Those who bet on college football will always check to see who the quarterbacks are in a matchup they’re considering betting on, and in the major leagues, starting pitchers are one of the most important things to monitor.  A pair of aces will take to the hill on Thursday when Minnesota heads to Texas to wrap up a four-game set between division leaders.

Twins Rangers Betting – Thursday, August 26, 8:05 PM ET

Francisco Liriano (11-7, 3.45) was roughed up a bit in a 7-6 win at home over the White Sox, but he took a no-decision by allowing five runs on six hits over five innings, walking four and striking out five in an inconsistent performance.  Liriano has pitched a lot over the last year or so, and the Twins are worried about a workload problem as this is the second time in three starts that he’s given up four runs or more.  The 26-year-old has faced the Rangers, making three starts, and he has a 1-1 record against them with a 4.74 ERA.  Four of his appearances have come in the Ballpark, where he earned his only decisions, and has an ERA of 4.50.

The arrival of Cliff Lee (10-7, 3.09) was big enough to make those who do offshore NFL betting stand up and take notice, and it’s made the Rangers an intriguing team to face in the playoffs.  However, he’s in a bit of a slump as he was rocked for eight runs on 10 hits over 5.2 innings in an 8-6 loss in Baltimore.  Lee was taken deep four times by the Orioles after not allowing a homer in his previous five starts, and he’s now given up 14 runs in his last 13.1 innings.  The 31-year-old southpaw is a solid 8-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 18 starts against the Twins, who saw plenty of Lee when he was in Cleveland.

MLB betting odds should favor the Rangers at the Ballpark, where they were 41-23 as of Wednesday.  Neither of these pitchers have been at the top of their game lately, for different reasons: Liriano may be being overworked, while Lee has a long (and well-deserved) leash from manager Ron Washington, and he probably should have been taken earlier in his last three starts.  Lee has also been an innings horse for last few seasons, and he is 31 years old, so it’s something to watch.  But Liriano has thrown over 200 innings in the past year after his past injury problems, so they may be getting worried.  We’re betting on Lee to get his act together before Liriano as he knows that he has to round into form before the playoffs come around.

Online sports betting pick: Texas

Today’s college football preview from Bodog begins with the Michigan Wolverines (12/1 Big Ten odds). Rich Rodriguez’s defection to the Wolverines managed to screw over not only one but two teams; he left West Virginia in a lurch while winning just eight games for the Wolverines over the past two years. Now his job might be on the line.

The Michigan offense did make tremendous strides last year, finishing seventh in the country in yards per game. Quarterback isn’t settled heading into 2010, but whoever wins between Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, and Devin Gardner should be very effective. They’ll have a pretty talented receiving corps to work with.

After struggling mightily on “D” last year, Michigan is switching to the 3-3-5. The Wolverines are desperate to find answers against the run after allowing over 170 yards per game last year. The secondary is green.

Get your NCAA Football Odds in the Bodog Sportsbook! Grandmaster Sports Handicapper Joe Duffy’s expert take: The one-time powerhouse is destined for a 7^th place finish. None of our models have them finishing higher than a 5^th place tie and some have them tied for eighth.

Bring back Lloyd Carr.

The Texas A&M Aggies aren’t favorites to win the Big 12 (16/1 odds), but they should show some improvement after a 6-7 campaign. They’re next in today’s college football preview.

The Aggies were very, very young last season—they played 18 freshmen in at least one game, the second-highest total in the country. Quarterback Jerrod Johnson should be in Heisman contention; he’s a threat to throw and run the football. The line has some holes that need plugging, however, and Johnson was sacked 29 times last year.

The defense will be transitioning to a 3-4 base scheme. There are some great toys to play with, namely senior Von Miller; he racked up 17 sacks last year and will fit nicely into a fantastic linebacking corps. The pass defense leaves much to be desired, however. The poor effort is all the more perplexing considering how strong the pass rush was.

Get your NCAA Football Odds in the Bodog Sportsbook! Grandmaster Sports Handicapper Joe Duffy’s expert take: It is one heck of a battle for No. 3 in the Big 12 South. Texas Tech and Texas A&M will battle for the right to finish behind the Big 2 Texas and Oklahoma.

