NCAA Odds: No. 9 Stanford Cardinal at No. 4 Oregon Ducks

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010


The Pac-10 seems to be back in force this season, and the winner of Saturday night’s huge clash between Stanford and Oregon not only will have the inside track to the conference title (remember that USC can’t win it) but also be a major player in the national championship race. The Ducks are 7-point favorites on Bodog’s NCAA odds.

This could well be one of the most entertaining games of the year as Oregon leads the nation in scoring (second in yards per game, fourth in rushing) and Stanford is No. 4. Last year they combined for 93 points in a Stanford 9-point upset. Oregon has had at least one play of 60 yards or more in all four games this season. A whopping 11 of Oregon’s 24 offensive drives resulting in a touchdown have lasted 56 seconds or less and 19 have lasted 1:49 or less. Running back LaMichael James has been ridiculous so far, rushing 58 times for 455 yards (7.8 ypc) and four touchdowns despite  missing the opener.

Stanford enters off its first win at Notre Dame in 19 years and is 4-0 for the first time in 24 seasons. The Cardinal have not played in a game where both teams were ranked inside the Top 10 since 1970. That was the last time they won a game while ranked in the Top 10. This will be the first time Oregon and Stanford have faced each other as ranked teams.

The Cardinal are led by Heisman candidate Andrew Luck, who has thrown for 912 yards with 11 touchdowns and just two picks. But the Cardinal running game, even without Toby Gerhart (who crushed the Ducks last year), has been great in averaging 223.2 yards over four games. That could be a problem for Oregon, as it allowed 210 yards rushing to Arizona State last week. Last year, Stanford rushed for 254 yards against the Ducks.

Stanford leads the all-time series 44-28-1, including a 9-9 mark at Autzen, but Oregon has won seven of the past eight against the Cardinal. The Ducks’ average margin of victory at home in this series is 26.8 points dating to 2002. Since 1999, Oregon is 8-9 against Top-10 teams.

Is Stanford for real? Be a player and bet on whether the Cardinal can pull the upset at Bodog

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NCAA Odds: No. 22 Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010


Both Penn State and Iowa already have suffered a non-conference loss this season so a national title is out of the picture, but the winner of Saturday night’s game could emerge as the main contender to Ohio State for the Big Ten championship. The Hawkeyes are 7-point favorites on Bodog’s NCAA odds.

The Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes are meeting for the 23rd time, with the series deadlocked at 11-11. The visiting team has won 14 of the 22 series games, including last year, when Iowa rallied in the fourth quarter to post a 21-10 victory in Beaver Stadium. PSU has lost three in a row at Kinnick Stadium – including a crushing defeat two years ago to ruin an unbeaten season.

Penn State true freshman QB Rob Bolden didn’t fare too well in his first road game this year, going 13-for-29 for 144 yards and two picks at Alabama. And Iowa’s defense might actually be better than the Tide’s this year. Overall Bolden has completed 60 percent of his 113 passes for 823 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s rushed 16 times for 45 yards and one score. PSU has had some trouble in the red zone. The Nittany Lions have just six touchdowns on 15 trips inside the 20, with another five ending with field goals.

Iowa leads the nation in total defense (227.5), ranks third in rushing defense (65.5) and fifth in scoring defense (12.0). Its star on that side of the ball is preseason All-American defensive end Adrian Clayborn. Last year his punt block and return for a touchdown that helped lift unranked Iowa past No. 5 Penn State. He has been double-teamed on pretty much every play this year and has just 15 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries with no sacks. Last year he had 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

QB Ricky Stanzi leads the Iowa offense. He has completed 66.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 999 yards and nine touchdowns and one interception. The workhorse on the ground is Adam Robinson, who has rushed for 697 yards and six touchdowns. PSU is eighth in the nation in scoring defense (12.8) and 18th in total defense (275.8).

Be a player and bet on this Big Ten showdown at Bodog

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Clear Skies Ahead for Belmont Park’s Big Weekend of Graded Stakes

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010

It would be hard to find a more significant weekend of horse racing than what we have on tap for Saturday, Oct. 2 and Sunday, Oct 3.

In New York on Saturday there will be five Grade 1 stakes races, including the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup in which heavily favored BLAME will meet the former Western based star RAIL TRIP. The latter will be making his first start for trainer Rick Dutrow and his first start on dirt after a strong career on California synthetic surfaces.

