British Open Betting – Surprise Leader After Round 2 Might be Unbeatable

The weather continued to wreck havoc at St. Andrews on Friday as those who found success on Thursday found the going tough on Friday. Almost every single golfer who shot well on Thursday fell back to the pack on Friday.

Almost. The biggest surprise on Friday turned out to have been the biggest surprise on Thursday. After shooting a 7 under on Thursday to finish 2 strokes behind Rory McIlroy, the South African Louis Oosthuizen shot a fantastic 5 under on Friday to take a 5 stroke lead in the British Open. Oosthuizen, who credits fellow South African Ernie Els for his incredible progress as a golfer, stole the thunder from Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and the aforementioned McIlroy.

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Both Rory and Tiger couldn’t get anything going during their Friday rounds. McIlroy shot an 8 over 80, 17 strokes worse than his first round 63 on Thursday. Woods shot a 1 over 73, 6 strokes worse than his 67 on Thursday. Out of the two, it’s obvious that Woods is the one that still has a shot, albeit an outside shot, at grabbing British Open glory.

Making up 8 strokes on Oosthuizen won’t be easy to do as it will require two significant things to happen. First, Oosthuizen has to make serious mistakes out there on the course. He hasn’t shown a willingness to do that in two straight days. Second, Woods will have to find a way to shoot two 67’s in a row. Considering the way the weather has been at St. Andrews, that may be close to impossible.

Most golfing fans, and golf betting sports gamblers, have probably put the proverbial fork into McIlroy. A 17 stroke difference at the British Open is just too many for a young golfer like McIlroy to overcome. He may not shoot another 80 on Saturday, but he’s probably not going to touch the 63 he shot on Thursday either.

As for the other big name that made a move on Thursday, Lee Westwood, Friday proved to be a missed opportunity. Bridies were to be had on Friday and Westwood knows it. By his own admission, he should be at least “10 under” going into Saturday’s third round. Although suffering from an injured calf, Westwood appeared collected on the course for the second straight day. He has the ability to make a run, but faces the same uphill battle that Tiger does although at -6 Westwood doesn’t have to be as perfect as El Tigre will have to be in order to catch Oosthuizen.

Another golfer that could conceivably make a run is Graeme McDowell. The U.S. Open winner shot a terrific 68 on Friday, 3 strokes better than his 71 round on Thursday. McDowell would need a lot of things to fall his way in order to pull off a British Open victory but he’s been so good this year that anything appears possible when it comes to him.

Here’s a run-down on some of the more notable golfers going into the weekend.

• Mark Calcavecchia -7 = It’s doubtful that the American PGA Tour vet can sustain the energy he showed on both Thursday and Friday.

• Paul Casey -6 = He’s in the same boat as Westwood but he doesn’t have the same killer instinct that Lee has.

• Miguel Angel Jimenez -5 = If Jimenez is within 4 strokes by Sunday, then watch out.

• Phil Mickelson Even – He’ll make the cut, but he’s got no shot at the comeback.

• Ernie Els +4 = It’s been a disappointing 2 days for one of the world’s best golfers.

• Padraig Harrington +6 = So much for that 64 fourth round in the Travelers Championship leading to a good British Open run.

Oosthuizen doesn’t have the 2010 British Open in the bag, but it’s looking more and more like an amazing confluence of events will have to occur in order for him to win. I’m going to say that Tiger, Jimenez, Westwood, McDowell and possibly Casey are the only ones capable of catching the South African.

But even though I’ve just written that, I’m not sold on any of those guys. In fact, I’d give anybody all 4 of those golfers against Oosthuizen hanging on for the victory.

Any takers?

Ridiculously Low Super Bowl Betting Odds Make Patriots a Non-Bet

Knowing if a bet offers value or not is relative.  Oh, sure, everybody knows that the odds on the St. Louis Rams to win the Super Bowl this season, +20000, are incredibly high but probably not high enough, or that betting on the Browns for anything less than tax-free status in Cleveland presents no value.

But knowing whether or not some of the more highly regarded teams in the NFL are offering value this year to win this Super Bowl is relative to your own belief system.  Case in point, the New England Patriots. 

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I must say that I feel somewhat validated that the Pats have floated up to +1200 from their +800 favoritism in March.  I believe it was +800.  I know for sure that it wasn’t +1200, but even at +1200 in the professional football sportsbook, Bill Belichick’s team is an incredible underlay.  My personal belief system tells me that they have no shot at winning a Super Bowl this year.

