It’s the first day of ESPN college football picks but there is still plenty of money to be made against the sportsbooks in the NFL. Here is an actual premium NFL pick from ScoresOddsPicks, part of the OffshoreInsiders.com Network.

New York Jets at Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5) – Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET

The Eagles improved to 2-1 in the preseason after last week’s 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL betting fans have been anxious for a peak at new Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb and, so far, the results haven’t been pretty. Kolb hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass yet and went just 11-25 for 103 yards and a pick against the Chiefs. Now Philly will probably rely on its back ups for most of this game and send Kolb into the regular season after three poor exhibition efforts.

The Jets lost 16-11 to Washington last week, dropping them to 1-2 during the preseason. Nobody is panicking quite yet, but New York has mustered just 36 points through three games. Considering quarterback Mark Sanchez was team’s weak link last year, it’s not exactly inspiring him to play average at best—and usually much worse than that—so far. Like Kolb, he probably won’t see much action on Thursday.

These are two similar teams—young, struggling quarterbacks who have their respective fan bases feeling a little nervous as the regular season approaches. New York can take solace in one thing, though: the defense is already in midseason form. From top to bottom, the Jets’ “D” has looked good. ScoresOddsPicks official bet and premium play: Expect more of the same and a New York cover on Thursday.

For more information: Professional gamblers are not going to let up. Get the first two of many NCAAF winners already up for the Thursday card. The pro bettors have also added two NFLX for Thursday. It includes the ESPN Best Bet, yes a “named play” USC/Hawaii. The biggest pick is the ESPN Best Bet USC-Hawaii from ScoresOddsPicks.

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OffshoreInsiders.com has issued a point spread alert for the USC vs. Hawaii game. For NCAA football point spreads the best place to bet the South Cal Trojans is SBG Global where USC is -21 and -105.

The best place to bet the Rainbows is BetUs at +21.5 The top sportsbook to bet the under is also there at 54.

This game is Lane Kiffin’s first as head coach at USC.  They are on a 16-0 straight up mark outside the conference. Though just 15-34 outright to the Pac-10 Conference, the Rainbows of Hawaii are 19-15 in home openers.

Southern Cal lost five of their top 10 tacklers from last year.

To bet the over, the top choice is Bodog at 53.5

College football power ratings have USC -20, giving Hawaii a slight edge because the current line lands on a key number.

Top expert pick on this game: Professional gamblers are not going to let up at ScoresOdds. Get the first two of many NCAAF winners already up for the Thursday card. The pro bettors have also added two NFLX for Thursday. It includes the ESPN Best Bet, yes a “named play” USC/Hawaii. The picks from the lowest priced winning service are up from ScoresOddsPicks.

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Marshall vs. Ohio State Las Vegas betting odds are up for college football picks and predictions.

The bookmaker’s point spread is Ohio State -28 with the NCAA point spread at 28.5 in some shop. The posted online sportsbook’s total is 47.

Doc Holliday is making his debut at Marshall head coach. Don’t assume it’s a blowout as in their only meeting in 2004, Ohio State won by a thin 24-21 margin. Ohio State returns most key cogs from the fifth ranked defense.

NCAA football power ratings say that the Buckeyes should be laying 24, hence an edge to the Thundering Herd.

Top expert pick on this game: There is nobody better in football than Center of the Handicapping Universe GodsTips. Baseball and football Wise Guy plays are a perfect 4-0 this week including underdog Arizona and Houston Wednesday. Get a college football Wise Guy, three CFB Majors and two NFL Majors. GodsTips is the winningest sports service in history in terms of units won going back to the 1980s scorephone days. Get GodsTips entire card for just $17 and also check out the incredible full-season pass.

Where to bet this game: Bodog has a 60% bonus on your first deposit plus a 60% bonus when you reload into your account. Other options include a 25% on the first deposit by anyone that clients refer to Bodog

This game is being broadcast on the Big 10 Network. For game tickets or to listen to the satellite radio broadcast, check out the OffshoreInsiders.com store.

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College football odds and beating the sportsbook return Thursday. Ohio State and USC will be among four Top-25 teams kicking off their seasons that evening. The Buckeyes are primed to make a championship run; the Trojans have the talent but are ineligible after being slapped with NCAA sanctions in the offseason.

