Help Vote On Our Summer Betting Plan

Last summer, we took some time off from the betting world and posts were few and far between as a result. This summer, we don't want that to happen again.

With our Free MLB Picks system easily our least reliable of the major sports, we tend not to play too many MLB games. Which leaves us no choice--if we want to wager on summer sports, we're going to have to wager on some obscure sports leagues.

In our minds, that leaves three choices. Here's where you come in. In our first ever poll here at Stock Lemon, we need you to vote for which of the following three leagues we should bet on over the summer. We want to narrow it down to just one so that we can focus our full attention on what would be an entirely new league for us, so that we can learn as much as possible about that particular league. So, in no particular order, here are our three options:

MLS

The MLS has already kicked off (get it... soccer!) its 2009 season, so already we are a little behind on the pitch. We follow soccer very loosely, but think we could pick it up with relative ease. The MLS is nowhere near the competition or popularity of England's Premier League, but their season doesn't start until August, and we're already going through betting withdrawls.

WNBA

The WNBA is our next choice due to our familiarity and success betting basketball in the NBA, although the women's game is entirely different. We feel that we could pick it up, but we're not sure we could make it through an entire season of women's hoops. We want this to be a profitable experience, but we also want it to be fun, and we haven't heard too many people raving about the excitement of the WNBA. Like the MLS, the season has begun, but is in its early stages.

CFL

Just as we have experience and success in basketball, the same can be said about football. We love the NFL and would enjoy watching the games regardless of whether or not we were involved financially. Considering how excited we are to begin betting on the inaugural UFL season, it would only makes sense to bet on Canada's version of the game which, give or take ten yards, is pretty much the same. Two weeks of CFL action are in the books, and Week 3 will conclude before the results of our poll are in, but there is still plenty of time for us to dive into the league.

The poll is located in the upper right hand corner of this site, so be sure to help us decide which league to begin placing bets on.

Stock Watch: Screw It Here's Julie Henderson

We've been updating you regularly on some casino stocks we've been watching, and we were planning on another update today. Unfortunately, the market didn't do so hot, so we don't really feel like talking about it. Fortunately, that means we'll randomly post a picture of some eye candy to take our minds off the market.

Per The Bucky Channel, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a new gal pal, Sports Illustrated model Julie Henderson. So, naturally, here's a picture of Henderson sporting a Packers cap.

Okay, it's actually a Grambling State hat, but they use the same logo.

We'll update you on our casino stocks watchlist shortly, but until then, pictures of models will have to suffice.

Willie Mays Is Not Dead

The tragic passing of TV pitchman Billy Mays yesterday has led to some confusion. We checked out the Google Trends earlier today and it seems that some people thought legendary San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays had died.

Fortunately for baseball fans, that is not the case. Unfortunately for impulse shoppers, Billy Mays has passed away.

So again, Willie Mays, MLB Hall-of-famer, is alive and well.

Stock Lemon Chosen As Blog of the Day!

On Thursday, June 25th, we here at Stock Lemon received a prestigious honor from the folks over at redOrbit.

Of course, many of you probably already know what we're talking about.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, kind readers of Stock Lemon, this site has received the Blog of the Day honor for 6/25 from redOrbit.

We are humbled to receive the recognition and hope to continue the work that made us deserving of such an award. When we began the site back in December of 2007, we could only dream of this recognition from redOrbit, and as we continue to grow, more of our dreams are becoming a reality.

We now know what it must feel like to receive a Lemmy award.

Thanks redOrbit!

2009 NBA Draft Prop Bets Go 5-2

Our 2009 NBA Draft Prop Bets were fairly successful, finishing with a record of 5-2. That record is terribly misleading though, since we're including the prop that Blake Griffin will play for the Clippers this year, which nets us $1.18 off a $100 bet.

Still, not a bad showing at the draft.

Our other props that won included betting Tyler Hansbrough to be selected before Chase Budinger, and another to go before Wayne Ellington, though both of those were won with significant chalk. We also correctly picked Hasheem Thabeet to be selected before James Harden, though again, there was plenty of juice on that one.

