Boxing Fight: Holyfield vs. Savarese. Time to bet on your favorite

The old adage "everything old is new again" seems like an appropriate slogan for the heavyweight division in boxing these days. Depending on who's fighting, though, an edited slogan like "everything old ... is still old" may be more fitting.

Old retired or semi-retired heavyweight fighters have been crawling out of the woodwork to take another crack at a title repeatedly over the last year or two. David Tua, Corrie Sanders, Oliver McCall, Andrew Golota and even Riddick Bowe are all trying to reclaim their former glory. Headlining this list of former greats is Evander "Real Deal" Holyfield. Holyfield steps back into the boxing ring again this weekend as his attempt to become the oldest heavyweight champ continues.

The 44-year-old Holyfield is facing Lou Savarese on Saturday night at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. At 41 years old, Savarese is another old man trying to get in a few more fights before being put out to pasture.



Holyfield enters the bout with a lifetime 41-8-2 boxing record that includes 27 knockouts, while Savarese is 46-6 with 38 KOs. Holyfield is a huge -1000 betting favorite in the fight, and when you examine his and Savarese's boxing careers side by side it isn't hard to see why. Stacking up Holyfield's major wins would be like stacking up a list of Savarese's major losses in his career. Savarese is a +500 underdog in the fight and unless he gets a few good punches through Holyfield's aging defensive reflexes, he'll likely end up being simply a stepping stone for Holyfield on the way to his coveted heavyweight title fight.

With Holyfield being such a big favorite in the fight, the only real money to be made in the fight (unless an improbable upset occurs) is on the fight's length. The over/under for the rounds of the fight has been set at 9.5. In his last three fights, Holyfield has finished off two of his opponents in the second round and gone the distance against Fres Oquendo. Holyfield lacks the knockout power he had in his youth but if he can land enough early punches on Savarese, a TKO or stoppage is not out of the question.

Boxing betting odds available at WagerWeb Sportsbook

2007 AFL Playoffs Season

The Wild Card Round of the 2007 AFL playoffs kicks off on Friday night, as the journey to Arena Bowl XXI begins.

Friday's playoff opener pits the Orlando Predators against the Philadelphia Soul. Both AFL teams went 8-8 during the regular season, but Philadelphia has a slight edge having defeated Orlando 63-49 to close out the regular season in Week 17.

The Soul will need another solid game from veteran quarterback Tony Graziani if they hope to repeat their win over the Predators. Graziani finished the season with 2,841 passing yards, 64 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Predators, who made it all the way to the Arena Bowl last season, have a good veteran quarterback of their own in Shane Stafford. Stafford passed for 4,284 yards with 76 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, and has two reliable receivers in Javarus Dudley and T.T. Toliver.

The Wild Card Round continues on Saturday with two games, featuring the Columbus Destroyers and the Tampa Bay Storm, and the Colorado Crush and the Kansas City Brigade.

The Destroyers and Storm engaged in a hard-fought battle during the regular season when Tampa Bay edged Columbus 34-32 as a 4.5-point underdog. The Storm lost starting quarterback John Kaleo to a wrist injury in that game and have relied on Brett Dietz to lead their offense ever since. There is a chance Kaleo could be ready to return on Saturday, but most likely Dietz will be behind center for Tampa Bay. The Destroyers finished a disappointing 7-9 during the regular season, but could right the ship quickly in the 2007 playoffs if QB Matt Nagy can find standout receiver Damien Groce on a regular basis.




The Crush and Brigade both have heavy-hitting offenses, but on defense the edge has to go to Kansas City, which could be the difference on Saturday. However, the Crush and Brigade squared off twice this season and Colorado came away with a win in both contests. Colorado edged Kansas City 45-42 on the road and beat them 44-40 at home. A possible shootout could be coming up on Saturday between Colorado QB John Dutton and Kansas City pivot Raymond Philyaw. Dutton threw for 4,320 yards with 84 touchdowns this season, while Philyaw topped him with 4,338 yards and 85 touchdowns.

In Sunday's lone playoff battle the Utah Blaze battle the Los Angeles Avengers. The Avengers may have finished the regular season with a better record than the Blaze (9-7 to 8-8), but Utah picked up two of those wins against Los Angeles. The Blaze defeated the Avengers 47-37 on the road and rocked them 76-63 back home. Utah has one of the best offenses in the AFL league led by Joe Germaine and his 107 touchdown passes. The Blaze also boast receiver Siaha Burley, who led the league with 166 receptions for 2,129 yards and 49 touchdowns. LA's chances on Sunday will depend on quarterback Sonny Cumbie. Cumbie threw for 4,370 yards and 83 touchdowns this season, and he'll have to match Germaine stride for stride to get a win for the Avengers.

Check WagerWeb for the latest lines on AFL playoff action.

2007 Greg Melikov's Horses to Watch

2007 Horses worth watching, a list of runners compiled by handicapper/turf writer Greg Melikov that should do well next time out or improve considerably, won nine races since May 27.

ARLINGTON PARK
Act Like a Lion: Broke slowly, trailed by more than 16.5 lengths after a half-mile, angled out for drive, rallied from seventh to make up more than 5.25 lengths in stretch and finished second beat a length at seven furlongs on June 23; ran final three furlongs in 35 4/5.

