NFL Betting – Jets Ready to Take Over the AFC East Division

The New York Jets are ready to take over the AFC East Division.

At the NFL betting odds of +140 to win the division, the Jets are slight underdogs to the AFC East stalwart New England Patriots to win the division this season.

The Patriots are favorites for a reason.

Since 1996, the Pats have won the AFC East Division 9 times. That’s 9 titles in 14 years. There aren’t many other teams in any sport that has been as dominant in a single division as the New England Patriots have been, but this year the tide appears to be changing.

Why? Because the New York Jets, who lost to the Indianapolis Colts in last season’s AFC Championship Game, are loaded on both sides of the ball and, more importantly, truly believe that they can beat the Pats.

Going into training camp and pre-season, the Jets are so highly rated that many sports gamblers are surprised that the Patriots are still favored over them to win the division.

The Jets made the necessary upgrades on both offense and defense to become the best team in the AFC East this season.

Listed below are some of the most important improvements.

New York Jets’ Improvements

Offense

More speed at the RB position – - The New York Jets unloaded Thomas Jones.

Hey, he was good, but he was getting up there in age. Instead of Jones, University of Iowa product Shonn Greene will be counted on to carry the load.

Greene averaged 5 yards per carry last season and should peak in his third official season in the NFL.

Backing up Greene will be future hall-of-famer LaDanian Tomlinson.

Tomlinson can still be a factor in spots during the game, but the real reason to love the Jets’ running backs this year is because USC stand-out Joe McKnight, who will be going into his rookie season, might be a bigger but just as fast Reggie Bush.

McKnight has some maturity issues to deal with but no nonsense Jets’ coach Rex Ryan will make sure he handles them the right way.

McKnight could be something special.

A year under QB Mark Sanchez’s belt – - A lot of times quarterbacks take a step back in their second year after having a great rookie season. It happened to Matt Ryan at Atlanta, but it’s doubtful to happen to Mark Sanchez.

The reason is because Sanchez got help when the Jets’ brass acquired wide receiver Santonio Holmes from Pittsburgh.

Holmes is a nice complement to Braylon Edwards and he gives Sanchez yet another target to throw to. McKnight is another target as he showed at USC that he can catch the ball as well as anybody.

Not only does Sanchez have more weapons this season, but the Jets’ offensive game-plan revolves around the running game meaning that Sanchez will be counted on, like he was as a rookie, to simply not make a lot of mistakes.

That should allow him to develop into a decent game manager along the lines of former Dallas Cowboys’ QB Troy Aikman.

Defense

Antonio Cromartie comes over to play CB opposite – - Antonio Cromartie is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. In fact, to some NFL fans the only better cornerback in the NFL is Darrelle Revis.

Cromartie is a shut down guy meaning that the Jets will be able to blitz the QB more with their safeties because both Cromartie and Revis can guard any wide receiver in the NFL one on one.

That makes the Jets’ D even scarier than they were last season and last season they were plenty scary!

Darrelle Revis has stopped complaining…for the moment – - Revis wants a new, long-term, contract. The Jets are willing to give him one but the sides are very, very far apart in terms of money.

The reason that Revis has stopped complaining is because he played hardball with the Jets’ front office and his coach, Rex Ryan, decided to back the Jets.

I have no doubt that once Revis enters training camp, which he has to do in order to not risk losing the guaranteed portion of his contract, he and Jets’ management will start coming together on a contract.

If they don’t, then Revis’ situation is probably the only real issue that would keep the Jets from winning the AFC East Division.

With a healthy Cromartie on one side to take some pressure off of Revis, Revis should be even better this season than he was last season.

Because the Jets upgraded both their offense and defense and the Patriots really didn’t, the New York Jets are the team to beat in the AFC East Division this season.

At the terrific NFL online betting odds of +140, the Jets are a good bet in the sportsbook to win the AFC East in the 2010-2011 NFL Season.

Great Pitching Matchup in the N.L. on Saturday when Braves Take on Mets

There’s a great pitching matchup in the National League on Saturday when the Atlanta Braves take on the New York Mets. The Braves send Tim Hudson to the mound and the Mets send Mike Pelfrey.

