Handicapper Sports Articles
| <<< Recent Articles | Past Articles >>> |
 Vernon Croys NFL AFC Championship PreviewVernon Croy - 1/21/2010 2:54 PM The NFL AFC Championship game is set for this Sunday January 24th at 3:00 PM ET with the New York Jets vs. the Indianapolis Colts. This is a must win game if you want to make it to the 2010 Super Bowl 44 on Sunday February 7th. The current betting lines for the match up have the Colts favored by 7.5 points with a posted total of 39.5. The fifth seeded Jets have won seven of their last eight games... |
| NFL Football Playoff Preview by Jerry Lambert Great Lakes Sports - 1/19/2010 9:38 AM NFL Football Playoff Preview: AFC Championship Game: Welcome to another exciting NFL championship game preview, as we here at Great Lakes Sports will give you some insight into this highly contested match-up between the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts. In the divisional playoff game between the Baltimore Colts... |
| NFL Playoffs: Conference Champions at Stake! Jim Feist - 1/18/2010 12:52 PM by Jim Feist This is it, the final weekend of games before the Super Bowl. The last month we've been hearing about playoff seedings, bye weeks and home field advantage. Are all those things really important? Historically it has been during the second round of the playoffs. Teams with the bye have home field advantage and two weeks to prepare, both of which are usually important edges this time... |
| NFL Playoff Time! Jim Feist - 1/11/2010 2:21 PM by Jim Feist As the playoffs begin, those who earned the top two seeds in each conference have a key edge, as they get a bye the first week while watching the others duke it out. Sitting at home this past weekend were the Saints, Vikings, Colts and Chargers. A year ago the favorites to win the 2010 Super Bowl were the Patriots at 6-to-1, the Steelers at 7-to-1, the Colts at 8-to-1 and the NY G... |
| BCS Hysteria: No. 1 vs. No. 2! Jim Feist - 1/4/2010 3:55 PM by Jim Feist Happy New Year! After recovering from the weekend’s New Year festivities while celebrating and analyzing sports picks, we glide through the end of the bowl season. The GMAC and Orange Bowls are appetizers for the tune-up that is the January 7 Texas/Alabama showdown for all the marbles. Orange Bowl (Tues., Jan. 5): This game is outdoors in Miami's Land Shark stadium pitting a pa... |
| Bowl Bonanza! Jim Feist - 12/28/2009 12:51 PM by Jim Feist As 2008 draws to a close, we find ourselves smack in the middle of the bowls. You shouldn't be bowled-out, either, as they build to the crescendo that is the Texas/Alabama showdown for the national title. Humanitarian Bowl (Wed., Dec. 30): Check the weather for this game, as it is frigid and can get windy in this outdoor game from Boise, Idaho. Out from the MAC come the Bowl... |
| Free CHRISTMAS DAY Direct Service From Triple Threat! Triple Threat Sports - 12/25/2009 1:44 AM Hello to all youwinnow.com customers, and MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us at Triple Threat Sports.. Every year for Christmas, instead of selling our plays for the day, we post them (with full analysis) here for free in artcle form It is our way of saying thanks for a great year, and looking forward to a great 2010. Today we have plays in the NBA and NFL, as well as some opinions in College Hoops. E... |
| Late December: The Best Time for Bowling! Jim Feist - 12/21/2009 12:31 PM by Jim Feist As 2008 draws to a close, we find ourselves smack in the middle of the bowls. You shouldn't be bowled-out with football picks, either, as the bowls slowly build to the crescendo that is the Texas/Alabama showdown. Poinsettia Bowl (Wed., Dec. 23): Utah (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) Coach Kyle Whittingham has another balanced, strong team, averaging 29 points, 157 yards rushing and 220 passing... |
| Vernon Croys Week 15 NFL Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 12/20/2009 2:17 AM We are getting close to the end of the regular season and many fans have officially given up on their teams for the year. Other fans are still glued to the games as part of their team's playoff race. We still have two undefeated teams which many are speculating could lead to a Super Bowl of unbeaten teams. So what should we expect out of Week 15 in the NFL? Here are a few things to watch out for.... |
| College Football Bowl Preview Through Dec. 20th! Brian Graves - 12/19/2009 12:07 AM New Mexico Bowl Wyoming vs. Fresno St. Wyoming is one of those fringe bowl teams having gone 6-6 but they played 2 undefeated teams with losses to Texas and TCU. They were pretty competitive every week because there defense is actually pretty good. As the season wound down they lost 22-10 and 10-0 to Utah and Ai... |
