Oden, Durant 1-2 in rookie wager

Although the NBA season won’t start for about another three months, a bettor can already can wager on whom he believes will be honored as the league’s rookie of the year next spring.

Not surprisingly, the top two choices on the website Skytowercasino.com are Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, who were picked 1-2 in last month’s draft.

Both Oden, who was taken first by Portland, and Durant, who was chosen by Seattle, are +210. This means a bettor who believes either will be rookie of the year would have to risk $100 to win $210.

Mike Conley Jr., the Ohio State point guard who was chosen fourth by Memphis, is next at +550. He is expected to step into the starting lineup.

The shortest price on any of the players picked in the first round from two-time NCAA champion Florida is Al Horford.

The forward, who will be playing for Atlanta, is +800. His former teammates, Minnesota’s Corey Brewer and Chicago’s Joakim Noah, are +900 and +2,200.

Motor racing

If Jeff Gordon follows his recent success at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he will win the Brickyard 400 on Sunday.

Gordon, who has won the event a record four times, won the inaugural Brickyard in 1994, then followed with victories in 1998, 2001 and 2004. His last three victories have come three years apart, so he is due in 2007.

In a line posted by Russell Culver and Keith Glantz, Gordon, who is NASCAR’s points leader this year, is the 5-1 favorite to win the Nextel Cup race. Qualifying will take place Saturday.

Defending champion Jimmie Johnson is next at 6-1, followed by Tony Stewart at 7-1 and three drivers -- Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. -- at 9-1. Kenseth was the Allstate runner-up last year and Hamlin, NASCAR’s rookie of the year in 2006, was 10th in his first try in the race.

Baseball

Oakland looks to have a huge advantage in its series opener tonight in Seattle.

The A’s, fresh off winning two of three in Anaheim, will start Dan Haren, who has won 11 of 14 decisions, while the Mariners, who struggled in Texas, will counter with Jeff Weaver, who is 2-8.

Despite his record, Weaver has pitched well in two of his last three games. He gave up only one earned run in two of those outings.

One of those games was against Oakland. On July 6, Weaver and the visiting Mariners defeated the A’s, 7-1. The losing pitcher for Oakland that day? Haren.

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The Odds

Example of a -140 favorite: To win $100, you would have to bet $140. Example of a +130 underdog: A $100 bet would win you $130.

Major League Baseball

National League

*--* Favorite Underdog at New York -190 Pittsburgh +180 Milwaukee -125 at Cincinnati +115 at Philadelphia -175 Washington +165 at San Fran. -125 Atlanta +115 at Houston -105 San Diego -105 at St. Louis -115 Chicago +105 Dodgers -130 at Colorado +125 at Arizona -125 Florida +115

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American League

*--* Favorite Underdog at Baltimore -140 Tampa Bay +130 Detroit -160 at Chicago +150 at Cleveland -110 Boston +100 New York -175 at Kansas City +165 Oakland -135 at Seattle +125

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Copyright 2007 World Features Syndicate, Inc.