Football Betting Line – 2010 ACC Coastal Division Preview

As another season of college football looms just around the corner, it’s worth asking: Will anything change in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference?

ACC Coastal Division Preview

Football Betting Line: Miami +125

Everyone knows that Virginia and Duke, two wafer-thin programs, won’t challenge for the division title.

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Virginia is rebuilding under new coach Mike London, while the Dukies excel only at basketball.

So, to put a finer point on the question raised above, it’s not a question of the entire division changing.

A better query is as follows: Can North Carolina or Miami upend the Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech axis of power that has ruled the Coastal with an iron grip?

The ACC’s split-division format has existed for five seasons.

Virginia Tech has won three of the five Coastal titles, and Georgia Tech gobbled up the other two. Miami, under Larry Coker and now Randy Shannon, has shown glimpses of promise but has fundamentally failed to recall the glory days of both the Ken Dorsey era and the other times when the Hurricanes blew through the rest of college football.

North Carolina, under former Miami coach Butch Davis, is trying to build an on-field reputation which can rival “The U,” but the Tar Heels have not been able to attain the proverbial next plateau.

Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech have set a high standard not only by winning all five Coastal crowns, but by snatching the last three ACC championships.

If the league is to become great as a whole, Florida State needs to become a big deal again in the Atlantic Division, but in the Coastal, the pressure is on Miami and North Carolina to deliver the goods.

As far as Miami is concerned, the focus is entirely on quarterback Jacory Harris.

Last year as a sophomore, Harris produced a stunning first month that vaulted the Canes to victories over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma. Miami looked ready to win the division.

However, as soon as he developed confidence, Harris lost focus and failed to continue what he started. A balky offense crippled a team that stumbled at North Carolina and generally coughed up too many turnovers.

This year, Harris has to display better ball security, but with running back Graig Cooper out for the year due to a gruesome injury suffered in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin, the Canes’ running game might not be able to provide Harris with the balance he needs.

Miami risks being too one-dimensional when it has the ball, and that means Harris is likely to throw a few too many interceptions.

For North Carolina, a fragile situation already exists, now that all-conference linebacker Quan Sturdivant has been busted for possession of marijuana, in an incident which took place this past Saturday.

It is impossible to think that Butch Davis will allow Sturdivant to play in UNC’s heavily-hyped opener against LSU in Atlanta, and that fact will put Carolina at a severe disadvantage against its SEC foe.

If the Tar Heels don’t beat LSU, their confidence will take a big hit, and that scenario – by itself – would greatly decrease the likelihood of a North Carolina title run in the Coastal Division.

Football Betting Line – ACC Coastal Outlook

In the end, the two Techs are likely to fight it out for the division flag. Two years ago, Virginia Tech beat Georgia Tech at home and won the Coastal. Last year, Georgia Tech returned the favor on its own home field.

This year, the Hokies get the Yellow Jackets in Blacksburg, Virginia, so tab Virginia Tech to reclaim the ACC’s superior division.

Football Betting Line Pick: Virginia Tech

Football Betting Odds – Philadelphia Eagles

Apparently, winning a number of NFC East titles and taking the team to one Super Bowl in his tenure wasn’t good enough for QB Donovan McNabb to keep his job. Now that the Philadelphia Eagles are clearly under the direction of QB Kevin Kolb, we have five questions related to football odds for the City of Brotherly Love.

1: Is QB Kevin Kolb the real deal? The few looks that we have gotten at Kolb in his brief career have been solid. He threw for 741 yards and four scores essentially in just two starts with the Eagles last season, and that brief look was good enough for the franchise to trade McNabb to the Washington Redskins this past offseason. The Houston product clearly has a big arm and has the pedigree to be a great QB in this league, but until we see it, we don’t necessarily believe it.

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2: Is this the final go around for HC Andy Reid? If it is, the Eagles could be in for a season’s worth of change. Reid, McNabb, and RB Brian Westbrook were the rocks of this franchise for years, and now, he is the only link left. There has been a ton of speculation that the Eagles and Reid have been ready to cut ties for years, and dealing McNabb might just be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

3: Can DE Brandon Graham give DE Trent Cole the pass rushing mate he’s desperately been seeking? Probably – The Michigan product was a fantastic steal for the Eagles at pick No. 13 overall in the NFL Draft, as he has a high motor off the end and can really cause a lot of problems; especially if the attention shifts to Cole on a regular basis. Cole had a team high 12.5 sacks last season and clearly will be a concern to offensive tackles across the entire league.

