Slow news day so I’ll probably just talk about a little baseball betting. First, though, I’d like to quickly mention the hardwood. A lot of people are fired up for NBA draft odds and, admittedly, I haven’t been following them too closely. However there was an interesting trade today–the Spurs sent Bruce Bowen, Fabrico Olberto and Kurt Thomas to the Bucks for Richard Jefferson.

I like the deal. It’s a “win now” trade without sacrificing the future. Yeah, the Spurs take on a disgusting boatload of salary (Jefferson makes 29 million over the next two years) but they now have a formidable top-four in Jefferson, Tim Dunan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Now San Antonio can make a push while Duncan still has something left in the tank. For the record, Jefferson was decent last season, averaging 19 points per game and playing in every contest.

Ok, let’s talk a little MLB odds. Brian Tallet (4-4) gets the call for the Jays as they take on Cincinatti. I have to say, I’ve been really impressed with Tallet this season. Well… not impressed per se, but he’s delivered a very solid performance to date and I think he deserves credit for that.

Tallet was forced from the bullpen to starter thanks to injuries and to be honest, he’s given the Jays a chance to win every five days. Since the beginning of May he’s had just two starts where he’s given up more than three runs, a stretch of 10 games. He might be falling back to earth a little bit now, as he’s been hit pretty hard in two of his last four starts, but at least in the other two June outings he gave up just one run. Can you ask much more from a journeyman with average stuff? I don’t think so. No, he’s not a dominant force on MLB lines, but the’s giving Toronto a shot to win more often than not.

I originally intended on writing about US Open odds, what with the tournament starting tomorrow and all, but I don’t know… what’s the point? I’m just going to pick Tiger anyway. I suppose Phil Mickelson might dig deep and put on an emotional performance in the wake of his wife’s breast cancer diagnoses, but Tiger’s just too good. Sorry, Phil.

Speaking of fat, big-titted losers, I’ve got a fun little bit about John Kruk for you baseball betting fans. The former Phillies slugger was writing a piece for ESPN and, while discussing former teammate Ozzie Guillen, chipped in a few thoughts on Wrigley Field:

“You get a lot of complaints from the fans who sit right on top of you, and they can even throw beer at you when you go close to the fence to catch a ball. Some of the fans can say things to you to make you pretty angry. Wrigley Field is packed almost every game and, up to the last five or six years, the fans were really bad. Going to a Cubs game is like an event. It’s like a family barbecue, and everyone shows up.”

Did John Kruk just liken delinquent Wrigley Field fans to a family barbecue? And isn’t that EXACTLY how you picture every Kruk family barbecue? A bunch of overweight slobs who have too much to drink, get surly, throw beers on each other and curse each other out? Maybe Jon pushes Uncle Ted into the hedge after an argument over who cooks a better steak? I wouldn’t consider listening to Kruk for advice on MLB odds, but I’m sure his family barbecues are a riot.

While we’re on the topic of baseball I guess I should talk about the Jays, but… meh. Wake me when Doc gets back to the hill; it’s just hard to believe the season isn’t over when they’re already in danger of dropping to fourth in the AL East (though, I’ll give Ricky Romero credit for another good start last night–7 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 9 K and just two walks). If you are looking for a baseball fix right now I’d suggest some College World Series odds; I haven’t followed the tourney much to this point, but it’s worth flipping on during comericals.

"Bring me your young."

If you’re a fan of MLB odds, you’re likely aware the baseball draft is tomorrow. This year, everyone seems to be talking about it, and by it, I mean Scott Boras. The Super Agent is employed by prospective No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg, and there are rumors abound Boras will be shooting for as much as a $50-million deal (easily besting the previous record of $10.5 million).

I have a ton of complaints about baseball’s draft (the lack of slotting system, rules against trading picks, etc.) but at least this year it’s generating more interest than normal, so I suppose sportsbook fans can thank Boras for something. In fact, the league is making a concentrated effort to increase hype and awareness surrounding the event, not unlike the NBA and NFL, which are looked upon with as much interest as the games themselves. The draft is taking place during primetime and will feature Twitter updates of picks.

While I commend the notion, it simply ain’t gonna happen. There’s pretty much zero chance the MLB draft even remotely approaches the popularity and fanfare of the NFL and NBA drafts. The problem is we simply don’t know any of these kids, we have nothing invested in them. If you regularly watch or bet on sports, you obviously get attached to different athletes for a plethora of reasons. In football and basketball, we get to watch these young stars grow and learn at the college level; we learn to love (or hate) them over time.

Baseball is much different, however. For starters, it’s all over the map. Half of these kids play college ball, the other are still high schoolers. Moreover, college-level baseball simply doesn’t get the mainstream exposure that college football and basketball do. Yes, a lot of people love watching or betting online when the College World Series rolls around, but that’s about it–a quick, passing interest.

