Jay Cutler affected the NFL odds of two teams this summer: Chicago’s got a boost with his acquisition, while Denver’s dropped quicker than the Titanic. Cutler said that Chicago fans are better than Denver fans, and he’ll get his response when the Bears head to Invesco Field at Mile High on Sunday night.

Bears vs Broncos odds – Sunday, August 30, 8:00 PM ET

Cutler was 8-of-13 for 121 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bears to a 17-3 win over the Giants at home, which was a much better performance than his debut against Buffalo. The Bears were well balanced, passing for 222 yards while rushing for 150 yards, but they did commit 11 penalties in the game. The Bears are one of the top NFL picks to reach the playoffs, and possibly win their division, but they’re not good enough yet to make that many mistakes.

Kyle Orton proved in his three-pick showing against San Francisco that he needed all the reps he could get, and he improved in a 27-13 loss to Seattle. Orton was 18-of-26 for 182 yards and a touchdown, but he did throw another pick as well. Orton will have loads of motivation in this game, as he was criticized in Chicago constantly before he was involved in the Cutler deal. This is his chance to quiet the fans who were on his back, and get some of his new fans on his side, because there are lots of people in Denver waiting for him to fail.

The Broncos are 2.5-point offshore sportsbook favorites at home in this contest, and the Bears have split their four trips to Denver, the most recent of which came in 2006, a 19-10 win for Chicago. We’ll see a lot of Cutler and Orton as this will be their last major action before the regular season begins, and it’ll be interesting to see how Cutler handles the reaction of the Denver fans, which we’re willing to bet won’t be positive. He had some fans who had taken his side, but the comments about Chicago fans being better probably struck a nerve. It doesn’t really matter, though. The Broncos are terrible, and Orton has no business being a No.1 quarterback in the NFL. Take the Bears in your handicapping software.

Put down this week’s NFL odds for a minute and check out this potentially explosive series on the baseball diamond, as Texas heads to Yankee Stadium to face the Yankees. New York can actually do their rivals from Boston a favor, as the Rangers opened this series trailing the Red Sox by 1.5 games in the wild-card race.

Tuesday, August 25, 7:05 PM ET – Kevin Millwood (9-8, 3.48) vs Joba Chamberlain 8-3, 3.98)

Millwood has never fared that well against the Yankees, as an earlier loss dropped him to 1-4 in eight starts with a 4.50 ERA when facing the Bronx Bombers. Chamberlain has given up four runs in each of his last three starts, and was given a break by manager Joe Girardi to try and keep him fresh. In three career starts against the Rangers, Chamberlain has yet to earn a decision, but he’s got a 7.11 ERA. Still, Millwood’s road woes (2-6 in 11 starts, a 4.28 ERA) are too much to give the Rangers the online betting edge.

MLB betting pick: Yankees

Wednesday, August 26, 7:05 PM ET – Derek Holland (7-7, 4.72) vs Andy Pettitte (10-6, 4.25)

Holland has given up eight runs in 6.1 innings against the Yankees this season, losing one of his two outings. Pettitte was tagged for five runs in five innings in Boston, and he hasn’t been all that good at Yankee Stadium, where he is 4-4 in 13 starts with a 4.83 ERA. Holland’s been on a roll in August, as he is 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA this month. Go with the Rangers in an upset in Wednesday’s MLB picks.

MLB betting pick: Rangers

Thursday, August 27, 1:05 PM ET – Dustin Nippert (4-2. 3.95) vs A.J. Burnett (10-7, 4.08)

Nippert allowed four earned runs in five innings of a 5-3 loss in Tampa Bay, and he was taken deep twice. The 6’8” righthander has never faced the Yankees, so nerves could be an issue. Burnett was rocked for nine runs in five innings of a loss in Boston, and three Red Sox players hit dingers off him. Maybe a visit from the Rangers is just what he needs as Burnett has won both of his starts against Texas in 2009, posting a 2.08 ERA. The Yankees are the smart pick in your sports betting software.