Marshall at No. 2 Ohio State (-28.5) – Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

The Buckeyes are massive favorites on Thursday, as well they should be. Ohio State isn’t just gunning for another Big Ten title—it’s after the National Championship. OSU is primed to go, and its title hopes largely rest on the shoulders of Terrell Pryor. Pryor is a Heisman caliber player but he needs to maintain consistency from wire-to-wire. That begins with the season opener against Marshall.

The Thundering Herd, meanwhile, are embarking on a new era as Doc Holliday takes over the team. Not only does Holliday return 14 starters from a team that went 7-6 last season, he hauled in a pretty respectable recruiting class. Like OSU, Marshall is looking for a little more consistency under center, though quarterback Brian Anderson can’t hold a candle to Pryor.

Marshall has some talent on both sides of the ball, but it’s not ready to hang with a legit championship contender. Sure, the Buckeyes want a little more consistency from Pryor, but he’ll make mincemeat out of the Thunder Herd. Throw in a great “D” that will overwhelm Marshall’s inexperienced backfield, and covering the 28.5-point spread doesn’t seem like a stretch at all.  ScoresOddsPicks.com says take the Buckeyes to cover.

For more information: Yes this game is an actual premium pick, but not the biggest one. Professional gamblers are not going to let up. Get the first two of many NCAAF winners already up for the Thursday card. The pro bettors have also added two NFLX for Thursday. It includes the ESPN Best Bet, yes a “named play” USC/Hawaii. ScoresOddsPicks USC-Hawaii lock is up right now.

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U.S. open tennis betting has technically commenced but it’s not too late to make our futures picks. Here’s a look at the top three hottest picks among the men and women right now.

MEN

1.         ROGER FEDERER (2 to 1 at Bodog)

Even if the Swiss Mister is starting to slip ever so slightly at age 29, it’s hard to bet against a man who won five straight times at Flushing Meadows from 2004 to 2008. Federer is beatable of late, having lost to guys like Marcos Baghdatis, Ernests Gulbis and several other surprise victors this season. But Federer has still reached the semi-final or better in 23 straight Grand Slams, so he remains an excellent pick.

2.         RAFAEL NADAL (10 to 3 at Bodog.com)

There’s no one playing better than Nadal this year. He had won five of six tournaments before falling to Andy Murray in Toronto and he already has a pair of Grand Slams to his name in 2010. However, the U.S. open has historically been Rafa’s Achilles’ heel; he’s never even reached the final at Flushing Meadows.

3.         ANDY MURRAY (7 to 2 )

Andy Murray’s Toronto victory makes him a tempting pick, as it’s often a smart sports betting play to ride the hot hand. But Murray is ho-hum at best in his career at the U.S. Open. He was impressive in 2008, beating Nadal en route to the final, but Federer blew him out. He’s never passed the round of 16 aside from that effort.

Free pick: Even though history isn’t on his side, Rafael Nadal is playing so well that I’d advise bettors to take him at that solid value.

WOMEN

1.         KIM CLIJSTERS (10 to 3 )

Clijsters is the consensus top pick and the top choice among the women at this sports betting blog. She’s the defending champion and has three titles already this season. She beat Maria Sharapova, another big U.S. Open favorite, in the final at the Cincinnati Masters.

2.         MARIA SHARAPOVA (9 to 2 )

Anna Kournikova 2.0 she is not. Maria Sharapova is more than just a pretty face and she’s finally starting to show that her nagging shoulder injury is behind her. She has two wins two her name this season and seems to be peaking in time for the U.S. Open.

3.         CAROLINE WOZNIACKI (11 to 2 )

The good: Caroline Wozniacki has played very well this season, winning four tournaments. She also offers pretty solid value at 11 to 2. The bad: she hasn’t yet proven that she can compete in the Grand Slam tournaments. Do you take a chance on her or make her prove herself on the big stage first?

Free pick: Kim Clijsters has the pedigree and is playing well this season. She’s the lower-reward pick but the smart pick nonetheless.

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College football betting is finally back, with the regular season starting this week. Let’s have a look at the trends to watch for—starting with the Thursday games.

Marshall vs (2) Ohio State

They’re massive underdogs but can the Thundering Herd at least help bettingsharps by beating the spread in Week 1? Marshall is 4-1 ATS over its last five road games dating back to last season. It has a tall order against the BCS championship contender Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 5-1 ATS over their last six home games. And Marshall is a slow starter, going 4-10 ATS over its last 14 September games.

