The next two Republican primaries on the political calendar are Michigan and Arizona, both on February 28. Judging by the odds on both at Bodog.ca Mitt Romney can likely start preparing victoy speeches for both of them.

Starting with the Michigan Primary, Romney is a tremendous favorite at Bodog.ca at 10/13. For the mathematically challenged under those odds you would win a profit of $76.92 on a $100 bet. The only other candidate that Bodog.ca is even giving a chance of winning in Michigan is Rick Santorum at 1/1. If you want to throw you money away and bet on Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul both can be had at 55/1.

The odds for the Arizona Primary are much the same with Romney leading the way at 1/4. Again, he’s followed by Santorum at 11/4, while Gingrich and Paul bring up the rear at 40/1 and 50/1.

Betting on the actual winner of the Republican nominee has very similar odds as the primaries. Romney is the big favorite again at 2/7, followed by Santorum at 3/1. Santorum has gained some momentum recently and could be worth taking a shot on at 3/1 in case he continues to chip away at Romney’s supposed lead.

Bodog.ca – Political Props:

Odds to win the Michigan Primary
Mitt Romney                10/13
Rick Santorum              1/1
Newt Gingrich              55/1
Ron Paul                      55/1

Odds to win the Arizona Primary  
Mitt Romney                1/4
Rick Santorum              11/4
Newt Gingrich              40/1
Ron Paul                      50/1

2012 US Presidential Election – Republican Nominee
Mitt Romney    2/7
Rick Santorum  3/1
Newt Gingrich   20/1
Ron Paul          25/1

2012 US Presidential Election – Winning Party  
Democratic Party                      -220
Republican Party                      +200

2012 US Presidential Election – Odds to be Next President
Barack Obama 5/11
Mitt Romney    11/4
Rick Santorum  9/1
Newt Gingrich 40/1
Ron Paul          50/1
Hilary Clinton   100/1

Leading the odd list right now is Kansas Jayhawks forward Thomas Robinson at 7/4. The Junior forward has been an absolute beast for the Jayhawks this season averaging a double-double with 17.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. His most dominating effort of the season came in a romp over North Dakota in which he put up 30 points and 21 rebounds!

If somehow Robinson doesn’t pull down the award look for Kentucky forward Anthony Davis to steal it. Davis follows Robinson on the Bodog.ca odds at 2/1. Davis may be a freshman but he hasn’t played like one while averaging 13.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Davis has also helped out on the defensive end with an astounding 4.9 blocks per game.

The only other player the oddsmakers are even giving a real shot at the honor is Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger. He stuck with the Buckeyes instead of leaving early for the NBA and it’s paid off leading Ohio State to challenge for the Big Ten title while averaging 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

Bodog.ca College Baketball Player of the Year odds:

Thomas Robinson (Kansas) 7/4

Anthony Davis (Kentucky) 2/1

Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) 13/2

Doug McDermott (Creighton) 12/1

Draymond Green (Michigan State) 14/1

Kevin Jones (West Virginia) 16/1

Marcus Denmon (Missouri) 20/1

Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) 25/1

Mike Scott (Virginia) 30/1

Tyler Zeller (North Carolina) 35/1

Isaiah Canaan (Murray State) 35/1

Terrence Jones (Kentucky) 40/1

Austin Rivers (Duke) 40/1

Arnett Moultrie (Miss State) 50/1

Jeremy Lamb (UConn) 50/1

Field 8/1

The bill passed second reading in the House of Commons last November and was then sent to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for more study. After hearing testimony from Comartin and Bill Rutsey, the CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association earlier this week the Parliament’s committee voted unanimously to send the bill to a third reading in the House of Commons.

Under current law the Canadian Criminal code only allows multiple-sport wagering. That’s why on games like Pro-Line the minimum amount of games anyone is allowed to bet on is two. The proposed bill would allow any Provincial government to introduce a lottery game that includes betting on single sports games or events.

The new bill has received support from a number of provincial lottery groups, including those in British Columbia and Ontario, but sports leagues have not been so favorable. Both the NFL and the NHL have voiced their disapproval and are opposed to the bill and any changes to sports betting in Canada.

If the bill were to be passed Canada would join Nevada as the only jurisdiction in North America that allows single-game sports betting. The bill is expected to receive third reading in the House sometime in the Spring and if approved it would head to the Senate for final approval. Stay tuned Canadian bettors as things could be changing north of the border.

Tom Brady is the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl 46 MVP.

