Federer Advances to Wimbledon Final – Record Stands to be Broken

Where Is Rafael Nadal When You Need Him?

Roger Federer dispatched of German-born Tommy Haas in straight sets (7-6, 7-5, 6-3) to gain another milestone in the most decorated tennis career in the sports’ rich history. The Sunday final against Andy Roddick or Andy Murray will mark Federer’s 20th Grand Slam final. Of course, that’s not the record that everyone is talking about.

Having already completed his career Grand Slam by winning the French Open earlier this year, Federer joined Pete Sampras in the lead on the all-time list with 14 Grand Slam victories apiece. A triumph over the volatile Roddick or Andy Murray would put Federer in sole-position and crown him as the most accomplished tennis player ever.

The only issue I have, and keep in mind that I’m a big Roger Federer fan, is whether or not he could have earned his 14th Grand Slam had Rafael Nadal stayed healthy. Nadal had creamed Federer at the French Open, winning four of the past five titles before bowing out to injury in this year’s contest. Last year, at Wimbledon, Federer and Nadal played in one of the greatest tennis matches ever with Nadal winning. The fact remains that the 23 year-old Spaniard has beaten Federer in 9-of-15 matches between the two. In fact, he’s won 5 of their last 6 matches with Federer winning at the Mutua Madrilena Masters in Madrid.

But Nadal, who lost his first match at the French Open ever to Robin Soderling this past year, bowed out of contention at Wimbledon due to a knee injury. There’s major fear in the tennis betting world that Nadal’s injury is so serious that it could jeopordize his career, let alone his immediate future. He is the first Wimbledon champion to not defend his crown since Goran Ivanisevic in 2002.

That being said, it’s Federer’s durability and longevity that has put him in the position that he is in right now. “Federer vs. Nadal” has been the best rivalry in sports. It’s been better than Mickelson vs. Woods, Celtics vs. Lakers and Yankees vs. Red Sox in my opinion. Nadal has obviously had the advantage in the matchup against Federer, and it was his mere presence that was the only thing standing in the way of Federer’s legendary Grand Slam run.

With Nadal out of the picture, there’s little doubt that the focused and fierce competitor in Federer would lose to either Roddick or Nadal. Roddick has won just 2-of-17 matches against Federer in his career and Murray doesn’t even come close. To think that either will challenge Federer on the main stage at Wimbledon come Sunday is ludicrous.

What’s not so ludicrous is to believe that had Nadal been healthy, Federer might not be in a position to take the lead on the all-time Grand Slam victories list. In fact, had Nadal been competing, it’s very likely that Federer wouldn’t even be the favorite heading in to Sunday’s match.

For the time being, all hail Roger Federer. Let’s just hope that sports greatest rivalry doesn’t succumb to the injury bug and that Nadal makes a full return so we can enjoy matches between these two for years to come.

Padding your Bankroll from Belmont Park

We finally had a day at Belmont Park where all of the schedule turf races were actually run on the turf course, and I can’t remember the last time that happened.

The play of the day for Thursday comes early in the card, a maiden special weight race for two year olds, a promising field of ten set to go to post including a pair of entries.

The Stanley Hough duo of Royal Stocks and Discreetly Mine gets the call, at least whichever of the two that actually starts.

With jockey Edgar Prado listed to ride both, one will be a late scratch.

Our late Pick 3 play features a couple of turf sprints sandwiched between the $65,000 Wandering Cloud Stakes, which drew a field of six.

Dance Gal Dance and Northern Netti will vie for favoritism in the race, and they are my two picks on our ticket, which for $1 is a $24 investment.

We have a couple of decent prices in the opening ands closing legs of the three race sequence, which should give us a good shot of solving the wager and padding our bankroll.

