NASCAR Nextel Cup Series – Chevy Rock and Roll 400, Richmond

Sa Sep 11 – 7:00 pm EST (TNT)

This is the final race before the playoff field is set for the ‘The Chasefor the Championship’ (top-10 drivers in the standings qualify). With thatin mind, when placing your bets this weekend it could be worth keepingthose drivers that are racing for much more than the win.

Kevin Harvick is going to need all the points he can get if he is to qualify for theplayoffs, after a mediocre season by his standards. It is testament to hismaturity and patience that he is still in contention, and he will belooking to qualify well and get the opportunity to get out front early inthe race to get maximum bonus points (five points for leading, five pointsfor leading for the most laps). He could be value at 22/1 in our outrightmarket, in a race where it is difficult to find a favourite (3co-favourites at 8/1). Considering his record on the track it is notsurprising that

Tony Stewart is one of our favourites this week. He’s athree-time winner here, although the last one was five races ago, and canbe expected to put up another fine performance this week. Bobby Labonte hashad an awful two-year stretch, but this is one track that has been kind tohim, with a second, sixth, and a third in this year’s three-quarter miletrack back in May. A good performance can see him jump past McMurray andKahne in the standings to make him eligible for the playoffs.

Ice Hockey World Cup Semi Finals

USA v Finland Fr Sep 10 – 7:00 pm EST (ESPN2)

Czech Republic v Canada Live betting – Sa Sep 11 – 6:30 pm EST (ESPN2)

The Xcel Center in St. Paul is the venue for the first semi-final in theWorld Cup of Hockey, as a hard-skating team USA battles red-hot goalieMiikka Kiprusoff and the surprise packages of the competition Finland. TheAir Canada Centre in Toronto hosts the second semi-final, as two red-hotteams face off in goalie Martin Brodeur's powerful Team Canada and JaromirJagr's Czechs, who surprised Sweden in the quarterfinals.Join us for live betting In-Running on both semi finals, where our marketswill include: Puck Line; Game Total; Who Will Win the Period; and NextPeriod Total.

PGA Tour Golf, Canadian Open

Sa Sep 11 – 3:30 pm EST (ESPN)
Su Sep 12 – 3:00 pm EST (ESPN)

This week’s event returns to the Jack Nicklaus designed Glen Abbey for thefirst time since 2000, and has attracted a decent field due to it’sproximity to next week’s Ryder Cup, with no less than seven US team membersusing the event as warm-up. The field is headed by the relentless Vijay Singh, who could have been excused for having a week off now that he hasfinally wrestled the No.1 spot off Tiger Woods.

Singhdoes not have the best Canadian Open record, however, so for the winner atvalue odds it could pay to take a look at Justin Leonard. The Texan’s record here of three top-six finishes, including a joint third at ‘the Glen’ back in 1999, merits him the utmost respect, while his overall levelof play has improved recently (joint second at the PGA Champs) after anindifferent season. Daniel Chopra is in the form of his life at the moment(4th at the Deutsche Bank last week), and 66/1 looks a fair price for theSwede who has shown gradual improvement since graduating from theNationwide Tour in May. His ability to win on the main Tour has not yetbeen tested, but he is certainly capable of squeezing into our five placesat least!

The final pick goes to long hitter Hank Kuehne, again at 66/1,whose game appears to have turned the corner after a poor start to theseason. His 6th place in the Deutsche Bank was very encouraging, his 3rdtop-20 finish in his last five starts. Finally, it is worth mentioning thefine performance of David Duval last week (13th after just making the cut),who has set his target on a win before the season is out, although he mayneed another outing or two before he can be seriously backed.

NCAAF - Auburn @ Mississippi State

Sa Sep 11 – 9:00 pm EST (ESPN2)

Auburn makes their Southeastern Conference debut at Wade Stadium onSaturday against Mississippi State. Both teams are coming off big wins. TheTigers completed a 31-0 demolition of Louisiana-Monroe last Saturday, withthe promise of better to come. One of things that receivers coach Greg Knoxhas been working on is yards after the catch, and against Louisiana theymanaged 73 yards of the team’s 186 yards passing.

Against Mississippi State, how well the receivers do will depend on how well they run theirroutes. The Bulldogs allowed 135 yards passing in their 28-7 win overTulane last week. The secondary for Mississippi State is active. Freesafety Slovakia Griffith recorded five tackles against Tulane. CornerbackKevin Dockery had three tackles and one of the team's two pass break-ups.

Whoever wins the struggle down the field will give their team a bigadvantage, in what will be a hard fought contest all the way to the end.

NFL – GB Packers @ CAR Panthers

Current NFC South Champions Carolina can kick off their season with victoryover Green Bay in Monday night’s big game. At 15/8 the Panthers look a goodbet at this stage for a divisional repeat, while the Super Bowl runners-upcannot be overlooked in our outright market at 18/1 either. Last season’s defensive line may have been re-shaped but the majority of the team remainsintact and should have gained confidence from their achievements.

Receiver Steve Smith is an inspiration for the offence, while QC Jake Delhomme iscool under pressure, and. running backs Steven Davis and DeShaun Foster areboth talented. The Packers arguably overachieved last season but even sothey should have made the NFC Championship game, their defenceembarrassingly allowing the Eagles to convert on fourth and 26. Veteran QBBrett Favre will be well protected by an excellent line, which should clearbig holes for running back Ahman Green. Their defensive front should bestiffer than at the start of last season but the secondary remains aconcern.

Recommendation: Carolina -3.0 @ 20/23.

The die has been cast

Dave Schwartz, chief of UNLV's Gaming Studies Research Center, is working on some very interesting books about the 60s Wire Act and the history of gambling.

If you want to be the first to know about his researches and keep updated about gaming-related news, bookmark Dave's new blog http://www.dieiscast.com

There are some nice quiz you can take there, but I am sure you can't score more than I did. I challenge you! :-)

Get In The Game with Nigel Ridgway

Nigel will soon be with us, talking about:

NCAAF doesn’t fumble either as Auburn and Mississippi clash this weekend. Both teams are coming off big wins.

It’s the perfect time to get in on the NFL/NCAAF parlay bonus to maximize your winnings.

The PGA Tour is in Canada for the Canadian Open. Bet In-Running.

Ice Hockey World Cup Semi-Finals play out this weekend with the top 4 teams vying for the trophy.

NASCAR has it’s last race before the playoffs.