With much of the focus this season on the winner and 4th place spot 
in the Premier League the runts of the litter seem to have been forgotten. 

With 14 games to go the relegation dog fight is very much on.  
BetRepublic's friends at www.extrabet.com currently see little hope
for Portsmouth who now trade at a whimpering 1/8 to be relegated. 
However, this is the best price in the market and could just
be one of the bets of the year. Realistically, they need  to win 2 
of every 3 games in the run in to stay up. Considering they’ve won 
4 from 24 that may be an impossibility.

Elsewhere, the story is more uncertain with 3 points separating Hull, 
West Ham, Bolton, Wigan, Burnley and Hull. However, history shows that 
generally other teams will get pulled into the mire. On that front 
Blackburn trade at 11/1 on extrabet with Sunderland 10/1. Sunderland, 
in particular, are in disarray after winning just 1 game in the 
Premier League since October. They are currently on 25 points and have 
scored just scored 4 points in their last 9 games.

TO BE RELEGATED - EXTRABET

Portsmouth 1/8
Wolves 4/5
Burnley 1/1
Hull City 11/8
Bolton 13/5
West Ham 11/4
Wigan 5/1
Sunderland 10/1
Blackburn 11/1

With less than four minutes to play and the Colts driving it almost looked as if sports bettors were going to be treated to the first-ever overtime game in Super Bowl history. It would only be fitting, given the record breaking season we were treated to in 2009. But as the New Orleans Saints proved all year, no ball is ever safe with that defense lurking.

New Orleans won 31-17 and Jarvis starts with a recap of Super Bowl XLIV, running down the bets from the handicapping team in what was a very successful NFL season at BetRepublic.com. Odds have also been posted online for next year’s Bowl and it’s no surprise which team tops the list (or is it?).

NHL: Five games on the ice tonight and Jarvis gives his thoughts and opinions on the entire lineup. Top play for the night is the Los Angeles Kings (-105) to extend their franchise record win streak to 10 games against cross-town rival Anaheim Ducks.

You can watch the Daily Line live every Monday to Friday at 3 pm ET or watch a recorded version in the Video department at BetRepublic.com. Also be sure and check out the Stadiums for updates, line moves and additional plays every day from all of the handicappers and members of the BetRepublic.com team.

After much mastur . . . uuhhhh . . . I mean consternation - two weeks of mental debate, fact finding and number crunching – I bought my main play for the Super Bowl, and PUB’d it to my teammates.

I invested in the Saints to score more than 26 points.

Rather than a side or game total, I decided to go with one of the two team totals, either Colts Over 31 or Saints Over 26, and I opted for New Orleans.

I detailed this play on the first SB show we did, last week, including a spiffy graph, and I’ll hit a few of the highlights for you here, so you don’t have to search for the show and watch the replay.

The Saints scored more than 26 in 13 of their 18 games this season.

The Saints average 32 points per game, leaving me a 6 point cushion between that number and today’s posted total.

Two of the five games where NO didn’t score 26 came against defenses that were rated in the top five for overall yardage allowed; Indianapolis is NOT a top five overall defense.  They are not a top ten defense, nor a top fifteen.  Overall, they rank eighteen, allowing 338 yards per.

Against the pass, for overall yardage, the Colts are rated 17^th, allowing 216 per game.

Granted, the Saints D is rated lower in both those categories, and I looked long and hard at Indy’s total of 31 (and yes, I think they surpass it) but I’m opting for the lower hanging fruit at 26 points, and here is the main reason why – speed.

In the playoffs, the Saints defense has seen speed, and variety, from two of the NFL’s best passing games – Arizona and Minnesota.  The Colts?  They have faced the Ravens and Jets, ranked 19th and 31st in passing yards.  So, which defense do YOU think is in for more of a culture shock today?

In fact, the Colts have faced a pretty easy slate of foes this season, pass-wise, as they saw Garrard (twice), Orton, Pennington, Seneca Wallace, Collins, Smith, Fitzpatrick and Sanchez twice.

