Ending Another Solid Month of Sports with Online Sports Betting at Oddsmaker Sportsbook

It’s that magical time once again when just one day remains before the start of yet another sports season, as College Football’s kickoff on Thursday has football fans getting all geared up for the massive amounts of action set for the next 3 days. Though it’s still midweek this week, it’s time to celebrate the coming of College Football with a few additional wagers at the top sportsbooks reviewed right here, taking a look over some of the top match-ups in store for Thursday night. Also on tap for online sportsbook bets today, we pick apart a few choice games scheduled for Major League Baseball, as critical series continue onwards today, and with less than 30 games remaining for teams on the Major League Baseball schedule, make sure to get your fill of MLB sports betting before the bulk of it dries up heading into the 2011 playoffs. With 15 games of Baseball dotting the best sportsbooks today, make sure to stop by one such as the Oddsmaker Sportsbook Oddsmaker sportsbook (read the review of Oddsmaker.com), which we’re using today as one of our go-to online sports betting sites.
There’s no bigger series this week than that between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, as the two divisional foes will battle through the last 2 games of their series against one another, with Game 2 tonight featuring Josh Becket of the Red Sox vs. Phil Hughes of the Yankees. Hughes looks to be back up to his inconsistent pitching, coming off a 2 2/1 inning, 6 runs allowed performance in the Yankees wild 22-9 win versus Oakland last week, so Josh Beckett may be the right horse to back in this race on Wednesday night. Check out the other big series continuing this week as the Milwaukee Brewers host the St. Louis Cardinals in an NL Central clash this evening, as Randy Wolf looks to improve on his rough 5.68 ERA against St. Louis, though would be happy to add to a decent 2-1 record against them any way possible. Other match-ups worth watching out for on the betting lines tonight include the Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays as Alexi Ogando (12-6, 3.57 ERA) faces James Shields (12-10, 2.96 ERA), Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels (Felix Hernandez vs. Dan Haren), and Philadelphia at Cincinnati (Cliff Lee vs. Dontrelle Willis).
For the remaining games with playoff implications, turn to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals, with Atlanta needing a win out of veteran Derek Lowe who has shown a pickup of form in his last two outings. Arizona tries to keep their hot streak going into September, as they once again host the Colorado Rockies tonight, with Josh Collmenter getting a good match-up against the Rockies’ Esmil Rogers, Detroit seeks to stretch out its lead in the AL Central with a win over the Kansas City Royals tonight, while both the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians chase the Tigers’ tail taking on Minnesota and Oakland respectively. No doubt you’ll want to tune into a few of these games for watching and wagering, as this is the most exciting time of the regular season for baseball fans, with so many teams pushing during the final month leading up to the 2011 playoffs. Check out all the Major League Baseball lines and more at Oddsmaker Sportsbook today, make sure to spot some additional wagers for tomorrow’s kick off of the 2011 College Football season, and grab some of the action in the NFL as the last big chunk of preseason games get underway tomorrow.

To close up another fine day of online sports betting at one of the top online sportsbooks, head to WagerWeb and check out some of the remaining baseball match-ups for those teams looking to end the 2010 campaign on a high note. Milwaukee has been on a run to close the year (7-3 in their last 10, including 3 straight wins), and puts young Mark Rogers on the mound for his second start, this time against another youngster in Travis Wood, who has been pitching consistently well, but not victorious in almost a month. We’ll take Milwaukee on the road to win today, as the Reds have clinched, and likely won’t be putting the same charge into their bats as should be expected come playoff time. Other match-ups worth looking at include a great pitching duel between Tommy Hunter and Jered Weaver as the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels wrap up their AL West campaigns, Ricky Romero and Carl Pavano battle as the Toronto Blue Jays head to Minnesota, and the Colorado Rockies look to stop their 5 game skid on the road at St. Louis after a tough late September collapse. Make sure to check out all these potential bets at the WagerWeb sportsbook today, look for tons of NCAA College Football games on the block as well, and have yourself a great Friday filled with sports and online sportsbook bets!

Aaron G.

Featured MLB Match-Up: New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

The New York Yankees (80-52) sit just 1 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox (82-51) as the two storied franchises meet once again today for the start of another 3-game series from Fenway Park. Boston has simply dominated the Yankees this season winning 10 of the 12 games played between the two teams, and this series marks to count down of the final 6 games between these two clubs before the start of the playoffs beginning in October.