Both Hudson and Pelfrey have been terrific in 2010 making this game a challenging one for baseball betting fans to handicap, but there will be more at stake than just a simple victory for Hudson or Pelfrey in this game. The Atlanta Braves are 3 games ahead in the N.L. East Division. Who is in second place? Oh, yeah, that would be the New York Mets!

Will it be the Mets or Braves on Saturday when two aces take the mound?

Atlanta Braves at New York Mets

Where: Citi Field, Flushing, New York

When: July 10 th, 2010 at 4:10 pm EST

TV: Braves – SPSO

Mets – SNY

Radio: Braves – None

Mets – WFAN 660, WQBU 92.7

The beauty of this game is that sports gamblers won’t have to try and predict what the MLB odds makers are going to come up with. Both Pelfrey and Hudson have been so good in 2010, and both teams are so close to each other in the divisional standings, that there’s no way one pitcher can be favored over the other.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the betting trends for Saturday’s game.

• The Atlanta Braves are 22-8 in their last 30 games versus a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
• The Atlanta Braves are 1 and 4 in Tim Hudson’s last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
• The New York Mets are 8 and 2 in Mike Pelfrey’s last 10 starts at home.
• The New York Mets are 7 and 21 in their last 28 games versus a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.

So, the trends say that both teams have a shot and are vulnerable in Saturday’s game. Based on the pitching stats from both starters, it’s hard to argue against the trends.

Tim Hudson is 8 and 4 with a 2.44 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP on the season. Pelfrey is 10 and 3 with a 3.39 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.

The stats paint an interesting pitcher because Hudson’s ERA and WHIP are much better than Pelfrey’s, yet Pelfrey has more wins. How is that possible? Sometimes, for whatever reason, a team does amazingly well when certain pitchers are on the mound. For most of this season, that’s been the case with Pelfrey.

Every time Pelfrey takes the mound, the Mets have responded except for his last start. In his last start, Pelfrey gave up 9 hits and 7 runs in only 4.2 innings to the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets lost that game 6 to 8.

But I believe that Pelfrey bounces back on Saturday. He’s been excellent at home in 2010 and the Mets know that this is their chance to cut Atlanta’s lead.

I’m going to make a sports betting on the New York Mets to beat the Atlanta Braves on Saturday afternoon.

MLB Sportsbook Pick: New York Mets

NASCAR Odds – Group Betting the LifeLock.com 400

The NASCAR sportsbook is not only offering betting odds on drivers to win this Saturday’s LifeLock.com 400, but also offering odds in the group betting category

The sportsbook has set up 3 groups, A, B, and C, for sports gamblers to find a winner. As always, Group 1 appears to be the most difficult group in which to find a winner.

Will it be Hamlin, Gordon, JJ or one of the Busch brothers to win Group 1?

NASCAR: LifeLock.com 400

• Where: Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Il
• When: July 10th, 2010 at 7:30 pm EST
• Track: D-shaped oval, 1.5 miles
• TV: TNT
• Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)

Group Betting

Group A: Denny Hamlin +200, Jeff Gordon +325, Jimmie Johnson +150, Kurt Busch +350, Kyle Busch +300

Analysis: So…where’s my dart to throw? Denny Hamlin and Jimmie are obvious pick as they’ve dominated the Sprint Cup Circuit in 2010. Kyle always has a shot in every race, every week.

Kurt, even though he’s never had success at Chicagoland, has a shot as well, but my money will be on Gordo for the simple fact that he’s been driving brilliantly in 2010 but still hasn’t picked up a victory.

The man has 9 Top 5 finishes on the year. I think he does enough to beat at least this group of drivers on Saturday night.

Pick: Jeff Gordon +325

Group B: Clint Bowyer +325, Jeff Burton +200, Kasey Kahne +250, Kevin Harvick +200, Tony Stewart +325

Analysis: This is not as easy of a group in which to find the winner as it seems at first.

Yes, Burton and Harvick deserve to be favorites in this group. In particular, Harvick deserves to be a big favorite because he won last week’s race and he always shows up at Chicagoland, but Kahne has a nice history at Chicagoland as well and so does Tony Stewart who looks like the best pick in this group to me.

