Wimbledon Men’s Semifinals – Tennis Betting Odds

With six-time champion Roger Federer recently eliminated from contention at Wimbledon, the field is as wide open as it’s ever been. So as we get set for Friday’s semifinals, who should be your tennis bets in the Men’s draw?

Semifinal No. 1: No. 12 Tomas Berdych vs. No. 3 Novak Djokovic

Friday, July 2: 8:00 a.m. ESPN2

Betting Odds:

Berdych: -115
Djokovic: -125

In the first semifinal, we get to see the man who knocked Federer out of this year’s tournament, 24-year-old Czech, Tomas Berdych.

Berdych is having a year to remember, as he advanced to his first Grand Slam semifinal at the French, before shocking Federer at the All-England Club Wednesday. This will be the first time since 2002 that Federer won’t be playing in a final.

As for Djokovic, the path is clear for him to make his first Grand Slam final since winning it all in Australia in 2008. The Serb has been phenomenal in London, beating Lleyton Hewitt in four sets in the fourth round, before advancing past fan favorite Yen-Hsun Lu in the quarterfinals.

While most tennis bettors assume that Berdych has the advantage after beating the great Federer, take the 23-year-old Djokovic. He is playing virtually flawless tennis right now, having won two of his last three matches in straight sets. Against Lu he was at his best, with just three double faults, and 17 unforced errors, in a match that was as one sided as the final score would indicate.

There will be plenty more tournament’s for Berdych to reach his first major final, but in this one, make Djokovic your tennis bet. He’s got the Grand Slam pedigree, and has now gone to the quarterfinals or beyond in his last five major appearances. Look for him to make his first Grand Slam final since 2008.

The Pick: Djokovic (-125)

Semifinal No. 2: No. 4 Andy Murray vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal

Friday, July 2: 8:00 a.m. ESPN2

Betting Odds:

Murray: +3 (-135), +140
Nadal: -3 (-105), + 180

When the Wimbledon draw was first announced, this was the semifinal that every tennis bettor dreamed of: Andy Murray trying to become the first Englishman in two lifetimes to win a Wimbledon championship, going up against the 2009 champion, Rafael Nadal.

For the first time in a long time, it seems as though Murray comes into this match a bit under the radar, with all the talk on Federer’s loss and Nadal’s struggles earlier in the tournament. The 23-year-old Scotsman though, is playing the best tennis of his career.

Murray saved his best for Wednesday’s quarterfinals, as after losing the first set to tough Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, he responded by winning the next three, including 6-2, 6-2 to close out the match. Incredibly, in his first four matches, Murray didn’t drop a single set. Wow!

As for Nadal, the winner of this year’s French Open, and the 2009 Wimbledon championship has had a much tougher road to get here. Philipp Petzschner took him to five sets in the third round, and Nadal dropped a tough first set to the French Open runner-up Robin Soderling in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. However he responded by winning three straight afterward, needing a tie break in the fourth set.

As shocking as this sounds, we’re calling for an upset in this match. We’ve waited, and waited, and wondered if the pressure of playing in his home country would get to Murray, but it seems like for the first time he is finally embracing it.

Yes Nadal is an elite player, but expect him to go down on Friday afternoon. Take Murray in your Wimbledon semifinal bet.

The Pick: Murray: +3 (-135)

Wimbledon ATP Semifinal Picks – Cash in as Red-Hot Djokovic Battles Hard-Hitting Berdych

Friday’s semifinal showdown between world No. 13 Tomas Berdych and world No. 3 Novak Djokovic, may not be the semifinal match that many prepared for or even want to see, but guess what tennis betting buffs, this match has the potential to be extremely memorable with two of the biggest hitters in the game today taking to center court for the right to reach the 2010 Wimbledon Finals.

This look at both players, followed by my in-depth analysis and expert ATP betting pick, will give devoted tennis gamblers all the insight they will need in order to make two bankroll-boosting bets on this semifinal showdown.

