Looking over the odds for Strikeforce: Miami I was struck with a thunderbolt. No, not a bolt on the way to Damascus (I claim no divine authority here) but rather an idiotic idea to do a four-way parlay and take all underdogs. If you are already shaking your head and moving your mouse to the 'back' button I understand but hear me out.

A four-way parlay on all the dogs may be insane but it also means you don't have to bet a lot of money to make a big payout. Yeah its risky, but it allows you to risk a small sum in the oft chance of getting lucky and with this card there is a good chance of getting lucky. For instance two of the five televised fights feature GREEN fighters as HUGE favorites and this being MMA anything can happen. So if you are feeling lucky, why not put down ten, fifteen or twenty bucks and have a little fun.

Marius Zaromskis (+200) over Nick Diaz (-260)
Nick Diaz should win this fight. He should take down the Zaromskis and submit him with ease, but let me ask you a question; when was the last time you saw Nick Diaz fight on the ground? Like, really fight on the ground and go for a submission. It would have to be against Takanori Gomi in 2007. Yeah, Diaz submitted Scott Smith but that was after two and a half rounds of boxing. So, Diaz has been bitten by the boxing bug, but that doesn't mean he would be so stupid as to stand and trade with Marius, does it? Yes, yes it does.

Greg Nagy (+300) over Herschel Walker (-500)
Herschel Walker is a freak athlete but he is forty-seven. FORTY FREAKING SEVEN! Shouldn't Walker being staring in a Levitra commercial by now? Watching Herschel Walker's training videos and it is hard not to be underwhelmed. Actually it's hard not to freak out expecting a disaster. While Strikeforce was smart by pairing Walker up against an equally inexperienced fighter I just don't see how Nagy won't be able to get Herschel on his back and sit in his guard for a win. Of course subterfuge might be afoot but CoCo told me to stop being cynical so I won't think about that possibility. Wait a second, isn't picking against Herschel being cynical? D'oh!

Wes Sims (+700) vs. Bobby Lashley (-1500)
Normally, I wouldn't touch a fight like this with a fifteen foot poll. On the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Sims looked like MMA had passed him by worse than football has passed L.T. by. Now, Wes is coming in on short notice to fight a bigger and stronger opponent and you are going to place a bet on him? As I said in the intro, this whole idea is certifiable, but a reader pointed out that this fight is freakishly similar to the Kimbo Slice-Seth Petruzelli fight. Kimbo was 3-0 when he got KO'd out by a late replacement who was former UFC fighter. Lashley is 4-0 facing a late replacement who is former UFC fighter. Coincidence? Hell yes! But it would also be cosmic justice for the way Strikeforce handled this fight and I never bet against karma, especially when I am compiling half-brained four-way parlays.

Marloes Coenen (+330) over Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (-550)
Right out of the gates this is the weakest upset pick besides Sims over Lashley. I honestly believe Santos will be too strong for Coenen to submit or knockout. That being said "Cyborg" is the second biggest name in female MMA making her the public's fighter. In other words this fight's odds are bloated in Santos' favor and I am gambling (hence, the name of the column) on a crazy upset here. Basically, this is a value bet.

Obviously this 'cuckoo for coco puffs' idea can be tailored to meet your needs and thoughts on each fight. For those that don't want to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight I would suggest parlaying Marius Zaromiskis and Gregy Nagy together. Or, if you believe in Strikeforce's ability to protect (read as: find cans) Herschel Walker and Bobby Lashley, avoid them in your respective bets.

Don't forget Melvin Manhoef is out there at -200, and if Robbie Lawler's pre-fight comments are any indication of in-cage strategy; Melvin may be a smart favorite to bet on.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Miami