What made Wimbledon the premier event in the tennis world? Pedigree. Modern tennis was invented in Great Britain, with Major Walter Clopton Wingfield’s version of the game (formerly called “lawn tennis”) making its debut in 1873. Four years later, the first Championships were held in the London suburb of Wimbledon.

There was only one event at the inaugural Championships: Gentlemen’s Singles, which was won by Spencer Gore. Ladies’ Singles was added in 1884; the first champion was Maud Watson. These early tournaments saw the game’s now-familiar strategies develop in swift Darwinian fashion. Gore, for example, won by moving up toward the net and volleying while his opponents stood at the baseline.

Wimbledon was an amateur event until the Open era began in 1968. Pete Sampras holds the record for men’s singles titles in Open play with seven, while Martina Navratilova won an amazing nine Championships in singles play – plus seven doubles and four mixed doubles.

Euro 2008 is second only to the Olympics on this year’s sporting calendar. Unless you live in the United States, where it ranks somewhere between regular-season baseball and early-round Wimbledon action.

Not everyone is keen on betting soccer, either. We’re used to spread betting on this continent; football is king, basketball is a distant second. Soccer requires an entirely different betting approach, one that relies more on an appreciation and understanding for the sport than statistical analysis.

But this is also soccer’s strength as a betting sport. Handicappers who develop that appreciation enjoy watching soccer more and more. It’s an acquired taste, like Shakespeare or Guinness. Sharpening the right side of your betting brain is also useful when handicapping the NBA, particularly when dealing with Euro-styled clubs like the Toronto Raptors and, yes, the Los Angeles Lakers.

With ESPN boldly broadcasting the entire Euro 2008 tournament, soccer is here to stay. Might as well profit from it.

 
The Formula 1 circuit returns to its roots this Sunday with the French Grand Prix. This race was first held in 1906, and it’s been on the F1 calendar since the World Championship was established in 1950.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen is the heavy favorite at 5-4, followed by teammate Felipe Massa at 15-8. They’ve combined to win four of the seven races this season, and Raikkonen is the defending champion at Magny-Cours. But neither man is leading the driver standings; Robert Kubica (6-1) of BMW Sauber is in first, followed by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton (8-1).

Kubica is coming off a big victory at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Hamilton has the other two first-place results, but has been penalized 10 places on the starting grid following a in Canada. Even so, with thunderstorms in the forecast for Sunday, anything can happen – just ask Kubica, who won his first-ever F1 race in Montreal.

Soccer has a mixed profile around these parts. Some fans are as knowledgeable and passionate as their European counterparts. Others wouldn’t know Franz Beckenbauer from Franz Ferdinand. Whichever side of the fence you’re on, there’s money to be made. Here’s what you need to know about Euro 2008 to get started.

National teams have played qualifying games for the past two years. Sixteen made it into the tournament, co-hosted this year by Austria and Switzerland. They’re split into four groups of four; the top two teams from each group will go on to the quarterfinals. It’s a single-knockout tournament from there. We’re currently still in the Group stage.

Portugal and Croatia have already advanced to the next round, while Switzerland has been eliminated. Germany has won this event three times since its inception in 1960, and was the 7-2 favorite to win it again until losing to Croatia on Thursday. Now the Germans are 5-1.

Most of us remember the days of the past- Bird against Magic.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics will resume the most famous rivalry in professional basketball this Thursday night. The two teams met in the NBA Finals seven times in the 1960s and three times in the 1980s, leaving an indelible mark on the game.

So to American sports commentators and fans, who are sentimentalists at heart, this year’s Final looks like a blast from the past.

It’s long been known that these teams have a great rivalry which makes these playoffs all the more exciting. This is the first big repeat face-off in the last 21 years.

What’s your bet on the NBA finals this year? As for me I’m California dreamin’.

We’re expecting a betting frenzy over the next three weeks. Euro 2008 promises to be one of the greatest displays of soccer talent the world has ever seen. This is a highly emotional betting public we’re talking about; Croats will bet on Croatia, Spaniards will bet on Spain.

Germany goes about things a different way. Their national soccer team has made it into the Euro tournament stage nine times in a row since 1972, engineering three championships. It will be a very interesting clash of styles should they meet Spain in the finals - the favorite matchup on the Euro 2008 futures market at 9-1.

