Our US Open predictions and free picks for the men’s bracket continue this week, as the US Open betting action gets set to get underway next week in Flushing, NY!

2011 US Open Odds, Picks & Info
2011 US Open Dates: Monday, August 29 – Sunday, September 11
2011 US Open Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York
2011 US Open Favorite: Novak Djokovic (+170)
Defending US Open Ladies Champion: Rafael Nadal
2011 US Open TV Coverage – Network: Tennis Network, NBC

With just two losses to his credit for the entire year, Novak Djokovic (Current US Open Odds: 1.70 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is clear the man to watch out for over the course of the next two weeks. Djokovic has played in this final twice in his career, but he has never taken home the coveted trophy. This has been a banner year for the Serb, who has captured the world’s No. 1 ranking and has already won a pair of majors (Australian Open and Wimbledon). Often times he and the fourth favorite, Andy Murray end up taking a back seat here in Flushing, and there is a decent chance that the exact same thing could happen this time around.

And why is that? Because the defending champion of this event, Rafael Nadal (US Open Lines: 4.45 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) isn’t going to want to get off of his throne. Rafa already has a Grand Slam title as well this year to his mantle, taking care of the French Open crown once again on the clay courts. However, hard surfaces have always given the Spaniard trouble, probably due to the fact that he doesn’t have the biggest serve in the world and that his best asset is his return game. Still, Nadal won’t go down without a fight in this one, and he is going to be the man of the hour to watch through the full fortnight, knowing that no one should touch him until at least the quarters at best.

List Of Past Ladies US Open Champions (Since 2000)
2010 US Open Winner: Rafael Nadal
2009 US Open Winner: Juan Martin Del Potro
2008 US Open Winner: Roger Federer
2007 US Open Winner: Roger Federer
2006 US Open Winner: Roger Federer
2005 US Open Winner: Roger Federer
2004 US Open Winner: Roger Federer
2003 US Open Winner: Andy Roddick
2002 US Open Winner: Pete Sampras
2001 US Open Winner: Leyton Hewitt
2000 US Open Winner: Marat Safin

As always though, we can’t forget about the five-time champ of this event, Roger Federer (Odds to Win the US Open: 6.15 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). It’s amazing to think that Federer hasn’t won a major this year, and it’s also odd to think that he is the fourth choice of the tennis oddsmakers this year at the tournament that he has historically dominated. With six finals appearances and five wins, no one since the great Pete Sampras has played like this at this tournament. Whether Federer has anything left in the tank or not is a totally different question.

US Open Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/26/11):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.com When Using This Link)