Today’s Play of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 4 Md Sp Wt (2:36 ET)
#2 Royal Stocks / #2b Discreetly Mine 5/2
#5 Gantry 5/1
#8 Selfless 3/1
#1 Bulls and Bears / #1a Not Macho Any More 9/2

Analysis: #2 Royal Stocks drilled a bullet on 6/30 to cap off a solid looking work tab for his debut here for the Hough barn that is 13% winners with first time starters. The colt is by Concorde’s Tune (9% winners with debut runners) out of the stakes winner Silk Stocks ($93K), who has dropped nine foals to race, all winners, top earner stakes winner Razor ($192K). He looks ready to fire first out.

His entry mate #2b Discreetly Mine also has Edgar aboard, so only one will go. The colt is by Mineshaft (4% with debut runners) out of the stakes winner Pretty Discreet, who has dropped five winners including stakes winners Pretty Wild ($398K) and Discreet Cat ($1.7 million). The colt also has been working sharply in the mornings and either half of the entry here look like they can win here.

#5 Gantry is a $140K Keeneland purchase making his debut for the Hushion barn that is 16% winners with firsters. The colt is by Pulpit out of the stakes winner Rhum ($306K), who has dropped three winners, top earner stakes placed Song of Pirates ($77K). Noting wrong with the way this guy is working and this barn usually has them ready to go early.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 9/5 or better.
EX: 2,5 / 1,2,5,8
TRI: 2,5 / 1,2,5,8 / 1,2,4,5,8

Today’s Pick 3 Play from Belmont Park:

Starting in Race 7: $1: 2,3,4 / 1,6 / 1,2,5,7 = $24

BEL Race 7 Clm $35,000 (4:12 ET)
#3 Innovator, #4 Tempest Storm, #2 Sneaky Girl

#3 Innovator stalked the early pace, split runners in upper stretch and finished well for third last out for this tag, beaten a length for the top spot. The mare was making her first start off a six-month layoff. She has done her best running over the turf here (12-4-3-2) and she is in good hands with the Bond barn. The 6/1 ML looks more than fair.

#4 Tempest Storm set the early fractions and could not hold off the winner late in a runner up finish going 7 1/2 furlongs at Del Park for a $30K tag. The filly looks back on track after getting drilled in her two previous starts. She has won 2 of 3 over the turf here and she busted a couple of bullet works since her last outing.

BEL Race 8 Wandering Cloud S. (4:45 ET)
#1 Dance Gal Dance, #6 Northern Netti

#1 Dance Gal Dance set the early fractions and weakened in the stretch to finish second in the Glowing Horn, which was her first start off a 13-month layoff. The filly won her first four career starts, two of those victories coming in state bred stakes. She returns to face NY breds here in her second start off the bench and she does not need to move forward much off her last effort to win here.

#6 Northern Netti snapped our top pick’s four race win streak last May, and she looks ready to fire a good one here in her second start off a 6 1/2 month layoff. She returned last out against optional claimers for non-winners of four and finished well for fourth while beaten just 3/4 of a length for the top spot. The third place finisher in the race was Casanova Killer, who beat Alw-3 optional claimers in her next outing on 6/25 at Penn. The Weaver barn was off to a very slow start at the meeting but his runners have performed well here over the past couple of weeks.

BEL Race 9 Md Sp Wt (5:17 ET)
#2 Better Than Swiss, #1 Cherry Lady, #7 By the Sky, #5 Petal Meadow

#2 Better Than Swiss is making her first start since last September for the Tony D. barn that is 29% winners with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. The filly was in the mix in all four of her starts on turf last year while under the care of the Albertrani barn including missing by just a neck two back going 5 1/2 furlongs at the Spa. She has two sibs that are winners and they both have shown some talent: 4 for 10 Makani ($56K) and 2 for 7 Lyin’ Heart ($115K).

#1 Cherry Lady dueled for the early lead and held on gamely for second, beaten a half-length for the top spot when coming back from Tampa. She was 3 1/4 lengths clear of the third place finisher Luna Charm, who came back to beat maiden special weight company in her next outing on 6/14. She makes her second start off a two-month break while cutting back to a sprint. She seems to be in the best form of her career right now.

Price Plays From Belmont Park:
These are price plays to watch today. A small win-place wager is in order or if your pockets are deep enough, use these runners in your trifecta and Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagers. One or two of these could be the difference between a regular day at the track and hitting the IRS window with a signer.