4: Is LeSean McCoy ready to be an every down back in the NFL? McCoy only started four games last season for Philadelphia, and he looked suitable in doing so. He’ll probably have to improve upon a 4.1 YPC average from ’09 to make it in this league, but he will also have to prove that he is able to carry the rock 225+ times as well. A 1,000+ yard season is expected from the back out of U-Pitt, and anything less will be a brutal disappointment.

5: Bottom Line: How many games will the Philadelphia Eagles win in 2010? An over/under of 8.5 wins is what the Eagles have to beat this season. We don’t think so. A second place schedule, the NFC East (most notably two games against McNabb and the Redskins), and the AFC South is just too much for a brand new quarterback to be able to overcome. The Eagles will inevitably be quite exciting this year once again, especially with WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin catching passes and returning kicks and punts, but there isn’t enough firepower to make the playoffs or finish better than .500.

Football Betting – Hamilton vs Winnipeg (CFL)

The 0-2 Hamilton Tiger Cats are at home looking for their first win of the CFL Season as the host the 1-1 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Friday night at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

The football odds makers have the Hamilton Tiger Cats as -3½ point favorites over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The football betting total is 54½ points in this East Division Matchup.

July 16, 2010

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CFL Week 3 Odds

Winnipeg Blue Bombers +3½

Hamilton Tiger Cats -3½

Game Total 54½

Location: Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton ON

Game Time: 7:00 pm

The Tiger-Cats had their chances last week against the Calgary Stampeders in a 23-22 loss, the most disappointing aspect has to be place kicker Sandro DeAngelis missing a couple of field goals.

With the football spread a half point more than a field goal in this game, DeAngelis will have all eyes on him.

Despite the losses, the Tiger-Cats have few of bright spots in their first two, namely Kevin Glenn, Arland Bruce and Marcus Thigpen. Quarterback Glenn threw for 356 yards and a touchdown and Bruce accounted for seven catches and 104 yards.

But the Thigpen has been a human highlight reel so far this season, as he earned the special teams player of the week award after he became the first player since 2002 to return to kick returns for a touchdown.

The downside other than the losses for Hamilton had to be their lack of a running game; they accounted for only 48 yards all game against Calgary.

Against the Blue Bombers, the Tiger-Cats will need to find all the offense they can to compete against Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers dropped a disappointing 36-34 decision to the surprising Toronto Argonauts.

Quarterback Buck Pierce did his part, throwing for 366 yards and rushing for 103 more, as did Pierce’s favorite target Terence Jeffers-Harris, who caught seven for 152 yards and a couple of TDs but it wasn’t enough to hold off the relentless Argos.

This is the second meeting with the Blue Bombers crushing the Ti-Cats in the season opener, 54-42 in Winnipeg. Neither teams’ defense is anything to write home about so the football betting total of 54½ is likely in jeopardy.

Betting on the football spread, you have to consider how well Buck Pierce has adapted to running the Winnipeg offense and the fact that the Blue Bombers are getting points on the football betting spread and I don’t think they will need them.

Football Odds – 2010 ACC Atlantic Division Preview

In the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Coastal Division owns the proven programs, at least over the past few years. Virginia Tech and – last year – Georgia Tech won the ACC from the Coastal side of the divide. Not since 2006, with Wake Forest, has the Atlantic boasted the ACC champion, and it’s reasonable to say that such a scenario occurred largely because the Coastal was so weak, not because the Atlantic was so excellent.

In 2010, the Coastal Division is still likely to give the ACC its best team – and the bearer of an Orange Bowl berth – but the Atlantic isn’t chopped liver. There’s a chance that the Atlantic could have a competitive race for reasons other than division-wide mediocrity.

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ACC Atlantic Division Preview

Football Odds: Florida State +125

One needs to understand that the football odds over the past few ACC Atlantic races have been train-wrecks more than Indy Car sprints to the finish line. No school in this six-team set has been able to take command of competition and stamp itself as an elite program. Wake Forest did claim the ACC in 2006, but got whacked in that season’s Orange Bowl by Louisville. Boston College took the Atlantic in 2007 and 2008, but got whipped in the ACC title tilt by Virginia Tech. Last year, Clemson won its first Atlantic title but couldn’t stop Georgia Tech’s offense in a wild ACC championship challenge. The division’s marquee program, Florida State, has experienced a period of sustained impotence, but after the retirement of iconic coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles might be ready to ramp up their level of quality… and lift the rest of the division to a higher standard.

