Zlatan Ibrahimovic Stay at Barcelona

Zlatan Ibrahimovic expressed his desire to continue in Barcelona, where he wants to fulfill his dream of winning the soccer betting Champions League.

"These are rumors," said the 28 year old striker on the information from its sale after a disappointing first season with Barca set and after the arrival of striker David Villa.

"As I said, take it as a compliment that has teams interested. I'm happy about it, but I have not talked to anybody, "said Ibra before the first online sport betting preseason friendly game, now before the Valerenga Oslo.

"I came here to win the Champions League. (Coach Josep) Guardiola told me I'm important, so I'll play, "confided the Swede, whose ownership is in doubt with the arrival of David Villa. Guardiola said that the player is to decide its future.

The Swede announced earlier this month the return to national team coach after the changeover.

"I want to win and develop and grow as a player," he said as personal goals.

Real Madrid considered again as the "great threat" and defined the Portuguese Jose Mourinho, the new coach of all meringue and the coincided at Inter Milan, as "one of the best coaches in the world."

But Ibra nuance: "Barcelona has the best team in the world, we are here to win."

After the friendly against Valerenga, Barcelona will tour through Asia, where we already have some of the players who contested the World Cup in South Africa and are still on vacation.

MLB Game Preview for July 29, 2010: Oakland Athletics @ Texas Rangers

If you like betting on MLB games, then this series between the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers is one to watch. For the first time in a long time, the Texas Rangers have put betting on NFL games in Dallas on the back-burner in Texas professional sports.

If the Oakland A’s cannot come out of this series with a couple of wins then there will be a shift to college football betting in the Bay Area really soon. The Rangers are running away with the AL West leaving the A’s and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim both eight and a half games out of first place.

The Rangers won the first game of this series, and they are riding a two game winning streak. The A’s have tried to keep pace as both the Rangers and the A’s have won seven of their last 10 games. But when the A’s are given a head-to-head chance against the Rangers, they need to take advantage of it and they are not.

To try and stop the free-fall from the MLB betting sheets, the A’s put Vin Mazzaro and his 6-2 record on the mound for this game. He comes in with a 3.45 ERA, but he has been on fire in his last five starts. He has compiled a 4-0 record in that time, and he has had a 2.12 ERA in his last five games. Mazzaro is riding some serious momentum into what could be the most important game of the season for Oakland.

C.J. Wilson takes the mound for the Rangers. He brings with him a 9-5 record, and an impressive 3.03 ERA. Wilson is a work-horse who pitched eight scoreless innings against the Angels recently in a game where he did not walk a batter. In his only appearance against the A’s this season he did not get a decision, but he pitched seven impressive innings.

The Rangers are doing what they need to do this season to win. They have the most home wins in all of baseball at 35, and they have a 24-21 record on the road. They just took three out of four from the Angels and knocked the Angels back even further in the standings. Now the Rangers have a chance to put the A’s permanently in their rearview mirror with a sweep in this series.

About the only thing the A’s can do is hope that guys like Mazzaro can hold off the potent Ranger bats long enough for the A’s to put some runs on the board. The A’s can score, and they can hit, but they have had a tough time doing both against Texas pitching this season.

The A’s play a solid game, but their pitching has been inconsistent. Dallas Braden pitched a no-hitter earlier in the season, but his record now stands at 5-7 with an ERA of 3.77. The A’s cannot get clutch hits and they leave a lot of runners on base. When you are battling a team like Texas, those are mistakes you cannot make.

Pick: Texas Rangers 3-1

MLB Preview for July 20, 2010: Texas Rangers @ Detroit Tigers

In MLB, the sports betting experts know that this is the time of the year when the star pitchers are put back into regular rotation, and teams begin to gear up for a playoff run. The Texas Rangers are in first place in the AL West and the Detroit Tigers are only one and a half games out of first place in the AL Central. Fans of both teams have spent more time NFL betting than they have spent betting on a pennant. But now that the final push is on, and both teams are in place to make a run, things are getting exciting in both towns.

NCAA football betting is extremely popular in Texas, and the Rangers are becoming popular as well. The Rangers are .500 in their last 10 games, but a couple of those wins are over the Boston Red Sox. The Rangers come into this series with a stellar 31-19 road record, but a suspect 22-20 road record. If you want to win a World Series, you have to win on the road. The Rangers were able to win in Boston, and now they want to continue that momentum into Detroit.

It has been a long time since MLB betting late in a season has included the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers won the World Series in 1984, made the playoffs in 1987 and again in 2006, but for all of those years in between there has been nothing to cheer about in the Motor City. Now, in 2010, the Tigers are in a fierce battle with the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins for the AL Central pennant. Right now, the White Sox lead by one and a half games. With the way things have gone in the AL Central all season, that situation could change by the end of the week.

