Tulsa Football

The AFL betting season enters its thirteenth week of play this week with a full slate of games. Check out how we’re ranking the clubs through the first 12 weeks of the season!

1: Spokane Shock (8-2 SU, 5-5 ATS) (LW: 2) – At this point, it is absolutely undeniable that the Shock are the top rated team in the AFL. They absolutely steamrolled past Tulsa 63-42 in Week 12, which sets up a fantastic duel with the Iron at the Bradley Center this coming Saturday.
Up Next: Away @ Milwaukee

2: Arizona Rattlers (7-3 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 4) – The Rattlers have done nothing but move up the charts in recent weeks thanks to this three game home stand that has done wonders for the club. Still, AFL betting fans need to be weary of this schedule. Starting this week, the stakes go tremendously up, as games at Jacksonville and Spokane are on deck.
Up Next: Away @ Jacksonville

3: Jacksonville Sharks (7-3 SU, 5-5 ATS) (LW: 1) – Shame on you, Jacksonville! The Sharks were down 22-2 before you could blink in the first quarter against an Orlando team that has been up and down all season long. This was perhaps a curse of coming off of the bye week, which has bitten three straight teams in the backside with ATS defeats.
Up Next: Home vs. Arizona

4: Chicago Rush (8-3 SU, 6-4-1 ATS) (LW: 5) – The AFL odds were stacked against Chicago all week last week. Not only were QB Russ Michna and WR Samie Parker not with the team because of their UFL tryout, but they watched as they went from two point favorites all the way up to nearly double digit underdogs! Needless to say, a 63-56 win over the Iron not only helped defy the odds, but it also moved the magic number to clinch its division to just four.
Up Next: Home vs. Orlando

5: Tampa Bay Storm (7-3 SU, 4-6 ATS) (LW: 6) – It was rough for just a bit, but the Storm did their job and disposed of Utah without much trouble. Tampa Bay is back at home this week, where it has played well all season long. HC Tim Marcum definitely has himself a contender this year.
Up Next: Home vs. Bossier City

6: Milwaukee Iron (7-4 SU, 6-5 ATS) (LW: 3) – Milwaukee has to be wondering whether there are some serious problems right now. The team has now lost twice this year after double digit point spread moves, which has crippled AFL betting fans. The Midwest Division has basically already been lost barring a collapse by the Rush, and if they’re not careful, the Iron will fall out of the playoffs entirely as well.
Up Next: Home vs. Spokane

And the rest…
7: Orlando Predators (5-5 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 9)
8: Alabama Vipers (6-5 SU, 5-6 ATS) (LW: 8 )
9: Tulsa Talons (6-5 SU, 7-4 ATS) (LW: 7)
10: Cleveland Gladiators (5-6 SU, 7-4 ATS) (LW: 11)
11: Iowa Barnstormers (4-6 SU, 4-6 ATS) (LW: 10)
12: Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (3-7 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 12)
13: Bossier City Battle Wings (3-8 SU, 6-5 ATS) (LW: 13)
14: Dallas Vigilantes (1-9 SU, 2-8 ATS) (LW: 14)
15: Utah Blaze (1-9 SU, 2-8 ATS) (LW: 15)

Related posts:

1. Week 10 Arena Football League Power Poll – June 2nd 2010
2. Week 12 Arena Football League Power Poll – June 16th 2010
3. Week 11 Arena Football League Power Poll – June 8th 2010

(Rule #17 of the Fighter Fist Pose: Never rest your head on the shoulder of a chubby man in a floral-print shirt, as it will completely negate the fist-pose's power. / Photo courtesy of the TUF 11 Finale: Afterparty pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com.)