R1: #9 Singing My Song 12/1
R2: #8 Chromosphere 12/1
R6: #4 Smokin Pistol 8/1
R9: #5 Petal Meadow 10/1

Good luck padding your bankroll today!

UEFA Champions League Qualifiers Betting Tips

UEFA Champions League qualifiers is a unique opportunity for soccer bettors to preview a whole slew of clubs vying for a berth in the most prestigious European competition and players searching for international glory.

BetOnline is taking action on all the UEFA Champions League qualifiers scheduled on Thursday’s roster as soccer betting continues this week. Here is a preview of several matches and how they might play out.

Soccer Betting Line: NSI Runavik +1400 Draw +700 Rosenborg -1200

Match Time: 02:00 P.M. Eastern Time Thursday July 3, 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: This is one of the more one-sided matchups of the UEFA Champions League. Rosenborg enter as the steep favourites at -1200 while NSI Runavik are huge underdogs. The market is unanimous, Runavik have no hope. This should be a lock for Rosenborg.

Soccer Betting Picks: Rosenborg -1200 is the pick.

Soccer Betting Line: Buducnost +230 Draw +220 Polonia Warszawa Ev

Match Time: 02:00 P.M. Eastern Time Thursday July 3, 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: Buducnost enter this match as the heavy underdogs but they are one of the most successful team in Montenegro, after finishing in second place. They will try to keep their hopes alive. Polonia enter this match at Evens. They really should be favoured for the win methinks but the market indicates they will have their hands full. This one could end in a draw.

Soccer Betting Picks: Draw +220 is the pick.

Soccer Betting Line: Motherwell -450 Draw +450 Llanelli +800

Match Time: 03:00 P.M. Eastern Time Thursday July 3, 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: Even under new management Motherwell are the heavy favourites in this match. They received a Fair Play pass into the qualifiers after finishing their season in seventh place. Llanelli, a small Welsh club, are hopeful and will try to defy the odds today. They finished second in Welsh top division league but the reality is they are a part time club and no match for Motherwell.

Soccer Betting Picks: Motherwell at -450 is the free pick.

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Betting Preview

The CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 is almost upon us, the schedule set. BetOnline brings you a full preview of this exciting summer competition as soccer betting picks up pace.

The competition is divided into three, four team groups. The defending champions USA are in Group B, along with Haiti, Honduras and Grenada. Group A consists of Jamaica, Canada, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Group C includes Mexico, Guadeloupe, Nicaragua and Panama. The top two teams from each group will make the quarterfinals, as will the top two third placed teams. So here is a look at how these groups might play out.

Group A: Costa Rica is considered a powerhouse in this competition and they have sent a good team this year. They are the team to beat in this group. Jamaica though looks solid. They have not lost a competitive match since last September, winning their last three World Cup qualifiers before being eliminated on goal difference. Canada is typically strong in this event (they won it twice). El Salvador are the underdogs but they recently tied US 2-2 proving they can hold their own. The question is whether they can transcend the friendly confines and bring it in the competitive realm.

Favourites: Costa Rica

Dark horse: El Salvador

Group B: Honduras are the team to beat in this group but they send a watered down team to Gold Cup 2009 and the squad faces the adversity of political instability back home. USA are strong contenders in this group as well, coming off a remarkable run into the finals of Confederations Cup before bowing out to Brazil 3-2. However, they are sending a watered down squad as well. Haiti are middleweights in this group that could qualify into the quarterfinals as one of the top two third placed teams. Grenada are long shots.

Favourites: Honduras

Dark horse: United States

Group C: This Group is perhaps the weakest of the three. Mexico have to be considered favourites in this group even though they are not as sharp as in previous years. They are the most successful side in this competition so they can’t be dismissed. Guadeloupe are the surprise qualifiers in this group according to many but they have made significant strides in this competition in 2007 and they are a side to watch. Panama are mired in a huge confidence crisis. They surprisingly didn’t advance past the first round of World Cup qualifiers. They are a huge question mark. Nicaragua are making their Gold Cup debut after knocking out Guatemala.