BELMONT
Delta Sea: Bumped at break, trailed by more than 17 lengths after a half-mile, angled out in stretch, closed fast from fifth to make up 10 lengths and lost by a neck at seven furlongs on June 20; ran final three furlongs in 34 4/5.

CALDER
No More Masters: Hit gate, trailed by more than 10.5 lengths after three-eighths of a mile, swung wide for drive, and closed well from eighth to gain second by 1.5 lengths at five furlongs on June 23.

HOLLYWOOD PARK
Cigar Pal: Broke a bit slow, trailed by more than seven lengths after a half-mile, swung three deep into the stretch, rallied from eighth to make up more than fourth lengths and was nosed out six furlongs on the turf June 21; ran final quarter in 22 3/5.




MONMOUTH
Brokerage House: Raced seventh more than four lengths behind after a half-mile, angled out midway on the far turn, advanced to fourth as rider lost whip at quarter pole and finished second beaten a half-length at 1 1/8 miles on a good turf course June 21.

SUFFOLK DOWNS
Awesome Idea: Trailed by more than 9.5 lengths after three-eighths of a mile, closed willingly in stretch to make up four lengths and finished second beaten a head at 5.5 furlongs on June 23.

Check out the Horse Racing Betting Odds at WgerWeb Racebook

Next Big Stakes: Suburban, Hollywood Gold Cup

There were 16 horses nominated for Saturday's $400,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont. Because the defending champion was among them, most avoided the race.

That leaves Corinthian the likely favorite in the Grade 1 contest at 1 1/4 miles. The remaining challengers aren't exactly well known performers: Fairbanks and Harlington, both trained by Todd Pletcher, and Political Force, trained by Allen Jerkens.

However, Fairbanks is coming off a victory in the Tokyo City Cup Handicap at Santa Anita Park on March 31.

Several other recent stakes winners were ducking Invasor. Papi Chullo had an excuse ? he will miss the 121st Suburban with a quarter-crack and point to Saratoga's $750,000 Whitney at 1 1/8 miles on July 28. Invasor won that horse race last year before capturing the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Corinthian, trained by Jimmy Jerkins, will attempt to become the first racing horse since In Excess in '91 to capture both the Metropolitan Mile and Suburban in the same year. Some pretty good thoroughbreds have performed the feat: Buckpass, '67; Kelso, '61; and Tom Fool, '53.

McLaughlin also had nominated Jazil, last year's Belmont Stakes winner, saying he was kept in reserve for the Suburban. Now it appears he will run.

Jazil also had been considered for the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup the same afternoon. Lava Man, top dog on the West Coast, is the defending champ.

Lava Man, winner of this year's Santa Anita Handicap, and Buzzards Bay, victorious in Hollywood's Californian Stakes, were supposed to meet in the 68th Gold Cup, but the latter will miss the race because of a sore back.

At least five challengers will take on the two-time Gold Cup winner, including Molengao, runner-up to Lava Man in the Santa Anita Handicap who later captured the Mervyn LeRoy




Other likely runners are A. P. Xcellent, who scored on Hollywood's cushion track three times before running third last time out in the Californian; A. P. Arrow, victorious in Gulfstream's Skip Away Handicap; My Creed, who took the Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate; and Big Booster, an optional claiming winner.

Possible starters include Wilko, seventh in the Californian who hasn't won since the BC Juvenile in '04; El Roblar, victorious in the Ack Ack Handicap; Awesome Gem, the trailer in the Santa Anita Handicap; and Mr. Splash, seventh in a Hollywood Park allowance race.

The $150,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont on July 4 will feature several 3-year-olds prepping for lucrative races later in the summer on the East Coast.

They include Nobiz Like Showbiz, Wood Memorial winner that ran 10th in the Kentucky Derby; Sightseeing, runner-up in the Wood; Any Given Saturday, eighth at Churchill Downs after losing by a nose to Street Sense in the Tampa Bay Derby; and Hewitts, victorious in his first start against winners.

Check out the Horse Racing Betting Odds WagerWeb Racebook

2007 Season -- Buick Open

It looks like moving the Buick Open from the first weekend in August to the last weekend in June isn't going to pay off this season. The move has drastically hurt the field and caused some recent winners of this event to sit it out.

The move isn't exactly to blame for Tiger Woods passing on the Buick Open this weekend. Woods, who won the Buick Open last year, was scheduled to defend his title until the birth of his daughter through a wrench into those plans. Instead of teeing off at Warwick Hills on Thursday, Woods will be at home playing with the newest addition to his family. Whoever does end up winning the Buick Open may want to send out a special thanks to Sam Alexis Woods.

Also taking a pass on Warwick Hill is three-time winner of this 2007 tournament, Vijay Singh. Singh first conquered Warwick Hills way back in 1997 and won back-to-back Buick Open titles in 2004 and 2005. His absence this weekend could be just what an unknown needs to break through and win his first title.




To do that, though, the players will still have to outplay Jim Furyk. With Woods and Singh out (and Phil Mickelson also skipping the Buick), Furyk will most likely be the favorite this weekend. Furyk won the Buick Open in 2003 and finished second to Woods last year, three strokes back, so he definitely knows the ins and outs of Warwick Hills.

