Tennis Free Picks: Roddick in four sets

Pony Picks – Arlington Park Race 6

Arlington Park begins the July 4th festivities on July 1st with a fantastic, full, racing card.

One of the best things Racebook fans can do is to learn to handicap races on Polytrack as so many tracks have switched to the synthetic surface. Such is the case with Race 6 at Arlington where Polytrack knowledge no doubt will help horseplayers find a profitable winner.

Let’s take a look at Race 6 at Arlington Park on Wednesday.

Arlington Park – Race 6

Allowance $41,480 n1x

For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward Which Have Never Won a Race Other than Maiden, Claiming or Starter or Which Have Never Won Two Races

1 1/16th miles on Polytrack

Kiss The Queen – - 9/2 morning line

Goes turf to synthetic for trainer Helen Pitts in this. That’s not exactly a winning move but look closer and suddenly this gal figures to be a big overlay. She has one try over the Polytrack at Arlington, a second place finish that produced the best speed rating of this bunch on the surface. She also has speed which is sorely lacking in this race. She figures to finish no worse than second in this as she could have things her own way on the front end and a wire to wire victory, which can happen on Polytrack, is not out of the question.

Step Sister – - 6/1 morning line

Out of 4 races at Arlington, Step Sister only has 1 placing, a victory in her last, and for some gamblers that might not be enough to consider her for a wager. But in horse racing, when horses like Step Sister get good, they can stay good for a while and her speed ratings have actually gone up since she came off of the bench in mid April. One more step up the speed rating ladder and she could win this going away as she has the perfect style, stalk and pounce.

Go Native – - 5/1 morning line

This is another turf to Polytrack starter. In her last race, against Kiss The Queen, Go Native lost by only a nose. She could improve off of that or bounce as it was a very difficult race. If she improves, then she too has every right to win this. She could be tough.

Wagering Strategy

I like Kiss The Queen and will bet her to win and place. I will put Kiss The Queen, Go Native and Step Sister into an exacta and trifecta box.

NFL Sneak Peak – Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars were sidetracked by injuries to the offensive line in the 2008 season, and still they got off to a 3-3 start. After the bye week, however, they faded, and fast. The Jags lost eight of their last ten games finishing 2-4 in the division and 5-11 overall for the season (4-12 ATS). This caused an awful lot of anxiety for coach Jack Del Rio and the Jacksonville management, which got precious little out of the pass rushing tandem they drafted and experienced a more error-plagued season from quarterback David Garrard.

Will Del Rio be able to turn things around in J-Ville?

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

BetOnline Sportsbook NFL Odds

To Win AFC South

Indianapolis Colts +155
Tennessee Titans +240
Houston Texans +325
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS +400

To Win Super Bowl: +3200
To Win AFC title: +1500
To Reach Conference title game: +750
Regular Season Wins: Over 8 -120, Under 8 -110

Before the start of the 2007 season, Jack Del Rio essentially put his job in the hands of David Garrard, having let former #1 draft choice Byron Leftwich go before the season’s start. Garrard responded by playing solid football, throwing only three interceptions in the regular season and guiding the Jaguars to the playoffs, not to mention a win at Heinz Field against the Steelers. In 2008 it was quite a different story. With his offensive line shaky at best, Garrard suffered 42 sacks, was knocked down more than any quarterback in the league and threw 13 picks. His passer rating went from 102.2 down to 81.7.

If nothing else, the Jags are expecting that they will have a healthier offensive line. It is also replenished, with Tra Thomas, who was with the Eagles last year, acquired as a free agent. The Jags also took offensive tackles with their first two picks. Eugene Monroe of Virginia, who some thought was as good a player as was available in the draft, was the first-round selection and could wind up starting on the right side, opposite Thomas, at least for this year. The second-round selection was Arizona’s Eben Britton, who will provide depth at the very least.

The running game will be missing a familiar face. Fred Taylor, who spent eleven years with the team, gaining 1000 or more yards seven times, was released, which pretty much makes this Maurice Jones-Drew’s show. The UCLA alum has averaged 4.8 yards per carry for his career, but he has never had to shoulder the full load, and there is some question that at 5’7" and 208 pounds, he can prove durable enough to take a pounding as the one and only feature back. backup Chauncey Washington had nine rushing yards as a rookie, but he’ll see more action now, and seventh-round pick Rashard Jennings, a great player at Liberty, may work himself into the mix.

