Everyone in the sportsbook world thinks that they know who the participants in the BCS Championship Game will be: Texas, and the winner of the possible Florida-Alabama showdown for the SEC crown. Who else could sneak in through the back and overcome some major NCAA football odds?

Iowa (+1500)

The No.4 Hawkeyes are one of the biggest surprises of the year, and they don’t win pretty: seven of their nine wins have been by 11 points or less. This could come back to bite the Hawkeyes, especially as the Big Ten isn’t known as the power conference it once was (thanks for getting blown out in two straight BCS title games, Ohio State). The Hawkeyes first have to get past their visit to Ohio State next weekend, and then if they make it to the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten champions, they’ll most likely have to blow out their opponents for their NCAA football odds to be considered.

TCU (+2000)

The No.6 Horned Frogs, out of the Mountain West, should thank Utah for making a fuss about the smaller conferences being left out of the BCS title race after last year, and they’re powered by the No.1 defense in the country. They beat Clemson and Virginia on the road, and they also went to then-No.16 BYU and spanked the Cougars 38-7. Their last tough game comes next weekend at home against Utah, and if they get past the Utes, keep an eye on their NCAA football odds.

Boise State (+2000)

The No.7 Broncos are praying that Oregon keeps winning, because their season-opening win over the Ducks is their only strong victory. The Broncos are balanced, coming in 10^th in defense in 21^st in offense, but their schedule is weaker than a child with swine flu. Their conference, the WAC, has just hired a PR firm to help the Broncos’ bid for the BCS, but will that help Boise State be one of the NCAA football picks for the big bowls?

Cincinnati (+3000)

The No.5 Bearcats are quietly rolling through the Big East, even with an injury to quarterback Tony Pike. Their signature wins came on the road at Oregon State and South Florida, which isn’t all that great. But they have a great chance to sway from voters when they host West Virginia next Friday night, as well as their road trip to No.13 Pittsburgh to end the season. A win over the Panthers would surely boost their online betting odds.

LSU (+5000)

The Tigers have a loss to No.1 Florida, but they can blow the title race wide open if they were to upset No.3 Alabama on the road this weekend. Even the loss to Florida was only by 10 points at home, so it’s really not that bad. The Alabama game is their last chance to show voters what they have, because the road trip to Ole Miss isn’t as important due to the Rebels, well, sucking this year. Still, this weekend’s clash with the Crimson Tide could definitely shake up the internet sports betting lines in the NCAA.

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NFL betting circles have plenty of MVP discussion going on; that’s understandable considering that the season is half over. A month into the NHL season, however, it’s probably time for our first MVP chatter. Here’s a look at the top five candidates so far.

5. Craig Anderson, goaltender, Colorado Avalanche

It’s been a bizarre, improbable sportsbook run for the Avs so far this season and unheralded netminder Craig Anderson is the driving force behind that run. When we stop and realize that he’s just 28 – not ancient for a goalie – and has a .914 career save percentage, maybe he’s not flash in the pan after all. How long before Tim Thomas starts sweating about his Team USA roster spot?

4. Marian Gaborik, winger, New York Rangers

Online betting fans shouldn’t be too shocked to see Marian Gaborik light up the scoreboard. He tends to do that whenever he plays – which is rarely. The oft-injured sniper is loving life in the Big Apple so far, tied for second in the league with 11 goals in 14 games. But how long before his next serious injury?

3. Ryan Miller, goaltender, Buffalo Sabres

As great as Anderson looks so far, he may not have the inside track to start for Team USA, as Ryan Miller has been absolutely sensational for Buffalo. Why can the Sabres rank 21^st in goals scored yet still have a 9-2-1 record? Because Miller has a Hasek-esque .941 save percentage and two shutouts already.

2. Alexander Ovechkin, winger, Washington Capitals

He’s sure to hang near the top of this list at any point in any season for next decade or two. Crazily enough, Ovie’s production is still improving. He’s currently on pace for 82 goals and 135 points. He’s also only 24, meaning he’s still a few years away from his prime. Simply amazing.

