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 NCAA Weekly Dish - 01/21/06Matt Fargo - 1/20/2006 11:36 AM With the college basketball season in full swing, Matt Fargo takes a look at three big games on tap that you cannot miss this Saturday. West Virginia Mountaineers at UCLA Bruins 3:45 PM ET This is easily the best non-conference game of the day and while most teams are thinking about conference action, there two teams are thinking about quality wins before the NCAA Tournament. Both of these tea... |
| Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Preview Matt Fargo - 1/16/2006 12:28 PM A rather light field tees it up this week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic but a couple notables will be making the trip. Last year’s champion Justin Leonard will look for back-to-back titles while 2004 champion Phil Mickelson will tee it up for the first time in 2006. The field consists of only three top 20 players, Mickelson, Chris DiMarco and Davis Love III, and features just 34 of the top 100... |
| NCAA Weekly Dish - 01/14/06 Matt Fargo - 1/14/2006 9:28 AM With conference well under way, Matt Fargo takes a look at three big games on tap that you cannot miss this Saturday. UCLA Bruins at Washington Huskies 4:00 PM ET A 4-1 Pac Ten team takes on a 2-2 squad but those roles are reversed of what most people would have thought. The Bruins are off to a flying start in the conference despite injury problems since practice started. This team has as ma... |
| College Basketball Injuries Bryan Leonard - 1/14/2006 9:20 AM If you want to turn a profit in the competitive world of sports wagering, it's necessary to keep up on things on a daily basis. Take injuries in college basketball. Injuries happen all the time and one has to be on top of everything. Alabama just lost leading scorer Chuck Davis for the season. How does this affect their ability to rebound? Do they have other offensive options to rely on? Is there... |
| Sony Open in Hawaii Preview Matt Fargo - 1/13/2006 4:25 PM Sony Open in Hawaii Preview Sony Open in HawaiiWaialae Country Club, Honolulu, HawaiiVijay Singh will look to defend his 2005 Sony Open Championship a week after losing to Stuart Appleby in a playoff at the Mercedes Championships. This is the first tournament of the season with a full field but there are plenty of big names missing as only three players from the Official World Golf Rankings top-... |
| NCAA Weekly Dish - 01/06/06 Matt Fargo - 1/13/2006 4:24 PM NCAA Weekly Dish - 01/06/06 With conference season ready to begin its first full Saturday, Matt Fargo takes a look at three big games on tap that you cannot miss. Cincinnati Bearcats at Marquette Golden Eagles 12:00 PM ETCincinnati heads to Marquette for the second C-USA game of the season for both teams. Sorry, make that the second Big East game for both teams. In what was always billed as the... |
| NFL Divisional Playoff System Tom Stryker - 1/13/2006 3:58 PM Tom Stryker's NFL Divisional Playoff System In surprising fashion, three NFL road teams traveled into hostile territory last weekend in the Wildcard Round of the NFL Playoffs and left with a straight up victory. Kudos to Washington, Carolina and Pittsburgh for accomplishing this feat. Now, the stakes get a little higher for the Redskins, Panthers and Steelers and their opponent... |
| NFL Playoffs: Under and Out Big Al McMordie - 1/13/2006 3:53 PM NFL Playoffs: Under and Out By Al McMordie One of the most telling stats of the first week of the NFL playoffs was the defense. Washington amassed a ridiculous 120 yards of offense against the Buccaneers. Even more ridiculous is that they WON the game! The Patriots followed Saturday night with a dominating performance against the Jaguars, allowing 3 points. Both games sailed... |
| Baketballs Road Woes Mike Neri - 1/13/2006 3:30 PM Basketball’s Road Woes By Mike Neri It is remarkable how a basketball team, both college and pro, can look like a very different team at home as opposed to on the road. This is something that has been going on for years, and professional handicappers take careful not of it. Simply put, it’s easier for a sports team to play hard for the home fans, but not be as com... |
| Pro Football Notebook: Playoffs! Mike Neri - 1/13/2006 3:27 PM Pro Football Notebook: Playoffs! by Mike Neri It’s a new year, the weather is cold, and the Final 8 in the NFL are going head to head. Here’s a look at some key points in the NFL’s playoff games this weekend. Panthers at Bears: What’s the over/under for first downs in this game? How about punts? Defense is certainly going to be on display in the Windy City. Chicago... |