Wide receiver has often been a problem under the conservative Del Rio. When you look at Troy Williamson, Mike Walker and Dennis Northcutt, they do not scare anyone. As a stopgap measure, 33-year-old Torry Holt, a possible Hall of Famer who caught 64 passes for the Rams last season, was signed and the Jaguars are obviously hoping that someone will emerge from among the wideouts drafted. They’re an interesting group – Mike Thomas of Arizona has great talent, but an attitude problem; Jarrett Dillard of Rice was super-productive and could be a real sleeper, and Tiquan Underwood of Rutgers was second banana opposite Kenny Britt but might catch on as a possession guy.

Jacksonville had long had the reputation of being a team that harassed opposing quarterbacks, but the Jags dropped way down two seasons ago, and were hoping to resurrect themselves by grabbing Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves on the first two rounds of last year’s draft. Harvey was the last first-round pick to sign and never really got untracked. Neither did Groves. The two combined for six sacks and need to improve greatly upon that figure this time around. John Henderson and Ron Meier are pretty solid as the defensive tackles, but they’re also getting along in years. Terrance Knighton, the third-rounder from Temple, is a guy they hope to work into the rotation at that position.

Mike Peterson, the team’s leading tackler in 2008, bolted for Atlanta as a free agent to join his former coordinator, Mike Smith. That leaves the Jags with good players like Daryl Smith and Justin Durant at linebacker, but little depth there. Things may or may not be improved in the secondary, but they’ll have to be, as in terms of average gain per pass play, Jacksonville ranked 30th out of the 32 NFL teams. You have to be impressed by the athleticism of Rashean Mathis at one corner position, and there is the possibility that another big-time athlete, rookie Derek Cox from William & Mary, might wind up on the other side.

Jacksonville may have more competition in the AFC South than in any other division, especially since after a couple of 8-8 seasons, the Houston Texans are expected to be better. It may be hard to reach .500 against division rivals. The Jaguars are still not an explosive bunch, and should have tried to build more of a "committee" at running back. There are a lot of things that have to happen on defense to make this a better season. This could be an 8-8 team, but may fall a little short, enough for us to favor the "under" in the BetOnline regular season wins prop.

Can Ivo Karlovic stop Federer and History at Wimbledon

London, Great Britain – So far, four players – Yen Hsun Lu, Guillero Garcia Lopez, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Robin Soderling – have stepped up to the plate and taken their best shot at Federer. Save for Kohlschreiber, who took a set off Federer, none ruffled his feathers and he soars into the quarters looking better than ever.

Next to wield his racquet against Federer and try to stop the Swiss maestro and history at the All England Club is big-serving Ivo Karlovic. The 6’10 Croatian reaches the quarters after beating Fernando Verdasco in four tight sets. I have to admit I was backing Nando to come through but I am happy to see Ivo reach the quarters at Wimby. Watching the game was a tad bit boring – came down to the big man’s serve (A+ effort once again) – but when you serve as big as he does you deserve success on grass. It is kinda freaky that Karlovic has never before reached the second week of Wimby. Can he continue his impressive run and go one better at Federer’s expense?

Tennis Betting Line: Ivo Karlovic +600 Roger Federer -1200

Match Time: 06:00 A.M. Eastern Time Wednesday July 1 2009

Head-to-head Analysis: Federer has a comfortably 8-1 lifetime edge; and a 2-0 edge in 2009. The only time Karlovic beat Federer was at the Cincinnati Masters in 2008.

Ivo Karlovic +600: The killing spree Ivo Karlovic has been on at SW19 makes his +600 underdog odds rather tempting. His next opponent is no pushover though. Karlovic’s 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(9) victory against Fernando Verdasco earned him a place in his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal and sets up one of the biggest showdowns on the ledger for Wednesday’s Wimbledon betting action. Karlovic is 1-8 against Federer; for all his weapons, not the least is his booming serve, Karlovic has managed to beat Federer only once in nine tries.

Roger Federer -1200: Roger Federer enters this high stakes match as the firm favourite, listed at -1200 at BetOnline. He is a comfy 8-1 to the better against Karlovic. The 6’10 Croatian is not a player many like coming across in any tournament but Federer has dealt with him enough times successfully that the market is confident he will deal with him so once again. A side note: one of the most impressive statistics in men’s tennis is Federer’s Grand Slam streak. Federer has made the semis or better in 20 consecutive Grand Slams (and still counting). Of the 20 Grand Slams, he won 14, finished runner-up in four – thrice at Roland Garros to Nadal and once at Wimby, once again to Nadal. Only twice has Federer not reached the title match – in 2005 when he lost to Nadal (yes him again) in the semis at Roland Garros; and in 2008, when he lost to Djokovic in the semis at the Aussie Open.