Our most profitable win was correctly predicting that Darren Collison would be selected in the first round (+105), and we didn't even have to sweat it out. The Hornets nabbed Collison with the 21st pick in the draft.

So, until next year, thanks for joining us for our 2009 NBA Draft coverage.

2009 NBA Mock Draft Results

The 2009 NBA Draft is in the books, and our 2009 NBA Mock Draft wasn't too horrible.

At the end of the day we were correct on six of our 14 lottery pick selections, and in a draft this crazy, that isn't all that bad.

To review our picks, take a look at our 2009 NBA Mock Draft pick-by-pick in the upper right hand corner of this page.

More 2009 NBA Draft Proposition Bets

We've already given you a couple of 2009 NBA Draft prop bets in the lottery, and we've shown you a way to literally make a quick buck, so now it's time to take a look at four more proposition wagers that may be worth your while tonight.

Once again, you can find these props and more over at BetED.

We mentioned that we would have a few more Tyler Hansbrough props, and indeed two of the props we like involve the North Carolina forward. And, wouldn't you know it, they've spelled all the names right. Like our lottery props, we like two Hansbrough props of the "Who will be drafted first" variety.

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (-325) vs. Arizona's Chase Budinger (+225)

We feel like the worst case scenario for Hansbrough is early twenties, while that's the best case for Budinger. There has even been some talk of Hansbrough as a lottery pick, but we don't think he'll go that high. We recommend Hansbrough here, even at -325.

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (-220) vs. North Carolina's Wayne Ellington (+160)

We posted a variation of this earlier, and again, we think Hansbrough very well could be the first North Carolina player off the board. If not, he will definitely be the second. Ellington might even slip into the second round, but Hansbrough should be gone in the teens.

These next two props are a little different, in that you are betting on where players will go rather than if they will go before someone else.

Will UCLA's Darren Collison be drafted in the first round (+105) or second round (-145)

We really aren't sure why Collison being drafted in the first round has much better odds, as we think he'll definitely be picked in the 20's. Even if he's borderline, there's no way we're passing on +105 for him to be taken in the round that he really should be.

Where will Ohio State's B.J. Mullens be drafted? Picks 15-20 (+100)

We were too lazy to write out all the other choices, which you can find on the graphic above, but our hunch is that he'll go in this range. For even money, we don't mind taking a crack at him going right after the lottery, where several teams are interested. It doesn't matter that we think he'll suck and he is a long way away from the NBA, we think he'll be picked in this range.

The 2009 NBA Draft is finally here, beginning at about 6:00 central time. Be sure to review all of our prop bets beforehand, as well as our mock draft located on the right hand side of this page, to prepare for the big night.

2009 NBA Draft Lottery Proposition Bets

We've looked at several 2009 NBA Draft proposition bets over the last few days, and are mostly going of off those posted at BetED. We've narrowed our search for probably winners down to six different props, two of which involve four players that are nearly locked in as lottery picks. With that in mind, we'll reveal those first.

This close to the actual draft, many of the betting options that are favored to win are favored for very good reasons, so you're going to be getting pennies on the dollar with many of these. Still, if you find enough that you like--and get enough right--you can make some nice change on the NBA Draft.

Both of the lottery props that stood out to us are "Which player will get drafted first" type of deals.

UConn center Hasheem Thabeet (-325) vs. Arizona State guard James Harden (+225)

At -325, it's tough to bet Thabeet, but it would be an enormous upset for Harden to go before him (even bigger than Harden's appealing money line suggests). Big men are at such a premium in this draft, and we still think Thabeet will be the second player off the board. It's much easier to find a guy who can do similar things to Harden then it is to find someone to bring the size and defense of a guy like Thabeet. If you're willing to put a decent amount on this one it could be worth your while.