Only two teams don’t figure to enter into the Atlantic Division title chase. Maryland and Wake Forest stand a great distance from their glory days from the past decade. Coaches Ralph Friedgen and Jim Grobe have not maintained the momentum generated by ACC title seasons in 2001 and 2006, and there’s nothing to suggest that either program can produce an upper-division finish in 2010. This is a four-horse race, and we’ll start with the dangerous outside shot.

North Carolina State disappointed mightily in 2009. A Wolfpack crew coached by Tom O’Brien figured to have the horses it needed to make a run at the flag, but instead, NCSU embarrassed itself by going 2-6 in ACC play. The Pack popped a prominent Pittsburgh team in a display of its immense capabilities, but somehow, that form was never duplicated within the ACC. This year, quarterback Russell Wilson is back at the controls, giving N.C. State a supremely gifted signal caller. If all the pieces fit together, this team can click and make some noise. Don’t bet on NCSU to win the division, but the Wolfpack have a puncher’s chance.

The third choice is Boston College. The Golden Eagles always overachieve relative to their talent, and are the kind of team that will benefit from a crowded ACC race. It’s not meant as a slap to the program, but BC will win only if the Atlantic as a whole fails to live up to expectations. Boston College won’t light up the scoreboard; it will need opponents to slip on the proverbial banana peel.

In recent years, both Florida State and Clemson have indeed slipped up and blown chances to dominate the Atlantic. In 2009, FSU fell short of its goals because of a defense that couldn’t have stopped a half-decent high school offense even if it tried. This season, new coach Jimbo Fisher will have a boatload of offensive weapons and will therefore have an excellent chance of winning the division, but his defense could still prove to be too weak in the end.

Football Odds – ACC Coastal Outlook

The odds-on favorite for the Atlantic is Clemson. Last season the Tigers did just enough to grab the brass ring. In 2010, a team of previously-tormented talents, now liberated by their breakthrough, just might have the mental toughness needed to repeat as division champions and live up to the full measure of its potential. Take Clemson first, FSU second, BC third, NCSU fourth, Wake fifth, and Maryland sixth.

Football Odds Selection: Clemson +250

Baseball Betting Odds – Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves enter the second half of the Major League Baseball season in first place in the rugged NL East, but can they keep it up? We’ll find out starting Wednesday night, when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the baseball betting odds.

Milwaukee Brewers (40-49 SU, 39-50 R/L, 46-37-6) at Atlanta Braves (52-36 SU, 47-41 R/L, 40-42-6 O/U)

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Thursday, July 15: 7:10 p.m.

Betting Odds:

Milwaukee: +1 ½, -135, +160
(David Bush-R)

Atlanta: -1 ½, +115, -190
(Jair Jurrjens-R)

Total Runs:

Over 8 ½: -110
Under 8 ½: -110

The Atlanta Braves will send the improving Jair Jurrjens to the mound.

Looking at Jurrjens raw numbers- a 1-3 record, 5.40 ERA- certainly leaves a lot to be desired for fans and bettors alike. However, the righty’s stats are a little bit skewed, as he spent the first part of the season pitching with a myriad of injuries. Since returning from the disabled list on June 30 after two months away, Jurrjens has pitched well. In his two starts, he’s allowed just four earned runs in 11 innings of work, and lowering his ERA by almost a full run.

Atlanta’s offense should give him plenty of run support, as it is one of the most underrated in baseball. Leading the charge is the National League’s top hitter, second baseman Martin Prado, who carries a .325 batting average into the second half. However, he’s not alone by any means in this lineup, as Troy Glaus provides the power, with 14 home runs so far. All-Star catcher Brian McCann has added 10 home runs to go along with his .267 average.

Speaking of powerful lineups, the Milwaukee Brewers certainly have one as well, as their 110 home runs are third in all of baseball. There are home run threats up and down this lineup, including at the corner outfield positions, where All-Stars Corey Hart and Ryan Braun have 34 this year. And not to be outdone, Prince Fielder is quietly having another monstrous year, as he’s belted 20 bombs of his own.