Tennis Betting Verdict: It will be their tenth career meeting but the highest stakes match as this is the first time they meet at this stage of a major tournament, the quarters of a Grand Slam – Wimbledon no less, the most coveted and prestigious of all the four Grand Slams. Karlovic has always been a threat on grass but for some reason he has never done well at Wimbledon, until now. Karlovic lost to Federer at Wimbledon once before, in 2004 when they collided in the R16, Karlovic went down in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-6(5). The way he has been playing at Wimby this time around, you have to believe he will bring more game than that against the Swiss on Wednesday. Speaking of the maestro, the way he has been playing this last month you have to believe he will persevere. I expect a close five-setter with Federer winning.

Tennis Free Picks: Federer in five sets

Football is BACK – Toronto vs. Hamilton

Toronto Argonauts vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7:00 ET

The Canadian Football League season kicks off on Wednesday night with a great double-header worth of games, and BetOnline.com customers can finally sink their teeth into some great football betting action! To kick off the Canada Day double dip, the Toronto Argonauts (4-14, 6-10-2 ATS in 2008) will look to erase the memories from a miserable 2008 season when they square off with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-15, 6-11-1 ATS in 2008) from Ivor-Wynne Stadium. The Battle of Ontario is one of the fiercest rivalries in the CFL, and the oddsmakers are expecting it to be a tight one on Wednesday.

Hamilton currently sits as slender two-point favorites after opening up as 1.5-point underdogs; the game ‘total’ has been set at 51.5.

The Boatmen were expected to be the cream of the crop last year in the CFL, but instead, they ended up being the laughing stock of the league. Age was a major issue for Toronto last year, but most of those aging veterans have been replaced by proven commodities with some tread left on the tires, most notably OLs Dominic Picard and Rob Murphy as well as LB Zeke Moreno. For a team that was supposed to be an offensive juggernaut behind QB Kerry Joseph, only scoring 21.0 points per game a year ago was just unacceptable. Perhaps even worse was the play of the normally stout defense, which surrendered a whopping 30.5 points per game and looked very disinterested down the stretch. The addition of Moreno should help, but he can’t do it alone. There is still a lot of work to do on this team.

Speaking of needing work, the Ti-Cats haven’t had a decent season in seemingly forever! Last year’s 3-15 season wasn’t exactly unexpected though there were flashes of true promise out there. The play of RBs Tre Smith and Terry Caulley (combined 878 yards and eight TDs in 2008) made Jesse Lumsden expendable, and the duo looks to be arguably the best one-two punch at the running back position in the CFL this season. The biggest question is whether QB Quinton Porter is ready to spark the squad or not. The fans in Steeltown were treated to Porter for the final six games of the season, and he responded by finishing up the year with four fantastic starts. He averaged 277 yards per game and completed 71.5% of his passes, throwing eight TDs against just two picks in those four games.

This is the year for the Ti-Cats to turn it around, and it absolutely has to begin tonight! The fans in Hamilton have stuck around for many a losing season and they’d love nothing more than to see their team add to the woes of their rivals and start ’09 off right. Porter has proven that he has the tools to compete in the CFL, and the hope is that the newly revamped defense will give him enough help to lead the Tabbies to some victories. Bank on the first to come tonight.

Rose’s Recommendation: 4* Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-2)

(Rating Scale 1* – 5*)

Wimbledon Men’s R16 Recap – Who was hot; Who was not

London, Great Britain – The R16 is done and dusted and what a sweet day of action it was. Where to begin? Why, the most dramatic match of course. Scot Andy Murray found himself in a battle royale against Stanislas Wawrinka for spot in the quarterfinals – what many Brits believe to be his rightful place in the tournament. Andy Murray entered the match as the huge favourite, listed at a whopping -2500 price tag over Stanislas Wawrinka, tipped at +900 at BetOnline Sportsbook.

Murray started the match slow. So flat was he at the start of the match, he charitably donated the first set to the Swiss No.2 Wawrinka. Church-like quiet was the crowd at Centre Court (and gathered on Mount Murray), as stunned, they could only sit in worry of the fate of their man, the one they had tipped to end Britain’s 60-odd-years title drought at Wimby. (And to think, they thought he would have it easy.)