Tony had a terrible race at Daytona last week, but this week he might be the guy to back because he was getting hot before the Daytona race. Tony has good history at Chicagoland with 2 victories and 7 total Top 5 finishes. He’s the pick at the NASCAR odds.

Pick: Tony Stewart +325

Group 3: Carl Edwards +250, Greg Biffle +250, Joey Logano +300, Juan Pablo Montoya +250, Matt Kenseth +250

Analysis: Edwards’ average finish at Chicagoland is 21st place. Biffle’s average finish at Chicagoland is 15.4 Logano’s average finish at Chicagoland is 18. Juan Pablo Montoya’s average finish at Chicagoland is 14.3 and Kenseth’s average finish at Chicagoland is 11.2.

Based on the average finish at Chicagoland, Kenseth is the bet, right? I mean, all 5 of these guys are going off at the same NASCAR odds and it’s not like Matt’s had a horrible year or anything.

Pick: Matt Kenseth +250

This week NASCAR drivers head to the Chicagoland Speedway for the LifeLock.com 400! Log onto the sportsbook and bet the LifeLock.com 400!

Saturday MLB Free Picks – Hamilton, Guerrero to Pound Orioles into Submission

Prolific heavy-hitters, Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero will both be looking to bash the Baltimore Orioles into submission when they host their lowly rivals in the third game of a four-game set at Rangers Ballpark tonight at 8 PM ET.

The Orioles had lost seven of its last 10 games heading into Friday nights Game 2 contest while Texas had gone just 4-6 over the same span.

Saturday, July 10, 8:05 PM ET

MLB Odds: N/A

Baltimore Orioles

TBD

Texas Rangers

Matt Harrison

Baltimore (26-59 SU, 36-45-4 O/U, 35-50 RL)

Texas (50-35 SU, 41-40-4 O/U, 41-44 RL)

TV: MASN 2 HD, TXA-21 HD

Radio: Sirius 179 XM

Here is a look at the key MLB online betting trends for each team, followed by my in-depth analysis and MLB Free Picks.

• Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Texas.
• Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.

Baltimore 411

• Orioles are 16-38 in their last 54 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
• Orioles are 7-19 in their last 26 Saturday games.
• Orioles are 14-41 in their last 55 games vs. a left-handed starter.

Texas 411

• Rangers are 5-0 in their last 5 Saturday games.
• Rangers are 7-2 in their last 9 during game 3 of a series.
• Rangers are 4-1 in Harrison’s last 5 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.
• Rangers are 2-5 in Harrison’s last 7 starts.

The Starters: The Orioles haven’t named a starter as of yet, but Interim manager Juan Samuel said he was initially leaning toward going with veteran left-handed reliever Mark Hendrickson.

However, Hendrickson pitched in Thursday’s game against the Rangers in relief and Baltimore will almost certainly turn to talented Triple-A right-hander Chris Tillman.

Tillman is 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA since he was optioned by the Orioles. During his time in Baltimore, he was 0-8 with a 8.40 ERA in four starts.

"It was a possibility that we were going to think about Hendrickson, but we would like to keep the bullpen the way it is," Samuel said. "We have four games here, and this is a very good offensive club. We need all the arms we could use. We are leaning toward making that decision [Friday]."

Texas will counter with right-hander Matt Harrison who comes out of the bullpen to make his first start after seven reief appearances. Harrison has allowed just two earned runs over his last five relief appearances spanning 12.0 innings.

Analysis: I’m going to go with the Texas Rangers to record the outright home win and moneyline cover as Matt Harrison has been throwing the ball very well lately.

If Matt Harrison doesn’t get pounded for an insane number of runs, I like the Rangers’ far more prolific offense to make a win stand up.

The Rangers have gone a perfect 5-0 in their last five Saturday games while also going 7-2 in their last nine Game 3 contests.

The Orioles are 7-19 in their last 26 Saturday games and an awful 14-41 in their last 55 games against a left-handed starter.

For MLB gamblers that like to wager on the O/U outcome, I also like the Over for this matchup as it has played out in fix of the last six meeting between these AL rivals.