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BetUS Sportsbook is back with our World Cup predictions for the Group C collision between the United States and Slovenia. Both of these teams have to be thrilled with their results from their first matches, and both will look for yet another feather in their caps as they try to inch towards the second round on this tournament. The Slovenians had a heck of a debut in the World Cup back on Sunday morning against Algeria. This was their first ever World Cup match, and though it wasn’t a thing of beauty, the 1-0 result will certainly make them incredibly happy.
CLICK HERE TO OPEN A BETTING ACCOUNT AT BETUS

Slovenia vs. United States
•Game Date/Time: Friday, June 18th, 10:00 AM ET
•Game Location: Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
•TV/Radio Broadcast: ESPN, ESPN360, XM

World Cup Odds: Slovenia +265 +0.5 -125 vs. United States +105 -0.5 +105: Draw +225: Total 2 over +100 2 under -120

Much of the match was played in the midfield with very few opportunities for either side. However, the breakthrough was made by M Robert Koren in the 79th minute. This came on the heels of Algeria’s Abdelkader Ghezzal picking up a red card in very limited playing time off of the bench. Even though the United States is two points behind the Slovenians in the standings in Group C, it has to feel a lot better about its position knowing that it earned its one point from the behemoths of the group from England. The 1-1 draw was a much deserved result for the Stars and Stripes, as the match was relatively evenly contested for the better part of the last 80 minutes of action.

The first ten minutes belonged exclusively to the English, who struck in the fourth minute with M Stephen Gerrard to set the tone. However, GK Tim Howard rebounded and didn’t let another shot get past him. He earned the Man of the Match honors, but will have a hard time repeating that performance with his injured ribs, which he suffered in the England match. The goal for the Americans came courtesy of M Clint Dempsey, even though in all actuality, GK Robert Green was the man to thank for allowing the soft strike to sneak past him after he got his hands on the shot. F Jozy Altidore was probably the most efficient American offensive threat in the game before he was replaced in the dying minutes.

World Cup Insider Tip: The United States is winless in the L/2 World Cups at the group stage after going 0-1-2 four years ago in Germany.

Many felt as though the Americans were involved in the match of their lives against England. That may have been a psychological boost, but the real challenge is going to come in this match. Advancement is on the line for the United States, and a defeat will almost surely send it crashing out of the World Cup. Expect manager Bob Bradley to come up with the right game plan to dispose of the rookies of this tournament. The Stars and Stripes are our World Cup betting predictions.

My World Cup Prediction: United States -0.5
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. 2010 World Cup Betting Lines To Win Group C – World Cup Predictions
2. 2010 World Cup Odds: South Africa vs. Mexico Prediction: June 11th 2010
3. 2010 World Cup Betting Lines To Win Group D – World Cup Predictions

South	Alabama Vipers	Huntsville, Alabama	Von Braun Center	2000	af2
	Jacksonville Sharks	Jacksonville, Florida	Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena	2010	New for 2010
	Orlando Predators	Orlando, Florida	Amway Arena	1991	AFL
	Tampa Bay Storm	Tampa, Florida	St. Pete Times Forum	1987	AFL
Southwest	Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings	Bossier City, Louisiana	CenturyTel Center	2000	af2
	Dallas Vigilantes	Dallas, Texas	American Airlines Center	2010	New for 2010
	Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Cox Convention Center	2004	af2
	Tulsa Talons	Tulsa, Oklahoma	BOK Center	2000	af2
National Conference
Midwest	Chicago Rush	Rosemont, Illinois	Allstate Arena	2001	AFL
	Cleveland Gladiators	Cleveland, Ohio	Quicken Loans Arena	1997	AFL
	Iowa Barnstormers	Des Moines, Iowa	Wells Fargo Arena	1995	AFL & af2
	Milwaukee Iron	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Bradley Center	2009	af2
West	Arizona Rattlers	Phoenix, Arizona	US Airways Center	1992	AFL
	Spokane Shock	Spokane, Washington	Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena	2006	af2
	Utah Blaze

The AFL betting season enters its twelfth week of play this week with a full slate of games. Check out how we’re ranking the clubs through the first 11 weeks of the season!

1: Jacksonville Sharks (7-2 SU, 5-4 ATS) (LW: 1) - Even though the Sharks did go up to Spokane and lose a few weeks ago, we tend to believe that they have the best overall resume of any team in the AFL to date. After a week off, a trip to the Jungle could be difficult. It’ll mark the return of HC Les Moss to the city that he coached in for almost two decades.

Up Next: Away @ Orlando

2: Spokane Shock (7-2 SU, 4-5 ATS) (LW: 2) - Spokane needed some magic at the end of their AFL betting affair with the Predators on Saturday, but they walked out of Orlando with a victory to tie Jacksonville for the best record in the league. QB Kyle Rowley chucked three picks though, and he’ll need to improve upon that if the Shock is to avoid getting bounced this week.