They did see top passers Schaub (twice) and Brady, and those two averaged 30 points against the Colts in their three games.

And 30 is 4 more than 26.

I also factored in the Freeman angle.  His loss does not equal if the offense lost Manning, but he is their big playmaker on D.  Even if he does play he will not be 100% healthy and he will not be sharp – he hasn’t been able to practice for two weeks now.

Going up against the #1 rated Saints offense – in points scored and total yards – is not a game you want to play without your defensive star.

My play: Saints Over 26

Bonus feature: Viewer’s mailbag.

Sonny,

You usually have a Mon/Wed/Friday column, but this week – no Friday.  What happened?

Sincerely,

Concerned Reader

Dear CR,

This Sunday column is my Friday column.  It’s late because I had to type with only one hand.  Friday morning, I was told that THE boss of BR wanted to meet with me.  I figured he wanted to congratulate me for my fine public service, and, having never met the man before I was more than happy to oblige. 

I was ushered into a room and introduced to Big Paulie, though why they call him Big Paulie I have no idea since he looks like The Great Gazoo.  He’s not a dwarf – not that there’s anything wrong with that - he's just tiny; yet, perfectly proportioned. 

His chair swallows him up; his feet don’t even touch the floor.  He must need a step stool just to reach the children’s urinal and I'm pretty sure he can't wear hats.  Yet from this diminutive head booms a voice deeper than James Earl Jones, and instead of a Gazoo helmet, he has a Don King straight-up afro, which is extra weird because he’s white; it’s a very freaky scene. 

In his hand he held a nutcracker, and, unfortunately for me, there were no nuts in sight.  Short story long, he had three of his goons pummel me for complaining in Wednesday’s missive about my editor’s third-world-sweatshop-foreman tendencies when dealing with the drones.  And to ensure there’d be no repeat performance, he crushed the fingers of my right hand, just like I was a card cheater in Scorsese’s “Casino.”

“Huzzah” indeed . . .

.

Le Mans +0.5 Asian handicap at Lens at 2.1 (11/10) (Bet365)
Le Mans had a Coupe de France tie at Sochaux last Wednesday, but you could tell how seriously coach Arnaud Cormier took the competition by the fact he picked just one first-teamer for that match in his starting XI. That's because Cormier knows this trip to Lens is far more important as it's a potentially decisive opportunity to take points off a relegation rival.
Le Mans lie 18th on 16pts from 22 games. Lens are three positions and 11pts higher up the table, but the difference in quality between the sides is not as great as you would imagine.
Le Mans have improved since Cormier took over two months ago. He's organised them into a 4-4-2 shape that appears to suit them better than the 4-2-3-1 his predecessor Paulo Duarte used, and in striker Anthony Le Tallec, once of Liverpool, they have a target man and goalscorer superior to anything that Lens have to offer.
I've no idea why the bookies have made Lens odds-on to win. Back Le Mans with a quarter-goal start on the Asian handicap. You'll make a profit as long as Le Mans avoid defeat.

Lille to win at Nice at 1.95 (19/20)
Lille lie third in Ligue 1 and have had a sensational run of results in recent months. After a difficult start to the season they finally found their feet in October and have won a remarkable 10 of their last 12 Ligue 1 games.
Lille are also the division's highest scorers thanks to a scintillating forward line that contains Ivory Coast international Gervinho, their 11-goal top scorer, former PSG striker Pierre-Alain Frau and current Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year Eden Hazard, who extended his contract this week. They can score against any opposition, but have a better chance than normal of finding the net several times this weekend as Nice are without their Colombia international goalkeeper David Ospina, who's one of the best shot-stoppers in the division, and Renato Civelli, their giant Argentinian centre-back.
On top of that, Nice's form is appalling - they've lost seven of their last nine league games.
The stats and team news both point to an away win. Back Lille at 1.95 (19/20).

