#1...?...uh not exactly Matt

How about more like #10. Ouch.

And #10 to the Cardinals. Double Ouch.

Good luck buddy. Me thinks you'll be wishing you could have stayed YET ANOTHER YEAR down in SoCal.

Super Mario?

Dear God, for the sake of their franchise, I hope Houston is right about this one.

As it happens, I think they are. I think Reggie Bush will do down in history as one of the most over-hyped college prospects of all time. And New Orleans is going to take him now. Well they're welcome to him.

This is not to say I like Houston at 100:1 at www.BetBug.com. I don't like them at all in fact. But I love the fact that they are doing the ballsy thing and telling Mr. Bush to go take his act elsewhere. Williams will be an all pro for years to come. Bush will be nothing.

No Longer Unstoppable

Am I the only one who is beginning to think that...gasp...the Lakers might actually have gotten the better end of their trade with Miami. Shaq is just not the same player he once was. And may never be again. After tonight's embarrasment in Chicago, Miami may not even make it out of the first round, let alone have ANYHOPE of competing with the Pistons.

All your NBA playoff action right here at www.BetBug.com

Stupid is as Stupid does

Honestly, just how dumb is Ricky Williams?


Suspended again, apparently this time for something other than the wacky tabacky. How much money has this young man smoked away.

I'll say this though. The Dolphins chances only increased for the Super Bowl next year thanks to this. At BetBug we've got them at 15:1 and with no RW to distract, I'd be tempted to grab a little of that.

#23

32 points. 11 assists. 11 rebounds. In his post season debut.

I guess that's why they put him on the cover. And to think, he's not even 22 yet.

Yikes

Drop The Puck!

You know the single best thing about the playoffs that start tonight?

NO MORE SHOOTOUTS!

If it takes 4 extra periods to decide the game, I say, "PLAY ON!"

There is nothing, and I do mean this, nothing on this planet better, than Stanley Cup Overtimes.

It's been a two year wait, but we're finally ready to go.

BetBug's Post Season Series Price:

TBAY +400 OTT -450
EDM +425 DET -500
SAN -170 NSH +160
ANA +175 CAL -190
NYR +225 NJ -245
COL +190 DAL -210
MON +190 CAR -210
PHI +125 BUF -135

NHL PLAYOFFS

Finally! This ridiculously long regular season has come to an end and the playoffs are upon us.

I must say, all things considered, besides its length, this NHL season must be considered nothing but an unqualified success.

Scoring was up from 5.1 goals per game to 6.1 goals per game. That is HUGE.

For a league that for the last decade has been trapped in the DEAD PUCK ERA.

I was firm in my conviction that no way on God's green Earth was I going to watch hockey again if it stayed trapped with hooking, clutching, and grabbing.

And Lord strike me down for saying this, but Gary Bettman has solved the problem.

Now if he could just somehow legislate the Trap out of existence...

T-Minus 10 days and counting...

Is it just me or is this not the most WIDE OPEN NFL Draft we have seen in quite some time. After you get by the top pick, I defy anyone to come up with a top 5 concensus.

For once, Boomer and the boys on ESPN might actually have some trades and late breaking things to happen, as opposed to just mocking the Vikings when they are too late for their first pick.

www.BetBug.com has SuperBowl Odds up right now, so watch the draft and check out how your favourite team did and then make a decision whether or not they've helped themselves enough to be worth of a wager.

3 weeks out

After yesterday's last round of mile and one eighth preps, the field for the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby is basically set. Other than the Lexington next weekend, we know most of the starters (assuming of course they don't fall apart between now and then).

Looking over the colts and doing a little intelligent forecasting, here's a little update from www.BetBug.com for your Derby Wagering:

BROTHER DEREK 4-1
LAWYER RON 5-1
BARBARO 7-1
SWEETNORTHERNSAINT 8-1
DISCREET CAT 9-1
BOB & JOHN 12-1
POINT DETERMINED 15-1
SINISTER MINISTER 15-1
STEPPENWOLFER 15-1
AP WARRIOR 20-1
BLUEGREASS CAT 20-1
PRIVATE VOW 20- 1 (check out Sun's Pick of the Day) hint, hint...
SHOWING UP 20-1
SUNRIVER 20-1
FIRST SAMURAI 25-1
JAZIL 25-1
SHARP HUMOR 25-1
STORM TREASURE 25-1
KEYED ENTRY 30-1
CAUSE TO BELIEVE 40-1
LIKE NOW 40-1
DEPUTY GLITTERS 50-1
FLASHY BULL 50-1
SACRED LIGHT 50-1

The World Cup

Does anyone realize we are just over a month away from the largest single sport sporting event in the world?