Up Next: Home vs. Tulsa

3: Milwaukee Iron (7-3 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 4) – A dominant second half performance against the Gladiators moves Milwaukee up a slot in this week’s AFL Power Poll. The 82 points scored was the second highest point total of the season. A win in the Windy City this week could effectively lock up the Midwest Division.

Up Next: Away @ Chicago

4: Arizona Rattlers (6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS) (LW: 3) - Shame on the Rattlers for needing to stop a two point conversion against Oklahoma City to pick up a home victory on Friday night. The fun and games are almost over for Arizona, but another win should be in the cards this week.

Up Next: Home vs. Bossier City

5: Chicago Rush (7-3 SU, 5-4-1 ATS) (LW: 5) – With almost an entire new receiving corps, QB Rush Michna still had a fantastic game, going 16/19 for 217 yards and six scores against the lowly Blaze on Saturday night. This was merely a tune up for this week’s rematch against the Iron in which revenge will clearly be on the minds of the members of the Rush.

Up Next: Home vs. Milwaukee

6: Tampa Bay Storm (6-3 SU, 3-6 ATS) (LW: 6) - Between the win at Alabama and Orlando’s loss to Spokane, the Storm were arguably the biggest winners in the 11th week of AFL betting action. For the third straight game, Tampa Bay had to hold on for dear life at the death, but HC Tim Marcum will take wins any way he can get them.

Up Next: Away @ Utah

And the rest…

7: Tulsa Talons (6-4 SU, 7-3 ATS) (LW: 9)

8: Alabama Vipers (5-5 SU, 5-5 ATS) (LW: 8 )

9: Orlando Predators (4-5 SU, 5-4 ATS) (LW: 7)

10: Iowa Barnstormers (4-5 SU, 4-5 ATS) (LW: 11)

11: Cleveland Gladiators (4-6 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 10)

12: Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (3-7 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 12)

13: Bossier City Battle Wings (3-7 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 13)

14: Dallas Vigilantes (1-8 SU, 1-8 ATS) (LW: 14)

15: Utah Blaze (1-8 SU, 2-7 ATS) (LW: 15)

Related posts:

1. Week 10 Arena Football League Power Poll – June 2nd 2010
2. Week 11 Arena Football League Power Poll – June 8th 2010
3. Week 8 Arena Football League Power Poll – May 18th 2010

(Travis Browne's knockout of Brian Campbell)

(Travis Browne's knockout of Abe Wagner)

Along with the six TUF 11 castmembers getting a shot on the preliminary card of this Saturday's Finale show, two Octagon first-timers will also be trying to make a big impression. Get to know them below, and tell us how you think they'll fare in the comments section...

TRAVIS BROWNE (HW)
Experience: 9-0 record with appearances in Bellator, King of the Cage, and Gladiator Challenge. Five of his wins came within the first minute of the fight. Most recently scored a 35-second knockout of Aaron Brink at a GC event in February, which followed an eight-second knockout of Abe Wagner two weeks earlier and a nine-second knockout of Brian Campbell last November.
Will be facing: James McSweeney (4-4, 1-0 UFC)
Lowdown: At 6'6", 250 pounds, and with a Carwin-like habit of ending fights early, Travis Browne could make a very nice addition to the UFC's heavyweight roster. Based out of the Alliance Training Center in San Diego, "Hapa" works as a professional dog trainer when he's not knocking people unconscious. Browne was exposed to drug and gang culture in his native Hawaii at an early age, but escaped his rough upbringing and found a positive outlet for his aggression in jiu-jitsu. He was not selected to appear on Bully Beatdown, which really bothered him.

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MMA fans have their work cut out for them this week, with three notable events featured on cable TV. Tomorrow night, Strikeforce: Los Angeles airs on Showtime (11 p.m. ET/PT), headlined by Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral. On Saturday, the TUF 11 Finale goes down in Las Vegas (Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET/PT), with Court McGee and Kris McCray battling for the weird glass trophy, and Matt Hamill and Keith Jardine meeting in a light-heavyweight scrap. And on Sunday, Jamie Varner and Kamal Shalorus face off in a potential #1 lightweight contender's match at WEC 49 in Edmonton (Versus, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT). 