MLB betting pick: Yankees

While NFL betting players have the Giants-Patriots rivalry, it doesn’t hold a candle to when Boston and the Yankees get together on the diamond. The Red Sox won the first eight games of the season series before the Yankees swept them in four in the Big Apple. This weekend’s series takes place at Fenway Park.

Friday, August 21, 7:10 – Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.09) vs Brad Penny (7-7. 5.22)

Pettitte is 0-1 in two starts against the Red Sox this year despite a 2.08 ERA, but he’s coming off a season-high 10 strikeouts at Seattle, and he’s 5-2 in 11 road starts to go with a 3.17 ERA. Penny tossed six scoreless innings in his lone meeting with the Yankees this year, but he ended up with a no-decision in a 4-3 victory. However, he needs to right the ship soon as he’s 0-2 in three August starts so far, racking up a 6.11 ERA. Give the online betting edge to the veteran southpaw.

MLB betting pick: Yankees

Saturday, August 22, 4:10 – A.J. Burnett (10-6, 3.69) vs Junichi Tazawa (1-2, 5.40)

Burnett’s line in his last meeting with the Red Sox was a typical Burnett outing: 7.2 innings, one hit, six walks, six strikeouts in what turned out to be a 2-0 15-inning win for the Yankees. That no-decision took him to 0-1 in three starts against the Red Sox in 2009, and he’s not afraid to go to Fenway, where he is 3-1 in five career starts with a 3.56 ERA. Tazawa is making his third start of his career and fourth outing overall, and he gave up the homer to Alex Rodriguez that gave the Yankees that 2-0 win. Imagine having that as your big-league debut. I have a feeling it won’t get much better for him in Saturday’s baseball picks, either.

MLB betting pick: Yankees

Sunday, August 23, 8:05 PM ET – C.C. Sabathia (14-7, 3.58) vs Josh Beckett (14-4, 3.38)

This will be the toughest pick of the weekend for your gambling software, as these aces are tied for the American League lead in wins. Sabathia has split a pair of meetings with the Red Sox this year, throwing a two-hitter over 7.2 innings in a 5-0 shutout. Beckett is coming off his worst outing the year, giving up seven runs in 5.1 innings against Toronto, and he’s been taken deep five times in his last two starts. He’s also 2-0 in four starts against the Yankees this year, with a career mark of 9-4 and an ERA of 5.03 in 16 starts. He may not get the decision, but Beckett will do enough to keep the Yankees from sweeping Boston in their own stadium, so go with the Red Sox in Sunday’s MLB picks.

MLB betting pick: Red Sox

While most people have being focusing on the NFL betting that’s now in full swing, they might have missed the fact that there is a changing of the guards in the National League.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been the best team in the Majors but they are struggling right now. They are just 3-7 in their last 10 and have been playing .500 baseball since the All-Star Break.

Those betting online should note that the St. Louis Cardinals are making a push to become the best team in baseball. They have been on fire since they acquired slugger Matt Holliday and with the pitching to complement what is now a very potent batting lineup, the Cardinals could be the World Series favorites now in the National League.

St. Louis Cardinals @ Los Angeles Dodgers

The Cardinals and Dodgers pitching matchup on Wednesday is an exciting one. Both teams will send their hottest pitchers to the mound as Adam Wainwright takes on Clayton Kershaw.

Wainwright has been one of the most underrated pitchers in the National League this year as he doesn’t get the attention he deserves. He’s 14-7 with a 2.62 ERA. His 14 wins lead the National League, he’s second in innings pitched, and fifth in both strikeouts and ERA.

Even so, he’s not going to be among many sports picks to win the NL Cy Young, even though he should be.

Wainwright has been phenomenal after the All-Star Break. Prior to it, he had a 3.04 ERA with a 10-5 record. Post All-Star Break, his ERA is 1.30 and his record is 4-2.

Wainwright has given up just four earned runs over his last four starts (28.2 innings pitched), which puts his ERA at 1.28 over that span. He hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in a start since June 26^th.

He’ll take on Kershaw, who has been very dominant at home this season. On the road this year, Kershaw has a 5-4 record with a 4.12 ERA. At home, he’s 3-3 with a 1.86 ERA.