They are going off at the same odds as the New York Jets, whom many consider, me included, a vastly superior team.  Not only that, but they are going off at lower odds than the Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

There are reasons to believe that all of those teams have a legitimate shot at winning the 2011 Super Bowl.  I can’t think of any reasons to believe that the Patriots will.  In fact, there are a few reasons to believe the opposite.

New England Patriots

Odds to Win the AFC East:  +130
Odds to Win the AFC Championship:  +600
Odds to Win Super Bowl XLV:  +1200

Reasons the Patriots Won’t Win…Well, Anything

The above isn’t true.  The Pats will win some games.  Heck, they might even make it to the playoffs, but they won’t win the AFC East, the AFC Championship, or Super Bowl XLV.

The New York Jets – - First, let’s put to bed any notion that the offensive line is in disarray without Alan Faneca.  Last I checked, Nick Mangold, Damien Woody and D’Brickashaw Ferguson were all top-rated offensive linemen.  That, and the fact that they drafted Joe McKnight out of USC, means that their running game should be just as good, if not better, than it was last season.  The defense should be able to blitz more creatively with both Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie shutting down wide receivers one-on-one in the defensive backfield.  The Patriots are favored over this team to win the AFC East?  Okay…sure…

The Patriots are old – - There’s nothing relative about this.  Tom Brady is happy hanging out with Giselle and not even Belichick can get on his case for that.  Randy Moss is a year older.  Welker, although he’s looked good in mini-camp, is coming off of an injury.  TE Alge Crumpler was over the hill last year.

No real running game – - I love Fred Taylor, but, really?  He’s back?  Laurence Maroney can be a decent running back, but when you’ve got Moss and Welker out there you’re sort of forced to throw.  The real problem is that the Pats don’t have an every down back ala Curtis Martin.  They’ve got a lot of guys used to carrying the ball maybe 10 times a game.  Maybe…

Suspect defense – - There are a lot of “names” on the defense, but it’s somewhat suspect.  CB Leigh Bodden has always been okay in his career, but never really that great.  Everybody keeps talking about how awesome Jerrod Mayo is supposed to be, but a lot of teams made he and the rest of the linebacking corp look silly last year.  Signing 10-year vet Gerard Warren to play on the front line looks like a stab in the dark to me.  I mean, he’s proven to be a failure his entire career.

No leadership – - After Brady, who’s the leader on this team?  It’s not Randy Moss.  It’s not anybody on the defense.  So, who is it?  Brady’s heart doesn’t appear to be into football now that he’s lived the real high-life courtesy of his awesomely successful wife.  If Brady doesn’t get these guys going, then who will?

The AFC is tough – - The Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, San Diego Chargers, and Baltimore Ravens all have the ability to win the Super Bowl this year.  After those 4 teams, the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos could all upset the hierarchy of power in the AFC.  That’s a lot of very good teams.

The Patriots do not offer value to sports gamblers at +1200 to win the Super Bowl.  The Pats’ fair odds start somewhere at +2000.  Sports gamblers who wish to bet on the Patriots to win this season’s Super Bowl will be better served to wait and see whether or not their odds rise during the pre-season.

If the Patriots’ odds don’t rise, then look elsewhere.  There are a lot of good teams in the NFL this year.

The NFL is almost here!  Log onto the NFL sportsbook and make your future bets on the NFL!

British Open – McIlory, Tiger and…John Daly?

Some players are still on the course. Heck, some players haven’t even teed off, but it really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mater because he stage has already been set for this year’s British Open at the famous Old Course at St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

Oh, sure, Martin Kaymer, the young German sensation still has to tee off and Edoardo Molinari, who won the Scottish Open last week, hasn’t lifted his driver out of his bag. Graeme McDowell and Phil Mickelson haven’t gotten close to starting on the back 9 yet, but, again, it just doesn’t matter.

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It doesn’t matter because either one of two things is going to happen from the end of Thursday, unless the golfing gods are laughing at us once again, to the end of Sunday at St. Andrews. Either Tiger Woods will once again prove himself to be the best golfer in the world or Rory McIlroy, he who missed the cut at both the Masters and U.S. Open earlier this year and the heir apparent to Tiger’s crown, will run away with the Open Championship.

