The MLS it is!

As you can see from the poll on the right, the MLS (54%) beat out the CFL (36%) and the WNBA (9%) to become the sport we focus on for the remainder of the summer. We've taken a little time to do research and are now fully prepared to begin our Free MLS Picks system.

The picks should be coming in the next few days, so stay tuned and thanks for your patience!

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.