The Sportsbook Gazette Weekly Sports Roundup is here. We will take this opportunity once a week to offer a complete overview of the latest sports news all in one article for the sports enthusiast who desires the whole scoop and nothing but the scoop all on one page. Lets take a look at the world of sports today.

NFL

In the National Football League the rumors are still flying about Brent Farve and his possible escape from retirement to quarterback the Minnesota Vikings. The jury is still out as to how much juice Farve still has and the options he could actually bring to the Vikings offense. The Vikings already have a great defense and one of the best running backs in the NFL in Adrian Peterson. All Farve would have to do is control the game and the Vikings could be a serious contender this year. But the potential of Farve coming out of retirement seems slim at this point. Nor the Vikings or Farve are willing to admit Farve is a possibility in Minnesota. More on NFL Betting!

NBA Finals

The NBA Finals tipped off Thursday night in Los Angeles between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. The bottom line is simple. The Lakers came to Staples Arena hungry to play and the Magic did not. Dwight Howard the ‘off center’ center for Orlando could only put together a 12 -point outing and the Magic shot a dismal 30% from the floor. Orlando failed to get defensive rebounds because they couldn’t get close enough to the basket. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers scored 40 explosive points the most ever by him in a finals game. Bryant was hungry enough for both teams as he did his best to ward off the demons from last years finals when the Lakers lost to the Celtics. The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Magic in game 1 winning 100-75. The Magic were well aware of their shortcomings Thursday night. Only game 2 will tell if they made the proper adjustments. More on NBA Betting!

Stanley Cup Finals

If you had already counted the Pittsburgh Penguins out of the Stanley Cup Finals you better think again. They approached game 4 in Pittsburgh faced with the possibility of allowing the Detroit Red Wings to go back home with a 3-1 advantage in the race for the Stanley Cup.

The Red Wings jumped out to a 2-1 lead and it seemed evident that this series was heading down the same road as last year when the Red Wings defeated the Penguins in 6 games. Just when all seemed hopeless the Penguins caught fire and scored 3 points over a five and a half minute stretch. The Red Wings never recuperated and Pittsburgh hailed victorious 4-2. With the series now tied 2-2 and going back to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Saturday night for game 5 the odds are changing like a woman’s mind. The Stanley Cup is definitely still up for grabs. More on NHL Betting!

French Open Final

Roger Federer needs only to beat Robin Soderling of Sweden on Sunday in the French Open Final to take home his first French Open Title. Watch Roger Federer vs Robin Soderling video!

But that is not all. If he wins he will tie Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam Singles Titles. In addition he will become only the sixth man in tennis history to have a career Grand Slam winning a title from each of tennis’ four majors. Federer has beaten Soderling in all 9 previous matches. Sunday he would like nothing better than to make it 10. More on Tennis Betting!

The world of sports is still unpredictable. The power of competition and the strength of the human spirit still make it hard to pick winners within the shadow of a doubt.

The difference between being champions and coming in the easily forgettable runner up is found somewhere in the heart and soul of the athletes who devote their lives to the sports that offer us so much pleasure. All is as it should be.

Here is a look at the respective Online Tennis Odds on the top players at the 2008 French Open, followed by a brief analysis and selection on who will actually win.

May 25-June 3

To Win the 2008 Men’s French Open

Best Bets

Rafael Nadal -175

Roger Federer +350

Novak Djokovic +500

David Ferrer +2000

Mikhail Youzhny +6500

Solid Selections

David Nalbandian +1400

Start betting on 2008 French Open now at BetUS and receive a $50 free bonus.

Analysis: Don’t even bother to drag this pick out since everyone knows that World No. 2 Rafael Nadal is the clear-cut favorite to win this tournament. While you can pick ‘Rafa’ to win the whole thing, I also believe several other players will be big money-makers for online tennis bettors, before eventually bowing out.

Bettors will be looking at a semifinal quartet featuring Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer, who is also the dark horse player to win the entire 2008 French Open tournament.

Mikhail Youzhny, Nikolai Davydenko and another player not on this list, Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, are also going to be money-makers for bettors in this tournament, with Tsonga actually having an outside chance to reach the semis.

In the end, The world’s top two players, Federer and Nadal to meet in the finals with ‘Rafa’ going on to win his fourth consecutive French Open title, the only grand slam title he may be capable of winning.

Check all 2008 French Open odds here.

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Austrian online gambling group strikes back for the industry

The Vienna-listed online gambling group Bwin has revealed that it has taken the organisers of the French Open tennis tournament to court for slander in a legal counterattack following litigation to ban Internet betting at the Grand Slam tournament.

The case dates back to February this year, when the tennis organisers filed complaints in Belgium and Paris claiming that computer betting companies stain the reputation of the clay-court championship.

“Following claims by the French tennis federation that services offered by online sports betting operators present a danger to the ethics of sport, Bwin is suing the organisers of the French Open for damages before a Paris court,” a Bwin statement advised.

A Belgian court in Liege heard arguments in the case last Friday and is expected to rule before the French Open starts on May 25.

The issue of integrity in tennis surfaced last year when an online betting site – Betfair.com – voided all wagers on a match in Poland between fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko and 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello because of irregular betting patterns.

The French federation is suing Bwin, Betfair and Ladbrokes – demanding a court injunction to stop these companies from taking bets on the French Open. It seeks a fine of Euro 50 000 euros a day for any violations (see previous InfoPowa report).

Bwin spokesman Antoine Costanzo claims that the head of the French tennis federation made slanderous comments when he launched the court case and that his company seeks Euro 1 million in damages as a consequence. Bwin claims legal standing because it is a major provider of online gaming entertainment.

Countering the allegations of French Open organisers, the European Gaming and Betting Association said that the Internet is an excellent tool to trace any irregularities in betting operations. The organisation, which has most of Europe’s top online gambling companies among its members, said Internet operations left “…a perfect audit trail, one that can, where appropriate, be shared with regulators and other authorities in order to trace bets and hence provide valuable evidence in the fight against fraud.”

French Open organisers said that betting companies are tainting the reputation of the tournament and unfairly using it as a way of making money. They argued that if a match-fixing scandal hit the French Open, it would undermine the value of the tournament, which in 2007 had revenue of Euro 118 million and attracted 450 000 fans to Roland Garros.

The EGBA insisted betting companies stood to lose just as much. “Any match-fixing would penalise bookmakers severely as they take financial risk when setting odds for all sporting events,” it said in a statement.

Vienna-based bwin has said it was confident it would be able to stave off the legal challenge, insisting it does no more than offer a fair and legal service. Along with football and horse racing, tennis is among the most popular sports to bet on in Europe.