The Toronto Blue Jays aren’t accustomed to playing on national television. However, when Yu Darvish and the Texas Rangers are in town, it’s a completely different story. Darvish allowed just one earned run on four hits through seven innings on Monday night, striking out nine in a 4-1 Rangers’ win. The Blue Jays got their first chance to see Darvish pitching in person after missing out on the prized free agent this past winter, and while his performance was nothing short of amazing the other night, Darvish is just one of the many reasons why Texas has once again established itself as the team to beat in the American League this season according to the numbers recorded by the MLB blogs.

The 25-year old Darvish is now 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA, and leads the Rangers’ pitching staff in strikeouts with 33. For as good as Darvish has been though he isn’t the only All Star caliber arm in the Texas rotation, with the duo of Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison a combined 6-1 on the season, with Lewis sporting a solid 1.93 ERA for the best mark on the team. The Rangers’ pitching depth has allowed them to be a little more creative in terms of their bullpen situation, with All Star Alexei Ogando moving in to a relief role where he has already recorded six holds, and new closer Joe Nathan logging six saves after coming over from the Minnesota Twins in the sports betting offseason.

The biggest pay head reason why the pitching staff gets overlooked is the team’s incredible offense, as Texas ranks first in team batting average, slug percentage, OBP, and second in runs scored. Josh Hamilton has looked absolutely possessed through the first 22 games of the season, with a ridiculous .395 average, nine home runs and 25 RBI. Michael Young, Adrian Beltre, and Ian Kinsler are all hitting upwards of .298, and the offensive depth the team boasts gives manager Ron Washington a ton of options. While it may not be realistic to expect Hamilton to be able to continue hitting at such a torrid pace, the Rangers shouldn’t miss a beat as long as he can continue to hit upwards of .300 while producing runs.

While the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were expected to have a significant impact on the American League West division race, the big name free agent signings they brought in haven’t lived up to expectations in the early going. That has left the division wide open for Texas to establish a dominant lead, and while it may be too early still to put it in cruise control, consistency will be the key the rest of the way. The Rangers won seven of nine games against the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and New York Yankees, proving that they can beat the top contenders they will face. Texas has the hitting, pitching, and experience to finally live up to expectations and bring home a World Series title this season, and while there is a long way still to go, there is no doubt that the Rangers are the early AL betting favorites.

PayPerHead.com, an online sportsbook service provider for local agents, today unveiled a new campaign featuring Vince Curatola, Johnny Sack of The Sopranos fame.

The campaign leads with Vince asking “Five bucks per head, that’s what I wanna pay…” and the website, featuring video and voice overs by Vince, walks you through the product, the process and the competition.

“Five bucks a head is really an industry first given our level of service,” a spokesman from PayPerHead.com explained. “And we very carefully and in great detail delineate on the website exactly what you get and at what price level at PayPerHead versus the other serious players, such as ABC Per Head.”

You get a great deal of sports betting services, including not only the traditional online sportsbook but an optional casino, live poker, in game live betting, mobile betting, tools for managing players and their funds, layoff and scalp accounts, even a “sharp check.” “We have the sharpest lines out there and one of the most experienced stages anywhere offshore,” the spokesman said, “so if we start seeing sharp action from one of your players, we can give you a heads up. What you want to do with him is up to you.”

The choice of Vince Curatola was an interesting one. “We always liked Vince’s character on The Sopranos, as John “Johnny Sack” Sacramoni,” the PayPerHead spokesman said. “He had a certain style, classy, but not over the top; there’s a calmness and authority about him that we really admire.  He brings that serious business demeanor to PayPerHead.com, the first sportsbook-service to EVER feature any kind of celebrity in its marketing.”

With post-up books like BetUS, Sportsbook.com and SportsInteraction stopping taking US players, Bodog and others struggling with “Ecom” processing problems, the street scene is heating up and players are posting daily in forums looking for a “local out.” Most players want the huge selection of markets, including live in-game betting, and the convenience of anytime betting online or via a mobile device, but more and more, we hear players say “they want to bet online but want to settle in cash on Monday.”

Many in the industry think this is the future of online sports betting – and it very well could be. And with firms like PayPerHead.com investing in marketing in an unprecedented way (celebs, who’d have thunk it?!) and in product (they also offer live poker, casino and in-game betting), expect to see this sector grow significantly this season.

For more information, see PayPerHead.com.

Online sports betting offers sports fans an exhilarating and secure means to make money and have some fun. A good example for this is no deposit casino bonus wherein players can automatically play and have fun without depositing.

Here are a few basic concepts you need to understand before you start making sports wagers online.

Sports Betting 101 – Opening an Account

Now that you have made the decision to wager on sports, you need to create an online sportsbook account. The Internet is littered with sportsbooks looking for new customers. Many, if not all, offer sign-up bonuses and incentives. Particularly top online casino offers a big incentives for fresh registrants. Just find a popular online sportsbook, take advantage of their sign-up bonus and you’ll be good to go.