In order for the Yankees to save some face in this season’s series with Boston, they’ll have to start with a better performance tonight out of staff ace C.C. Sabathia (17-7, 2.99 ERA), who has simply been owned by Boston this year, going 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA against the BoSox. He’ll get a rematch of the August 6th outing against John Lackey (12-9, 5.98 ERA), who prevailed in a 10-4 game as the Boston bats provided plenty of run support at home against Sabathia.

Though Lackey has continually struggled in the last month of outings, if his run support continues to be high, he’ll continue to win regardless of the competition on the mound (as his 3-1 record with a 5.34 ERA in August suggests). However, taking in the fact that Lackey is due to have a poor outing against New York, and Sabathia is far overdue to have a good match-up against Boston, the betting lines seem to be point towards a wager on New York to gain ground in the AL East race this evening.

Betting Lines at Sportsbetting.ag Sportsbook:

New York is a favorite to win tonight behind Sabathia at Sportsbetting.ag, with the Yankees getting -135 odds on the money line, while Boston comes in at a +115 underdog with John Lackey on the mound. New York gives up 1 1/2 runs at +120 odds, while Boston gets 1 1/2 runs at -140 odds. Over/under at 9 1/2 takes into consideration Sabathia’s high ERA against Boston this year, and also John Lackey’s propensity to give up lots of runs in any circumstance.

Our Pick to Win:

As mentioned above, it’s high time C.C. Sabathia stepped up for the Yankees in this series, as that’s what he’s paid ‘C.C. Sabathia money’ to do. Throw the season record out the door tonight, Sabathia outduels Lackey as the New York bats get to him early and often leading to a Yankees win. On a side note, with the Yankees giving up 1 1/2 runs at +120 odds, this could be a good game for going all in on the Yankees to cover the points spread, making you some decent money in this featured match-up tonight.

Players to Watch, Boston:

Dustin Pedroia, 2B – Man I’m glad I didn’t trade this guy from my fantasy roster mid-year. Hitting .308 for the season, .311 in August, .439 against the Yankees, AND .600 (6-for-10) against Sabathia, he’s one to watch out for in this series.

David Ortiz, DH – Ortiz picked up where he left off following a foot injury, hitting .550 in the last week with 3 homers and 7 RBIs. He’s hitting .409 in August with 7 homers and 18 RBIs, extremely impressive when considering he’s missed 9 games this month.

Players to Watch, New York:

Curtis Granderson, CF – Even his bad weeks are productive. Though hitting just .192 last week, he still managed 3 homers and 9 RBIs out of his 5 hits in 26 at-bats. He’s hit a whopping 10 homers and 29 RBIs in August while batting .303 to put his season currently at .276 average, 38 homers, 107 RBIs and 122 runs scored. Guaranteed production out of this All-Star in this series.

Robinson Cano, 2B – Mr. Consistency continues onward. He’s hitting .340 in August with 7 jacks and 27 RBIs, to up his season line to .304, 23 homers, 95 RBIs. However, he’s only hitting .227 against Boston with 1 home run and 4 RBIs in 44 at-bats, something that needs to change over the final 6 games these teams play against one another.

Sports wagering on MLB Baseball at Bodog sportsbook

The calm before the football storm is upon us folks, as the lull during today and tomorrow’s sports schedule will soon give way Thursday to a flush of games in the NFL preseason, as well as welcoming in the 2011 College Football season. I’m not sure about you, but I for one am ecstatic at the prospects of two brand new sports seasons opening up, since summer has been chalk full of MLB Baseball and little else. Don’t get me wrong, this is certainly a great time to be a baseball fan as we near the playoffs, and with the wealth of games offered everyday for betting on sports at the top sportsbooks reviewed here, it’s been fun having a wide variety of MLB games to pick and choose from on a day-to-day basis. However, as a sports fan, and as an online sports betting enthusiast, you really just can’t beat the big weekends packed full of the handfuls of College Football on Saturday, followed by a huge dose of NFL Football on Sunday. Though I continue to wait impatiently for Thursday to come around to see some more football in the NFL preseason’s final week, and kick off the opening day of the NCAA Football season, join me in passing the time today with a look into the featured sports betting offerings for Major League Baseball this Tuesday.

