Mark it down and bet the house on it. In 27 days I guarantee I will be writing the annual warning begging all sane bettors NOT to wager on pre-season football. I'll try to refresh it this time with some new evidence why no NFL team gives a crap whether they win or lose in August. Therefore, why would anyone bet on the outcome of any event that is based on zero.

But wait. I didn't think it would be possible, however legal books in Nevada and many well-respected offshore sportsbooks have come up with an even dumber sport to wager upon. No, it's not pre-season baseball, MMA fighting or darts. Or even the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, which isn't really a sport but sure is fun. And admittedly I was wrong suggesting "Under 63.5" dogs on July 4th as Joey Chesnut gobbled a record 70 all-beef in 10 minutes.

Betting on Playground Basketball

Just for fun I checked and was astonished there actually is betting on the NBA Summer League, which is really strictly a showcase for rookies, second year players and unsigned free agents. I was hoping this wouldn't be true once you understand how it works. Here goes:

The league (if you could call it that) is divided into three locations with teams split between Las Vegas (24 NBA teams), Utah (4) and Orlando (10). Historically, there hasn't been much of an organized structure, with leagues sometimes overlapping and not officially coordinated. In 2004, the league held the Las Vegas Summer League for the first time, which is by far the largest venue.

The Orlando Pro Summer League has been held since 2001. The Utah Jazz Summer League began play in 2015, replacing the Rocky Mountain Revue, an event held from 1984–2008 before going on a lengthy hiatus due to poor attendance.

Before the 2013 leagues, no official champions were named at any league, with the leagues focusing more on individual auditions and development. Champions are currently named for the Orlando and Las Vegas leagues, although team performance is not emphasized. That will give you an idea of "the quality of play" as it usually looks like a street or playground game.

Unsigned free agents are often signed to summer league deals, providing a chance to possibly be signed to a contract during the regular season. Any team can sign the free agent after the league is over, not just the one he played for in summer league. That is how for example, Jeremy Lin became "a star". Or at least for a little while and cashed in big a few years later.

The leagues generally consist of a handful of games per team. Unlike regulation NBA games, which are 48 minutes long, games only last 40 minutes. And if you're wondering, yes, there is Totals (Over/Under) betting available as well at top online sportsbooks like BetOnline, Bovada, Diamond Sports and others. The shorter game partly explains why you'll often see these Totals hovering around 155-175.

How they set the lines for these games seems bizarre and almost impossible. We're dealing with many players who are facing their first NBA action on the court. Second, they've had virtually no coaching opportunity to learn any organized plays whatsoever. Throw in they've had no chance to develop any chemistry with their new teammates. Many players might be finished playing pro basketball or heading to foreign countries in a few months. Wow.

Again, I am not in any way endorsing betting pre-season football. But at least most of the players have some NFL experience, many have played with each other before and can get some direction of plays from the quarterback. Or on defense know their football assignments man to man or in a zone. Except for the "high profile" first round rookies, many of these guys are fighting life and death to impress somebody whether scoring, rebounding or on defense. They couldn't give a rip what the final score was or winning the game. So duh..why should you or try betting on it.

Handicapping Nonsense

Further making a point here, let's focus on one NBA team for example, the Sacramento Kings.

Last Friday the Kings were listed a pick-em in Las Vegas against the Toronto Raptors. Maybe the young, mostly underage Kings were up too late at popular strip clubs or the $100 tables at Caesars. That night they got destroyed at the Thomas & Mack Center 88-47. Just about any five legit NBA players or maybe any five people can score more than 47 points in 40 minutes on the floor. Six total points in the 3rd quarter!!

Therefore, you might have thought you spotted something that nobody noticed including the lines makers. After all, who pays attention to NBA Summer Developmental League basketball. Maybe you have something gold here.

On Sunday the Houston Rockets were -7 to -7.5 favorites over Sacramento at most of the leading offshore sportsbooks offering D-league hoops. Your "inside info" was rewarded as the Rockets beat the Kings in Vegas 85-73, covering the number. It was a little shaky going into the fourth quarter when Houston led by only 3. Still, this seemed like a gift involving betting something most even knew was on the wagering menu.

So now was a good time to go all-in against Sacramento in their next game as well. Flash forward to Monday night and I suppose the Kings got some sleep. The New Orleans Pelicans were intimidating -4.5 to -6 favorites at most sportsbooks offering a line. In a 70-66 thriller, they still lost again BUT managed to cover the spread on the most meaningless last-second basket of all time. The Kings got their best 4th quarter in three games, outscoring the Pelicans 21-16.

AND if you wanted to make the really big score you had your opportunity on Wednesday night. You heard that #1 NBA draft choice, 19-year-old rookie Ben Simmons decided to sit out for the Philadelphia 76ers matched against some team of NBA Select D-League All-Stars in Vegas. The "all-stars" were a -4 favorite at most books while Baby Ben was spotted eating cheese fries on the bench. The leftover Sixers +4 crushed the all-stars 108-71. Well, there goes another plan to retire young.

Girls are the Better Bet

I realize it's tough getting through July and the dog days of August but y'gotta be patient. Betting NBA Summer League games is strictly desperation material. Plenty of real baseball games to consider every day and true regular season NFL wagering action is now only eight short weeks away. And if you must bet professional basketball, why not bet the WNBA. The lines are up at all top online sportsbooks and the players really do care about winning. Know their teammates much better too . . .

Glenn Greene covers the games from a betting angle every week exclusively at OSGA.com. For weekly betting insights, inlcuding previews and picks from Glenn, click here.