MLB Free Picks: Rangers SU Moneyline Win/Over Set O/U Total

The Readers Weigh In – Will Bulls Become Contenders if LeBron Joins Team?

The Chicago Bulls have a gifted young point guard and blossoming center Joakim Noah – and the aura of Michael Jordan constantly swirling around the United Center.

Three knowledgeable NBA fans – and expert sports journalist Aaron Torres – took time out of their busy schedules to drop their one-of-a kind NBA knowledge on LeBron James and his possible free agent destinations.

This look at the potential possibilities surrounding James’ signing with the Chicago Bulls will enlighten pro hoops fans and gamblers everywhere.

With James making his announcement live on ESPN at 9 PM ET, let me get busy.

Brandon Williams from Philadelphia

Williams is a young, aspiring future sports analysts who had this to say about the Bulls should they land James.

“With the addition of James, along with Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, they are going to be Eastern Conference champions.”

Torres, wasn’t quite as animated – and a bit more realistic – with his response on James joining the Bulls.

“Who thought a week ago they’d be pulling up the rear,” Torres wrote in an e-mail. “Don’t think LeBron will be running with the Bulls any time soon.”

George Coley Jr. from Philadelphia

“They’ve got Boozer and some other pieces in place there and the addition of James, along with young Derrick Rose and a good head coach … the team could contend for the Eastern Conference title, but not the NBA title,” he said.

Keith Branch from New Jersey

“Out of all the teams, I think the Bulls are the best fit for LeBron, Branch said. “They’ve got Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah and I believe LeBron would be a perfect fit.

I believe they would contend for the Eastern Conference title and would be just as good as Cleveland Cavaliers was at the least.”

I agree with Branch on this one. I think the addition of James makes the Bulls contenders for the Eastern Conference title – if and only if – they can address their bench and supporting role player needs.

MLB Parlay Picks – Mediocre Mariners Host Semi-Hot Royals, Greinke

The Seattle Mariners will be looking to snap out of their doldrums and get back in the win column when they play host to the semi-hot Kansas City Royals and 2009 AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke at Safeco Field tonight at 10 PM ET.

Tuesday, July 6, 10:10 PM ET

MLB Odds
Kansas City Royals -1½ +110 -150
Zack Greinke -R
Seattle Mariners +1½ -130 +130
Ryan Roland-Smith -L
Over 7½ -105
Under 7½ -115

TV: FSKC-HD, FSN
Radio: Sirius 176 XM

Kansas City (37-46 SU, 40-39-3 O/U, 49-33 RL)
Seattle (34-48 SU, 33-41-7 O/U, 39-42 RL)

Scott Podsednik and Yuniesky Betancourt both drove in runs in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Royals to a 6-4 win over the on Monday night.

Kansas City cashed in for MLB betting backers as a +190 road underdog while the game’s final score played Over the 7-run O/U total.

Here is a look at the key trends for each team, followed by my in-depth analysis and MLB Free Picks.

• Under is 5-1 in Greinke’s last 6 starts vs. Mariners.
• Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Seattle.
• Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.
• Royals are 6-15 in the last 20 meetings in Seattle.

Kansas City 411

• Royals are 5-13 in Greinke’s last 18 starts.
• Royals are 1-5 in Greinke’s last 6 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
• Royals are 0-4 in Greinke’s last 4 starts vs. American League West.

Alberto Callaspo went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Royals as Kyle Farnsworth got the win in relief of Brian Bannister for Kansas City.

Seattle 411

• Mariners are 1-4 in their last 5 overall.
• Mariners are 1-8 in Rowland-Smiths last 9 starts.

Russell Branyan smacked a two-run homer for Seattle in a losing effort while Chad Cordero took the loss after allowing the go-ahead runs in the top of the 10th.

The Starters: Tonight the Royals will turn to staff ace right-hander Zack Greinke (4-8, 3.94 ERA) while the Mariners counter with left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith (1-7, 6.08 ERA).