Including Brady there are three former Super Bowl MVP winners playing this Sunday. The other two are Eli Manning, MVP for Super Bowl XLII and Deion Branch, who was MVP for Super Bowl XXXIX.

Brady is the only two-time winner though and with his team favored to win the game he’s a +115 MVP favorite at 5Dimes. Manning is right behind him on the odds list at +175. Considering a quarterback has won the MVP in four of the last five Super Bowls either QB looks like a smart pick.

When the MVP doesn’t go to a QB it usually ends up in the hands of a wide receiver. Out of the last eight MVP awards five have gone to a QB and three have gone to a WR. The last was Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII. Despite that, the odds on Branch winning another MVP are quite high at +6600. Brady and Manning’s favorite wide receivers have much better odds with Wes Welker at +1400, Victor Cruz also at +1400 and Hakeem Nicks at +1600.

The MVP may end up going to a QB or WR most of the time, but the oddsmakers third pick on the MVP odds list is actually a tight end. Record-setting tight end Rob Gronkowski is listed at +700 despite missing practice all week with what has been called a high ankle sprain. Gronkowski has been Brady’s go-to-guy in the red zone this season and would become the first TE to win the MVP.

5Dimes Super Bowl MVP Odds

• Tom Brady +115
• Eli Manning +175
• Rob Gronkowski +700
• Victor Cruz +1400
• Wes Welker +1400
• Hakeem Nicks +1600
• Aaron Hernandez +1600
• Ahmad Bradshaw +3000
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis +4000
• Mario Manningham +5000
• Jason Pierre-Paul +5500
• Brandon Jacobs +6600
• Vince Wilfork +6600
• Deion Branch +6600
• Stevan Ridley +8000
• Stephen Gostkowski +8000
• Danny Woodhead +8000
• Julian Edelman +10000
• Osi Umenyiora +12500
• Sterling Moore +12500
• Chad Ochocinco +12500
• Chris Canty +15000
• Brandon Spikes +15000
• Kevin Faulk +15000
• Justin Tuck +15000

What colour will the Gatorade be in Super Bowl 46?

The annual tradition has led to the creation of a new betting prop at Bodog.ca to determine the color of the drink that gets dumped on the winning coaches head. Last year when the Packers won the Super Bowl anyone who bet on orange would have got paid, as a cooler full of orange Gatorade covered Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy.

This year at Bodog.ca there are co-favorites atop the Gatorade prop list with Yellow and Clear/Water both listed at 2/1. Also getting odds are Orange (9/4), Red (11/2), Green (6/1) and Blue (10/1).

For historians hoping to get an edge the last time the Giants defeated the Patriots in the Super Bowl and Tom Couglin got dunked the liquid of choice was ice-cold water. If the Patriots win another championship bettors may come away empty handed. During the Patriots three Super Bowl victories Belichick was dunked only once when the Pats beat the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. After the win he got doused with water. The Patriots other two Super Bowl wins over the Rams and Panthers both ended with last-second field goals so New England missed the chance to drench Belichick. Since both Coughlin and Belichick were doused with water the last time they got a Super Bowl soaking then taking clear/water at 2/1 could be the way to go.

Union Rags is currently 11-1 at Bodog.

Hansen won the juvenile, but bettors know that the winner of the race very seldom wins the Kentucky Derby. Only Street Sense back in 2007 was able to translate Juvenile success into a Derby win. We all remember jockey Calvin Borel’s magical ride up the rail to win that day.

Ever So Lucky and Liaison are 20/1 in the early list and Creative Cause is 22/1 along with Hansen.

Closer to race day, hundreds of fun Derby props will be added to the odds menus. There will be horse matchups (picking one horse to finish ahead of another) and plenty of wagers on things such as overall attendance and the over under on the final time.

And Kentucky Derby hype always spills over into Triple Crown hype. No horse has won the three races comprising the Crown (Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes) since Affirmed in 1978. The odds are overwhelmingly against it happening as Bodog has it currently as -900 for the ‘no’ answer.

The non-conference season is in full swing in college hoops and there are many teams that can win the Big Dance this season with no clear-cut favorite, even though Kentucky has the lowest odds. All of the rankings and stats are as of December 16th.

Kentucky Wildcats
Odds: +350

Kentucky is the 3rd ranked team in the nation and they recently lost their first game of the season. UK has one of the most athletic teams in the nation and they rank in the top 15 in both scoring and rebounding. Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones are one of the best G/F combos in the nation and each is shooting over 50% from beyond the 3-point arc. They have shown they can beat the big teams with wins over Kansas and North Carolina.