1. Anze Kopitar, center, Los Angeles Kings

Congrats to savvy hockey bettors who realized the Kings’ hockey odds were set to improve the same way Chicago’s did last season. After all, you can only stockpile high draft picks and talented players for so long before your team can do nothing but improve. But who saw the Slovenian wonder Kopitar’s explosion coming? He’s emerged as a leader – both in the NHL scoring race and for his own team – and has meshed extremely well for Ryan Smyth. Don’t be surprised if the youngster comes back to Earth but all signs point to a career year for him no matter what.

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World Series odds are getting a lot of attention right now, so you may have missed the beginning of the NBA season, which tipped off Tuesday night with a massive matchup between Boston and Cleveland. Last year’s MVP, the Cavaliers’ LeBron James, got off to a big start, and everyone figures that the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and the Heat’s Dwyane Wade will be the ones to challenge James, but who are the darkhorses?

Carmelo Anthony, Denver

Chauncey Billups is probably the MVP of the Nuggets, but if Anthony can continue to learn from Billups, his talent will have him in the MVP running. There may not be a better offensive talent to watch than Anthony, who was eighth in the league in scoring last year and makes it look so effortless. He just needs to show more consistently on the glass and the defensive end of the floor to boost his NBA MVP odds in your sportsbook.

Chris Paul, New Orleans

After finishing second to Bryant in the 2007-08 MVP race, Paul’s Hornets were hurt by injuries and last year didn’t go as planned. But Paul could be an annual candidate for this award because, quite frankly, the Hornets will not do ANYTHING without him on the floor. Paul led the league in assists and steals while finishing seventh in points, and he’s easily the best in the league at arguably the most important position. If the Hornets get back up near the top of the West, Paul will get MVP votes.

Brandon Roy, Portland

Now that Andre Miller is in town to run the point, that frees up Roy to do what he does best, and that’s score. Roy was 10^th in the league last year, and you can expect that number to go up, and his ability to go to the hole (and finish) with either hand gives him an advantage over most defenders. He’s also improving as a defender, which is crucial at the two-guard spot. He’s also underrated from long distance, which stretches the defense. The Trailblazers are one of the trendy sports picks to be a sleeper in the West, and Roy is the main reason why.

Kevin Garnett, Boston

KG is the only player on this list to already have an MVP award, as he won in 2004. However, we saw how valuable his knee gave out in February and he missed virtually all of the second half as well as the playoffs. The Celtics dearly missed his defensive intensity, which was the reason they won the championship two years ago. If KG comes back healthy, and the Celtics finish first in a tough and top-heavy East, online betting players should run to bet the farm on Garnett.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

This is the longshot of them all, because chances are, your team has to make the playoffs and Durant’s Thunder probably won’t do that. But we all can’t wait to see the next evolution of Durant, who finished sixth in the league in his second season, while his rebounds and steals went up while playing less games. Durant could easily lead the league in scoring and no one would bat an eye, as he can score from literally anywhere on the floor (see his win in the All-Star Weekend HORSE competition for proof). If the Thunder somehow manage to squeeze their way into the playoffs, Durant will get MVP consideration, and it’ll also set off a barrage of Washington Nationals World Series picks for next year.

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NBA betting players remember the old Portland “Jailblazers”, the ones who were being arrested and convicted of various criminal activities all the time. Well, this year’s Portland team is the top squad who could elbow their way into the upper echelon of the NBA. Here’s how the NBA sleeper picks stack up this year.

Portland (+1500)

The pickup of Andre Miller could very prove to be the acquisition of the summer, as the veteran point guard will handle the ball, freeing up Brandon Roy for more heroics. Heading into his third year, he could be ready to join the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and company at the top. The Trailblazers re-upped with LaMarcus Aldridge, and if Greg Oden can stay healthy and out of foul trouble, Portland could have a deadly frontcourt. With only three players above 30, inexperience could hurt the Trailblazers.