Soccer's World Cup is soon to commence and so if you'd like to get down right now, the place to do it is right here at www.BetBug.com

THE HOT FAVES:

Brazil 3-1
Argentina 7-1
England 6.5-1
Germany 7.5-1
Italy 9-1
Holland 12-1
France 13-1
Spain 14-1

WITCH HUNT

THIS is a joke.

I'm against performance enhancing drug use, but why is the entire country focused on just one guy. Could it be because he's a surly, bitter, bastard?

Gee what a legitimate reason to endite a man. Because we don't like him.

This is becoming the 21st century version of the Salem Witch Hunts.

And btw, whatever happened to Mark McGuire?

WHAM! POW! WHAP!

While yours truly is not a huge UFC fan, I certainly recognize I am in what is fast becoming the minority. I'd give it about 7 more years and MMA will have surpassed boxing into the mainstream of professional fighting.

Say what you will about the brutality of the sport, but people like it, people watch it, and unlike with boxing, these people are YOUNG. In other words, MMA's demographic is not is not in a death spiral.

BetBug's odds for UFC 59 REALITY CHECK are as follows:

Arlovski -400 vs Syliva +360
Ortiz -310 vs Griffin +380
Diaz +150 vs Sherk -160
Monson -210 vs Cruz +190
Terrell -210 vs Smith +190

Cat Fight!

Well now you have even more reason to watch next weekend's NASCAR Subway Fresh 500. A catfight between Greg Biffle's girlfriend and Kurt Busch's fiancee. God love these two wonderful ladies.

Although here at www.BetBug.com, we only have the race odds up, due consideration IS being given to a straight up matchup line between the two rather catty ladies.

The Sweet Science

Shockingly enough, and let's be honest here boxing is not exactly at the top of the public mind these days, there are actually a few fairly descent fights approaching.

At www.BetBug.com we have the following blood sport odds ready and waiting:

Klitschko -270 v Byrd +240
De La Hoya -360 v Mayorga +330
Castillo -240 v Corrales +220
Tarver +260 v Hopkins +240

Ahem! It's Sunday, It's the Back Nine, It's Augusta

Regardless of the leaderboard, regardless of the weather, regardless of the course changes, today is the single best day in Golf each year. Especially in high definition.

To quote Jack Nicolson in A Few Good Men speaking on an entirely different subject (getting it on with a superior officer of the opposite sex):

"If you're not" watching the Masters in high def "well then you're just letting the one of the best things in life pass you by."

Here Here.

Titans say goodbye to McNair

With March Madness just ending, with the MLB season just beginning, with the NHL and NBA getting ready for the playoffs, and with the Masters this weekend, you can be excused for missing this little item.

Titans tell McNair to leave

Is it just me or is this not just about one of the least classy moves of all time? The QB who has literally sacrificed his body for you for the last 11 years and this is how you treat him? Even if he has played his last game for the franchise, you do not end things like this.

Very weak Titans, very weak

The Run for the Roses

Crunch time is here. The 9 furlong preps start this weekend (really last weekend, but considering the Florida Derby field, well...) with the Illinois Derby, the Wood Memorial, and the Santa Anita Derby.

Let's take them in that order: And when I mention a horse we have in our futures for the big dance, I'll quote his odds then and there:

ILLINOIS DERBY

The main question here surrounds Cause to Believe 25-1 Just how good is he and does Jerry Hollendofer finally have his Derby horse? He's been beating up the NoCal types (and Point Determined as well) so one wonders whether it's him or just the horses he's been facing that have led to his wins. Sweetnorthernsaint 20-1 has decided to bypass a rerun of the Gotham and take his chances here. Probably a good idea as the Wood is a much tougher race. These two plus a Pletcher and Frankel all drew to the far outside as the 4 favourites, so a bad or good trip may well determine the winner here.

WOOD MEMORIAL

Keyed Entry 20-1 comes in here off his fine second first time stretching out in the Gotham. He's joined by the 1st and 4th place finishers in the Gotham. Along with Bob and John 20-1, winner of the Sham and Deputy Glitters 25-1 winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, these are the main players. This should be a great race and the biggest question I have is whether or not Keyed Entry will be rated like in the Gotham or will he be sent to make sure Like Now 50-1 doesn't get away to an easy lead. The x-factor in this race is Barclay Tagg's undefeated Showing Up 15-1. What he does, and how he does it could have a major impact on the race. Whether or not he likes two turns may have a great deal to say in deciding the winner of this little 750k race.

