Another weekend of sports action is here again and there will be a lot of athletes with sore bodies come Monday.  The Major League Baseball season is winding down and the National Football League is just heating up.  The NCAA Football season is on fire as well.  If you squint your eyes you can see the NBA season in the distance.  Yes, there is plenty of sports for any enthusiast and plenty of opportunity to make a little wager.  There is plenty to talk about so hold on tight it could get a little rough.

The MLB playoff picture is close to developing and it is going to be fun.  The New York Yankees are the winningest team in baseball this year with 102 wins.  They have clinched the American League East with the Boston Red Sox clinching a wild card spot right behind them.  In the AL Central the Detroit Tigers need to win 2 games to clinch.  The Los Angeles Angels have already clinched the AL West.  Last years Champions the Philedelphia Phillies have already clinched the NL East and the St. Louis Cardinals the NL Central.  In the NL West the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched with the Colorado Rockies taking in the wildcard.   Next week we will devote a day to sizing up the playoff picture.

Just a reminder that I picked the Patroits over the Raven, the Jets over the Saints, the Steelers over the Chargers and the Vikings over the Packers in Week 4 of the NFL.  I will also take the Dallas Cowboys over the Denver Broncos and the Tennesee Titans will pick up their first win over the Jacksonville Jaquars.  By the way Brett Farve injured his foot but he is up and moving around fine and should start his 273rd straight game on Monday night against the Packers.

In NCAA Football number 1 Florida is off until next weekend when they face LSU.  Number 2 Texas is also off until next week when they will face Colorado.  Number 3 Alabama is at Kentucky and should pull this one out with no problem.  Number 4 LSU is at Number 18 Georgia.  This will be a tough game but LSU should come away with a victory.  Number 5 Boise St is hosting UC Davis so what do you think?  Number 6 Va Tech is at Duke and they are not playing basketball folks.  Number 7 USC is playing Number 24 California who got stunned 42-3 last week.  It won’t get much better this Saturday.  Number 8 Oklahoma will be at Number 17 Miami of Florida.  Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford will not be starting.  That’s not good.  Could be an upset in the making.  Number 9 Ohio State will be at Indiana.  The Buckeyes have shutout their last 2 opponents.  Could Indiana be number 3?  I think so.  Finally Number 10 Cinncinati takes a short road trip to Miami of Ohio.  Cinncinati should not have a problem.

Just a few notes of interest.  In Golf Tiger Woods won the FedEX Cup last week and took home the ten million dollar prize.  That put Tiger over the Billion dollar earnings mark in his career.  That is right 1 Billion dollars.  In Tennis Rafael Nadal has been cleared to play again and will participate in Spain’s Davis Cup in December.  Andy Murray on the other hand has dropped out of the Japan Open due to a wrist injury.  Well that is it for this week folks.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Remember also to catch up on the latest game odds at Betus.com!

On Saturday night the much anticipated battle in the boxing ring between Juan Marquez and Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will explode into reality. Juan Marquez is moving up from super featherweight for this fight and there has been much debate about his ability to fight at welterweight level. Although the Internet commercial would like us to believe that the Internet is faster than Floyd Mayweather chances are Juan Marquez will not be.

There is no doubt that Marquez has prepared for this fight but Mayweather has proven to be a beast in the ring. Mayweather, even after some down time, will be stronger, faster and too much for Marquez to handle. You can take that too the bank.

Now it is time for me to pick my NFL upset game of the week. The Carolina Panthers are taking a trip down I-85 to take on the Atlanta Falcons. We know last week that the Panthers fell apart to the Philadelphia Eagles. We also know that the Atlanta Falcons manhandled the Miami Dolphins.

The Falcons looked poised for greatness while the Panthers looked bewildered and shocked. The Falcons are favored in this matchup by 6 points but I don’t think that they will. Jake Delhomme is the QB for the Panthers. He has thrown 7 interceptions in his past 2 games. However, Jake knows his future is on the line. The Panthers did not sign A.J. Feeley for nothing. If Jake has another super poor outing he may very well get ousted. Jake is going to bounce back and make the plays he has too for the win. He has too. Of course it will help if the Panthers can run the ball with their two great backs Stewart and Williams as well. My pick: Panthers 21-17.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL. They rarely get the respect they deserve. No one really jumps on their bandwagon until they have no choice to do so but look stupid. Very few picked them to win their last 2 Superbowls and the fact that they have acquired 6, most in the NFL has done little to earn them anymore respect. But never the less they do have 6 and since they won the first back in the early 70’s they have been one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. Their fans are as loyal as any in the league and their players always make the statement, “once a Steeler, always a Steeler” no matter where they wind up. Last year there were numerous complaints about the Steeler offensive line and their running game.