Sports Betting 101 – Depositing Money

It is relatively easy to deposit funds into your online sportsbook account. The most common payment method is the credit card. However, some credit card companies prevent funds from being dispersed in sports book accounts. Other methods include bank wires, Western Union and e-checks.

Sports Betting 101 – Straight Bets

A straight bet is the most frequent type of bet in sports wagering. The potential bettor puts their money on either the favorite or the underdog. In straight bets, you risk $11 to make $10. In basketball and football, the straight bet takes into account a point spread. For example, the Arizona Cardinals are hosting the Seattle Seahawks. You bet on the Cardinals, who were favored by two points. Arizona must defeat Seattle by at least three points in order for you to win the bet.

Sports Betting 101 – Money Line Bets

A money line bet does not factor in the point spread. You bet on either the favorite or the underdog to win. The odds are higher that the favorite will win, so you must risk more money. In contrast, betting on the underdog to win will yield a higher payout because their odds of the underdog winning were lower.

Sports Betting 101 – Betting on the Totals or Over/Under

Betting on the total score of a game between two teams is known as a total or over/under bet. For example, it is predicted that the total points scored in a college basketball game between the Michigan Wolverines and Duke Blue Devils will be 144. If you bet on the under, the two teams would have to combine for 143 points or less for you to win the wager.

Sports Betting 101 – Parlay Bets

The parlay provides potential bettors with an opportunity to earn a huge payout without having to risk a great amount. It involves at least two games and as many as 12. The more games are involved, the lower the odds will be, and higher the payout will be. In the event that one of the games in a parlay is a tie, the payout decreases. If you lose any game in a parlay, you do not win anything.

I wonder what the sports betting odds were on how long it would take Allen Iverson to return to the NBA. “The Answer” made his return to the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia 76ers in a 93-83 loss to Denver, where Iverson was traded to last year from Detroit. Iverson played 38 minutes, going 4-of-11 from the floor for 11 points, while adding six assists and five boards for the 76ers. Quite frankly, this is the best scenario for Iverson, and for the 76ers’ NBA betting odds.

First, Philadelphia fans LOVE Iverson. I mean, the last time they were good, he was the reason for it. They’ll follow that dude through a fire if they have to. Second, Iverson seems to realize that it’s Andre Igoudala’s team, as Iggy had 31 against the 76ers. Now, I have no problem with Iverson playing major minutes….as long as he understands that he’s no longer a superstar and starts jacking up 30 shots a game. Iverson is an excellent complementary piece if he keeps his head together, and you never know: the 76ers could be an NBA betting darkhorse in your sportsbook if Iverson sticks to the script.

Cleveland is finally playing like the sportsbook favorites we allkknew they were, and they played very well in a 111-104 win over Miami on the road, their third straight win away from home. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m wonder if the kids still hang up posters on their wall, because THIS is the epitome of a posterization:

AND THEN…..he goes back to walk over him, Allen Iverson-Tyronn Lue style:

This has no bearing on either team’s online betting odds, but you may look back on this later in the season, and I’m willing to bet you won’t see a better posterization than that. Then, Anderson Varejao (Sideshow Bob) had the nerve to try and talk smack to D-Wade after the play was done. He got a technical foul for his efforts. You know, he’s a talented player, but someone needs to tell Bob to shut up sometimes. Actin’ like you’re worth $10-12 mil a season,  you know what that gets:

My pick for Saturday’s Pacquiao Cotto odds: Miguel will give him a run, but he doesn’t have the patience to hang with Manny, who will frustrate him into making a mistake.

So, the online betting season for NBA fans tipped off on Tuesday with a massive matchup between two of the title contenders, Boston and Cleveland. How did these two fare in Game No.1?

The Cavs got off to a quick start in the first quarter before the Celtics’ veteran experience kicked in, and they outscored Cleveland 30-17 in the second quarter. The Boston reserves outscored their counterparts 26-10, thanks in large part to Rasheed Wallace, who notched 12 in his debut. The pickup of Wallace is seen to be a boost to the Celtics’ NBA odds, as he can spell Kevin Garnett, who had 13 points and 10 boards. Paul Pierce has 23 and 11 boards to lead the way for the Celtics.

How about the Cavs, one of the trendy sportsbook picks this year? It was similar to last year. LeBron James had 38 and eight assists, but the next highest Cav was Mo Williams with 12, and he was only 3-of-8 from the field. Shaquille O’Neal had 10 and 10 in his Cleveland debut, and that’s all they really need from him. But they need secondary scoring, preferably from Williams and Anthony Parker.

So, what can we take away from this game? Not much. It’s the first game in a long, long season. All we know is, these two will be there at the end of the season, and this is just a prelude to a rivalry that’s gone from budding to full-on.

