Horse Bet of the Day – Nicole H Could Do it at 15 to 1 in Race 7 at Hollywood Park on Thursday

Not often does a 15 to 1 shot look like it has a chance to beat a Grade I winner but that appears to be the case in Race 7 at Hollywood Park on Thursday.

The David Hoffman’s trained Nicole H has a legitimate shot to beat her more well-known rival, Crisp, in Race 7 at Hollywood Park on July 1st.

Wouldn’t cashing a win bet on a 15 to 1 shot be a nice way to open up the July 4th weekend?

Horse Bet of the Day – Thursday

• Where: Hollywood Park – Race 7
• When: July 1st, 2010 at 12:53 a.m. EST (9:35 p.m. PST)
• TV: TVG

$60,000 Le Cle Stakes

For Fillies and Mares Three-Years-Old

1 mile over turf

8-Nicole H – - 15/1 morning line horse betting odds

Nicole H is 1-4-2 out of 7 lifetime races.

That’s not a sterling record, but it’s not bad. What’s even better is the fact that she goes first time on the grass in this. Since Mr. Greeley sired her, there’s no reason to believe she won’t excel over the turf, but that’s not the most exciting thing about her.

The most exciting thing about her is the fact that even though she’s listed as a closer, Nicole H has the ability to run close to the lead. In other words, she’s incredibly versatile meaning that if jockey Alonso Quinonez needs to stay close to the speed, he can.

If he needs to pull back and make a run from off of the pace, he can. Nicole H has a huge shot at grabbing the win money in this race on Thursday.

2-It Tiz – - 5/2 morning line horse betting odds

There is other speed in this race, but It Tiz doesn’t necessarily need the lead. She can lie behind the Bob Baffert trained Crisis Of Spirit and likely front-runner I’m Never Wrong and let the two of them duke it out.

If It Tiz can get first jump over Nicole H, Crisp and Glory Pride, then she no doubt could win this race. She’s a must use in the exotics based on the victory in her last race and the likely pace.

1-Glory Pride – - 6/1 morning line horse betting odds

Glordy Pride should be able to save all of the ground after breaking from the 1 hole.

She will need the right pace set-up to get there in time, but she could get it considering that she will be within striking distance of the leaders after saving ground. Hopefully, jockey Joe Talamo will be able to squeeze her through an opening as they turn for home.

She too is a must use in the exotics even though her chances of winning aren’t better than It Tiz’s.

Horse Wagering Strategy

The morning line on Nicole H makes her a serious overlay in this race.

I will bet her to win and place. I will also bet an exacta with Nicole H. over Glory Pride and It Tiz. I will bet a trifecta keying It Tiz and Nicole H over Glory Pride, Crisp, Crisis Of Spririt, over ALL.

I will bet another trifecta keying Glory Pride, Crisp, Crisis of Spirit over Nicole H, It Tiz, over ALL.

Good luck!

Log onto the top horse racing sportsbook on the Internet and bet the ponies!

Monmouth Park is Back in Action – Horse Racing Picks

Monmouth Park is back in action today, starting a four day holiday weekend of racing with an outstanding 12 race card that kicks off at 12:50 ET.

There was good news coming out of the Jersey Shore yesterday, as 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra will be back in action later this month at the track.

Owner Jess Jackson announced yesterday that the filly would make her next start in the $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on July 24 at Monmouth Park.

The track spruced up the purse from $150,000, changed the distance from 1 1/16 miles, and the original date, which was Aug. 1.

One of the fillies most impressive scores came at Monmouth Park last summer when she won the Haskell Invitational (G1).

Monmouth Park continues to be a thorn in the side of New York racing. The NYRA was hoping Rachel Alexandra would make her next start at Saratoga.

Today’s play of the day comes from Belmont Park, where Muhaawara will be very tough to beat in a first level allowance race.

The Late Pick 3 comes from the Jersey Shore, and it appears we can beat all three likely favorites in the three-race sequence.

Today’s Play of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 6 Alw $52,000N1X (3:40 ET)
#5 Muhaawara   7/2
#4 Zonga Zing   4/1
#6 White Chiffon   3/1
#3 Biz Jet   4/1

Analysis: #5 Muhaawara set the early fractions and could not hold off Belle of the Hall, who came back to win the $200K Jostle at Philly in her next start on June 12. Our top pick has now run into repeat winners in four of her last five starts. She has the pedigree to be a nice one, out of the stakes winner Habibti ($565K), who has dropped two other winners including Eldaafar ($322K).