Saturday's Sandown racing tips

By Ashley Wishaw

Sandown boasts an excellent card, and punters have been handed a devilishly difficult conundrum this weekend in the shape of the Heroes Handicap hurdle (3.10pm), the feature betting event of the day.

David Pipe’s Lough Derg heads the weights and such is his presence that six of the 14-runner field must race out of the handicap. The stats men will be screaming from the rooftops for you to lay the horse adorned with the No.1 cloth, purely because only one top-weight in the last 20 years has tasted victory. That was Baracouda, one of the greatest stayers seen on a racecourse, and it is almost needless to say that Lough Derg is certainly not of that class.

The stats men would also tell you to keep away from horses carrying 11st or over as only one of the last ten winners has carried more than that impost, which brings in all the horses bar Trenchant into the equation. It is very difficult to get away from the favourite, Erzen, who has had just six starts in a short career. The five-year-old, trained by Nicky Henderson, finished a run-out second to Lake Legend at Kempton on the Boxing Day card in the fiercely competitive handicap hurdle, but looked a tricky ride. The Daylami gelding undoubtedly has talent, and should improve, but 4-1 in a competitive field such as this is certainly no giveaway. Strategic Approach from the Warren Greatrex stable is attractively priced at 7-1, after showing his liking for hurdles  when losing his maiden at Cheptsow in December. The eight-year-old almost followed up against three weeks later at the Welsh track but the race was run in a virtual bog and he was just outstayed to the line by Money Order. Strategic Approach runs from out of the handicap – he is 5lbs wrong – and bids to become the fourth horse since 1994 to win carrying the extra weight.

At the likely odds, however, I’m willing fly in the face of the stats and back Trenchant. Few Heroes Hurdles have had their weights skewed so badly as this year’s renewal, and with only two horses set to run with more than 11st, I think this race should be treated as something as a separate entity. Trenchant was good enough last season to finish fifth in the Triumph Hurdle behind Zaynar, Walkon, Mourad and Starluck and finished ahead of Reve De Sivola, who picked up a Grade 2 and the Grade 1 Challow hurdle this season. It’s a striking line of form, particularly as the Triumph demands level weights, and it could be that Trenchant is far too good for his rivals. He was seen to best effect earlier this season when edging out Alderluck, who re-opposes, under similar weight conditions. The fact that the pair finished almost three lengths to the good of Fairland, who sunsequently hacked up in a handicap hurdle at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting, only highlights what a smart effort that must have been. He then finished a solid fifth behind Time For Rupert at Cheltenham over three miles, but as he has never won over such a distance, it seems that the trip over the undulating track at Prestbury Park found him out. Back over 2m6f, and on his favoured soft ground, he should take a hell of a lot of beating, and trainer Alan King has said he will run well.

Racing aficionados will be keen to get a sight of Binocular, who runs in the 1.30pm, the Contenders Hurdle won by Celestial Halo last year. It sees that this fact finding mission is the cornerstone to the six-year-old’s season, and if he cant beat Dee EE Williams and Marodima then his Champion Hurdle aspirations will evaporate. Later on the card too, racing fans get to see a glimpse of Punchestowns, no doubt warming up in the Scilly Isles Novices Chase (2.35pm) for his tilt at the RSA Chase in March. Henderson also had the impressive Long Run entered for this contest, which just goes to show what strength in depth he has in the junior chasing ranks. Punchestowns was deeply impressive last time out at Newbury, and although he’s not much of a price, he looks value and should be bunged in a double with Binocular.

3.10pm: 1pt each-way Trenchant at 7-1 (bit.ly/brbet365)

A word of warning for you before you wade into these bets - France's second division is one of the hardest leagues in Europe to call right now. Why? Because everybody can beat everybody else.

