This is not the first time we say this (but it might be the last if my editor has his way) but we are getting closer to the dog days of summer, from a bettor’s perspective at least. The only consistent action to be had comes from the baseball diamond, but there are special events (Euro 2008, tennis, golf, boxing, etc.) to keep us players on our toes and provide a little opportunity for more betting action. 

The NBA championship has gone to the Boston Celtics, meaning there won’t be any more hoops to wager on until late October, early November right? Not exactly. 

The 2008 NBA Draft takes place this Thursday and SportsBetting.com is the place to wager on the potential draft picks. So with that lets take a look at the 2008 NBA Draft props and betting odds.

Going into this year’s NBA draft lottery, the 33-49 Chicago Bulls had a 1.7 percent chance of grabbing the top pick overall but defied the odds and won the lottery and by all accounts will select either Memphis PG Derrick Rose or Kansas State forward Michael Beasley first overall. 

There is a NBA prop play for which team Derrick Rose will play his first game for. Michael Jordan’s former team is the prohibitive favorite as the Chicago Bulls are listed at -600 while the Miami Heat, who select second, are listed at +350.

Bettors think there is no way Chicago passes on Rose, as he is getting 82% of the action on this option. 

They say you can’t teach height and two giants up for grabs in this year’s draft are Georgetown’s Roy HibbertStanford’s Robin Lopez (7 feet).  (7 feet, 2 inches) and

SportsBetting.com offers the NBA Draft prop of which one of the two centers will be selected first, -220 if you think Lopez and +170 if you think Hibbert . The early betting action has been tabbing the favourite, Lopez, as the guy. He’s received 71% of all the volume to come in on this prop. 

While many suspect that the top two will be Rose and Beasley , some are speculating that USC shooting guard O.J. Mayo could rise and be selected No. 2 by the Miami Heat. 

There are NBA Draft odds on whether Mayo will be the third pick overall. If yes it will pay out at -350 , if he is selected at any other pick it will be at +225 . 

Looking ahead to the weekend MLB betting action:
Now that the Boston Red Sox have taken a couple of World Series rings we turn our pity and well wishing solely towards Chicago Cubs fans. 

It’s been a century since the Cubbies hoisted a World Series and that is one long drought. 

Signs are pointing to a possible title in 2008 though as the Cubs currently have the best record in all of the majors with a 48-29 mark. 

After having played host to the Chicago White Sox last weekend, the Cubs head south to begin a series in White Sox territory this weekend. 

The Cubs swept the series at Wrigley so the ChiSox will be looking for a little revenge. 

In their last eight games at U.S. Cellular Field the North Siders have fared well winning six of them. 

The Chicago Cubs are listed at +400 to take this year’s World Series. 

This should be a great series. You can check out the daily lines on this series and all the sports action at SportsBetting.com

After MVP Kobe Bryant fell short of the NBA Championship to Boston, he now leads a cast of all-stars from the USA Olympic basketball team to try to win gold in Beijing in August.  Joining Bryant on the Beijing-bound squad was 2000 Olympic gold medalist Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz), Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets), Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons) Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks), Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).  Currently Oddsmakers at SBGglobal.com have the United States -350 to win the 2008 Olympic Basketball Gold Medal.

The Pistons issued a statement from Prince in which he said he was 'honored to be selected.'  "I take great pride in being given the opportunity to represent my country, and I strongly believe that with the team that has been assembled, the United States will be represented well," Prince said.  There will be a minicamp this week in Las Vegas and then they will all meet July 20-25 to play some exhibition games before the Olympics in China on Aug. 10.  "I'm excited about the players who comprise this team.  The selections were very difficult and something we've been working toward since we initially got the Senior National Team together in the 2006 summer.  Unfortunately, we are limited to a roster of 12 players and we had incredible commitment for the 33 players in our Senior Team program," said Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will coach the Olympic team in Beijing.

This team is winning gold.  They are more than big enough - no other team in Beijing will have more than one big man the caliber of Boozer, Bosh, and Howard - plus Prince, Kobe, LeBron, Kidd, Wade, Anthony all rebound well for their size.  I really think Jason Kidd played so bad at the end of the season in the NBA that he doesn't deserve to be on this team.  But he will be a contributor to the team with his passing.  Our rebounding and size is not an issue.  We have three studs to play point guard, so we will constantly be pressuring them on defense and never have trouble running the offense.  The only thing is you win championships by playing defense; ask the LA Lakers that after losing to the best defensive team in the league this year in Boston.  Don't forget that while this team is loaded on offense, that's not enough to win. Just ask the Nuggets how this past post-season went.  But this will be the year I feel USA will win Gold.

The Current lines for 2008 Olympic Basketball Gold Medal at SBGglobal.com

• Argentina +500
• Lithuania: +1,400
• Greece: +1,800
• Italy: +2,200
• Puerto Rico: +6,300
• Spain -250
• Field (Any Other): +1,300

Congratulations to the Boston Celtics on their 17th NBA Championship.  The Celtics struggled to close out opponents in the post season because they failed to put together complete games.  But they did it with the LA Lakers in a big way, winning Game 6 and the Championship blowout fashion, 131-92.  What else can you say about the New Big Three?  Garnett scored 26 points with 14 rebounds, Allen scored 26 and Pierce, the finals MVP who shook off a sprained right knee sustained in Game 1, added 17.  Garnett set the tone early with 10 points in the first quarter (and of course his usual fantastic defense.  No more talk about him shrinking on the biggest stage.  He's a Champion now.  Without Garnett Boston doesn't win the championship much less make it...he's the true MVP of this team.

The Celtics showed themselves to be a better team throughout the series, even in the games that they lost. Doc Rivers outcoached Phil Jackson each step.  Paul Pierce was the Finals MVP.  He outplayed Kobe on both ends of the floor in this series.  I don't want to hear the Laker "fans" complaining about the referees or trying to take anything away from the Celtics.  The fact is that they just got outplayed by a better, more physical team.  The 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics were the team that most believed that defense wins championships.  For that they deserved to win.  They went out and executed championship basketball at the moment they needed it most.  They played their best game in their biggest game. They leaned on one another like true brothers and grasped sporting immortality.

I hope all the Kobe lovers are finally realizing that my comments from the beginning of the playoffs are true.  Kobe is battling the Kobe demons, when the going gets tough, Kobe won't trust.  He will force himself out of greatness.  Does wife Vanessa trust Kobe as much as Kobe trust his teammates.   Since the NBA Finals are over Kobe will demand another trade saying the franchise has done nothing for him to win and they will trade him to the Bulls and then the Bulls will trade for Shaq so Kobe can win a championship.  Here is a new law now, never mention Michael Jordon and Kobe Bryant in the same sentence again for all the sports writers out there.   

So called experts out there on ESPN and all the sports show's thought the Lakers should win even though the Pierce advantage and the frontcourt advantage were obvious.  The Celtics won 66 regular season games and not many people gave them credit.   Most of the experts wrote them off after the Atlanta series and the Cleveland series...because they went 7 games.  Bottom line is for a team that was supposed to win, they certainly had a lot of doubters.  Boston's 39-point win surpassed the NBA record for the biggest margin of victory in a championship clincher.

View WNBA Betting Odds at OnlineSportsHandicapping.com before you place your WNBA picks at Sportsbetting.com