Going into the season, the odds on favorite to win the National League was once again the Philadelphia Phillies. Over the past two years no team has dominated the entire league the way the Phillies have. For instance, in 2008 the Phillies captured the World Series title after defeating the biggest surprise of the decade, Tampa Bay Rays. Than in 2009, they repeated as National League champions, but were unable to defeat fellow powerhouse New York Yankees for the World Series crown. In the offseason the Phillies acquired disgruntled former Blue Jay and future hall of famer Roy Halladay. After acquiring the big righty the team was given the best odds to win the World Series. However the offense has been abysmal this year, leaving room for a few other National League squads to jump in and take the glory.

One team we really like and could see winning the National League, is the San Diego Padres. Over the last few years no team has bounced around in the standing as much as the Padres. Yet this season they appear to finally have put the pieces all together. For example, they got off to a strong start out of the gate and have never been out of first place in the NL West.

What’s more, at the trade deadline, they were the only team in the West to not add anyone and staying the course has proven to be a great move so far. The pitching staff is incredible and is lead by top pitching prospect, Matt Latos. If the pitching can stay strong and the bats continue their good showings, look for the Padres to take the National League title.

However, we are here to tell you that there are many basic principles experienced gamblers follow that can also be taught to new bettors.

NFL and NCAA Betting

When first getting into football betting, it is essential that you focus your attention on the point spread and over/ under bets sportsbooks offer. Each bet works in two similar ways, first it makes the game more relaxing by not having to pick a favorite. Secondly, if you happen to enjoy picking underdogs, both these bets are for you, because even though the underdog may lose, as long as they cover the point spread you may still win. With an over/ under bet as long as the underdog avoids the total you can be a winner. Here is how a point spread sports bet works

Bengals
Colts - 7

Final score 1: Bengals 14 Colts 21 Final Score 2: Bengals 21 Colts 14

In the first example if the Bengals lose by 7, you still win your money because they covered the spread. However, in the second example, when the Bengals won the match, you still won because the favorite failed to cover the spread.

Over/Under Totals

This form of betting was created in the 1970s with the idea that if sportsbooks could provide more options than money lines and point spreads for the gamblers, they would place more wagers. Essentially an over/ under total works when the bookie sets a suggested total and the bettor gambles on whether the total will be over or under, here is how it works:

Colts
Bengals
O/E  - 30

Final score: Bengals 21-Colts 14

Basically the bookie believed that the total score would be 30, however the final score added to 35. If you wagered on the total going over, then you would win, and would have lost if you bet under the 30.

The United States played well enough against powerhouse England to earn a draw and secure a point.  While both countries are expected to move out of Group C, with Slovenia and Algeria faltering, England was the clear favourite to not only win the group, but move deep into the tournament.  With both teams earning a point, the group is now up for grabs.  Slovenia edged the Desert Foxes to take the early lead in the group with three points, but need to play exceptionally well to stay competitive. The Americans play Slovenia Friday with the group lead in sight. The U.S. should be favoured in both remaining matches, and they will look to get up early, but not sit back on the lead.  Should they win both games, they can tie England atop the group where the tiebreaker goes to goal difference.  They will continue to play strong defense but also take chances to amass goals.

Both sides had injury scares, but the U.S. seemed to have escaped real peril.  Tim Howard is expected to play after a collision early in the match.  England forward Wayne Rooney did not practice the day following the match, but is hopeful to meet Algeria. However, Ledley King suffered a groin injury and will not be available for at least a couple weeks.

The Americans should be very optimistic moving ahead, but concerns abound for England. Take the U.S. to win big the next two matches, and continue following the World Cup as it features in online sports betting.

Over on the women’s side of the tournament, French Open betting fans are sure to be filled with disappointment as second overall seed Venus Williams was upset by a lower ranked seed on Sunday.  Williams a fan favorite and one of the premiere stars on the female circuit, was ranked second to sister Serena who still remains in the tournament. Another upset on the Sunday was returning veteran Justine Henin ranked 22^nd, knocking off fellow star and 12^th seed Maria Sharapova. With the victory, Henin and Serena Williams appear destined for an encounter in the quarter finals at this year’s tournament. In her match with Sharapova, Henin was the underdog because of her ranking, however, she proved that being away from tennis for two years, was not an issue in her victory. With Venus’s early round exit at Rolland Garros, and Henin’s victory over Sharapova, it seems that Venus sister Serena’s strongest competition will be Henin.

The NFL has announced that the 2014 Super Bowl will be held in New York at the new Meadowlands, which is a huge story. The city of New York beat out Tampa Bay, where the weather is much warmer and milder. And that is the real issue, which surprised a lot of football fans on Tuesday. The Super Bowl is the single biggest day in American professional sports and the NFL is taking a risk by holding the event in the outdoors where the weather can come into play and potentially ruin the day.

NFL point spreads won’t be the only thing affected in late January in an open-door venue in New York as transportation, field conditions and even how the teams fare in the big game will have to be part of the plans now.

On the whole, there have been plenty of classic sport betting events that have been played in the outdoors and in the cold, but should Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts, who play indoors, make it to the Super Bowl - or any other warm-weather team- they won’t be thrilled to be playing in the snow. It will be a conceivable advantage to certain teams and it could also just make a big mess of things.

We’ll find out in 2014!

The Magic led by Superman Dwight Howard, appeared rusty for the majority of the game after a six day layoff. On the contrary however, was a Celtics who has not looked this strong since their championship run back in 2008, which saw them end the regular season as the best team in the league and carry over the success to the playoffs where they won the 2008 championship. Orlando although finishing second to Lebron James Cavs, are attempting to follow up on a strong regular season, as thus far in the playoffs they seem to be in cruise control, after sweeping both the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks. Boston, after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in a much more dominant manner than expected, were able to carry over the success against the Cavaliers in their victory last night versus the Magic, as they led by as much as 20. If the Celtics, finally with a healthy roster, can continue the dominance they displayed in game one for the rest of the series, they will have the best NBA finals odds.