Apart from leaders Caen - who look as though they will head the division from tape to gun, and have a wealth of class and experience in their squad, which should ensure a safe passage back into the top flight at the first time of asking - there's very little to pick between the other 19 sides. This is made clear when you look at the league table: just eight points separate the sides in fourth and 17th positions, which means things can turn around very quickly indeed.

It's congested in the middle and bottom-half of the table - two sides are on 27pts (11th and 12th positions) and four sides are on 26pts (13th to 16th) - so one or two good results can see a side climb from just outside the relegation zone to the fringes of the promotion positions.

My advice would be: keep your stakes low until motivational factors come into play in the final weeks of the season. I will be picking out only a couple of bets every week.

This week's selections:

Metz v Nimes both teams to score @ 2.15 (William Hill)
Ex-France international Sylvain Wiltord makes his debut for Metz tonight. The one-time Arsenal goalscorer joined the Lorraine club as a free agent during the January transfer window last month - but, as one of the most dedicated footballers around, has kept himself in shape since last playing professionally, for Marseille in France's top flight last season. Wiltord's arrival should pull in a couple of extra thousands fans and increases the chances of Metz scoring against a Nimes defence that has kept just one clean sheet in its last 10 matches.
Nimes will be confident of netting themselves, however, as they have the most prolific strike duo in the division. Jean-Jacques Mandrichi and Togo international striker Jonathan Ayite have scored 17 goals in 36 Ligue 2 starts between them. Metz's best centre-half, Stephane Borbiconi, is missing through injury - so back both teams to score at 2.15 (23/20)


Brest +0.25 Asian handicap at Nantes @ 1.91 (10/11) (Bet365)
Nantes are a far bigger name than Brest in French football - but right now, Nantes are falling down the table at an alarming rate while Brest look on course for promotion to Ligue 1.
The stats speak for themselves. Nantes have collected just five points from their last possible 30, giving them the worst form of any side in the division over the past 10 games. Meanwhile, Brest have won seven of their last 10 matches, lost just one in the last 17 and boast two of the division's best players in midfielder Bruno Grougi (six goals and seven assists in 22 games) and France U21 striker Nolan Roux (10 goals in 15 starts and six substitute appearances).
The bookies have priced up this match on the basis that Nantes are one of France's most famous old clubs, while Brest are barely known outside Brittany. Tosh. Brest are excellent value on the Asian handicap, so back them with a quarter-goal start at 1.91 (10/11). As long as they avoid defeat, you'll make a profit.

India have to be opposed in the first Test, which starts early Saturday (04.00GMT) against South Africa in Nagpur. Slower starters than a Morris Minor in winter first thing, they look to be far too short at 21-10 (Stan James). South Africa are 100-30 generally with the draw a very tempting even money across the board.

It is the home side’s awful record in the first Test of a home series that forms one of the four cornerstones of our argument. In their last 10 they have managed to win just twice, drawing seven. It is a record which has to be respected given that they have a formidable home record, losing only two series since 2000.

What is also against India starting well and bucking that incredible trend in the first matches of a series are their recent opponents. They enjoyed a stroll against Bangladesh last month, winning the series 2-0 and previous to that they were hardly tested against weak Sri Lanka and New Zealand sides.

South Africa are going to be much harder nuts to crack. They will be quite happy to draw this first Test and you can expect to see them bat pretty negatively and set ultra defensive fields to allow them to get a foothold.

The wicket should help the visitors do just that. Apart from a little early moisture, it should be flat and easy to bat on. The average first-innings score is a whopping 343, so spread bettors should factor that figure into any potential wagers. Indeed, this Test looks the perfect opportunity to get long of innings runs if an early wicket goes because of the seam or swing movement first up.

India will be without Rahul Dravid, which weakens them significantly. He is a rock of their batting. Untested Sub Badrinath and Rohit Sharma could come in to form a immature middle order. South Africa are expected to give Johan Botha the spinner’s slot ahead of Paul Harris.

