Sports Betting Futures Odds: The Real Thing is Just About Here

by Ricky Dimon - 8/28/2015

Enough with the preseason. Yes, there are still two games to go for every team.... But the real slate of action is fast approaching. The 2015 college football campaign is even closer on the horizon, as it kicks off next Thursday. But don't forget about action on the tennis court and baseball diamond.

All odds provided by BetOnline Sportsbook .

NFL Most Individual Touchdowns (Rushing + Receiving)

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (+650) - There's a lot to like about Bryant heading into the season. He made 88 catches for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. He was also targeted an incredible 138 times. With DeMarco Murray no longer in Dallas, Tony Romo may rely on Bryant even more-especially in the red zone.

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs (+650) - Charles carried the ball just 206 times in 2014, but his versatility out of the backfield makes him a serious scoring threat. Last year he hauled in 40 passes and parlayed those into five touchdowns to go along with nine scores on the ground. Charles found the endzone on 19 occasions in 2013.

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks (+650) - Lynch has scored double-digit rushing touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. He had a combined 17 scores last year, the best number of his career. With Russell Wilson utilizing Lynch as a pass-catching weapon (37 receptions in 2014), the running back is likely to remain in beast mode.

Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers (+700) - Similar to Bryant in Dallas, Lacy may be an even bigger focal point for his team this year. Nobody left the Packers, but Jordy Nelson is out for the season with a torn ACL. Lacy scored 11 total touchdowns in 2013 and 13 in 2014. Entering his third year, continued improvement-and maybe a real breakout-can be expected.

Heisman Trophy

Trevone Boykin, TCU (+600) - Boykin is heading into his senior year with three seasons of starting experience under his belt. The 2014 campaign was a true emergence, as Boykin threw 33 touchdowns and ran for eight more. TCU will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after being left out of the College Football Playoff last season.

Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (+200) - For all the talk of Ohio State's quarterbacks, Elliot stole the show late last season. He went positively batshit crazy in the final three games against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, leading the Buckeyes to the National Championship. Elliot rushed for at least 220 yards against all three teams and totaled eight touchdowns.

Nick Chubb, Georgia (+1000) - Georgia is pretty much Running Back U; when one star leaves, someone else takes the reins. Todd Gurley is gone, but Chubb got plenty of experience as a freshman thanks to Gurley's off-the-field problems and injuries. In UGA's last eight games, Chubb scored 12 touchdowns and had eight 100-yard performances.

Cody Kessler, USC (+1200) - Kessler was amazing as a junior, tossing 39 touchdowns at the expense of just five interceptions. He enjoyed five 300-yard performances in his last seven outings. The problem, of course, was simply that USC lost four games. The team will have to be better in 2015 for Kessler to get serious Heisman consideration.

National League Pennant

St. Louis Cardinals (+275) - The Cardinals are the best team in baseball. The only reason why they are not running away with their division is that the third-best team (Pittsburgh) also finds itself in the NL Central. St. Louis has been to the NLCS four straight years, has won it twice, and lifted the World Series trophy in 2011.

Los Angeles Dodgers (+325) - With Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw on the mound, the Dodgers are built like a well-oiled machine for the playoffs. But they have some injury concerns, most notably to Yasiel Puig. For now, L.A. is a decent 70-56 and just 2.5 games clear of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.

New York Mets (+375) - The on-fire Mets have won seven in a row and are pulling away from the Washington Nationals in the NL East. New York is 18-6 in August, showing no signs of slowing down. With an offense that is exploding to compliment an arsenal of young pitching arms, the Mets look like the real deal.

Chicago Cubs (+375) - The National League wild-card game is going to be the Cubs vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates. The only real question is where will it be played? Like New York, Chicago is also an awesome 18-6 in August. A red-hot Kris Bryant has this young team firmly on the rise. The Pirates are also +375 to win the pennant.

U.S. Open

Novak Djokovic (+115) - Unlike Serena Williams (even money on the women's side), Djokovic is not going for calendar-year Grand Slam. But he is one match away from doing so. The top-ranked Serb won the Australian Open and Wimbledon and lost in the French Open final. He has simply been dominant at majors.

Roger Federer (+300) - Federer is not going anywhere at 34 years old. In fact, he may be getting better. The world No. 2 won the Cincinnati title last week without dropping a set, and he beat both Djokovic and Andy Murray in the process. Federer is a five-time champion in New York, while Djokovic has won it only once.

Andy Murray (+300) - Murray's first match next week will come against bad boy Nick Kyrgios, who has done his part to put tennis in the news this summer (not necessarily for the right reasons). Aside for that, Murray has a good draw. The third-ranked Scot is a former U.S. Open champ (2012), and he triumphed a few weeks ago in Toronto.

Stan Wawrinka (+1200) - Wawrinka stunned Djokovic to win the French Open, thus making him a two-time slam winner. The Swiss has not been great this summer, in part due to the mental strain of getting embroiled in the Kyrgios controversy. But he loves the U.S. Open, having reached the semifinals in 2013 and the quarters last year.

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 10:07 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
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