Tommy Hunter starts this game for the Rangers, and he is having an excellent season. His record is 6-0 and his ERA is 2.39. He was just placed into the starting rotation recently, and he won his first six decisions. However, on the road in his career Hunter is 4-4 with a 5.90 ERA. Just like the rest of the Ranger team, Hunter has a hard time playing his best when he is away from his home field.

To the mound for the Tigers in this game is Armando Galarraga, who is still recovering from an early season injury. This will be Galarraga’s first start in the majors since a short stint in the minors on rehab. For the season, Galarraga is 3-2 with a 4.45 ERA. At home, Galarraga is 2-0. He is only 28 years old, and the Tigers are trying to be very careful with his rehabilitation in order to not shorten his MLB career.

With the Tigers being strong at home (32-13) and the Rangers being weak on the road (22-20), this game comes down to momentum. The Tigers have lost their last five games in a row, and that dropped them out of first place in the AL Central. They will be looking to regain their division lead with this home stand.

Baseball betting pick: Detroit Tigers 4-2

MLB Betting – Young Stars Face Off In Los Angeles

College football betting players will have their eyes on the top quarterback matchups of the season. In the major leagues, MLB betting players will have their eye on Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, when two of the best young pitchers in the National League go head-to-head when the Dodgers host San Francisco in a massive West division clash.

Giants Dodgers Betting – Tuesday, 10:10 PM ET

Tim Lincecum (10-4, 2.94) is coming off a complete-game six-hitter in a 2-0 win over the New York Mets at home in his first start after the All-Star break. Lincecum struck out five batters and walked one, and he’s still leading the National League in strikeouts, a category that he’s led in each of the last two seasons, although he’s still fifth in the league in walks. That’s like an NFL betting player watching his favorite quarterback throw a lot of touchdowns, but there’s always the risk of a three-interception game as well. “The Freak” shut the Dodgers out in a 9-0 romp in Los Angeles back in April, and now he’s 4-1 in eight career outings against the Dodgers, posting a 2.96 ERA.

Clayton Kershaw (9-5, 3.16) didn’t have his best stuff in a 7-1 loss at St. Louis, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits over 4.1 innings, walking three and striking out one. Like Lincecum, Kershaw ranks high in the strikeout category (sixth), as well as the walks category (fourth), and that’s something that has plagued him throughout his young career, while it’s new territory for Lincecum. The 22-year-old earned a no-decision in a 2-1 win over the Giants in that April series, and he’s still 0-0 in three games against the Dodgers’ division rivals.

MLB betting odds will be extremely close for this game, but they’ll probably be on the Dodgers’ side as the Giants have dropped four of their last five in Los Angeles. Lincecum is 4-1 on the road with a 2.75 ERA, while Kershaw is 5-2 at home with a 3.23 ERA. Kershaw will want to step up after he fell on his face in his last outing, a big matchup against St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter. Lincecum is a two-time defending Cy Young winner, but he kind of came out of nowhere, and Kershaw seems to be on the same track. People were asking what was wrong with Lincecum when he lost two starts in a row, and now he’s romped over his last two outings, which shows that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him. This could be a rough night for the hitters at Dodger Stadium, but we’re banking on the home team to do just enough to back their young ace.

BSN sports pick: Los Angeles Dodgers

British Open Preview: Top Three Contenders

As the sports betting world turns its attention to the British Open, all eyes are on the old course at St. Andrews. This golf season has been filled with plenty of drama and back stories. The two most interesting stories are the trials and tribulations of Tiger Woods, and the inability of Phil Mickelson to take over the number one spot in the world. Even as NFL betting draws closer, it will be interesting to see how the drama plays out in this year’s British Open.

The top three contenders in this year’s Open represent a wide cross-section of the crew that will be playing in this tournament. Noticeably missing in this list is Tiger Woods. If Tiger cannot pull his game together well enough to win on an American golf course at this point, then the links-style course of St. Andrews will frustrate him to no end. Even though Tiger is one of the odds-on favorites at 9-2, he is still far too removed from his game to compete in this event.

Lee Westwood (15-1)

Lee Westwood has been making headlines on the PGA tour all season long. He lost in a storied playoff to Phil Mickelson in this year’s Masters, and he won this year’s St. Jude Classic. Westwood has spent most of his time on the European tour, and has only played in nine PGA events. But he has made the cut in each PGA event he entered, he has five top 10 finishes and seven top 25 finishes. He is a golfer on a mission, and he has absolutely terrorized the European tour this year. He has been the number one ranked European golfer since last year, and he has a history of playing well in PGA major tournaments.