North Carolina Tar Heels
+400

UNC is the 4th ranked team in the nation and they rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding, and assists, but they already have 2 losses and have yet to win a game against a ranked team. Harrison Barnes is a Player of the Year candidate and the Tar Heels are stacked and it looks as if the ACC title will come down to them and Duke once again.

Ohio State
+500

Ohio State lost to Kansas in their first loss of the season, but they already beat North Carolina. The Buckeyes are a high scoring team that can flat out shoot the rock, but their rebounding is a concern. Jared Sullinger is the leading Player of the Year candidate and is averaging a double-double this season. He recently came back from a bad back and MUST be healthy for OSU to make a title run.

Duke
+800

Duke is a very young team, but they are still solid team and have a big win over Kansas already. The Plumlee brothers lead the Blue Devils in rebounding, but overall Duke only ranks 250th in the nation in boards per game. Austin Rivers and Seth Curry are one of the best backcourt duos in the nation and no matter what the odds are Duke is always a good betting value.

Syracuse
Odds: +800

As of December 16th the Orange are the top-ranked team and one of only 9 teams in the top 25 that has yet to lose this season. However, they only have 1 win over a ranked team this season and do not face a team that is currently ranked until Big East play begins. Kris Joseph is the leading scorer and rebounder, but at only 6’7” the Orange may struggle when they face teams that have a legitimate big man.

Connecticut Huskies
Odds: +1100

UCONN has 2 wins over ranked teams, but Florida State and Harvard are not really big wins. The defending champions are a decent team offensively and a good team on the boards, but can the young guys step up and repeat as National Champions? I would say no, as they are not as good as they were last season.

Louisville
Odds: +1400

Louisville is undefeated and may be a good betting value at +1400. The Cardinals only have one win over a ranked team and while they are not a high scoring team they are very athletic, play great defense, and rank 18th in the nation in rebounds per game.

Here are the odds to win the NCAA Tournament at Bodog as of December 16th.

• Kentucky Wildcats +350
• North Carolina Tar Heels +400
• Ohio State Buckeyes +500
• Duke Blue Devils +800
• Syracuse Orange +800
• Connecticut Huskies +1100
• Louisville Cardinals +1400
• Vanderbilt Commodores +2500
• Memphis Tigers +2800
• Indiana Hoosiers +3300
• UCLA Bruins +3300
• Pittsburgh Panthers +3300
• Michigan State Spartans +3300
• Kansas State Wildcats +3300
• Florida Gators +3300
• Kansas Jayhawks +3300
• Baylor Bears +4000
• Arizona Wildcats +4000
• Georgetown Hoyas +4000
• Michigan Wolverines +4000
• Xavier Musketeers +5000
• Notre Dame Fighting Irish +5000
• Villanova Wildcats +5000
• St. John’s Red Storm +5000
• Gonzaga Bulldogs +5000
• Butler Bulldogs +5000
• Texas Longhorns +6000
• Wisconsin Badgers +6600
• Alabama Crimson Tide +6600
• Washington Huskies +6600
• Texas A&M Aggies +6600
• Missouri Tigers +7500
• West Virginia Mountaineers +8000
• Illinois Fighting Illini +8000
• Florida State Seminoles +8000
• Mississippi State Bulldogs +8000
• Maryland Terrapins +8000
• UNLV Rebels +10000
• Tennessee Volunteers +10000
• Purdue Boilermakers +10000
• Oregon Ducks +10000
• Marquette Golden Eagles +10000
• Georgia Bulldogs +10000
• Washington State Cougars +10000
• North Carolina State Wolfpack +10000
• Oklahoma Sooners +12500
• Clemson Tigers +12500
• USC Trojans +15000
• San Diego State Aztecs +15000
• Stanford Cardinal +15000
• Mississippi Rebels +15000
• Oklahoma State Cowboys +15000
• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets +15000
• Iowa Hawkeyes +15000
• Colorado Buffaloes +15000
• Miami Hurricanes +17500
• Arizona State Sun Devils +20000
• Seton Hall Pirates +20000
• LSU Tigers +20000
• Virginia Tech Hokies +20000
• Brigham Young Cougars +20000
• Wake Forest Demon Deacons +30000

Miami Heat
+250

The new Big 3 of James, Wade, and Bosh have a season under their belt and the Dream Team did make the finals last season. James has to step up in the 4th quarter in the playoffs and even though Miami did make a solid free agent pickup in Shane Battier, who can knock down the 3 and play great defense, the Heat still have no real big man to speak of. This is especially the case since Zydrunas Ilgauskas retired.