This week's MMA FightPicker pools focus on the TUF 11 Finale, but we've also thrown in three matchups from the WEC card just to keep you on your toes. Feeling lucky? Then join some pools and show everybody how smart you really are. The current questions are after the jump...

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The 2010 World Cup kicks off in South Africa on Friday morning in Johannesburg, where South Africa will take on Mexico in the opening match of World Cup wagering action. This will be the first of two Group A duels on the day, as France and Uruguay will also square off. The Bafana Bafana will face the Uruguayans in its second match, while El Tri will duel with Les Bleus on the second match day in this group.
CLICK HERE TO OPEN A BETTING ACCOUNT AT BETUS

South Africa vs. Mexico
•Game Date/Time: Friday, June 11th, 10:00 AM ET
•Game Location: Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa
•TV/Radio Broadcast: ESPN, ESPN360, XM

2010 World Cup Odds: South Africa +170 pk -110 vs. Mexico +160 pk -110 – Draw +215 – Total 2 over -130 2 under +110

Expectations are high for South Africa to perform well in this World Cup, but just as was the case when South Korea hosted the event eight years ago, living up to those lofty expectations is going to be incredibly difficult. Whereas every other team had to qualify for this tournament, South Africa knew that its spot in the field of 32 was already assured as the hosting country, so there isn’t a heck of a lot to go off of in terms of history. The midfield is going to be full of potential for the Bafana Bafana, as both M Steven Pienaar and M Kagisho Dikgacoi are going to be players to watch. Dikgacoi was the only man to tally twice in the lead up matches for the World Cup, while Pienaar has a ton of experience having played a lot of his club soccer in the English Premiership with Everton.

For the Mexicans, qualification out of Group A is certainly going to be something that is a challenge, though it is clearly an expectation in their homeland as well. Mexico has qualified for four straight second rounds, and even though it hasn’t made it past the Round of 16 in any of those World Cups, going home after three matches would be devastating. F Cuauhtemoc Blanco found the back of the net three times amongst Mexico’s 36 goals in CONCACAF qualifying efforts for the 2010 World Cup, and his experience is expected to help out a rather youthful team quite a bit to try to survive this first stage of the tournament. M Rafael Marquez does have a goal under his belt at this level, scoring once in his eight career World Cup matches. Even though he only played in seven of the 16 qualifiers for this event, the Mexican captain also had a goal to show for his efforts.

World Cup Insider Tip: The host nation hasn’t been defeated in their first World Cup betting match in the history of this tournament.

Simply put, the Mexicans don’t have as strong of a team as they normally field for an event such as this, while South Africa is simply going to be buzzing. With a home field advantage that is second to none, perhaps in the entire history of this tournament, it’s very difficult to see how this is a match that the Bafana Bafana don’t at least grab a point from.

Go with South Africa on the first day of World Cup betting action.
My World Cup Prediction: South Africa
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. 2010 World Cup Betting Lines To Win Group A – World Cup Predictions
2. 2010 World Cup Betting Lines To Win Group F – World Cup Predictions
3. 2010 World Cup Betting Lines To Win Group D – World Cup Predictions

Twelve horses will take to the starting grid on Saturday afternoon to decide who will win the third leg of the Triple Crown. Today, we are going to analyze the starters and make our Belmont Stakes picks!
CLICK HERE TO OPEN A BETTING ACCOUNT AT BETUS

#6 Ice Box (+300) – The runner up in the Kentucky Derby is back and should be considered a prime candidate to take down the Belmont Stakes on Saturday afternoon. He was a bit of a surprise to win the Florida Derby as a 20-1 longshot in the prep races for the Triple Crown, and perhaps if he hadn’t won that race, trainer Nick Zito never would have entered him into the Kentucky Derby to start with. However, even though that was a wet track and a sloppy ride at Churchill Downs, Ice Box rallied from 19th up to second even though he never really had a chance to win in the end. On Saturday, he is going to make his late push, but the question is whether that push will come too early. We think that Ice Box will get up right on the lead, but ultimately fall flat in the final half furlong or so.