#4 Zonga Zing was a good looking winner in her debut, then pressed the early pace and weakened to finish eighth in the Inaugural in her last start. That stake at Presque Isle has produced a pair of next out winners. She makes her first start on conventional dirt here.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 4,5 / 3,4,5,6
TRI: 4,5 / 3,4,5,6 / 3,4,5,6,7

Today’s Pick 3 Play from Monmouth Park:

Starting in Race 10: $1: 8,10 / 1,3,7,11 / 2,3,4 = $24

MTH Race 10 Alw $80,000N1X (5:23 ET)
#8 Spiteful Gypsy, #10 Embroidery

#8 Spiteful Gypsy makes her first start since last fall and her first go over grass. She showed some promise winning her first two career starts, then was sent to the sidelines after checking in sixth against Alw-1 foes at Philly. She should take to turf, out of the stakes winner Leo’s Gypsy Dancer ($457K) who won twice on turf and has dropped three other winners including two on turf. The Fawkes barn is 26% winners (with a +ROI) with horses returning off a +180 day layoff.

#10 Embroidery and our third choice #9 Naseeb will need scratches to get in off the AE list, and they both fit well here if they manage to get into the race.

MTH Race 11 Clm $7,500B (5:50 ET)
#7 Shawhan Select, #1 Eddie Loves Money, #3 Goodness Greycious, #11 Summitting

#7 Shawhan Select came with a six wide run and rallied strongly to finish in the runner up spot last out behind a gate to wire winner who was taking full advantage of a inside speed favoring racing strip. He as claimed out of the race by the Rigatteri barn that is 23% winners first off the claim. The barn is still seeking its first win at the meeting (0 for 14), and this gelding looks like he can run this group down of he gets a fairer surface.

#1 Eddie Loves Money acted up at the gate and was not a threat last out in his first start for the Klesaris barn, who took this guy from The Wolf Man. He was claimed again, today making his first start for the Pompay barn that is 47% winners (with a +ROI) first off the claim. He is better than he shoed last out and while I generally avoid runners exiting barns like Wolfendale and Klesaris, this barn is strong with recent buys.

MTH Race 12 Md $10,000 (6:17 ET)
#3 Five Pesos, #4 Comfy Cozie, #2 Vanaema

#3 Five Pesos ships in from Chuck Town where the filly was a decent third in two trips over the tight turns at the WV track. She drops in for a tag while making her first start for the Volk barn here. She is out of the stakes placed Avalos ($209K) and she has had four morning drills over the main track here for her local debut.

#4 Comfy Cozie makes her first start since November for the Sacco barn that is 16% winners with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. She drops into a soft spot here for her return off the bench.

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.

R2: #3 Police Chatter   10/1
R4: #6 Fortitude   10/1
R7: #4 east Coaster   10/1
R8: #6 Into My Soul   8/1

Good luck padding your bankroll today!

Van Pelt and Overton May Have Possibilities

Golf bettors know that as the British Open approaches, they are going to be looking for an up-and-coming player or two they can put into their handicapping mix, and the answers may come out of this week’s AT&T National, where Bo Van Pelt and Jeff Overton, two players who have had some success on tour and are on thr rise, are poised for that big break that will catapult them into the game’s upper echelon. They tee it up on Thursday, along with the rest of the field, at the Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, PA. In head-to-head tournament betting props, Van Pelt is the -150 favorite to finish ahead of Overton, the betting underdog at +120.

Golf Betting
AT&T National
July 1-4
Aronimink Golf Club – Newton Square, PA

TV Schedule
(All times Eastern)

• Thursday (7/1) — Golf Channel 2-6 PM,  7:30-11:30 PM 
• Friday (7/2) — Golf Channel 2-6 PM,  7:30-11:30 PM 
• Saturday (7/3) — Golf Channel 1-2:30 PM, 9:30-12:30 PM, CBS 3-6 PM  
• Sunday (7/4) — Golf Channel 12-1:30 PM,  CBS 2-6:30 PM