Southern Mississippi vs South Carolina

Southern Miss doesn’t scare easily away from home, having gong 5-2 ATS over its last seven road contests. But the Golden Eagles struggle against the SEC, winning just two of their last eight ATS versus that conference. South Carolina tends to start strong, having beaten the spread in its last four September games.

Minnesota vs Middle Tennessee State

The Golden Gophers don’t do so well when they stray from their lair. Minnesota is just 1-4 ATS in its last five non-conference games. Middle Tennessee State has the oddsmakers fooled; the Blue Raiders have beaten seven consecutive spreads. Expect the score to trend OVER in this sports betting matchup, as both teams are 4-1 over their last five games on turf.

Northern Illinois vs Iowa State

Something has to give when two hot September teams face off. Northern Illinois is 5-1 ATS over its last six September games but the Iowa State Cyclones are 8-3 ATS over their last 11 in September. Worth noting on this sports betting blog; Northern Illinois has lost five straight road games ATS and the trends strongly favor the UNDER. The under is 6-1 over the Huskies’ last seven non-conference games and 6-0 in the Cyclones’ last six home games.

(15) Pittsburgh vs (24) Utah

The Utah Utes usually treat bettors well in non-conference action, having gone 27-12-1 ATS over their last 40 against non-neighbors. But they also tend to play in more shootouts outside their conference; the OVER is 10-2-1 over the Utes’ last 13 non-conference games. With Dion Lewis in Pittsburgh’s lineup, we could see the point total spike again. Pittsburgh finished last season strongly, going 5-2 ATS over their last seven, but the Panthers are 2-6 ATS over their last eight September games.

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Oh the football sports betting service picks are ready, but now the Dancing with the Stars cast has been named.

The CNN ticker people are giddy now that they have another excuse to have the name “Palin” in a front page headline 10-15 times a day. Oh the Huffington Post will have the venom spewing.

The Dancing with the Stars cast has been revealed and this season, it’s an eclectic bunch of characters that will be sure to get viewers tuning in.

Want to know what a conversation between Michael Bolton and The Situation would be like? Well, now we’ll get to find out. These two couldn’t be more different – and they’ll up against the likes of David Hasselhoff and Bristol Palin. What a crew!

Also included in the cast is former NFL quaterback Kurt Warner, The Hills actress Audrina Patridge (we’re guessing The Situation will try to tap that) and Dirty Dancing actress Jennifer Grey.

Recording artist Brandy Norwood, who hasn’t been heard from since her involvement in a 2006 car accident that killed another driver, will be strapping on her dance shoes in an attempt to make a bit of a comeback. Joining them in the lineup are comedian Margaret Cho, Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson, actor and former basketball star Rick Fox and That’s So Raven actor Kyle Massey.

Who do you think will prevail this season? We’re thinking Jennifer Grey has a good shot since she was in the movie Dirty Dancing and therefore has a background in dancing. We’re also thinking that a ton of Jersey Shore fans will be tuning in to vote for The Situation, no matter what his dance moves are like. Florence Henderson will play the “I can dance well for my age” card, and she was on Broadway for a long time, so she must have rhythm, right?

How much longer with the Jersey Shore’s fame last? Bet on these and other fun entertainment props in the Bodog today!

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Dancing With the Stars Season 11 starts tonight. Glen Beck’s the Blaze commences today, but the sports betting handicapping hub remains ablaze.

If only weather handicappers could predict the Hurricane Earl path as well as Matt Rivers picks MLB. He has a free pick Tuesday is on the A’s.

Last night I backed the Yankees right here at that dirt-cheap price and it worked out pretty well. Now I am reversing course and will take my chances with the big dog A’s.

The Yankees are clearly the far superior squad and probably the best team in the game today. Even without Arod the Pinstripers are awesome and loaded and a total force. With that said though I don’t fully trust Phil Hughes who has thrown a lot of innings and has not been the same guy after the phenomenal first few months to the season.

Hughes was unreal to begin the season but was then held back a bit by the organization and that seemed to stem his momentum and things have just not gone as well. Oakland is far from an offensive juggernaut so Hughes may be all right here but Vin Mazzaro has been extremely stellar and at this price why not back the capable enough visitors?