Davidson sharpshooter Stephen Curry (-200) vs. Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn (+150)

This one is a little tougher, as indicated by the lower juice for Curry, but we have to go with the favorite in this one as well. Curry could go as high as the top five, though he probably won't. Flynn is rising fast, which makes us a little reluctant to pull the trigger on Curry, but in the end we think Curry has done nothing but help himself over the last few months and should be off the board before Flynn. All it takes is one team, though...

We'll have some more prop bets for you later in the day in preparation for the 2009 NBA Draft tonight, so stay tuned.

Shaq Finds Out He's Traded Through Twitter

ESPN is reporting that Shaquille O'Neal has been traded from the Suns to the Cavs in exchange for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, which, of course, is news to Shaq.

Apparently, Shaq first heard about the ordeal through some twitter friends of his. Click the picture to enlarge the twitter chat log that took place.

Ty Laswon is Shooting up the NBA Draft Boards

Though we rarely proofread our posts and have made hundreds of errors and typos in the past, we still like pointing them out when committed by the big bad online bookies. This one comes from BetED, who boasts a nice array of NBA Draft prop bets, but is prone to mistakes.

The prop asks which North Carolina player will be selected first in the NBA Draft on Thursday: Tyler Hansbrough (-155), Ty Lawson (-105), or Wayne Ellington (+1000).

Now, it's a good bet that it won't be Ellington, and Hansbrough is a somewhat surprise favorite in this prop--but for good reason. The prop has Ty Lawson listed as Ty Laswon, and we see nobody named Laswon in this draft.

Perhaps an opportunity to capitalize on a risk free Hansbrough bet?

Regardless of whether a Ty Laswon ever materializes, we will have many more prop bets tomorrow, including some involving Tyler Hansbrough up against people who actually exist.

Want to Make $1.18 on an NBA Draft Prop?

We are always looking at new ways to make money, and any amount of money will do. However, we might by laying off this enticing proposition bet for the 2009 NBA Draft.

Courtesy of BetED:

Who will Blake Griffin play for?

Los Angeles Clippers -8500

Any other team +3500

Now, these bets are often in place just so that average bettors see the huge odds on "any other team" and decide, what the hell, I'll throw a couple of bucks on this. There is virtually no way Blake Griffin doesn't play for the Clippers in the upcoming season, and while it would be nice to win $3,500 on a $100 bet, it's not happening. The Oklahoma big man will go No. 1 and will play for the Clippers in 2009. In fact, you would be better served betting $100 on Griffin playing for the Clippers, collecting your free $1.18 cents, and buying a hamburger or pack of gum or something.

We'll look at 2009 NBA Draft prop bets a little closer tomorrow, so until then, you can budget for an extra $1.18 in your bank account.

Oh, and check out our mock draft located in the upper right hand corner of this page.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 13-14

This is it, folks. Our final installment of the first annual 2009 NBA Mock Draft here at Stock Lemon is here. We've gone through the first twelve picks in the lottery in the last few days, and you can see all of those picks in the upper right hand corner of this site.

Now, it's time to finish mocking the lottery.

13. Pacers: Brandon Jennings, PG, Pallacanestro Virtus Roma

These may be the last two picks in our mock draft, but they could end up being two of the best. Brandon Jennings might be gobbled up as early as nine picks before the Pacers, but then again, he might not be. If he is available at 13, this is a best case scenario for Indiana. Jennings has loads of potential and could be one of the most dynamic point guards for in the game for years to come. First, though, he must develop a consistent jumper and show that he can lead a team and buy in to what works in the NBA. The point guard who left to play in Italy after high school will have to prove that he is mature enough to play in the league. For some, he might be too risky, but for the Pacers at 13, he would be an enormous steal.

14. Suns: Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina

The Pacers took the flashy point guard, but the Suns will happily grab the safe point guard. Lawson plays excellent defense and is one of the quicker guards in the draft, so even if it's just off the bench for a while, the Suns will be glad to have him. Phoenix will eventually look for Lawson, who took North Carolina all the way, to bring that winning way to the desert and lead the Suns back into the playoffs and out of our lottery mock drafts.