UPDATE!!!! WHETHER OR NOT HE RUNS...out with a foot prob. Possible for the Blue Grass.

SANTA ANITA DERBY

With the defection earlier in the week of the only other speed in this race Brother Derek 10-1 looks for all the world like a lone speed easy winner. Point Determined 20-1 and AP Warrior 15-1 and Sacred Light 30-1 all are legitimate horse, who in other circumstances might have a shot. But the way this race sets up, they almost seem to have no hope. Now...4 weeks down the road, that may be another story. But for The Great Race Place's signature race this spring, this year's Kentucky Derby favourite should cement his betting status for the First Saturday in May, if not his credentials.

The Good Old Boys hit the deep South

The travelling road show that is the Nextal Cup drives into Texas this weekend with the Samsung/Radioshack 500 (I guess neither sponser cared to pony up the full amount?).

With the season now nicely underway, I think it's time we take a peak at how the Nextel Cup betting is looking:

THE RACE FOR THE CHASE:

Jimmie Johnson 4.5 - 1
Jeff Gordon 5 - 1
Matt Kenseth 6 - 1
Tony Stewart 7 - 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8 - 1
Greg Biffle 10 - 1
Mark Martin 11 - 1
Carl Edwards 12 - 1
Kasey Kahne 12 - 1
Kyle Busch 16 - 1
Kurt Busch 20 - 1
Ryan Newman 20 - 1

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

You can have your opening day, you can have your NCAA final. But for me, the true dawning of spring is always symbolized by the Thursday morning tee off at Augusta.

Ahhhh...I can already smell the Azaleas.

BetBug has futures, matchups and props. Ready to bet. We already went throught the futures a few weeks ago so let's look at the propositions we have on offer:

Will there be a playoff? Yes +280 No -310
Will there be a hole in one? Yes +160 No -170
Will an amateur make the cut? Yes -150 No +140
Lowest Completed Round of the Tournament: 65.5 Over +105 Under -115
36 Hole Cut: 148.5 Over -140 Under +130
Winning 72 Hole Score: 179.5 Over -130 Under +120

Gators Roll

And that's why you don't hedge. LOL.

Actually I'm not upset at all. I guaranteed myself 13 units and was quite happy to take my profit.

Did I cost myself money? Yes? Did I get value though in the hedge? Yes.

So endeth the NCAA baskets season. See ya in November.

The Final Two

Well we're finally here. Florida vs UCLA, for all the marbles.

I've been agonizing the last two days about what I should do with my Florida at 25-1 ticket. Leave it? Hedge it off? Hedge it all off (UCLA does look good). But in the end, I have realized that I am just basically a greedy bastard at heart and well, when the team you have in the futures is the fave, there's really only one way to play it.

UCLA +1.5 Even at www.BetBug.com.

You might wonder how I got even. Let's just say that BetBug has some fairly heavy fans of the Gators betting into us today.

If Florida wins by 1, I'm going to make a mint.

Yes I realize I am allowing greed to get the better of me, but hey, the worst that can happen is i make about 11 units, so why not shoot for the moon!

Close game...close game...close game...

The clock strikes 12, the glass slipper is gone

Gee too bad George Mason. Actually, not too bad. Because I've got Florida at 25:1. Now the only question left. To hedge or not to hedge?

The answer will come tomorrow after we mull over just how good this UCLA team may be.

The line for the game at www.BetBug.com is:

FLA -1.5 -105 & O/U 127.5 -105

Martinsville

The second short track of the year comes up tomorrow and it looks like we should have a pretty good race. Both Vickers and McMurray have been fast but I'm sort of partial to Tony Stewart myself in this one. Herewith, BetBug's DirecTV 500 odds:

Jeff Gordon +550
Kurt Busch +1000
Matt Kenseth +1000
Jimmie Johnson +600
Tony Stewart +550
Kevin Harvick +2000
Greg Biffle +1200
DE Jr +1400
Ryan Newman +1500
Mark Martin +2500
Carl Edwards +2500
Kasey Kahne +1200
Kyle Busch +2000
Jamie McMurray +1500
Bobby Labonte +3000
Jeff Burton +2500
Elliot Sadler +3000
Denny Hamlin +4000
Casey Mears +7000
Dale Jarrett 5000
Jeromy Mayfield +10000
Brian Vickers +1500 (he was 80-1!)
Martin Truex +4000
Joe Nemechek +8000
Field +1500