Greinke has won two straight starts and picked up a win despite getting pounded for six runs on 10 hits in eight innings of a 7-6 win over the White Sox on Wednesday. Greinke gave up five straight hits and five runs in the eighth inning.

Rowland-Smith was solid in his last outing, limiting the New York Yankees to just two earned runs on five hits in six innings of a 4-2 loss on Thursday.

Analysis: I know the Kansas City Royals are one of the worst teams in all of baseball, but they still have a better record than the Seattle Mariners who have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league this season – and Ryan Roland-Smith isn’t close to being in the same category of pitchers that Zack Greinke is, not matter how pitiful Greinke’s teammates are.

The Mariners are averaging just 3.48 runs per game, ranking 28th overall while K.C. is putting up 4.42 runs per contest (18th).

Kansas City has also compiled a better road record this season than at home and have gone 4-1 in their last five road games.

In addition to playing the Royals to cash in with the outright road win and MLB Run Line cover, I also like the Under to play out for MLB gamblers as it has gone 5-1 in Greinke’s last six starts versus Seattle and 4-0 in the Mariners’ last four games as an underdog.

MLB Free Picks: Royals -1½ Runs/Under 7½ Total Runs

Expert MLB Betting Picks – Shields, Blackburn, Take Mound as Rays Visit Twins

29-year-old right-hander James Shields (6-8, 4.76 ERA) will take the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays and 28-year-old right-hander Nick Blackburn (7-5, 6.02 ERA) will take the hill for the Minnesota Twins when the two ballclubs battle at Target Field this afternoon at 2 PM ET.

Shields has pitched horribly in each of his last two starts, allowing nine earned runs on 13 hits (including three home runs) in 12 combined innings.

The struggling starter was pounded for five earned runs on seven hits in five innings of an 8-5 loss to Boston on Thursday.

Sunday, July 4, 2:10 PM ET

TV: MLBTV

Radio: Sirius 180 XM

MLB Odds

Tampa Bay (46-32 SU, 36-38-4 O/U, 36-42 RL)

Minnesota (43-36 SU, 33-41-5 O/U, 37-42 RL)

Blackburn has been even worse lately MLB gamblers, allowing at least four earned runs in three consecutive starts and while giving up five or more runs in four of those outings.

The right-hander allowed four earned runs on four hits in seven innings of an 11-4 win over Detroit on Thursday.

Shields took his seventh loss in eight starts Tuesday night against the Red Sox when he allowed five earned runs in five innings. This will be Shields’ first start at Target Field; he had an 0-1 record with a 6.19 ERA in three career starts at the Metrodome.

Blackburn snapped his five-game winless streak against the Tigers on Tuesday. He gave up four runs on seven hits in seven innings. Prior to that outing he had a 12.06 ERA in June. His four strikeouts against Detroit were his most since June 12, when he fanned five.

Analysis: The Rays have lost a whopping seven of James Shield’s last eight starts, but the Twins haven’t been much better behind Nick Blackburn, losing five of his last six starts.

For this matchup, I am going to back the Minnesota Twins to get the job done at the plate and support Nick Blackburn like they did in his last start.

Now, knowing the neither pitcher is throwing the ball very competently right now, I’m also going to urge pro baseball betting enthusiasts to play the Over, no matter how high the O/U total looks.

MLB Betting Expert Picks: Minnesota Twins SU Win/Over Set O/U Total

Saturday MLB Wagering Action –Wade, Liriano Take Mound As Twins Host Rays

The Minnesota Twins are perennially one of the scrappiest teams in all of baseball, generally overachieving more often than not while battling the financial restraints of being a small market ballclub.

The feisty Twins surpassed all expectations last season and reached the ALCS before eventually falling to the vaunted New York Yankees.

Minnesota entered this season with even higher expectations and will enter tonight’s contest against the Tampa Bay Rays with a winning SU record, but the Twins have struggled to cash in for pro baseball bettors in a big way recently.