Starting off, we take a look at the games in the American League for online sports betting at the Bodog Sportsbook. In the AL West, there’s plenty at stake between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels, as Texas starts new series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles tries to rebound against the Seattle Mariners after losing Game 1 of the 4-game series 5-3. Texas has stretched out a slight 3.5 game lead in the AL West division due to Los Angeles’ 2 straight losses, however they might get the bigger challenge in the next 3 days, as Tampa’s pitching will be tough to contend with. I like a win for the Rays on the road today as they’re behind Jeremy Hellickson (11-9, 3.01 ERA), who has been outstanding down the home stretch. As for the Angels vs. Mariners game, it’s a bit of crap shoot with two new starting pitchers on the mound, but I like Seattle to continue to play spoiler at home, as there’s no love lost between the M’s and the Angels. Moving on to the marquee match-up of the day and the next few days to come, the AL East battle for 1st place finds the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees once again going toe-to-toe, with C.C. Sabathia looking for redemption against a Red Sox batting lineup that has been one of the few to really own him this season, accounting for 4 of the 7 losses he’s experienced in his fine season.

Switching over the action to the National League today, a number of division-leading teams and teams in the playoff hunt are in action, with pivotal games in store throughout the evening. First up, it’s back to the Milwaukee vs. St. Louis series, which always figures to be a hard fought showdown with the favored Brewers back home once again where they’ve dominated all season long (8-4 season series record in favor of the Brew Crew). The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks continue to battle for the NL West division, though the Dbacks have begun to pull away heading into September after winning their last 7 in a row, and will be at home against fading Colorado for the next two games of the series. San Francisco meanwhile simply must get back into form after dropping the first game of their series with the Chicago Cubs 7-0 last night, as Randy Wells through a 2-hit shutout while Tim Lincecum got roughed up for 5 runs in 6 innings of work. Check out further solid options for online sports betting action at Bodog.eu today with the Philadelphia Phillies’ Roy Halladay on the mound against Bronson Arroyo and the Cincinnati Reds, Jair Jurrjens and the Atlanta Braves try to stay firm in their Wild Card spot as they face the Washington Nationals today, and the New York Mets have another favorable home match-up with the Florida Marlins as Mike Pelfrey faces Javier Vasquez. Enjoy another great day of MLB baseball for action at the best online sports betting sites reviewed here, get ready for a number of days packed with football and baseball to come, and most of all best of luck to you in all your wagering endeavors ahead!

Major League Baseball, Monday Night Football on Tap for Sportsbook Wagers

As much as a new work week really can’t compare with a weekend full of relaxation and an opportunity to catch all the day’s sports live on TV, this Monday is an exciting time for sports fans, as the Major League Baseball regular season winds down to a close this month, NFL Football’s 2011 preseason concludes, and the start of the 2011 NCAA Football season gets underway! As we bust into the daily offerings for betting on sports at one of the best sportsbooks reviewed here, the usual crop of MLB games takes center stage, however for tonight the exciting preseason match-up between the New York Giants and New York Jets should have die-hard football fans eager to get a piece of the action, even if it’s only an exhibition contest for Monday Night Football (though technically this isn’t an MNF game, as it was moved from Saturday due to Hurricane Irene). With all starters for both teams playing throughout the first half, and with little love between the two teams and fan bases, no doubt this will be one of the preseason games that will most closely look like a regular season contest. With that, I have to throw down the first wager of the day at Intertops Sportsbook on this heated match-up, with the Jets favored to win with -160 odds, and the Giants at +140 as underdog. With the Giants nursing so many injuries during the preseason, I like the Jets to cover the 3 points on the spread at Intertops.eu, at a better -115 price.

Moving into the bulk of today’s action for online sportsbook betting, Major League Baseball gears up for a hectic week full of teams chasing pennants and hoping for a Wild Card selection, and now that we’re under 30 games left in the season, this is certainly the most exciting time (outside the playoffs, of course) to be wagering on Major League Baseball. Checking out the top options for betting on MLB baseball this afternoon, I’m liking Tim Lincecum at home for the San Francisco Giants over the Chicago Cubs and Randy Wells, the New York Yankees send up Freddy Garcia against the Baltimore Orioles in his first start back from the 15-day disabled list, as does Cole Hamels for the Philadelphia Phillies against Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati Reds. I continue to like Mark Buehrle at home for the Chicago White Sox as he matches up against the perpetually fading Minnesota Twins, Ricky Romero has been pitching lights out for the Toronto Blue Jays lately and faces Wade Davis and the Tampa Bay Rays, and lastly look to a great pitching duel in SoCal as Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers faces Mat Latos and the San Diego Padres.

With plenty of great baseball and football action on tap tonight, make sure that with a visit to one of the top online sports betting websites you also peruse the options for wagers on this season’s opening day of the NCAA College Football schedule, as a handful of games are on tap for betting already, and a couple of Top 25-ranked teams worth a look at will be kicking off this year’s opening day. It’s going to be a great week for football fans especially, so make sure to check out all the betting lines available today and through the week, catch more great Major League Baseball bets from day-to-day as the action heats up towards the postseason, and as always we here wish you the best of luck and happy wagering in all your online sportsbook endeavors!