ATP Betting Odds

Tomas Berdych -115
Novak Djokovic -125

Moneyline
Over 42½ -120
Under 42½ -120

The Breakdown: Hats off to Tomas Berdych tennis gamblers! The ate-blooming 6-foot-5 Czech Republic native pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the entire tournament by beating world No. 2 Roger Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the semifinal round. Berdych has gone a scorching 30-11 this season despite winning any singles titles, now looks like a player that will consistently live up to his immense potential.

Berdych however, will have to find a way to beat Djokovic for the first time after suffering two career losses to the Serbian one-time grand slam winner.

Not only that, but Berdych will be facing a red-hot Djokovic that has looked better than ever with each passing match. Other than going five sets in his opening match and four sets in his fourth round match against former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt Djokovic has looked absolutely dominant as he did in beating Andy Roddick conqueror, Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinal round.

Analysis: I really like Tomas Berdych and the mental growth he’s shown over the last 12 months, but I’m backing Novak Djokovic in this match.

The 23-year-old Djokovic has big strokes off of both wings and likely won’t make the unforced errors that Roger Federer made in his quarterfinal loss to Berdych on Wednesday.

Djokovic beat Berdych 7-5, 6-1 in Bangkok in 2008 and also took out the big-hitter in Miami last season.

While Berdych has improved dramatically over the last year – and almost certainly won’t go out with a whimper, I just don’t see him beating the younger, nearly-as-strong and slightly more versatile Novak Djokovic.

In addition to playing Djokovic to win this match straight up, I also like the Over 42 ½ Games as I am expecting a four-setter at the very least – and possibly five.

ATP Pick: Novak Djokovic SU Win/Over 42½ Total games

UFC 116 Free Picks – Champions Collide With Lesnar-Carwin

Brock Lesnar makes his long awaited return to the octagon this weekend as the reigning heavyweight champion. Shane Carwin, the interim heavyweight title holder, is looking to protect his undefeated streak and make this a gloomy return for one of the sport’s biggest draws. Who ya got?

Lesnar and Carwin are actually very similar in build. Lesnar is a 6-foot-3 mountain of man with 280 pounds hanging from his frame. His long arms have always given an advantage, especially since they possess enough power to shatter worlds and faces.

Yet it’s not like Carwin is a small pup. He’s 6-foot-2 and well over the listed weight of 265 pounds. While he lacks Lesnar’s reach, he’s a determined wrestler with proven power.

Perhaps the most tempting line to take is the UNDER, which is getting graded at +120 in the first round. If the fight goes to a later round, the odds shrink to -150. How much do you think the knockout and submission power of Lesnar and Carwin will bring an early end to this epic brawl?

Brock Lesnar (4-1) vs. Shane Carwin (12-0)
Saturday, July 3rd — MGM Grand — 9:00pm EST
UFC Fight Lines: Lesnar -145 / Carwin +115

Everyone and their mother is stacking the betting line behind Lesnar. Part of that is fueled by the fact that he’s been unstoppable since dethroning Randy Couture and destroying Frank Mir in his only title defense. The biggest difference in Carwin is that he’s every bit as powerful as Lesnar, and he’s tough as nails to boot.

What defines Carwin in the cage is that he simply finishes fights. In 12 bouts in the octagon, he’s won 7 by KO and 5 by submission leaving the judges to scribble on paper for no reason. At every step, turn, punch and choke he has turned doubters and critics in to believers and fans.

Has he done enough to prove that he’s a capable underdog in this fight? He should. Carwin has been in “fight mode” ever since arriving in the UFC and is coming off a recent win in March where he decapitated Mir to win his fake title.

Lesnar is coming off a well known layoff due to an intestinal disease I’m not even going to bother trying to spell. I’m not going to even remotely doubt Lesnar’s work ethic, viscious competitive drive or desire. What I will question, however, is his ring rust. He hasn’t fought since July of 2009 and spent much of his time off in a hospital bed.