All the Steelers did was go on to win Superbowl number 6 regardless. There are those that still go on to mimick the fact that they won a lot of close games and had to rally on game winning drives and pull the victory out of their….hat. Perhaps so, but they did it and they beat most people’s choice the Baltimore Ravens 3 times in the process. Thats okay. That is how the Steeler fans like it.

There are those who just know DA Bears will be too much for the Steelers this weekend even though the Steelers are favored by 3. They just can’t get any respect. The proof will be in the pudding on gameday and many sports writers will grunt and grimace once again. Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Remember also to catch up on the latest game odds at Betus.com!

In the tennis world Roger Federer became a proud father of twins last month and to sweeten his life a little more he won the Cinncinati Masters on Sunday beating Novak Djokovic 6-1 and 7-5. It was Federer’s first win as a father and it choked him up a bit. Next week he will play in the U.S. Open which he has won the last 5 tournaments. He looks confident enough to make it number 6.

The NFL Preseason is well under way and in Philadelphia Michael Vick seems ready to step on the field this coming Thursday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Vick, the former QB for the Atlanta Falcons just finished a prison sentence for association with dog fighting. The Eagles have given him a chance to prove he is a changed man and can still deliver a peak performance. In other NFL news it is true that it is only preseason but this is the time to test the veterans and the rookies to see what they can bring to the table.

You cannot help but be curious as to how some of the big trades will work out over the past off season. Jay Cutler, the former Denver QB was traded to the Chicago Bears. Jay Cutler looked pretty good over the weekend as Chicago defeated the New York Giants 17-3.

Chicago is my pick to win the NFC Central as long as they stay healthy. Cutler is the missing ingredient this team has needed for years. Chad Pennington was traded to the Miami Dolphins last year from the New York Jets when they signed Brett Farve for one season.

Pennington lead the Dolphins from a 1-15 season the previous year to a 11-5 record. Then he stumbled in the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens throwing 4 interceptions. Chad knows he cannot make that mistake again this year. He knows this may be his last chance. The Ravens take on the New York Jets tonight on Monday Night Football.

In NCAA Football the Associated Press released their preseason top 25 and Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators were at the top of the list. The Gators have a relatively easy schedule and they should do well. The Gators received 58 out of 60 votes for number one. No other team has ever done that in the preseason 25 poll. Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Alabama rounded out the top 5. Ten preseason number ones have won the National Championship in the past, perhaps Florida will be number 11. It is going to be an exciting college season for sure.

There will be some very competitive games, you can bet on that. Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Remember also to catch up on the latest game odds at Betus.com!

In the world of Golf Tiger Woods takes a two stroke lead into the final round of the PGA Championship.  Tiger has never lost a major when he has lead going into the final round.  There are two other golfers tied for second.  One of those is Padraig Harrington and he is breathing down Tiger’s neck pretty hard.  So it would appear that this one is Tiger’s to lose.  The odds are heavily in his favor at this point.  Tiger, even playing on a course that was pounded with rain overnight, is in a good position to win another PGA Championship and his first major of the year.

The NFL Preseason is well under way.  It is hard to make anything out of the preseason though.  Some coaches really try to win those games just to pump their team up and get them ready for the real season.  Other coaches use it for what it was created to watch their players and see how they are going to perform in real time and contact.  In the rematch of the Super Bowl from last season the Steelers beat the Cardinals 20-10.  Pittsburgh is under a lot of pressure since they won their 6th Super Bowl last year.  The last time they won the Super Bowl in 2005 they finished 8-8 the next season.  They don’t want to repeat the same process this season.  Most of the Super Bowl team is still in tact and the Steelers will be in the thick of things again this year.

Tom Brady is back after his injury and started the Patriots preseason game against Philadelphia.  He threw a couple touchdowns and an interception and the Patriots squeaked out a victory.  New England will be in the thick of things as well.  Michael Vick signed a two year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles and is in his first NFL practice since he left the Atlanta Falcons to serve a prison sentence for dog fighting issues.  Having Michael Vick in Philly won’t make their QB Donovan McNabb very happy.  There were other teams where Michael Vick may have been more beneficial but it is what it is.

In Major League Baseball the New York Yankee’s have won 12 out of their last 13 games and are really making a run of it.  Some of the division races are really beginning to narrow and there should be some tight finishes.  Some of these pennant races are going to come right down to the wire.