It could be 1997 all over again but instead of Augusta National it’s St. Andrews. Instead of a mixed Thai/African-American it could be a curly-haired cherub faced boy from Ireland.

What about Justin Rose who came into this after winning 2 out of the last 3 PGA Tour Events? He finished his 1 st round at a respectable -2. Padraig Harrington? He entered the clubhouse at +1. Ernie Els? The giant South African shot a -3.

Those aren’t bad scores. Not bad at all, but Tiger and Rory are the story and will probably remain the story well into Sunday. Tiger shot a -5. That’s a 67 on the Old Course and usually a score like that would send shockwaves throughout the British Isles, but in this case it became nothing more than a secondary blip on the massive European golfing screen.

That’s because Rory McIlroy shot an amazing, alarmingly awesome, -9. The people who need to be alarmed are Tiger, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood and every golfer on the planet. McIlroy, who finished 2 nd in the Race To Dubai, the Euro Tour’s version of the FedEx Cup, in 2009, has suffered through back problems for most of 2010. There were flashes of brilliance earlier this year, like the 62 he shot in the 4 th round of the Quail Hollow Championship in May, but nothing like this.

Rory walked off the Old Course with a 63. Many golfing fans expected it. McIlroy entered the 1 st round as a +1400 third choice, after Tiger at +500 and Ernie Els at +1200, in the golf sportsbook. Many sports gamblers, I for one, felt that McIlroy’s immaturity and still stiffening back would lead to his downfall.

That might still happen. I hope it doesn’t. I want to see it. I want to see Tiger Woods, the man who changed golf, battling it out with the Irish wunderkind. I want to see the master against the natural.

Woods vs. McIlroy should be the story on Sunday, but one thing might stand in its way. John Daly, golfing’s version of the crazy drunk uncle who lives in the attic, shot a -6 to put himself into 2 nd place behind McIlory. Daly, most likely, will fall totally out of it after tomorrow’s 2 nd round, but if Big John could muster something out of that bloated, ravaged, frame of his, then who knows?

Heck, put him into the mix to! Daly, Tiger and Rory battling it out for St. Andrews’ glory! Can you think of a more awesome Sunday?

NFL Betting Insider – Who Will Be the NFL’s Top Over Producers in 2010?

With NFL training camps set to begin in a mere matter of weeks and the 2010 NFL preseason period not far from getting underway, it’s never too early to get prepared for what promises to be another thrilling pro football season.

Having said that, I will break down several teams that I believe are going to be some of the best Over producers in the league for the upcoming 2010 regular season.

To beat the Over more often than not, it generally takes a team effort of good offense – and mediocre defense – in order to get the job done.

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This look at those teams, many of whom shined against the Over last season, will give NFL betting buffs everywhere the early insight they will need in order to get their 2010 pro football betting seasons off on the right foot.

New York Giants

The G-Men posted a league-best 11-4-1 O/U mark last season to become the only team in the league to record 11 Over outcomes. The Giants scored a bunch of points last season, but were often outgunned in high scoring shootouts. While I an expecting New York’s defense to be improved over last season, I don’t think it will be very much, particularly on the defensive end.

San Diego

The Chargers ( 10-5-1 O/U) have one of the league’s best offenses, which helped them to rank second in total Over outcomes last season, as one of just two teams in the league with an even 10 Over paydays. The Chargers will once again, score their fair share of points in 2010, but just like last season, I believe their defense has taken a slight step backwards from what it was just a few short seasons again.

Philadelphia

The Eagles went 10-6 against the Over/Under Total last season – and will almost assuredly spit out a bunch of Overs again in 2010 as the team’s seriously young defense gives up its share of points. I also like first-time starting quarterback and Philadelphia’s dangerous, fleet-footed starting wide receivers.

Tennessee

The Tennessee Titans went 9-7 against the Total last season and I suspect they will again spit out their fair share of Overs this season if Vince Young plays like he did after being re-inserted as the starter around the midway point last season. I’m not sure Tennessee’s defense will be a top 10 unit this coming season, which lends even more credibility to my beliefs. Think nine Overs for the Titans at the least NFL gamblers.

Washington

The Redskins went 9- 7 in O/U wagers last season and I believe they are going to be even more productive on offense this season under Mike Shanahan and six-time pro bowl QB Donovan McNabb. More points from the Skins should mean more Over outcomes.