Saturday, July 3, 4:10 PM ET

MLB Odds

Tampa Bay Rays – Wade Davis -R

Minnesota Twins – Francisco Liriano -L

TV: Fox
Radio: Sirius 177 XM

Tampa Bay (46-32 SU, 36-38-4 O/U, 36-42 RL)

Minnesota (43-36 SU, 33-41-5 O/U, 37-42 RL)

Minnesota has lost six of its last 10 games while going 8-12 in their last 20 games overall. The Twins last won consecutive games nearly two weeks ago when they host a Tampa Bay Rays team that is looking for some momentum of its own.

Here is a look at tonight’s key head-to-head MLB Trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and expert MLB Picks.

• Over is 5-2-1 in the last 8 meetings in Minnesota.
• Rays are 17-36 in the last 53 meetings.
• Rays are 8-22 in the last 30 meetings in Minnesota.

Tampa Bay 411

• Rays are 0-5 in Davis’ last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
• Rays are 0-5 in Davis’ last 5 starts.
• Over is 5-1 in Rays last 6 road games.

Right-hander Wade Davis (5-9, 4.68 ERA) tossed a season-high 7.1 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and allowed just two runs on four hits, but was handed a loss as Tampa Bay could manage just one earned run of support. Despite losing his fifth straight start, Davis threw 73 of his 104 pitches for strikes and has not allowed more than three earned runs in four consecutive starts.

Minnesota 411

• Twins are 3-7 in Liriano’s last 10 starts.
• Twins are 1-4 in Liriano’s last 5 home starts.
• Over is 5-2 in Twins last 7 home games vs. a right-handed starter.

Francisco Liriano’s (6-6, 3.47 ERA) struggles continued in his last start as the southpaw was smacked around for six earned runs on nine hits in six innings of a 7-5 loss to Detroit on Wednesday.

The outing was Liriano’s third consecutive loss, but the veteran hurler had not allowed more than three earned runs in six consecutive starts prior to his most recent outing.

Analysis: While the Minnesota Twins may have a shot at winning this contest against a Tampa Bay ballclub that is still trying to get back on track after some recent struggles, I don’t see that happening with Tampa Bay being the better all-around team in this contest and Wade being a bit better than Francisco Liriano.

Heading into Friday night, Tampa Bay had won two straight games while the Twins were looking to were looking to snap out of a dismal 3-7 stretch over its last 10 games.

In addition to playing the Rays for the SU road win and MLB Moneyline cover, I also like the Over to play out for MLB gamblers as it has gone 5-1 in Tampa Bay’s last six road games and 5-2 in Minnesota’s last seven home games against a right-handed starter.

MLB Expert Picks: Tampa Bay Rays SU Win/Over Set O/U Total

Wimbledon WTA Betting Picks – Cash in As Serena, Zvonareva Battle For Wimbledon Crown

The big, bad, queen of tennis, world No. 1 and reigning Wimbledon champ Serena Williams, will be looking to retain her title and take down a red-hot Vera Zvonareva when the two rivals take to the court for their 2010 Wimbledon women’s singles final which gets underway on Saturday morning at 8 AM ET.

Saturday, July 3, 8:00 AM ET

Wimbledon WTA Finals

This look at both finalists, along with my expert WTA picks, will help devoted tennis gamblers everywhere make three potentially-profitable wagers on what promises to be a thrilling showdown.

WTA Betting Odds

Serena Williams -5 -115

Vera Zvonareva +5 -125

Moneyline

Serena -900

Zvonareva +450

O/U

Over 19½ -125

Under 19½ -115

The Breakdown: Love her or loather her, there is absolutely no denying that Serena Williams (18-4) is the best female tennis player on the planet today and undoubtedly one of the greatest female tennis players of any era for that matter.

Williams has been dominant throughout the fortnight, never dropping a single set in winning six consecutive matches to reach the finals. Williams beat back a feisty Petra Kvitova 7-6 (5), 6- 2 in the semifinal round, simply by keeping pace with the streaking youngster – until it was ‘winning’ time as former L.A. Lakers legend Magic Johnson used to say.

World No. 21 Vera Zvonareva has looked better than ever in this tournament and showed the mental fortitude in her last two matches that had always escaped the former top-five player.

After losing the first set 6-3, Zvonareva came roaring back to beat Kim Clijsters in three sets in the quarterfinal round before accomplishing the same feat against the blossoming Tsvetana Pironkova in the semis, finishing with a blistering 6-3, 6-2 finish after losing the first set 6-3.