Look for Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship today and for the Yankee’s to continue their rampage in baseball.  Monday night the Carolina Panthers play the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.  Once again it is a preseason game but it should still be fun to watch.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

In Akron, Ohio at the Bridgestone Invitational Tiger Woods trails Padraig Harrington by three strokes.  Harrington was feeling pretty comfortable until he looked up at the scoreboard and realized that Tiger was in second place.  Tiger has been almost unbeatable at Firestone and Harrington is well aware of it.  Harrington wanted to have the best lead possible going into Sunday but he knows there may not be a safe lead over the number one golfer in the world.  Tomorrow should really be interesting.  Tiger has won 6 out of 10 times playing at Firestone and he would like to make it 7 of 11.  Harrington and Woods will be paired up in the same group and it should be a great finish.

UFC 101 is about to begin and there are some pretty good matches tonight.  B.J. Penn is taking on Kenny Florian and is the favorite to win.  Anderson Silva is facing Forrest Griffin and is a huge favorite to win this one.  Johny Hendricks is set to battle Amir Sadollah with Sadollah picked to win.  There are quite a few less known contests but the Penn fight and Silva fight will get all the attention.  Anderson Silva should beat Griffin as long as he does not get to cocky and Penn should have no real problem with Kenny Florian but as with any competition you just don’t know until it is over.

The College Football polls came out today with a list of the top ten NCAA teams in the country.  The list goes as follows:  Florida at number 1, Texas at number 2, Oklahoma at number 3 and USC at number 4.  Alabama rounded out the top 5.  Ohio State came in at number 6 with Virginia Tech at number 7.  Number 8 was Penn State with LSU and Mississippi rounded out the top ten.  It is going to be another great NCAA Football season.

In the NFL the Hall of Fame Game will be played on Sunday between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans.  This event kicks off the NFL preseason and I can feel the excitement building.  The NFL season is upon us again and it should be a lot of fun.  There are going to be some great match ups and we will keep you posted on them all season long.  There may be some surprises in the NFL this year like Arizona in 2008.  Betters be ready because it is going to be a great season.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and may you always remember to be a good sport.

Welcome to the Sportsbook Gazette Weekly Sports Roundup where we satisfy that betting itch with up to date sporting news.  This week we start off with a bang in the Windy City better known as Chicago home of the White Sox in Major League Baseball’s American League Central Division.  The Chicago White Sox moved to within a percentage point of the division leading Detroit Tigers last night when Sox Pitcher Mark Buehrle achieved a feat only demonstrated 15 times prior in Major League Baseball dating back 109 years; he pitched a Perfect Game.  That is right 27 Tampa Bay Rays players walked into the batters box and 27 players ended up walking back into the dugout empty handed.  It was the second No-Hitter of Buehrle’s career.  President Obama who happens to be a huge White Sox fan called to congratulate Buerle after his amazing accomplishment.

The National Football League pre-season will kick off next month.  The anticipation is killing me.  There are quite a few things to talk about in the upcoming NFL season.  Lets start with Tom Brady returning to the New England Patroits after a season ending knee injury last year.  Brady has been working hard preparing for his comeback but the fact of the matter is we really won’t know how sound that knee is until he faces the live pressure of a defensive rush.  Carson Palmer has not looked the same since he suffered a knee injury at the hands of the reigning Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers back in the 2005 playoffs.  Although Brady’s injury is a little less severe only time and live action will satisfy the doubters.  You can bet on one thing, like them or not, if Brady remains healthy New England will be in the thick of things in the NFC East.

Former Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick received a 4 game suspension to begin 2009 but has been reinstated conditionally back into the league.  Now we will have to wait and see if there are any takers.  He can participate in the preseason games.  Brett Farve is still holding the Minnesota Vikings in suspense as he gets set to make his decision as to whether or not he will play for them this season.  I think that he will and in addition I believe he will take the Vikings to the playoffs.  The Viking team has been on the edge of excellence for a while.  Farve will complete the missing piece to the puzzle.  All the Vikings need him to do is control the game and he will you can bet on it.

The Major League Baseball season is in full swing with many divisions up for grabs.  The NFL season is right around the corner and you can feel the excitement building.  The odds are ever changing and the betters are lining up for the kill.  Who will continue to play well and win their division pennants and who will start off well in the NFL?  I know there are some sports betters who are anxious to find out.  Until we meet again may betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Hello sports betting fans!  No matter how much good information you have the odds don’t always stack up.  At the British Open today two great players walked off the field after the 18th hole.  One of the golf pros was in and the other was out.  One became the oldest player to ever lead in a major while the other was a golf legend who failed to make the cut.  The British Open has been played for almost 150 years and it just goes to show that anything can happen.  So who were these two men headed in different directions on Friday.  The oldest player to lead in a major championship was Tom Watson and the legend going home was the number one golfer in the world, that’s right Tiger Woods.  It was only the 6th time in his career that he missed the cut.  Now Watson has a chance to win his 6th British Open Title.  The 59 year old won his first back in 1975; 5 months before Tiger was born.