AL West Match-up of the Day: Los Angeles Angels vs. Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers (75-59) play host to the Los Angeles Angels (72-60) for the rubber match in a three-game series between the top two teams in the American League West. Texas will seek to right their ship after losing 8-4 last night to fall to 3-7 in their last 10 games, and just 2 games ahead of Los Angeles in the AL West standings. At the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, runs have been pouring in on both sides with a total of 30 runs scored during the first two games, however in tonight’s game the Texas Rangers specifically may have a tougher time getting runs on the board against Jered Weaver, one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues this year.

Jered Weaver (15-6, 2.03 ERA) hits the mound for today’s game on just 3 days’ rest, as manager Mike Scioscia opted to send his best pitchers against Texas in the hopes of picking up ground in the standings. It certainly paid off last night as Ervin Santana got a win on 3 days rest himself, though the Angels bats definitely contributed by scoring 6 runs through 5 innings to knock out Rangers’ starter C.J. Wilson en route to the 8-4 win. Jered Weaver will make his first career start on 3 days’ rest, though with the way he’s been pitching down the home stretch, this may be of little consequence for him this evening, especially against Texas who he’s 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 29 innings against this year.

In opposition to Weaver tonight, Colby Lewis (11-9, 4.07 ERA) will try to get back on track after his roughest start since June 6th, giving up 7 runs in 6 innings during a 11-5 loss to Boston this last Tuesday. Though he’s pitched pretty well against the Angels this season (0-1, 3.00 ERA over 12 innings), run support has been a problem for him against LA, evident in his last outing on August 18th when he went 7 shutout innings but took a no decision in a 2-1 loss.

Betting Lines for Texas vs. Los Angeles at WagerWeb Sportsbook:

With Jered Weaver having no precedent of pitching on 3 days’ rest, WagerWeb Sportsbook finds the Angels’ ace behind +100 underdog odds, while Colby Lewis and the home team Rangers get a -120 on the money line as the favorite to win this match-up. Los Angeles gets 1 1/2 runs at -125 on the spread while Texas gives up 1 1/2 runs at +175 odds. The over/under on today’s match-up is at 8 1/2 runs, which while being about half the runs scored in each game of this series so far, takes into consideration Jered Weaver’s presence on the mound.

Our Pick to Win:

Texas has yet to show that they have shrugged off their current run of bad form, and hasn’t been able to overcome their spotty pitching with their usual heavy-handed bats. With Los Angeles on a run-producing tear and sitting behind one of the best pitchers in baseball, I like LA as an underdog to take the win today as well as the series, and close the gap in the AL West to just 1 game.

Players to Watch, Texas:

Elvis Andrus, SS – Andrus is hitting .356 against LA this year, including an astounding 10-for-14 (.714) against Weaver this season (and .405 over his career). The speedy shortstop will need to continue getting on base against Weaver to help win the small ball battle against him.

Michael Young, DH – Hitting an impressive .350 during August and .377 this year against Los Angeles, Young could be another factor in tonight’s game as he looks to improve on his .264 career average against Weaver.

Players to Watch, Los Angeles:

Peter Bourjos, CF – The youngster has been impressive down the stretch this season, hitting .341 in August and .326 this year against Texas pitching. Look for Bourjos to get on base and provide a speedy addition to the Angels’ run scoring machine of late.
Torii Hunter, RF – Hunter continues to tear through August, hitting a blistering .391 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs. However, the 36 year-old has struggled against Texas this year and Colby Lewis, hitting .207 and .143 respectively. His hot hand may work in his favor to change those numbers a bit towards the positive tonight if the Angels can keep up their impressive scoring run.

Wrapping up Weekend MLB Baseball Series With Wagers at WagerWeb Sportsbook

As the weekend creeps to a close once again, sports fans find another full plate of Major League Baseball action to highlight the options for betting on sports, with a number of critical series-ending games in play this afternoon. With the playoff picture already taking form across the National and American Leagues as a handful of division-leading teams are starting to run away with the pennant race, the action focuses on the second-place teams vying for one last shot towards challenging division leaders, or simply fighting for the final 2 Wild Card spots available. For today, I’ll focus on the those teams battling for a possible playoff spot, or those looking to hold their place at the top of the division, in the hopes of capitalizing on teams with lots at stake and needing a win. For the sportsbook venture of the day, I’ll head to one of the best online sportsbooks reviewed here at WagerWeb Sportsbook, which features easy access to all the day’s top betting lines and allows any sports fan to get their wagers placed with just a few clicks of a button.