Indianapolis 9-7

It’s all about Peyton Manning and the Colts offense here NFL gamblers. Indianapolis spit out nine Over outcomes last season and should be good for another nine at the least in 2010. To put it mildly, the Colts can score the ball almost at will, hence, more Overs than Unders. I like Indianapolis for another nine Overs at the least in 2010.

NFL Betting Insider – Getting Defensive – These Teams Could Lead the Way in Unders

With the coming arrival of the start of NFL training camps approximately two weeks away, pro football betting enthusiasts everywhere are getting set for what promises to be an exciting 2010 campaign.

Devoted NFL gamblers that are looking to get their preseason and regular season wagering off to a strong start will be enlightened by this look at several teams that I believe will get very defensive – and thereby produce a majority of Under outcomes against the O/U total in 210.

 With training camps getting set to start in a mere matter of days, let me get busy.

The San Francisco 49ers (11-5) and Arizona Cardinals (11-5) both recorded a league-high 11 Unders last season while doing it in polar-opposite ways and I genuinely believe each team will again produce more Unders than Overs in 2010.

Frisco has an outstanding defensive unit under no-nonsense head coach and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary and I expect them to be very strong defensively again this coming season while running the ball better and playing in a lot of low-scoring affairs.

The Cardinals faced high O/U totals all season long in 2009 – and didn’t score quite enough points to play Over the total more often than not. With Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin gone and Matt Leinart (I guess) taking over, I suspect the Cards will take a slight step backwards offensively and produce a slew of Unders because of it.

Seven more teams produced 10 or more Unders last season and all have legitimate chances of playing to at least nine Unders in 2010, though I have pared the list down a bit to reflect what I believe will happen in 2010.

New England
The Patriots went 5-10-1 in O/U wagers last season, mostly because their offense didn’t quite live up to expectations. Now going into 2010, I believe the Pats are going to be more mediocre than mighty – and will again play Under the total more often than not as they have improved their defense a bit, if not their offense quite as much.

Tampa Bay
I wasn’t real impressed with the rebuilding Bucs last season, but I do believe head coach Raheem Morris knows how to coach defense with the best in the business. Tampa Bay (6-10 O/U) will be solid on defense, if not better, while the offense will be slightly improved under clearly talented second-year quarterback Josh Freeman.

Carolina
I know the Panthers lost Julius Peppers this offseason, but Carolina (6-10 O/U) head coach John Fox is a defensive genius in my book. Carolina will still be very tough defensively – and likely mediocre offensively under first-time, full-time starter, Matt Moore.

Dallas
The Pokes went 6-10 O/U last season and should be good for at least another nine Under outcomes in 2010 as they possess arguably the best front seven in all of football heading into 2010.

More teams that I believe could play Under more often than not in 2010 include Cleveland, Denver, Oakland and Cincinnati all of whom recorded nine Unders a year ago

Last but certainly not least are Rex Ryan’s high-pressure NY Jets who went 7-8-1 in O/U wagers last season. The J-E-T-S will once again be downright beastly n 2010 and should be one of the best Under producers in the league this coming season.

NFL Crystal Ball Betting – A Look Ahead at the Teams That Could Pay Off Big

While it’s nice knowing which teams cashed in consistently against-the-spread (ATS) last season, what NFL pro football betting buffs really need to know is which teams have a high percentage of cashing in during the upcoming 2010 NFL season.

This look back at some of last season’s big ATS winners – and ‘crystal ball’ look ahead at which teams will likely burn up the ATS charts in 2010, will give avid NFL gamblers the insight they will need in order to get off to a good start with either their preseason or regular season wagering.

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With that thought in mind, let me get busy with this look at last season’s top six ATS teams in the league.

Green Bay (11-4-1 ATS)

With the league’s best ATS record in 2009, the Packers were money in the bank last season pro football wagering fans. With a top five offense and defense, it’s no wonder either.

NFL gamblers can expect the Pack to post another winning ATS record this coming season, in large part because of the eye-popping play of blossoming quarterback Aaron Rodgers – and the team’s stellar defense.

Atlanta (11-5 ATS)

The Falcons also recorded 11 ATS wins last season and could be another winning ATS team in 2010 with a return to health from running back Michael Turner and quarterback Matt Ryan – along with some competent play from its defense.

