Lebron James is the biggest name free agent in the NBA since Shaquille Oneal left the Orlando Magic to join the Lakers in 1996.

His signature is the grand prize about to be chased by many teams this coming summer.

BetUS is offering odds on where the King will end up, and it’s surprising to see that his hometown Cavs are still favorite by a large margin. I’m pretty sure he is out of there!

Here’s how the odds stand today:

Which team will Lebron play with in his first game of the 2010/11 season?

Cleveland Cavaliers $1.80 (-125)
Chicago Bulls $3.50 (+250)
New York Knicks $4.00 (+300)
New Jersey Nets $4.00 (+300)
Miami Heat $9.00 ( +800)
LA Clippers $16.00 (+1500)
Charlotte Bobcats $21.00 (+2000)
LA Lakers $41.00 (+4000)
Phoenix Suns $51.00 ( +5000)

Will Lebron win MVP of the 2010/11 season?
Yes $3.50  (+250)
No $1.29 (-350)

Will Lebron win 2010/11 NBA Championship?
Yes $4.50 (+350)
No $1.20 (-500)

I was  really surprised that they’re only paying $4.50 to anyone that bets on Lebron to win the title in 2010/11.  According to our odds calculator, that is a 22.2% chance to win the title. A one in five chance! I’d want better odds than that before I had a bet.

Here’s some juicy tidbits about Lebron’s Free Agency

• I find it hard to believe he’ll leave $20m on the table by leaving Cleveland outright – a sign & trade could be more of a possibility
• That means teams with players to trade also come into the equation – Think Mavs & Lakers – interestingly BetUS is not offering odds on the Mavs…
• It would be tough to follow MJ’s legacy in Chicago and many people think Rose needs the ball in his hands too much to be a good fit.
• The Bulls & Heat have both retired #23, and coincidently Lebron is changing his number to #6 next season.
• The Knicks, Heat & Nets can all afford two top tier free agents.
• Lebron James loves the New York Yankees & Dallas Cowboys

To be honest I have no frickin’ idea where he will end up.  There’s so many factors involved! But I do know he’ll be the first NBA player ever to leave money on the table in the prime of his career if he leaves Cleveland as a free agent. That probably why the Cavs are so short as favorites…

Bet on Lebron’s future at BetUS.

The Blue Devils managed to eek out a 61-59 win to become the National Champions in NCAAB.  In a stunner that came right down to the wire, Duke had their hands full in defeating Butler.  The ‘Big Three’, Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler, were ultimately the winning factor as these three powerhouses managed to put 47 of Duke’s 61 points up on the board while holding their own on defense.  It was the first time the team had been to the National Championships in six years and they certainly made the most of it.

There’s no doubt that Butler gave them a run for their money as they played strong, physical basketball.  In fact, it was the first time in these playoffs that Duke didn’t heavily dominate the game as it went back and forth always within a couple of points.  A last ditch shot at the baseline from Gordon Hayward as the final three seconds expired would have caused a very different outcome, but it wasn’t to be.  The shot bounced off the backrim.  It was over for the Cinderella team that was hoping to become the first non-BCS to win the title since UNLV did it 20 years ago.

It was a game worthy of the books and a fitting finish to a great year of NCAA basketball.  Many are calling it the best championship game seen in a lifetime.  That’s certainly a big call to make, but it did match the highest TV rating since the Connecticut-Duke game in 1999 with 16.0 overnight rating and 25 share.

So, it’s another season of college basketball wrapped up.  But, there is still plenty of basketball action to be had at BetUS as the NBA season winds down and the teams gear up for the playoffs.  BetUS is offering the following odds on some of the remaining games:

New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers
Knicks: +9 -110
Pacers: -9 -110

New Jersey Nets v Milwaukee Bucks
Nets: +8 -110
Bucks: -8 -110

Washington Wizards v Orlando Magic
Wizards: +13 ½ -110
Magic: -13 ½ -110

Denver Nuggets v Oklahoma City Thunder
Nuggets: +2 -110
Thunder: -2 -110

Memphis Grizzlies v Dallas Mavericks
Grizzlies: +9 -110
Mavericks: -9 -110

Utah Jazz v Houston Rockets
Jazz: -5 ½ -110
Rockets: +5 ½ -110

I love this time of year. March Madness is second only to SuperBowl weekend in terms of betting excitement. And the NBA season is coming to a close with just a few games left and teams are fighting for a better playoff seed. Most of the remaining regular games actually mean something for a a change!

It’s just a pity that my favorite college team, the Tar Heels didn’t even make the tourney this year. But they made it to the final of the NIT… Big deal I know! But they’re actually +3 underdogs against Dayton at BetUS sportsbook. That was worth a bet for me!

In the big dance it’s as close a final four as I can remember with just a few points between the teams. All the online sportsbooks have the exact same lines set. I couldn’t find anywhere that was different.

Michigan State +1
Butler -1

West Virginia +2.5
Duke -2.5

I’m hoping for a Michigan State vs Duke Final, with Duke going down on the buzzer.  But the bookies don’t think that is going to happen. Sportsbook.com has these odds for the championship.

Duke +120
West Virginia +225
Butler +350
Michigan State +450

If you’re a Butler fan, you can get slightly better odds of +400 at BetUS . I can’t stand the Blue Devils, so I’m taking a pass on this bet. I think they’ll win too, but I wouldn’t feel like  celebrating if they do, even if I win money! I’m hoping for a West Virginia upset, but Coach K’s record suggests it’ll be tough to accomplish.

In the NBA my Lakers are stumbling their way to the playoffs with the #1 seed in the west and the #2 seed in the league. But the way most sports writers are carrying on you’d think they are going to miss the playoffs entirely. They seem to be really hating on Derek Fisher. Just wait until the playoffs you hacks, Fish will come good when it’s money time like he always does.

At the moment most books have the Cavs and Lakers as equal favorites at a very short +150. Some have the Lakers out a little longer as second favorites. The way Lebron James is playing I think the Cavs will be tough to beat too. I got a bet on before the season at $3.50, so I won’t be too upset if they get there!

Have a good weekend people. And remember – don’t bet drunk!