ATP Tennis Betting – Fish and Harrison Bid for Newport Semis

Newport, USA – The American tandem of Mardy Fish and Ryan Harrison are through to the ATP Newport quarterfinals. Fish advanced on the back of a solid victory over Somdev Devvarman, 6-2, 6-0 while Harrison fought hard to edge out Denis Kudla 7-5, 7-6(5).

Fish and Harrison are the lone Americans still standing in the draw. A victory separates them from booking a berth in the final four and vying for a spot in the final. Will the home favourites come through?
Here is the breakdown of the tennis betting action currently available at Betus.com.

Tennis Betting Line: Mardy Fish -550        Frank Dancevic     +325 

First Set Line:  Mardy Fish  -350         Frank Dancevic     +225
Match Time: 11:00 AM Eastern Time Friday July 9, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: American Mardy Fish is the hot favourite to win outright at -550. Recommending his odds is a 1-0 edge lifetime over Canadian Frank Dancevic, a significant ranking edge over said opposite and a solid 18-11 mark on the term. Fish goes into this match on good form. Importantly, he was very convincing in his previous round, dropping only two games to Devvarman. By all accounts, Fish is the better play.
Dancevic secured his place in the final eight with a hard-fought win over Nicolas Mahut 7-6(5), 6-3. Dancevic has not had an easy course in the tournament, having to overcome a couple of noteworthy journeyman players in Marc Gicquel and Mahut.

Taking out a home favourite though is not part of his usual repertoire. Dancevic, though a talented enough player, isn’t the best on court thinker. Moreover, he doesn’t strike me as the sort to come up big when push comes to shove.

Tennis Free Picks: Fish in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Ryan Harrison -140        Richard Bloomfield     Ev

First Set Line: Ryan Harrison   -130         Richard Bloomfield     -110
Match Time: 11:00 AM Eastern Time Friday July 9, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Ryan Harrison will try to do his part to keep American hope alive in the tournament when he takes on Great Britain’s Richard Bloomfield. Harrison is an interesting young talent getting his first taste of the pro-circuit. Ahead of Newport, he had a 1-7 mark and needed a wild card to enter the event.  In reaching the quarters, he has improved not only improved his term score to 3-7 but also proved he was worth giving a shot to.
The 18-year-old clinched a victory over Bloomfield in the lower circuits last year, at the USA F24 event 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. If this encounter were anything to go by (without reading too much into it), the upcoming clash, potentially, could be just as close. Home edge though makes Harrison a good bet.  

Tennis Free Picks: Harrison in three sets

Furious MLB Betting Picks – Toronto To Beat Minnesota Again

Pitching has been the weak link for the Minnesota Twins, but with Justin Morneau entering tonight as a game time decision their chances of beating the Toronto Blue Jays on the road are taking an even bigger hit.

Both teams are fighting to stay in the race of their respective divisions, but Toronto has shown plenty of fire power when playing at home.

The Jays are a streaky team, and with just a 2-8 SU record in their past 10 games and a 3-6 SU record in their last 9 home stands, there isn’t a whole lot of confidence out there for this team’s MLB betting backers. It’s hard to bank on this team at times, and you have to catch them on the upswing.

Now’s a good a time as any.

Minnesota Twins (45-39) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (42-43)

Thursday, July 8th — Rogers Centre — 7:05pm EST

MLB Betting Lines:

MIN – Scott Baker (R) +1.5 -190 / EV / O 8.5 -120

TOR – Brett Cecil (L) -1.5 +160 / -120 / U 8.5 EV

Toronto starts with Brett Cecil, one of their best guys in the rotation. He’s 7-5 SU this season with a 4.19 ERA but has lost his last three decisions.

He managed to stifle the Yankees in his last start, allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run in 6.0 innings while the Blue Jays went on to win 6-1.

Handling the Twins shouldn’t be a huge issue for Cecil, especially with confidence stemming from his last start.