Novak Djokovic 1.70 to 1
Rafael Nadal 4.45 to 1
Andy Murray 5.15 to 1
Roger Federer 6.15 to 1
Juan Martin Del Potro 22 to 1
Jo Wilfried Tsonga 38 to 1
Mardy Fish 40 to 1
Robin Soderling 50 to 1
Tomas Berdych 75 to 1
Andy Roddick 80 to 1
Gael Monfils 225 to 1
John Isner 255 to 1
David Ferrer 315 to 1
Bernard Tomic 375 to 1
Ernests Gulbis 375 to 1
Fernando Verdasco 400 to 1
Marin Cilic 425 to 1
Richard Gasquet 500 to 1
Gilles Simon 525 to 1
Stanislas Wawrinka 550 to 1
Nikolay Davydenko 600 to 1
David Nalbandian 750 to 1
Alexandr Dolgopolov 750 to 1
Mikhail Youzhny 925 to 1
Jurgen Melzer 1,000 to 1
Nicolas Almagro 1,000 to 1
Viktor Troicki 1,000 to 1
Florian Mayer 1,000 to 1
Juan Ignacio Chela 1,000 to 1
Marco Baghdatis 1,000 to 1
Michael Llodra 1,000 to 1
Janko Tipsarevic 1,000 to 1
Feliciano Lopez 1,000 to 1
Ivan Ljubicic 1,000 to 1
Thomaz Bellucci 1,000 to 1
Kevin Anderson 1,000 to 1
Andreas Seppi 1,000 to 1
Guillermo Garcia Lopez 1,000 to 1
Fabio Fognini 1,000 to 1
Xavier Malisse 1,000 to 1
Albert Montanes 1,000 to 1
Ivan Dodig 1,000 to 1
Philipp Kohlschreiber 1,000 to 1
Juan Monaco 1,000 to 1
Sergiy Stakohvsky 1,000 to 1
Andrey Golubev 1,000 to 1
Dmitry Tursunov 1,000 to 1
Adrian Mannarino 1,000 to 1
Kei Nishikori 1,000 to 1
Ryan Harrison 1,000 to 1
Somdev Devvarman 1,000 to 1
Lukasz Kubot 1,000 to 1
Robby Ginepri 1,000 to 1
Steve Johnson 1,000 to 1
Jack Sock 1,000 to 1
Donald Young 1,000 to 1
Julien Benneteau 1,000 to 1
Bobby Reynolds 1,000 to 1
Pere Riba 1,000 to 1
Carlos Berlocq 1,000 to 1
Potito Starace 1,000 to 1
Michael Berrer 1,000 to 1
Fredrico il 1,000 to 1
Flavio Cipolla 1,000 to 1
Ivo Karlovic 1,000 to 1
Fernando Gonzalez 1,000 to 1
Horacio Zeballos 1,000 to 1
Philipp Petzschner 1,000 to 1
Albert Ramos 1,000 to 1
Marcel Granollers 1,000 to 1
Mikhail Kukushkin 1,000 to 1
Pablo Andujar 1,000 to 1
Juan Carlos Ferrero 1,000 to 1
Grigor Dimitrov 1,000 to 1
Santiago Giraldo 1,000 to 1
Dudi Sela 1,000 to 1
Radek Stepanek 1,000 to 1
Tommy Haas 1,000 to 1
Alejandro Falla 1,000 to 1
Yen Hsun Lu 1,000 to 1
Andreas Haider Maurer 1,000 to 1
Jarkko Nieminen 1,000 to 1
Victor Hanescu 1,000 to 1
Thiemo De Bakker 1,000 to 1
Tobias Kamke 1,000 to 1
Alex Bogomolov Jr 1,000 to 1
Filippo Volandri 1,000 to 1
Diego Junquiera 1,000 to 1
Karol Beck 1,000 to 1
Daniel Gimeno Traver 1,000 to 1
Ricardo Mello 1,000 to 1
Maximo Gonzalez 1,000 to 1
Tatsuma Ito 1,000 to 1
Lukas Rosol 1,000 to 1
Rui Machado 1,000 to 1
Robin Haase 1,000 to 1
Igor Andreev 1,000 to 1
James Blake 1,000 to 1
Oliver Rochus 1,000 to 1
Michael Russell 1,000 to 1
Marc Gicquel 1,000 to 1
Denis Istomin 1,000 to 1
Ryan Sweeting 1,000 to 1
Edouard Roger Vasselin 1,000 to 1
Gilles Muller 1,000 to 1
Matthias Bachinger 1,000 to 1
Igor Kunitsyn 1,000 to 1
Eric Prodon 1,000 to 1
Blaz Kavcic 1,000 to 1
Nicolas Mahut 1,000 to 1

NASCAR betting fans: We’re back with another fantastic race this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, as 43 of the best drivers in the world look to make for great Irwin Tools Night Race picks!

2011 Irwin Tools Night Race Odds, Picks & Info
2011 Irwin Tools Night Race Date: Saturday, August 27th, 2011
2011 Irwin Tools Night Race Green Flag Time: 7:46 ET
2011 Irwin Tools Night Race Location: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN
2011 Irwin Tools Night Race Favorite: Kyle Busch (+300)
Defending Irwin Tools Night Race Champion: Kyle Busch
2011 Irwin Tools Night Race TV Coverage – Network: ABC

When you look at the NASCAR betting odds in this one, there is absolutely no choice but to look long and hard at Kyle Busch (Odds to Win the Irwin Tools Night Race: 3 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook). Busch might not have a real license any longer because of his tiny little speeding ticket, but he definitely can still run here at Bristol, a track that he has dominated in his career. If he were to take the checkered flag in this one, it would be the fourth time in five races at Bristol that he won, including earlier this year at the Jeff Byrd 500. Busch has just really taken over at short tracks in his career, winning eight times. He’s the NASCAR points leader right now, and he is going to want to claim yet another win on the season to give him some bonus points heading into the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Carl Edwards (Current Irwin Tools Night Race Odds: 8.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is due to kick into gear one of these moments, and this might be the perfect race for him to do just that. The No. 99 Ford has won the Irwin Tools Night Race twice in 2007 and 2008, and he really could use a ‘W’ to get back in the saddle before NASCAR’s version of the playoffs begin. Edwards still only has one win this year, but his problems really didn’t begin until a few months ago when he started to lose what was once a massive lead in the points chase. Now, he’s in fourth place, and though he isn’t in any danger whatsoever of missing the postseason, he really would love to get some ‘mo going again.