Headlining the action for Major League Baseball today, I’ll first turn to the rubber match of the 3-game series between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels, who fight for possession of first place in the AL West. With a loss last night at home, Texas has slipped to 3-7 in their last 10 games, and stands at just 2 games ahead of the Angels for the division lead. The Angels on the other hand appear to be peaking at just the correct time, going 7-3 in their last 10 and will have Jered Weaver (15-6, 2.03 ERA) on the mound for the closure of this weekend’s pivotal series. He’ll face Colby Lewis (11-9, 4.07 ERA), who comes off his worst start since June 6th, and now leads the American League in home runs given up (30), and with +100 odds on Weaver (perhaps an underdog due to the fact he’s pitching on 3 days’ rest), I’ll back the Angels to pull within 1 game of the AL West lead. Sticking with the West but switching to the National League, catch the Arizona Diamondbacks seeking to extend their winning streak to 6 this afternoon, as they take on the San Diego Padres at home with their best pitching weapon in Ian Kennedy (16-4 3.09 ERA). This should make for a good pitching match-up as Kennedy faces Cory Luebke (5-6, 2.91 ERA), and the under wager on total runs looks to be a good bet with the Dbacks’ pitching staff giving up just 4 runs during their 5-game winning streak. With the San Francisco Giants at home against the Houston Astros and sitting just 3 games back in the NL West race, no doubt Arizona will be intend on picking up a win at home themselves today.

Moving over to the East Coast, the New York Yankees have a solid opportunity to make up ground against the AL East leading Boston Red Sox, who hold a thin 2-game advantage over the 2nd place Yankees with just 29 games to go. New York has 3 games in hand on the Red Sox, and will play a double header today against the Baltimore Orioles while Boston has the day off. Putting out starters Bartolo Colon and Ivan Nova, New York stands a good chance at picking up one or both of their road games today. Looking to the race in the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers seek out their 4th win in a row to improve their red-hot 8-2 stretch in the last 10 games meanwhile sweeping the falling Minnesota Twins on the road at Target Field. Both Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox are also in action today, sitting 6 1/2 and 7 games back of Detroit respectively and desperately trying to keep pace with the Tigers this week. Cleveland looks primed for a victory at home behind Justin Masterson as they face the K.C. Royals, while the White Sox conclude their weekend series with the Seattle Mariners in what should be a low-scoring match-up in Seattle with Gavin Floyd facing Jason Vargas. Catch all these games for online sports betting today at WagerWeb Sportsbook or any one of the best sportsbooks reviewed here, and make sure to also take a gander at the Sunday Night NFL Football match-up between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders, as it’s sure to make for an interesting look for online sports betting as well. We’ll catch up with you again on Monday, and make sure to enjoy all the great sports action today and have a great rest of the weekend!

CFL Football Saturday: Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders

The West Division-leading Calgary Stampeders (5-2) play host to East Division foes the Montreal Alouettes (5-2) on Saturday afternoon from McMahon Stadium. Calgary stands in a two-team race for the Western Division with the Edmonton Eskimos (5-3), as the two teams are the only competition over .500, with both the BC Lions (2-6) and Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-7) already well out of contention this season. Calgary has won 3 straight games and 5 of their last 6, though will play for the first time since August 12th. Meanwhile the Montreal Alouettes will try to up their win streak to 3 games as well, while keeping pace with the East Division-leading Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-1), who have won 5 straight games. Tonight’s match-up will feature two of the best QB’s in the league as Henry Burris of the Stampeders faces veteran QB Anthony Calvillo of the Alouettes, but the focus may be on the defensive side of the ball, with the Stampeders coming off a 45-35 win over the last-placed Saskatchewan Roughriders despite giving up a shocking 543 yards to the worst team in the league. Montreal on the other hand has one of the best defenses in the league, holding opponents to a league-low 156 points against them, but also leads the league in scoring (31.7 points per game) and overall offense (412.9 yards per game) behind Calvillo, who continues to chase after just about every standing record in CFL passing history.