| Rematches Highlight NFL Divisional Playoffs Mike Neri - 1/13/2006 3:25 PM GoBodog.com: Rematches Highlight NFL Divisional Playoffs This weekend's NFL Divisional Playoffs feature a rarity: four rematches of regular-season clashes. Bodog.com has posted the odds. "These teams have seen each other before. We can expect four hard-fought games and probably more animosity than usual," says Calvin Ayre, Founder and CEO of Bodog.com. "Stakes are... |
| The Four Season of College Basketball Bryan Leonard - 1/10/2006 9:33 PM There are four seasons packed into a college basketball year: Non-conference play, conference play, conference tournament time and postseason action (NIT and March Madness). Each has unique attributes. Non-conference action starts off the year where teams are getting acquainted with new personnel and facing many schools they've never played before. Conference action finds teams battling for positi... |
| Changes are Key in NBA Handicapping Bryan Leonard - 1/7/2006 9:24 AM Stats are one thing, but something that doesn’t show up in the NBA stat column is changes that take place. Coaching changes, injuries, strategic shifts, all of these things can alter the performance of a team, both straight up and against the number. Seattle just fired their coach, so one needs to keep up on how this team responds to new coach Bob Hill. Will he slow the pace down, making them a be... |
| Tom Strykers NFL Wildcard Round System Tom Stryker - 1/6/2006 10:25 AM Back in the 1990 season, the NFL decided to change its playoff format by adding two teams to the mix (one per conference). That move changed the Wildcard round to what it is today and brought us - the wagering public - even more opportunity to prosper. Thanks to my powerful NFL database I've recorded all of the results in the new Wildcard round since '90 and come up with some incredibl... |
| Preview of THE GAME! USC vs. Texas Brian Graves - 1/4/2006 2:31 AM We've had another successful bowl season as our record is 13-6 this Bowl Season and we've been pretty much on the money with our synopsis of the earlier games. Tonight's game is really one of those rare games that is worth every bit of hype that you could give it. There are likely 15 first round picks starting on these 2 offenses in the year they wi... |
| Texas & USC: The Battle in the Trenches Bryan Leonard - 1/3/2006 11:15 AM All the marbles are on the line this week in college football’s final game of the season. While all the attention is on the skill position talents like Matt Leinart, versatile Vince Young, and Heisman winner Reggie Bush, games are more often than not won in the trenches. Those unsung heroes who block, protect the quarterback and open up holes don’t get the Hollywood glory, but they are essential c... |
| Football Preparation Bryan Leonard - 1/1/2006 7:59 PM You're going to be hearing a lot over the next two weeks about preparation on the gridiron. Let's call it “Preparation G”, as in Game Day, because that's what it's all about. On the Riviera radio contest last month, I gave out USC over UCLA, pointing out that Trojan coach Pete Carroll was 11-0 straight up and 10-0-1 against the number when he has at least one extra week to prepare. Well make it 12... |
| THE FINAL WEEK OF THE NFL Mike Neri - 1/1/2006 11:03 AM NFL's Final Week By Mike Neri Naturally, the final weekend of the NFL season is very different than the previous 16 weeks for most teams. The Steelers need to win over the Lions Sunday to clinch a playoff spot – unless the Bengals lose the day before at Kansas City! The NFC East has all kinds of teams on the bubble, with the Giants needing a win to clinch the division title... |
| NFLs Final Week Big Al McMordie - 1/1/2006 11:01 AM NFL's Final Week, By Al McMordie There’s one more week to go before the real NFL season begins. Pro football’s final week has often been a mine field for bettors and oddsmakers. Some teams play for pride, some teams will be playing for the postseason, some individuals will be playing for jobs, while some couldn’t care less and are more interested in getting th... |
| SPORTS NEWS & NOTES FOM Sports - 12/29/2005 11:45 AM We approach the end of the NFL regular season on a hot streak. Our run has been keyed by the normalization of the “dog/favorite “dispersion and the continued success of our “late” plays released closer to game time. As a handicapper it is critically important to know oneself and I have always been able to isolate a few games with a high win percentage closer to kickoff. H... |