L.A. Lakers
Odds: +600

The Lakers have not had the best off-season, as the league voided their trade for Chris Paul and they traded Odom to the Mavericks and did not get much for him. Still, the Lakers have their core of Kobe, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum, but they need a PG, as Chris Paul torched them in the playoffs last season and last year showed Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are not the answer. They have Dwight Howard on their radar, but a deal for Superman looks unlikely.

Chicago Bulls
+700

The Bulls have not made much noise since free agency began, but Richard Hamilton was a good pickup. Derrick Rose is coming off a MVP season and Joakim Noah is one of the best young centers in the league, but to get over the hump Carlos Boozer must have a better season and Hamilton must help Rose out in the scoring department.

Oklahoma City Thunder
Odds: +900

The Thunder have done almost nothing in free agency and they will count on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to carry them again. This duo is one of the best young F/G combos in the league and James Harden is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Kendrick Perkins must stay healthy and have a good season at center and OKC must play better defense.

Dallas Mavericks
Odds +1200

Last season’s champions did make a great trade in getting Odom for the Lakers, but they lost J.J. Barea, Caron Butler, and Tyson Chandler. The loss of Chandler may really hurt, as he played great last season and gave the Mavs a great inside presence, especially on defense. Dallas also brought Vince Carter aboard, but does he have enough left in his tank? Not the best off-season for the Mavs, but they still have Dirk and a solid team.

Boston Celtics
Odds: +1700

The Celtics have not made any big moves and to give Boston another title they will rely on the original Big 3 of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce and none of these 3 are spring chickens any more. Boston has the talent, but to win the title the Big 3 must stay healthy, especially in the playoffs.

New York Knicks
+2200

The Knicks may be a good betting value at +2200, as Melo and Amare will play together for a full, sort of, season and New York made some great moves signing prized free agent Tyson Chandler and solid PG Mike Bibby. Once again, the Knicks will have the scoring and they may be a title contender if Chandler can play defense and hit the boards like he did in Dallas last season.

The Clippers (+5000) made the biggest deal in the off-season getting Chris Paul from the Hornets and their odds may improve because of that. Paul and Blake Griffin will make the Clips one of the most exciting teams to watch, but title contenders? Don’t think so.

Here are the odds to win the NBA title as of December 16th.

• Miami Heat +250
• Los Angeles Lakers +600
• Chicago Bulls +700
• Oklahoma City Thunder +900
• Dallas Mavericks +1200
• Boston Celtics +1700
• New York Knicks +2200
• Orlando Magic +3300
• Portland Trail Blazers +4000
• Memphis Grizzlies +4000
• San Antonio Spurs +5000
• Los Angeles Clippers +5000
• Atlanta Hawks +6000
• New Jersey Nets +8000
• Indiana Pacers +10000
• Houston Rockets +15000
• Denver Nuggets +15000
• Phoenix Suns +15000
• Milwaukee Bucks +15000
• New Orleans Hornets +20000
• Golden State Warriors +20000
• Utah Jazz +20000
• Philadelphia 76ers +25000
• Sacramento Kings +35000
• Washington Wizards +40000
• Cleveland Cavaliers +50000
• Detroit Pistons +50000
• Charlotte Bobcats +50000
• Minnesota Timberwolves +75000
• Toronto Raptors +85000

The Packers have the lowest odds to win the Super Bowl and that is no surprise with how good they have looked all season. It is interesting that the teams with the 3 lowest odds to win the Super Bowl have the 3 worst pass defenses in the league. The following rankings and records are as of December 16th.

Green Bay Packers
Odds: +150

The Packers are the last undefeated team and while they have issues defending the pass and their rushing offense does not rank high Aaron Rodgers is having a stellar season and the D makes plays when they need it. Rodgers looks like he will be a shoe in MVP and he has the deepest WR corps in the league. Unless the Packers implode the road to the Super Bowl will have to go through Green Bay.

New England Patriots
Odds: +500

Tom Brady is putting up another great season and he has a deep receiving corps even though he is throwing more INT than in recent seasons. The rushing offense has struggled a tad in the last few games and their pass defense ranks dead last in the league. Still, the Pats have won 5 straight and are peaking at the right time.