Murray got himself back into the match by winning the second set 6-3 and then went up a set when he took the third 6-3. It looked like Murray would have things wrapped up in four sets to the crowd’s relief. Wawrinka did not seem to share the same sense of the occasion; and clearly, this was part of the drama. He threw in some Nadal trademark behaviours geared to get under an opponent’s psyche, running low to the ground and jogging on the baseline. It did the trick as he launched a late surge, breaking Murray to take the fourth set 5-7. Having levelled the match, Wawrinka struck a psychological blow. Uncertainty suddenly permeated under the closed roof (first time ever in the history of Wimbledon that Centre Court action was played indoors) as the fifth and deciding set loomed.

Murray had to rise to the occasion if British hope were to see another day. And did he ever. Executing what everyone imagined (hoped more like) he would. He unfurled the full force of his groundstrokes on Wawrinka, punctuating his shots with “Come on” exclamations before finally sinking to his knees as the high priest in the umpire’s chair, called game, set, match. Murray won 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Verdict: Hot and Not. Patchy performance but he won so he makes the grade.

Next up for Andy Murray is wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero who beat favourite and eighth seed Gilles Simon to reach the quarters. At 29-years-old, Juan Carlos Ferrero is flying the Spanish flag in Nadal’s stead impressively at the All England Club.
Verdict: Definitely hot.

Speaking of veterans, 31-year-old Tommy Haas who beat Igor Andreev of Russia in straight sets is also enjoying a standout Wimby. The German is on a hot streak on grass having won a warm up tournament in Halle a few weeks ago in the lead up to Wimbledon. Ironically, he sets up a rematch of that final at Wimby when he goes up against Novak Djokovic in the quarters.
Verdict: Definitely hot.

This neatly leads us to Nole – the fourth seed at the tournament and once darling of the tennis community. Djokovic has been coasting at Wimby – with little attention focused in his direction – and on the heels of solid performances he emerges as a quarterfinalist. He is not a surprising quarterfinalist per se because he does have an Aussie Open title on his resume, but many had him pegged for an early exit; and naturally, his encouraging run contrary to popular opinion is significant. That said, Djokovic has perhaps the easiest course into the quarters and the easiest R16 match against Dudi Sela who he dispatched 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. Maybe too early to sing his praises then.
Verdict: Luke warm (that is generous under the circumstances).

Elsewhere, Andy Roddick emerged with a convincing 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-3 performance over Tomas Berdych. The two-time Wimbledon runner-up Roddick sets up a quarterfinal clash against former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt. Hewitt is coming off a patchy performance over Radek Stepanek, where he fought back from two sets down to beat the Czech 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Verdict: Roddick was hot; Hewitt not.

Elsewhere, tournament favourite Roger Federer advanced in straight sets over Robin Soderling. Federer looked relaxed in his victory despite the tight 6-4, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) score line. His next opponent is Ivo Karlovic who spanked (what is up with that match winning gesture?) Fernando Verdasco 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(9).
Verdict: Hot, hot.

That is the quarterfinal line-up all set. Check out the BetOnline tennis odds as Wimbledon betting continues towards crowning the champion.

Alouettes vs. Stampeders in Canada Day Classic

CANADIAN FOOTBALL BETTING – Game Match-Up 7/1

Montreal Alouettes vs. Calgary Stampeders 10:00 ET

The CFL’s Canada Day double-header concludes with a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup that could also serve as a preview of this year’s Grey Cup. On Wednesday night, the Montreal Alouettes (11-7, 10-8 ATS in 2008) will look to avenge their 22-14 defeat in last year’s title game when they travel to McMahon Stadium to do battle with the Calgary Stampeders (13-5, 13-5 ATS in 2008). For sports betting fanatics, tonight represents the first chance to sink their teeth into some football betting since the end of the NFL season, so you’re not going to want to miss out on this one!

The champs opened up as 3.5-point favorites but have now ballooned to lofty 7.5-point choices; BetOnline Sportsbook currently has the ‘total’ posted at 52.

Much like last season, the success of the Alouettes will rest solely on the right arm of QB Anthony Calvillo. Calvillo arguably had the greatest season of his illustrious CFL career in 2008, as he finished the year with 5,633 passing yards and a career-high and league-leading 43 touchdown passes. He unanimously earned Most Outstanding Player of the Year honors and led the Alouettes to the Grey Cup after starting the season as hefty underdogs to win the East. Without a doubt, this team boasts the best receiving corps in the CFL as well with WRs Kerry Watkins, Ben Cahoon, and Jamel Richardson combining to catch 289 balls for 3,691 yards and an astonishing 33 touchdowns last season. All the cogs are back in place in ’09, and it should be another great year of offensive fireworks for a team that led the league in scoring at 32.4 points per game in ‘08.