However, heading into tonight’s match-up, these two teams match up as well as any two teams in the league at the moment, with two impressive offenses and stout defenses in action. Though Calgary comes off their worst defensive performance of the year, that likely seems to be a fluke considering they’ve only allowed 172 points on the season (3rd in the CFL), and are 2nd in league in yards allowed per game (331.7). They also find themselves second in scoring (27.7 ppg) and total yards (376.9) in the league right behind Montreal, so if anything is tell-tale this evening, it’s that scoring will likely not be too hard to come by. No doubt the focus is once again on Montreal’s QB Anthony Calvillo, who has a 106.2 passer rating, leads the league with 14 touchdown passes, and is 3rd with 2,095 passing yards on the season. His two main weapons, S.J. Green (592 yards, 3 TDs) and Jamel Richardson (567 yards, 5 TDs) continue to be a burden on any secondary, but with the league-leading rusher Brandon Whitaker (566 yards) also keeping defenses honest, Montreal is a very formidable offensive threat to say the least. Calgary does match-up pretty well at QB with 13-year veteran Henry Burris throwing for 2,040 yards and 10 TDs on the season, but lacks the same offensive punch provided by the running game, with leading rusher Joffrey Reynolds only posting 339 yards this season after six consecutive seasons with over 1,200 yards rushing.

For online sports betting on this afternoon’s featured CFL match-up, Sportsbetting.ag sportsbook holds the Calgary Stampeders as the favored team to win at -120 odds on the money line. The visiting Alouettes get EVEN money on the money line, in a tilt to a high probability that this game could swing either way. More to that point, the points spread on the game finds Calgary with 1 point given up, while Montreal gets 1 point, and the over/under for the game at 54.5 points also shows the expectation that this game could yield plenty of offensive firepower. Expecting an exciting game today, Calgary will look to improve its lackluster home record of just 1-2, while Montreal tries to improve to 3-1 on the road with a victory at McMahon Stadium today. Montreal has emerged victorious in 3 of the last 4 meetings between the two teams, and comes in off a 46-19 crushing of the Stampeders last October. With the Alouettes clicking on all cylinders offensively behind Anthony Calvillo and his wealth of weaponry, I’ll take a stand to see Montreal prevail on EVEN money, and expect a high-scoring game to favor them on the road. Either way you wager on today’s CFL match-up, you can count on plenty of big-time plays and plenty of bang for your buck in this game between two of the best teams in CFL competition this season.

NFL Preseason Action Heats Up With 9 Games on Saturday

As we progress through Week 4 of the NFL preseason, Football fans find themselves with just under two weeks left before the start of the 2011-12 NFL Football regular season, and for the remaining games slated for exhibition play we’ll have a great chance to look at first-team starters on the field for longer periods of time, making wagers at the top online sportsbooks a little easier to predict. While it’s been a fun preseason thus far with so many changes across the league’s teams happening so very quickly, it’s nice to see that many teams are settling in to regular season form, and giving us fans reason to wager on the teams expected to stand out in this year’s regular season campaign. So, with just this weekend and one more week of Preseason NFL Football left for online sports betting before the real deal begins, join me today in some football betting at one of the top online sportsbooks reviewed here for a taste of the 9 games scheduled for this evening.

Looking first to the earlier games on the East Coast, play kicks off with the Jacksonville Jaguars heading north to visit the Buffalo Bills in what may be one of the tougher match-ups to call today. While the Jaguars appear to have solidified a starting QB as David Garrard secured his role for Week 1 of the regular season at least, he hasn’t at all been impressive, and without star running back Maurice Jones-Drew helping to keep the Buffalo defense honest, he could struggle once more on the road tonight. However, the Jags may be better aligned than the Bills are, with Buffalo amassing just 13 total points in two preseason games as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had little effect last Saturday in Denver, and between him and back-up QB Tyler Thigpen, they’ll be missing their top two receivers in Roscoe Parrish and Donald Jones who are both out with injury. Without any offensive threats, I’ll happily take the Jags as the +125 underdogs in tonight’s match-up. Moving on to the next available option for NFL wagering, the Pittsburgh Steelers are at home and look to continue their winning ways there against the Atlanta Falcons, who I simply can’t see fairing any better than Philadelphia did last week. Once again look for the Steelers to get on the board early to hold the Falcons at bay down the stretch, and for them to pick up their 7th straight preseason win against Atlanta all-time, covering the -3 point spread (EVEN money) posted at Sportsbetting.ag sportsbook.

