Cleveland is finally playing like the sportsbook favorites we allkknew they were, and they played very well in a 111-104 win over Miami on the road, their third straight win away from home. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m wonder if the kids still hang up posters on their wall, because THIS is the epitome of a posterization:

AND THEN…..he goes back to walk over him, Allen Iverson-Tyronn Lue style:

This has no bearing on either team’s online betting odds, but you may look back on this later in the season, and I’m willing to bet you won’t see a better posterization than that. Then, Anderson Varejao (Sideshow Bob) had the nerve to try and talk smack to D-Wade after the play was done. He got a technical foul for his efforts. You know, he’s a talented player, but someone needs to tell Bob to shut up sometimes. Actin’ like you’re worth $10-12 mil a season,  you know what that gets:

My pick for Saturday’s Pacquiao Cotto odds: Miguel will give him a run, but he doesn’t have the patience to hang with Manny, who will frustrate him into making a mistake.

Online sports betting players are just dying to see how Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest interact as teammates after so many battles in opposite uniforms, but Artest is trying to take some of the attention off the Lakers’ superstar with some recent words. However, it may not have been the best choice of words.

Artest came out and told the media that he wanted the blame if the Lakers don’t repeat as NBA champions. Now, that’s a bold statement. Granted, the Lakers are sure to be at the top, or at least near the top, of the list of favorites in your offshore sportsbook, but that’s a huge burden to have on you. Shoot, ask Tracy McGrady:

Because the pressure can make you go:

Now granted, Artest is much tougher than McGrady, his former Houston teammate, but maybe he should just get used to running the triangle before he goes making statements like this. Then again, that’s why we love Ron Ron, isn’t it?

Crazy Ron Artest or not, still, the Lakers will be one of the most popular sports picks of the fall.

All kinds of things going on in the online betting industry this weekend, so check out:

UFC 103 Fight Card

For whatever reason, I’m looking forward to seeing Josh Koscheck and Frank Trigg fight the most. Probably because I hate both of their guts. And because I’ve been watching this:

NFL Week 2 Odds

With the look on his face, did he know he was going to play that terribly against Green Bay? Will he throw four more picks against the Steelers this week?

Mayweather-Marquez odds

Seriously, this fight isn’t going to be easy. Marquez drew with Manny Pacquaio and lost a controversial split decision to Pac-Man, who Mayweather wants badly. This could be the event of the weekend.

Real online betting players know just how important Bruce Bowen was to San Antonio’s chances each and every year, until recently when coach Gregg Popovich said that Kobe Bryant was basically unguardable, and sent Bowen to Milwaukee for Richard Jefferson.

Brown came into the NBA in 1997 after playing in Europe, but settled in with San Antonio in 2001 and turned out to be one of the biggest pests in the league, ending up with three NBA titles, eight All-Defensive team honors, and a boatload of enemies. See, Bowen was a borderline dirty player, and he can deny it all he wants, but too many players have landed on his foot for it to be solely coincidental. He’s been accused by everyone from Vince Carter to Steve Nash of foul play, and they’re not really wrong. But the thing is, they were thinking about Bowen, and not on the game, which gave San Antonio the edge in your offshore sportsbook.

So, love him or hate him, we’re betting management all across the league is happy to see him finally bow out at age 38. So here’s to you, Bruce Bowen. I don’t like you one little bit, but you get respect from this sports betting blog.

And I’m back y’all, it’s been a minute, it’s slow in basketball over the summer as most handicappers are focusing on their NFL betting odds. But this bit of news got me up and ready for the upcoming hoops betting season.

Allen Iverson tweeted (god, that’s gonna be a tiring term) that he’s waiting on a call from New York, Miami or Charlotte. The Knicks would be a decent fit, as they play little to no defense, shoot first, ask questions later (or never). He may be a boost to the Heat if you’re betting online, or he could turn out to be a huge detriment if he can’t put his ego aside and realize that it’s Dwayne Wade’s team. But the Bobcats? Oh hell yeah. Iverson and Larry Brown were ready to kill each other in Philadelphia, but Iverson famously cried in an interview when a tape was played that featured Brown saying positive things about the “Answer”. Team chemistry may suffer a bit (just ask the Pistons), but for pure entertainment value, there isn’t a duo that needs to reunite more than Allen Iverson and Larry Brown. Shoot, we may get a “Practice?”, Part 2. And let’s face it: would betting software recommend Charlotte to you anyway?

So, there’s some stuff going on, NBA offseason stuff, affects betting odds, blah, blah, blah….the real news is Stephon Marbury’s five-day bender that he streamed to the world….for what reason, I don’t know. He could even still be doing it, I had to stop after this:

Sucks, because dude used to be one of my favorite ballers, selfishness and all. He tore it up at Georgia Tech, and he has solid career numbers (19.3 points, 7.6 assists in 846 games). Boston thought he was still good enough to help their sports betting chances when they grabbed him late in the season, but outside of one good game (actually, it was more like a quarter), he was little more than a cheerleader. He’s now a sideshow, and I don’t even know what to say about the whole “streaming your life when you’re obviously goin’ through some things” part of this all. All I know is, before Marbury plays in the NBA again, I’d put “Grizzlies to go 82-0″ as one of my sports picks first.

Word is that the Timberwolves’ betting chances are taking a hit with each day Ricky Rubio stays in Spain. Of course, they weren’t that high to begin with, but having Rubio in the fold would help a lot, both on the court and off, where they could raise the price per head of a ticket…just a little, though.

Now Rubio is saying that he wants to leave Spain regardless of whether he can pay the $8.2 million buyout that is in his contract with DKV Joventut or not. The Timberwolves can only contribute $500,000 to that buyout, leaving Rubio between a rock and a hard place. It’s doubtful he can return to Joventut after all that has gone on (think of the Dany Heatley saga currently going on the NHL), and it appears that Real Madrid and Barcelona are ready to step in and offer him a place to play if he doesn’t make it to the NBA.

(Side note: it’s funny to see Madrid and Barca’s names being mentioned with basketball instead of soccer, but we know Madrid has the money after they bought Cristiano Ronaldo for the price of a good-sized country)

So, will the kid really have an impact in your offshore sportsbook? Well, you can judge for yourself in the following video. I do know that I was impressed by what I saw of him in Beijing, and the Americans were very complimentary towards him. At least if he’s with Minnesota, I wouldn’t take watching paint dry over watching the Timberwolves. Still not making them one of my sports picks, though.

Probably not anytime soon, as betting on the Clippers’ odds is something like putting your football betting money behind the Lions. But they seem to have finally picked a winner in Blake Griffin, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Las Vegas Summer League, and absolutely looked like the player we all thought he’d be. Griffin had 27 points and 12 boards in his first game and never let up, and the reason why Clippers fans should be excited is that, not only is Griffin the most talented player in the draft, but he’s easily one of the hardest-working, which is why he’s a surefire Rookie of the Year choice when making your sports picks.

So what to make of Griffiin? He’ll at least make a Clippers ticket worth the price per head with his explosiveness and ability to learn on the fly. He’ll have to learn to not worry about a lack of shots with Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, Eric Gordon and possibly Allen Iverson in the backcourt. All he can do is work hard, and if worst comes to worst, he only has three years and he’ll be the most prized free agent of the 2012 class. If anything, he’ll at least be the runaway Rookie of the Year favorite in your offshore sportsbook.

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?

-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.