“(Rail Trip) wasn’t doing as well as I thought he should after I got him, but he’s adapted to the program and has trained well for me,” Dutrow said. “Now he needs to give us a very good performance to go on to Churchill Downs (for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 6).”

Whether or not Rail Trip at his best will be good enough to beat Blame – remains to be seen.

Get all your Belmont Park odds at Bodog Racebook.

Good performances are in fact the basic requirement for virtually every horse in more than 20 Graded stakes this weekend in New York, California, Pennsylvania, overseas in Paris, France and at the newly convened Oak Tree meet being held for the first time in 41 years at Hollywood Park.

The 2-year-old JP’s GUSTO may have looked like a speeding bullet in the Del Mar Futurity, but must show that he can handle two turns and a distance beyond 7 furlongs in the 1-1/16 mile Norfolk Stakes at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Likewise, several top sprinters must sort themselves out in the Vosburgh at Belmont while the best 2-year-olds turf performers entered in the Miss Grillo and Pilgrim at Belmont on Sunday will be trying to prove they respectively belong in the Breeders’ Cup  Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov 5 and Breeders’ Cup  Juvenile Turf on Nov. 6.

Get all your Breeders' Cup odds at Bodog Racebook.

In the 1-1/8 mile Goodwood Stakes on the same Hollywood card, the intriguing, undefeated 3-year-old, TWIRLING CANDY will face older horses for the first time, including veteran Graded stakes winners AWESOME GEM and RICHARD’S KID.

As good as he has been, Twirling Candy must demonstrate to trainer John Sadler that he is capable maintaining a straight course and is ready for prime time and earn his way into the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6 against defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion ZENYATTA.

Zenyatta in turn will run against a pretty decent field in the 1-1/16 mile Lady’s Secret Stakes, a race she won in 2008 and 2009 when it was run over the Pro Ride synthetic track at Santa Anita.

Frankly, I am not crazy about Zenyatta using this relatively short race as her best option to prepare for the 1-1/4 mile Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Although undefeated in 18 career starts including 10 at this 1-1/16 mile distance, Zenyatta is a stoutly built, fully developed deep closer with a long fuse who seems most comfortable at longer distances. Of equal import, the two closest calls in her fabulous career have been at 8-1/2 furlongs.  Among her opponents will be Hollywood Oaks winner SWITCH; Bob Baffert’s late developing MOON DE FRENCH and RINTERVALE who lost narrowly to Zenyatta in the 1-1/16 mile Clement Hirsch at Del Mar on Aug. 7.

At Longchamp Racecourse In Paris, France on Sunday, Oct. 3, there will be several top level stakes worth serious attention, including the world famous Prix d’L’Arc de Triomphe; the Prix de Abbey for prospective Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprinters; the Prix de Opera for horses who might go in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.

Yet, I will be most interested in one other race on the Longchamp Sunday card—the Prix de La Foret. That is the race that two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner GOLDIKOVA will meet PACO BOY who beat her during the summer.  Moreover, the Foret is Goldikova’s key prep before she defends her Breeders’ Cup Mile title at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6.

The top two 3-year-olds in American also will be back in action this weekend at Hoosier Park in Indiana and PARX racetrack in Pennsylvania.

LOOKIN AT LUCKY, the leading 3-year-old male, will be returning to competition in the $750,000 Indiana Derby at Hoosier after winning both the $1 million Preakness and $1 million Haskell Invitational in May and July. Sidelined by a series of minor ailments and having missed the Travers at Saratoga, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert nevertheless said Lucky “is feeling good and is ready to run his race.”

Meanwhile, BLIND LUCK, the stretch running winner of many stakes for 3-year-old fillies, including the $750,000 Alabama at Saratoga Aug. 21, will use the $500,000 Cotillion at PARX as her final prep for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic on Nov. 5. The Ladies Classic was won two years ago by Zenyatta and last year by her stablemate LIFE IS SWEET.

All these high profile stakes notwithstanding, next weekend there will be more than a dozen additional opportunities for students of Breeders’ Cup form to separate bona fide contenders from pretenders.

Get all your online horse racing odds at Bodog Racebook.

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Clear Skies Ahead for Belmont Park’s Big Weekend of Graded Stakes

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010

It would be hard to find a more significant weekend of horse racing than what we have on tap for Saturday, Oct. 2 and Sunday, Oct 3.

In New York on Saturday there will be five Grade 1 stakes races, including the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup in which heavily favored BLAME will meet the former Western based star RAIL TRIP. The latter will be making his first start for trainer Rick Dutrow and his first start on dirt after a strong career on California synthetic surfaces.