List Of Past Irwin Tools Night Race Champions (Since 2000)
2010 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Kyle Busch
2009 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Kyle Busch
2008 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Carl Edwards
2007 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Carl Edwards
2006 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Matt Kenseth
2005 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Matt Kenseth
2004 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2003 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Kurt Busch
2002 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Jeff Gordon
2001 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Tony Stewart
2000 Irwin Tools Night Race Winner: Rusty Wallace

There aren’t many races that Chevrolets have performed poorly in, and the last time a Chevy found its way to the winner’s circle here at Bristol in the night race, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Irwin Tools Night Race Lines: 33 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) that was getting the job done. It’s clear that Little E isn’t a driver who is winning all that much… if at all anymore… but this is a nice spot for him if he wants to notch his spot in NASCAR’s version of the postseason. Falling out of the Top 10 will knock him out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but a win in any of these last few races would almost certainly ensure his safety. Don’t be surprised if Earnhardt Jr. is in the thick of things at the end of this one.

Irwin Tools Night Race Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Kyle Busch 2.50 to 1
Jimmie Johnson 6.50 to 1
Carl Edwards 8.50 to 1
Kurt Busch 11 to 1
Denny Hamlin 13 to 1
Kevin Harvick 13 to 1
Jeff Gordon 13 to 1
Brad Keselowski 13 to 1
Matt Kenseth 16.50 to 1
Tony Stewart 16.50 to 1
Greg Biffle 22 to 1
Clint Bowyer 27 to 1
Kasey Kahne 33 to 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 33 to 1
Ryan Newman 33 to 1
Mark Martin 33 to 1
Joey Logano 45 to 1
Jeff Burton 45 to 1
Paul Menard 55 to 1
David Reutimann 55 to 1
Martin Truex Jr. 55 to 1
David Ragan 55 to 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 66 to 1

Irwin Tools Night Race Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/25/11):
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Kyle Busch 3 to 1
Jimmie Johnson 6 to 1
Carl Edwards 8 to 1
Kurt Busch 10 to 1
Denny Hamlin 12 to 1
Kevin Harvick 12 to 1
Jeff Gordon 12 to 1
Matt Kenseth 15 to 1
Tony Stewart 15 to 1
Greg Biffle 20 to 1
Brad Keselowski 20 to 1
Clint Bowyer 25 to 1
Kasey Kahne 30 to 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 30 to 1
Ryan Newman 30 to 1
Mark Martin 30 to 1
Joey Logano 40 to 1
Jeff Burton 40 to 1
Paul Menard 50 to 1
David Reutimann 50 to 1
Martin Truex Jr. 50 to 1
David Ragan 50 to 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 60 to 1
Field 25 to 1

The SEC is always one of the roughest conferences to try to handicap, as the National Champions usually end up coming from this conference. This year, could we be saying the same thing? The favorites to take down the conference crown are the Alabama Crimson Tide (Current SEC Odds: 2.05 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Tide are losing a ton from last year’s offense, but when you look past the fact that QB Greg McIlroy, WR Julio Jones, and RB Mark Ingram are gone, you see that there is still a heck of a lot of talent coming back for Head Coach Nick Saban. It’s not like Saban hasn’t been able to figure out how to recruit in the past and then get the most out of what he brought into town. QB AJ McCarron should be fine, and so should the Alabama ‘D’. The biggest problem game on the slate is at home, a date with LSU.

Speaking of the LSU Tigers (2011 SEC Lines: 4.75 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook), they’re the next in a hoard of teams in the conference that are lined in the +475ish range to win this conference crown. We know that it is likely going to take a win against Alabama on the road to win the SEC, something that definitely won’t come easily. We’ll find out quite a bit right away this year when the Bayou Bengals take on the Oregon Ducks at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and it’ll be clear if QB Jordan Jefferson and company can’t keep up with the Quack Attack, they won’t be able to win this conference either.