In another intriguing NFL match-up today, catch the New England Patriots matching up against the Detroit Lions, with the Super Bowl favorite Patriots lining up against a Detroit team that many see making a run at the playoffs and a winning record for the first time since 2000. However, with the way the Patriots have played this preseason, it’s hard to put money on the Lions overcoming them even on home turf considering the Pats have rolled up the Jags 47-12 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-14 without breaking a sweat this preseason. Though Detroit has won the last 4 of 6 preseason meetings between the two teams, the Patriots look primed to get one back tonight, and I’ll take them to cover the -3.5 points on the spread with the consideration that their average margin of victory in 2 games stands at 26 points already. Spotting a couple of additional NFL games to put interest in and potential wagers, check out the Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings, with both sides missing a number of key assets, and a QB situation in Minnesota far from resolved between Donovan McNabb, Joe Webb, and rookie Christian Ponder. This may be the closest match-up of the day in the NFL, but at home I expect the Vikings to prevail as they’ve been more effective at a balanced run-pass game than Dallas has this preseason.

Rounding out the other games available for betting on sports today in NFL preseason ball, catch a South Florida match-up as the Miami Dolphins head to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears clash with the Tennessee Titans, and the Houston Texas go west to meet with the San Francisco 49ers. Wrap up the day with some West Coast battles between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos as well as the Arizona Cardinals hosting the San Diego Chargers, and you’ve got an action-packed evening of NFL Football as well as some great options for betting on sports at Sportsbetting.ag, or any one of the best online sportsbooks reviewed right here. With just one more week of preseason play left, now’s the time to test out some small wagers on the teams in action right now, before the real deal starts on Thursday, September 8th!

UFC 134: Showdown in Rio Features Exciting Line-up of MMA Stars

Tonight’s UFC 134 Main Card will give MMA fans one of the best single-servings of competition in the octagon this year, not to mention plenty of excitement for online sportsbook betting on the matches scheduled live from Rio De Janeiro starting at 5:40 PM Eastern Time. With all five fights scheduled for the Main Event shaping up to be outstanding match-ups, along with 7 additional lower-level bouts slated for UFC 134, there’s no doubt that online sports betting will be an exciting option for fight fans and casual sports observers alike as some of the biggest names in the business stand toe-to-toe for 5 rounds of action tonight. Head on down to one of the top sportsbook betting websites reviewed right here for the lines on each and every match-up, and be sure to do some extra research ahead of tonight’s fights, as certainly you’ll want to get a taste of the action scheduled for Rio tonight!

Checking out the betting lines at Bodog.eu sportsbook, I’m prepared for some wagering on all the Main Event offerings laid out, so let’s take a brief look at the match-ups and wagering options for the biggest fights set for UFC 134.

Luiz Cane (11-3) vs. Stanislav Nedkov (11-0):

Cane comes in as a -205 favorite over Nedkov, on the analysis that Cane likes to get in and get out of fights in a hurry. He’s only gone past the first five minutes twice in his 14 career bouts, and combined with the fact that Nedkov has only gone deeper than 1 round 3 times in 11 matches, this one should be a frenetic, fast-paced flurry of MMA action to start off the Main Event for UFC 134. Two fighting styles meet up here as Nedkov is more the wrestling type while Cane sets up as a striker, but with jiu-jistsu training in his back pocket, this fight could easily wind up being decided on the mat in quick fashion. I like the +130 odds that this doesn’t get out of the first round, but I expect that Cane’s combination of strong striking ability plus decent skills on the mat will pull him through tonight.

Ross Pearson (12-4) vs. Edson Barboza (8-0):

Barboza comes into this match-up as a +325 favorite to win, as the Muay Thai fighter has the ability to serve up opponents a taste of the floor with one swinging kick. In a lightweight division match-up against Englishman Ross Pearson, winner of Season 9’s The Ultimate Fighter, this could end up being a pretty scrappy match provided Pearson can stay tight in on Barboza. However, I’ll look for the Brazilian fighter to prevail at home and stay undefeated, as Barboza has too much all-around skill for Pearson to handle.

Brendan Shaub (8-1) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6):

Nogueira is obviously the seasoned veteran, being a former Pride and UFC Heavyweight Champion, however he also is the fighter with the most question marks around him, facing his first bout in a year and a half. Coming off 3 surgeries (2 hips, 1 knee), betting on the 35 year-old feels kind of like purchasing a used car from a guy with a gold tooth…you just really don’t know what you’re going to get. The betting lines seem to agree with that, as ‘The Hybrid’ Brendan Shaub is a -230 favorite to win in this bout tonight, and I’ll take Shaub to win inside the distance at a -120 price.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-5) vs. Forrest Griffin (18-6):