Indianapolis (10-5-1 ATS)

The Colts recorded their third straight ATS-winning record last season (8-7-1 ATS in 2008, 9-7 ATS in 2007) and are a near-lock to do so again in 2010, mostly because of Peyton Manning and the team’s prolific offense.

The Colts ranked eighth in points allowed last season and will post another fine ATS winning record if they can maintain a high level of play defensively.

San Francisco (9-4-3 ATS)

The Niners had a fine season last year as they continue to rebuild under Mike Singletary and could be even better this year if they improve their 27th-ranked offense.

Still, after ranking fourth in points allowed last season, I suspect Frisco will once again be a beast on defense.

Cleveland (10-6 ATS)

The Browns posted a fine ATS record last season and should be even better in the first year of the Mike Holmgren era. Nevertheless, I’d say the smart play surrounding the Browns is to wait a bit and see how the team plays coming out of the gate.

One thing’s for sure, I don’t like Cleveland’s quarterback situation where they will go with either career backup Seneca Wallace or the aging Jake Delhomme.

Minnesota (9-6-1 ATS)

The Vikes put up nine ATS wins a year ago and will likely reach the figure at the very least in 2010 as long as Brett Favre comes back.

Minnesota ranked sixth in offense and defense a year ago and numbers like those suggest another strong ATS season coming in 2010.

Six teams finished at 9-7 against-the-spread last season, including Super Bowl contenders Dallas and the New York Jets.

Now, as far as the upcoming season is concerned, I like all of the aforementioned teams to be very strong against the spread in 2010, with the possible exception of Cleveland

I really like the Miami Dolphins and their chances to improve their 8-8 ATS win-total from last season after adding Brandon Marshall and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

Another team I believe will improve or remain a solid ATS wager in 2010 is the Dallas Cowboys.

The Pokes have arguably the best front seven in the league and a fantastic rushing attack that can both, chew up yards and drain the clock.

The Washington Redskins (6-8-2 ATS) and Tennessee Titans (6-10 ATS) are two more teams that I believe stand excellent chances of improving against the spread in 2010.

The Skins’ addition of Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb will almost assuredly help Washington improve its SU and ATS records this coming season and Tennessee will have Vince Young under center all season long – and what should be a slightly improved defense.

Don’t laugh now, but my final pick for teams that can improve their ATS records this coming season is the St. Louis Rams.

I really like the way the Rams closed out the regular season last year and believe they have a good chance of cashing in even more in 2010, mostly because of defensive-minded head coach Steve Spagnuolo’s complex schemes.

MLB Betting Insider – Cash in on Baseball’s Coldest Ballclubs Heading into the Second Half

I always tell professional sports gamblers that when it comes to making winning wagers, betting on consistently bad teams is just as profitable as cashing in by wagering on winning ballclubs.

Having said that, MLB gamblers everywhere will set themselves up to cash in big when the regular season resumes this Thursday by perusing over this list of baseball’s coldest ballclubs heading into the second half.

Prior to the break, each of these ballclubs had lost at least four of their last five games prior to the annual Midsummer classic and several will almost assuredly continue to struggle over the remainder of the regular season.

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Pittsburgh 0-5
The Pirates lost six straight prior to the all-star break and head into the second half looking more like a Triple A ballclub than a big league one. Wagering against the Pirates on a daily basis will almost certainly be good for the health of your MLB betting bankroll.

Minnesota 1-4
The Twins snapped their four-game losing streak in their last contest before the all-star break but have lost seven of its last 10 games overall and needs to get their act together fast before the fall too far back in the AL Central.

Cincinnati 1-4
The Reds lost four straight to Philadelphia just before the break but I wouldn’t be too worried as the Reds have been one of the scrappiest, never-say-die ballclubs in all of baseball this season.

Texas 1-4
The Rangers were swept by the lowly Baltimore Orioles in a four-game set prior to the break, but have such a prolific offense that I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Now, when it comes to the Rangers’ pitching, I will remain skeptical until I see otherwise.

LA Angels 1-4
I thought the Angels were foolish for letting Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey bolt in free agency and they certainly have been hurt by their losses. The Halos lost two straight before the annual break while losing six of their last seven games overall.

Cleveland 1-4
The Indians also lost two straight before the break while losing five of six and seven of 10 overall while ranking 25th in both, offense and defense.

Seattle 1-4
The Mariners are a complete mess MLB gamblers! The M’s lost their final contest prior to the break while dropping six of its last seven and eight of its last 10 games overall.