It’s one thing to come off a layoff and fight a good fighter. Carwin won’t be scared of Lesnar, and will take full advantage of the ring rust to put Lesnar on his heels. Constant takedowns by Carwin will exhaust Lesnar and when the underdog sees a bit of doubt creeping in to Brock’s mind, he’ll seal the win and post a massive upset as he becomes the true heavyweight champion in UFC betting.

Furious UFC 116 Free Pick – Carwin +115 by TKO

Giants Set to Rebound Versus Colorado on Friday Night

Are the San Francisco Giants set to rebound off of a 6th straight loss on Friday night when Tim Lincecum takes the mound?

Lincecum is coming off of his worst start of the season.  The fantastic pitcher lasted only 3 innings, giving up 5 hits and 4 runs, in a 1 to 5 Giants’ loss to the Boston Red Sox in his last.  Before that game, Lincecum hadn’t pitched less then 4.2 innings in any start during the season.  The loss broke a 4-game winning streak for the usually dynamite Lincecum.

Can Tim Lincecum bounce back on the road against a tough Colorado Rockies’ team?

San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies

Where:  Coors Field, Denver, CO

When:  July 2nd, 2010 at 8:10 pm EST

TV:  San Francisco – CSN-BA
        Colorado – FSN

Radio:  San Francisco – KNBR 680
            Colorado – KOA 850, KMXA 1090

MLB Betting Odds

San Francisco Giants
Tim Lincecum – R                  -1 ½ +130        -125

Colorado Rockies
Jhoulys Chacin – R                 +1 ½ -150        +105

The baseball betting trends point to a very competitive game tonight

• The San Francisco Giants are 6 and 1 in Tim Lincecum’s last 7 starts on the road.
• The San Francisco Giants are 9 and 2 in Tim Lincecum’s last 11 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
• The Colorado Rockies are 6 and 1 in their last 7 games at home versus a team with a winning record.
• The Colorado Rockies are 66 and 32 in their last 98 games at home.

 

Lincecum’s overall numbers are good.  He’s 8 and 3 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  He’s not having the same type of success that he had in his 2 previous seasons, but he’s doing well. 

He’s definitely doing better than Colorado’s pitcher in this game, Jhoulys Chacin.  Chacin is 4 and 7 with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.  The Colorado Rockies are 2 and 5 in Chacin’s last 7 starts.

So why aren’t Lincecum and the Giants bigger favorites in this game?  San Francisco is in the midst of their longest losing streak since 2007.  They’ve dropped 6 games in a row including suffering a beat down at the hands of Colorado, 7 to 3, on Thursday night.

The G-Men just aren’t playing well at all and the last time Lincecum faced Colorado, on May 31st, he was worked over for 4 runs and 5 walks in 5 2/3 innings.  To make things worse for the G-Men, Colorado has won 3 out of their last 4 games.

Almost all of the signs point to Lincecum and the Giants falling for the 7th straight time.  There is one sign/trend that should give Giants’ fans hope.  The G-Men are 8 and 2 in Tim Lincecum’s next game after a loss.

To me, that’s a powerful sign.  Tim Lincecum suffered one of he worst defeats of his career the last time he took the mound.  Lincecum is too good of a pitcher not to bounce back from that.

He’ll come out strong and pitch a beautiful game tonight. The Giants will break their losing streak and beat the Colorado Rockies in tonight’s game.

MLB Sportsbook Pick:  San Francisco Giants -125

Wimbledon ATP Semifinal Picks – Murray Looks To Take Next Step at Rafa’s Expense

Look up the definition of pressure and you’re likely to find a picture of Scotland’s Andy Murray.

The fourth-ranked player in the world, Murray is undoubtedly one of the very best men’s players in the world today.

Having said that, the 23-year-old has been battling immense pressure as he tries to become the first British man to win a grand slam title since the legendary Fred Perry last accomplished the feat way back in 1936.

Murray, (who the British claim as a native son – when he’s winning) will look to take the next step toward breaking the UK’s decades-long drought when he battles world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in a semifinal match that takes place on Friday, morning beginning at 7 AM ET.