Tournament Betting Matchup
1:05 PM ET
BO VAN PELT  -150
JEFF OVERTON  +120

Bo Van Pelt is not a youngster; in fact, he turned 35 just a month and a half ago. But he is continuing some of the steady play that won him more than $1.9 million last year. Check that – he is in fact, going to eclipse that previous career high in money on, as he is only $8000 off that entire total from last year. Van Pelt has not won yet this year, but he has finished in the top five on four different occasions – with third place ties at the Verizon Heritage and the Memorial, and a tie for fourth at the Players Championship. All of his five top-ten finishes (five in all) have come in the last eight tournaments, so it is not like is struggling for form. However, some bettors point to hiccups suffered at the US Open, where he was tied for 40th (with an 82 in the third round not helping matters) and tied for 34th at the Travelers. Yes, he has to play better to be a factor, but you know, that’s always a possibility when you lead the entire tour in birdies, as he does (263). He is fifth in the category of Total Driving, and that is going to be important at Aronimink.

Jeff Overton has climbed steadily up the FedEx Cup points list the least several years, from 111th in 2007 to 18th right now. He has started 17 events on tour this year, and while he has missed the cut in seven of them, he’s been the runner-up twice – in the Zurich Classic in New Orleans and the Byron Nelson Championship – and placed third at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. At Colonial, Overton blistered the course with a first-round 63. He was in the top dozen finishers in three events in a row, then was not a qualifier for the US Open and missed the cut at the Travelers Championship. Overton is one of the young players who can really boom it off the tee, hitting it 293 yards per drive, but you can bet that he is going to have some problems if he continues to struggle with accuracy, because Aronimink will make him pay. Overton is only 173rd on tour in driving accuracy percentage, and when you consider that there are 144 players in most events, you know that he has a hill to climb. However, he has made great strides, winning more money this year than he has in the four previous years combined. One of the things he credits is working with a new caddie, Eric Larson, who had worked with another up-and-comer, Anthony Kim, for the last two years. He’s driving the ball farther than he has in the recent past, and if he can harness some more control out of that driver, the 27-year-old is going to be making birdies on a lot more of the par-4 holes.

Still, I’d like to see that kind of control before I bet on it.

JAY’S BETTING PLAY:  VAN PELT (-150) ** 
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

St. Louis Appears Set to Take Down Milwaukee on Thursday Night

The St. Louis Cardinals appear set to beat the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night and win the first of a 4-game July 4 th weekend series.

The Cardinals are the favorites in the MLB sportsbook due in large part to the fact that Blake Hawksworth, one of the pitchers filling in for injured Brad Penny and injured Kyle Lohse, has suddenly become a starting rotation force. Hawksworth was brilliant in his last start giving up only 2 hits and 1 earned run in 5 innings of a 5 to 3 St. Louis victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Now, Hawksworth will attempt to stop one of he best offensive teams in Major League Baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals

Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

When: July 1 st, 2010 at 8:15 pm EST

TV: Milwaukee – FSN-HD

St. Louis – FS-M

Radio: Milwaukee – WTMJ 620

St. Louis – KTRS 550

MLB Betting Odds

Milwaukee Brewers

Randy Wolf – L +1 ½ -175 +115 O 9 ½ -105

St. Louis Cardinals

Blake Hawksworth – R -1 ½ +155 -135 U 9 ½ -115

The baseball betting trends favor neither team in this game.

• The Milwaukee Brewers are 4 and 1 in their last 5 games after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
• The Milwaukee Brewers are 1 and 6 in Randy Wolf’s last 7 starts after 4 days of rest.
• The St. Louis Cardinals are 5 and 1 in their last 6 games following a loss.
• The St. Louis Cardinals are 1 and 4 in their last 5 games as a favorite of -110 to -150.

There is a lot to look at in regards to this game. For instance, Blake Hawksworth technically is starting for the first time in 2010. Yes, he did pitch a full 5 innings the last time he took the mound but that wasn’t manager Tony LaRussa’s intention.

He wanted to use Hawksworth and some other pitchers from his bullpen during the early innings of the Cardinals’ victory over the Royals last Saturday. Hawksworth just turned out to be too good, but can the reliever do it again versus one of the best offensive teams in MLB? The Brewers bat .261 as a team and put up 4.86 runs per game. Hawksworth has had success against the Brewers as a reliever, allowing only 1 run in 8 innings of duty, but starting a game is much different then coming out of the bullpen in relief.

