First things first, when you’re looking over your Kentucky Derby odds for this weekend, take Chocolate Candy. Trust me on this one.

Dwight Howard’s elbows did a one-man job on the Magic’s basketball betting chances tonight in Philadelphia, where they’ll be a 5.5-point underdog against the 76ers in Game 6. First, he fractured the sinuses of rookie teammate Courtney Lee, who was having an amazing series until he ran into Howard’s elbow. And then, this:

Howard received a technical for it, and he deserved it, that was pretty blatant. So the Magic are now a basketball betting underdog in a possible series clincher on the road, which means it’s not looking good. I’m setting the over/under of attempted threes tonight by Orlando at 30, and taking the over. Howard had 24 points and 24 boards in the Game 5 win, and has been putting up 24.0 points, 15.8 boards, and 2.8 blocks a game in this series. Good luck replacing that. Take Philly for the basketball betting win to send this to a seventh game.

We gon step away from NBA betting for a quick second because this needs to be noted. Yesterday, as I was watching the Clippers-Blazers games – yes, I’m a hardcore fan, I was watching that game – the Clipppers actually made what by their standards is a come back.

They were down about 25 points in the third quarter and NBA betting handicappers who had money on the Blazers -14 were beginning to get a little concerned when the Clip Show cut the lead to 20.

Then comes Ricky Davis. Few players are as selfish as Ricky Davis – that’s clear. After all, we’re talking about a man who tried to get a rebound off his own basket to finish up a meaningless triple-double.

Davis took three shots on one possession. Count it: three. Allen Iverson is a greedy player and he still wouldn’t shoot it three times on one possession. That does not bode well for the Clippers’ Northbet.com odds.

Next thing you know, Davis misses thrice and the Blazers are off to the races for an easy layup. Final score: Blazers 116, Clippers 87.

NBA betting fans, stay away from the Clippers. Stay away their stadium, stay away from their broadcasts and stay from paying attention to them. They are a very ugly team.

This weekend is as jammed as sports weekends can be, with the Daytona 500 odds and NBA betting colliding during the NBA All-Star Weekend.

So many events to ponder now, so I’ll cut right to the chase with my basketball betting picks here.

ROOKIE GAME: Basically, it’s Derrick Rose vs Kevin Durant. The Sophomores have won six straight, but I’m calling an upset here. Rose, Mayo and Oden will lead the way for the rooks. Pick ‘em at your sportsbook!

SKILLS CHALLENGE: Online betting fans should go with Tony Parker. No pressure on him and he can handle the ball with the best of ‘em.

H-O-R-S-E: Kevin Durant. The NBA betting community will awaken to his skills this weekend.

THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT: Kapono just doesn’t seem to have it this year, so why bet on him? Try Rashard Lewis or Danny Granger. Let’s go with Granger.

DUNK CONTEST: When superstars play in this contest, they usually win. So NBA betting fans should stick with defending champ Dwight Howard here and hope he pulls off a nice followup to this:

ALL-STAR GAME: LeBron runs this show now in the NBA All-Star game lines…he’ll team up with Howard and D-Wade to lead the East to its fourth victory in five years.

Every year, sportsbook players and casual fans alike argue over who should have made the All-Star team and who should have not. With the rosters set for 2009 NBA All-Star betting , here is a look at the All-Snub Team for this year (all statistics are from February 2).

Center – David Lee, New York

Lee is putting up 15.9 points and 11.7 boards, and has probably put himself at the top of this year’s free-agent list. Lee’s never said an ill word while playing his heart out in the wasteland that is the Knicks’ franchise, and while he’ll miss the All-Star game, he’ll be rewarded this summer.

Forward – Al Jefferson, Minnesota

Jefferson is one of three players in the league to put up 20/10 numbers (23.2 points, 10.6 boards). If the Timberwolves can hold onto Jefferson and rookie Kevin Love, Minnesota will have one of the best young post duos in the league.

Forward – Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

The reigning Rookie of the Year will probably take his frustrations out in the Rookie game, and the lanky forward is the highest-scoring player left out of the All-Star game. His team is just too terrible, but if Durant continues to improve, an All-Star nod will be the least of his accomplishments by the time he’s through.

Guard – Ray Allen, Boston

It’s hard to feel bad for an 8-time All-Star, but Allen’s probably been the most consistent of the Celtics’ “Big Three” this season. Allen is putting up 18.0 points and dropping treys at a 41.1% clip, as well as 49.7% from the field and 94.0% from the foul line. Allen can take consolation in the fact that his Celtics still have great NBA betting odds to repeat as world champions.

Guard – Mo Williams, Cleveland

Williams is probably the top off-season acquisition of the campaign so far, becoming a valuable second option to LeBron James for the Cavaliers. Williams’ ability to run the team while James is on the bench will leave Cleveland’s MVP fresher for the postseason, which will be a huge boost to the Cavaliers’ NBA betting odds.

Super Bowl XLIII betting can’t come quickly enough. The NBA is annoying me, damn it. I want trades. I want to see a Bulls firesale. It’s fun! But we’re waiting on the Brian Colangelo and Pat Riley to finish their courtship.

Pat, do you really think seeing Jermaine O’Neal playing two games looking healthy is going to “convince” you that he’s a safe target? You either want him or you don’t. It’ll be interesting to see what happens if or when the deal gets made…it could start a flurry of activity that really alters some teams’ NBA betting odds.

Until then, I’m reading up on the 2008 Super Bowl odds.