So by the time the draft rolls around, we don’t know much about these potential Major Leaguers beyond stat lines and scouting reports. Ultimately, that’s why the draft won’t become a national “event” on par with the other big two.

I could talk about NBA odds, and how an exhausted Lebron will probably drop a 40-10-10 on the Magic tonight but it will be all for naught because, right now, Mo Williams couldn’t score with a German hooker. I could talk about hockey betting and how the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of a sweep tonight because the Hurricanes look like, well, Mo Williams. Or I could talk about MLB odds, the Blue Jays and their seven-game losing streak, and how they’re playing so badly they remind me of Mo Williams riding a nuclear bomb into a hospital full of newborns. But I want to talk about Randy Johnson.

Yeah. Randy Johnson. Ugly ass, mullet-sporting, trailer park posterchild Randy Johnson. Considering the Big Unit is in the midst of an ugly 3-4, 6.26 season, what could possibly bring his name to the forefront? This little tidbit, courtesy of Deadspin:

So dominant was Johnson that before a game in 1993, the home plate umpire told Mariners catcher Dave Valle, “They don’t even need you with Randy pitching.”

“What are you talking about?” replied Valle, who would not name the ump.

“He’s so good they don’t need you. Let me call the pitches tonight.”

“I let him call every pitch.” recalls Valle, to whom the umpire whispered pitches under his breath.

An overpowering Johnson went the distance in a Mariners victory.

I’d like to call bullshit on that one, but you know what? Johnson did go 19-8 that year with 308 Ks, and how hard is it to call “fastball, fastball, fastball”? Enjoy tonight’s games.

Weird, Vernon's bat actually made contact with something.

What a meltdown, huh? No, I’m not talking about NBA odds and the Cleveland Cavaliers, although the Cavs are working on a nice little meltdown of their own in the NBA playoffs. I’m talking about the Toronto Blue Jays.

Yes, the magic was bound to wear off eventually–you’re not going to play .600 baseball for very long with a bunch of youngsters and no-namers in the rotation and your No. 3 and 4 hitters batting .260–but it was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it? The Jays defied MLB odds by getting off to their best start in franchise history and sat in first-place in the AL East for most of the season to this point.

Now this house of cards is collapsing faster than Rosie O’Donnell after climbing a flight of stairs, as Toronto has lost six straight heading into today’s contest against the Orioles. The lone advantage of this swift demise is the “band aid” effect. Rather than the Birds tormenting me for the next two months, slowly spiraling into sub-.500 territory but making me think they have a chance to squeak into the postseason before ultimately breaking my heart, they’re going to just hurl themselves out of competition like a bug into a truck windshield. Sigh.

Ok. I know it’s pessimistic, but Toronto’s online sports book odds look all but finished. But I’m not going to give up on the season, especially with Roy Halladay gunning for another Cy Young award. 8-1 with a 2.52 ERA? Hell, let’s just rename the team the Toronto Doc Halladays and get it over with.

Crush his windpipe, Doc!

It’s hard to believe Preakness odds will provide us the excitement that hockey and basketball betting are right now. Both NHL games were great stuff last night, and the NBA should get it done tonight with two more games on tap (be sure to check out Orlando vs Boston and Houston vs LA Lakers on NBA odds this evening).

That said, I’d like to get to a bit of baseball betting, since we haven’t broached the subject lately. First, tonight is a huge huge HUGE game for Toronto fans (i.e., me). Not only are the Jays facing the Yanks for the first time this year, not only is Doc Halladay taking the mound, but A.J. Burnett will be his counterpart. Yes, the A.J. Burnett that robbed the Jays of millions of dollars over the past few years before moving on to the Bronx Bombers. Burnett is going to learn a very tough lesson tonight—you do NOT fuck with Roy Halladay.

Secondly, since we’re on the topic of the Yankees, I came across this great little post. If you want to watch Seattle and New York from the best seats in the house at New Yankee, it’ll run you about five grand. But to fly to Seattle (round trip), rent a car for three days, stay in four-star hotel for two nights, eat two top-of-the-line dinners and get two top tickets for TWO Yanks-M’s games in Seattle? A measly $2800.

Fuck the Yankees.

Roy "Cy Young" Halladay

Sports overload! I know I should be covering NBA odds and Stanley Cup odds right now, but I have to stop for just a second and talk MLB odds. Why? Because The Man, Doc Halladay is taking the ball tonight for the Blue Jays.