| NFL Juggernauts and Fading Has Beens Jim Feist - 12/14/2009 12:41 PM by Jim Feist Looking at NFL streaks, two things stand out in 2009: The Saints and Colts. It was quite a story two years ago when the Patriots were trying to march through the NFL regular season at 16-0 as it hadn't happened in 35 years. Now, just two years later, a pair of teams are threatening to do it! Oddsmakers caught up quickly to these powerhouses. After starting 5-0 SU/ATS, the Sai... |
| NFL Late Season Bad Encore Tom Stryker - 12/12/2009 10:39 AM The last four games of the NFL regular season can mean everything to those teams still in the playoff hunt and nothing to the others that have already been eliminated. Novice handicappers could experience a great deal of financial stress at this time of the year. The Las Vegas line is usually inflated on those squads still battling for playoff position. If you invest your hard earned dough on "bad... |
| The Overlooked Edge: Football Depth Jim Feist - 12/7/2009 12:33 PM by Jim Feist Depth is such an essential element of success in pro and college football, and one that is easily overlooked. Big college programs have this as a huge advantage over small schools. Because of injuries, Oregon had to use backup QB Nate Cost in the middle of the season, and he played well in a win over UCLA. A year ago, Oregon had to use four QBs, including main starters Jeremiah M... |
| NBA Early Season Surprises Jim Feist - 11/30/2009 2:02 PM by Jim Feist Preseason prognosticators and handicapping analysis focuses in on what they expect to happen, based on the draft and offseason moves, but there are always surprises at the start of each season. Here's a look at some of the early NBA surprises, good, bad and ugly. Hawks: Didn't we see this athletic young team taking Boston to seven games in the playoffs? That was two years... |
| NFL Fading Has Beens and First College Championship Game Mike Neri - 11/30/2009 11:20 AM NFL Fading Has Beens and First College Championship Game by Mike Neri It’s official! The Raiders (3-7 SU/4-6 ATS) have packed in the season, although that’s not front page news. There performance on Thanksgiving day was just awful, getting steamrolled by Dallas. QB JaMarcus Russell (2 TDs, 9 picks) has been benched and QB Bruce Gradkowski (3 TDs, 3 picks) is running the offense. T... |
| Turkeys, Turnovers and Upsets! Jim Feist - 11/23/2009 12:37 PM by Jim Feist It's Thanksgiving week, which means the middle of the NFL campaign while winding down the college football regular season. Late season college football means heated races for conference titles and bowl berths, plus rivalries that span decades, all of which can influence college football predictions. These games can have far more importance for players than September/October clash... |
| Last Road Game Money-Maker Tom Stryker - 11/20/2009 9:00 PM College Football System of the Week!Last Road Game Money-MakerAt this time of the year, you hear a lot about “last home game” systems. And you should. These time-tested and proven methods of handicapping have been extremely profitable.Since there are so many powerful “LHG” sets, I wondered if there was any money to be found regarding teams playing in their last road game of the year. Honestly, I d... |
| Last Road Game Money-Maker Tom Stryker - 11/20/2009 8:59 PM College Football System of the Week!Last Road Game Money-MakerAt this time of the year, you hear a lot about “last home game” systems. And you should. These time-tested and proven methods of handicapping have been extremely profitable.Since there are so many powerful “LHG” sets, I wondered if there was any money to be found regarding teams playing in their last road game of the year. Honestly, I d... |
| Pro Parity and 20-Point Blowouts Jim Feist - 11/16/2009 2:32 PM by Jim Feist For years, pro football has been the sports leader when it comes to parity. Pete Rozelle was credited with, "On any given Sunday any team can beat another." You say, "Wait a minute -- the Saints and Colts started 16-0 SU/11-5 ATS. Where's the parity?" How about four wins by the Colts of 4 points or less? They didn't lose a game in the first half of the season, but were far from d... |
| Vernon Croys Mountaineers Vs Bearcats Preview Vernon Croy - 11/13/2009 1:37 PM This Friday night, two Big East football powers will square off when Cincinnati and West Virginia take the field. The Bearcats are 9-0 and hoping to ride a few more wins to the National Championship game. The Mountaineers are 7-2 and were nationally ranked recently as well. There should be some good football played in this one. Last year, the Bearcats had their lowest offensive output of the year... |