“(Rail Trip) wasn’t doing as well as I thought he should after I got him, but he’s adapted to the program and has trained well for me,” Dutrow said. “Now he needs to give us a very good performance to go on to Churchill Downs (for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 6).”

Whether or not Rail Trip at his best will be good enough to beat Blame – remains to be seen.

Get all your Belmont Park odds at Bodog Racebook.

Good performances are in fact the basic requirement for virtually every horse in more than 20 Graded stakes this weekend in New York, California, Pennsylvania, overseas in Paris, France and at the newly convened Oak Tree meet being held for the first time in 41 years at Hollywood Park.

The 2-year-old JP’s GUSTO may have looked like a speeding bullet in the Del Mar Futurity, but must show that he can handle two turns and a distance beyond 7 furlongs in the 1-1/16 mile Norfolk Stakes at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Likewise, several top sprinters must sort themselves out in the Vosburgh at Belmont while the best 2-year-olds turf performers entered in the Miss Grillo and Pilgrim at Belmont on Sunday will be trying to prove they respectively belong in the Breeders’ Cup  Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov 5 and Breeders’ Cup  Juvenile Turf on Nov. 6.

Get all your Breeders' Cup odds at Bodog Racebook.

In the 1-1/8 mile Goodwood Stakes on the same Hollywood card, the intriguing, undefeated 3-year-old, TWIRLING CANDY will face older horses for the first time, including veteran Graded stakes winners AWESOME GEM and RICHARD’S KID.

As good as he has been, Twirling Candy must demonstrate to trainer John Sadler that he is capable maintaining a straight course and is ready for prime time and earn his way into the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6 against defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion ZENYATTA.

Zenyatta in turn will run against a pretty decent field in the 1-1/16 mile Lady’s Secret Stakes, a race she won in 2008 and 2009 when it was run over the Pro Ride synthetic track at Santa Anita.

Frankly, I am not crazy about Zenyatta using this relatively short race as her best option to prepare for the 1-1/4 mile Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Although undefeated in 18 career starts including 10 at this 1-1/16 mile distance, Zenyatta is a stoutly built, fully developed deep closer with a long fuse who seems most comfortable at longer distances. Of equal import, the two closest calls in her fabulous career have been at 8-1/2 furlongs.  Among her opponents will be Hollywood Oaks winner SWITCH; Bob Baffert’s late developing MOON DE FRENCH and RINTERVALE who lost narrowly to Zenyatta in the 1-1/16 mile Clement Hirsch at Del Mar on Aug. 7.

At Longchamp Racecourse In Paris, France on Sunday, Oct. 3, there will be several top level stakes worth serious attention, including the world famous Prix d’L’Arc de Triomphe; the Prix de Abbey for prospective Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprinters; the Prix de Opera for horses who might go in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.

Yet, I will be most interested in one other race on the Longchamp Sunday card—the Prix de La Foret. That is the race that two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner GOLDIKOVA will meet PACO BOY who beat her during the summer.  Moreover, the Foret is Goldikova’s key prep before she defends her Breeders’ Cup Mile title at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6.

The top two 3-year-olds in American also will be back in action this weekend at Hoosier Park in Indiana and PARX racetrack in Pennsylvania.

LOOKIN AT LUCKY, the leading 3-year-old male, will be returning to competition in the $750,000 Indiana Derby at Hoosier after winning both the $1 million Preakness and $1 million Haskell Invitational in May and July. Sidelined by a series of minor ailments and having missed the Travers at Saratoga, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert nevertheless said Lucky “is feeling good and is ready to run his race.”

Meanwhile, BLIND LUCK, the stretch running winner of many stakes for 3-year-old fillies, including the $750,000 Alabama at Saratoga Aug. 21, will use the $500,000 Cotillion at PARX as her final prep for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic on Nov. 5. The Ladies Classic was won two years ago by Zenyatta and last year by her stablemate LIFE IS SWEET.

All these high profile stakes notwithstanding, next weekend there will be more than a dozen additional opportunities for students of Breeders’ Cup form to separate bona fide contenders from pretenders.

Get all your online horse racing odds at Bodog Racebook.

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Josh Hamilton Returns to Texas Rangers

by Best Betting Sports News on October 1, 2010
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Josh Hamilton returns for Texas Rangers

With their playoff berth long since secured, the Texas Rangers have welcomed star slugger Josh Hamilton back to the rotation, after missing just under a month with a fracture rib.