Spain, however, haven’t won this tournament since 1964 and haven’t been to the finals since 1984. The more familiar Germany-Italy (12-1) or Germany-France (12-1) pairings are on the board; Italy beat France on penalty kicks to win the 2006 World Cup, and both sides remain strong two years later.

The rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics goes way, way back. We’re talking the Ronald Reagan era…Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. I think Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant said it best: “It’s such a rich tradition. I think when you look up at the jerseys that hang in the rafters at Staples Center, and with the Celtics, as well, they’re not only great Lakers players, but they’re some of the greatest to ever play. So that’s a great deal to live up to.”

Game 1 in the 2008 NBA Finals goes down tonight in Boston. If you’re betting on The Finals, here are some trends to consider:

Team records:
Los Angeles: 57-25 SU, 47-34-1 ATS
Boston: 66-16 SU, 52-28-2 ATS

Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Boston are 2-8
After playing San Antonio are 5-5
After a win are 8-2

Boston most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing LA Lakers are 8-2
After playing Detroit are 5-5
After a win are 4-6

A few trends to consider:
LA Lakers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games
LA Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 8 games on the road
Boston is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Boston’s last 23 games when playing LA Lakers
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

Get all your NBA basketball betting at the Bodog Sportsbook.

Earlier today the post positions for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes were drawn, and as luck would have it the favorite to win the race, Big Brown, has drawn the No. 1 post position. Since 1905, 23 horses have gone on to win the Belmont Stakes from the No. 1 position, more than any other post.

Taking nothing for granted, however, trainer Rick Dutrow is seeing to it that Big Brown gets his cracked hoof taken care of one last time prior to the race. Neither trainer nor hoof specialist (Ian McKinlay) is worried about the horse’s health come race day.

“The adhesive that we’ll rebuild that wall with is stronger than the hoof itself,” McKinlay told the Associated Press.

Japanese-bred Casino Drive will start from the No. 5 post. He is at 7/2 odds to win on the morning line. Here is the complete field for the 2008 Belmont Stakes, including post position, horse’s name, and odds to win:

1. Big Brown 2/5 odds
2. Guadalcanal 50/1 odds
3. Macho Again 20/1 odds
4. Denis of Cork 12/1 odds
5. Casino Drive 7/2 odds
6. Da’Tara 30/1 odds
7. Tale of Ekati 20/1 odds
8. Anak Nakal 30/1 odds
9. Ready’s Echo 30/1 odds
10. Icabad Crane 20/1 odds

Get your Belmont Stakes odds at the Bodog Racebook and bet on Big Brown to win the Triple Crown!

The horse racing world is holding its collective breath. Big Brown has a slight crack in his left front foot – nothing serious, but enough to raise tensions in a week that also saw Panty Raid retired due to injury and Nashoba’s Key (above photo) euthanized. One wrong step at the Belmont Stakes, and the sport’s profile may never recover.

In this supercharged environment, Big Brown is still the heavy favorite to win the Belmont and complete the Triple Crown. But he’s lost a little steam at 1-3 after opening at 2-9. Casino Drive has moved from 9-2 to 7-2 as the second favorite. The Japanese-trained horse won the Peter Pan Stakes earlier this month and may still have some value as a relative unknown.

Edgar Prado will be in the saddle for Casino Drive on June 7. Kent Desormeaux, who rode Casino Drive to victory at the Peter Pan, remains on Big Brown.

If Rick Dutrow Jr. is to be believed, a bet at 9-2 for Casino Drive to win the Belmont Stakes is a wasted bet.

“He’s got no chance,” Dutrow told reporters Wednesday. Strong words from the trainer of Big Brown, who is 2-9 to complete the first Triple Crown in 30 years. But there are some horseplayers who are willing to give the Kentucky-bred, Japanese-trained Casino Drive a spin, based on his pedigree and his blazing win by 5-3/4 lengths at the Peter Pan Stakes.

The pedigree’s the thing. Casino Drive is the son of Better Than Honour, the same mare who produced the last two Belmont winners: Jazil and Rags to Riches.

Big Brown’s jockey, Kent Desormeaux, also happened to ride Casino Drive to victory at the Peter Pan. He was a lot more complementary about Casino Drive’s Belmont chances than Dutrow.

“He’s a phenomenal talent. We’ve got our hands full with this one.”