| South Florida vs Rutgers Thursday Night CFB Preview Rocketman Sports - 11/12/2009 1:07 PM Thursday Night College Football Preview South Florida at Rutgers South Florida enters this game coming off a huge conference victory over West Virginia last week. The Bulls are 6-2 overall and 4-3 ATS in 2009 but are in desperate need of another conference victory as they are just 2-2 in conference play. Not o... |
| Vernon Croys Cavaliers Vs Heat NBA Preview Vernon Croy - 11/12/2009 11:07 AM This Thursday night, two of the most exciting teams in the NBA will square off when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Miami Heat. Anytime you combine as many big NBA stars as you will have in this game, it will be very exciting. The Cavs are hoping to get things going, while the Heat have been on a roll and hope to continue that in the early part of the season. This should be a very fun game to... |
| Vernon Croys South Florida Vs Rutgers Preview Vernon Croy - 11/12/2009 10:49 AM At this point of the year, the conference battles in college football are really starting to heat up. This Thursday night's game between the South Florida Bulls and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights should be no exception. The Bulls and Knights have had some good battles in the last few years, with Rutgers recently coming out on top. In fact, the Knights beat the Bulls handily when they squared off last... |
| Football Totals and Coaching Philosophies Jim Feist - 11/9/2009 2:02 PM by Jim Feist There are many factors to examine when making football predictions when studying totals. Defensive and offensive statistics need to be examined, of course. Some of the questions a good handicapper asks: Is there speed in the defensive secondary? Does a club have a one-dimensional offense? Do they prefer a powerful running game or wide-open passing attacks? What kind of weather con... |
| 9 LSU vs. 3 Alabama Football Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 11/7/2009 2:21 PM This weekend, one of the biggest games of the season will take place between SEC powerhouses. The 7-1 LSU Tigers will square off with the 8-0 Alabama Crimson Tide with National Title implications. Whoever wins this one could face Florida in the conference championship and earn a spot in the National Championship game. This game is huge and it should be watched if you are a college football fan. Th... |
| Oregon State vs. 23 California Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 11/7/2009 2:19 PM This Saturday, two great Pac 10 teams will square off when California and Oregon State tangle. The Golden Bears have had a bit of a disappointing season after being ranked in the top 10 early on. After losing to Oregon and USC badly, they are back in the top 25 again and have a 6-2 record. The Oregon State Beavers come in at 5-3 and currently sit at fourth place in the conference race. This should... |
| Vernon Croys NFL Week 9 Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 11/7/2009 2:09 PM We have passed the halfway point in the season and we've experienced a lot of highs and lows. Your favorite team has either established themselves as contenders or pretenders at this point and you pretty much know whether they have a shot at the playoffs by now. This has been one of the strangest seasons in recent memory with so many teams at the top of the league and so many teams in the cellar.... |
| Virgina Tech vs East Carolina Thursday Night CFB Preview Rocketman Sports - 11/5/2009 4:07 PM Thursday Night College Football Preview Virginia Tech at East Carolina For the second week in a row Virginia Tech will play in an ESPN Primetime Thursday Night game. Last Thursday the Hokies were upset by unranked North Carolina as 14.5 point favorites. They will try to avoid losing their third straight game... |
| Vernon Croys VT vs ECU Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 11/5/2009 9:55 AM The Virginia Tech Hokies travel to East Carolina this week for a Thursday night football showdown. The Hokies are still ranked #22 despite suffering their third loss of the season last week at the hands of North Carolina. The Hokies come in at 5-3 while the Pirates come in with the same record. Although the Hokies come in as 13 point favorites, the Pirates should provide some good competition for... |