The injury, sustained Sept. 4 after crashing into the outfield wall, went unnoticed on initial x-rays, but was eventually deemed a fracture. For a while though, the unbearable pain was enough to keep Hamilton out of the line up in the midst of a promising AL MVP campaign.

With 31 home runs and a batting average north of .360, the award was basically Hamilton’s to lose, unfortunately, he may have given the hard-to-ignore success of Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano. Even Toronto’s Jose Bautista has made a bid for the award, despite the Blue Jays’ relative short-comings.

According to the Bodog Sportsbook, the Texas Rangers have 12/1 odds of winning the World Series, not bad considering their 89-71 record in the AL West. With Hamilton back in the line up working into a routine before the post-season, those odds may improve.

Regardless of how Hamilton responds to his first weekend of action in weeks, the team will face stiff competition in their first round match up. The New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins are currently duking it out for playoff positioning in the final weekend of the season.

The New York Yankees are AL favorites with 3/1 odds of winning the World Series.

Will Hamilton’s presence be enough to help the Rangers make noise this October? Will it be enough for him to reclaim the MVP award that was within his grasp? That’s your call, bet on MLB now with Bodog.com.

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Vegas Declared The Scariest Place To Be on Halloween

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010

Any plans for Halloween? If you’re looking to get spooked this year then you may consider going to the scariest place on earth – Las Vegas. Vegas hotels and casinos are going all out this year to promote Halloween to the fullest with their haunted casinos, Circus Circus Fright Dome and even a Fetish and Fantasy Ball.

At the top of the list is the Circus Circus Fright Dome, which was voted one of the top five scariest attractions in the U.S. The attraction houses five different haunted houses full of the scariest scenes you could possibly imagine which are reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw massacre and Saw. From watching the video clip from their website, you may want to wear an adult diaper if you have plans on going.

If a haunted house doesn’t do it for you then another option is Madame Tussauds wax museum. If true to life wax figures aren’t scary enough then you’ll want to check out their Halloween creations. This year, for the final week of October, they’re turning the museum into a haunted prison filled with wax Zombies and such. Visitors can walk through the “Scream Horror Maze” which tells a spooky tale in the dark.

A third option is the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's Fetish and Fantasy Ball which is a feast for the eyes with all the exotic and outlandish costumes that adorn the night. The ball gives an air or a Brazilian street carnival on acid. This is a great party to go to especially if you’ve spent your evening walking through zombie filled rooms. For those brave souls wanting to let their guard down and get freaky can start planning their ultra-fab costume for the October 30th event.

There are many more Halloween events happening this year in Vegas and if you’re feeling brave and put up with a gore fest then Vegas may just be the perfect Halloween destination.

Looking for the hottest casino action? Find over 70 online casino games that pay out day after day. Make a name for yourself at Bodog Casino today.

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NFL Odds: Mathias Kiwanuka Could be Out for 2-3 Months

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010

News dropped earlier today that New York Giants defensive end would be out this Sunday with a neck injury, but ESPN’s Chris Mortensen says it could two-to-three months.

The Giants’ once dominant pass rush has already struggled in three games this season. They play the Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears this Sunday, and are -3.5 favorites, but they’ll be missing one their best rushers.

Kiwanuka woke up early Friday with stiffness and pain in the neck and a CAT scan revealed a bulging disk. He’s going to get a second opinion “that could change that.”

Still, doesn’t look good.

Rush the Bears yourself this Sunday. Be a player place your bets in the Bodog Sportsbook.

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The Bodog Poker Open V Main Event is THIS SUNDAY.

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010

There's only a few more events before the $200,000 Guaranteed Bodog Poker Open V Championship Series Main Event. In addition to being one of the largest single tournaments hosted by Bodog each year, the Bodog Poker Open V gives its winners more than just money; they earn a spot in the Bodog Poker Open Hall of Fame and in a first for the online poker room, they'll also get an engraved Corum Romulus Chronograph worth over $5,000. With a bonus that massive up for grabs, it's easy to see why so many are registering for satellite tournaments and the Main Event directly!

This Saturday, October 2, Bodog is hosting a special series of ten satellites in its Championship Series where over 35 players are going to get their chance at a seat in the Main Event with buy-ins ranging from $20+2 to $69+6. Sunday sees a group of Last Chance satellites that offer a final batch of twelve seats for the BPOV Main Event, including Turbo and Super Turbo tournaments.

