Thank you for this, TMZ. Thank you, thank you.

Okay, so Rafa may be ranked, er, third (Mopey Murray with second-best odds of +297?? say whaaat?) to one Mr. Roger Federer when it comes to US Open betting. This is probably due to Nadal being plagued with knee injuries as of late, which are only gonna give him more trouble on the hard court at Flushing Meadows. But look at it this way: when you’ve got guns this impressive, who needs knees? Seriously.

All else aside, if you’re going to do some serious online betting on the US Open, it’s really hard to ignore Federer’s odds (yes, even while distracted by Nadal sexiness). Roger Federer to tennis is what Tiger Woods is to golf - well, minus Tiger’s last dismal showing - and this is just one more stop before his 16th Grand Slam. Of course, it’d be pretty interesting to see someone like Djokovic (+1700) or Roddick (+1350) come from behind for a surprise victory, but unlike Mr. Woods, Federer looks to be on a solid one-man rampage through the ranks of tennis betting lines. Pick Federer to win the US Open, then keep your fingers crossed I can go offer a post-match massage to Rafa.

Just so long as he showers first.

Okay, so here we go with some more NFL odds picks for preseason contests — this time, I’m gonna take a look at - what else? - Vikings vs Texans odds. In case you hadn’t heard, Minnesota made a tiny little signing the other week that kind of sort of sent shockwaves through the football community:

Oh, Brett Favre. So old. So worn out. So much Vikings fans’ personal savior. But is he really going to be as much of a benefit to Minnesota as people are hoping? Or - as other people are hoping - is his bionic arm going to fall apart on him again and he’ll have a lackluster “unretirement” season?

No matter what happens, you have to figure sportsbook cappers are watching this game with interest. Going up against the Texans is a test for the Vikings as it is — the team hasn’t really come together very well yet, especially since Favre reportedly hasn’t been looking too hot in practice. By comparison, Houston is gunning on all cylinders, even more so since they’ll be playing at home at Reliant Stadium. This game might not be until next Monday, but it’s definitely one I’ll be placing a wager on — for the Houston Texans to deliver a walloping dose of reality to Minnesota.

Okay, I have to say that out of all the preseason NFL betting madness that’s going on, I’m taking a vested interest in the Saints vs Raiders odds. No, not because of any particular hottie player on either team (my ass isn’t quite big enough to appeal to Reggie Bush), but because I can’t help but giggle at all the craziness and dysfunction that’s been going on in Oakland so far. So far. The 2009-10 season hasn’t even officially started yet, and there’s already been reported fights between assistant coaches, not to mention Al Davis continuing his Weekend At Bernie’s impression. The Raiders are garbage. The end.

And so I’m tipping my scales - I’m a Libra, btw - to the Saints, not just because of my love for True Blood (Louisiana yeeeeehaw!). New Orleans has got some deadly offense going on already, which definitely bodes well for their NFL odds once the season really gets underway. Drew Brees is looking fab. By comparison, the Raiders are struggling to even stay cohesive out there on the field.

So if you’re hanging around this weekend getting your fill of action at the sportsbook, why not toss a few dollars down on the New Orleans Saints? It’s what Sookie and Bill would do. Lawd have mercy!

Ah, my favorite part of the summer (which is just about over now, boooo) - the continuous, mostly-awesome UFC action! (I’m taking a few points off for the severely lacking UFC 101. Disappointing what?) And although the next one up may seem unassuming on the surface, there’s actually a heckuva lot more depth to this card than you may realize offhand…

If you take a good look the UFC 102 fight card, you’ll be able to look past the main event - has-been vs geezer, uh I mean Couture vs Nogueira - and get a load of the Jardine vs Silva action that’ll be happening. It’s gonna be a nasty one, boys and girls. Silva will be chomping at the bit to prove that his huge knockout loss to Lyoto Machida in UFC 94 was a fluke, but the Dean of Mean Jardine has held his own more than enough times. Sure, Jardine’s had some troubling losses as of late, but I’ve got the feeling that he’s ready to be a full competitor again. Don’t call it a comeback, as Ice Cube would say.

So as far as UFC 102 odds go, I’m putting my wager on Jardine (with a side wager on Maia over Marquardt, despite my better instincts — sorry, female intuition). He’s got the experience and the edge over Silva, and I’m willing to also put money on the notion that he’s definitely got a game plan. But Silva ain’t gonna go down easily, so either way, this’ll be the fight to watch on Saturday night…

Give me a shout and let me know your picks, people!

Now, I don’t know what the summer weather’s been like where you are, but I’m betting that most of you are in the North American hemisphere, therefore most of you have been disappointed. It’s been chilly, it’s been rainy, it’s been downright crappy in terms of warm summer happiness. But hey, I figure that if life gives you lemons, squeeze ‘em into cocktails…and get to thinking about autumn, and NFL betting!

YES, GUY.

NFL week 1 odds are out and set, and the season’s looking to be a doozy straight outta the gate. Me, I’m particularly looking forward to the first game of the year — the energy coming from the Super Bowl champs’ hometown crowd will make the Titans vs Steelers odds a gong show matchup. Another one of interest is the Vikings vs Browns odds match, which I’ve got my eye on since I’m heavily relying on Adrian Petersen in my fantasy football pool, ha ha.

If I were to make some NFL betting picks right about now, I’d have to say that I especially like the Patriots as far as possible Super Bowl contenders are concerned. The Pats had a deadly game last year even without superstar and super-fox Tom Brady, but now that they’ve got him back from the IR, there’ll be no stopping them in their quest to be this year’s champs.

Mmmm…Tom Brady.

I’ll take six, please.

It’s been a while - extended vacation, let’s say - so let’s get back into it!

Unlike my own busy-slash-procrastinating self, one Mr. Tiger Woods is something of a workaholic. And a prodigy — golf-wise, that is. This isn’t news, though; the man has only dominated pretty much every major golf tournament (and their corresponding sportsbook odds) for the last few years. Dude’s a phenom.

So okay, now that that’s straight: PGA championship odds! Tiger Woods is +175 to win, which makes him the obvious betting favorite for this weekend’s major golf blowout — the end of the championship season, don’tcha know. There’s very little reason to bet against Nike’s golden boy, unless you’re a sharp that likes taking risks to aim for big payouts. In that case, might I humbly suggest Anthony Kim? The young pro has been quietly sneaking under the radar lately, but he’s scored some big wins in key tournaments this year, and at +3300 value he’s a better pick than Paul Casey at the same odds.

But still: remember, if you’re doing some PGA championship betting soon, just think of the tiger and you’ll be good to go. (Go Bears? Not quite….but NFL odds posts are coming very soon!)