Milwaukee’s Randy Wolf isn’t exactly a lock to pitch well in tonight’s game either. Wolf is 5 and 7 with a 4.92 ERA. Against the Cardinals, Wolf is 0 and 1 with a 4.73 ERA in 2 starts this year. He’s walked 7 batters in 13 2/3 innings against the Cardinals.

This is a difficult game to call either way. Because of that, I’m going to turn to the total.

To me, neither guy is probably going to come out and do very well on the mound but I do believe that LaRussa will pull Hawksworth right away if he gives up more than 2 runs. Wolf will have to stick it out for a while, but he figures to give up only 4 runs before being pulled.

At first glance, I believed that this game was going to go over 9 ½ runs for sure, but now I believe it goes under. LaRussa will use all of his relievers to keep things under control and the Cardinals, even though they’ve had success against Wolf this year, are only batting .246 against lefties.

I’m going to bet that this game goes under the total of 9 ½.

MLB Sportsbook Pick: Under 9 ½ -115

Wimbledon Semi-final Betting Tips – Serena Williams vs. Petra Kvitova

London, England – Serena Williams is odds on favourite to overcome Petra Kvitova, and convincingly at that, in the Wimbledon semis to secure a spot in the tournament’s final movement. The tennis betting market on this match is open, and the action is heating up as bets pour in.

Here is the lowdown on the BetOnline market currently available:

Tennis Betting Line:
Serena Williams -5½ -140 -2000 19 O +105 U -145
Petra Kvitova +5½ Ev +800 19 O +105 U -145

First Set Line:
Serena Williams -1000 9½ O +145 U -190
Petra Kvitova +500 9½ O +145 U -190

Second Set Line:
Serena Williams -1000 9½ O +145 U -190
Petra Kvitova +500 9½ O +145 U -190

Match Time: 07:00 AM Eastern Time (13:00 Local Time) Thursday July 1, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Just about everybody is tipping Serena Williams to win this match and secure a spot in the finale. Bookies have Serena as the untouchable favourite at -2000 to win outright, and the whopping -1000 favourite to take the first and second set. Few are considering Kvitova has any shot in this match, which underscores the refrain, smart money is on Serena.

Tennis bettors looking to back Serena can be inspired by this confidence. Truth is, there isn’t a whole lot of money to be made on Serena when she is as sure a play as any other in the market is. For value bets, Serena backers might fancy the Asian handicap and totals to complement their plays. Serena is favoured at – 5 ½ -140 and if she is half as convincing as most expect her to be that would be a good bet. In addition, taking the Under 19 on the match totals at -145 is the preferred complement to all other bets on Serena as it would uphold the schooling of Kvitova that just about everybody tips in this match.

Kvitova backers shouldn’t be put out. After all, aside from the strength of her run at Wimby, little else supports any idea Kvitova might upset Serena. That is not to say she will not but just to point out there is little evidence to go on.

Kvitova just watched her compatriot and friend Berdych (they train at the same Tennis Centre) upset the maestro, the defending champion Roger Federer in the quarters. That feat might compel Kvitova to similar heroics.

Kvitova happened upon Serena at the Australian Open earlier this year but succumbed meekly, 6-2, 6-1. The way she has carried herself through the Wimbledon draw leads me to believe she can account much better than that against Serena this time around.

Kvitova is a long shot bet at +800 to win outright and to all intents and purposes a hallucinatory play amongst many pundits. She is a +500 large bet to take the first or the second set.

Wimbledon this year has been strange. Hasn’t it been upset riddled, as it never was before. Notice a different look about this Wimbledon as well: there hasn’t been a raindrop in sight. Weird. Therefore, with this complete redress of Wimbledon, wouldn’t a champion makeover be par for the course.

Just to be contrarian, I will pick Kvitova to mastermind the upset. I recognize there is nothing solid to base this pick on, save for a hunch – a feeling that perhaps the tide in the women’s game might be on the verge of shifting. Recall if you will the Wimbledon final between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. Few predicted Masa would beat Serena, and so convincingly.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the Williams’ sisters. And what they have brought to the game is immeasurable; we owe them an immense debt of gratitude.

Yet, increasingly, more and more Cinderella’s are arriving at the ball and they are becoming less and less awestruck and addle brained in the presence of the Williams’. Kvitova is a 6’1” left-handed power-player and no wilting flower. If the shoe fits, why not this Cinderella.