And here comes the good stuff! While this fight may feature a pair of fighters heading in opposite directions, the fact that this match-up is on such a large stage, and combines two of the most exciting light heavyweight fighters in the world, shows that this match-up is definitely worth a wager. While Griffin has made indications that he’s not enjoying fighting as much anymore, there is no doubt that once in the ring, he’s an animal with a one-track mind. With a submission victory over Rua already in his career, he certainly has the confidence of knowing he can beat his opponent. Rua on the other hand is perhaps one of the most exciting strikers in the sport to watch, though questions surround his health as well as his stamina in this match-up, especially with Griffin being much the larger, more conditioned fighter. For my underdog pick of the evening, I like Griffin at +195 odds to win counting on him to once again use his size and brute force to overcome the better striking hands of the Shogun tonight.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva (30-4) vs. Yushin “Thunder” Okami (26-5):

All I can say is…Oh Mama, this one is going to be good! The rematch between Silva and Okami has all the eyes in the UFC world directed on this match tonight, and certainly neither fighter will disappoint with so much on the line. Though Yushin Okami stands as the last man to beat Silva, donned the Greatest Fighter of All Time, Silva comes into this bout on 13 straight wins in the Octagon, and looks darn near unbeatable with his vast array of ways to finish off opponents. The Spider is a huge favorite in this match-up, coming in at -625 odds at Bodog Sportsbook, and with such lofty odds there’s really no point wasting a wager on the straight up win for Silva. Rather, take a look at the -200 odds on Anderson to win inside the distance, which should come to fruition tonight.

All in all, tonight’s UFC 134 from Rio should make for one of the most exciting UFC showdowns on the year, so head on over to Bodog Sportsbook, or any of the best online sports betting sites reviewed here for all the available options for wagering on the matches in place. You won’t want to miss out on the 5 bouts set for the main card, as it could be months, or even a year before we see this caliber of match-ups set into the Octagon!

MLB, NFL, NASCAR, UFC Bets Lined Up for an Exciting Saturday of Sports

It’s an action-packed weekend for sports fans of all kinds, as we’ve got a little bit of everything set up for online sportsbook betting at one of the top sports betting websites reviewed here! Starting from the usual bevy of Major League Baseball competition, which features a solid dose of 14 games for betting on sports (would have been 18 save for Hurricane Irene), to a smattering of 9 NFL Preseason match-ups set for this evening, we’ve only just scratched the surface of sports betting options for the day, as tonight also features an outstanding MMA lineup with UFC 134 taking place down in Brazil and NASCAR competition heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Irwin Tools Race Night. After a relatively quiet week with the usual bets being placed on Major League Baseball, and even a couple of options on the NFL preseason games set during the week, Saturday is wide open for great sports betting opportunities, and there’s no doubt you’ll want to join me for the top sportsbook betting action at one of our featured sportsbooks today. For all the sports wagering options and more, find your wagers at the Sportsbetting.ag sportsbook, which gives you all the betting lines for all of this weekend’s competition at just a couple of mouse clicks away.

Starting with action in Major League Baseball tonight, a number of great match-ups present themselves for betting on baseball at Sportsbetting.ag. Starting with American League contests, catch the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers battling for the lead in the AL West, Boston tries to bounce back from a 15-5 loss to Oakland last night with a good pitching match-up featuring Jon Lester vs. Guillermo Moscoso this afternoon, and the Detroit look to expand their lead in the AL Central with Justin Verlander on the mound against the fading Minnesota Twins. Flipping sides over to the National League, look for Milwaukee to secure another home win behind Yovani Gallardo as the Brewers host the Chicago Cubs, Arizona seeks it’s 5th straight victory at home tonight against Aaron Harang and the San Diego Padres, and Roy Halladay hits the mound against Anibal Sanchez and the visiting Florida Marlins. With tons of great options for wagering on MLB Baseball today, be sure to hit the betting lines at Sportsbetting.ag sportsbook before heading into further betting options on the day.

Speaking of those further online sports betting options, make sure to get a taste of the 9 NFL games scheduled for exhibition play this evening, with top match-ups including the Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots at Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings, and the Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers. If MMA action is your thing, tonight’s UFC 134 from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil features one of the best fighting cards of the season, with the main event pitting Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami, Mauricio Rua vs. Forrest Griffin, Brendan Shaub vs. Antonio Nogueira and 9 other bouts set to take place. Last, but not least, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winds down, prepare for an exciting race this evening at the Bristol Motor Speedway, as the Irwin Tools Night Race on the 1/2 mile track is sure to light up the night with plenty of close-quarters racing action between the biggest names in the business. Check out all your online sportsbook betting options for Saturday at Sportsbetting.ag, one of the best sportsbooks reviewed here on our site, as always good luck in whatever your wagers happen to be, and enjoy a great weekend packed with a ton of great sporting events to come!