That concludes our 2009 NBA Mock Draft. Again, the rest of the lottery can be found in the upper right hand corner here at Stock Lemon. Be sure to return for more coverage of the 2009 NBA Draft, as we'll likely take a look at some prop bets and have some more information for you on Thursday.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 11-12

The 2009 NBA Draft begins Thursday, but our 2009 NBA Mock Draft is in full force and nearing the finish line. We have two more installments remaining as we continue to mock the lottery picks, so you'll have plenty of time to digest the picks today and tomorrow before the real deal on Thursday.

11. Nets: Earl Clark, G/F, Louisville

Welcome to the freak athlete portion of our mock draft, starring Earl Clark. The Nets are looking for some youth at the shooting guard or small forward position, and Clark is a great athlete with an explosive first step. His size and energy will be very valuable to the Nets, but he needs to find more consistency with his shot and improve on his ability to beat defenders on the perimeter. Regardless, Clark should be able to come in and contribute immediately.

12. Bobcats: Gerald Henderson, G/F, Duke

The other half of our freak athlete edition, Mr. Henderson, can bring a lot of explosiveness to the Bobcats. He doesn't have ideal size for either the shooting guard or small forward position really, but he has more natural ability than many of the twos and threes currently in the league. Henderson can absolutely fly through the air, and the Bobcats would love to take advantage of his great leaping ability. While it's not certain he'll fall to pick No. 12, you can bet that the Bobcats are hoping that he does.

Stay tuned for the final two picks of our 2009 NBA Mock Draft tomorrow. Until then, be sure to check out the previous picks located in the upper right hand corner of our blog.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 9-10

The guards keep flying off the board as our 2009 NBA Mock Draft keeps flying by. The real draft takes place on Thursday, but until then make sure to check back as we continue to mock the 14 lottery picks in this year's NBA Draft.

9. Raptors: Demar DeRozan, G, USC

Even at the ninth pick, DeRozan is one of the most talented players in this draft. DeRozan has all the athletic ability in the world and is a steal here for the Raptors, who don't mind adding another versatile wing. The main knock on DeRozan has been his ability to want to dominate rather than simply be a good player. He has loads of untapped potential but some wonder if his lackluster work ethic will ever turn him into the player he could be. Still, at pick No. 9, DeRozan is worth the selection.

10. Bucks: Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse

Many know Flynn as the leader of the six overtime game Syracuse played this season, and that certainly has helped his draft stock in the past few months. The Bucks would like to know him as the leader of their team, despite his small size. Flynn can make things happen offensively, and enjoys playing on the defensive end--a requirement for any player with the new Bucks regime. He should be able to overcome his small stature and develop into one of the better point guards in the league, even if he looks to score more than he looks to pass.

Our 2009 NBA Lottery Mock Draft will continue on Monday with more of our surely accurate predictions. Until then, be sure to check out the previous entries in the upper right hand side of this blog.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 7-8

Our 2009 NBA Mock Draft of the lottery picks continues as we get to the middle of the lottery order. Next up in the guard-heavy draft are a couple of players with unique skill sets to offer to their new teams.

7. Warriors: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson

After averaging nearly 30 points per game at Davidson during his junior year, Curry finally decided to make the leap to the NBA Draft. His dead-eye shooting ability will fit right in with the Warriors lineup, particularly his range from behind the arc. Still, there are questions about Curry. His small build could get him into trouble defensively in the NBA, and it's uncertain how he'll adjust to not being the only one taking shots. Based solely on his ability to shoot the ball, though, Curry should be around in the league for a long time.

8. Knicks: Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA

The Knicks would have loved Curry at the eight spot, but Holiday makes for one heck of a consolation prize. Holiday could develop into one of the better defensive players in the league, but he needs to work on his jump shot if he wants to become a complete player. Like other guards in this draft, his defense is sometimes his best offense, and many of his buckets come via quick buckets in transition--something the Knicks love to do. If the Knicks miss out on Curry, they'll be please with Holiday, although they'll desperately yearn for Curry's shooting ability.