Justin Rose (15-1)

This could be the year of the Rose. It wasn’t too long ago that Justin Rose was old enough to be on campus doing some NCAA football betting, but his history in South Africa did not offer a lot of spare time. Rose has played in 15 PGA tournaments this year, and he has brought in almost $3.5 million in prize money this year alone. He has made the cut 12 times, and he has two wins to his credit. His two wins were extremely impressive as he won this year’s Memorial tournament, and the AT&T National. He is ranked 16th in the world, and he is third on the Fedex Cup point standings. His first ever PGA tournament was the 1998 British Open where, as an 18 year old amateur, he finished tied for fourth.

Ernie Els (15-1)

Many people will be placing an online bet on Ernie Els to win this year’s British Open. It is always a good bet to place your money on Ernie Els. In 2009, Els had an off-season dropping to 17th in the rankings. This year he has fought his way back up to sixth, and has two tour wins to go with his 11 out of 13 cuts made this season. Els has always been the model of consistency on the PGA tour, and he has always played well in the British Open especially when he won in 2002.

Spain in the World Cup Final Betting Odds

Carles Puyol in the 73rd minute gave Spain a spot in the World Cup final betting.

That much was enough for the Iberians beat Germany 1-0 in the match for the semifinals of the World Cup betting.

After a corner kick, Puyol rose to beat in the leap to mate Gerard Pique and beat goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

The unlocked Puyol both a game in which Spanish rule in possession was unsuccessful before a German defense well planted.

Spain generated always the best chances in the first half.

On the resumption, Spain hinted distant shots danger of Xabi Alonso, David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez. Andres Iniesta also made an overflow on the left, but his heart went prowling the heart of the area without anyone hook.

An auction of Toni Kroos, 69 minutes, was stopped by the Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, which was the clearest opportunity for Germany.

This party, which took place in Durban, faced the same teams that were measured in the final of the last two years, with Spain's 1-0 victory.

Spain is measured with the Netherlands in Sunday's final.

Whatever the winner, a champion will be unprecedented, as neither Spanish nor tulips have never won a major world football.

This was the fourth game between two teams in World Cup. Twice won the Teutons (both cases, 2-1) and a tie (1-1).

The first was in England 66, when the July 20, 1966 Germany won 2-1 with goals from Lothar Emmerich and Uwe Seeler. Spain Josep Maria Fuste materialized.

In Spain 82, Germany once again repeat the dose. On July 2, 1982 Pierre Littbarski and Klaus Fischer scored for the Teutons. Jesus Mari Zamora scored for Spain.

Finally, U.S. 94 is recorded the only tie. On June 21, 1994, Jürgen Klinsmann gave him both Jon Andoni Goikoetxea Germany and Spain.

Bet On World Cup – Semifinal Picks For Tuesday and Wednesday

If you’re going to bet on World Cup odds, now is the time as the semifinals are about to get underway in South Africa, starting on Tuesday with Uruguay and the Netherlands, and then end on Wednesday with Germany and Spain, a rematch of the Euro 2008 finals.

Uruguay Holland Betting – Tuesday, 2:30 PM ET

The Netherlands are a -165 favorite in this semifinal showdown, while Uruguay comes in at +475, and a draw is listed at +260. The Dutch came away with a crucial 2-1 win over Brazil to knock out the Samba Kings, and it was a pair of goals from Wesley Sneijder that did the trick. Uruguay is a country that, if you’re an NFL betting player, you may compare to the 1969 New York Jets, although we’re not sure if anyone made any guarantees to win the game. The Uruguayans beat Ghana 4-2 on penalties after finishing 1-1 in regulation, but they received some luck when Ghana missed a late penalty. These two have met just twice, with each winning one game, and the Dutch won the only World Cup meeting between them, a 2-0 win in the group stages at West Germany 1974. Uruguay will be missing Luis Suarez because of suspension, which puts a lot of pressure on strike partner Diego Forlan. (Online betting pick: Holland -165)

Germany Spain Betting – Wednesday, 2:30 PM ET

The Germans, rated at +170, would be like a team full of freshmen and sophomores becoming a college football betting favorite, as they have nine players 25 or younger. But they’re coming off a 4-0 rout of Argentina, their second straight game with four goals and third of the tournament, with Miroslav Klose notching a pair. Spain, the pre-tournament favorites, are rated as the favorite at +155 after a 1-0 win over Paraguay, a match that saw two penalties saved in the same game for the first time since Argentina-Mexico in 1930. These two powers have met 20 times, with Germany winning eight and drawing six, but the Spanish beat the Germans 1-0 in the final of the 2008 European championships, and the Germans would love to avenge that. The Germans will be without Thomas Muller, who has four goals in the tournament so far, but he picked up a late yellow card against Argentina. Still, the Germans have a lot of weapons, while Spain has yet to play their best game, and Fernando Torres is struggling mightily up front, which leaves David Villa to carry the load. The winner of the midfield matchup between Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger and Spain’s Xavi could determine who will go on to Sunday’s final. (Online betting pick: Germany +170)