Where To Watch: FSNO, RSN

The Twins will counter with Scott Baker, who has already been to the mound in 17 starts this season, and compiled an even record of 7-7 SU with a 4.72 ERA.

In his last 5 starts he’s gone just 2-3 SU. Baker definitely has the stuff to be solid, but he gives up huge leads sometimes, and is constantly getting hammered at the plate by good batting orders.

Question the Jays all you want, but I have way more concerns about the Twins. A heat wave sweeping through Toronto will burn up the Twins as the Jays catch fire at the plate off of Baker’s miscues.

Furious MLB Free Pick – Toronto RL and ML (OVER)

In case that wasn’t enough for your baseball betting palette, we’re introducing a new feature right below!

Along with your daily MLB free picks, I’m adding a parlay recommendation along with it.

The following is not for the weak of heart. You’re getting two for the price of one now, might as well double up your pleasures in MLB betting too.

Warning: for tough guys only!

Tough Guy Baseball Parlay Pick: TOR -120 ML and NYY -160 ML

NYY – Andy Pettitte (L) -160 ML

SEA – Jason Vargas (L) +140 ML

Game Time: Qwest Field — 10:10pm EST

MLB Betting Trends:

• NYY are 5-0 SU last 5 games
• NYY are 7-1 SU in last 8 road games
• Seattle is 5-2 SU in last 7 games against Yankees
• Seattle is 1-4 SU in last 5 games at home
• Seattle is 1-6 SU in last 7 games

MLB Thursday Odds – Reds vs Phillies

In what could be a playoff preview for this upcoming October, the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds will do battle in Thursday night’s baseball betting odds.

Who should be your pick?

While Philadelphia came into this season as a favorite to win the entire National League, it’s looking more and more like the Reds may actually be the team to beat.

They’ve got great pitching, and an excellent lineup, including one of the elite youngsters in the game.

Cincinnati Reds (49-37 SU, 47-39 R/L, 42-37-7 O/U)

Philadelphia Phillies (43-40 SU, 40-43 R/L, 39-43-1 O/U)

Thursday, July 08: 7:05 p.m.

Baseball Betting Odds:

Cincinnati: + 1 ½, -210, -110
(Johnny Cueto-R)

Philadelphia: - 1 ½, +175, -110
(Kyle Kendrick-R)

Total Runs:

Over 9 ½: -110

Under 9 ½: -110

That’d be first baseman Joey Votto, a left handed hitting first baseman, who has been on fire of late.

Votto enters this game hitting .313, however it’s his power numbers which have been truly impressive.

Currently, the 27-year-old leads the entire National League with 21 home runs, and incredibly has hit five of those in his last nine games. Cincinnati’s lineup also features Brandon Phillips and his .307 batting average, as well as powerful Scott Rolen, who is second on this team with 17 home runs.

Not to be outdone, Philadelphia has a strong lineup, however one that has been decimated by injuries. Regulars Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco have all spend time on the disabled list this year, putting even more pressure on those who are healthy.

One man who hasn’t disappointed is first baseman Ryan Howard, who was once again named to this summer’s All-Star team. The power hitting Howard leads this team with 16 home runs and 62 RBI’s, and incredibly has done it without the protection of Utley over these past few weeks.

In Thursday’s baseball betting odds, Cincinnati will send their best pitcher to the mound, righty Johnny Cueto. Cueto doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves, pitching in a small market in Cincinnati, but is having one of his best seasons ever with the Reds.

Currently, he’s 8-2 with a 3.56 ERA, but has been at his absolute best of late. Cueto has allowed just two runs over his last four starts, a staggering stretch that spans 25.2 innings. During that stretch he’s seen his ERA drop almost a full run per game.

And it’s because of Cueto and those hot bats in the lineup, that the Reds should be your Wednesday night baseball bet.