Our 2009 NBA Lottery Mock Draft continues over the weekend as we creep closer and closer to the real thing on Thursday. Check out the previous entries on the upper right hand side of this site.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 5-6

Our mock draft rolls on with the latter half of the Top 10, where many of the prospects are graded very equally and it comes down to either what teams need or who they like for a particular reason. The consensus picks in this year's draft really end after pick No. 1, but we think our next two have a good chance of being plucked at five and six.

And so, let us continue our 2009 NBA Lottery Mock Draft with the Washington Wizards on the clock (for now).

5. Wizards: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona

There is a lot of talk about the Wizards trading this pick, possibly for another proven veteran, but many of the teams they are presumably talking to are also interested in Hill. Despite our saying that this was more of a guard heavy draft, Hill becomes the third big man taken in the top five picks. With the lack of quality big men available later, it makes sense. Hill made some great strides at Arizona this season with averages of 18 points and 11 boards per contest, and his 6-10 size is ideal for a power forward in the NBA. While he has a lot of potential, particularly at the defensive end of the court, his offensive skill set is questionable at this point. Still, he's talented enough to warrant this pick--regardless of which team eventually owns the selection.

6. Timberwolves: Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis

Stop us if you've heard this before: a Memphis guard with the ability to create his own shot, pass the ball effectively, use his quickness to force turnovers on the defensive end, and bring a game changing ability to the NBA. Evans is a very intriguing young guard for all of the above reasons, and the Timberwolves are certainly doing their homework on him. He needs to improve his shot from long range, but many of his shots are in transition as he makes offense out of sound defense. There are some flaws in his game, but there is enough talent and, as NBA draft experts love to say, upside to overcome his weaknesses.

That's it for this edition of our 2009 NBA Mock Draft. Check out the previous entries in the upper right hand column of this page and stay tuned for more throughout the weekend.

Tight Ends the First Picks in UFL Draft?

Via the league's twitter account, it has been announced that Brandon Ledbetter and Jermaine Wiggins have been selected by the San Francisco and Orlando franchises, respectively.

This is the first UFL Draft update from the league, which we assume means these are the first two players to be "selected" or to have dibs called on them. If this is the case, our mock draft was way off.

Keep checking the league's account for further updates throughout the day to see how our mock draft turns out, or visit the UFL Draft Real-Time Blog over at UFL Access.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 3-4

With the easier picks out of the way, it's time to get into the guessing game that is the remainder of the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery. Our 2009 NBA Mock Draft continues with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings in spots three and four.

3. Thunder: James Harden, SG, Arizona State

It's time for the guards to start flying off the board, and the Thunder won't mind adding another scoring option like Harden. The sophomore averaged over 20 points a game at ASU and has good range and seems to do everything with ease. In addition to bringing more scoring, he can rebound, move the ball, and defend. He'll fit right in with a very youthful, up-and-coming Thunder squad.

4. Kings: Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain

The verdict is still out on Ricky Rubio, as it's anyone's guess how his game will translate in the NBA. Talk of him going to the Kings is heating up, and we have no reason to believe he'll land anywhere else. He showed off his quickness and basketball I.Q. in international play with Spain and can go a long way toward helping to revive the Kings franchise. European players are always harder to predict and Rubio needs to work on his shot, but he could bring a lot to the table for the team with the NBA's worst record last season.

That does it for this edition of our 2009 NBA Lottery Mock Draft. Make sure to check out the first two picks here, or check out all of our picks in the upper right hand column of the site.

2009 UFL Mock Draft

We're in the process of hammering out our 2009 NBA Mock Draft, we've already completed our 2009 NFL Mock Draft, and now, since we just heard that they are having one (sort of), we're ready to conduct our 2009 UFL Mock Draft.

For those of you unfamiliar to the UFL, it's the inaguaral football league starting up in the fall, not so much to compete with the NFL as it is to supplement it similar to a minor league.