The problem for Milwaukee this season has been their arms. Simply put, in a year in baseball which has been known for great pitching, the Brewers have barely had any. Thursday’s starter David Bush has been one of the better arms on Milwaukee’s staff, which really doesn’t say all that much. He enters this game with a 4-6 record, and 4.14 ERA, although he has now gone five starts in a row allowing two earned runs or less. Milwaukee’s staff as a whole ranks 27 th in baseball in team ERA.

And it is because of that struggling staff that you should take the Braves in the Thursday night MLB betting odds.

As much depth as this Brewers lineup has, there is an equal lack of depth in this pitching staff. Even if Bush pitches well, it’s hard to see the bullpen holding the lead.

Atlanta enters this game with the better starter and better bullpen, and a solid lineup to boot. There’s only one play here, the Braves in Thursday’s betting odds.

Aaron’s Pick: Atlanta Money Line (-190)

MLB Betting Odds – Los Angeles Dodgers vs St Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers were both supposed to be leading their respective National League divisions by now. However, the Cincinnati Reds are in the top spot in the Central and the Padres sit atop the West.  Both the Dodgers and the Cardinals are looking to use this three-game series as a jumpstart into the second half of the season, taking two of three from a tough non-divisional team could go a long way to establishing the mood from now until October.

The MLB Odds Makers have the St. Louis Cardinals as the -125 favorites and the comeback on the Dodgers is +105. The game total is 7 runs.

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MLB Betting Odds
July 15, 2010
Los Angeles Dodgers      +1½ -200              +105
Clayton Kershaw -L                        
St Louis Cardinals             -1½ +170              -125
Chris Carpenter – R         
Game Total         7
Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis MO
Game Time: 8:15pm
TV: KCAL, FSMW

The St. Louis Cardinals started the season hot but slumped into the All-Star break with a 4-7 record in July. Early in the season, the Cardinals bats weren’t holding up their end of the work but the pitching staff held it together. Chris Carpenter lost only once in his first 17 starts for the Cards but lately, he’s been average, while the Cardinals sluggers are doing their best to pick him up and the rest of the staff up but it still hasn’t been enough.

Albert Pujols has shaken off his slow start with a vengeance, hitting 5 homeruns and 12 RBI in his last 12 games bringing his seasonal total .308, 21 HR and 64 RBI.  He’s now within one each of the HR and RBI lead.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are tied with the Colorado Rockies, 2 games back of the Padres in the NL West and everything they have done this season should have them in first place, the Dodgers own a 23-6 record in their division, they are 28-18 at home. Their only downfall has been their record against the NL East.

On the mound for the Dodgers tonight is Clayton Kershaw, Kershaw has been throwing BBs this season, and he is tied for second in the National League with 128 strikeouts. His record is 9-4 and he’s lowered his 2.96 over his last three starts. Against the Cardinals in his career, Kershaw has been very good; he’s 2-0 with a 2.27 ERA in five career starts against St. Louis.

I like the Dodgers a little more than the Cards in this game but not enough to commit to either side. With Kershaw and Carpenter on the mound, I like the under a lot.

Furious MLB Free Picks – Texas Rangers Kick-Off Second Half Versus Red Sox

It rarely matters how well the Texas Rangers do against any team in the AL East in the regular season, and Thursday night will be no different. The Rangers are in a nice lead in the AL Central as they take on the Boston Red Sox, a team they are 3-11 SU against when visiting. Can Boston play catch-up in the standings, or will the relaxed Rangers take it to them at Fenway?

Of course, there will be cheers for David Ortiz who won the Home Run Derby earlier this week. He became the first Boston Red Sox player to win the derby ever, and overcame so much criticism after slumping throughout the year and becoming involved in drug scandals.

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Texas Rangers (50-38) vs. Boston Red Sox (51-37)

Thursday, July 15 th — Fenway Park — 7:10pm EST

MLB Betting Lines:

TEX – Tommy Hunter (R) -1.5 +150 / -105 / O 10.0 EV

BOS – Tim Wakefield (R) +1.5 -170 / -115 / U 10.0 -120

This will perhaps be the biggest test for the Rangers’ youngest ace, Tommy Hunter. In seven starts, Hunter has gone 5-0 SU and the Rangers themselves are 6-1 SU in those games. The 24-year old is a 6-foot-3, 280 pound tower of pain on the mound and is averaging a 2.34 ERA.