This should be a pitcher’s duel, which means under might be a good play but if you’re picking sides, stick with the streaking St. Louis Cardinals. They are getting better as the season winds down while the Dodgers are stumbling down the stretch. Stick with the hot team.

Sports betting system pick: Cardinals

With the preseason starting tonight, NFL betting is going to slowly start taking precedence over baseball. The MLB has had the full attention of the sporting world throughout the summer but now the seasons are changing.

Even so, there will be a very enticing pitching matchup to bet on Friday night as the Houston Astros visit the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Astros are seven games back in the Wild Card race while the Brewers are 7.5 games back. Both teams have lost ground recently after struggling in their last 10 games. The Astros are just 25-30 on the road this year while the Brewers are below .500 at home this year, just 27-28.

Houston Astros @ Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers will be the favorite in the offshore sportsbook because they are at home, but as mentioned, they haven’t played well at Miller Park this year. Even so, the Astros don’t play well on the road so it should be a fairly even matchup.

Two pitchers with sub-3.50 ERA’s take the hill as the Brewers send out their ace, Yovani Gallardo, and the Astros send out Wandy Rodriguez. Interestingly enough, both pitchers are very underrated in the national league.

The home field advantage should make a difference to the Brewers as Rodriguez has pitched much better at home than on the road. Rodriguez is 6-2 with a 1.92 ERA at home but on the road he’s 5-4 with a 3.14 ERA.

The biggest issue for him away has been allowing more walks and more hits. At home this year, his WHIP is a sparkling 1.03 but on the road, it bumps up to 1.41.

For baseball sports betting purposes, the Brewers should have a slight pitching advantage in this contest.

Gallardo has also pitched better at home this year, posting a 6-5 record with 3.11 ERA (ERA is 4.00 on the road). He bounced back well in his last start after giving up nine earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched on August 4^th.

Gallardo doesn’t get a ton of run support, which is part of the reason why he’s only 10-9. In his last eight starts, the Brewers have provided just 2.75 runs per game.

Even so, stick with the Brewers in this contest. They have the better pitcher on the mound and the home field advantage benefits their split stats.

Betting System Pick: Brewers

Like Denver’s NFL odds after the Jay Cutler trade, the Red Sox’s World Series hopes have taken a turn for the worse. OK – they’re not that bad. But the Red Sox were humiliated in New York last weekend and could slide out of a playoff spot if they don’t get hot. How will they fare in the last two games of their four-gamer at home to Detroit?

Wednesday, August 12, 7:10 p.m. ET
Armando Galarraga (6-10, 5.23) vs Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.12)

If you’re betting on the Tigers tomorrow, you may as well bet on Rich Beem’s PGA Championship odds, as you must think you have a large horseshoe you-know-where. There’s almost no chance Josh Beckett and the Red Sox lose Wednesday. In addition to shutting out opponents five times in his last 10 starts, Beckett blanked Detroit for seven innings on June 3 and has a 2.67 ERA against the Tigers in his career. He’s also 7-0 at Fenway Park this season. Need you any more reasons to pick Boston in your MLB predictions?

Pick: Red Sox

Thursday, August 13, 1:35 p.m. ET
Justin Verlander (12-6, 3.45) vs Clay Buchholz (1-2, 5.33)

Here’s where the risk-takers can have some fun. Because of Justin Verlander’s road struggles, he and the Tigers should be slight underdogs on the road Thursday afternoon. While it’s true that Verlander hasn’t been at his best lately (that shouldn’t be a surprise, as his career second-half ERA is 4.79) he still has a shot on Thursday. Even when Verlander is mediocre, his stuff remains electric; that’s why he still manages to hang around .500 away from Comerica Park. He could contain a Red Sox offense that has struggled mightily of late and was held scoreless three times in four games against the Yankees last week.

Clay Buchholz hasn’t shown yet that he belongs in the big leagues permanently. He’s walked 16 guys in 25.1 innings this season and, even though he held the Yankees to two runs in his last start, handicapping software would tell you he’s lucky, as he walked five.

Go with the more proven Verlander and the Tigers to take one back from the Red Sox.