Look, we understand that many bettors may be weary of placing their money on the Reds, but understand, Cincinnati is legit. They’ve got professional hitters up and down their lineup, and Votto is one of the truly emerging stars in this game.

Expect their lineup to put up plenty of runs, and for Johnny Cueto to do the rest. He’s simply been masterful over the last month.

There’s no doubt who should be your baseball on Thursday, Cincinnati is the only play to make here!

Aaron’s Pick: Cincinnati Run Line (+ 1 ½, -210)

Vargas Has the Right Stuff in the Mariners MLB Betting Clash vs Yankees

MLB betting fanatics will have yet another full slate of games on the diamond to sink their teeth into on Thursday. As a part of the festivities, the New York Yankees will travel to the northwest, where they will tangle with the Seattle Mariners.

The Bronx Bombers enter this final series before the All-Star Break on a five-game winning streak.

They have opened up a 4.5 game safety net in front of the Boston Red Sox for third place in the AL East, but the Tampa Bay Rays are still right on their tails, two games behind.

The Mariners are long since out of the playoff race, as they are 16 games in the rears of the AL West leading Texas Rangers.

New York Yankees (53-31, +$581) vs. Seattle Mariners (34-50, -$1,814)

• Game Date/Time: Thursday, July 8th, 10:05 ET
• Game Location: Safeco Park, Seattle, WA
• TV/Radio Broadcast: Fox Sports Northwest, YES, XM

MLB Odds

New York Yankees -1.5 +100 -160
(Andy Pettitte – L)

Seattle Mariners +1.5 -120 +140
(Jason Vargas – L)

Total 7.5 O -105 7.5 U -115

It was a travesty that LHP Andy Pettitte was originally left off of the All-Star Game roster, but he was named to the team as a reserve just a few days ago. The southpaw has had a fantastic season, going 10-2 with a 2.82 ERA in 16 starts.

We are a tad worried that Pettitte might be getting luckier than he should be on the mound. For his career, batters have hit .269 against him. They hit .259 last year.

This season, they’re only batting .237. Pettitte isn’t getting more strikeouts now (6.66 K/9) than he has for his career (6.61), so the same amount of contact is being had off of his pitches.

The laws of Sabermetrics are bound to catch up to him at some point.

The lefty is only 10-11 in 22 career starts against the M’s.

It’s been two straight rough starts for LHP Jason Vargas, but all in all for the season, he is doing quite well at 6-4 with a 3.22 ERA.

The southpaw will be thrilled to be back at home, where he has only been defeated once this season (5-1), and his ERA is a svelte 2.30.

This is only going to be the third look that Vargas has had at the Yanks in his career, as he has only tossed six innings and allowed five runs in those six frames against them in his career.

MLB Insider Tip: The Mariners have won four straight MLB betting affairs with Vargas on the mound at home as underdogs.

There’s no reason to think that that can’t continue tonight. It’s always hard to bet against the Yankees, but we understand that they are being significantly overpriced in this duel quite a long ways away from home.

New York is probably far more interested in just starting the break than this series, and we think that the M’s should be able to salvage at least a split.

Vargas has the right stuff in this MLB betting clash on Thursday.

My MLB Prediction: Seattle Mariners (Vargas)

MLB Betting Odds – Dodgers Will Bounce Back Against Cubs Thursday Night

The Los Angeles Dodgers, after getting spanked 4 to 0 by the Florida Marlins on Wednesday night, figure to bounce back against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night as big time baseball betting favorites.

The Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw to the mound. Kershaw hasn’t been spectacular like the man who destroyed the Dodgers on Wednesday night, Josh Johnson, but he’s not bad.

His record is 8 and 4 with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Kershaw has gone 3-1-1 in his last 4 games.

The lone loss occurred to the Los Angeles Angels. The lone no-decision occurred against the New York Yankees.

Kershaw and the Dodgers look very tough tonight. Do the Cubbies have any shot at all?

Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Where: Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
• When: July 7th, 2010 at 10:10 pm EST
• TV: Cubs – WGN
  Dodgers – PRIME
• Radio: Cubs – WGN 720
  Dodgers – KABC 790, KHJ 930

MLB Betting Odds

Chicago Cubs
Randy Wells – R +1 ½ -125 +175

Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw – L -1 ½ +105 -210

Because the Dodgers send Kershaw to the mound, the betting trends favor the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are 5 and 1 in Clayton Kershaw’s last 6 starts as the favorite.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers are 8 and 3 in Clayton Kershaw’s last 11 starts.
• The Chicago Cubs are 1 and 8 in their last 9 during game 1 of a series.
• The Chicago Cubs are 1 and 4 in David Wells’ last 5 starts on the road.

The Cubs have lost 7 out of their last 11 games against the Dodgers in L.A. Their batting average against L.A. in those games has been a paltry .229. They’ve averaged only 2.7 runs in those 11 games.

It’s sort of been a shame, really, when Wells has taken the mound in L.A. The Cubs’ batters just haven’t been able to help him against the Dodgers. In 13 2/3 innings pitched, Wells has recorded a 1.32 ERA yet he’s 0 and 2 against the Dodgers. The Cubs scored 1 run in each of those 2 losses.

There aren’t enough stats to determine Kershaw’s effectiveness against the Cubs. He’s been pitching well enough, though, to warrant favoritism in this game, but the betting odds are grossly in the Dodgers’ favor.

I just don’t believe it makes sense to put up so much money on the Dodgers to beat the Cubs in this game.

To me, there are some stats that put this game into the Cubs’ favor. For instance, David Wells has changed his delivery and it’s helped him mightily. In his last 13.2 innings pitched, he’s allowed only 8 hits and 2 runs.

Granted, one of those teams he pitched against was the Pittsburgh Pirates but the fact remains that Wells’ new delivery, a compact delivery, has turned into gold for the Cubs. Of course, the Cubbies still aren’t scoring enough runs to put up W’s.

I have to give Wells and the Cubs a shot in this game, though. The baseball betting odds are too good. Who knows? Maybe, Chicago gets lucky and puts up at least 4 runs. If that happens, they could beat the Dodgers.

“Could” isn’t as good as will, but at the odds offered in the sportsbook, I’ll take “could” in this game.

MLB Sportsbook Pick: Chicago Cubs +175

LeBron Won’t Join Boozer In Chicago

It may not be Chris Bosh or Amar’e Stoudemire, but the Chicago Bulls are finally doing something with all that extra cash they have floating around. The Bulls have signed power forward Carlos Boozer to a 5-year deal worth around $80 million. It’s a great signing by Chicago, but it’s also an indicator that the Bulls know they’ve lost out on the LeBron sweepstakes.

Boozer was originally drafted in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, one year before LeBron joined the team in 2003. The duo barely missed the playoffs in 2003 finishing 9th in the Eastern Conference overall.

LeBron James seemingly had the banger down low that he needed to succeed in the NBA and Cleveland tried to re-up Boozer for a $40 million extension, but he backhanded the team and instead signed with the Utah Jazz for a $68 million deal leaving LeBron alone to fend for himself.

Not so ironically, the Cavaliers had plenty of trouble filling their power forward spot. Things got so desperate that the Cavs eventually traded for Antawn Jamison, who they still owe $13.3 million this coming season and $15 million in 2011. It was always a glaring hole in Cleveland that made them canon fodder in the playoffs no matter what LeBron did.

Think LeBron has forgotten what started the whole landslide of power forward misery in Cleveland? I bet that he hasn’t and if that’s the case, the Chicago Bulls have tipped their hand and let the world know that they aren’t going to land LeBron when he holds his press conference tonight.

The trio of Boozer, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah certainly makes the Chicago Bulls competitive. They’ll miss Kirk Hinrich at the two spot, but they certainly won’t miss his $9.5 million salary. The pieces are in place to make Chicago a relevant threat in the playoffs.