ATP Betting Odds

Andy Murray +3 -125

Rafael Nadal -3 -115

Moneyline

Murray +140

Nadal -180

Over 41½ -125

Under 41½ -115

The Breakdown: Murray did not drop a set until facing Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, where he bounced back nicely after losing the first set 7-6 (5).

Murray battled to win the second set in a tie-break before catching fire against the wilting Tsonga to take the final two sets at an identical 6-2.

Other than his big match against Tsonga, Murray has had a relatively easy route to the semifinals

Unfortunately, for Murray, he will be facing arguably the game’s best player when he takes on Nadal, who looked absolutely overpowering in his quarterfinal win over Robin Soderling.

Nadal, who had been pushed to five sets in both, the second and third rounds also bounced back better than bungee cord after losing the first set on Wednesday, jumping all over a stunned Soderling to win the next two sets before winning the final set convincingly, 6-1.

Analysis: The good news for Nadal backers is the fact that he has pretty much owned Murray in 10 career meetings, winning seven times, despite losing their most recent match when he had to retire at this year’s Australian Open.

Murray tennis betting backers will be happy about the fact that their guy has beaten Nadal three times in the last five meetings after starting off 0-5 against the fiery Spaniard.

Ultimately though, I’ve got to back Rafael Nadal in this match for a couple of reasons.

First and foremost, the way Nadal absolutely destroyed Soderling on Wednesday leads me to believe he is in better physical condition than many believe.

Second – and most importantly – Nadal has absolutely no pressure on him whatsoever as he has already won this tournament once and isn’t playing for the hopes of an entire nation that will cheer every winner – and cringe with every unforced error.

I also don’t think Murray is the most mentally stable top player in the top five, while nothing ever seems to shake Rafa’s granite-like confidence.

I also don’t like the brash Murray’s trash-talking as he has never won a grand slam title but generally acts like he has.

I’m picking Rafael Nadal to win this one in four sets and cover the 3-game spread first and foremost because I genuinely believe he’s the better player and will advance – and secondly – because I just don’t like Andy Murray very much.

I also like the Over 41½ games in this match, which will go four sets at the very least, but could very well go the distance.

ATP Pick: Rafael Nadal -3½ Games/Over 41½ Total Games

Wimbledon Betting Tips – Nadal and Murray Battle for a Spot in the Final

London, England – Rafael Nadal is obviously the bookies favourite going into his semi-final clash with Andy Murray, but the Brit is the home favourite and he will have crowd wholly behind him in this match.

This is obviously going to be a close match, the outcome uncertain. The tennis betting market is tipped in proportion with Nadal a modest favourite at BetOnline Sportsbook and Murray a mere underdog.

Nadal is the smart bet where pundits are concerned, the proven champion seven times over at a Grand Slam stage with five French Open titles and a Wimbledon and Australian Open title, respectively. Tennis bettors looking to back Nadal couldn’t pick a better bet because you know he will battle to the very end.

Murray, in spite of his disappointments at this level, has put himself in the best position possible at Wimbledon to beat Nadal. He is in a place where he can believe he has a chance, a real chance to upset the Spaniard and reach his first-ever Wimbledon final. Tennis bettors looking to get behind the Brit could do no worse than Murray, who is one of the best counterpunchers in the business.

Tennis betting Line:

Andy Murray +3 -125 +140 41½ O -125 U -115 19½ O -140 U Ev
Rafael Nadal -3 -115 -180 41½ O -125 U -115 21½ O Ev U -140

First Set Line:
Andy Murray +130 10 O -140 U Ev
Rafael Nadal -170 10 O -140 U Ev

Second Set Line:
Andy Murray +120 10 O -140 U Ev
Rafael Nadal -160 10 O -140 U Ev

Third Set Line:
Andy Murray +125 10 O -140 U Ev
Rafael Nadal -165 10 O -140 U Ev

Match Time: 07:00 AM Eastern Time (13:00 Local Time) Friday July 2, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Rafael Nadal skipped Wimbledon last year because of a knee injury and as such, he wasn’t able to defend the title he won so impressively in that epic final against Federer in 2008. This also means Nadal is undefeated at the All England Club in 12 consecutive matches. He is looking to win his 13th match in a row (the dreaded number that lends all manner of superstition) at the expense of home favourite Andy Murray.