Even though Woods and Singh combined to win this tournament in four of the last five years, there are still a number of former Buick Open champions returning to Warwick Hills in search of another title this weekend. Some of the former winners include 2001 champ Kenny Perry, 2000 winner Rocco Mediate, 1999 winner Tom Pernice Jr., and 1998 champ Billy Mayfair.

Other notables scheduled to play Warwick Hills this weekend include John Daly, Chris DiMarco, Brad Faxon, Justin Leonard, Scott Verplank and Brett Wetterich.

Check out the Golf Betting Odds at WagerWeb.com

2007 Boxing Fight --Castillo vs. Hatton

The IBO Light Welterweight title will be on the line Saturday night when titleholder Ricky Hatton takes on challenger Jose Luis Castillo at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

"The Hitman" Hatton, from Manchester, England, is the favorite since he's the champ, and his undefeated record of 42-0 with 30 knockouts looks pretty good too. In his last bout Hatton won the IBO Light Welterweight title with an impressive 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Urango. That was Hatton's first fight after retuning to the Light Welterweight division after trying his hand at the Welterweight title. Oddly enough, Hatton won his Welterweight title fight against Luis Collazo to claim the WBA Welterweight title, but relinquished the belt four months later after deciding to return to Light Welterweight.

Castillo, nicknamed "El Temible," hails from Mexico and is five years older than Hatton, but might make up for it with an extra two inches of height and four inches of reach. With a 54-7-1 record including 47 knockouts, Castillo is the more experienced of the two fighters and is considered by many to be the bigger puncher. After a tumultuous 2006 that included a cancelled second rematch with Diego Corrales due to weight problems and a suspension for the rest of the year, Castillo stepped back in the ring in January to face Herman Ngoudjo. After a tough 12-round battle Castillo barely escaped with a split decision. If Castillo performs down to the level he did versus Ngoudjo when he takes on Hatton, then the Englishman will easily retain the title.




Don't be surprised if this fight goes the distance and ends up in the judge's hands. Both fighters have shown knockout power in the past, but they also both can take a punch and will need to sustain a lot of damage to hit the canvas.

Hatton is listed as a -200 favorite here at WagerWeb, while Castillo is a +150 underdog. If Castillo can work Hatton over early and keep control of the fight in the later rounds, he could come away with the upset. Hatton knows how to win a fight (obviously, he is 42-0 for a reason) so it won't be a walk in the park for Castillo to steal the title. Hatton likes to work the body, but he'll need to give Castillo a full going over to ensure he walks away with his boxing belt.

Check out Boxing Betting Odds at WagerWeb.com

2007 NASCAR Toyota Save Mart 350

Bettors have a tough choice to make this weekend when NASCARInfineon Raceway for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Either bet on Jeff Gordon, or hope Gordon misses the race and bet on someone else. rolls into

This weekend's auto race at Infineon is the first road race of the season. When NASCAR is running a road race - and especially when it's at Infineon - you pretty much have to put your money on Gordon. In his career Gordon has five wins at Infineon and a record nine career wins on road courses. Gordon also just happens to be the defending champion of this race, having won at Infineon last season.

All of those facts make Gordon a no-brainer pick this weekend. But there's a small chance that Gordon may not be in his familiar No. 24 car this weekend when the green flag drops. Gordon's wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, is pregnant with the couple's first child and she just happens to be due this weekend. Gordon has had the helicopter fueled and ready to go during his last couple of races and if Vandebosch is having the baby on race day, Gordon already said he's skipping the race.



On the slight chance that Gordon gets the call from the hospital, who would be the favorite at Infineon? Jimmie Johnson is always a heavy favorite every week, but he's still looking for his first career win at Infineon. Last week's winner at Michigan, Carl Edwards has also been shut out at Infineon throughout his career. Tony Stewart is a different story. The two-time Cup champion has two career wins at Infineon, with his last win coming there in 2005. Stewart has had a rough time so far this season, but he did come third last week and could be ready to break out.

Since this race is being run on a road course that also means there will be road-course ringers to consider. For you NASCAR rookies out there, a road-course ringer is a specialized driver a team will bring in to race on road courses. Some of the irregular names you may hear this weekend could include Boris Said, Ron Fellows, Robby Gordon and Terry Labonte. Ringers don't often win but they are always a threat, so keep an eye out and make sure you know exactly who will be driving what car on Sunday.

Check out Auto Racing Betting Odds at WagerWeb.com.

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup

The semi-finals of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup are set to go in Chicago on Thursday with Cinderella story Guadeloupe looking to continue a miraculous run.

The two semi-final matches, both being held at Soldier Field, will pit the hometown American squad against Canada, and Mexico against upstart Guadeloupe.

The Americans are the defending Gold Cup champions and looked like the team to beat once again after rolling through group play undefeated with three wins. In fact, Team USA did not even allow a goal during group play. In the quarters, the Americans snuck past Panama 2-1 thanks to a goal on a penalty kick from Landon Donovan and another goal from Carlos Bocanegra. Donovan is the American's best goal scorer, but the Canadians will also have to pay close attention to speedy winger DaMarcus Beasley.

Canada won its group after an upset win over favored Costa Rica to start the tournament. The Canadians faced Guatemala in the quarterfinals and breezed to a 3-0 win after receiving a pair of goals from Ali Gerba and another marker from Dwayne De Rosario. Gerba and De Rosario lead the Canadian squad with three goals apiece in the soccer tournament, but Julian de Guzman may be the most dangerous Canadian man on the pitch when he has the ball.