Tennis Free Picks: Kvitova in three sets

World Cup Betting – Picks for the Quarterfinal Games

The quarterfinals have arrived! There are many games and lots of opportunities to make plenty of money at the World Cup.

Here are my winning picks for this upcoming weekend.

Holland vs. Brazil: July 2, 10 AM ET- N. Mandela Bay

Holland has faced Brazil two times in the last 20 years at the World Cup. Both of these games resulted in amazingly close matches; expect the same in this game.

These two teams have been among the best in the competition, leaving few doubts about their game.

Brazil balances an effective way to play that is hard to find in this competition. They don’t give any space to the opponent on defense, but when they steal the ball, they have enough weapons to give anyone a headache.

This will be the biggest challenge yet for both teams, but in the end, the smart bet is on Brazil. Keep in mind that history plays a part in this competition.

• Holland +320
• Draw +235
• Brazil -115
• O/U 2.5

My World Cup Betting pick: Take Brazil and the Over.

Uruguay vs. Ghana: July 2, 14:30 PM ET – Soccer City

These two teams are defensive ones; this game will be so close that it might be end up being boring.

Uruguay loves to be organized on defense and then to attack in slow but an effective manner.

Ghana, on the other side, is pretty good at letting the other team have the ball possession without giving anything away, and to then attack.

The right bet will be Uruguay here. They have more offensive weapons and can create more scoring chances than Ghana, and in my opinion, they will end up winning 1-0.

• Uruguay +105
• Draw +230
• Ghana +265
• O/U 2

My pick: Take Uruguay and the Under.

Argentina vs. Germany: July 3, 10 AM ET

Another two teams that combine greatness and a lot of history are Argentina and Germany. Both will meet again, after the Germans beat the Argentineans in penalties four years ago.

This Argentina team is yet to be tested, especially their defense, which hasn’t had any trouble in the first four games of this World Cup.

Soccer betting fans must realize that Diego Maradona has only used one tactical system. I need to see him correcting problems to find if he is truly a tactician or not.

Joachim Low, on the other side, has proven to me his capabilities, and I just can’t get enough of this Muller-Ozil-Podolski triangle that Germany has.

• Argentina +130
• Draw +225
• Germany +210
• O/U 2.5

My World Cup Wagering pick: Bet Germany.

Paraguay vs. Spain: July 3, 14:30 PM ET – Ellis Park

Spain is the ultimate favorite, while Paraguay already made their best achievement of the tournament.

This one is pretty easy; as I can see no room for an upset.

• Paraguay +600
• Draw +265
• Spain -200
• O/U 2

My pick: Bet Spain and the Under.

Wimbledon Semi-Final Betting Tips – Zvonareva vs. Pironkova

London, England – Wimbledon betting is heating up as the tournament reaches the penultimate round, the semi-finals.

On the books, we have two stellar matchups, the first of which, between defending champion Serena Williams and Czech rising star, Petra Kvitova is the marquee billing on the day; and the second features Russian Vera Zvonareva and Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.

Russian Vera Zvonareva is through to her first Wimbledon semi-final ever, second career Grand Slam semi-final, and she is on the verge of reaching her first-ever final at this level.

Standing in her way is a surprising Tsvetana Pironkova, who is after dumping Venus Williams in the quarterfinals.

For Pironkova, her Wimbledon run embodies a series of firsts. She is also the first Bulgarian to ever reach the Wimbledon semis.

This is unchartered territory for the 22-year-old Plovdiv native and a pivotal moment in her career and Bulgarian tennis as a whole.

Tennis Betting Line:

Vera Zvonareva -3½ -140 -275 21½ O -115 U -125

Tsvetana Pironkova +3½ Ev +190 21½ O -115 U -125

First Set Line:

Vera Zvonareva -200 9½ O Ev U -140

Tsvetana Pironkova +150 9½ O Ev U -140

Second Set Line:

Vera Zvonareva -190 9½ O Ev U -140

Tsvetana Pironkova +145 9½ O Ev U -140

Match Set Line:

Vera Zvonareva -1½ Ev 2½ O +145 U -190

Tsvetana Pironkova +1½ -140 2½ O +145 U -190

Match Time: 07:00 AM Eastern Time (13:00 Local Time) Thursday July 1, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Zvonareva is through to the Wimby semis on the back of a solid run. On paper, the former world No.5 Zvonareva (now at No.21 – a slip in ranking caused mainly by an ankle injury that sidelined her for a stretch), is the strong favourite over Pironkova (ranked at world No. 82 at the start of the tournament).