The team that really could be there for the watching this season is the Georgia Bulldogs (Current SEC Odds: 4.75 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). We don’t really think that Head Coach Mark Richt and company have assembled the best team in the SEC East this season, but we don’t think that there is another team out there that can say that they have as easy of a road as UGA does. This is the year that the team gets the extra conference home game thanks to the fact that the annual Cocktail Party against Florida was originally slated as a road game, and to top it all off, both Alabama and LSU are dodged on the slate. Whereas South Carolina, another one of the favorites in the SEC East doesn’t get a real good look at some heavy duty competition until these two teams meet “Between the Hedges” in Week 2, Georgia gets to start off with a stern test against Boise State. With a lot on the line for Richt and the growth of QB Aaron Murray expected in his sophomore season, we wouldn’t be shocked to see the Dawgs right there when it’s said and done with playing for the SEC title.

2011 Odds To Win The SEC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Alabama Crimson Tide 2.05 to 1
Florida Gators 4.60 to 1
Georgia Bulldogs 4.75 to 1
LSU Tigers 4.75 to 1
South Carolina Gamecocks 6.25 to 1
Arkansas Razorbacks 17.50 to 1
Mississippi State Bulldogs 22 to 1
Tennessee Volunteers 22 to 1
Auburn Tigers 37 to 1
Kentucky Wildcats 85 to 1
Mississippi Rebels 85 to 1
Vanderbilt Commodores 185 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The SEC East Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Georgia Bulldogs 1.80 to 1
Florida Gators 1.90 to 1
South Carolina Gamecocks 2 to 1
Tennessee Volunteers 9 to 1
Kentucky Wildcats 33 to 1
Vanderbilt Commodores 75 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The SEC West Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Alabama Crimson Tide 1 to 1.40
LSU Tigers 2.75 to 1
Arkansas Razorbacks 9.15 to 1
Mississippi State Bulldogs 13 to 1
Auburn Tigers 18 to 1
Mississippi Rebels 33 to 1

We’re down to the point that it is awfully hard to pick which games are better than one another, but in this Top 5 showdown, the LSU Tigers and Oregon Ducks will meet, not just for conference bragging rights, but in a game that could be an early elimination game from BCS National Championship contention.

LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Picks & Info
LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Date: Saturday, September 3rd, 8:00 ET
LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Spread: Oregon Ducks pk

This is going to be the toughest test of the year for the LSU offense and the LSU defense. No, the Oregon defense isn’t the greatest on the planet, but it definitely is a unit that has an easier job than most thanks to this offense. QB Jordan Jefferson really hasn’t played all that well in his career, but in this case, he knows that he is probably going to have to account for at least three or four TDs for his team to even have a shot. Sure, the Bayou Bengals will have the advantage of having to travel just a few hours instead of halfway across the country to get to this one, but this should be a fairly bi-partisan crowd. The only advantage comes on the defensive side of the ball, where Head Coach Les Miles has been working all Spring and Summer long trying to figure out how to slow down what the Ducks are going to be bringing their way in this primetime showdown.

LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Past Games (Since 1996)
None

Oregon, on the other hand, is going to try to make sure that it doesn’t end up getting into the same situation in this game that it did the last time that it played a team from the SEC West. The Auburn Tigers were able to relatively silence this potent offense, but we have to remember that that came after a long, long layoff thanks to the time lapse between the last game of the regular season and the BCS National Championship Game. One might think that the time off might be an issue this year as well, but QB Darron Thomas and RB LaMichael James were off and running last season at the outset, and we see no reason why that can’t continue this year, starting off in less than two weeks’ time against the high flying LSU defense.

LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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LSU Tigers (pk) @ Oregon Ducks

Our US Open predictions and free picks for the women’s bracket continue this week, as the US Open betting action gets set to get underway next week in Flushing, NY!

2011 US Open Odds, Picks & Info
2011 US Open Dates: Monday, August 29 – Sunday, September 11
2011 US Open Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York
2011 US Open Favorite: Serena Williams (+160)
Defending US Open Ladies Champion: Kim Clijsters
2011 US Open TV Coverage – Network: Tennis Network, NBC

It’s ironic to think that the woman who is the favorite this year by a country mile at the US Open isn’t even ranked in the Top 25 in the bracket. However, we all know that Serena Williams (Current US Open Odds: 1.60 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is going to be the force to be reckoned with. Williams is only No. 28 in the bracket thanks to the fact that she hasn’t played a heck of a lot of tennis of late, but with three US Open titles to her credit and a slew of other finals, many of which were lost to her sister, there is no doubt that this is the player that no one wants to mess around with.