The other semi-final is a shocking matchup between Mexico and Guadeloupe. The small cluster of islands known as Guadeloupe is an overseas department of France and is not even eligible to take part in the World Cup. It's pretty safe to say that nobody thought they would make it this far, considering they've never even qualified for the Gold Cup before. Guadeloupe began the tournament with a 1-1 draw versus Haiti and followed that up with a 2-1 stunning win over Canada. They dropped their final group-round match 1-0 to Costa Rica, but qualified for the quarterfinals as a third-place team. In the quarters, Guadeloupe won 2-1 as a huge underdog against Honduras, which was coming off a 5-0 drubbing of Cuba. Guadeloupe veteran Jocelyn Angloma got them on the board versus Honduras, while Richard Socrier netted the eventual game-winner.

Mexico got through group play with a 2-1 record after knocking off Panama and Cuba and falling to Honduras. The Mexicans edged Panama 1-0 in the quarter-finals thanks to a goal by Carlos Salcido in the 60^th minute. Striker Jared Borgetti leads the Mexican team with two goals in the tournament and he, along with Cuauhtemoc Blanco, are Mexico's two best goal scorers.

The winners of the two semi-final matches will meet up in the Gold Cup final on Sunday, June 24, also at Soldier Field. The Gold Cup winner will go on to represent CONCACAF in the 2008 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Check out Soccer Betting Odds at WagerWeb.com

2007 Travelers Championship

You would expect the PGA tournament directly following the U.S. Open to be missing most of the top golfers in the world. But that won't be the case at this weekend's Travelers Championship. The field might not include new daddy Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk or surprise U.S. Open champ Angel Cabrera, but it will still have Vijay Singh and Masters champ Zach Johnson.

The Travelers Championship (formerly the Buick Championship) is played at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The course boasts some difficult holes, but it will be nothing compared to the adventures some golfers had last weekend at Oakmont.

The defending champion of this event is J.J. Henry. He finished 14-under par at River Highlands last year to give him a three-stroke win over Hunter Mahan and Ryan Moore, who tied for second at -11. Henry will be back to defend his title this year, and a number of other former winners at River Highlands will also be back in the hunt for another title.




The last 10 winners at River Highlands are all scheduled to play this weekend, except for 2003 champion Peter Jacobsen and Phil Mickelson, who won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. Mickelson had been scheduled to participate but was ordered to the sidelines on Monday by doctors who have recommended he rest his sore left wrist for two weeks after missing the cut at the U.S. Open. Recent winners at River Highlands include Brad Faxon in 2005 and Woody Austin in 2004.

One golfer that bettors may want to keep an eye on is David Toms. The Louisiana native has been one of the hottest golfers on tour in recent weeks after he tied for fifth place at the U.S. Open, and came third in the Stanford St. Jude Championship a week earlier. Toms has been building toward a win all season long, and he may finally capture it this weekend at River Highlands.

Check out the Golf Betting Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook

Race Horses to Watch

Racing Horses worth watching, a list of runners compiled by handicapper/turf writer Greg Melikov that should improve next time out, won nine horse races, ran second once and finished third three times since May 25.

ARLINGTON PARK

Dr. Feelgood: Broke 10^th, raced more than 18 lengths behind in 11^th after a half-mile, advanced to fifth in stretch, made up 6 ¼ lengths and finished second beaten three-quarters of a length at 1 1/16 miles on June 14.

BELMONT

Victory Assured: Raced fourth early, dropped back to sixth more than 3 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, steadied in traffic on far turn, steadied in stretch racing fourth and finished second beaten a length at 1 1/8 miles on a good inner turf course June 13.

CALDER

Angel Made: Hit gate at start, raced seventh early, advanced to sixth in stretch and gained second by a nose at 4 ½ furlongs on a sealed sloppy surface June 15.

CHURCHILL DOWNS

Smokin' Spirit: Bobbled at break, swerved out, rushed up to press pace a half-length back after three-eighths of a mile, lost ground entering stretch, made up 1 ½ lengths and lost by a length at 5 ½ furlongs on June 15.

HOLLYWOOD PARK

Big Bad Leroybrown: Raced ninth early, dropped back to 10^th more than 5 ½ lengths after a half-mile, lost ground entering stretch, rallied between rivals from eighth, made up more than 5 ¼ lengths and finished third beaten a neck and three-quarters of a length at 7 ½ furlongs on June 14.

LOUISIANA DOWNS

Travli: Steadied leaving chute, fell back to eighth in tight on backstretch, advanced a bit, steadied again, dropped to ninth more than seven lengths behind after a half-mile, came four wide into the lane, rallied to fourth in stretch and dead-heated for second at seven furlongs on a sealed sloppy surface June 10.

MONMOUTH

Chollie One: Trailed early, moved to sixth more than 4 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, saved ground into the lane, rallied from fourth between rivals to make up nearly 2 ½ lengths in stretch and finished third beaten a nose and a head at six furlongs on June 13.

PHILADELPHIA PARK

Yo Cuz: Raced 2 ½ lengths behind in fourth after a half-mile, lost ground to fifth going widest entering stretch, rallied to make up more than 1 ½ lengths and finished second by a nose beaten a half-length at 5 ½ furlongs on June 17.