Boozer is a solid forward with 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds averaged through the 2009-10 NBA betting season. While he’s technically shorter than what you’d want in a power forward, he’s also 266 pounds of beef that compliments what Joakim Noah does naturally. The Bulls essentially become a fierce rebounding team and a strong scoring force underneath the rim.

Every team wants LeBron James, and I mean every team. Ask an NFL player and they’ll say they’d put LeBron in at tight-end without even blinking. For the Bulls, who stood as the second favorite to sign LeBron this summer, Boozer isn’t a bad booby prize.

Since drafting Derrick Rose in 2008, the Bulls have been to the playoffs twice with a record of 4-8 SU in the post season. One of the biggest reasons they were overwhelmed is a lack of physical play in the paint. Now they have it in Boozer. Whether LeBron joins him will be known later tonight, but I wouldn’t count on it.

A Miami Heat Super Team Still Won’t Beat Lakers

Lakers Are Best NBA Futures Bet No Matter What

The one team that isn’t making any noise on the free agency front is the defending champion L.A. Lakers. Want to know why? They don’t need to. While everyone is wetting their curiosities about LeBron James and company, Kobe Bryant is still the reigning ruler of the NBA. I’m not so convinced that a super team in Miami would be enough to dethrone the Lakers.

We’ve rarely seen forces of nature sweep through the NBA and destroy the league single handedly. Sure, it’s happened in the regular season, but a mash-up of immense talent doesn’t necessarily equate to championship glory. With that enormous wealth of skill also comes a truck load of egos, and that kills team chemistry.

Obviously the team you’ll point to in recent memory is the Boston Celtics, which somehow united Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The biggest difference is that every single one of those guys had their egos and spirits smashed to pieces for a decade before they came together.

A more typical NBA championship formula is the one the Lakers have perfected. Kobe’s the top dog, Pau Gasol’s his man in the middle and Lamar Odom does all the dirty work. The rest of the team, top to bottom, is filled with role players who know what to do. On top of that, they have Phil Jackson coming back for his zillionth season. This version of the Lakers has been together for over two years, and they’re peaking at all the right moments.

I’ve made the argument that a marriage of egos in Miami between Wade, Bosh and James would be too much. Who’s taking the last shot? What if it’s Wade and he misses? What if it’s James and he screws things up for Wade’s city and team?

Bringing All-Stars on to one team makes you competitive, but it doesn’t necessarily make you a championship team. The Lakers signed Gary Payton and Karl Malone and lost to a band of no-namers from Detroit. Cleveland brought as many big names in to the fold as it could, and still never managed to win the big one.

Is Wade too much for Kobe? Maybe. But LeBron would still have trouble getting around a double-team made up of Lamar Odom and Ron Artest. He’s a basketball player – and human – even though everyone’s anointing him as the basketball Jesus.

Let’s also remember that LeBron has won zero games in the NBA Finals. He’s been in the league for seven years and barely made a dent in the championship round. By this time in his career, Kobe Bryant already had three championship rings.

Keep in mind that Chris Bosh is not Shaquille O’Neal. He’s not even close. Anyone who’s kept up with me knows that I admire Chris Bosh, but he’s also a bit of pansy. The same guy who was compared to Kevin Garnett upon entering the league routinely gets devoured by better big men in the league. He wouldn’t stand the test against Bynum, Gasol, Artest and Odom in the fierce gambit of the NBA Finals.

If LeBron signs with the Miami Heat and forms a dangerous trio with Wade and Bosh, it’ll be a lot of glitz, glamour and gossip. But it won’t be enough to dethrone the L.A. Lakers.

The sexiest NBA futures bet would be the Miami Heat with or without LeBron. The best one, however, is still on the team that has the trophy in their hands already. LeBron will be a champion one way or another, but it won’t happen while Kobe Bryant still has a formidable team surrounding him.