| NBA Trends Bryan Leonard - 12/27/2005 2:35 PM When it comes to sports handicapping, I'm not a trends guy. If the Steelers are 10-1 against the spread their last 11 meetings with the Ravens, for example, it probably means they have had superior teams or a match-up or coaching angle in their favor during that time. Or, if the Raiders are 14-2 ATS on Monday night, that doesn't help predict how they are going to do the next time they play Monday... |
| Handicapping 101: Analyzing Stats Jack Clayton - 12/19/2005 9:03 PM Handicapping 101: Analyzing Stats by Jack Clayton In the world of sports handicapping, not all stats are created equal. In fact, every team is actually two different teams, and it’s essential if you want to win at sports betting to grasp this. How a team performs at home can be very different to how that same team plays on the road. For instance, the Buffalo Bills defense allows 22 ppg overall... |
| Responses & Ramifications Bryan Leonard - 12/12/2005 10:34 PM In the world of sports, there are all kinds of responses that take place by individuals and teams to things that happen on and off the field. What that response is becomes important for handicappers to pay attention to, and even to try and predict what might happen. For example, a few weeks ago first-year Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban was quoted as saying he's in the process of evaluating talent... |
| Sunday Showdown Bryan Leonard - 12/3/2005 2:08 AM As we approach the home stretch of the NFL season, division races and playoff pairings are slowly beginning to take shape. This Sunday finds several key games with teams in the thick of the races. Here's a look at some of them. Bengals at Steelers: This is a showdown for the AFC North title and there are plenty of sidelights. If the Steelers win, they will be tied for the division lead b... |
| Showdown out West: Bruins versus Trojans Big Al McMordie - 12/2/2005 10:25 AM Showdown out West: Bruins versus Trojans by Big Al McMordie We have to assume that No. 2 Texas is going to beat Colorado. After all, the two already met earlier this season and Texas won 42-17 as a 15-point favorite. When you look at the stats of the game, it was even worse. Colorado had just 237 total yards and the Longhorns had 145 yards rushing and 337 passing. It’s ... |
| Coaching Changes in Mid-Season Bryan Leonard - 11/30/2005 10:46 AM So the Turkey Day didn't get put back in storage after Thanksgiving. The Detroit Lions kept it sharp all weekend and used it to axe head coach Steve Mariucci Monday. This was not unexpected. The Lions record is 4-7, making Mariucci's final record 15-28. It had been rumored for weeks and the team was playing lifeless, uninspired football. He also didn't appear to be a happy camper of late, though d... |
| NFL Weekend Musings Big Al McMordie - 11/29/2005 11:23 PM NFL Weekend Musings By Al McMordie Wagering on NFL games is not guesswork. It requires time, patience, and careful analysis. Here are some notes to keep an eye on regarding NFL games this weekend. Ravens at Bengals: Emotion and interest are more important than raw stats for analyzing this game. For instance, the Ravens have had a terrible season, especially offensively. I... |
| College Football Notebook: Week 13 Mike Neri - 11/29/2005 11:20 PM College Football Notebook: Week 13 by Mike Neri Stuck in Folsom Field: Folsom Field in Colorado must have felt more like Folsom prison for the Buffaloes and their fans. Before kickoff, CU players moved toward midfield and the teams began jawing and pushing and shoving. No punches were thrown, but it sure caught Nebraska HC Bill Callahan's attention. "In all the years I've co... |
| NFL Notebook Week 13 Mike Neri - 11/29/2005 11:19 PM NFL Notebook Week 13 by Mike Neri The Year of the Colts! The Colts (11-0 SU, 8-3 ATS) continue to win and cover, with a versatile offense (No. 3 in the NFL) and an aggressive defense. The Colts' became just the 11th team in the 86-year history of the NFL to open a season 11-0. They can join the 1998 Denver Broncos, '85 and '34 Chicago Bears and '72 Miami Dolphins as the only... |
| Basketball Handicapping: A Daily Endeavor Bryan Leonard - 11/25/2005 6:06 PM Basketball handicapping is not a weekly venture. It's not something you start Sunday night, then map out point spreads and potential situations during the week, picking the majority of games you want to wager on a week in advance. It's a daily ritual, because things happen on a daily, even hourly, basis that can affect potential wagering spots. Take a look at the Houst... |