Then, on Sunday evening, the BPO Championship Series Main Event kicks off. The $470+30 main event is the climax to a fantastic series of events and you can buy in directly or win through one of the satellites mentioned above. Again: it's about more than cash and fame; this year's winner gets a watch manufactured by the same team behind the WSOP bracelets, a fantastic piece of poker history that is well worth bragging about.

Still have questions? You can find out more when you visit the Bodog Poker Open page on the Bodog Poker site.

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NCAA Odds: No. 7 Florida Gators at No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010

Is Florida-Alabama the most important game in college football now? It’s hard to argue, considering the winner between these two has won the past two national championships. In fact, this will be the third straight year that one of the teams is No. 1 in the nation when they met – both coming in the SEC Championship Game. Combined the Gators and Tide have won an incredible 52 consecutive regular-season games. Bama is an 8-point favorite on Bodog’s NCAA odds for this one, and there will be live betting available.

It used to be the Florida was the offensive powerhouse and Alabama the defensive king. But the Gators rank 78th nationally in total offense (355.75 average), while Alabama is sixth (511.75). Florida's defense has recorded an NCAA-best 12 interceptions, three of which have been returned for touchdowns. Alabama’s defense gave up more than 300 yards in the first half alone of last week’s come-from-behind win at Arkansas.

Florida is an underdog for the first time since Oct. 6, 2007, which was the only time Florida has visited the nation's No. 1 team, losing to eventual national champion LSU 28-24. Overall Florida is 3-7 against No. 1 teams, and 2-1 under Urban Meyer. This is just the fourth time Florida enters a game as an underdog under Meyer. The Gators covered the spread the previous three times. Alabama is 2-4 ATS as a favorite in its last six SEC games.

There is a key injury to be aware of here, and that’s to Florida running back Jeff Demps, who is now the Gators’ top playmaker. Demps has a sprained right foot and was in a walking boot much of the week, but Meyer called him probable if not 100 percent. Demps, who might be college football's fastest player, is third in the SEC in all-purpose yards, averaging 172 yards per game. Until last week’s game against Kentucky, the UF offense had struggled this season so it can ill afford to be without Demps. He averages 6.9 yards per carry and is averaging 32.5 yards per kick return. He has also caught 11 passes for 61 yards.

Meanwhile, Alabama has the best 1-2 punch at running back in the nation in reigning Heisman winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Ingram has averaged 154 yards a game since returning from an injury and Richardson is averaging 7.6 yards a carry.

Can Florida knock Alabama from No. 1 like the Tide did the Gators last year? Be a player and bet on UF-Bama at Bodog

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NCAA Odds: No. 21 Texas Longhorns at No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners

by Best Betting on October 1, 2010

Most seasons the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma has national title implications, and this year’s still might – if Oklahoma wins. The Longhorns’ shocking home blowout loss to UCLA last week killed Texas’ chances of getting back to the title game, but UT can still win the Big 12 again — and the winner of this game probably gets to the conference championship game as usual. OU is a 3.5-point favorite on Bodog’s NCAA odds.

Texas entered that game with the Bruins with the nation’s No. 2 rushing defense, and all UCLA did was run for 264 yards in the 34-12 win – easily the biggest surprise of the early season. It was the Horns’ first home loss since 2007 against Kansas State and their fewest points scored at home since a 12-7 loss to Texas A&M in 2006. And that doesn’t bode well Saturday. In the last five years, Texas is 4-1 in the game prior to Oklahoma. The year they lost, to Kansas State in 2007, the Longhorns went on to lose to the Sooners for their only loss in the past five games in the series.

Oklahoma enters 4-0 but is either lucky or good. Other than a blowout of Florida State, every OU game has been close, including last week’s 31-29 escape at Cincinnati. Other than that Seminoles game, the Sooners have beaten their other three opponents by 12 points combined. Oklahoma has been outscored 41-10 in the fourth quarter this season.

Perhaps the best matchup to watch Saturday is Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles against a Texas secondary many believe might be the best in the nation. Broyles has 41 receptions (next-highest on the team is 16) for 482 yards, an average of 120.5 a game, with four touchdowns. Against the Bearcats, Broyles had his seventh straight 100-yard receiving game and his 11th straight game with at least seven catches.

Both teams enter the game ranked among The Associated Press Top 25 for the 34th time with Oklahoma holding a 16-14-3 edge. While the game is at a neutral site in Dallas, the Sooners will technically be the home team this year.

Who wins the Red River Rivalry? Be a player and bet on the game at Bodog

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