The Lakers, for their part, answered a lot of questions on Sunday afternoon, defeating the playoff-novice Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of their best-of-seven series. Game 2 goes down Tuesday at Staples Center. The solid start for the Lakers is a much needed turnaround from their troubles at the end of the regular season.

Many players cited injuries and a road-heavy schedule down the stretch in the regular season, which ultimately led to the Lakers cruising and looking less than impressive down the stretch. Fans of basketball betting agree however, that their performance on Sunday was a step in the right direction.

The return of Kobe Bryant also certainly helped the Lakers. Bryant returned to the starting lineup after sitting out four of the final five regular season games to rest, heal injuries, and prepare for the important post-season. While Bryant looked rough around the edges at times, he led the team with 21 points on 6-for-19 shooting.

Also returning for the Lakers was Andrew Bynum. Bynum had been out of the lineup for 13 games after suffering a strained Achilles tendon. Bynum finished the game with 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

Ron Artest played a phenomenal defensive game against the Thunder’s Kevin Durant, who scored 24 points on 7-for-24 shooting - Durant led the league with an average 30.1 points per game during the regular season. Despite the defense, Artest finished the game with only seven points on 3-for-11 shooting, and expressed disappointment in his performance after the game.

With a solid opener under their belts, the Lakers hope to continue their winning ways on Tuesday at the Staples Center.

We all have done it from time to time, rushing our bets, or over-betting as I like to refer to it. You see there is no exact science to online betting or wagering but there are many useful hints to help you along the way. One of rules I like to follow that takes much discipline and practice is the one of patience. We would all love to win fistfuls of money day in and day out but as we all know this is somewhat unrealistic. So we must follow certain criteria in order to maximize our chances. Being patient isn’t the easiest of things in everyday life let alone the betting world but as hard as it may be we must try. Patience and gambling may seem like an oxy-moron to some but if practiced and perfected it can be the greatest of tools.

HOW TO BE PATIENT TIPS

Here are some betting tips I like to use:

Always check the board two or three days in advance to see where your best opportunities will lie.

Make sure you wait for said opportunities and don’t blow your wad before-hand.

Try to zone out friends or other parties to prevent your-self from picking too many games.

Set certain limits in your head and stick to them. If your budget for the week is $500, try to make it last the entire week, do not blow it all in one day.

Don’t wager on a game because your friends tell you to, or because it’s on television. Only bet a game you like and that fits all your criteria.

DON’T BE A CHASER

The most important rule pertaining to patience is not to chase. We all tend to try and double up after a big loss or bet more games than usual when down some money. DON”T DO IT. Chasing lost money will only lose you more. BE PATIENT! If you just wait a bit a stick with the plan you will find yourself in a much better position going forward.

The New Orleans Saints are hot NFL picks this season as one of two undefeated teams left in the NFL. It’s no wonder they’re so popular – their offense is as exciting as any in football and they’re even playing inspired defense. In other words, they’re a very “loud” undefeated.

Has there ever been a quieter 7-0 team than this year’s Indianapolis Colts, though? They’ve won 16 straight regular-season games including last season, they’ve looked untouchable this season yet no one’s talking about them. Why?

One possible reason is that their schedule hasn’t been too tough; St. Louis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Arizona, and so on – not exactly terrifying. The Saints, on the other hand, have beaten Philadelphia and the Giants. Not bad.

People also may not be leaping onto the Indy Super Bowl futures bandwagon because the Colts still aren’t a perfect team. They struggle a bit against the run and they haven’t run the ball too well themselves.

In the end, Week 10 will tell us how we should really feel against Indy. The Colts take on the Patriots in what should be one of the most anticipated games of the season. We know Indy will probably score plenty of points in that matchup but the real question is whether or not Indy can stop Tom Brady and the Pats.

If the Colts leave Week 10 with a 9-0 record, they’ll be a “quiet” undefeated team no more.

The World Series line for Saturday’s Game 3 in Philadelphia is backing New York on the road, as they send their veteran lefty to the mound to face last year’s World Series MVP.

Yankees vs Phillies odds – Saturday, October 31, 7:57 PM ET

Andy Pettitte (2-0, 2.37) clinched the ALCS for the Yankees in their 5-2 Game 6 win over the Angels, allowing a run on seven hits over 6.1 innings, along with six strikeouts and a single walk. The 37-year-old southpaw is 2-2 in seven career starts against the Phillies with a 3.67 ERA, but he’s 1-0 in two outings at Citizens Bank Park, posting a 0.75 ERA. Pettitte has allowed four runs in 12.2 innings on the road so far in the postseason, and his veteran experience will be a huge key in this game.

Cole Hamels (1-1, 6.75) lasted just 4.1 innings in a 10-4 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS, giving up three runs on just five hits. The problem is, three of those hits were solo homers, and going up against a home run-happy New York lineup can’t be encouraging. Hamels has faced the Yankees just twice, going 0-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

Sportsbook odds have the Yankees as a -123 road favorite, and they’re 2-2 away from Yankee Stadium so far in the playoffs, while the Phillies are 4-1 at Citizens Bank Park. Hamels’ struggles have been puzzling, and it’s not a new thing: the 25-year-old southpaw hasn’t been himself all season, which is why it’s tough to put your faith in the Phillies.

Online betting pick: New York Yankees -123