PS: I’m going to throw in World Series picks as much as I can. Take the Yankees in Game 1. Sabathia edges Lee in a pitcher’s duel, while Cleveland Indians fans slit their wrists.

College football betting is my main focus until the NBA season heats up, even though many are dying to make a World Series bet, so here’s my three picks to watch this weekend, with odds from BetOnline.com:

No.13 Penn State vs Michigan – Saturday, October 24, 3:30 PM ET

BetOnline.com odds: Penn State -4.5

The Nittany Lions have lost five straight trips to the “Big House”, and they’re facing a Michigan team that is getting better each and every week. With two road losses by a combined eight points (one in overtime) and coming off an almost-criminal 63-6 destruction of Delaware State, the Wolverines have momentum. With the charges rallying behind Tate Forcier, bet on the home underdogs.

No.1 Florida vs Mississippi State – Saturday, October 24, 7:30 PM ET

BetOnline.com Odds: Florida -22.5

The Gators haven’t come close to being as good as they were last year, and they were gambling with their 16-game winning streak last week with four turnovers in a last-second win over Arkansas. They’ve lost their last two trips to Mississippi State as road underdogs, and their play hasn’t been convincing at all, it’s like Urban Meyer is in a gambling ring or something. Florida may squeeze out another win, but there’s no way in this world they’re covering that spread.

No.3 Texas vs Missouri – Saturday, October 24, 8:00 PM ET

BetOnline.com Odds: Texas -12.5

Colt McCoy says he’s fine after getting beaten up all over the field in last week’s 16-13 win over Oklahoma in the “Red River Rivalry”, and he’s surely better off than Sooners’ counterpart Sam Bradford, who re-injured his shoulder, is now out for the season, and may need to go into employment as a district attorney after turning down last year’s guaranteed NFL money. The Tigers have dropped two straight and are starting to show their stripes. They’re a very young team, which is usually  something to stay away from when you make a bet on sports. However, their defense is quick but small, and they’re starting to wear down. The Longhorns will make it six in a row over the Tigers, easy enough to cover in your sportsbook.

Oklahoma City’s NBA odds are awful in the first place, but then, Henry Abbott came out with an column on ESPN that said Kevin Durant is hurting his team. Okay, here goes:

I’m not going to look at the numbers, because I’m sure they’re all very pretty and Abbott probably did a lot of research, but really? Kevin Durant hurting the Thunder? The kid averaged 25.3 points and 6.5 boards last year, and I’m pretty sure there is no way to quantify the load that Durant had to carry last year. You know: pretty much an entire franchise on the back of a 21-year-old (then 20). Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook are great wingmen, but they couldn’t carry the team like Durant, who is moving up the sportsbook ranks as an MVP candidate.

Let’s not even mention that he makes going to a Thunder game worth the price per head (most of the time, anyway). Durant does more for that franchise than what is shown in the box scores and stats (and he fills those, too). So if you see Henry Abbott out and about, don’t let him make any of your sports picks for you.

This weekend’s big matchup comes the Florida vs LSU odds, and the No.1 Gators are favored by a touchdown at Death Valley. However, they began as 9.5-point favorites in your sportsbook, and it’s all because of the health of one man.

Tim Tebow is a game-time decision due to the concussion he suffered two weeks ago at Kentucky, and the former Heisman winner (as well as one of this year’s favorites) hasn’t participated in any contact drills yet. Contact is basically the most important part of Tebow’s game, and this will change Florida’ place dramatically. However, he has to consider if future as one of the top NFL picks next year, and he shouldn’t do anything stupid.

LSU has won 32 Saturday night games in a row at Death Valley, and they can’t be happy about being an underdog at home. The Tigers are coming off a big win at Georgia, yet they still haven’t played to their expectations. They’ll make a statement and blow the championship race wide open with a win. Regardless, the atmosphere alone in Tiger Stadium will be well worth the price per head.

Since NBA betting season is upon us, and the preseason is underway, we’re going to look at…..a feud between LeBron James and a football player.

James has been busy over the summer, pushing his documentary “More Than A Game” (shouldn’t you win a title first before making a documentary?) and making a guest appearance on “Entourage” (which was understated and funny). But he also found time to get into a little trouble, indirectly. Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Braylon Edwards is being accused of punching James’ friend at a nightclub, and James called Edwards “childish”, stating that Edwards must be jealous of him and his friends.

Shoot, why wouldn’t he? Edwards plays for a team that you couldn’t pay people to bet on in your offshore sportsbook. James has great hands, Edwards drops more than he catches. Edwards doesn’t have a movie out. It would be funny to see Edwards and James fight, although I’m betting management of the Cavs fail to see the humor in it.

Nothing will happen here, and everything will be fine….except for Edwards, who continues to be a part of a squad whose Super Bowl odds were flushed before they started.