In the NFL Brett Farve has informed the Minnesota Vikings that he will let them know if he can play by July 30, which is the first day of camp.  He had surgery on his throwing arm in May and has been trying to work his arm back into shape.  He has been practicing with a local high school team 3 days a week all summer and has now included Sunday’s as well.  There is a lot of controversy about Farve’s return after retiring once again.  He came out of retirement to play for the Jets last season.  The 39 year old Farve had a fairly good season through the first half but struggled some in the second.  Many are questioning his stamina.  The one thing they cannot question is his record.  Brett Farve is destined for the hall of fame and even at 39 he still has more than many of the Quarterbacks in the league.  Here is something you can bet on.  If Brett Farve goes to the Vikings; barring a major injury, the Vikings will win the NFC Central Division.  He does not have to be the Farve of old; all he has to do is control the game and hand it off to Adrian Peterson.  The defense will take care of the rest.

In September spike will begin airing UFC’s Ultimate Fighter 10.  This is where young mma fighters give it their all in hopes of winning contracts in the UFC.  This year however there will be an unusual contestant.  Dana White the UFC President has brought in Kimbo Slice of the Elite XC and Youtube fame to compete.  Kimbo lost his last match in the Elite XC when he was knocked out after only 14 seconds.  Kimbo Slice is a hugh heavyweight but his mma technique needs a ton of work.  He had drew enough attention that he could have went to Japan and made good money fighting exhibition fights but his passion is still to learn and compete in the UFC; the major leagues of the MMA.  Kimbo knows that his experience is lacking and he also knows that many of the younger contestants have been doing this for most of their lives.  The only thing that keeps him going is his will to learn, compete and accomplish what he set out to do.  Until we meet again may the betting be better and the odds go in your favor and remember always be a good sport.

It is hard to believe but the NFL season is right around the corner.  As usual during the off season Coaches were replaced and some big name players were traded to other teams.  Lets briefly look at what may lay ahead in the upcoming season.  In the AFC East watch out for Miami and Buffalo.  In the AFC North Indy and the Titans will fall out of contention and the Texans will make a surprise run.  In the AFC West San Diego should hold on but Kansas City is the team to watch.  In the AFC South the Steelers did a great job of keeping the nucleous of their Super Bowl winning team.  They should win their division but Baltimore will be a thorn in their side again.  In the NFC East eyes are on the Eagles but Dallas may still have something to say.  In the NFC North a lot will depend upon rather Brent Farve ends up with the Vikings.  Chicago should be a threat now that they have a Quarterback in Jay Cutler.  In the NFC South keep your eyes on the upstart Atlanta Falcons with Matt Ryan moving into his second year and having newly acquired Tony Gonzales. The NFC West is up in the air.  Arizona may still be the team to beat there but the Rams and 49ers have second year coaches that are fired up and hungry.  Both could easily make a run in that division.  We will have our precise picks as the season draws nearer.

In the Tennis world there is a lot of anticipation that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may still have a chance to meet in the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Canada next month.  Nadal did not compete at Wimbledon due to a knee injury.  He should be ready to go for the Rogers Cup on August 8th.  Many tennis fans were foaming at the mouth in hopes of seeing the two superstars meet at Wimbledon but it was not too be and Federer ended up winning his 15th Grand Slam and 6th Wimbledon Championship.

In Golf Tiger Woods will visit Australia for the first time in 11 years when he participates in the Australian Masters in November.  Grandstand seats for this event are already selling out.  Woods did not fair well when he played in the 1996 Australian Open where he finished 12 strokes behind winner Greg Norman or in the 1997 Australian Masters where he finished 8th behind winner Peter Lonard.  However, eleven years have made quite a difference in Tiger Woods.  The Melbourne fans know this will be one of the few chances that they will get to see this Golf legend play.

In the UFC they are preparing for their biggest event in history tomorrow night in Las Vegas at UFC 100.  Brock Lesnar is being picked to defeat Frank Mir in their rematch that highlights the event.  Frank Mir won their initial meeting but Lesnar is a little better than he was then.  Georges St. Perrie is picked to beat his opponent Thiago Alves.  There are some exciting matchups on this card and there could be some upsets.  You can check out our lates odds right here at the Sportsbook Gazette.  Somethings in sports never change there will always be the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  Until we meet again good betting and always remember to be a good sport.