Favourites: Mexico

Dark horse: Guadeloupe

NCAA Futures – The PAC-10 (Bottom 6)

A QUICK LOOK AT THE PAC-10

As has often been the case during Pete Carroll’s tenure at USC, it’s the Trojans, and then the rest of the pack in this conference.

Let’s go team by team and look at everyone’s prospects:

BetOnline NCAA Futures Betting

To Win Pacific 10 Conference

Arizona +3000

Arizona State +2000

California +500

Oregon +500

Oregon State +1000

Stanford +3300

UCLA +1000

Southern Cal -375

Washington +7500

Washington State +10000

UCLA (+1000 at BetOnline) can’t help but improve on its 4-8 record. The problem for second-year coach Rick Neuheisel is that he has to go with a redshirt freshman at quarterback. Kevin Prince has already been announced as the starter, and if he doesn’t work out it’s likely Kevin Craft, who threw 20 interceptions to go along with seven TD’s in ’08. A piece of good news is that the offensive line looks stronger, because of more experience and the arrival of center Kai Maivia, who transferred from Colorado, and it will have to be because this was the worst rushing team in the conference last season. The difficulty with the defense, which returns seven starters, was not that it lacked talent, but that the offense couldn’t manage to give it a rest. That could once again be the challenge. Look for defensive tackle Brian Price to show up on some All-America lists.

ARIZONA STATE (+200 at BetOnline) failed miserably against the better-caliber teams, and now they will have to go about their business without Rudy Carpenter, the four-year starter at quarterback who graduated. Danny Suillivan, who replaces him, is a senior who completed 35% in limited action last season. The offensive line is a deep bunch, and if Sullivan gets time, he should be able to connect with some decent receivers in Chris McGaha (35 catches), Kerry Taylor (405 yards) and Kyle Wiliams (19.2 yards per catch). Getting a ground attack going, however, is a big priority. There is an athletic defense here, which features a top pass rusher in Dexter Davis. You can’t count on the Sun Devils to be a contender in the Pac-10, but a bowl is not out of the question. The wild card in this mix is freshman quarterback Brock Osweiler, a standout basketball player as well who spurned a scholarship at Gonzaga to vie for the QB spot. If Sullivan isn’t the answer, he can step in.

ARIZONA (+3000 at BetOnline) went to a bowl game last year (and beat BYU), which was a big deal. They lost good players like quarterback Willie Tuitama, wide receiver Mike Thomas and left tackle Eben Britton, but return virtually everyone else. There will probably be more of a burden on running back Nic Grigsby, who averaged 5.4 yards a carry last season, and tight end Rob Gronkowski, who may be one of the nation’s three or four best at his position. This year they’re going to rely on experience to propel the defense, especially up front, where they return the entire two-deep. Look for improvement there, and for the Wildcats to pull off an upset or two.

STANFORD (+3300 at BetOnline) will most likely have a change of hands at the quarterback position. They couldn’t have been too satisfied with Tavila Pritchard and his ratio of ten touchdowns to 13 interceptions, and it is looking more like Andrew Luck, a redshirt freshman with great tools who tossed five TD passes in the spring game, will get a chance at the helm. Still, the focal point of this offense will be stocky running back Toby Gerhart, who averaged 5.4 yards a carry last year on his way to 1136 net yards. With the potential upside of Luck, a reliable Gerhart, and what could be a vastly improved defense, it would be no shocker if Stanford elevated itself into the "first division" of this conference.

WASHINGTON (+7500 at BetOnline) went 0-12 last season, which spelled the end for Tyrone Willingham. Replacing him was Steve Sarkisian, who was spending his time as assistant head coach (in addition to handling the quarterbacks) at USC. He gets 18 starters back, and then there’s Jake Locker, who is a dual threat at quarterback, though he must improve his passing accuracy. He makes things happen, though, and the Huskies’ offense will take on a much different character if he is fully recovered from the broken thumb that kept him out of the last eight games. This team needs to be better at the line of scrimmage – they had no rushing game (2.7 ypc) and allowed opponents to run for 5.7 yards a pop. With more experience, they should improve, however, and give Sarkisian a few wins in his rookie season.