Check out Horse Racing Betting Odds at WagerWeb Racebook.

Summer Stakes to Feature Cream of Horse Racing Crop

The long hot summer should be especially hot when it comes to stakes races. That's because there is a plethora of stakes at horses' tracks across the country worth big bucks.

For instance, Belmont Park offers the $400,000 Grade 1 Suburban for 3-year-olds and up on June 30. Invasor, 2006 Horse of the Year, hopes to become only the second thoroughbred in 121 runnings to post back-to-back victories. Crusader did in '26 and '27.

Likely contenders in the 1.25 -mile Grade 1 contest are Corinthian, winner of Belmont's $600,000 Met Mile, and Harlington, victorious in a Belmont allowance horse race after more than a yearlong layoff because of an ankle injury.

On the same afternoon across the country, the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1.25 miles will pit two-time defending champion Lava Man against Lone Star Handicap winner against Bob and John. Other contenders include Mervyn LeRoy Handicap victor Molengao and possibly El Roblar, victorious in the Ack Ack Handicap.

On July 4, the $150,000 Dwyer will attract several top 3-year-olds including Nobiz Like Showbiz, winner of Aqueduct's Wood Memorial who ran 10th in the Kentucky Derby, and Sightseeing, runner-up in the Wood who triumphed in the Peter Pan.

On July 7, Calder Race Course hosts the eighth Summit of Speed with purses totaling $2 million.

The eight stakes include a pair of $500,000 contests: the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up and the Smile Sprint Handicap at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up.

Several other Grade 1 stakes for older horses include:

The $750,000 Whitney at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on July 28, the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/8 miles on June 30, the $750,000 United Nations Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on the turf at Monmouth on July 7, the Arlington Million at 1.25 miles on the turf Aug. 11 and the $1 million Pacific Classic at 1.25 miles at Del Mar on Aug. 19.




The racing spotlight will shine brightly on 3-year-olds during the summer. Saratoga's $500,000 Jim Dandy at 1 1/8 miles on July 29 has attracted C P West, Nobiz Like Showbiz and Street Sense depending on whether the Kentucky Derby winner passes on the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on Aug. 5.

The Haskell is already the choice of three horses because the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic will be staged at Monmouth on Oct. 27: Preakness victor Curlin, Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun and Lone Star Derby winner Slew's Tizzy.

"It's all about winning the Classic," said Curlin's trainer. Steve Asmussen. "By running in the Haskell, we can find out how he'll handle that track and see what adjustments we need to make."

The $1 million Travers on Aug. 25 at Saratoga most likely will pit Belmont winner Rags to Riches against the boys again. She is headed to Belmont's $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1.25 miles on July 21, trainer Todd Pletcher said, then run in North America's oldest major race on Aug. 25.

Others already committed to the Travers that was first staged in 1864 are Street Sense, Nobiz Like Showbiz and Teuflesberg, victorious in the Woody Stephens Breeders' Cup on Belmont Day.

There most likely will be other runners.

Check out the Horse Racing betting Odds at WagerWeb Racebook!!!!

Roger 'The Rocket' Clemens launches the New York Yankees

Maybe the return of pitcher Roger Clemens really was all the New York Yankees needed to turn things around. Since the Rocket's arrival in the Bronx, the Yankees have been one of the best teams in baseball. In fact, the Yankees are sporting one of the best records in all of baseball at 10-2 during the month of June.

Clemens can't receive direct credit for all of the recent success because he's only made one start in pinstripes so far in the 2007 baseball season. But the rise in confidence among the Yankee players that has accompanied the winning streak is no doubt largely attributable to the presence of The Rocket both on the mound and in the team's clubhouse.

After enduring a brief setback caused by a scar-tissue injury in his right groin, Clemens finally made his Yankees' debut versus Pittsburgh last week and lasted six innings, allowing three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in a 9-3 Yankees win.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner returns to the mound on Friday night when the Mets visit Yankee Stadium for an interleague battle. Clemens has plenty of experience versus the New York Mets from his three years in Houston, when he went 3-5 with a 5.09 ERA in 10 starts. Against the hard-hitting Mets' lineup, Clemens will need to be much better than that for the Yankees to continue their winning ways.



If the Yankees' sluggers can continue hitting with as much pop as they have been already in June, Clemens may be able to surrender four or five runs on Friday night and still escape with a win. The baseball stats speak for themselves: after hitting a measly .208 in May, Bobby Abreu has regained his old form and is smoking the ball in June. So far this month Abreu is batting at a .457 clip, with two home runs and 13 RBI in 12 games. Abreu only went yard once and drove in nine runs in 28 games in May.

Alex Rodriguez has also seen his bat come alive again in June. After smacking 14 home runs in April, A-Rod only found the seats five times in May, and the "what have you done for us lately" fans and media in New York started muttering to themselves. Rodriguez has brought the power back in June, with six homers in only 12 games and plating 21 runs.

With Roger Clemens on board and the offense getting in gear, the NY Yankees have crawled out of the AL East basement and actually climbed over the .500 mark on Wednesday. With only 8.5 games separating them from Boston in the division and only 4.5 games back of the Wild Card, the Yankees aren't done yet.

The first pitch of Clemens' second start on Friday night goes at 7:05 pm ET. Check out the game preview here.