India batsman averages in first Tests

Sehwag 60

Gambhir 51

Tendulkar 58

VVS Laxman 36

Dhoni 59

There is much hype about India’s batting line-up, and justifiably so when you consider the numbers above. Virender Sehwag is 7-2 (Extrabet) to be top bat and 7-4 (Blue Sq) for 61 runs or more in the first dig. Sachin Tendulkar is 7-2 (Extrabet) and as short as 13-8 for 61 runs or more. Tendulkar has top-scored twice in the last five Tests at Nagpur.

Jacques Kallis, with an average of 55 in India, looks to be the most durable of the South Africa batsman and he is 7-4 (Blue Sq)  to score 61 runs or more in the first innings. Smith, who averages 44, is 15-8  to do the same. He is 11-4 to match his average.

Bet

Lay India

3pts 3.5 Betfair

India and South Africa are preparing for the start of a two-Test series in the early hours of Saturday morning and bettors should be confident of making the contest pay after paying close attention to the Proteas in their recent drawn series against England.

India are 11-8 with Stan James, South Africa 3-1 (Betfred, Hills) and the draw is 2-1 (Bet365, Betfred, Hills). Only two sides have won a Test series in India since 2000 but despite that record, we cannot back the home team with confidence.

The two teams that have triumphed in India are Australia (2004) and South Africa (2000). Indeed, if there is one team which is today capable of winning in India, it is South Africa. Since they were brought back from the wilderness in 1996, they have the best record of any team in the country. Throughout history, only West Indies have a superior win-loss ratio.

South Africa last visited in 2008 and came away with a draw, although they were unfortunate not to win. India produced an outrageous wicket in the final Test in Kanpur when they were 1-0 down to force a result and South Africa lost the toss and therefore the Test.

The reason for South Africa’s success in India is that they are a solid and, ahem, negative side. They are quite prepared to bat long and slowly for hours, frustrating the hosts and making sure they do not lose. Tests in India are often a war of attrition and South Africa are perfectly suited.

There are fears that South Africa’s lack of a spinner makes them close to useless but those are unjustified. Twirlers suffer in India no matter how good (Shane Warne was awful for example) so don’t get hung up about it.

Before we pile into Graeme Smith’s side, however, spot the fly in the ointment. Following the 1-1 draw against England they have lost their coach and their entire selection panel. Turmoil doesn’t quite cover it.

We can only guess how they will cope but it would be fair to reckon that a side which has undergone such changes is probably not value to win. Instead, let’s get on the side of the draw. You could back it at 2.88 or, in fact, lay India at 2.50 on Betfair.

The best value wager is backing a 0-0 correct score at 9-2 (Victor Chandler). It would be a major surprise if there was a result in each of the Tests (at Nagpur and Eden Gardens) with both surfaces stalemate-friendly.

The hosts have been rocked by an injury to Rahul Dravid, the pillar of their batting and there are slight concerns about their ability to take 20 wickets. Zaheer Khan is a fine bowler but Ishant Sharma’s form has been patchy and although he performed well against Bangladesh last time, that is no marker.

 India batsman averages last 12 months

Sehwag 65

Gambhir 84

Tendulkar 80

VVS Laxman 68

MS Dhoni 91

South Africa batsman averages in India

Smith 44

Prince 17

Amla 47

Kallis 55

Ab de Villiers 76

Boucher 30

Having perused those stats, Jacques Kallis looks to be the best punt at 3-1 (Stan James). Smith is the same price with Skybet and Hills. AB De Villiers is 9-2 (Blue Square, 888Sport). For India, Gautam Gambhir (Bet365, Blue Sq, 888Sport, Stan James), Virender Sehwag (Blue Sq, Stan James, Hills) and Sachin Tendulkar (Skybet, Stan James, Hills) are all 3-1.