They haven't announced many of the details, so unless you follow Tim Rattay's twitter, it's hard to figure out what's going on with the league.

Regardless, we're here to provide you with the first five picks of the UFL Draft. From our understanding, mostly based on Profootballtalk's earlier reports, the teams will essentially call shotgun on various players in the event that they are still available when the UFL season begins. The object is to get the best possible players out there--but not so good that they'll have work in the NFL or elsewhere before the UFL can get their hands on them.

So, without further delay, here are the likely top five picks in this year's "draft."

1. Michael Vick

Vick is a gamble, because picking him means he must be suspended by the NFL. The talent he brings, along with the instant credibility he would bring to the league, makes him a no brainer for the first dibs. Any chance at landing a player like Vick would be huge for one of the four UFL squads, and due to their proximity to the sort of thing, we can see the Las Vegas team (hopefully named the Las Vegas Lemons) taking a gamble on Vick.

2. Tim Rattay

Since Rattay is tweeting away on his twitter about all the juicy details of the United Football League's secret draft, we have to assume that he's one of the top options available. Quarterback is such an important position, especially for teams in a league where the talent drop off could be big. Rattay has thrown 31 career TDs in the NFL and has a QB rating of 81.9 in his nine-year career which includes 18 starts.

3. Quinn Gray

Gray, who unlike Rattay was in the NFL last year, boasts a 91.4 QB rating in limited action with 13 touchdowns to just five picks in six NFL seasons. He's started just four games in his pro career, but has shown flashes in mop up duty as a backup and could help lead a young squad.

4. Ken Dorsey

The quarterback run continues with another former NFL-hurler, whose 13 career starts are much more attractive than his 55.2 career quarterback rating. NFL experience, especially at the quarterback position, will be so valuable to this league, which is why the fourth pick will be spent on someone who threw no touchdowns and seven picks last year.

5. J.P. Losman

He's no Ken Dorsey, but J.P. Losman is another capable quarterback who, like 32 NFL teams, we completely forgot about. J.P. has 33 starts in his NFL career, more than any other quarterback previously taken in our mock draft, but perhaps that will be to his detriment, as his sample size is bigger and therefore teams know what they get with him--and don't feel they need it.

The UFL Draft is set to begin at 5:30 CT, and you can bet that we'll be there to follow up on this exciting event. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ever mock draft in the history of the United Football League, an honor we here at Stock Lemon are humbled to hold. Other players available with NFL experience that have tried out with the UFL include WR David Boston, QB Casey Bramlet, WR Bobby Sippio, DB Marviel Underwood, and TE Jermaine Wiggins.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 1-2

Our pick-by-by 2009 NBA Lottery Mock Draft begins today with the first two picks in the draft. The Clippers have an obvious choice, while the Grizzlies isn't so easy.

We'll roll the picks out in pairs for the next week leading up the real NBA Draft on June 25.

1. Clippers: Blake Griffin, PF/C, Oklahoma

The Clippers won the Griffin sweepstakes thanks to a little bit of luck from the ping pong balls in May, and they'll be reaping the benefits in May (yeah, that's right, playoffs) for the next decade at least. Griffin is a can't miss prospect and is the real deal down low, so much so that not even the Clippers can screw this up. We can see him as a dominant big man in the league for a long time.

2. Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn

With Griffin off the board, the real draft begins. Big men are so hard to come by early in this guard heavey draft, and we think they'll be even harder to come by for the teams picking after Memphis. Thabeet is a talented kid and is NBA ready thanks to his college experience and incredible 7'3'' size. He's limited offensively but should be a wall defensively. The Grizzlies will be glad they passed on the many available point guards.

Two down, 12 to go as we mock the NBA Draft Lottery Picks. Check back tomorrow for picks three and four.

Stock Watch: Wednesday Casino Update

We just wanted to quickly update you on the three stocks that we mentioned earlier that we are watching, MGM, LVS, and IGT.