We have Tech third and A&M fourth in a photo finish.

Courtesy of OddsShark.com: Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Rays continue their series against the Angels in Los Angeles, while the Reds look for a victory over the Giants out in San Francisco.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Tuesday offers up Oakland at Cleveland, Kansas City at Detroit, the Yankees at Toronto, Seattle at Boston, Minnesota at Texas, Baltimore at the White Sox, and Tampa Bay at Los Angeles. Wade Davis (9-9, 4.45 ERA) will get the ball for the Rays on Tuesday, while the Angels counter with Ervin Santana (13-8, 3.93 ERA). Righthander Davis (sore shoulder) is expected to come off the disabled list for Tuesday’s start; he was knocked around by the Twins in his last outing on August 5, allowing six runs over six innings of work. Righthander Santana has picked up the win in each of his last three starts, holding the Red Sox to two runs on four hits over seven innings last time out. Los Angeles is 5-1 in Santana’s last six starts.

Over in the National League on Tuesday it’s then St. Louis at Pittsburgh, Houston at Philadelphia, the Cubs at Washington, Florida at the Mets, the Dodgers at Milwaukee, Atlanta at Colorado, Arizona at San Diego, and Cincinnati at San Francisco. Tim Wood (4-1, 2.51 ERA) is slated to go up against Jonathan Sanchez (9-8, 3.47 ERA) in that Reds/Giants matchup. Lefthander Wood won for the fourth straight time in his last start, surrendering just one run on four hits over 6 1-3 innings against the Diamondbacks. Lefthander Sanchez dazzled the Phillies in a win last time out, giving up just one run on two hits over his eight innings of work. Sanchez walked two and fanned seven that day.

Here are the sportsbooks odds for week 3 of preseason football

It’s an indisputable fact that the top football handicappers are at OffshoreInsiders.com, but now the secrets as to why they become the nation’s No. 1 sports handicapping website are out.

Super handicapper Matt Rivers has a free winner for Tuesday is on the Orioles +159 at BetUs against the Chicago White Sox.

Honestly, I may be getting the better team here plus a boatload. Is Chicago even a good team right now? Seriously? Sure the “good guys” had a great great 6-8 week stretch where they came back from 9 games out to claim the division lead but that is now a thing of the past as the Twins have seized control of the division and right now the ChiSox are just not very good.

Baltimore’s record may be atrocious and I’m not saying that the Orioles are good but they have been playing a lot better ball since Buck Showalter arrived and with at least a professional hurler in Jerremy Guthrie on the bump today why can’t they win another game? Gavin Floyd has been great for a few months now but this last two starts have been a disaster against the good hitting but not great hitting Twins and right now I wouldn’t consider Floyd great or am too afraid of him.

Roberts, Markakis, Wieters, Scott and Jones form a squad that is pretty dangerous. Throw these guys in a hitter’s park like US Cellular and we may see a power display for sure. I’m not saying that the O’s can’t get shut down a bit by Floyd if the righthander is on his game but at this price we have too much going for us to not give this thing a go.

The pick: Baltimore at Bodog

For more information: A rare losing day on Monday, it unfortunately happens every now and then. Now to a trio of Tuesday winners as I continue the bashing of that Crookie. My 400,000* plays have been money and have also been the most powerful play I have released over the past few months. Another one is here from Citi Field between the Marlins and Mets. Bonus 200,000* Atlanta-Colorado and 100,000* Houston-Philadelphia.  Want Matt Rivers picks? Get them now.

Make no mistake; college football betting fans never forget about the Mountain West Conference anymore. Over the last few seasons, a few upstart schools haven’t simply dominated their own conference competition; they’ve vaulted into the national title discussion. Will schools like TCU finally earn the BCS’ full respect?

Here’s a look at the top sportsbook contenders in the MWC this season.

TCU (1 to 20)

The Horned Frogs are without a doubt the team to beat in the Mountain West. They were undefeated last year and boasted the nation’s top defense in 2009. In 2010, they return quarterback Andy Dalton and four of five starters on their O-line. With a ferocious “D” and competent offense, anything less than another conference title would be a failure for TCU this year.