MLB Betting – Yanks Will Handle Hapless Mariners

The New York Yankees send the ageless Andy Pettitte to the mound against Seattle, as the team tries for their sixth straight win. The Mariners are just treading water this point in the season, out of any playoff race and buying time until a fire-sale at the trade deadline. They’ve lost six of their last seven games.

MLB Game Betting Odds:

New York Yankees -160
Andy Pettitte – (L)

Seattle Mariners +140
Jason Vargas – (L)

Run Line:
Yankees -1.5 EVEN
Mariners +1.5 -120

Total:
O 7.5 -120
U 7.5 EVEN

Location: Safeco Field – Seattle, WA
Game Time: Thursday, July 8th, 2010 – 10:10 PM EST
TV: YES, FSNW

The Week That Was: Yankees

The Yankees began last week at home in a weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays. New York played well in the opener until the 11th inning, when the Jays broke out of the 1-1 tie by scoring five runs in the top of the inning. The Yankees would end up losing 6-1. However they got some revenge the next day, scoring 11 times in the third inning against Toronto ace Ricky Romero. That big inning was more than an enough in an eventual 11-3 Yankee win. The finale saw the two teams return to extra innings, but ended with a result more favourable to New York; Marcus Thames smacked a pinch-hit RBI single in the 10th to win it 7-6.

The Yankees then travelled across country to California for a three-game set with Oakland. Clearly the team was not affected by jet-lag, as New York swept the Athletics in three games. All three Yankee starters (Javier Vazquez, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett) threw gems and earned the win. Oakland scored only four times in the three-game series.

The Week That Was: Mariners

Seattle opened their week on the road in Detroit; it didn’t go that well. The Mariners were crushed in their first two games by a combined score of 13-2. The only saving grace came in the finale, when Cliff Lee pitched another masterful game, going eight innings and striking out 11 in the win. The win broke a three-game losing streak.

Back in Seattle, the losing continued in a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals. Felix Hernandez pitched game one and was brilliant, pitching seven innings of two-run ball. Unfortunately the bullpen blew it, as Seattle allowed two runs in the 8th and 10th innings to lose 6-4. The next two games weren’t much better, as the Mariners lost both for an embarrassing sweep at home to Kansas City. It’s the first time since 1995 KC had swept the Mariners in Seattle.

The Matchup

Somewhere along the line Andy Pettitte found the fountain of youth, and the selfish lefty isn’t sharing it with anyone. The 38-year old is having one of his best years of his career, as his 10-2 record and 2.82 ERA can attest too. In his last eight starts, Pettitte is 5-1 and has allowed more than two runs in a game only twice. His ERA now is a full point below his career average, so it’s more than likely Pettitte will see his numbers eventually even out as the season goes on.

After a string of very effective starts, Vargas has struggled in his last couple of appearances. In his last two starts, Vargas has allowed 15 hits and nine earned runs in nine innings pitched. Naturally, both starts were losses. But overall Vargas has provided a solid number three pitcher between the big two (Lee and Hernandez) in the Seattle rotation. But against an offense like the Yankees against a pitcher like Pettitte, he may have to be better than solid, and that just may not happen.

MLB Betting Pick: New York Yankees

NASCAR Betting – LifeLock.com 400 Preview

NASCAR betting is in the second half of the season and heading to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. The Sprint Cup Series’ top drivers rev their engines for the LifeLock.com 400 and oddsmakers have released their favorites to run up front Saturday:

Jimmie Johnson +350

Johnson is back in the hunt for his fifth Sprint Cup Championship, sitting in third in the points standings. The No. 48 car had a tough run at Daytona last weekend, finishing 31st due to an accident after starting in the first row. That snapped a streak of four straight Top-10 finishes including back-to-back wins heading into last week. Johnson is terrific at Chicagoland, posting an average finishing of 8.1 but not yet visiting Victory Lane. He’s come close, with two second-place and two third-place finishes there.

