Since NBA betting season is upon us, and the preseason is underway, we’re going to look at…..a feud between LeBron James and a football player.

James has been busy over the summer, pushing his documentary “More Than A Game” (shouldn’t you win a title first before making a documentary?) and making a guest appearance on “Entourage” (which was understated and funny). But he also found time to get into a little trouble, indirectly. Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Braylon Edwards is being accused of punching James’ friend at a nightclub, and James called Edwards “childish”, stating that Edwards must be jealous of him and his friends.

Shoot, why wouldn’t he? Edwards plays for a team that you couldn’t pay people to bet on in your offshore sportsbook. James has great hands, Edwards drops more than he catches. Edwards doesn’t have a movie out. It would be funny to see Edwards and James fight, although I’m betting management of the Cavs fail to see the humor in it.

Nothing will happen here, and everything will be fine….except for Edwards, who continues to be a part of a squad whose Super Bowl odds were flushed before they started.

The season is almost over, and it’s almost playoff time, but NBA betting players still have some player props to bet on, such as the MVP award. Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant won it last year, and he’s earned consideration this year, but there’s only one winner, and that is……

LeBron James have simply been the best player on the best team in the league, and since that seems to be the way the MVP is decided, he has to win (how the MVP is decided is a whole ‘nother blog post). James is second in the league in scoring, he’s shot career bests from the free-throw and three-point line, he’s become a much better defensive player, and he’s more forceful at the end of games, which is something we’ve been waiting for since his 30-point second-half outburst against Detroit in the playoffs a couple seasons back. You could make a strong NBA betting case for Dwayne Wade, who leads the league in scoring and has carried Miami to a No.5 seed on his back, and Bryant has been the straw that stirs the Lakers, the best team in the West. But when NBA betting players go to make their choice for MVP, they have to go with Lebron James. Give the “King” his crown.

Shawn Marion made his Toronto debut last night, and while the NBA betting odds have not improved for the Raptors, “The Matrix” has shown that he can make Toronto a much better team.

Marion had the impossible task of guarding Lebron James in his first game as a Raptor, and although Toronto lost 93-76, Marion didn’t make it easy on “King James”. It was a battle that UFC betting fans would be proud of, and even though James almost had a triple-double with 20 points, nine boards and nine assists, Marion was in his face the entire game. Offensively, Marion had 10 points, along with six assists and six boards as he was trying to get used to his new team. He also looked eager to run, and the Raptors will have to do a better job of breaking out to utilize Marion’s talents.

…LeBron James?

Roy’s first love is basketball, but he’s a fan of all sports, so you can guarantee that I’ll be getting in on some Super Bowl XLIII betting action. This commercial ties it all in together quite nicely.

Wow. LeBron would put the Browns in the Super Bowl betting conversation instantly, and I’m willing to bet that he’d drop less passes than Braylon Edwards.

Monday night, the NBA and online betting communities should be up in arms as Cleveland heads to Los Angeles for a meeting with the Lakers, but let’s be real: there are 24 players on both teams, yet there are only two to worry about. Reigning MVP Kobe Bryant tries to lift his team out of a two-game losing skid against the man most are picking to succeed Bryant, LeBron James. This is the first time these two megastars have been on the same court since leading the USA to a gold medal in Beijing last summer.

These two stars went head-to-head twice last year, with Cleveland winning both games to extend its streak to five victories in a row over the Lakers. Bryant had 27.0 points, 8.5 boards and 5.5 assists, while James was a beast, putting up 37.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in this all-world showdown.

With both of these teams favored by sportsbook odds to reach the NBA Finals, this monster matchup gets even bigger each time Bryant and James lead their teams into battle. NBA lines have the Lakers as 5-point favorites at home tonight.

PICK: Bean to end the Cavs’ strange and recent domination of the Lakers.

July 1, 2010 is not coming quickly enough for NBA general managers. Just look at this free-agent class that will on the market: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Joe Johnson and Yao Ming lead the way, while veteran stars suck as Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Michael Redd, Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen could also be looking for work. Very exciting stuff.

My problem is that…..it’s 2008. Yes, the New York Knicks made some moves that was obviously a ploy to free cap space for 2010, and many other teams will be doing so (unless some GMs haven’t done their homework). And we all know that having a player like James on your team will boost your championship hopes, as well as your NBA betting odds. But the stars sound like they are getting tired of hearing the questions already, as James’ interview with Stephen A. Smith a couple nights ago showed. It’s going to be a long 19 months.

Oh, and this video is a 3-minute compilation of James’ work so far this season. Is it just me or is he looking more physically dominant that ever before? Like, “dunking on three people is just what I do” dominant.