Nadal is listed as the -180 favourite to win outright, which is a good bet to all intents and purposes. Nadal is also a -170 favourite to win the first set. He has an impressive match-win record of 95-1 when winning the first set. To take the second and third set, Nadal is listed at -160 and -165 respectively.

Andy Murray trails lifetime 3-7 against Nadal, however, he has the only win on the term over the Spaniard. Murray beat Nadal at the Australian Open quarterfinals – albeit Nadal retired in the third set 6-3, 7-6(2), 3-0 after he injured his knee midway through the match.

Murray will look to come out against Nadal in the same manner with which he did in Melbourne. If Murray plays anywhere near that intensity, he certainly can beat Nadal.

Murray is listed at +140 to win outright, which is good value for your money. He is also a mere +130 puppy to take the first set and a +120 and +125 puppy to take the second and third set, respectively.

Whichever way you slice this match there is going to be value. Certainly, worthwhile bets are they and each has a real shot to advance.

Tennis Free Picks: Nadal in five sets

UFC 116 Underdog Parlay – Two Great Fights, One Big Payout

A pair of exciting fights is the focus of our UFC 116 Parlay pick, and both bouts have the potential to be fights of the night. Our first bout will feature two Welterweights on the main card of UFC 116 this Saturday night as sluggers Chris Lytle and Matt Brown will step into the ring for what promises to be an exciting fight. The other half of this parlay is another fight that is sure to be a war as Krzysztof Soszynski steps into the octagon for a rematch with Stephan Bonnar. Both of these tilts are going to be action packed slug fests so laying a bet down will only add to the excitement of these matchups.

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin
Date: July 3, 2010
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
TV: Live on PPV at 10 pm ET

UFC 116 Betting Line: Chris Lytle -200, Matt Brown +160

Chris Lytle is coming into this fight with all the momentum as he is riding a two-fight winning streak. His last time in the cage at UFC 110 in February, he took out Brian Foster via first round kneebar submission. That was not only a big win but it also earned Lytle "Submission of the Night" honors, which is a feather in the cap but more importantly, a check in the wallet.

He also has a victory over Brown to his credit as this will be a rematch of an August 11, 2007 showdown in the United Fight League. In true Lytle form, he submitted Brown via guillotine choke and will be looking to do much the same Saturday night.

Matt Brown comes in with the better UFC record (4-2), but is coming off a loss to Ricardo Almeida at UFC 111. He was having all kinds of success before that loss though, as he had won three straight fights over Ryan Thomas, Pete Sell and James Wilks. His other win came over Matt Arroyo in his UFC debut while the other setback came via razor thin decision loss to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88. He is a battler, evident by his TUF 7 victory, but will have his work cut out for him if he wants to avenge that previous loss to Lytle.

UFC 116 Betting Line : Stephan Bonnar +180, Krzysztof Soszynski -230

Bonnar and Soszynski or the “American Psycho” and the “Polish Experiment” will square off in a highly anticipated rematch of their UFC 110 light-heavyweight battle. This is a must win for Stephan Bonnar as he has three straight losses and has to be wondering if he’ll have a home in the UFC if he drops four straight.

One of those losses came to Soszynski in very controversial fashion as he was on the wrong end of an inadvertent head butt that caused a severe cut and resulted in a TKO loss. He appealed the decision in hopes that he could get that loss changed to a no contest, but that was denied, and Bonnar was stuck with another loss.

With that luming in the back of his head, all Bonnar has been thinking about is Soszynski these past eight months. He knows this fight is going to be a war, just like their first fight, but Bonnar doesn’t have any quit in him and knows that he needs a win in the worst way. That’s the kind of motivation that gives me incentive to lay some cash down on Bonnar.