Denny Hamlin +500

Hamlin also struggled at the Coke Zero 400, dropping from fourth to 24th. After burning up the track in May and mid-June, Hamlin has fallen off the pace in the Chase for the Cup. He’s finished outside the Top 10 in three straight races, posting an average finish of 24th in that span. The No. 11 ride has only taken the track at Chicagoland four times in his brief NASCAR career. Hamlin finished fifth in last season’s race but boasts an average finish of 19th there.

Kyle Busch +500

The younger Busch brother was so close to the points lead he could smell it. Then the wheels came off the No. 18 car, posting four straight finishes outside the Top 10. Busch has an average finish of 27.5 over that stretch, including a 40th-place showing at Daytona after getting caught in a wreck. Busch has been hot and cold at Chicagoland, posting solid races followed by horrible outings. He won this race in 2008 but came in 33rd last season. In his nine career starts there, he owns an average finish of 12.8.

Jeff Gordon (+700)

The savvy veteran has himself in second place in the points after a strong run at Daytona last weekend. Gordon finished third in the Coke Zero 400, marking the fourth straight Top-5 finish for the famous No. 24 car. Gordon will be making some personal history this weekend at Chicagoland, officially starting his 600th career NASCAR race. He owns a victory at the 1.5-mile oval, coming back in 2006, and carries an average finish of 9.2 with him into the weekend.

LeBron’s Pool Party – Where Will He Sign?

For days, and months and seemingly years we’ve been waiting to find out what decision LeBron James will make in this summer of 2010. Will he continue his career in New York? Or New Jersey? What about Chicago? Will he stay in his hometown Cleveland?

Who knew a pre-planned pool party might have let the cat out of the bag on LeBron’s secret plans?

That’s right, according to a report by US Weekly Magazine, LeBron has rented out six cabanas at posh Miami Hotel, The W, to celebrate his decision for this upcoming weekend. Could that be a sign as to where he’ll end up?

The pool party has certainly only added speculation that James will join fellow NBA All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, both of whom announced their plans on Wednesday they’d be signing contracts and playing for the Heat.
As for LeBron, his announcement is set to take place tonight, Thursday, at 9 p.m. from the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Conn. The event will be televised live by ESPN, and all the proceeds from sold advertising will go the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

According to US Weekly, James will go from Greenwich to New York for this weekend’s wedding of fellow NBA superstar to MTV personality La La Vasquez. From there, it’ll be off to Miami for the pool party.
The party is the latest twist on the courtship of James.

It started almost two years ago, when Donnie Walsh was hired by the Knicks, and made it the team’s priority to clear enough cap space to offer LeBron a maximum contract this offseason.

Since then, things have only gotten crazier, during this season where James had to request that the media stop asking him questions about free agency, Things only got ramped up after the Cavaliers surprising second round exit from the playoffs this spring, despite having the best regular season in the NBA. Last month’s NBA Draft was also marked by several teams- specifically Miami and Chicago- trading away key players in hopes of clearing cap space for more than one free agent.

Things finally culminated a week ago, when  James hosted six teams- the Knicks, Nets, Heat, Clippers, Bulls and hometown Cavaliers- in his Cleveland business offices last week. He has since been spotted around town at his summer camp in Akron.

Should James go to Miami, it would make the Heat the favorites to take home the next NBA tile (Or several), but would also make them one of the most controversial teams in the league.

Could a team with three superstars win a title? Could two of the best three players in the league, both of which need the ball in their hands co-exist? And if each was making the roughly $15 million maximum contract they could earn, how would the Miami front office fill out the remainder of the roster?

Either way, we’ll get all the answers on Thursday night.

And if you believe US Weekly, that answer is Miami. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit.

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/news/lebron-james-plans-weekend-party-in-south-beach-201087

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