New Orleans Saints
Odds: +650

The Saints have won 5 straight and they have already snagged a playoff spot. Unlike last season Drew Brees and the top-ranked passing offense is getting help from a rushing offense, which ranks 8th in the league. New Orleans is decent at stopping the run, but rank 30th defending the pass. Brees will have to light up the scoreboard in the playoffs for the Saints to win the Big Game.

Baltimore Ravens
Odds: +1000

The Ravens are in the driver’s seat to win the AFC North and even though they have the same record as the Steelers they have already beaten them twice this season. Once again Baltimore is led by their defense, which ranks 2nd against the run and 4th against the pass. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have had good seasons, but the Ravens will only go as far as their D takes them.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Odds: +1100

The Steelers may have to snag a Wild Card berth to make the post season since they lost to the Ravens twice already, but at +1100 I think they defending the AFC champions are a good betting value. Shocker, Big Ben is banged up, but he is tough and has 2 of the best big play WR’s in the league in Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, who are each averaging over 16 yards per catch. While the defense is stellar once again in the Steel City RB Rashard Mendenhall has struggled all season and that is a big concern as the playoffs approach.

San Francisco 49ers
Odds: +1800

The 49ers have already wrapped up the NFC West, but they have lost 2 of their last 3 games and RB Frank Gore is banged up. Alex Smith is having his best season under center and San Fran has the best run defense in the league, but their pass defense only ranks 19th. On top of that the 49ers have played a pretty weak schedule and their best 2 wins of the season have come against the Lions and the Giants. Their upcoming Monday night game facing the Steelers may show of the 49ers are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

The Texans have already qualified for the playoffs, but are down to their 3rd string QB and other teams in the post-season mix are the Giants (+3300), Cowboys (+4000), Falcons (+4000), Jets (+4500), and Broncos (+4500).

Here are the odds to win the Super Bowl at Bodog as of December 16th.

• Green Bay Packers +150
• New England Patriots +500
• New Orleans Saints +650
• Baltimore Ravens +1000
• Pittsburgh Steelers +1100
• San Francisco 49ers +1800
• Houston Texans +2300
• New York Giants +3300
• Dallas Cowboys +4000
• Atlanta Falcons +4000
• New York Jets +4500
• Denver Broncos +4500
• San Diego Chargers +6600
• Detroit Lions +7000
• Oakland Raiders +7000
• Tennessee Titans +11000
• Chicago Bears +13000
• Cincinnati Bengals +16000
• Philadelphia Eagles +22500
• Kansas City Chiefs +55000

Online poker is a different animal than casino poker.

My response to them is, “the room is not the problem, you are.” The poker rooms have a lot more to lose ($1000’s in fines and major lawuits) than to gain from scrimping $20 out of your account. Here are five of the most common reasons that a lot of players start out poorly when they play online.

1. Better record keeping: You think you rule the home game, but how sure are you about that? When you play online you can see every cent you lose and, if you want to, even every hand you lose. When you play in your little home games you might remember a couple of your bad beats, but even those aren’t written down somewhere for you to read back later, and they may be gone for good if you get too drunk. And of course, it’s only human to remember the wins more than the losses.

2. No people to read: If the strength of your live game is reading other players and their tells, then you’re already at a disadvantage playing online before you log on. Since you can’t pick up these tells and player reads online, you’re probably playing hands online that you would have folded if you were looking your opponent square in the face.

3. More hands played per hour: Think about how many hands you play in your home game between talking, drinking, eating and any other distractions. Now think about how much faster each hand is when you’re playing online. If you’re losing more than you’re winning, and you’re playing more hands, then that means by default you’re playing more losing hands.

4. More “loose” players online: Anyone who’s played any amount of time online knows there are a lot more loose players online than anywhere else. This means there will be more people seeing the flop, turn and river, and consequently more people pulling off lucky winners. This is why you keep losing to Q 5 with your A K. The more of these bad beats you endure, the more you think the poker room is screwing with you.

5. Playing more than one table: If your computer can handle the load, you can play as many tables as you want. You probably hear some of the poker pros talking about how they play multiple tables to win more money. Well guess what? If you play more tables and you’re losing more than you’re winning, then you’re not winning more, you’re losing more.

Take it from me, the poker room isn’t the reason you’re not raking in hordes of chips. You are the reason. Nobody goes from a $100 deposit to $1 million overnight so don’t get frustrated by some initial bad play. The more you play, the better your game will get. In poker, like in business, you gotta spend money at first in order to make money.