UFC 116 Underdog Parlay Picks: Matt Brown +160, Stephan Bonnar +180

UFC Betting – Lightweights with Title Aspirations – Pellegrino and Sotiropoulos at UFC 116

A battle between two accomplished grapplers kicks off the Pay-Per-View portion of UFC 116 and gives the UFC betting public a glimpse into the competition for Frankie Edgar’s Lightweight belt.

Both George Sotiropoulos’ and Kurt Pellegrino’s stocks are on the rise in the UFC suggesting that the winner of this bout could get a Title Shot down the line.

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin

Date: Jul 03, 2010

Location: Las Vegas

Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena

Broadcast: Pay-per-view

George Sotiropoulos (12-2): -180

George Sotiropoulos is a rising star in the Lightweight division. He is a well rounded fighter that relies mostly on a strong grappling background for his success. He is a jiu-jitsu Black Belt and is in the midst of an impressive six fight winning streak.

Sotiropoulos is known to have one of the better submission and ground games in the Lightweight division and appears to have improved on his striking and his wrestling form.

His strikes are crisp and his take downs are polished. A dominant win over Joe Stevenson in his last fight showed all of the weapons in Satiropoulos’ arsenal and there were many.

George will obviously love for this fight to go to the ground but he should be wary of Pellegrino’s ground game as well. Sotiropoulos also has the edge in stand up and would be wise to strike for a while, pick his shots and take the fight to the ground at the opportune time.

He will look to prove that he is not just a one dimensional ground fighter

Kurt Pellegrino (21-4-0): +140

Kurt Pellegrino is another grappler who has been a prospect for a while now but has been unable to up his game at precisely the right moment. He is an experienced tough dude who has a strong Brazilian jiu-jitsu background under Renzo Gracie and who possesses solid but unspectacular boxing and good wrestling.

Pellegrino has been training with Kenny Florian for this fight which definitely gives him a leg up.

Pellegrino will also be looking to take this fight to the ground. He is currently on a four fight win streak and has submitted an extremely impressive 75% of his opponents inside the Octagon. Pellegrino’s weakness is his stand up game, but in a fight with Sotiropoulos, there is not much of a chance that this fight will remain standing.

Pellegrino is a dangerous customer. He is extremely fit and he should be motivated for this fight.

If Pellegrino can stay calm, avoid frustration and can gain top control, he could win this fight. Pellegrino will need to draw upon all of his experience and all of his training to stop the rising star Sotiropoulos.

MMA Betting Outlook:

This fight features two fighters with very similar fighting styles. Both have jiu-jitsu training, both have evolving stand up games and both have a lot to gain with a win.

I’ll take the experience over youth in this fight. Renzo Gracie and Kenny Florian cannot be wrong about the same fighter. Pick the minor upset.

MMA Betting Pick: Kurt Pellegrino +140

UFC 116 – Reljic the Best Bet While Carwin is Best Underdog Wager

UFC 116 is just about here and, surprisingly, the online betting odds regarding the Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin fight haven’t changed all that much.  Lesnar is still a -145 favorite to beat the undefeated Carwin.

Unlike last Saturday’s Strikeforce Event where UFC/MMA betting was offered on only 4 fights, the sportsbook is offering wagering on 11 fights at UFC 116.  That’s a lot of opportunities for sports gamblers to make, and possibly lose, some serious dough!

So, let’s break down the UFC 116 Fight Card in terms of the best, worst, and overall best underdog bets.

 UFC 116:  Lesnar vs. Carwin

Where:  MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

When:  July 3rd, 2010 at 7:00 pm EST

TV:  PPV Live

Best MMA Bet:  Goran Reljic -165 to beat Kendall Grove +135

The 13-7-0 Grove has a great reputation at UFC as a tough, hard trying, difficult man to beat, but Reljic is a monster.  Although he has what’s considered a well-rounded game, Reljic garnered a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while studying under Roger Gracie.  That’s a huge advantage.  The ability to both dominate on the ground, because of the Gracie training, and to fight standing-up, ala the most successful MMA fighters today, gives Reljic a huge advantage over Grove.  Grove has a height advantage over Reljic, but that should only help Reljic to get Grove to the ground, because he can attack Grove’s long legs.  The ground is where the BJJ training should give Reljic an advantage.  The 8 and 1 Reljic figures to be 9 and 1 after his fight with Grove on Saturday night.

