If your looking for wagering action this weekend, it doesn’t get much better then this as the World Cup of soccer, the Belmont Stakes, NBA, NHL, MLB, PGA and NASCAR are all front and center.
In Germany there will be 12 stadiums, hosting 64 games that will put 3 million derrieres in the seat and the host country tackles Costa Rica on day one. Staggering numbers reveal 1.5 BILLION people will watch the opening match and 35 BILLION will take in the tournament and wagering outlets will be staffed to the maximum.
The Belmont Stakes from New York will wrap up a disappointing Triple Crown series that gave us the wonder horse Barbaro and then shattered our dreams with a freakish injury. I have been touting Bon & John all spring and like him in an exacter with Steppenwolfer that was named after the 70’s rock band Steppenwolf.
Last night the Dallas Mavericks got subpar scoring games from stars Dirk Nowitzkie and Josh Howard, but Jason Terry lit the Heat up for 32 points. They also got some quality minutes from Eric Dampier to subdue the listless Heat. Once again the fragile foul shooting of NBA players is alarming and how are you going to win when just two players on the team get to the charity stripe. Shooting 36% (7-19) on a skill that you have practiced since kindergarten is perplexing to say the least.
The Edmonton Oilers are in serious trouble down 2-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes and look for the Chris Pronger team to lay a beating on the North Carolina based Canes. This series is far from over and I look for it to go the full seven.
All baseball eyes are on the Chicago Cubs who are floundering and this may result in the dusting of manager Dusty Baker. The Cubs have lost 11 of their last 16 overall, falling 12 1/2 games out of first place. At 23-36, they’ve matched their season low mark of 13 games under .500.
For the Cubs, it was another night of futile at-bats against the Reds Brandon Arroyo and two relievers. Chicago has lost three in a row, getting a total of 15 hits and two runs in those games.
The PGA tour is in Rye, New York for the Barclay Classic a tuneup for the US Open and Tiger Woods is resurfacing. The nine-week layoff is the longest of his career, and Woods said he isn’t sure what to expect out of his game. But having playing 18 holes at Winged Foot on May 27, he knows what to expect from the course.
Mike Weir is in striking distance after round one and you may want to place a bet on him to win this weekend.
NASCAR parks their trailers in the picturesque Pocono’s this weekend and the Roush team as usual will be front and centre as they have won the past two events staged there.
Happy Wagering!
Bob Acton