| Handicapping Football Totals Bryan Leonard - 11/22/2005 8:20 PM Did you see the Rams flop at home Sunday in a 38-28 loss to the Cardinals? The game sailed over the total, which is not a surprise as the Rams have the fourth-worst defense in the NFL. The Rams have a high octane offense with loads of weapons in the running and passing game, but the defense has been poor the last two years under coordinator Larry Marmie, who replaced the popula... |
| College Football Notebook: Week 12 Mike Neri - 11/20/2005 11:24 AM College Football Notebook: Week 12 by Mike Neri Big 10 Clincher: The Big 10 was center stage Saturday. Hats off to the Nittany Lions, going from 4-7 a year ago to 10-1 this season. Joe Paterno stresses fundamentals and patience, and it was a great story this college football season. They share a piece of the conference title with Ohio State, but get the BCS slot because the... |
| NFL TREND REPORT Mike Neri - 11/20/2005 11:23 AM NFL TREND REPORT By Mike Neri Carolina at Chicago: Carolina is 1-8 ATS as a favorite off a straight up win of 14 points or more but they are 10-2 ATS after holding an opponent to less than 7 points in their last game. Chicago has gone UNDER eleven of the last twelve after playing a home game. Jacksonville at Tennessee: Tennessee is 11-3 SU and 10-4 ATS in this series and the t... |
| Early Season NBA Changes Bryan Leonard - 11/18/2005 12:52 PM The first month of each NBA season requires handicappers to pay especially close attention. New coaches, new players, injuries and line up shifts require the oddsmakers and handicappers to be at the top of their game. For example, after starting 17-3 last season under coach Nate McMillan, the Seattle Supersonics have stumbled out of the game under first-year coach Bob Weis. The... |
| Toms Notre Dame, Big 10 & MAC Week 12 Preview Tom Stryker - 11/18/2005 10:53 AM Tom's Notre Dame, Big 10 & MAC Week 12 Preview There is no time for tomorrow for Notre Dame, three teams in the Big Ten and a host of Mid-American conference title contenders. The No. 6 Irish, now ranked ninth in the newest BCS standings, should have an easy time of it Saturday at home against Syracuse, but Notre Dame can’t stumble if it wants to keep its Fiesta or Or... |
| Meat and Potatoes Football Big Al McMordie - 11/18/2005 10:47 AM Meat and Potatoes Football By Al McMordie With Ohio State/Michigan and Thanksgiving upon us, this is the perfect time to be looking at 'meat and potatoes' football. Ohio State coach Woody Hayes was fond of saying, "Three things can happen when you throw the football, and two of them are bad." Hayes was old school, which meant he loved to run the football. Being able to succe... |
| Second Half Surges Big Al McMordie - 11/16/2005 1:41 PM Second Half Surges, By Al McMordie We’ve passed the halfway mark in the NFL and many divisions, with the exception of the Colts, are in tight races for the finish. Here's a look at some NFL teams that may have struggled in the first half of the season, but might be ready to make a better second half run. Lions: Stop the presses, Detroit scored 29 points! The Lions' vic... |
| Pro Football Notebook: Week 10 Mike Neri - 11/16/2005 1:37 PM Pro Football Notebook: Week 10 by Mike Neri Colts/Bengals: Something's Gotta Give! The big game this weekend is the unbeaten Colts traveling to Cincinnati. Cincy is strong at home at 3-1, but the Colts are a perfect 5-0 SU/ATS on the road! Cincy is very good as a favorite, but 3-9 SU, 4-7-1 ATS their last 12 as a dog. They are still looking for that big win over a great te... |
| Fumblitis Bryan Leonard - 11/14/2005 5:33 PM You won’t find “Fumblitis” in any medical journal, but it is an unfortunate ailment. It occurs in the fall along with the onset of winter, just like colds and the flu. It is a very series affliction, too, one that will bring migraine headaches to coaches and offensive coordinators. At times fumblitis can be fatal – to an offense. It will also turn wins into losses. Fumbles can kill an off... |
| LAST HOME GAME HONEY Tom Stryker - 11/12/2005 12:06 AM LAST HOME GAME HONEY - By Tom Stryker It’s called “Senior Day” – the final home game of the regular season. If you truly are a senior, it’s the last time you’ll button up your chinstrap, run out of the tunnel and hear the roar of the home crowd. Emotions run very high. No one wants to leave the field of play on this day a loser. The blood, sweat and tears…well, they’re almost o... |