WASHINGTON STATE (+10000 at BetOnline) was quite possibly the worst team in any BCS conference, allowing 58 points or more six times, allowing 43 sacks, going minus-25 in the turnover category, and in general lacking many fundamentals. Quarterback Keith Lopina, who may be the starter again, threw 11 interceptions without a touchdown. With 15 starters back, they should keep the laughter down to a respectable level but they may not win a conference game.

NFL Props – Receiving Yards

The NFL betting season is just over a month away, with the start of the preseason on the horizon. However, you don’t have to wait to get some pigskin wagers in, with a ton of NFL futures already available.

Today’s NFL futures focus is on the “most receiving yards” prop. Bettors may think simply taking last year’s receiving leader is the way to go, but it isn’t that easy considering a different player has led the league in receiving for the last eight seasons.

Last year Andre Johnson led all receivers with 1,575 yards. That was 144 yards more than the next player in line, Larry Fitzgerald, and 155 yards more than Steve Smith. You would think that Johnson would be the favorite to lead the league again, but it is actually Fitzgerald and Smith who are on top of the NFL odds as co-favorites. Fitzgerald and Smith both currently clock in at +600, while Johnson and Reggie Wayne follow them both at +700. Wayne finished with only 1,145 receiving yards last season, but gets respect from the oddsmakers because he led the league in yards in 2007.

Despite Johnson and Fitzgerald finishing one-two in yards last season Smith may actually be the smart pick for bettors. Smith may have finished 155 yards back of Johnson last season, but he actually led the league in receiving yards per game with 101.5. Johnson, to compare, averaged 98.4 per game. The only reason Smith did not overtake Johnson was because he only played 14 games compared to Johnson’s 16 – remember, Smith was suspended for the first two games of the season last year. If Smith can maintain the best receiving average in the league again he should take the receiving title for the second time in his career; Smith led the league in receiving during the 2005 season.

The big question mark this year is Randy Moss. Last season Moss recorded only 1,008 yards with Matt Cassel throwing him the ball. Now, with Tom Brady back, Moss’ numbers should quickly bounce back to where they usually are. Will that be enough to get him the league lead in yards? It may not be, because when Brady and Moss were breaking records in 2007 he still finished second in the league behind Wayne. In his 11-year NFL career Moss has never led the league in receiving, but he has been in the Top 3 five times. That’s why he is a +1200 underdog on the NFL odds.

CFL Picks – Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Edmonton Eskimos

Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Edmonton Eskimos 9:00 ET

Opening weekend of the CFL betting season continues on Thursday night from Commonwealth Stadium, where sports betting aficionados will have yet another chance to sink their teeth into some great football betting action. BetOnline Sportsbook will have all of your betting needs covered for the clash between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-10, 7-9-2 ATS in 2008) and the Edmonton Eskimos (10-8, 9-8-1 ATS in 2008).

The oddsmakers are in love with the Eskimos this season, and it’s showing on the opening weekend CFL betting odds, as they’ve been made hefty 8.5-point favorites, while the ‘total’ has been set at 51.5.

Over the past several seasons, the cogs that made the Blue Bombers go were QB Kevin Glenn, RB Charles Roberts, and WR Milt Stegall. But Glenn (free agency), Blink (trade), and Uncle Milt (retired) have all moved on from Winnipeg, and the team is forced to start anew. The new wave of Blue Bombers will be headed up by QB Stefan LeFors, who backed up QB Ricky Ray in Edmonton the L/2 seasons. There’s still a big question mark about how well LeFors, a University of Louisville product, can do at this level. He wasn’t even good enough to be the second string man last season, as Jason Maas took that responsibility. As a result, LeFors only threw four passes all season, one of which was picked off.

