So, here is a rundown of today’s top stories that will surely affect next year’s sports picks. Man, it’s been an insane beginning to the offseason, and we’re only three days in.

-Turkoglu agrees to go to Portland: well, it was due to happen after the Magic picked up Vince Carter (how crappy are the Nets gonna be next year). Portland, on the other hand, will be a force, like, a “Roger Federer Wimbledon betting” kinda force.

-Ron Artest to the Lakers: Betting software says that Ron Ron and Kobe don’t make it to the season without at least one fight in practice.

-Trevor Ariza to Houston: why didn’t these two teams just trade? And how much money does Ariza really think he’ll get? And how bummy is Houston lookin’ right about now? No Yao? Ewwwwwwwwwww.

-Phil Jackson will be back: keeping Kobe and Ron Ron from killing each other every day should get him an award in itself.

-Stephon Marbury says he probably won’t go back to Boston: so he’ll end up somewhere else to ruin another team’s NBA odds.

It’s been more exciting than the UFC 100 Fight Card during the offseason (okay, not really, but it’s been close). So far we have, including trades:

-Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva to Detroit for around $90 million
-Vince Carter to Orlando
-Richard Jefferson to San Antonio
-Zach Randolph to Memphis
-Carlos Boozer defies the offshore sportsbook odds and stays with Utah

And New York is still trying to get Jason Kidd out of Dallas….The Lakers are planning (tentatively) to keep Lamar Odom and let Trevor Ariza hit the market….Hedo Turkoglu probably won’t be in Orlando next year….Cleveland are now chasing Ron Artest and Ariza….Oh yeah, Minnesota drafted 37 point guards in the draft, and may only end up with one. Sports betting software wouldn’t have even seen that coming, but I mean, it is the Timberwolves.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO………..it’s gonna be fun to make sports picks this year!

The UFC 100 fight card is out at the best online sportsbook in the industry, even though the event isn’t until July 11th in Las Vegas. The highlights of the card? The main event, of course, but since it’s the 100th UFC card, there are not one, but TWO big fights lined up.

Lesnar Mir Odds: Lesnar (-225)

Brock Lesnar is looking to avenge his lone UFC loss, and he’s much better prepared to take on Frank Mir now. He was actually dominating that fight before his inexperience allowed him to give up his leg, which Mir used to perform a kneebar to end the fight. This will be for the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship, and those who make sports picks will have a big (heavyweight, as it were) decision to make.

St. Pierre Alves odds (GSP -260)

This is for GSP’s welterweight title, and the champion hasn’t lost in his last five bouts.  But Alves is no slouch, and hasn’t lost in his last seven outings. This fight should make the price per head be worth it alone, as neither man will back down willingly.

If you would have told me last week that Lucas Glover was one of your golf betting picks to win the US Open, I would have laughed right square in your face. But there he was on Monday, holding on down the stretch to win the 109th US Open that was plagued by rain throughout the week.

This is Glover’s second win on the Tour, and he’s known as a solid player, but it took a lot of guts to fend off the likes of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, who both made late charges but were let down by their putters. David Duval, who handicapping software didn’t even have listed as one of the sports picks to win the Open, finished two shots back. Ricky Barnes, who broke the 36-hole record at the Open, shot a miserable 76 to give the tournament away. The Mickelson story would have been nice and all, and he played way better than I thought he was, but Glover is here to prove that sometimes, it pays to go against your offshore sportsbook.

So, US Open betting action got back underway this morning, and Tiger Woods resumed his play on the seventh hole. Everything was going swimmingly (pardon the rain-soaked pun) for the world’s No.1, and he even had a couple of birdies on the back nine. But the closing stretch wasn’t so kind to him, as Woods shot +4 for the final four holes to land at +4 after 18 holes.

So what does this mean? It means that Woods is in serious danger of missing the cut for only the second time in his career in a major. The first was in at the US Open in 2006, when he played Winged Foot shortly after the death of his father.  This could make a lot of people who make sports picks (raises hand) look real, real stupid, and I’m betting management at Bethpage never thought about not having Woods in the field for the weekend. Mike Weir shot a blistering -6 for his first round, and Tiger’s right around where the cut would be if this was the second round. But hey, you wanna bet against him? I’ll still take his US Open betting odds.

Well, so much for any US Open betting taking place today. Bethpage Black was turned into a virtual lake this morning, allowing the group of Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington to complete only three holes. Cabrera leads the group at even par, while Woods is +1, and Harrington is struggling at +4. Bethpage is hard enough as it is, but as waterlogged as the course was, they probably should have even went out this morning. I’m betting management at the course didn’t want to see this happen.