British Open Futures – The Long Shots

For golf betting fans, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year, as we get set to enter the third major of the season. Having already looked at the favorites, now it’s time to take a look at a few long shots, in the British Open Futures Betting.

Padraig Harrington (+1800): If you’re going to take a gamble on a long shot, why not a two-time British Open champion? That’s exactly what you’ll have if you place your money on Harrington, who won his only two majors in 2007 at Carnoustie and 2008 at Turnberry.

Since then, Harrington has been quiet, having not won a PGA Tour event in either the 2009 season or early in 2010. His best finish so far this year, came just a few weeks ago at the Travelers Championship when Harrington finished in fourth place, with an opening and closing round 64.

However despite the recent struggles, there is no place that the Ireland born Harrington plays better than at the British. There’s a reason so many smart gamblers are picking him as their British Open Futures Bet.

Lee Westwood (+1800): Ask most golf experts and they’ll all tell you the same, Westwood is the best player in the world to have never won a major. Is this the tournament it finally happens?

Many think so, as the No. 3 ranked player in the World Golf Rankings has been phenomenal so far in 2010. He finished second at Augusta National to Phil Mickelson earlier this year, fourth a few weeks later in the Players Championship, and won at the St. Jude. He also finished third in last year’s British Open, one shot behind eventual champion Stewart Cink.

At 37-years-old Westwood isn’t going to get many more chances at a major championship. We’ll see if he can take advantage this week at St. Andrews.

Luke Donald (+3000): To many, the British born Donald might not be a household name. But golf bettors certainly have gotten to know him quite a bit these last few years.

Donald enters this tournament as a major long shot, but one with the tools to win at St. Andrews. While he isn’t a great ball striker or putter, there is one thing Donald does better than anyone in the world: He’s ranked No. 1 on the PGA Tour is sand saves.

He comes to the British with four top 10 finishes in 2010.

Steve Stricker (+3500): While Stricker is a long shot to win this tournament, one thing cannot be denied: Right now, he’s the hottest player on tour.

Stricker comes to Scotland off a dominating John Deere Classic victory last week that saw him shoot a staggering 26 under par, including an opening round 60. Yes, you read that correctly! An opening round 60!!!!!

Earlier in this season, Stricker also won at the Northern Trust Open and finished eighth at the Transitions Championship.

Much of the credit for Stricker’s success has to go to his putting, which is currently ranked third on tour.

Make Stricker your British Open Futures Bet today!

Bet on Golf – Is Tiger or Phil the Best Top American Bet in the Sportsbook?

Is El Tigre or Lefty the Top American bet in the golf sportsbook to win this week’s British Open?

Tiger is a +500 favorite in the sportsbook to win the British Open. Phil is at +800. Sports gamblers have to accept shorter golf odds on both of them to only beat their fellow Americans, but taking those short odds might be worth it because one of them looks amazingly solid going into Thursday’s first round.

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PGA Tour: British Open

Where: Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

When: July 15 th thru July 18 th, 2010

Course Specifics: Par 72, Yardage 7,279

TV: ESPN/ABC

Top American

Best Golf Bet A: Tiger Woods +180

Really? Above even money on El Tigre to just beat his fellow Americans? That’s crazy. Tiger dominated the Old Course in 2000 and 2005. He’s changed his putter to account for the slow greens and he’s been looking towards this tournament since coming back from his sabbatical. The man is geared up to win. Anything above even money, heck -110, makes Woods the best bet in this category.

Best Golf Bet B: Jim Furyk +1200

Fury finished 41 st at St. Andrews in 2000 and 100 th at St. Andrews in 2005. So, why do I have faith in him in 2010? Because he’s having a pretty good year with 2 victories. He’s also ranked 7 th on the PGA Tour in fairways hit and 11 th in bogey avoidance. Those are two categories that could mean a lot this week at the Old Course.

Worst Golf Wager: Phil Mickelson +550

Going against Lefty could bite me in the ass but he missed the cut at The Barclays Scottish Open last week as the heavy favorite. His St. Andrews record is spotty with a 40 th in 1995, 11 th in 2000 and 60 th in 2005. His best finish at a British Open was 3 rd in 2004. He’s a tough guy to back in this category because of his past history and the golf odds.

