1. Live(ish) From China, It's the Olympics! Put Your Cash on Phelps and Lin Dan
NBC kicks off 3,600 exhausting hours of coverage August 8th at 8 p.m.

George W. Bush will be there in the flesh, but most of us will be on the couch as the flame is lit in Beijing for China's first-ever Olympiad. A lot is on the line: national pride, years of training, millions of endorsement opportunities, Wheaties boxes. Plus your hard-earned moolah, if you don't mind a little under-the-table Olympic betting! We turned to our pal John Avello, sports-gaming expert at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and here's his advice: Bet big on U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps and Chinese badminton superstar Lin Dan. "China should also win the first three table-tennis medals," Avello says. Table tennis! What about USA basketball? "They're a big favorite." But are they going to win? "I'm not playing, I'm just telling you who should win." Amen, brother. Wish we'd listened on the Super Bowl.

Photo: Getty