The 138th Preakness Stakes is Saturday and eight horses will be trying to beat Kentucky Derby winner Orb and prevent him from having a shot at the Triple Crown. VOTE below for who you think is going to win the Preakness. FInal results will be available when voting ends at noon on Saturday and we'll release the results soon after.

ALSO, be sure to check out my Preakness column and video for my take on how to bet the Preakness at this link - http://bit.ly/10CC96h .

Fantasy sports of a different nature as things could be getting a little steamier than usual in late May at Niagara Falls.
According to a report by the Associated Press, female wrestlers from the United States, Canada and the Ukraine will meet at Niagara Falls for an exhibition meet later this month.
In an attempt to promote the sport on an international scale, Wrestling Canada announced today (Friday) that the three countries will face off in matches on May 31 in what has been called “The Battle At The Falls.” The meet will take place on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.
The AP report goes on to say the female wrestling tri-meet actually mirrors an upcoming exhibition between the U.S., Russian and Iranian men’s teams set to be held on May 15 in New York City.
The demonstration is designed to wrap up a monthlong push to promote the sport internationally by FILA, wrestling’s governing body, in the wake of the IOC’s recommendation that the sport be cut from the Olympics.

The ECAC men's hockey best-of-3 series continues with a pair of local Game 2's tonight. VOTE below who you will think will win tonight. Results will be announced here and via Twitter at 6 p.m. tonight. No. 1 Quinnipiac hosts Cornell tonight at 7 p.m. at High Point Solutions Arena in Hamden, CT. Cornell def. Quinnipiac 3-2 in Game 1 on Friday. No. 13 Yale hosts St. Lawrence tonight at 7 p.m. at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, CT. Yale def. St. Lawrence 6-1 on Friday in Game 1. Who will win Game 2 tonight between Quinnipiac and Cornell? Vote until 6 p.m. tonight Who will win between Yale and St. Lawrence tonight? Vote until 6 p.m. tonight

When Sportech Inc. took over the Connecticut Off-Track Betting operation two years ago, officials at the time made it clear it was going to be extremely customer friendly and make the OTB experience an exciting one for its fans.
Sportech, which has re-branded its Connecticut operation that is now called Winners Connecticut OTB, continues to make good on that promise. It has announced it will offer the $20,000 Winners Palm Beach Kennel Club Challenge, a greyhound handicapping tournament series that will begin Saturday. Winners Connecticut OTB has partnered with the Palm Beach Kennel Club, one of the premier live greyhound racing venues in Florida, to provide the $20,000 event that will consist of two individual greyhound handicapping events overall - a $10,000 event Saturday and another $10,000 event on Dec. 14.
Cash prizes will be paid out to the top 10 contestants who have accumulated the most earnings. First place prize is $5,000 followed by $1,500, $1,200, $800, $500 and $200 each for 6th through 10th place.
Patrons can participate at any of the 15 OTB sites in the state, including Sports Haven, Milford OTB, East Haven OTB and the Shoreline Star in Bridgeport, or through the Winners Connecticut OTB telephone wagering system.
The entry fee to play is only $20 with the fee used to make your handicapping contest wagers that are limited to win, place, show or quiniella bets. Fans who register by Friday for the first event will get a free $10 betting voucher. If you enter by phone an additional $10 will be added to your phone account.

The event is open to customers aged 21 and over. Greyhound racing fans living outside Connecticut can participate in the contest by calling 800-468-2260. Winners Connecticut OTB also offers telephone wagering services to customers in Arkansas, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
For more information and to register online, go to www.MyWinners.com.

In addition to giving its OTB customers a handicapping contest, over $3 million was invested in upgrading every OTB venue in the state in 2012 and renovations continue today. A month ago Sportech also announced that starting in April Winners Connecticut OTB will offer online horse wagering.

In case you missed it.....
In the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVII, sportsbook managers of the 183 casinos in Nevada were hopeful the state could reach the coveted $100 million handle for the biggest single-day betting event in that state.
When the dust cleared on Monday and the numbers tallied by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which regulates gambling in Nevada, the handle didn't hit the $100 million mark but it came pretty close.
With a huge amount wagered on San Francisco the final three days, a record $98.9 million was bet overall on the Super Bowl (including prop bets) according to figures released by Nevada Gaming Control Board.
The previous record was $94.5 million wagered in 2006 in the Super Bowl when Pittsburgh defeated Seattle.