Bets

Correct score 0-0

1pt 9-2 Victor Chandler

J Kallis top SA series bat

1pt 3-1 Stan James

Six Nations Round One matches

 By Ashley Wishaw

England and Wales clash at Twickenham this weekend in the tastiest Six Nations contest of the new decade, but the traditional rivals will be playing to a packed house due to the stadium’s 100^th anniversary. The pageantry involved will crank up the pressure in a match which both sides will believe they can win, but England look a decent wager at just 4-6 to see off their beleaguered visitors.

According to the IRB, England are the superior side, and given that Martin Johnson enjoys the return of some of his most trusted lieutenants, it seems that the bookmakers have given punters a gilt-edged opportunity. Johnson welcomes back Riki Flutey, Delon Armitage and Nick Easter to the fray, and with that triumvirate in tow, England finished second in last season's standings. Johnson’s men also scored the most tries, and the cumulative winning margin that they lost away to Ireland and Wales was just nine points. England’s tortuous autumn was largely down to the fact that Johnson was missing these three, along with several others, and with a bolstered squad England should simply be too good for the Welsh at 4-6.

Punters who like to bet at odds against have a range of possibilities, but as highlighted in the tournament preview, Wales are one of the many teams who have struggled to plug the centre channel in defence. Under their coach Warren Gatland, Wales have conceded a try in 18 matches. In ten of those games, the first try was scored by a centre, and in all centres have scored 13 of the 35 tries that Wales have conceded under the Kiwi. Flutey returns to the centre to partner Matthew Tait and although Tait also knows the way to the whitewash, Flutey has a better tryscoring ratio and is 8-1 with Paddy Power to be England’s first tryscorer or 4-1 with Coral simply to cross the tryline.

Italy try to remain competitive against Ireland in Dublin without their talisman and skipper Sergio Parisse. The Stade Francais No.8 misses the tournament with a cruciate injury and will be sorely missed by the Azzurri. Italy will be travelling to Croke Park with optimism having lost by four and five points respectively in their last two visits to Dublin, and with a 21.5-point start by the bookmakers there will be many out there who will fancy Nick Mallett’s visitors. The trouble with Italy is that in recent times they have conceded a hatful of points in the first half, which means the contest is over, as far as the result is concerned, by half-time.  What is interesting to note, however, is that Mallett’s men do not lie down. Faced with an avalanche of points to make up, Italy hang on in there, and in fact they concede on average more points in the first half than they do on the second under their South African coach. Ladbrokes offer a second-half handicap of 11 points, which is bigger than all of the available handicaps for the first half. It looks a mistake, and punters should latch on to this quick smart.

Finally, the best of the weekend lies in Sunday's showdown between Scotland and France at Murrayfield. Ever since the Scots edged out Australia 9-8 in the autumn, punters north of the border have been dreaming about Six Nations success. First up are the French, who were thoroughly dismantled by the All Blacks in their final game of the November internationals. What’s more, coach Marc Lievremont hasn’t had the best preparation with his players due to the vagaries of the Top 14 fixture list. The former France great has also culled the side that lost so badly to the All Blacks, making ten changes to his run-on team. What this adds up to is that Scotland will be the better prepared and are likely to draw first blood. Back them to score the first points of the match at  11-10. They have done so at Murrayfield in 11 of their last 13 encounters there.

Six Nations tournament preview 2010

The northern hemisphere struck back in the autumn, finally ending the 2008 hoodoo which saw only Wales triumph against any of the Tri-Nations powers. Victories by France, Ireland and Scotland over South Africa or Australia showed that the Six Nations tournament is once again a quality competition, and one that has continually enthralled European rugby fans.