Pick: Tigers

The NCAA football betting season will start before the NFL betting season, if you are just counting the regular seasons, but as most sports bettors know, the NFL preseason presents some betting opportunities.

The preseason kicks off with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, where the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans will square off. The Titans are a three-point favorite and there is plenty of good reasons to bet them this weekend.

Buffalo Bills vs Tennessee Titans

NFL preseason betting odds: Titans -3

When betting on the preseason, especially early in the preseason, one key factor is knowing the rotations. Since most teams won’t be playing their starters very long, the strategy is to uncover which team has more depth, particularly at the skill positions, and determine who has the better backups.

In the case of the Hall of Fame Game, the Titans clearly have the better backups.

Starting at quarterback, both starters – Trent Edwards and Kerry Collins – probably won’t see much time on the field at all. Beyond that, though, there is a big discrepancy in experience.

Behind Collins, the Titans will have quarterbacks Vince Young and Patrick Ramsey, both of whom have started several games in their NFL careers. Young has started 29 games in his career while Ramsey has been a starter at a few junctures in his road.

Also, I’m betting management really wants to see what Young has left in the tank and whether he’s even worth keeping on the roster long term.

Behind Edwards, Buffalo has Ryan Fitzpatrick, who spent a lot of time starting last year for the Cincinnati Bengals, Gibran Hamdan and Matt Baker. Clearly, the discrepancy in experience favors the Titans in this category.

In the backfield, the situation is similar. The Bills will likely keep Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and Dominic Rhodes grounded but will run Xavier Omon, Bruce Hall and Justise Hairston a lot. Those three have a combined six NFL carries while the Titans backups, Chris Henry, Quinton Gaither, Rafael Little and Javon Ringer have combined for 41 carries. Both Henry and Gaither have spent a couple of games as the lead rushers for the Titans.

On the whole, the Titans have the better backups, which means they should be the play here. Bet on them to cover the field goal and get the first preseason win of the season.

Betting pick: Titans -3

Like UFC betting warriors, the most heated rivals in baseball slug it out this week. What does the MLB schedule have in store in addition to the Yankees and Red Sox?

Wednesday, August 5

Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays – 7:08 p.m. ET

Brad Penny (7-5, 5.07) vs David Price (4-4, 5.10)

As we may see with the Patriots’ NFL odds this season, the Red Sox are surging back toward the top of the AL East and, while Brad Penny is a capable starter, they have a tall order against Tampa on Wednesday. As bad as David Price has been, all those struggles come on the road. At Tropicana Field, he’s dominant.

Thursday, August 6

Colorado Rockies @ Philadelphia Phillies – 1:05 p.m. ET

Aaron Cook (10-3, 3.88) vs Cliff Lee (1-0, 1.00)

Can new Phillie Cliff Lee dazzle again? He tossed a complete game in his first start after coming over in a trade-deadline deal last week from Cleveland. He’ll have to keep Colorado’s offense to a minimum against Aaron Cook and his 6-2 road record.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees – 7:05 p.m. ET

John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12) vs Joba Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58)

What’s the deal with John Smoltz? BoSox fans haven’t gotten the savior they hoped for so far this season. Maybe a clash with the Yankees will awaken the Smoltz we know and love. Meanwhile, Joba Chamberlain, whose filthy stuff reminds us of Smoltz’s heyday, takes the hill for the Bronx Bombers.

Friday, August 7

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees – 7:05 p.m. ET

Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.27) vs A.J. Burnett (10-5, 3.89)

The former Marlin teammates meet yet again. The last duel went to Beckett, but Burnett could battle back in the comfort of Yankee Stadium. Betting services may continue to recommend Beckett, who can beat anyone these days.

Chicago Cubs @ Colorado Rockies – 9:10 p.m. ET

Carlos Zambrano (7-4, 3.35) vs Ubaldo Jimenez (8-9, 3.76)

What’s a more likely sports prediction – a win for big Carlos Zambrano or him hitting a home run at Coors? Whatever happens, it should be an exciting game, with Zambrano matching up against another electric hurler, Ubaldo Jimenez. Expect lots of strikeouts, walks, and homers in this one.