Best Underdog Golf Bet: Nick Watney +2500

Watney has never played at St. Andrews, but he’s got the skills to be somewhat successful. Watney is ranked 10 th in greens hit in regulation, 9 th in birdie average and 21 st in total driving. If he can stay out of trouble and get his putter going, he could surprise.

Others to Consider

Steve Stricker +1000 – - Stricker just won the John Deere Classic. He’s back to his awesome golfing ways.

Sean O’Hair +1800 – - O’Hair finished 15 th the last time the British Open was held at St. Andrews. That sort of familiarity with the Old Course should help him this week.

Stewart Cink +200 – - The defending champ isn’t having a great 2010 but he wasn’t having all that great of a 2009 either before winning the British Open.

This week is the 3 rd major tournament of 2010, the British Open! Log onto the golf sportsbook and bet the British Open!

MLB All-Star Parlay Picks – Cash in on Annual Star-Studded Showcase

Colorado Rockies gifted right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (15-1, 2.20 ERA) will take the mound opposite Tampa Bay lefty David Price (12-4, 2.42 ERA) looking to overpower the AL and help the National League snap an emphatic seve-game losing streak when the two leagues take to the field for the annua Midsummer Classic at Angels Stadium on Tuesday night beginning at 8 PM ET.

Tuesday, July 13, 5:00 PM ET
Angels Stadium, Anaheim, CA

MLB Betting Odds
National League +1½ -190
American League -1½ +160
Moneyline
National league Ev
American League -120
Over 8½ -115
Under 8½ -105

TV: FOX
Radio: Sirius 182 XM

National League 411
The National League has lost seven straight and 12 of 13 all-star games, wile managing a 7-7, 11-inning tie in 2002 when idiotic commissioner Bud Selig brought the game to a halt without a winner having been decided.

The good news for the National League is the fact that they have been extremely competitive in each of the last four all-star classics, losing each contest by just one run.

American League 411
The American League has been totally dominant in owing the NL since the senior league won three straight all-star games from 1994-96.

The Starters:
Ubaldo Jimenez –R (15-1, 2.20 ERA)
David Price –L (12-4, 2.42 ERA)

Jimenez has gone an impressive 2-0 with a high 5.40 ERA over his last three starts after struggling in tow of them. However, the gifted right-hander got back to ‘normal’ in his last start, allowing just one earned run on three hits in eight overpowering innings of a 4-2 win over St. Louis on Thursday. Through his first 14 starts, Jimenez had a microscopic 1.15 ERA before running into a bit of a rough stretch.

In the past 30 years, according to Baseball-Reference.com, he is one of 13 pitchers to earn 15 wins in his team’s first 85 games. Additionally, Jimenez is 11-0 in his starts after his team loses.

Price has gone 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA over his last three starts, allowing just two earned runs each time out. The young southpaw allowed just eight hits while striking out 10 in 7.2 innings of a 6-4 win on Wednesday.

From the time he was drafted No. 1 overall out of Vanderbilt in the 2007, big things have been expected out of David Price would announce his arrival as a dominant force for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Well, that time is clearly now.
The 6-foot-6 southpaw leads the league in victories (12) and ERA (2.42) through 17 first-half starts and will likely get even better as his experience increases.

Analysis: Go ahead and call me crazy, but I’m picking the National League to snap their long losing streak in dramatic fashion as they get mostly phenomenal pitching from its fantastic staff en route to a convincing two-run victory.

The top six pitchers in baseball this season in terms of ERA are all NL all-stars, not counting the Cardinals’ Jamie Garcia (8-4, 2.17 ERA) who ranks third in ERA but failed to make the team as teammates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright sere selected.

Additionally, Frisco’s Tim Lincecum and Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay are former Cy Young winners while Padres closer Heath Bell may be the best bfinisher in the game this side of Mariano Rivera.

MLB gamblers should also know that Yankees’ closer Mariano Rivera will not be avaiilable tonight and that will hurt the AL’s chances immensely as Rivera has saved three of the past five All-Star wins for the AL.

Last but not least, I firmly believe Philadelphia’s Charlie Manuel is a far better manager than New York’s joe Girardi as I stated during last season’s World Series and I genuinely believe that is still true today (in spite of last season’s outcome).

I like the National League to cover the MLB Run Line with the outright win while the Under plays out for pro baseball betting fans everywhere.

MLB Free Picks: National League +1½ Runs/Under 8½ Total Runs

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