 The 2010 Six Nations could well be the closest tournament since Italy joined the northern hemisphere jamboree in 2000. Since the Azzurri joined the old Five Nations, the Italians have steadily got better and better and at the Six Nations launch last week, every coach was adamant that this could be the tightest tournament there has ever been. And what makes this extremely likely, is that rugby has become more a war of attrition than ever before. The game is currently being decided by the smallest of margins – there have been a huge amount of draws in the Guinness Premiership this season. The reason for this is that teams approach matches with a fear of losing, rather than dreams of winning. This can be seen in the tactics employed by most sides this season, which has involved leathering the ball down field and playing constantly for field position. Last year the Six Nations returned 597 points, the second-lowest points total after 2008, which returned 595. It is no surprise therefore that the spread firm Sporting Index have priced up total tournament points at 590-600 this season. Teams like Scotland, who beat Australia 9-8 and lost to Argentina 9-6 during the autumn, have learnt to dig in dourly against the very best sides. In fact, if you look at the autumn internationals as a block of fixtures, they averaged comfortably the lowest total points make-up since 2000. Although there is not a lot of margin for error, total points at 590 look high.

But where the value may lie, however is in the winning margins market. This tournament is not as open as it used to be. In 2002, the winning margins market made up at a whopping 343, but over the last four years the make-ups have been: 213, 193, 232, 182. As you can see, if this trend continues, which given the evidence it is likely to, then Sporting’s winning margins market could result in a dramatically lower total than the 215-225 spread they offer on their website. The market works by predicting the aggregate winning margins of each of the 15 matches in the tournament. With a tight campaign expected, the suggestion is to aim low and sell at 215.

Ireland were the most resilient of the six teams during the autumn, beating world champions South Africa in a brutal showdown at Croke Park. They put in a Herculean performance to draw level with Australia after trailing at half-time, and with that sort of experience and determination, it is going to be very hard to stop them defending last year’s Grand Slam. France also showed that on their best form, they are a serious player, having accounted for New Zealand in Dunedin in the summer, and also beating South Africa in Toulouse. But France were flayed alive against New Zealand on their final start in November, and it has to be worrying for Les Blues fans that they were so easily dismantled by the world’s No. 1 side. With Martin Johnson welcoming back so many of his frontline players after such a torrid time in the latter stages of 2009, you couldn’t rule out England taking a few scalps. The likes of Delon Armitage, Nick Easter and Riki Flutey especially have a considerable impact to Johnson’s line-up. Flutey runs some superb lines in attack and is a wall in defence. But teams such as Wales, Scotland, Italy and France all have defensive frailties in the centre channel, and with Flutey having a decent appearance-to-try ratio at international and club level in the last 18 months, he looks a massive wager at 40-1 to be top tournament tryscorer with Ladbrokes, as well as 12-1 with Stan James to top England’s tryscoring charts.

Wales having the same fixture list as when they won the Grand Slam in 2008, and with Scotland accounting for Australia in the autumn, it seems this season anything is possible. This year it really does seem too close to call, so with the No Grand Slam looking attractive at 4-6 that really looks the easiest and safest option on the outright.

Through the years, amidst the incoherent rants of my scribblings, I often expound on what I refer to as The Beast – major league baseball - aptly named for the way it devours sports bettors, sending them to the poorhouse with its big money line favorites.  But at least I only have to deal with that particular monster from April through October, or, not at all if I choose to ignore it for days at a time.  But the true Beast, one that will not be ignored, is my editor.  Like some mutant scribbler-munching plant named Audrie II, he is unrelenting, day after day demanding more, whether I have something of interest to offer my readers or not.

“FEED ME!”

“FEED ME WORDS, GODDAMN IT!

“AND NONE OF THAT POLITICAL CRAP YOU LIKE TO SPEW EITHER, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SPORTS OUTLET FOR CHRIST’S SAKE!!”

And so I sit here, slave to my keyboard, struggling to compose so that he will not deny me sustenance such as food and shelter.  That’s right, “no words” means he holds back on the green colored cotton paper; heartless bastard.