#11 First Dude (+350) – First Dude shocked the world and came out of nowhere to finish as the runner up in the Preakness Stakes, and he nearly knocked off Lookin At Lucky as well. His strategy in at Pimlico was to come out of the blocks like a bat out of hell and get straight to the rail in spite of the fact that he was starting on the far outside. He did just that and never really gave in to challenges from behind him at any point during the race. It isn’t often that you see a horse attempt to, let alone successfully take the Belmont Stakes wire to wire, but there aren’t enough speed horses in this field to push him at any point. Don’t be shocked to see First Dude open up a lead of a few lengths on the rest of the pack early, but ultimately, just like at the Preakness Stakes, he will most likely get nipped at the wire.

#7 Drosselmeyer (+1200) – A longshot winning the Belmont? In our opinion, this is the most underrated horse in the entire field. Drosselmeyer was an odds on favorite to win the Dwyer here at this same racetrack just four weeks ago, and we feel as though he would have lived up to his billing had he successfully gotten out of the gate without a slip. As a result, Drosselmeyer had to run down a slew of horses just to get back into the discussion for winning the race, and he simply ran out of time. If anything does go awry in the Belmont on Saturday, there are plenty of chances and a mess load of time to make things up. Drosselmeyer will be a stalker, but he is going to ultimately be the last horse laughing, as he’ll hit the wire first and capture the 142nd Belmont Stakes.
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. 2010 Belmont Stakes Picks: Five Important Questions: June 5th 2010
2. 2010 Belmont Stakes Odds: Betting on Odd or Even: June 5th 2010
3. 2010 Belmont Stakes Predictions: Betting Against The Field: June 5th 2010

BetUS Sportsbook offers up an interesting proposition for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. Ice Box and Fly Down are going to get pitted against the field in a three way battle. Here are our Belmont Stakes predictions for this horse racing prop!
CLICK HERE TO OPEN A BETTING ACCOUNT AT BETUS

Belmont Stakes Betting Lines – Winning Saddlecloth Number
1-4: +300
5-6: +200
7-12: -125

#1-#4: Dave In Dixie, Spangled Star, Uptowncharlybrown, Make Music For Me
#5-#6: Fly Down, Ice Box
#7-#12: Drosselmeyer, Game On Dude, Stately Victor, Stay Put, First Dude, Interactif

Just as we did in the odd vs. even discussion, we’re going to take both Dave In Dixie and Spangled Star out of this equation, as we don’t feel that they have any business even running in this race let alone trying to win it.

Uptowncharlybrown and Make Music For Me are both legitimate contenders, but unfortunately, neither one is really enough of a threat to try to back the biggest price of these three options.

Getting two of the three favorites on the board together is a bit of an interesting proposition at +200. Ice Box is a legitimate 3-1 favorite, and though he will more than likely end up coming off of the board at 4-1 or so by post time, this could still be a decent price when you factor in the fact that you are getting the third favorite as well.

Fly Down was the winner of the Grade II Dwyer here at Belmont Racetrack last month. He is following in the footsteps of Summer Bird, who captured the 2009 Belmont Stakes after winning the final prep race for this third leg of the Triple Crown as well.

However, the clear cut choice is going with the favorite, #7-#12. The only real “name” that you’re getting in this bunch might be First Dude, the horse that finished as the runner up at the Preakness Stakes, but not only do we feel as though he should be the favorite to win the Belmont, but we also think that the most underrated horse in this field is in this grouping as well.

Drosselmeyer really should be a 4-1 or 5-1 choice to win this race, not the 12-1 that he was opened at on the morning lines. He was the odds on favorite in the Dwyer, won by Fly Down, and arguably the only reason that he was beaten in that race was because of a slip and a bump that he suffered en route right off the bat.

We’ll take Stay Put out of the equation entirely, and we’re not overly thrilled with Stately Victor either. However, both Game On Dude and Interactif are potential sleepers that can take this race down in surprising fashion.

The bottom line here is that there are just so many more options to play with when you’re dealing with the far outside horses in this race. If you would throw Drosselmeyer into the mix with Fly Down and Ice Box, that would clearly be the choice. As it is though, the chalk is the way to go.

My Belmont Stakes Predictions: #7 – #12 -125
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. 2010 Belmont Stakes Odds: Betting on Odd or Even: June 5th 2010
2. Belmont Stakes Picks: Handicapping the 2010 Belmont Stakes: June 5th 2010
3. 2010 Belmont Stakes Betting Matchups: Game on Dude vs. Drossselmeyer: June 5th 2010