With women’s tennis so far out of tilt over these last few years, without any truly dominating players, we are at the point that we are content taking underdogs and seeing how things work out. The woman that really catches our eye in spite of the fact that she really has never played all that well on hard courts is Na Li (US Open Lines: 22 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Chinese standout played in the final at Wimbledon this year, which came just one major tournament after claiming her first ever Grand Slam title at the French Open. Li is already 29 years old, but she has definitely blossomed this year into one of the top players in the world and definitely should not be forgotten, especially at this type of a price.

List Of Past Ladies US Open Champions (Since 2000)
2010 US Open Winner: Kim Clijsters
2009 US Open Winner: Kim Clijsters
2008 US Open Winner: Serena Williams
2007 US Open Winner: Justine Henin
2006 US Open Winner: Maria Sharapova
2005 US Open Winner: Kim Clijsters
2004 US Open Winner: Svetlana Kuznetsova
2003 US Open Winner: Justine Henin
2002 US Open Winner: Serena Williams
2001 US Open Winner: Venus Williams
2000 US Open Winner: Venus Williams

She really hasn’t panned out as one of the best top seeds in women’s tennis this year, especially at majors, but the time is definitely coming for Caroline Wozniacki (Odds to Win the US Open: 17 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) to make a name for herself at the Grand Slam level. She’s won plenty of secondary events over the course of the last few years, but she has never gotten all the way through the biggest events of her career. Is this her day? We tend to think that there is at least a 1 in 17 chance of the Dane getting the job done.

US Open Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Serena Williams 1.60 to 1
Maria Sharapova 6.50 to 1
Petra Kvitova 11 to 1
Victoria Azarenka 12 to 1
Caroline Wozniacki 17 to 1
Vera Zvonareva 21 to 1
Na Li 22 to 1
Sabine Lisicki 32 to 1
Andrea Petkovic 42 to 1
Agnieszka Radwanska 42 to 1
Samatha Stosur 44 to 1
Marion Bartoli 55 to 1
Jelena Jankovic 60 to 1
Venus Williams 65 to 1
Svetlana Kuznetsova 90 to 1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 90 to 1
Daniela Hantuchova 90 to 1
Ana Ivanovic 95 to 1
Francesca Schiavone 120 to 1
Dominika Cibulkova 150 to 1
Julia Goerges 190 to 1
Yanina Wickmayer 190 to 1
Shuai Peng 200 to 1
Nadia Petrova 200 to 1
Flavia Pennetta 250 to 1
Roberta Vinci 260 to 1
Lucie Safarova 270 to 1
Jarmila Gajdosova 300 to 1
Maria Kirilenko 385 to 1
Shahar Peer 450 to 1
Bethanie Mattek Sands 500 to 1
Kaia Kanepi 500 to 1
Elena Vesnina 500 to 1
Ekaterina Makarova 500 to1
Tamira Paszek 500 to 1
Petra Cetkovska 500 to 1
Irina Camelia Begu 500 to 1
Tsvetana Pironkova 500 to 1
Lucie Hradecka 500 to 1
Gisela Dulko 500 to 1
Simona Halep 500 to 1
Bojana Jovanovski 500 to 1
Jelena Dokic 590 to 1
Anabel Medina Garrigues 1,000 to 1
Sara Errani 1,000 to 1
Klara Zakopalova 1,000 to 1
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 1,000 to 1
Polona Hercog 1,000 to 1
Rebecca Marino 1,000 to 1
Iveta Benesova 1,000 to 1
Lourdes Dominguez Lino 1,000 to 1
Alexandra Dulgheru 1,000 to 1
Ayumi Morita 1,000 to 1
Ksenia Pervak 1,000 to 1
Kimiko Date Krumm 1,000 to 1
Elena Baltacha 1,000 to 1
Monica Niculescu 1,000 to 1
Sofia Arvidsson 1,000 to 1
Pauline Parmentier 1,000 to 1
Johanna Larsson 1,000 to 1
Sania Mirza 1,000 to 1
Vera Dushevina 1,000 to 1

This Saturday night is fight night at the HSBC Arena in the Rio de Janeiro, and we have some of the best MMA picks in the world as we dissect the UFC 134 live odds!