All three stocks are casino stocks with long term value but a lot of uncertainty in the short term.

LVS and MGM were up yesterday, but appear to be on their way to a negative close today, below their opening week numbers. This roller coaster ride will probably continue for a few months, so we have to determine whether or not we are tall enough to ride.

IGT is holding pretty steady around the $15.70 per share mark, and really it's our third option at this point behind LVS and MGM.

Reader par88 also mentioned Boyd Gaming Corporation (BYD) as a possible casino stock that could return to prominence when things get straightened out, and we tend to agree. Currently trading in the mid-$8 range, we are keeping an eye on that one as well.

Nothing major has happened since Monday, and we expect to ride the storm out a little longer before riding the roller coaster that is stock in casinos.

Don't Mock Us: 2009 NBA Mock Draft Central

With the 2009 NBA Draft set for June 25th, mock drafts are flying around similar to the frenzy surrounding the annual NFL Draft in April.

Also similar to the NFL Draft, we'll be conducting our first ever NBA Mock Draft in the days leading up to the big day.

In the NBA we'll cover the first fourteen picks as we mock the lottery teams, two at a time until draft day.

It's a pretty safe bet that Oklahoma's Blake Griffin will be the No. 1 pick selected by the Clippers, but beyond that is anyone's guess. In the coming days, you'll see our guesses.

Will Blake be the first player taken overall? Stay tuned for Stock Lemon's first annual NBA mock draft to find out.

Brett Favre's First Practice With Vikings

Are we there yet?

As you can see, in addition to picking sports games and stocks, we're also in the business of predicting the future.

This is Brett Favre on the first day of Vikings Training Camp, in uniform and ready to begin his 2009 revenge tour against the Packers.

Favre appeared on Joe Buck's new HBO show tonight, Joe Buck Live, to publicly confirm his interest in playing for the Vikings this upcoming season after flaming out with the Jets last year.

Okay, okay. So that's a picture of John David Booty. But it won't be long before that's Favre occupying his purple No. 4 jersey (or red for practices). If you can find a prop bet asking whether or not he'll return to the NFL this season, consider it the easiest money you'll ever make.

Stock Watch: Casino Stocks Monday Report

We are closely watching three casino stocks: MGM, IGT, and LVS, all of which were down today in what was overall a pretty rough day for the market.

While none are official Free Stock Picks quite yet, it's possible that one of them will soon be.

Here's today's ugly report:

MGM 6.53 -0.60‎ (-8.42%‎)

LVS 8.05 -1.05‎ (-11.54%‎)

IGT 15.76 -0.54‎ (-3.31%‎)

As we said, today we are just watching. Soon, though, these ugly numbers might have a serious impact on Lemmy's kid's college fund.

Records Update

As you've probably noticed, we keep record of our free sports picks and post them on the side of this page. We've posted plenty of plays that weren't part of any system, so you won't find those stragglers on the right hand side of our site, otherwise all of our picks are posted on the side at the completion of the season so long as we played at least ten games under each particular system.

We have updated our 13-6 (68%) Free NBA Picks record and posted it under Lemmy's Resume now that the season is over, and so it joins the other completed sports seasons we have bet on.

We have received some criticism about the lack of plays that we post for certain systems, but that's just the way it is. Our systems are strict for a reason--they are successful.

Though we're not sure if we're going to focus more on free picks or analysis in the future, free picks will always be a part of the site. And when we do post them, we think our records speak for themselves.

Stock Watch: MGM and Casino Stocks

We mentioned that we're getting back into the stock market over the summer, and we can't wait any longer.

We aren't giving this out as a Free Stock Pick quite yet, but we like what the future holds for Metro Goldwynn Mayer, or MGM, which opened the day at $7.13 a share.

In fact, we like quite a few casino stocks as long term holds. Las Vegas Sands (LVS) opened at $9.10, and though a little pricier at $16.30, International Game Technology (IGT) has plenty of long term value.