The At&t National Golf Tournament is being played at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.  Someone shot a 4 under 66 for the lowest 36 hole score ever on this course.  That someone was none other than Tiger Woods.  Tiger holds a pretty impressive record when he is leading or sharing a lead at this stage of the game.  He is 31-6 in these situations and has won his last 11 dating clear back to 2004.  Defending Champion Anthony KIm had shot a record 62 in the first round but has fallen back to 2 shots behind Tiger.  Rod Pampling and Jim Furyk rounded out the top 4.

At the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament the final on Sunday will be between the Swiss Roger Federer and the American Andy Roddick.  If Federer can pull it off he will win his record breaking 15th Grand Slam.  Federer defeated Tommy Haas today 7-6, 7-5, 6-3.  Andy Roddick on the other hand knocked off the British darling Andy Murray ending Britains hopes for a Wimbledon Champion for the first time since 1936.  Roddick defeated Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 leaving the British fans a little dazed and saddened but now he must turn his attention to Roger Federer and see if he has enough left to stop history in the making.

In Major League Baseball the Boston Red Sox still lead the New York Yankee’s by 2 games in the American League East.  In the AL Central the Detroit Tigers lead the Chicago White Sox by 2 games as well.  In the AL West the Los Angeles Angels are only holding off the Texas Rangers by a half a game.  In the National League East the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies are ahead of the Florida Marlins by 1 game.  In the NL Central the St. Louis Cardinals lead the Milwaukee Brewers by a game.  The biggest lead in the majors is held by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West where they lead the San Francisco Giants by 7 and a half games.

In October there will be another professional Football League starting in the United States.  It will be called the United Football League and will feature 4 teams from Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York and Orlando.  That league has already said the if former Atlanta Falcon Quarterback Michael Vick can evade anymore legal problems they will welcome him to play in their league.  Vicks future with the NFL is still up in the air.  It looks like Brent Farve will be the Quarterback in Minnesota this year.  Could he win the Super Bowl there and then possible, I don’t know…retire?  Would you like a piece of those odds?  Until we meet again good betting and always remember to be a good sport.

On Wednesday the United States soccer team faced a powerful foe in Spain in the Confedertions Cup semi-final in South Africa.  The United States could have been in awe of Spains 35 game winning streak.  During that period the Spanish team only allowed 11 goals to be scored against them.  On Wednesday the United States soccer team managed to get 2 and that was 1 more than they needed as they ended Spains winning streak with a 2-0 victory.  Now the United States is in the final against another soccer giant in the Brazilian team.  Can they pull 2 major upsets off in a row?

In NBA news Hedo Turkoglu has opted out of his conract with the Orlando Magic.  Turkoglu was due 7.3 million dollars next year but his hoping for a long term contract that would pay him 10 million per year.  Orlando will find it hard to pay that amount since they acquired Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets the day before.  Turkoglu averaged almost 17 points per game this season and was a major factor in the Magics run to the NBA Finals.  Cleveland fans got something to cheer about as Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Cavaliers on Thursday.  Shaq has made a pretty good career by teaming with superstars.  He won 3 NBA titles with Kobe Bryant and one with Dwayne Wade.  Now he has the opportunity to play with LeBron James.  Is another NBA title in his future?

At Wimbledon Roger Federer managed to lose a set to 27th ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber but hung on to win and move on to face Roger Soderling on Monday.  Federer is chasing his record breaking 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.  The chase will get just a little tougher on Monday.  On the ladies side Serena Williams was late for her match against Roberta Vinci of Italy.  The American won fairly easily to move on to play Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

The issue of steroid use in Major League Baseball has been heavily covered for the past few years.  Today the Chicago Sports Writers Association voted to not allow any new guidelines when it comes to voting players to the Hall Of Fame if they have used steroids.  Some of the bigger names who have been in the steroid using limelight is Barry Bonds, Roger Clemons, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez and Mark McGwire.  One of the categories for determining your vote is on character.  This issue has been highly debated.  If performance enhancing drugs made you better than you would have normally been should you get elected to the Hall?  It is my personal opinion that it still takes a very special core of athletic ability to be a superstar.  If you gave any player in the Major Leagues steroids could they break Hank Aarons home run record?  I don’t think so.  The ability has to be there or not.  Would Pete Rose have gotten twice as many hits had he of used steriods? I don’t think so.  These are great baseball players who were great long before they took performance enhancing drugs.  To error is human, to forgive is devine.  These players deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.  Until we meet again good betting and remember to always be a good sport.