So how does this affect the players? Well, the players who went out this morning are at a disadvantage because they had to play through crap, while the players who haven’t teed off could be getting much better conditions. Then again…..it could be even worse tomorrow.  It’s calling for showers for the next four days. I guess it’s a good way for golf betting players to practice up for the British Open.

Yes, there ARE other options when going your US Open 2009 betting odds outside of that Tiger fella. But it’s not who you think it is. These are strictly golf picks for betting management players who like to take risks.

Paul Casey has won three times this year, twice in Europe and once in America, and he’s risen to No.3 in the world rankings. Those who make sports predictions have been waiting for him to fulfill his vast potential for years. This could be it. (US Open odds - +1900)

Henrik Stenson showed he had the heart to hold off the field by blowing everyone away in The Players Championship, and he’s another golfer that people are like, “why doesn’t he win more?”. Stenson, like all of the players, bombs it off the tee, which will come in handy at Bethpage Black, which is due to play even longer than the 7,426 yards it’s been measured at because of rain. (US Open odds - +3700)

Anthony Kim hasn’t played that well this year, as he could be suffering from a Ryder Cup hangover. But the 23-year-old Kim is as confident as anyone on the planet, and he can get hot in a hurry as his 11-birdie round at The Masters proves. (US Open odds - +5000)

Geoff Ogilvy won the US Open in 2006, as he survived a number of golfers faltering down the stretch at Winged Foot. But he’s won twice this year, and loves to play on really difficult courses. If he gets hot with the putter, watch out. (US Open odds - +1600)

Angel Cabrera outlasted Tiger and the field at Oakmont in 2007, and he got some breaks to beat Kenny Perry at The Masters this year. He does nothing during regular tournaments, yet always seems to be around in the majors. With his high ball flight and insane length off the tee, you could definitely do worse than Cabrera, who quit smoking last year. (US Open odds - +4500)

Yep, ol’ Roy isn’t just a basketball fan. I’m gettin’ in on some US Open betting action, and this weekend’s tournament at Bethpage Black. The obvious favorite is Tiger Woods, and for two good reasons: he won at Bethpage Black in 2002, and he was one of only two golfers at par or better that week (Phil Mickelson is the other one), and two, he’s Tiger MF Woods.

I’m thinking Paul Casey is worth a shot as well, as he’s a long enough hitter that he can handle Bethpage Black, but it’s pretty Tiger’s tournament to lose. Your offshore sportsbook has him at +140, while Mickelson is next, all the way back at +1400, for you betting management players.

Oh yeah, he won last year’s event at Torrey Pines….on one leg….in a playoff. You wanna bet against him?

-So the Lakers, at the top of the NBA Finals odds all season long, put away Orlando in five. Good on ‘em. Kobe gets his Shaqless ring and his Finals MVP, Phil’s got 10 and has to be the best coach ever now, and Trevor Ariza will be rich. Like, “way more than he deserves” rich.

-How much are you betting management of the Lakers will try to get Odom to take a paycut to stay, so they can keep Ariza?

-Turkoglu wasn’t even back in the dressing room before it was announced that he would be a free agent.

-Why was Kobe’s wife all up in the mix right after the game? She’s cute and all, but shoot…..give the man a second to breathe. He surely can’t cheat on you in the middle of an arena.

-NBA odds on whether Phil comes back: Not bloody likely.

-And that’s why Orlando isn’t favored by NBA Finals odds to win the championship. Their play late in the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 4’s 99-91 loss is remarkable. I know the Lakers did it the game before, but the Magic have done it a number of times in these playoffs (giving up big leads, etc). It was bound to happen.

-Derek Fisher probably extended his career another year with those two treys he made. It’s like he’s Robert Horry 2009.

-Dwight Howard….poor, poor Superman. NBA Finals odds players everywhere cursed your inability to make foul shots. One foul shot would have sealed it, but noooooooooooooo…..

-Pietrus with the big double-ax handle to Gasol. Ric Flair would have been proud. Speaking of Ric Flair:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

NBA Finals odds for Game 5 have the Magic as a 3-point favorite, and they should be able to pull out the win, due to desperation. No one wants to see the other team celebrate on their home court (as the Lakers know all too well), and that should be enough to get them back to L.A……where they’ll be destroyed.

Don’t forget to do some UFC betting and boxing betting this weekend. Just don’t fight anyone.