| Winning Football: D Comes Before O Jim Feist - 11/2/2009 3:00 PM by Jim Feist So what do you prefer: offense or defense? Most casual bettors examining NFL picks like offense, which is why Monday night football games often take more action on the over. There have been some terrific offensive football teams that last few years, such as USC and Texas in 2005, LSU and Florida the last two years, and pro passing attacks like the Rams, Colts, Dick Vermeil's Chiefs,... |
| 50 is the Magic Number - By Tom Stryker Tom Stryker - 10/29/2009 10:00 PM Over the years, I’ve come across a ton of scoring angles. Some are good, some aren’t. The one I’m about to break down for you is one of my best. It’s simplistic in approach. All I wanted to see was how well a reasonably priced home favorite did after a solid offensive performance on foreign soil. As you know, momentum is huge when it comes to handicapping college football and, off a solid road per... |
| North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Thursday Night CFB Preview Rocketman Sports - 10/29/2009 2:57 PM Thursday Night College Football Preview North Carolina at Virginia Tech Odds makers are not expecting this week’s Thursday Night Prime Time game to be very competitive as they have installed Virginia Tech as 16.5 point favorites. The line opened on Sunday night at minus 17 but a small bit of sharp action has... |
| Vernon Croys Tar Heels vs Hokies Preview Vernon Croy - 10/28/2009 11:52 PM This Thursday, two teams from the ACC that have underwhelmed this season will face off. The one-time National Championship hopefuls Virginia Tech will face the one-time Top 25 North Carolina Tarheels. Since those lofty expectations were thrown on both teams, they have stumbled a few times and looked sloppy at times. The Hokies are favored to win in this one, but it should be a pretty good game bet... |
| Wagering on the World Series Jim Feist - 10/26/2009 6:11 PM <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]-->October memories glare the brightest in baseball lore. Bobby Thompson's 1951 home run, Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 of the ’56 Series, Bob Gibson’s 17-strikeouts in Game 1 '68, Carlton Fisk's home run in '75, Kirk Gibson's blast in '88, Joe Carter's Series ending three-run homer in 1993. While home runs mostly d... |
| The Value of Run Defense Jim Feist - 10/26/2009 6:02 PM by Jim Feist Like a giant leak on a sinking ship, one of the first signs of a poor pro football team is weak run defense. Stopping the run is essential to building a championship team. Who won the Super Bowl in January? The Steelers, a team with the No. 1 overall defense, including No. 2 against the run. In 2007, the eventual champion NY Giants were No. 8 against the run. The year before that... |
| Eagles vs Redskins - Monday Night Football Preview Rocketman Sports - 10/26/2009 12:09 PM NFL Monday Night Preview Eagles at Redskins Last week’s 13-9 loss to the Oakland Raiders was not only disappointing to the Philadelphia Eagles players but also most of the betting public. More than 80% of the betting action on that game came in on the Eagles as 14 point road favorites. Despite the loss to one... |
| Vernon Croys Week 7 NFL Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 10/23/2009 11:33 AM Although it seems like we just got started, we’re getting close to the midpoint of the season. We’ve had a few preseason contenders turn out to be pretenders and vice versa. However, it’s still early in the season and there is a lot of football left to be played. So what can we expect in Week 7 of the NFL season? Here’s a preview of this week’s action. San Diego vs. Kansas City (San Diego -5). Th... |
| A Time and a Place For Football Teasers Jack Clayton - 10/23/2009 12:20 AM Teasers are a popular and enjoyable form of wagering on pro and college football and basketball games. To “tease” a game simply means the bookmaker gives you extra points, allowing you to subtract or add points on a point spread. For example, if the Rams are a 12-point favorite, using a 6-point teaser you can bump them down to a 6-point favorite. On the same card, if the Vikings are a 2-po... |
| Florida State vs North Carolina CFB Preview Rocketman Sports - 10/22/2009 6:35 PM Thursday Night College Football Preview Florida State at North Carolina Both Florida State and North Carolina have had disappointing seasons thus far given the fact that both were ranked in the pre-season Top 25 polls. The Seminoles are just 2-4 straight up and 1-5 against the spread in ’09. They enter... |
| Rivalries and Big 12 Totals on Tap Mike Neri - 10/21/2009 9:27 PM Rivalries and Big 12 Totals on Tap by Mike Neri There are some high totals in the Big 12 this weekend as rivalries heat up across the country. Texas is playing at Missouri in a game Texas won 56-31 last year. The unbeaten Longhorns are loaded on offense for four-year starter QB Colt McCoy, averaging 40 points, 140 yards rushing and 280 passing. McCoy and the offense... |