Utah (10 to 1)

Utah has plenty going for it too and may have a chip on its shoulder as it plays in the MWC for one more year before trying its luck in the Pac-10. Jordan Wynn and Eddie Whide, not to mention a solid O-line, will pace the offense. The problem for Utah is defense; all the Utes’ linebackers are gone. Since they can’t keep opponents off the board like TCU can, they’re behind the eight ball.

BYU (12 to 1)

Sigh. It was fun while it lasted for BYU, wasn’t it? 2009 was thrilling as can be for the Cougars – especially when they earned the MWC major sports betting respect with wins over Oklahoma and Oregon State. But it’s tough to imagine a repeat of their 11-2 record when they have new faces at all their offensive skill positions.

Air Force (20 to 1)

Could Air Force step up and become the MWC’s No. 3 team? It fits the defensive bill, having finished fifth in the country against the pass last season. But I’m not sure Tim Jefferson has the support to carry this offense – even though the triple option is exciting.

Today’s free pick

The MWC is heavy at the top and weak at the bottom, which is why only four teams get mentioned as contenders here. If any other team would challenge them, I’d guess it would be Wyoming. But TCU looks like a great pick to repeat. BYU will take a step back; Air Force is still a project. Utah isn’t a complete enough team on both sides of the ball. That leaves the Horned Frogs to dominate again.

One of the great online sportsbooks for NFL betting previews the ESPN Monday Night Football game between Arizona and Tennessee.

Vince Young has gotten the best of Matt Leinart the past two times the quarterbacks have faced off, so will VY make it three in a row tonight in Nashville when the Titans host Arizona? Tennessee is a 4-point favorite on Bodog’s NFL odds and there will be live betting available.

Of course Young led his Texas team over Leinart’s top-ranked USC Trojans in the 2006 Rose Bowl, and last season Young threw for a career-high 387 yards and the game-winning touchdown as time expired against the Cardinals in a game Leinart started because Kurt Warner was injured. There’s obviously not quite as much at stake tonight as the previous meetings.

The Tennessee starters are expected to play into the second quarter. Young will start, followed by Kerry Collins, Chris Simms and Rusty Smith. Young was 5-for-7 for 78 yards and pick in the Titans’ 20-18 loss to the Seahawks in the preseason opener. Star running back Chris Johnson had five carries in that one and should get more tonight. Defensive end William Hayes (knee), defensive tackle Tony Brown (knee), linebacker David Thornton (shoulder), cornerback Cortland Finnegan (groin) and receiver Justin Gage (thumb) are out. Defensive end Derrick Morgan (calf), the team’s first-round pick this year, is also not expected to play.

For Arizona, star receiver Larry Fitzgerald is out with a knee injury, and fellow WR Early Doucet (abdomen) also is expected to sit. Linebacker Gerald Hayes (back) also is out. The Cardinals’ first-team offense didn’t look good in the opening 19-16 win over Houston. Leinart was 6 of 7 for 49 yards but was sacked a few times and misconnected with Tim Hightower on a handoff for a fumble. He then bailed on the usual starting quarterback post-game news conference. Leinart should play nearly a half tonight and will again be followed by Derek Anderson, who threw two picks against Houston.

Get all your NFL preseason odds and props at Bodog

Top expert picks on today’s card…

Stop the presses! The pro bettors at ScoresOddsPicks have the one and only MNF Preseason Game of the Year between the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. ScoresOddsPicks bombshell up now

Sports betting enthusiasts will remember the fanfare in which the Cubs brought Sweet Lou Piniella to town just prior to the 2007 season. In his first two seasons, Lou took his team to the playoffs. Last season he came oh so close but just missed the NL wild card berth. This year the Cubs are awful. Lou has had enough. He didn’t even wait until the season was over, he quit last week.

As NFL betting and NCAA football betting are getting ramped up, the Washington Nationals are once again getting swept under the carpet in the Washington, DC. Not only are the Nationals fading into obscurity again in Washington, but they are quickly extinguishing the flames of hope that they fanned so early in the season.