For good reason is Zvonareva the firm favourite at -275 to win outright and the -200 fave to take both the first and second sets.

Pironkova, on the other hand, is a mere puppy at +190 to win outright and an even shorter puppy to take the first and second sets, at +150 each.

The tennis betting line is tight, indicating this match is essentially a tossup. Both Zvonareva and Pironkova have an equal shot in theory to win and advance into the final.

The question which player will rise to the occasion is not easily answered because at this point it comes down to nerves and mental resolve.

They are well matched. Pironkova just edges Zvonareva in head-to-heads lifetime, 1-0 – albeit that win came when Zvonareva was struggling with injuries.

Zvonareva has more experience, technically making her the more likely bet to win outright.

She underscored her value with a win over Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals and went on to further add shine to her odds when she, along with Elena Vesnina, dumped the defending doubles champions Serena and Venus Williams in a three-set thriller.

Tennis Free Picks: Zvonareva in three sets

Wimbledon WTA Semifinal Picks – Cash in As Upstarts, Pironkova, Zvonareva Take Center Stage

Venus Williams?

Vanquished.

Kim Clijsters?

At home with her young daughter.

Justine Henin?

Better luck next year.

As a matter of fact tennis lovers, when it comes to this year’s Wimbledon semifinals, three of the final four remaining players are absolute shockers.

While world No. 1 Serena Williams remains alive – and is the undoubted favorite to win this year’s tournament with so many of the game’s top players having been bested – the other three female participants have scraped and clawed their respective ways into the semifinal round no matter how many fans – and brackets they’ve ruined along the way.

This in-depth look at the most unlikely of semifinal matches, followed by my expert picks, will put avid tennis gamblers on the right path toward making at least three winning wagers on Thursday’s matches.

With the WTA portion of the season’s third grand slam event scheduled to get underway at 7 AM ET on Thursday morning, let me get started.

WTA Betting Odds
Vera Zvonareva -3½ -140
Tsvetana Pironkova +3½ Ev

Moneyline
Vera Zvonareva -250
Tsvetana Pironkova +185
Over 21½ -115
Under 21½ -125

The Breakdown: World No. 21 Vera Zvonareva is a former top five player that has apparently found her game again after dealing with some troublesome ankle issues and laid a surprising 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 ‘smackdown’ on Clijsters in the quarterfinal round after pounding Jelena Jankovic (6-1, 3-0) and Yanina Wickmayer (6-4, 6-2) into submission with the greatest of ease.

Now Zvonareva must face a player in world No. 82 Tsvetana Pironkova that is even hotter than she is and has won the only career meeting between the pair.

Pironkova pulled of the biggest upset in the women’s draw when she spanked Venus Williams 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday. The hard-hitting Bulgarian has not dropped a set and beat Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round.

Pironkova won the only career meeting against Zvonareva by beating the attractive Russian blond bombshell 6-0, 62 in Moscow in 2009.

Analysis: I’ll be totally honest when I say this may be the toughest match I the entire tournament to handicap. The fact of the matter is that no one (and I do mean no one) saw either of these two players reaching the semifinals by beating their higher-ranked and certainly more well-know opponents in their respective semifinal matches.

Not only that, but each player beat two of the strongest, big-hitting players on the WTA Tour as Zvonareva downed Clijsters and Pironkova took out Venus Williams.

For this match, I’m going to back the more experienced Zvonareva simply because the former top-five player is a bit less likely to experience stage fright on such a grand stage, (though Pironkova’s dismantling of Williams was a real eye-opener).

Zvonareva looked equally impressive against Clijsters after dropping the first set and impressed me even more on Thursday when she team with Elena Vesnina to topple the Williams sisters in an important double match that halted the Williams women from continuing their quest for the calendar year doubles grand slam.

While Pironkova has the edge in height, strength and power over Zvonareva, so did Kim Clijsters – and look what that got her … sent home.

I say it’s about time Vera Zvonareva had her time in the spotlight – and I believe this is that time.

I like Zvonareva to narrowly cover the WTA betting line as a 3½-game favorite and cash in for tennis betting buffs as a -250 moneyline selection, while the Over plays out against the 21½-game O/U total in a three-set thriller.

WTA Pick: Vera Zvonareva -3½ Games/Over 21½ Total Games