| Florida State Vs North Carolina Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 10/21/2009 8:26 PM This Thursday night, the Florida State Seminoles and North Carolina Tarheels square off in an ACC showdown. This team is between two of the lesser teams in the ACC and they are pretty evenly matched. Florida State comes in at 2-4 on the season and have been surrounded by talk of firing Bobby Bowden all season. Now they’re talking about keeping him around as a figurehead and letting his assistant c... |
| The Week After Monday Night Madness Jack Clayton - 10/20/2009 9:05 PM by Jack Clayton Doesn’t everybody love Monday Night football? Sure, it’s a big week for bettors, as it’s the only game on the docket. It’s big business for bookmakers, fans, and even restaurants an extra boost on Monday evenings during the football season. Everyone loves Monday Night Football, except maybe the participants on the field. Bettors need to keep in mind that the travel... |
| Monday Football Wrap-Up Mike Neri - 10/19/2009 7:30 PM Monday Football Wrap-Up by Mike Neri The Bears and Titans are off disappointing Sundays, but for different reasons. Chicago had a big edge in yards, 373-253, but kept screwing up in the red zone of a 21-14 loss at Atlanta. Matt Forte lost a fumble at the 1-yard line. QB Jay Cutler threw two interceptions, the first one on Atlanta's 9-yard line and the second one the Falcons turned in... |
| Denver vs. San Diego Monday Night Football Betting Preview Vernon Croy - 10/19/2009 6:31 PM This week features a matchup between the top two teams in the AFC West. The 5-0 Denver Broncos will travel to San Diego to meet the 2-2 Chargers. Despite being 5-0, the Broncos are actually the underdog in this one with a 3.5 point spread. The game will be featured on Monday Night Football and should be an entertaining contest. If the Broncos win, they will have a strangle hold on the AFC West. If... |
| The Value of Run Defense Jim Feist - 10/19/2009 12:40 PM by Jim Feist Like a giant leak on a sinking ship, one of the first signs of a poor pro football team is weak run defense. Stopping the run is essential to building a championship team. Who won the Super Bowl in January? The Steelers, a team with the No. 1 overall defense, including No. 2 against the run. In 2007, the eventual champion NY Giants were No. 8 against the run. The year before that... |
| NFLs Most Profitable Teams in 2009 Thus Far Rocketman Sports - 10/18/2009 11:54 AM NFL’s Most Profitable Teams in 2009 Thus Far Denver Broncos: 5-0 ATS The Denver Broncos are the most surprising team of the 2009 season. No one expected them to be both 5-0 SU and 5-0 ATS heading into Week 6 with Kyle Orton at quarterback and a suspect defense. However, the Broncos have been outstand... |
| NFL Week 5: What We Learned Rocketman Sports - 10/18/2009 11:42 AM NFL Week 5: What We Learned Oakland, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay can’t cover any number: The Oakland Raiders were 15.5 point road underdogs against the New York Giants this past Sunday and got beaten to a bloody pulp, losing 44-7. Their offense is just plain awful. They are averaging 9.8 points per game a... |
| Red River Shootout - Oklahoma vs Texas Rocketman Sports - 10/16/2009 11:56 PM Red River Shootout Oklahoma v.s. Texas Texas faces its first real challenge of the season on Saturday afternoon when they take on Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout. The number 2 ranked Longhorns have cruised to a 5-0 start but are just 1-4 against the spread so far this season. They have been beating... |
| NFL’s Big Uglies Kevin Francis - 10/16/2009 7:21 PM NFL’s Big Uglies I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen so many bad offensive teams in the NFL. The Tennessee Titans, 13-3 last season, were in a must win game at home Sunday night against the Colts. They managed just 3 field goals in a 31-9 rout to remain winless. Veteran QB Kerry Collins (5 TDs, 7 INTs) really hasn’t been that bad and isn’t the problem. There are too many hole... |
| Rivalry Saturday! Mike Neri - 10/16/2009 7:19 PM Rivalry Saturday! by Mike Neri Plenty of big games on tap in college football this weekend, starting with Oklahoma/Texas, the Red River rivalry. A year ago No. 5 Texas pulled the upset, 45-25, outrushing the No. 1 Sooners 161-48. QB Sam Braford threw for 387 yards, 5 TDs, but 2 picks. Oklahoma then was able to leapfrog into the Big 12 title game via a committee vote, something that has... |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