Pitching sensation Stephen Strasburg was supposed to be the second coming of Ronald Reagan in Washington, DC. He was going to raise the Nationals from the dead and make them contenders. He was going to be the catalyst that built a winning baseball team in a town infatuated with its football and hockey teams. He was going to be the future of the Nationals.

Strasburg may very well still be the future of the Washington Nationals, but the Nationals will spend the next couple of seasons paying for their very bad decision to rush Strasburg into the lineup rather than getting him much-needed experience in AAA ball. First Strasburg was benched due to exhaustion. He had never played so much in his career before. He would have gotten that experience in AAA. Then he hurt his shoulder because of fatigue from pitching, and now he is out for the season with an injured wrist. The Nationals are back to square one.

The Cubs watched years of hopes and dreams drift away again as not even Sweet Lou could save the team this season. The MLB betting world watched as the Cubs sank to their current place in the NL Central standings which is 21 and half games back of the lead. The Cubs are out of the pennant race, out of the NL wild card race and now they are without their manager.

This game is a battle between two teams that are desperately trying to establish direction. The Cubs will be sending veteran pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the mound with his 4-6 record and 4.97 ERA. The Nationals will put John Lannan on the mound. Lannan has showed potential all season long. His record is 5-5 and his ERA is 5.13. In his last start he held the NL East leading Atlanta Braves scoreless for five innings and eventually got the win.

It is hoped that both the Cubs and the Nationals have learned from their past mistakes. This game will feature players auditioning to play in MLB next season. Some will be back with the Cubs and the Nationals, some will not. But whatever the Cubs and Nationals do in the off-season, it needs to point towards a more defined and positive direction for both teams.

Pick: Washington Nationals 4-1

Sports bettors and the top professional handicappers agree that one of the strongest bets is today’s contest between the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.

Star WR Larry Fitzgerald is among those missing for Arizona. The Cardinals enter 1-0 straight up, the Titans 0-1.  The preseason series it tied 2-2, but they have not met since 199.

Thus OffshoreInsiders.com is releasing a major sports betting alert on this game. Las Vegas scores and odds have the line posted at Tennessee -4 with a total of 47.

NFL power ratings say that the offshore and Vegas betting odds should be the Titans -2.5, so there is strong value on the Cardinals because it crosses over a key number.

The best place to bet this game is at 5 Dimes as they have a 50 percent plus new player reward.

Betting picks and predictions: The Coach Potato is the premier television handicapper in the world. In 1988 after having success as a handicapper, investing 70-plus hours per week, he opted to streamline and concentrate on only national TV games. His efficiency has paid off hitting at least 58 % in college and pro football and basketball. All plays are rated equally. First pick since July 6^th as he’s been building up to his beloved NFL and college football. It’s on the Cardinals/Titans total. The top industry side and total are both up now on the MasterLockLine.

ESPN Monday Night Football sees the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals battling it out. Tennessee is a four-point favorite with a total of 47. Here is the official betting preview from the top NFL handicappers in sports betting.

The starters will play into the second quarter for the Titans. Vince Young gets the start at QB, but it looks like he will be the first of four. Two journeymen failed starting QBs follow Kerry Collins and Chris Simms, while Rusty Smith mops up.

Matt Leinart will play nearly a half at QB for the Cardinals, though some starters will be pulled early in the second quarter. Derek Anderson relieves the lion heart behind center. Undrafted rookie Max Hall has looked great in training camp and is expected to finally play.

The Redbirds are thinned at WR. Larry Fitzgerald and Early Doucet are out. Also not playing are TE Ben Patrick and LB Gerald Hayes.

Here are Titans injuries: Defensive end William Hayes (knee), defensive tackle Tony Brown (knee), linebacker David Thornton (shoulder), cornerback Cortland Finnegan (groin) and receiver Justin Gage (thumb) are out. Defensive end Derrick Morgan (calf) is not expected to play. Defensive end Jacob Ford (leg), defensive tackle Jason Jones (soreness), and cornerbacks Tye Hill (hamstring) and Ryan Mouton (groin) are questionable.

Top expert pick on this game: Stop the presses! The pro bettors at ScoresOddsPicks have the one and only MNF Preseason Game of the Year between the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. Click now to purchase this winner for just $12.