Analysis: Serena Williams owns a 5-1 career mark against Zvonareva, but I’m going on record right now to say that I don’t see anything short of a three-set showdown here – just like the last two matches these two have played and half of the six career matches overall.

I really believe Zvonareva has an excellent chance to pull off an upset for the ages and will extend Williams to the very maximum in this match, particularly after watching her effortlessly handle the same big-time power from Kim Clijsters in the quarters.

In the end though, I’ve got to back the unflappable Serena Williams to win and cover the WTA Moneyline as a -900 favorite.

Now, when it comes to covering the 5-game spread, I’m backing Zvonareva as I fully believe she’s going to keep it close throughout the match.

The best bet on the board however, is to play the Over 19½ games as a -125 selection. I like this to turn out to be a three-setter, but even if it doesn’t, I can still see these two playing Over the total.

WTA Pick: Serena Williams SU Win/Zvonareva +5 Game/Over 19½ Total Games

MMA Betting Picks – Cash in As Reljic, Grove, Square Off in UFC 116 Middleweight Showdown

While Saturday night’s middleweight bout between Goran Reljic and Kendall Grove has been demoted to UFC’s un-aired preliminary card, MMA betting enthusiasts can still increase their annual betting bankroll on what I believe is one of the best ‘lock’ selections on the entire UFC 116 card.

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin takes place on Saturday, July 3rd, live on pay-per-view beginning at 7 PM ET from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Saturday, July 3, 7:00 PM ET

MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

MMA Betting Odds

Goran Reljic -165

Kendall Grove +135

Over 2½ -105

Under 2½ -125

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin

This look at both fighters, followed by my in-depth analysis and expert MMA betting pick will help devoted MMA gamblers everywhere make a wise, potentially-profitable wager on this pairing.

First, let’s take a look at the tale of the tape on each fighter.

Name: Goran Reljic

Age: 26

Record: 8 – 1 – 0

Association: Ultra Fight Club

Height: 6’3" (191cm)

Weight: 185lbs (84kg)

Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Birth Date: 1984-03-20

Country: Zadar, Dalmatia, Croatia

The Breakdown: Reljic has looked like one of the UFC’s up-and-coming stars in nine career fights, but will be looking to get back in the win column after having his eight-fight winning streak snapped in his unanimous decision loss to C.B. Dollaway at UFC 110 in February. The BJJ and kickboxing specialist has recorded five of his eight career wins by way of submission and two by KO.

Name: Kendall Grove

Age: 27

Nickname: Da Spyder

Record: 11 – 7 – 0

Association: Team Punishment

Height: 6’6" (199cm)

Weight: 185lbs (84kg)

Birth Date: 1982-12-11

Country: Maui, Hawaii, United States

The Breakdown: Grove is the far more experienced fighter in this match, but the BJJ and Muay Thai specialist has struggled mightily to maintain any sort of consistency recently, losing two of his last three fights, including an emphatic second round TKO (punches) loss to Mark Munoz at UFC 112 in April. Grove has recorded seven wins by submission and just two by way of knockout.

Analysis: Both fighters are coming off losses the last time out and will be desperate for a victory in this match so they can remain in contention for a shot at the title at some point in the near future. Nevertheless, it is Goran Reljic that is the better – and more explosive fighter in this bout.

I don’t think this bout is going to be much of a struggle for Reljic as Kendall Grove has posted a dismal 3-4 record over his last seven fights, though he has lost consecutive fights just once in his career.

Goran Reljic is just as good, if not better than Grove in the stand-up fight game while clearly being better than his opponent on the ground.

Unless Kendall Grove scores a lucky KO, which I just don’t see happening, I think Goran Reljic wins this fight fairly easily.

Now, while Grove has suffered five first round losses in his career, he has only been submitted once in his career, which leads me to believe this one may go the distance. Nevertheless, I love Goran Reljic’s submission game and believe he will get Grove in an armbar to finish him off in the third round.

Expert MMA Picks: Goran Reljic by Third Round Submission

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