No one will ever confuse me with the prolific Stephen King.  My output, on my best day, resembles Hemingway on his worst (July 2, 1961.)  But in the middle of the hell that is the second week of pre-super bowl hype, I am bone dry.  And it does not help that he refuses to allow me to discuss politics, even when I relate it to sports betting, as in “We may not be able to gamble anymore if our taxes are raised any higher by that communist disguised as a socialist disguised as a progressive disguised as a liberal disguised as a democrat named O’Bama.”

(*Note to self – add a “note to self” pretending to remind me to go back and edit out that last line about the President.)

(*Note to self – per editor, keep politics out.  Remember to go back and edit out that last line about the President.)

There, that should cover my ass.  Well done.

Now where was I?  Oh yeah, the middle of the second week of pre-super bowl hype, when every scribbler struggles for an angle, where we try and make what Brees had for lunch yesterday sound not only interesting, but of the utmost importance to the outcome of the game ahead.

Where’s Favre when you need him?  This motley group of Colts and Saints hasn’t got but maybe one or two stars among them – the two quarterbacks, Brees and Manning - with the possible addition of Reggie Bush who is not as well known for being a sports star as he is for being a Kardashian accessory.  
The combined star power of these two clubs doesn’t provide enough wattage to light a port-o-john.  I rooted against the Vikings throughout the post season - little did I know I’d wish we had Favre and Childress to kick around now.

And so, I’m left with nothing to write except for whining about how I have a blog due, and at this point nothing left to say about the big game.  Except for this – I doubled up on a prop wager today, a rare event for me as those that follow my adventures know.

Watch tomorrow’s Daily Line, when I’ll put up a graph on the prop. I think you’ll want to buy in on it, too.

In the meantime, if you want to thank me in advance for the prop play, send my editor a 500 word blog with my name atop it . . .

More line movement for Super Bowl XLIV, news out of Dwight Freeney’s hyperbolic chamber and a quick stop in the Super Bowl props department kick off today’s show.

NBA: Sonny and Greg talk pro hoops with profiles live in two games from the betting card. Sonny has a play on Portland-Utah "Under" 197 and in the Chicago-Philadelphia matchup the NBA 3-way system is "live" suggesting Bulls team total "Under" 96.5, the game "Under" 195.5 and a side play on the 76ers (-2) to cover the spread. All said this system is hitting at 69-percent (59-26) on the season and Mr. P has all three angles in pocket.

Greg weighs in on college basketball betting with a play on VA Commonwealth-NC Wilmington under 144.5.

NHL: Jarvis joins Greg at the desk for a spin around the league looking at three of tonight`s top matchups. Both cappers like the Ottawa-Buffalo game to stay low scoring but suggest the line (5.5 UN -150) is too high. Greg does offer a system play on Detroit-Anaheim staying below 5.5 goals and his numbers are red-hot, going 5-0 in the past week.

Watch the Daily Line here and log in to BetRepublic.com every Monday to Friday at 3 pm ET to see the show live. All the best odds and betting info are available at the Daily Line.

The Super Bowl betting line has reversed its course as doubts emerge about the status of veteran Colts DE Dwight Freeney for Sunday’s game. Indianapolis (-5) is at its lowest point in over a week as Saints bettors jump on board and the team talks about that as well as a couple Super Bowl props worth considering.

NBA: Sonny goes over all seven games on the hardcourt with betting numbers for a few matchups that handicappers need to know for making plays. Mr. P also has opinions on Cleveland (-10) and Chicago (-7.5) and profile play "live" on Atlanta-Oklahoma City "Under" 192.

In college hoops Sonny likes SMU-Southern Miss "Over" 119 and Rhode Island-La Salle "Over" 147.5.

NHL: Jarvis looks at the total in Tampa Bay-Atlanta and Vancouver-Montreal and breaks down the game between the Minnesota Wild at Dallas (-140) with an opinion on the home team.

You can watch the Daily Line live from Monday to Friday at 3 pm ET or a taped version right here. Tune in tomorrow when Sonny offers his first official prop for Super Bowl XLIV.