RB Fred Reid showed some flashes last season, but he isn’t amongst the best backs the league has to offer. If there is one bright spot for the Bombers, it’s at wide receiver, where Derick Armstrong, Terrence Edwards, and Romby Bryant all have NFL-type talent. The defense is stock full of new names, and is a big reason why the team will have a whopping 20 new names on the roster this season.

Thanks to the additions of DB Kelly Malveaux, DE Kai Ellis, and RB Jesse Lumsden, the green and gold really feel like they have a shot at taking all the marbles this season after a couple of sub-par years. New HC Richie Hall was the man that led Saskatchewan’s defense to the Grey Cup two years ago, and many in Canada feel as though his time to become a head coach in this league was far overdue. Many also think that the subtraction of former coach, the much-maligned Danny Maciocia, will aid the club. Capping the Eskies is pretty easy. As goes Ricky Ray, so will go the Eskimos. Ray led the CFL last year in both completion percentage (69.8%) and passing yards (5,661), and he is largely accepted as one of the best in the biz over the L/10 years or so. He leads an offense that averaged 25.6 points per game last season, but that average should go up thanks to the addition of Lumsden, who, when healthy, is arguably one of the best backs in the league.

Winnipeg has the longest Grey Cup drought of any team in the CFL at 18 years. They’re probably not going to be taking too many steps in the right direction this year, as it’s clearly a rebuilding era. Though LeFors has looked at this Edmonton defense for his entire career in practice, this defense knows him just as well. Expect to see some jitters early on from the young starter, while the veteran, Ray eats up a questionable defense.

Rose’s Recommendation: 3* Edmonton Eskimos (-8.5)

(Rating Scale 1* – 5*)

NFL Sneak Peak – The Denver Broncos

NFL Football Futures Betting

The Denver Broncos looked awesome at the start of the season, as Jay Cutler was making sweet connections with a great wide receiver tandem in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. By the end of the season, things had deteriorated to the point where owner Pat Bowlen fired Mike Shanahan, who was generally considered the most powerful coach in the NFL. Things haven’t gotten much better since.

So is there a light at the end of this very long tunnel?

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

Odds To Win AFC West

San Diego Chargers -300

DENVER BRONCOS +400

Kansas City Chiefs +800

Oakland Raiders +1000

To Win Super Bowl: +4000

To Win AFC title: +2000

To Reach Conference title game: +1000

Regular Season Wins: Over 7 -110, Under 7 -120

Much has been made about the personality conflicts that led to Jay Cutler being traded out of Denver. It’s been well-documented, although it is unclear how much of a clash of egos it really was. Josh McDaniels, the new coach (and former offensive coordinator in New England) forced the situation, and he had the backing of owner Pat Bowlen, who had made the bold move of getting rid of Mike Shanahan. Somewhere along the way McDaniels must have insisted to Bowlen that his team could win without Cutler, so that is where the pressure will come down hard on him if things really go awry.

Denver has one of the best groups of receivers in the NFL, when you consider the accomplishments of Brandon Marshall (206 receptions in the last two years), Eddie Royal (91 catches for 980 yards as a rookie), Brandon Stokley (30 career TD’s) and Jabar Gaffney (74 catches the last two years for the Patriots). The hard part is that it is almost guaranteed that there will be a mediocre quarterback throwing to them. Chris Simms, who was picked up as a free agent after being unwanted in Nashville, and Kyle Orton, who came over in the Cutler deal, will battle it out. Both of them have been starters in the NFL, and both have seen playoff action. However, those post-season appearances were with teams who could really play some defense. Denver doesn’t fit into that category. When you also consider that Marshall wants out of Denver, that is never a good sign. The good news is that whoever is throwing the ball gets protection from Ryan Clady, who had a brilliant rookie year and who, according to a few scouts I talked to, is the best left tackle in the league – right now.

The running game, which has long been a source of pride in the Mile High City, disappeared last year, but it was because of injuries to all the running backs. The Broncos had to re-stock, and they didn’t do a bad job. They’ll have a nice committee, which will include holdover fullback Peyton Hillis, a nice surprise at five yards a carry when he was pressed into service, along with free agents Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan and J.J. Arrington, and the anxiously-awaited newcomer, first-round draft pick Knowshon Moreno. There is no reason to believe this team won’t be able to run the ball.