While the Rangers are sending their youngest to the stripe, the Red Sox are sending their eldest. The 43-year old Tim Wakefield is 3-7 SU in 14 starts, and going 1-2 SU in his last 3. He has a 5.22 ERA and while his delivery has given him longevity at the mound, he won’t be able to match the heat the young Hunter is bringing to the player.

Where To Watch: FSH, NESN

I’d love for the Ortiz win at the All-Star game to give the Red Sox momentum, but the Rangers are a stacked team and Hunter has been a huge boost for their rotation. Boston is still trying to overcome their massive disabled filled with stars, so Texas gets the nod as the underdog in MLB betting tonight.

Furious MLB Free Pick – Texas Rangers RL and ML (UNDER)

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 Parlay Pick – Texas -105 ML and CWS -105 ML

MLB Betting Lines:

CWS – John Danks (L) -105 ML

MIN – Kevin Slowey (R) -115 ML

Game Time: Target Field — 8:10pm EST

MLB Betting Lines:

• CWS is 5-0 SU in last 5 games
• CWS are 9-3 SU in last 12 road games
• CWS are 4-17 SU in last 21 games at Minnesota
• Minnesota is 1-4 SU in last 5 games
• Minnesota is 12-3 SU in last 15 games against CWS

Dodgers Visit Carpenter and Cardinals in St. Louis on Thursday Night

The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the St. Louis Cardinals as slight baseball betting underdogs in the MLB sportsbook on Thursday night.

Even though the Dodgers send arguably their ace, Clayton Kershaw, to the mound, there’s no way that the Dodgers end up as the favorites in Thursday night’s game. Why? Because Chris Carpenter takes the mound for the Cardinals.

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Carpenter is 9 and 3 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Kershaw is 9 and 4 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP.

Which ace is going to come up big tonight?

Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals

Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

When: July 15 th, 2010 at 8:15 pm EST

TV: Dodgers – KCAL, MLBN

Cardinals – FS-M, MLBN

Radio: Dodgers – KABC 790, KHJ 930

Cardinals – KTRS 550

MLB Betting Odds

Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw – L +1 ½ -200 +105 O 7 -115

St. Louis Cardinals

Chris Carpenter – R -1 ½ +170 -125 U 7 -105

Most of the MLB betting trends favor the Dodgers in this game.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are 9 and 2 in Clayton Kershaw’s last 11 starts versus a team with a winning record.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are 4 and 1 in Clayton Kershaw’s last 5 starts as an underdog on the road.

• The St. Louis Cardinals are 0 and 4 in their last 4 games versus a team with a winning record.

• The St. Louis Cardinals are 4 and 0 in Chris Carpenter’s last 4 starts with 6 days of rest.

The biggest issue the Cardinals face is that Carpenter just hasn’t been himself. He’s yielded 12 runs in 9 innings in his last 2 starts. He’s gone 0 and 2 in those starts and lasted only 3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 3 rd.

Against the Dodgers, however, Carpenter has the ability to turn things around. He’s 5 and 0 with a 1.88 ERA in 7 lifetime starts against the Dodgers. At Busch Stadium, he’s been even better, going 2 and 0 with a .43 ERA in 3 starts against L.A.

Those are tough stats to get past, but Kershaw has been just as good against the Cardinals as Carpenter has been against the Dodgers. Kershaw is 2 and 0 with a 2.27 ERA in 5 lifetime starts and 1 and 0 with a .60 ERA in 2 starts at Busch Stadium.

With two great pitchers on the mound, and stats predicting that both will show up with their best stuff, the best baseball bet for sports betting fans to make in this game appears to be on under the total of 7 runs.

Both Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday have been on fire lately for St. Louis, but in regards to the total, their offensive production will most likely be countered by the fact that Manny Ramirez most likely won’t suit up for L.A. in this game. Ramirez is eligible to return from the DL tonight, but it’s doubtful that he will.

Without Ramirez, the Dodgers will find runs hard to come by. St. Louis will as well because Kershaw has been fantastic against them in the past.

I’m going to bet that this game goes under the total of 7 runs.

MLB Sportsbook Pick: Under 7 -105

MLB Betting – Twins, White Sox Battle for AL Central Supremacy

For most of the first half of the season, MLB betting fans thought the Twins and Tigers would be battling it out for the AL Central crown. But now, the Twins, who led the division for much of the first half, find themselves trailing the Chicago White Sox and the Tigers as well.