Don’t count out QB Henry Burris and the Stamps, though. Burris is as solid of a QB as it gets in this league, as he finished third in the league in passing yards (5,093) and second behind Calvillo in touchdown passes (39) in ‘08. Calgary’s signal caller also ran for 595 yards, proving that he is a duel-threat to any defense. The Montreal receivers form the best trio in the league, but WR Ken-Yon Rambo led the CFL in receiving yards last season (1,473) and was third in catches (100). The best weapon of the bunch though, may come in the form of RB Joffrey Reynolds. Without a doubt, Reynolds is the best running back in the league, and is probably the best threat to bust the long one against any defense. He has also been very durable, as he toted the rock a league-high 227 times last season. Reynolds led the league in rushing yards (1,310) and finished second behind Saskatchewan’s Wes Cates for the most rushing TDs (10). It was the fourth straight season that he ran for at least 1,200 yards. Barring injury, there’s no reason to believe that Reynolds won’t top the 1,200-yard barrier for a fifth year in a row.

These two offenses combined to average just over 64 points per game last season. Yes, both defenses are solid, but there’s an extra rule added to the CFL that will discourage teams taking safeties. That means better field position for the offenses and more chances to put majors on the board instead of having to settle for two points. This should easily be the highest scoring affair in the first week of the CFL betting season.

Rose’s Recommendation: 3* MON/CALG Over 52

(Rating Scale 1* – 5*)

Miracle Run – Hass faces Djokovic at Wimby Quarters

London, Great Britain – Tommy Haas defies age and bookies to reach his first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinals on Monday. The 31-year-old Haas has clocked many miles on the ATP Tour over his long career, but in spite of the many years, numerous shoulder injuries and surgeries and various freak accidents, he is playing some of his best tennis right now. In the lead up to Wimbledon, Haas stunned Novak Djokovic at Halle 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1 to clinch the title, ending a two-year long title drought. It was his first title victory on grass.

Haas is set to face Djokovic once again in as much time but on this occasion they meet on a bigger stage, with a spot in the Wimbledon semis on the line. Despite losing to Haas at Halle, the Serbian world No.4, Novak Djokovic looms as a legitimate stumbling block in Haas’s path to the semis and if the Serbian has something to say about it, he will hope to stop Haas from replicating his Halle heroics at the All England Club.

Tennis Betting Line:

Tommy Haas +4 -115 +190 41½ O -110 U -130

Novak Djokovic -4 -125 -275 41½ O -110 U -130

Match Time: 08:00 A.M. Eastern Time Wednesday July 1 2009

Head-to-Head Series: Novak Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 2-1 lifetime but they are level 1-1 in 2009; the most recent victory belongs to Haas, having beaten Djokovic in Halle.

Tommy Haas +190: Tommy Haas has the confidence of having beaten Djokovic recently to take into this match, giving Haas a legitimate chance against Djokovic on Wednesday. The 31-year-old German not surprisingly enters this match as the underdog, listed at +190 at BetOnline Sportsbook. After the marathon third round match against Marin Cilic that went the distance and spanned two days, it was important that he won his R16 encounter over Igor Andreev in straight sets. He should be well rested and fresh for his quarterfinal battle. Important at his age – something that many see as a handicap against him. He, of course, disagrees.

Novak Djokovic -275: Novak Djokovic has cruised so far this fortnight and reaches the quarterfinals without much fuss. In the R16, he faced the least threatening opponent in Dudi Sela; evinced by the easy victory he nicked 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. At the start of the tournament, the World No.4 was third in line favoured for the Wimbledon title but there was a huge spike in the odds between him and second in line for the crown, Andy Murray. So far, Djokovic has delivered on his top five pretensions and he sneaks up in the draw almost out of nowhere. Did the bookies get it wrong when they cast him at such long odds?

Tennis Betting Verdict: Djokovic will try to reverse the Halle result on the hallowed grounds of the All England Club. He didn’t play particularly well in that final, especially in the third and deciding set. The fact that Haas was on home turf might have had something to do with the Serbian’s complete loss of focus in that last set, which he donated 6-1. At Wimbledon, it will be a different story.

Speaking of stories, Haas is enjoying a fairytale run at Wimby. His first week was a dramatic affair (the Cilic match amazing) and it is even more unreal how well he played against Andreev to book his quarterfinal spot. Significant is the fact that he beat Djokovic already on grass. Read into it if you want. I think I will.

Tennis Free Picks: Haas in five sets

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