The defense was a shambles last season, ranking 29th in the league. There were problems two seasons ago as well, but Shanahan never sufficiently addressed them with personnel moves. As far as the defensive line and linebackers are concerned, it’s the same old story this year. They allowed five yards a carry, and if people like rookie Robert Ayers, another first-round pick, don’t help immediately, it could happen again. On top of this, they are going to a 3-4 alignment. The secondary offers a little encouragement, with Brian Dawkins coming on board, joining Champ Bailey, who can still play, along with newcomers Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill.

You would figure there to be enough talent to get to the .500 mark, but the quarterback situation makes a big difference. Being in a weak division, there is a chance for four AFC West wins, but I wouldn’t count on that. There are non-division games with Dallas, New England, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia and the New York Giants. There isn’t a big upside, but there sure is a big downside. This club won’t get to eight victories, and won’t get to seven either, so that’s an UNDER (-120) in the BetOnline NFL Futures betting odds.

Dementieva and Serena fight for a spot in final

London, Great Britain – Both Wimbledon women’s singles semi-finals feature a Russian taking on an American, (or a Williams come to that). The first semi-final billing is between No.1 Dinara Safina and No.3 Venus Williams. The second billing on the ledger on Thursday as Wimbledon tennis betting continues is between No.2 Serena Williams and No.4 Elena Dementieva. The big question in the tennis betting market is: can the Russians stop the Williamses domination of the most coveted of all the four majors.

Serena Williams finished runner-up last year at the All England Club when she lost to sister Venus. She is a match-win away from reaching back-to-back finals after dismissing a petulant Viktoria Azarenka in straight sets. Standing in her way of Saturday’s title match is Elena Dementieva of Russia who beat Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-2 to earn her place in the final four. Williams has the lifetime edge over Dementieva and the market favours Serena Williams to advance into the final. Might Dementieva have something to say about that.

Tennis Betting Line: Elena Dementieva +325 Serena Williams -550

Match Time: 06:00 A.M. Eastern Time Thursday July 2 2009

Head-to-Head Series: Serena Williams leads the series 5-3; they met as recently as the Aussie Open semis where Williams beat Dementieva 6-3, 6-4, en route to the title. They played once on grass way back in 2003. Ironically, it was at Wimbledon in the R16. Williams defeated Dementieva 6-2, 6-2 and went on to win the title in that year as well. In 2009, they are level 1-1. Dementieva beat Serena Williams in Sydney 6-3, 6-1.

Tennis Betting Analysis: This should be an interesting matchup. Serena Williams has looked simply awesome at the All England Club. She was in fact even tipped ahead of sister Venus as the favourite to win the title. Serena has had a better year than Venus. She is on-form. And most importantly, she has already a Grand Slam title on the season. She takes a 5-3 mark against Dementieva and the confidence from her victory over Dementieva at the Aussie Open.

Elena Dementieva has done well to reach the Wimby semis. She faced little trouble along the way to her second-ever Wimbledon semi. She has a respectable overall record against Serena Williams, which includes a three-consecutive match-winning streak that ended at the Aussie Open semis. Dementieva beat Serena Williams twice in 2008 in Moscow and at the Beijing Olympics (semis) en route to the gold medal. In 2009, she beat Serena Williams in Sydney.

Tennis Betting Verdict: The tennis betting line would not suggest it but Dementieva has a shot at beating Serena Williams. She has done so before. That said, beating Serena at a major is one of the hardest things to do. Dementieva failed twice at the majors against Serena, once early in their careers and just recently. This is her third shot at Serena and perhaps her best shot. She is on form this season with two titles and an impressive 34-10 record. While Serena is a good play to go to the final, tennis bettors could do worse than risk a small wager on Dementieva should she orchestrate the upset. For my part, I am hoping for an all-Russian final so my pick is Dementieva.

Tennis Free Picks: Dementieva in three sets.