| College Football Notebook: Week 10 Mike Neri - 11/12/2005 12:02 AM College Football Notebook: Week 10 by Mike Neri Big 10 Thriller: It's been the year of thrilling finishes in college football. Hats off to Northwestern Saturday for adding to that list. Down 27-14, the Wildcats scored a TD, then recovered and onside kick and drove for another TD in the final minute for a wild 28-27 comeback win over Iowa. Ross Lane caught a 9-yard TD pass... |
| Pro Football Notebook: Week 10 Mike Neri - 11/12/2005 12:01 AM Pro Football Notebook: Week 10 by Mike Neri All Horse AFC Title Game? If the Broncos and the Colts hook up, sure it would be. How do these numbers grab you: 8-0 SU, 6-2 ATS. The undefeated Colts are having a dream season, playing great football with everything going their way. How about this: 5-0 SU/ATS. That’s the Colts on the road this season, a winning and cover... |
| Late Season Bubble Teams Mike Neri - 11/11/2005 11:59 PM College Football: Late Season Bubble Teams By Mike Neri The end of the college football regular season is closing in fast. Conference championships are at stake as well as winning seasons. In college football, a winning season also means the opportunity to play in a bowl game. The magic number for bowl eligibility is six. Here’s a list of teams that are closing in on t... |
| NFL TREND REPORT Mike Neri - 11/11/2005 11:57 PM NFL TREND REPORT By Mike Neri Kansas City at Buffalo: The home team is 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS in this series and the total has gone UNDER in three of the last fourteen games in this series. The Bills are 5-0 ATS at home versus the Chiefs and Buffalo is 10-0 ATS after playing New England. The Bills are 8-1 ATS after a loss versus a division opponent and they are 14-1 ATS in the mont... |
| November NFL Thoughts Bryan Leonard - 11/9/2005 12:39 PM Picked up pieces from the sports betting weekend. A pro handicapper told me about an old betting angle started back in the 1970s which relates to the mid-point of the NFL season. According to him, people bet on any team that starts the season 2-6 or worse for the rest of the year, and against any team that starts 6-2 or better. This is not a formula for hitting 80% winners the rest of the way, but... |
| The Art Of Basketball Handicapping Bryan Leonard - 11/5/2005 11:36 AM I remember 1984 well growing up in Cleveland. The Browns were struggling, the young Cavaliers hoped they had found a shining star in the NBA draft, and the Indians were still searching for their first World Series title since 1948. How times have changed! While the year might have been a bit thin on hope for Cleveland's pro franchises, '84 was more enriching for me. That's when I began my sports h... |
| NFL Weekend Outlook Big Al McMordie - 11/4/2005 7:23 PM NFL Weekend Outlook By Al McMordie As we're crossing the halfway point of the NFL season, a lot of interesting battles are on the horizon with details that can help us against the spread. For instance, take a look at the wild and wacky NFC South division. Currently 3 of the 4 teams are tied for first place with 5-2 records: the Panthers, Falcons and Bucs. Naturally, some of these te... |
| Trends or systems? My opinions Tony Masters - 11/3/2005 8:59 AM I am sure when you use services you see tons of ATS stats and records like 12-1 ATS or straight up in this situation. Well most of you probably know that a trend is. Usually what a team has done against the other team at home or away. A system is usually defined as what teams league wide have done over the years in certain situations. Some handicappers have used the same systems for years which in... |
| Pro Football Notebook: Week 8 Mike Neri - 11/2/2005 5:55 PM Pro Football Notebook: Week 8 by Mike Neri Off Field Distractions: Sports bettors use stats, trends and angles when analyzing upcoming games and point spreads. But don't overlook the importance of off the field issues, as well. This is obvious with the New Orleans Saints. This is/will be a forgettable season for the Saints, a displaced team that has to do something unprecede... |
| College Football Notebook: Week 9 Mike Neri - 11/2/2005 5:53 PM College Football Notebook: Week 9 by Mike Neri Who's No. 1? You have to believe USC was a little angry getting bumped into second place by Texas. The Trojans, who entered as the country's leader in scoring (49 points per game) and total offense (581 yards), gained 269 yards in the opening quarter and had 459 by halftime along with 25 first downs. They finished with 745 total... |
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