2011 UFC 134, Picks & Info
UFC 134 Date: Saturday, August 27th, 2011, 9:00 ET
UFC 134 Location: HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
UFC 134 Main Event: Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami
UFC 134 Live TV Coverage – Network: Pay-Per-View

The Middleweight Championship will be on the line on Saturday night when Brazilian Anderson Silva essentially plays host to a stingy challenger, Yushin Okami. Okami is 26-5 in his MMA career, and he has really come through a tough set of middleweights to reach this fight. The Japanese wonder took care of Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt in back to back fights, the latter of which was one of the best fights in UFC 122. Okami has never challenged for a belt like this in his career, and he certainly has his work cut out for him.

Okami actually does have a win in his career against Silva back in 2006 in Honolulu, but the win came via DQ. Silva hasn’t lost a fight since that point (14-0), and he has been the Middleweight champ since taking the belt from Rich Franklin in October 2006. Only two of his fights have even gone the distance in this stretch, and both ended in unanimous decisions in favor of the champ.

The undercard, to no surprise, features a slew of Brazilians that will have the crowd on their side against others. Americans Forrest Griffin and Brendan Schaub will have their work cut out for them against Mauricio Rua and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira respectively.

The Rua fight is of particular note, knowing that he is badly trying to get back on top in the Light Heavyweight Division after losing two of his last three fights and ceding his belt to Jon Jones. Griffin already has one win in his career against Rua, coming via a rear naked choke submission back in 2007. Griffin has fought some of the best in the business in his time, beating the likes of Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Rua, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Don’t be shocked if he pulls off another big victory in this one in Brazil.

Current 2011 UFC 134 Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook) (as of 8/23/11):
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Yushin Okami +400
Anderson Silva -500
Over/Under 4.5 Rounds (Over +135)

Forrest Griffin +195
Mauricio Rua -235
Over/Under 2.5 Rounds (Over -130)

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +195
Brendan Schaub -235
Over/Under 2.5 Rounds (Over +100)

Ross Pearson +245
Edson Barboza -290
Over/Under 2.5 Rounds (Over -135)

Stanislav Nedkov +175
Luiz Cane -225

Spencer Fisher +180
Thiago Tavares -240

Dan Miller +190
Rousimar Palhares -270

Current 2011 UFC 134 Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook) (as of 8/23/11):
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Yushin Okami +395
Anderson Silva -475

Forrest Griffin +185
Mauricio Rua -225

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +195
Brendan Schaub -235

Ross Pearson +240
Edson Barboza -300

The Big 10 (err… Big 12?) definitely has a new look to it this season with the addition of the Cornhuskers into the fold. But will they be able to make the big time impact that everyone is looking for in this conference? One, and potentially two bids will be on the line on October 1st when Big Red tries to make its first Big 10 statement in Camp Randall against the Badgers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Picks & Info
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Date: Saturday, October 1st
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Spread: Wisconsin Badgers -2.5

Nebraska thinks that it can be a National Championship contender this year, but it is clear that this is the biggest test on the slate. Remember that this could be the first of two meetings against Wisky on the season, as there is a very possible date for these two in the first Big 10 Championship Game as well. QB Taylor Martinez did great against the Washington Huskies in the first go around of those two teams last season, but when push came to shove, U-Dub got the best of him and the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl. Cause for concern? Head Coach Bo Pelini is going to hope that a defense that ranked No. 10 in the nation last year at 308.2 yards per game can keep things going in spite of the fact that over the last two seasons, the team has lost some absolute studs on this side of the ball in DT Ndamukong Suh and DB Prince Amukamara.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Past Games (Since 1995)
None

The Badgers are going to look a whole heck of a lot like they did last year. We know that RB John Clay is no longer in the fold, but the two men that shined last season in his absence, RB Montee Ball and RB James White are still here in Madison. Those three helped Wisconsin to the No. 11 rushing offense in the land at 247.1 yards per game, and they did so without the use of a mobile quarterback bolstering the yardage totals. This year, QB Russell Wilson at least brings a level of athleticism to the fold, but he also gives Head Coach Bret Bielema the best signal caller that he has had in his short time at Wisconsin since taking over for the famed Barry Alvarez. This is going to be the fifth straight home game to start the season, and if Wisconsin can get past this one, it should be a Top 5 team in the nation and be 6-0 going into games against Michigan State and Ohio State on the road in back to back weeks.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/23/11):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.com When Using This Link)

Nebraska Cornhuskers (+2.5) @ Wisconsin Badgers