Now, MLB betting fans have their eyes on this opening weekend series between the Twins and White Sox because of the importance of the series to both teams.

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Chicago White Sox (John Danks, L) at Minnesota Twins (Kevin Slowey, R)
8:10 pm ET

MLB betting line: Chicago White Sox favored at -1 ½

The White Sox have a lefty going in Danks against a Minnesota Twins lineup that is lefty-dominated. That is one of the advantages the White Sox seem to have going into this MLB series and game.

But the Twins hit lefties better than most other teams that are dominated by left-handed hitters, and Danks isn’t as tough as many other lefties they’ve done well against already this year.

Chicago also has won 25 of 30 games going into this one, but the stakes are higher now and they can no longer fly under the radar. The White Sox have feasted on a National League-heavy roster of opponents along with lesser American League teams and the Twins are not an easy opponent at home.

Slowey hasn’t been quite what the Twins expected in his young career so far, but he has the stuff to hold the White Sox lineup in check this time around. Minnesota has been scuffling a bit but MLB betting fans know they have the talent to win the division still. They should be able to keep this one close and cover the spread or win straight up as long as their lineup keeps hitting the way it has in the first half of the season.

MLB betting pick: Minnesota Twins (+1 ½).

British Open – McIlory, Tiger and…John Daly?

Some players are still on the course. Heck, some players haven’t even teed off, but it really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mater because he stage has already been set for this year’s British Open at the famous Old Course at St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

Oh, sure, Martin Kaymer, the young German sensation still has to tee off and Edoardo Molinari, who won the Scottish Open last week, hasn’t lifted his driver out of his bag. Graeme McDowell and Phil Mickelson haven’t gotten close to starting on the back 9 yet, but, again, it just doesn’t matter.

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It doesn’t matter because either one of two things is going to happen from the end of Thursday, unless the golfing gods are laughing at us once again, to the end of Sunday at St. Andrews. Either Tiger Woods will once again prove himself to be the best golfer in the world or Rory McIlroy, he who missed the cut at both the Masters and U.S. Open earlier this year and the heir apparent to Tiger’s crown, will run away with the Open Championship.

It could be 1997 all over again but instead of Augusta National it’s St. Andrews. Instead of a mixed Thai/African-American it could be a curly-haired cherub faced boy from Ireland.

What about Justin Rose who came into this after winning 2 out of the last 3 PGA Tour Events? He finished his 1 st round at a respectable -2. Padraig Harrington? He entered the clubhouse at +1. Ernie Els? The giant South African shot a -3.

Those aren’t bad scores. Not bad at all, but Tiger and Rory are the story and will probably remain the story well into Sunday. Tiger shot a -5. That’s a 67 on the Old Course and usually a score like that would send shockwaves throughout the British Isles, but in this case it became nothing more than a secondary blip on the massive European golfing screen.

That’s because Rory McIlroy shot an amazing, alarmingly awesome, -9. The people who need to be alarmed are Tiger, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood and every golfer on the planet. McIlroy, who finished 2 nd in the Race To Dubai, the Euro Tour’s version of the FedEx Cup, in 2009, has suffered through back problems for most of 2010. There were flashes of brilliance earlier this year, like the 62 he shot in the 4 th round of the Quail Hollow Championship in May, but nothing like this.

Rory walked off the Old Course with a 63. Many golfing fans expected it. McIlroy entered the 1 st round as a +1400 third choice, after Tiger at +500 and Ernie Els at +1200, in the golf sportsbook. Many sports gamblers, I for one, felt that McIlroy’s immaturity and still stiffening back would lead to his downfall.

That might still happen. I hope it doesn’t. I want to see it. I want to see Tiger Woods, the man who changed golf, battling it out with the Irish wunderkind. I want to see the master against the natural.

Woods vs. McIlroy should be the story on Sunday, but one thing might stand in its way. John Daly, golfing’s version of the crazy drunk uncle who lives in the attic, shot a -6 to put himself into 2 nd place behind McIlory. Daly, most likely, will fall totally out of it after tomorrow’s 2 nd round, but if Big John could muster something out of that bloated, ravaged, frame of his, then who knows?

Heck, put him into the mix to! Daly, Tiger and Rory battling it out for St. Andrews’ glory! Can you think of a more awesome Sunday?

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