Worst MMA Bet:  Gerald Harris -280 to beat Dave Branch +210

Don’t get me wrong, Harris should win this fight, but the UFC/MMA odds offer no value.  I mean, none at all.  Harris, at 15 and 2, is a mean dude but he doesn’t have the technique that Branch has.  While Harris has a huge advantage when this fight is off of the mat, Branch should have a huge advantage on the ground after training with Renzo Gracie.  That could be the deciding factor in this fight, Branch’s terrific Gracie grappling technique skills versus Harris’ traditional wrestling skills.  I’ll take a grappler over an old school wrestler any day.  If the fight goes to the ground, Harris could actually lose.  -280?  I don’t think so!

Best Underdog MMA Bet:  Shane Carwin +115 to beat Brock Lesnar -145

I’m surprised that more money hasn’t come in on Carwin to win this fight.  That actually scares me, but the truth is that Carwin should win this fight.  Lesnar has looked spectacular in his UFC bouts and he’s definitely a solid wrestler, but I don’t see enough technique out of Lesnar.  He’s big.  He can wrestle.  He can strike.  He’s fast.  Those are all very important but once an MMA fighters starts to battle guys like Carwin or Cain Velasquez, well-trained, smart and destructive men, technique becomes very important.  Lesnar hasn’t fought in almost a year.  Carwin lives to fight, is undefeated, and has terrific grappling and striking ability.  He should beat Lesnar.

Others MMA Picks

Yoshihiro Akiyama -210 to beat Chris Leben +165

Kurt Pellegrino +160 to upset George Sotiropoulos -200

Ricardo Romero -170 to beat Seth Petruzelli +140

Daniel Roberts -180 to beat Forrest Petz +150

UFC 116 is here!  Log onto the sportsbook and bet UFC 116! 

Head-to-Head Predictions – Ghana vs. Uruguay

Goalkeeper: Both Kingston and Fernando Muslera have been great so far, but that’s also because of their defense.

I don´t like Muslera defending the air balls, but I don´t love Kingston either.

Edge: Tie.

Defense: Uruguay is one of the best defenses in the World Cup, but Ghana is strong on D as well.

It is quite hard to pick an advantage on defenses that have allowed only four goals combined, but in the end, Diego Lugano commands a well-organized back in a better way.

Edge: Uruguay

Midfield: I really like Ghana’s midfield. They make it hard for whoever is in front, as they proved against Germany. But not only that, they also know how to attack really fast as soon as they get the ball back.

Boateng and Annan are doing a great job of stopping the opponents’ ability to create danger. Also, don’t forget about the movements by Asamoah, who in the end is the closest to a companion that Gyan might ever have in this team.

Uruguay, on the other side, with the formula Arevelo Rios, Pereira, and Perez has worked just fine, but against Ghana, they might be outplayed on that part of the field.

Edge: Ghana

Offense: Ghana’s offense is basically one guy. That`s it. Gyan is a miracle worker as he is always alone fighting against three or four defensive guys.

Gyan needs more help, but he hasn´t found it yet, and to be honest, I don’t think he will.

Uruguay has a more balance offensive scheme where Diego Forlan leads it coming from behind Edison Cavani, and not to mention on-fire Luis Suarez.

Suarez has finally found the rhythm he had at Ajax, and it seems like he is not ready to drop it.

Ghana doesn’t have a true goal scorer, whereas Uruguay has three.

Edge: Uruguay

Coach: I just simply don’t like the way Washington Tabarez prepares for the game, but so far, it has worked. To me, Milovan Rajevac analyzes the opponents in a better way, as he has been able to do more with less.

Edge: Ghana

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