All of these casino stocks have seen better days, but there are also better days ahead. These three stocks were all well above the $30 per share mark a year ago, and we have reason to believe they'll return to that mark as the economy continues to rebound.

For now, because of its potential and lower value at the moment, MGM is our main focus, but don't count out the others.

When we do decide on a stock (or three), we'll post it on the right hand side of the page, where we post the rest of our important gibberish. For now, watch these stocks closely. Depending on how they perform today or in the coming week, we could be making an investment very soon.

Taking Stock Again

Earlier, we posted an entry titled Taking Stock (Lemon), explaining what was a brief absence from our post here at the site.

Now, we're Taking Stock again, this time in relation to the Free Stock Picks which used to dominate our site.

In other words, we've been taking some time to get back in the stock market, now that things are finally starting to clear up.

We've had brief success in the past with STTK, ETFC, and AIG, all of which are in miserable shape at the moment, but those were obviously short term stocks anyway. In the future, we'll have more stock analysis in addition to our sports coverage on the site.

Good things are ahead here at Stock Lemon, so stay tuned.

This Man Is Now An NBA Champion

With the Lakers beating the Magic in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, we would like to congratulate Adam Morrison on his first of many rings to come.

Calling All Advertisers!

We are back in full force for the summer here at Stock Lemon, and we are looking for any add all advertisers to compliment our Adsense earnings.

As you can see, we do quite well on Adsense, and it is likely that we will do just as well for you.

So go ahead and send any advertisement proposals to stocklemonblog@gmail.com and we will give you our hot summer rates.

Okay, okay, that isn't really our Adsense page. We don't earn $58,000 daily, but we can help add traffic to any site and be a building block in your quest for the big bucks.

We Win... Kind Of

Just a few days after declaring that the Lakers would win the NBA Finals, we had a Free NBA Pick proclaming the Magic as the likely Game 5 winner.

The bad news for us is that the Lakers won it in five. The good news is that we can still claim that we were right about the final outcome!

Unfortunately, the Lakers beat the Magic 99-86, giving our Free NBA Picks their first loss in the post season. The Free NBA Picks finish the playoffs with a 5-1 record, and a 13-6 (68%) mark in 2009.

It was a good season for our Free NBA Picks, few and far between as they might have been down the stretch, but there was clearly a method to our madness.

Do you Believe in Our Free NBA Pick Magic?

We haven't been focusing on our free picks as much as we usually do, but we have one for you tonight.

Our Free NBA Picks are 5-0 in the 2009 NBA Playoffs and 13-5 (72%) overall in 2009.

We are very picky with our selections, but you can see that we've had some success by doing so.

That being said, here's the pick for tonight:

Magic -3 1/2 over the Lakers

We know we just predicted the Lakers to take the series, but Dwight Howard and the Magic won't go down easily. Howard will overpower Pau Gasol and the Lakers' big men one more time, before losing the series in LA.

As always, good luck!

The Seahawks Really Are Crappy

We just thought we would share this screenshot courtesy of Seahawks punter Jon Ryan's Facebook page. 

If you can't read it (click the image to enlarge), Ryan's comment is "A bird just shat on me." Just when we thought the Seahawks couldn't stink any worse. 

Finals Week

For the most part, schools are out for the summer, but that doesn't mean that Finals week is over. With the NBA Finals and the NHL Stanley Cup in progress, we couldn't help but emerge from our hibernation to give you a couple of predictions. 

In the NHL, we like the Red Wings to take the deciding Game 7 over the Penguins, beating Pittsburgh for the Stanley Cup for the second straight year. 

In the NBA, although the Magic are fresh off a game three victory, we like the Lakers to take care of business in six games. The series is currently at 2-1 in favor of LA. 

While the NBA and NHL seasons come to a close, Stock Lemon will likely emerging out of its peel for the summer ahead. Our ventures on tap include a foray back into stocks (the original inspiration behind our name) as well as more sports and sports betting analysis. 

So don't worry, we will be back. Just make sure you're back as well.