New Orleans (+4000)

Only two years ago, we were talking about the Hornets’ chances to challenge the Lakers. Last year, injuries killed their chances early, and it all went downhill from there. The Hornets are built around All-World point guard Chris Paul, and they brought in Omeka Okafor from Charlotte to play alongside another All-Star, David West. The Hornets are lacking depth though, especially up front, and that may cost later in the season. Still, you can good decent value for them right now.

Miami (+4000)

Any team with Dwyane Wade in the team has a chance to do something big. Wade led the Heat in points, assists and steals, while coming in second in blocks and he is a great rebounder for his size. Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook can knock down the open shots caused by Wade’s penetration, but the Heat need the troubled Michael Beasley to get his head right and be a No.2 scoring option to Wade. The x-factor is the knee of Jermaine O’Neal. If he can stay on the court, O’Neal can be a very productive player at both ends of the court. But if Wade has to do it all by himself again, the Heat will flicker to a small flame in your offshore sportsbook.

Chicago (+6000)

The young Bulls served notice of their abilities in a classic first-round playoff series with Boston, but they’ll have to make up for the loss of sharpshooter Ben Gordon, who left for Detroit. Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose is being counted on to take the next step in his development, and John Salmons may take up some of the scoring slack caused by Gordon’s departure. The Bulls’ big men will be their key: can Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas and Brad Miller keep up with the rest of the East?

Toronto (+7500)

Well, for one, their NBA odds are better than the Blue Jays’ World Series odds will be any time soon. Second, on paper, the Raptors could be decent. They lured Hedo Turkoglu from Orlando, giving them a player that can make his own shot. The Raptors will try to make the duo of Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani work, and there’s no doubt that they’re talented, but they may be the same type of player. Jarrett Jack came from Indiana to back up Jose Calderon, and the Raptors are set at the point, while rookie DeMar DeRozan has shown glimpses of promise in the preseason. However, the Raptors have struggled defensively, and until they shore up that end of the court, they’ll be a massive online betting darkhorse.

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With the Cincinnati Bengals being 4-1 with three credible wins that NFL betting fans can’t nitpick with, it might mean that there is a changing of the guard in the NFL. Sure, the Bengals could lose this week in typical Bengal fashion and lose their credibility, but they are a favorite in the sportsbook and they are expected to move to 5-1 with a win over the hapless Houston Texans.

So that begs the question: who are the new Bungles? Who are the new lovable losers of the NFL that find new ways to lose? Here are four options:

Houston Texans

People making their NFL predictions are going to start hating this team. The Texans are 2-3 on the year but could easily be 4-1. They lost at home to Jacksonville when they were stuffed for a last-second, game-tying field goal on their one-yard line. And then against the Arizona Cardinals last week, the Texans scratched and clawed to climb back from a 21-0 deficit only to throw a pick-six with less than three minutes to go, and then again get stuffed on the goal line for a game-tying touchdown. This team is a pain to watch.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have to be in the conversation here. After all, they are simply pathetic. Horrible quarterback? Check. Potential legal troubles? Check. Abysmal defense? Check. Lack of effort? Check. The only thing the Raiders don’t have going for them is that they aren’t losing games in heartbreaking fashion –they’re losing them in a very ugly fashion.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins deserve some credit among the worst teams in the NFL. Why? Because they have done the least with what is one of the easiest schedules in NFL history. The Redskins have yet to face a team that had a win in the week they played them. In Week 1, the Redskins faced the Giants. In Week 2, they faced the Rams. In Week 3, they faced the Lions. In Week 4, they faced the Buccaneers. In Week 5, they faced the Panthers. And this week, they face the Kansas City Chiefs. Their record so far? 2-3. Simply pitiful.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Speaking of the Bucs, which no sports betting blog even wants to talk about, they are embarrassing.  For starters, they have the most salary cap space in the NFL and ownership doesn’t even care to help the team out. On top of that, the team on the field is horrible. The defense is pitiful and the offense has no direction. Also, head coach Raheem Morris looks like he might be coaching in the UFL very shortly. They are the worst team in football.

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