Take out one poor start in late June in Texas and Mazzaro has literally hurled 9 straight quality starts. Even superstar aces have trouble pulling off such an incredible feat. The guy may only have a 6-6 record but he has been beyond consistent and should once again go at least six or seven solid innings.

It’s asking a ton of the inferior visitors but as long as Mazzaro doesn’t just all of a sudden lose it and fall apart I can’t help taking back a price in the range of $2.

The pick: Oakland +170

For more information: This is far from the greatest slate I have ever seen but I have isolated one play that I expect to cash that ticket. I’m not raising that bar and going bawls to the wall but still a solid 300,000* nonetheless. One play, one winner, a 300,000* between the Tigers and Twins. Is this a solid underdog lock or a run-line special? You’ll see. Click now to purchase or for more information and a free pick

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Remember the days of the scorephone Tailgate Party when you’d get the famed “free trends”? We have them here, but you don’t have to suffer through the self-promotion of that flat tire Chris Jordan on his uber late reports.

Week 1 of our college football betting trends coverage continues with Friday action and the early games on Saturday.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

Arizona vs Toledo

Neither team enters this Friday nighter with much sportsbook momentum. Arizona is 2-7 against the spread over its last nine games whereas the Toledo Rockets are 1-4 ATS over their last five. You may want to avoid the unpredictable over/under. The OVER is 16-7 over Toledo’s last seven home games but the UNDER is 6-1 over the Wildcats’ last seven.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

Western Michigan vs Michigan State

Sports betting sharps have to pick between the lesser of two evils in this all-Michigan matchup, as neither school has performed well against the spread of late. Western Michigan is just 2-8 ATS over its last 10 road games but Michigan State is only 3-7 over its last 10 at home. Something has to give.

Miami (OH) vs (3) Florida

The Miami Ohio Redhawks have a tall order against a Florida team anxious to show it can play without Tim Tebow. The Gators are 4-1 ATS over their last five at home and like to beat teams making long trips; they’re 21-7 ATS in their last 28 matchups against non-conference opponents. Miami has lost five straight September games ATS.

Lafayette vs (21) Georgia

Could the Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns pull off an upset against the spread on Saturday afternoon? They’re 5-2 ATS over their last seven September contests overall. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are not a spread-friendly team. They’re 7-15 ATS over their last 15 and 1-4 ATS over their last five in September. The UNDER looks solid here, however. It’s 4-1 over Lafayette’s last five and 4-1-1 over Georgia’s last six at home.

Illinois vs Missouri

The NCAA football betting trends are ice-cold for Illinois and red-hot for Missouri here. Illinois is 4-11 ATS over its last 15 and 1-7 ATS over its last eight non-conference games. Meanwhile,  Missouri has beaten seven straight spreads playing on turf and nine of its last 11 spreads in September. The kicker is the head-to-head record. Missouri has beaten the spread five straight times against Illinois.

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As the Carpenters said, “We’ve only just begun,” but here is part one of the sports betting tip sheet for college football picks to go with college football spread trends (podcast) like our old scorephone roots.

Thursday, April 2

Minnesota vs. Middle Tennessee State

MTSU’s appropriately named QB Dwight Dashers is suspended, which means sophomore Logan Kilgore will get his first snap as starter. Dasher was the Sunbelt preseason offensive player of the year.

Pittsburgh vs. Utah

The Panthers have a first-time starter at QB, two new starting CBs and a new MLB. QB Tino Sunseri is a redshirt sophomore with 17 passes, none as a starter.

Saturday, September 4

Syracuse vs. Akron

It’s a game of uncertainty against the NCAA Football Odds. Akron has a completely new coaching staff, while the Orange will have a lot of young players playing key roles. RB Averin Collier is academically ineligible for ‘Cuse. A lot was expected of the sophomore who averaged 6.8 yards per carry last year and scored two touchdowns.

Utah State vs. Oklahoma

One of the top DT in the country, the Sooners Adrian Taylor is a game-time decision.

Miami Ohio vs. Florida

Sports handicappers are concerned that the Gators are without two offensive tackles Xavier Nixon and Matt Matchan. The shuffling is done as John Brantley makes his first start in the post Tim Tebow era.

Sunday, September 5

SMU vs. Texas Tech

It’s the first game as head coach Tommy Tuberville at Texas Tech. He is expected to continue the high-powered offense though hiring former coach Neal Brown as offensive coordinator. Troy averaged 487.5 yards per game last year, third in the nation.

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