What a Super Bowl!
Overall I can't complain about the run I had in the NFL playoffs.
Yeah, I know my prediction of overtime didn't happen but it was close. When Baltimore led 34-29, I figured San Francisco would get a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to go ahead 37-34 and then the Ravens would add a field goal late for the 37-37 tie. Of course that never happened with the Ravens' late goal line defensive stand against the 49ers.
As it turned out, I was 2-2 in the game itself - correct saying the Ravens would win and cover against the spread and wrong saying the game would go under and into OT.
Overall in the NFL playoffs against the spread I went 7-3-1. I'll take that record any day.

The Super Bowl has historically been the biggest single day betting event in Nevada and the ultimate goal has been a $100 million Super Bowl handle.

According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which regulates gambling in that state, the record stands at $94.5 million set in 2006 when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks.

Las Vegas Hotel and Casino sportsbook director Jay Kornegay, famous for the hundreds of Super Bowl prop bets he creates each year, typically takes a cautious stand when discussing whether an upcoming Super Bowl will produce a record handle.

But this is an unusual Super Bowl with many story lines. Internet reports believe last year's record of 111.3 million people viewing the game will be shattered and Las Vegas officials are anticipating the Super Bowl betting record will fall too.

Kornegay agrees.

"I think Nevada sports books will have a record handle this year," Kornegay said. "About 80 to 90 percent of the total wagering on the Super Bowl takes place between the Friday and Sunday leading up to the game. Wagering has gone well this week indicating there is a lot of interest in this game. The Baltimore Ravens have been getting the most early betting interest but we believe a large amount of money on the 49ers will come in this weekend."

Mark Franco, a New Haven native who is a professional sports gambler in Las Vegas, is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding a record Super Bowl handle.

"All the early money has come in on the Ravens as the line has dropped from as high as 5 to what it is now (San Francisco favored by 3 1/2)," Franco said. "Sports book directors do expect the 49ers money to come late as most of the betting happens Friday to Sunday.
"Sports book managers are talking about coming close to a record handle but I'm not sure it will get there. We'll see."

Betting is normally light for the Super Bowl with two weeks to go to the big game. But the betting lines started to pick up Tuesday in Las Vegas with most of the money going on the Baltimore Ravens who are still favored by 3.5 points over the San Francisco 49ers. Wagering is starting to get interesting with about 80-85 percent of Super Bowl betting expected to take place today (Friday) through Sunday,
"All the early money has come in on the Ravens since the line has dropped from as high as 5 to  3 1/2 now," said Mark Franco, a New Haven native who now lives the dream as a professional sports gambler in Las Vegas. "They expect the 49ers money to come late because most of the betting happens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the weekend of the game."
As of Tuesday about 60 percent of the wagering was going on the Ravens according to VegasInsider.com. On Friday morning more money started going on the 49ers with that Tuesday number going down to 55 percent of  the wagering going on the Ravens and 45 percent on the 49ers.
"Sports book managers are talking about coming close to a record handle but we're not sure it will get there," Franco said. "We'll see what happens as Thursday and Friday aproaches."
The record handle for Super Bowl wagering in Nevada is $94.5 million set in 2006 when Pittsburgh defeated Seattle according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which regulates gambling througout Nevada..

Check the link below and see why yours truly believes this Super Bowl will be the first to go into overtime:

http://bit.ly/XIEpYA

My "Betting the NFL" column always runs on Sunday and as a result Thursday games aren't usually included.
But since many people have been asking me who I like tonight in the New Orleans at Atlanta game, here we go with a special Thursday blog edition of Betting the NFL...
To me, this looks like one of the locks of the week with the New Orleans Saints' getting 3.5 to 4 points. The game will be close but the Saints' backs are against the wall when it comes to making the playoffs. At 5-6 they have to win out in their last five games to have a shot and I think that run begins tonight.
The Saints' playoff hopes got a bit derailed in Week 12 with a loss to San Francisco. But I see New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees coming through in a game I see as a lower scoring game than most people expect.
The stats are certainly in New Orleans' favor.
Brees loves playing against Atlanta where he's had 300 yards and multiple TDs in four of the last five games. Earlier this season in New Orleans the Saints handed the Falcons their only loss of the season with a 31-27 victory. The Saints have won 11 of the last 13 games against Atlanta including seven of the last eight. In Atlanta's last six home games against New Orleans the Falcons are 2-4 against the spread and 1-5 straight up.
From a fantasy perspective just about every offensive player from both teams should produce decent stats for team owners.
From an on-field perspective I see a close finish with the under a good play. In the last three matchups at Atlanta, the Saints won all three times by a field goal with a combined 49 points in two games (identical 26-23 scores in 2009, 2011) and 31 in one game (17-14 in 2010). The over-under today is 56 so I see the under looking good here.
You can see the complete series record and game-by-game results between the two teams at this link - http://bit.ly/rEAfiW.
While Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons will also be putting up points against a weak Saints defense, I think Brees as usual carries the team and hurls that final TD pass for the win.
Prediction: Saints 27-24.

BY THE WAY, check last Sunday's Betting the NFL column to see how I fared....Giants, Jaguars and Dolphins were among my top plays of the week .... http://bit.ly/Tgc22r.

This blog routinely discusses fantasy when it comes to sports but once in a while we’ve got to get a little real.
ESPN’s Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith had one of the most heated debates on Thursday morning on ESPN's First Take when it comes to the subject of Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.
While their tirade went off on several tangents, their bottom line was right on the money – Tebow wins games and in the 2011 regular season won more NFL games than he lost at 7-4 as a starter for Denver.
Bayless is such a huge Tebow supporter he has urged the Jets to free Tim Tebow to give him new life on a new team and started a “free Tebow campaign” on Twitter using the hash tag  #freeTimTebow.
The problem with many NFL coaches and officials is that they are purists who have preconceived ideas about how things should always be done. A successful NFL quarterback is someone who is supposed to be around 6-foot-5 with an accurate, strong arm. They typically stay in the pocket but if they scramble there better be a good reason for moving out of that pocket and they better be able to throw accurately on the run.
Completion rates have to be high. A quarterback better be able to deal with pressure and make quick decisions - read defenses and be able to check down from one potential receiver to another within seconds until an open guy is found.
And oh yeah, you need to win games.
But being unconventional leads to unpredictability and ultimately excitement for fans.
Just about everyone who talks about Tebow prefaces their discussion by saying Tebow isn’t a good quarterback and is far from being a prototypical NFL quarterback.
But the guy just wins.
In college while playing for Florida from 2006-09, he led the Gators to two national championships, was nominated three times for the Heisman Trophy and won it in 2007.
Last season Tebow became a media sensation, leading a Denver team that was 1-4 when he became the starter to the playoffs and then pulling off a huge upset with a win over Pittsburgh in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Here is an example of what Tebow has the potential to produce – in the 29-23 OT win over Pittsburgh he threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns, including the memorable 80-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play in overtime.
The recent Tebow bashing also had me thinking about a commentary that D.J. Gallo wrote for ESPN.com during the 2011 regular season comparing Tony Romo, considered a prototypical quarterback, to the unconventional Tebow. Here is the link - http://es.pn/oIvs6H.
I’ve always been a big Tebow fan and I’ve always believed he could be successful in the NFL.
There is something special about Tebow when he is on the football field. He finds a way to make positive things happen for his team and I believe it starts with his faith. He certainly wears his religion on his sleeve, but I believe his religious faith is what gives him a positive take on the field on every down and every situation. It is that religious faith that gives Tebow the faith in himself to produce, faith in his teammates to produce and faith in his coaches to make the right moves and decisions. The results were obvious in Denver last season with Tebow’s late-game successes, his poise under pressure and overall leadership ability.
NFL experts have said Tebow is a product of the system he was in during his college days and it didn’t transition well to the NFL game. The key is for an NFL team to instill that similar system that works for a Tebow-run spread option offense and to also have a strong defense that complements that offense.
The exciting thing for fans is you never know what is going to happen with Tebow on the field. You could get an 80-yard TD bomb or a 50-yard running play. You could also get a few sacks and interceptions. But with Tebow starting it's never boring and based on his makeup and history he will always try and make something positive happen.
The Jets should give Tebow a shot and a start for one game to see what would happen. If not, like Bayless says, free Tebow and let him go to a different struggling NFL team that would embrace an unconventional spark.