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Boxing - Betting on the Holyfield vs. Savarese Fight

It may seem like a joke, but at the grizzled age of 44 Evander Holyfield is attempting to become Heavyweight champion of the world again. To get that title shot, Holyfield might not even have to face a much younger man. The "Real Deal's" next boxing fight is coming up on June 30 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, where he'll face 41-year-old Lou Savarese in a 10-round non-title bout.

The way old boxers are hanging around way past their primes and stepping back into the boxing ring after supposedly retiring these days, perhaps they should make a boxing senior circuit.

Since making his return to the ring a little more than a year ago, Evander Holyfield has said he wants to win back a heavyweight title by the time he turns 46. Holyfield may not have the speed and power of his youth anymore, but according to him he has the smarts in the ring to beat his younger challengers.

In his last three fights Holyfield has proven himself to be right. In August 2006, he dominated 33-year-old Jeremy Bates in a fight that was stopped in the second round after Holyfield beat Bates to a pulp. A few months later in November 2006, Holyfield won a unanimous decision after going 10 rounds with 34-year-old Fres Oquendo. In his most recent fight in March of this year, Holyfield delivered a second-round TKO to 33-year-old Vinny Maddalone. Those three wins gave Holyfield a lifetime record of 41-8-2 with 27 knockouts, and illustrated that he may not be completely done beating up on other boxers just yet.



Savarese also stepped back into the ring last year after a bit of an absence. You may recognize Savarese more from his recent acting roles than from his boxing career. The fighter has appeared in The Sopranos, Law and Order SVU, and portrayed Max Baer in a James J. Braddock documentary on ESPN. In his first boxing fight in nearly two years, Savarese faced Marcus Rhode in March 2006 and was victorious after delivering a second-round knockout. He returned to the ring again in January 2007, and sent Travis Fulton to the canvas in the third round. After those two wins, Savarese's record stands at 46-6, with 38 knockouts.

Don't let Savarese's recent knockouts fool you, though. During his prime he wouldn't have been a match for Holyfield and he still doesn't compare to the former heavyweight champ, even though they're both over 40. Reports are that this is Holyfield's last step before getting a shot at WBO Heavyweight champion Sultan Ibragimov. If that rumor has any truth to it, Holyfield has all the motivation he will need to put Savarese flat on his back.

Bet on the boxing match at WagerWeb Sportsbook

Wimbledon 2007: Betting Preview

The best tennis pros in the world make a quick change from the red clay of Roland Garros to the manicured lawns of Wimbledon beginning next weekend, as the 131st edition of the Wimbledon Championships begins on June 25.

Nobody will be happier to bid goodbye to the clay than world No. 1 Roger Federer. Once again Federer failed to complete the career Grand Slam after losing to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final. Federer should feel much more confident on the green grass of Wimbledon, considering he has not only won but dominated this tournament the last four years. Federer beat Nadal in last year's final, 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, and easily defeated hard-hitting American Andy Roddick in the 2004 and 2005 finals. Federer's first Wimbledon final victory came against Mark Philippoussis in 2003.

The last man not named Federer to be called "winner" at Wimbledon was Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. If anyone is going to keep Federer from making it five in a row this month in England, it looks like either Hewitt or Nadal has the best chance to do it. However, Hewitt has lost his last nine tennis matches against Federer.

The defending women's Wimbledon champion is Amelie Mauresmo. Wimbledon became Mauresmo's second career Grand Slam title after also winning the Australian Open last year. Mauresmo faced Justine Henin in the final and defeated her 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Despite never winning at Wimbledon, Henin may be the woman to beat in England this year, considering she is coming off her third straight French Open title and playing some of the best tennis of her impressive career.

Overall, the women's field is much more competitive than the men's and has a number of title contenders. This includes Ana Ivanovic, who fell to Henin in the French Open final; Venus Williams, a three-time Wimbledon champ who last won in 2005; Maria Sharapova, the 2004 champion; and Serena Williams, who won back-to-back Wimbledon titles in 2002 and 2003. Others who shouldn't be overlooked include dark horse contenders like Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nadia Petrova.

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2007 U.S Open Betting Preview

The real 2007 golf season begins again for bettors this week, as all the best golfers try to find their game for the prestigious U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.

Heading into most majors, the names on the tip of everyone's tongue are Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Woods as always is the favorite at +200, followed by Mickelson at +800. Both former major winners would probably like to forget what happened at last year's U.S. Open held at Winged Foot. Mickelson looked primed for his first U.S. Open title before completely falling apart on the 72nd hole and handing the tournament to Geoff Ogilvy.

Woods never had a chance to make one of his late charges or final-round stands after failing to miss the cut in a major for the first time in his career. Mickelson could be battling more than his bad memories of Winged Foot this weekend, thanks to a wrist injury he suffered two weeks ago. While practicing his chips before the first round of the Memorial Tournament, Mickelson injured his wrist and was forced to skip the U.S. Open warmup. According to reports Mickelson should be ready to go this weekend, but when it comes to wrists and golf you can never be too sure.

This is the eighth time that the U.S. Open will be played at Oakmont. It's been more than a decade since the last time the Open was played there in 1994. That year Ernie Els defeated Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie in a Monday playoff to win his first major championship. Els is a definite contender to repeat at Oakmont, but there will be plenty of competition aside from Tiger and Mickelson.