Doc (2-0) has opened the season as his typically brilliant self. He gave up five runs in seven innings in the season opener against Detroit, but he actually pitched amazingly until that last inning when he ran out of gas (which doesn’t happen to often for Roy). Last week, he went another seven strong while giving up just one run to the Indians. Cy Young, here comes Doc Halladay!

It’ll be an interesting matchup, though, as Toronto is going up against Francisco Liriano. The lefty was absolutely ridiculous a few years ago as a rookie, going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA. Then he blew out his arm and he’s been struggling to regain his form. No luck so far this year; Liriano is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA. I feel bad for the guy.

Ok, let’s touch on hockey really quick because I know you’ll be watching that too:

Canadiens vs Bruins odds: I like Boston tonight. That crowd is going to be pretty fired up. This should be the year the Bruins get over the hump against Montreal.

Blue Jackets vs Red Wings odds: You know there’s going to be at least one upset tonight. This is my pick. Columbus is playing in its first ever playoff game, so those guys are going to explode out of the gate. Wings have been there, done that. This first game is just a cup of coffee for them to wake up.

Flames vs Blackhawks odds: A lot of people are picking Calgary because of their experience. I don’t care, it just doesn’t make sense. Chicago cruised into the playoffs; Calgary skidded in. Chicago owned the Flames in the regular season, winning all four matchups. Chicago wins.

Ducks vs Sharks odds: Sharks. This is the year they finally win the Cup.

If you’re chewing on MLB odds, here’s one you might be interested in: Vladimir Guerrero accidentally admitted over the weekend he’s a year older than we’d all believed. When being interviewed by Yahoo, Vladdy had this to say:

“I feel good. I can’t say [like] 25, because, you know, I’m 34. But I feel a lot better.”

The problem? Vladdy is 33, according to L.A.’s media guide. Guerrero later addmitted to the team he lied about his age. So how does this affect MLB betting? Right now, probably not much. The Angels will still be respectable on most MLB lines.

However, it could greatly impact Vladdy’s wallet. The slugging outfielder is a free agent after the season, and tacking another year onto his aging legs certainly isn’t going to help him get a long term deal.

Alright, swing by tomorrow, it’s time we start getting serious about March Madness betting.

If March Madness betting approaches, that means MLB odds are shaping up too as spring training is in full swing and rosters are getting finalized. I can’t help but wonder why no teams are taking the relatively cheap opportunity to up their chances at the sportsbook and giving long looks to Barry Bonds and Moises Alou.

Both guys are on-base machines who can’t field to save their lives anymore but can still flat-out mash the baseball. So the NL won’t take a chance on them in MLB odds. Fine. Uh, American League? What are you waiting for?

Apparently, Bonds’ agent will be contacting all 30 MLB teams to inquire about their interest in Barry. Some teams don’t want to touch him for PR reasons — but some floundering franchises should touch him for those reasons. Why not the Toronto Blue Jays? They’re looking hopeless in the MLB odds this year, given their GM is an idiot and they share a division with the three best teams in baseball (I think). Would a Bonds signing not bring people running to the park?

Online betting fans can’t forget about the Oakland A’s, either. Billy Beane had decided to throw his penny-pinching ways out the window, acquiring Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra. Why not keep the trend going and add Bonds or Alou to that lineup?

If no one grabs Bonds, it’s understandable. However, if no one grabs Alou, he says he’ll retire after WBC betting. That’s sad consideirng he still has a several hundred good at-bats left in him…

A-Rod, A-Rod, A-ROID!

In what looks like the biggest sports story of 2009 so far (thankfully for Michael Phelps), A-Rod’s “coming clean” has dwarfed any Daytona 500 betting or March Madness rankings chatter, and with good reason. Ballplayers don’t come more high-profile than A-Rod.

Now, every sports betting fan is dying to hear the remaining 100-plus names that tested positive. Wouldn’t that make an exciting sportsbook prop? I think so.

Let’s reverse the debate and pick five guys who likely haven’t ever juiced, in random order:

1. Pedro Martinez

He always looked like a guy who stayed small and never went near a gym, don’t you think? Pedro was just a natural, even if his late-career injury woes make you wonder just a little bit. Here’s hoping he pulls out some magic in the World Baseball Classic odds.

2. Manny Ramirez

Too much of a headcase to care what people thought of his ability. Something tells me the A-Rodesque “pressure to live up to a big contract” wouldn’t keep Manny awake in the same way.

3. Roy Halladay

Doc doesn’t need steroids. Have you seen his perma-scowl? He can just yell at his body and it will magically strengthen.

4. Ichiro

Yes, he has some phenomenal tools, but his body screams “vegan diet,” not “needle in the bum.”

5. Derek Jeter

Not only is he a class act, he’s been far too consistent to warrant suspicion. He was a line-drive hitter with speed in 1996 and that hasn’t changed since.