Now, if you’re in the mood for some betting online - and really, why wouldn’t you be? - may I suggest a horse of a different colour? While that might sound like an introduction to Kentucky Derby odds (trust me, my mom is psyched for the Derby this weekend), instead, I’m talking about boxing. Specifically, the biggest boxing match of ‘09 thus far, the marquee poster of which can be seen right here:

Seriously, my dear readership, sports betting online was practically MADE for boxing. Don’t believe me? If you’ve ever placed a wager on a fight before, then you’ll know how much added excitement you get from watching two guys pummel each other into submission. You can really get behind a certain fighter if you’ve got money riding on him, and in this case, it’ll just ramp up the anticipation that much more. Come on now — we’ve got Manny Pacquiao, who’s pretty much second only to God in the Phillippines, taking on Ricky Hatton, England’s fan favorite and a strong boxer in his own right. All this going down on Saturday. Who wouldn’t be excited? Crazy people, that’s who.

Hatton odds on the match are giving the edge to Pacquiao instead. It seems that, no matter how popular “Hitman” Hatton is in his native England, most true boxing fans haven’t forgotten the beating Hatton took from Floyd Mayweather. And so it’s only natural that betting sharps would be placing their wagers on Pacquiao, who displayed a huge amount of speed and stamina in his takedown of Oscar De La Hoya late last year. Yet the Hitman’s fans aren’t willing to lose their faith just yet, and so the sportsbook may find a serious divide between not only their fighters, but their national countries and their respective denizens as well.

But if you want the bottom line, boxing lines say take Pacquiao at -250. Exempt if you’re British — you’re allowed to be patriotic. Either way, tune in on May 2nd for all the ring action!

Here’s a picture for you to look at before I proclaim something that might be considered groundbreaking. Brace yourselves.

Football/soccer, my ladyfriends, is not all David Beckham. It’s not all Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry or even Wayne Rooney. No, it’s not all hot buff men running up and down the pitch while screaming and flying the team colours. It’s about pride, triumph, loyalty, and having a family within the organization of club fans. (Go rent Hooligans for a good peek at the footie fan life.) And if you’re looking for some solid soccer betting this month, look no further than the Champions League, which is definitely what the title says: a tournament of champions.

Champions League betting odds say that the hottest ticket of next weekend will be the first leg of the matchup between Manchester United and Arsenal. As a good example of bitter rivalry between football clubs, both teams have their reasons for winning this one — Man U to avenge a loss to Arsenal earlier in the season, and Arsenal to keep pushing forward past matches against Liverpool and Chelsea. Both of those earlier games ought to be a concern for Arsenal, as they could end up with a tired defense facing down the reds. I’d pick Manchester United for this one, no doubt.

Now we’re on to a rematch of 2006 between Barcelona and Chelsea, and you can bet your club scarf that Chelsea won’t want to lose this one again. Unfortunately, they’ve been struggling a lot harder than Barca at the moment, managing to pull forward of Liverpool in a 7-5 aggregate win. They won’t go down without a good fight, but look for Barcelona to gain victory here.

Though sometimes, you really DO just need some Ronaldo.

…Okay, yeah, sorry about that. I just couldn’t resist. Really. You know you’d have titled this entry the same if you were me. (Is it all the March Madness odds getting to my brain? Well…maybe.)

But anyway, check it — the Masters are coming up soon! And with it, of course, come Masters odds, which even non-golf people are getting a chuckle out of. I mean, really, who would bet against Tiger Woods? Who would even consider that he won’t get a fifth green jacket? Any time you watch Tiger make another miraculous putt, it’s kinda like the man’s got God on his side. But, for the sake of playing spoiler, let’s at least take a look at the other big guy in the running:

Phil Mickelson’s +580 in Master lines here, and it’s well-deserved. He’s won two of his last three events, and he’s got a pretty solid track record at the Masters with two green jackets of his own. It looks like it’ll come down to these two heavyweights of the putting green - Woods and Mickelson - to take all at this year’s Masters tourney, and for those who bet online on golf, that should make for a more than satisfying Easter Weekend. Just make sure you remember to hide a few eggs for the kids, okay?