Vijay Singh has never won the U.S. Open, but with two tournament wins already this season there is no reason he can't climb back to the top of the leaderboard this weekend. Masters champion Zach Johnson was also forced to withdraw from the Memorial a few weeks ago due to a nasty bout of strep throat, but he should be back in top form by this weekend and in search of his second major win this season.

Even though the winner of the tournament that precedes the 2007 U.S. Open has never gone on to win the major, don't count out Woody Austin who won the St. Jude Championship last weekend. Austin put together a masterful final round last Sunday, shooting a remarkable 62, and if he can match that level of play at Oakmont he could make history at Oakmont.

Check out the Golf Betting Odds at WagerWeb.com

UFC 72 - Betting on Okami may Prove Wise to Bettors

Underdog bettors will be hoping for a repeat of a highly profitable UFC 71 fight next weekend, when UFC heads to Northern Ireland for UFC 72: Victory.

There's was tons of money to be made during UFC 71 if you didn't mind going against the favorite. In the main event Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell was a strong heavy favorite in his Light Heavy Weight title bout with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Everyone knows by now that the fight ended with Jackson wailing on the champ and stealing his title. Bettors also know that Rampage paid off quite well at +200 betting odds for the upset. That was nothing compared to Keith Jardine's shocking loss to Houston Alexander. It only took Alexander 48 seconds and a couple of punishing right hands to drop Jardine, who was a huge -550 favorite in the fight.



Bettors probably won't be receiving such high underdog betting odds in the UFC 72 bouts, but that doesn't mean there isn't more money to be made on upsets. The main event, Rich Franklin versus Yushin Okami looks like another prime opportunity for an upset. The current odds have Franklin, the former Middleweight champion, listed as a -185 favorite. The lesser-known Okami is a +155 underdog.

Both fighters match up extremely well, with comparable size and fighting techniques. Franklin and Okami can both throw hard-hitting punches, and they're also highly skilled defensive grapplers if the fight ends up on the ground. Okami only has four UFC fights under his belt (but he is 21-3-0 lifetime in MMA) and he's won all four using different methods. He went the distance in his last fight versus Mike Swick, winning a unanimous decision after inflicting a beating on the highly-skilled Swick.

In his two previous fights before defeating Swick, Okami took out Rory Singer with a submission and delivered a massive TKO to Kalib Starnes. If you ask anyone about Okami the first thing they'll likely mention is how freakishly strong he is. For a middleweight fighter Okami is strong as an ox, and if he can get Franklin down and use his ?ground and pound? on him the fight will be over quick.

UFC 72 Betting Odds available at WagerWeb Sportsbook

The 2007 Belmont Stakes

This year's running of the 2007 Belmont Stakes may have lost some of its luster due to the simple fact that there won't be a shot at a Triple Crown winner. However, there are still a few a few intriguing storylines to watch for in the 139^th Belmont Stakes this weekend.

The horse race came up a little short on participants with seven horses expected to make the 1 ½-mile run at Belmont Park. After losing the Preakness Stakes by a nose to Curlin, Street Sense decided to skip the Belmont to prepare for a few other races down the road. With Street Sense out, the clear race favorite becomes Preakness winner Curlin. The fiery colt showed his late-race speed after running down Street Sense in the Preakness, and he'll likely be the horse to beat coming out of the No. 3 post position at Belmont Park. If Curlin is able to win the Belmont he'll be the first horse since Afleet Alex in 2005 to capture the last two legs of the Triple Crown.

Curlin's biggest threat on Saturday looks like it might be Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun. After getting overtaken by Street Sense late in the Derby, Hard Spun ended up finishing third in the Preakness. Apparently Hard Spun's owner and trainer were disappointed in his Preakness running because they've decided to switch jockeys in the Belmont, replacing Mario Pino with Garrett Gomez. It's hard to say whether or not this change will be what Hard Spun needs to break through and win at Belmont.

The horse that is receiving increasingly more attention as the buzz heats up leading to the BelmontBelmont mix after the field came out so thin. What makes Rags to Riches a noteworthy addition to the field is that she is a filly. She has been the fastest against other fillies this year, including a win in the Kentucky Oaks, but now she'll have to prove her worth against the boys. Rags To Riches will be the first filly to race in the Belmont since Silverbulletday came seventh in 1999. Only two fillies have ever won the Belmont and it's been quite awhile - Tanya won in 1905 and Ruthless won it way, way back in 1867. is Rags to Riches. Todd Pletcher decided to throw Rags to Riches into the

The rest of the Belmont field currently includes Imawildandcrazyguy, Tiago, Slew's Tizzy and CP West. Post time is 6:25 pm EDT on Saturday.

Horse Racing Betting Odds at WagerWeb Racebook.

2007 NHL Stanley Cup Final

The Ducks may not be mighty in name anymore but they still pack plenty of might on the ice, and they showed it on Monday night as they took a 3-1 stranglehold on the NHL Stanley Cup final with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 of the series.

The Mighty Ducks are headed home for Game 5 on Wednesday night one win away from winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Without hulking defenseman Chris Pronger, Anaheim looked lost in the first period on Monday night as Ottawa outshot them 13-2 and took a 1-0 lead on a Daniel Alfredsson power-play hockey goal with one second remaining in the period. The second period was an entirely different story as the Ducks stormed back to outshoot the Senators 13-4. Andy McDonald threw his name into Conn Smythe talk after scoring a pair of goals a minute apart for the Ducks in the second stanza. Dany Heatley finally scored his first hockey goal of the series to send the game to the third period tied 2-2. The third period was a tight battle between the two teams, but only the Ducks found the back of the net. Dustin Penner took a pass from Teemu Selanne on a fast break and beat Sens' netminder Ray Emery for the game-winning goal.



The Sens desperately needed a win in Game 4 and now they have their backs against the wall for however long the series ultimately lasts. Judging from Anaheim's performance at home throughout the playoffs, that probably won't be very long. The Ducks beat Ottawa 3-2 in Game 1 at the Honda Center and edged the Senators 1-0 at home in Game 2. Anaheim has excelled at the Honda Center during their playoff run with a 9-2 record at home.

With Pronger watching from the sidelines the Senators had a prime opportunity to get their sluggish offense going and get back in the series in Game 4. It looked like the game plan was working in the first period on Monday night, but playing hard in one period wasn't enough to make up for Ottawa's failures in the second and the third. With Pronger back on the ice in Game 5 things won't be any easier for the Senators, which could mean the end of another attempt to return the Stanley Cup back to Canadian soil for the first time since 1993.

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2007 NASCAR Pocono 500

For the second week in a row a NASCAR driver claimed his first career win on the Nextel Cup circuit last week. Martin Truex Jr. took the lead late in last week's Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Raceway a week after Casey Mears made his first stop at victory lane at Lowe's Motorspeedway. For another first-timer to win the Pocono 500 this weekend, they'll have to successfully navigate the always-interesting Pocono triangle, while competing with the Nextel Cup circuit speed demons on the extra-long straightaway.

Last year Denny Hamlin swept Pocono with a victory in the Pocono 500 and a win in the Pennsylvania 500 a few weeks later. Hamlin has come close numerous times this year, but is still looking for his first win this season and the Pocono triangle could be the stage he needs to do it.

Point's leader Jeff Gordon still has a very comfortable lead over second-place Jimmie Johnson by 152 points. Gordon has three career wins at Pocono, but the last one came way back in 1998. Johnson pulled of a Hamlin-like sweep of his own at Pocono when he won both races that were held there in 2004. Johnson's car has performed so well this year that he seems to be challenging for the race car lead every week. If he gets the lead at Pocono he may be hard to catch due to the very long straightaway.



Aside from Gordon the only other three-time winner at Pocono expected to race this weekend is Dale Jarrett. It would be practically a miracle if Jarrett ended up leading the pack across the finish line at Pocono again this week, considering his best finish of the season so far is 22^nd in the Daytona 500.

Before Hamlin dominated Pocono in 2006, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards won there in 2005 but both drivers haven't had much luck this season and are still looking for their first victory. Also looking for a little luck is Tony Stewart. The former Nextel Cup champion has been dogged by bad luck and bad cars repeatedly this season and it's likely cost him a couple wins. Stewart tamed the Pocono triangle back in 2003 and a win there this weekend would vault him back into the Race for the Chase.

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2007 NBA Basketball Season Finals

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It's been a long time since Cleveland sports fans have had anything to cheer about. The Cavaliers, the Browns and the Indians have all teased the Cleveland faithful with greatness over the years, but the city hasn't had a championship title land in its lap since the Browns won what was then called the NFL Championship Game in 1964. LeBron James is hoping to end all the years of suffering after leading the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

To bring a long-awaited title home to Cleveland, the Cavs will first have to get through the San Antonio Spurs. It will likely be a difficult task, since the Spurs know a thing or two about winning

The Cavs made it to the finals after a dramatic Eastern Conference Finals win over the Detroit Pistons. After being dogged for his lackluster performances in Games 1 and 2 of the series, LeBron carried the nba team on his back to take the next four games. James' 48-point explosion in Game 5 will go down in history as one of the best playoff performances of all time. If he can maintain that level of play versus the intense Spurs' defense then Cleveland may finally have their championship.




The Spurs are no pushovers though - in fact they do most of the pushing as evidenced by their series wins over Phoenix and Utah. San Antonio has a solid offensive nucleus built around Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and with the strong defense of Bruce Bowen and the Spurs' deep bench it can be difficult to keep up with San Antonio.

It's doubtful that Cleveland will be intimidated by the more experienced Spurs considering how they played against San Antonio during the regular season. The Cavs and Spurs clashed twice this season with Cleveland winning both games. Way back in November LeBron scored 35 points and Larry Hughes added 18, as the Cavs defeated the Spurs 88-81 to win their first game in San Antonio since 1988. When the Spurs arrived in Cleveland in January, LeBron only scored 19 points but Hughes chipped in with another 18 points in an 82-78 Cleveland win. In both wins the Cleveland defense smothered the Spurs and held them to less than 40% shooting. The Spurs likely would have won the January rematch if not for their cold free-throw shooting.

The Spurs' game plan in the series will be to slow down James, and that job will mostly belong to Bowen. However, San Antonio will also have to keep their eye on Daniel Gibson. The Cleveland rookie only averaged 4.6 points per game during the regular season, but he has become an important part of the Cleveland offense in the playoffs. Gibson's career-high 31 points in Game 6 versus Detroit shows how dangerous he can be.

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