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 Mismatches and DefenseBryan Leonard - 9/27/2005 10:42 AM Offenses get all the publicity and certainly too much interest with the general betting public. But good defenses are more important than offenses, when it comes to winning championships and often times covering numbers. This comes to mind after Saturday’s college football games where I backed two teams from the Mountain West Conference. I had TCU as a road dog... |
| Pro Football Notebook: Week 3 Mike Neri - 9/26/2005 7:50 PM Pro Football Notebook: Week 3 by Mike Neri Are the Bengals for real? Are the Packers really this bad? Are the Vikings ready to get serious, or go back to their disorganized, lethargic selves? Here are some thoughts after three full weeks of the NFL season. This is a tough week for the Broncos. They have to play Monday night against the talented Chiefs offense, which also h... |
| College Football Notebook: Week 4 Mike Neri - 9/26/2005 7:47 PM College Football Notebook: Week 4 by Mike Neri Week 4 of the college football campaign saw several showdowns and conference play battles. Short Week for the Vols: Tennessee hosts a bad Ole Miss team this weekend. Tennessee is off a short week, playing LSU Monday (the game was moved because of bad weather). Also, the underdog in the Tennessee/Ole Miss series is 8-4 ATS... |
| NFL Defenses Bryan Leonard - 9/25/2005 10:14 AM You Win Now! Service Codes | Your Cart YOU CAN: Go Back to Listing | Modify this Article | LIVE Defense is a theme I’ll look at later in the season, but when it comes to the NFL, it’s always a good time to examine the importance of team defense. Teams that can’t stop the opponent from moving the football or scoring are at a huge disadvantage. Even teams with offensive deficiencies... |
| System and Trend Report Big Al McMordie - 9/23/2005 5:42 PM System and Trend Report By: Big Al McMordie System of the Week: Play on road teams in Game #4 off three home games, if they're matched up against an unbeaten conference foe. Record: 21-8 ATS since 1980 This week's play: Michigan over Wisconsin College Trends Iowa is 30-10 ATS in Big 10 games including 10-1 ATS priced from +4 to +17 Virginia Tech is 10-4 ATS off a non-confer... |
| Pittsburgh and New Enlgand - Who Will Win? Why? Big Al McMordie - 9/23/2005 5:38 PM Here’s a look at a key AFC showdown this Sunday in the NFL, and what you should keep an eye on. Patriots at Steelers: When last we saw these two, it was freezing cold in January. Ben Roethlisberger was looking like a rookie, with three picks, and Tom Brady was looking like a two-time Super Bowl MVP, dissecting the Steelers one vulnerability, the secondary, in a 41-27 New England... |
| STATS WORTH REMEMBERING Tom Scott - 9/23/2005 1:38 PM STATS WORTH REMEMBERING FROM THE STAT PAGE: Rush Doublers (Teams who rushed for double the amount of ground yards than their opponents) were 18-9 ATS this week and are 47-23 for the season, while Double Digit Dog Rushers (Teams who were underdogs of +10 or more and gained more ground yards than their opponents) were 2-0 to the money last week, running the season log to 10-0.... |
| The Big Ugly! Bryan Leonard - 9/22/2005 2:32 PM The Big Ugly! By: Bryan Leonard There’s plenty of beauty to observe in the NFL. Perfect spirals to graceful wide receivers, a slick runner cutting back against the grain, perfect blocking execution, or a great call such as a perfectly executed screen pass when the opposition is in an all-out blitz. There is also plenty of ugly play, too. After two weeks of the NFL season,... |
| NFL Week 2: Defense Rules Big Al McMordie - 9/22/2005 2:27 PM NFL Week 2: Defense Rules, By Al McMordie The first full week of the NFL season saw 10 games “under” the total and 5 “over.” This Sunday, what did we see? The “unders” ruled again by a 9-3-1 count, including my NFL Total of the Month on Buffalo/Tampa Bay "under". That makes the unders 19-8-1 starting the season. Defense has certainly been... |
| College Football Returning Starters Mike Neri - 9/22/2005 2:25 PM College Football Returning Starters by Mike Neri So do starters returning in college football make a difference? You bet! Before the season starts, football analysts have written and dissected the chances of college football teams. Returning starters, particularly star players at skill positions, is a huge key into predicting how well a team might play. Even though the seaso... |
| Pro Football Notebook: Week 3 Mike Neri - 9/22/2005 2:24 PM Pro Football Notebook: Week 3 by Mike Neri Houston, We Have a Problem: A problem the Texans hope to solve by making a key coaching change this week. QB David Carr has been getting smacked around the last three seasons, so Houston spent all kinds of time in preseason working on things that will help Carr from being sacked, like a quick-step drop and different blocking schemes... |
| Notre Dame, Big 10 & MAC Week 3 Review Tom Stryker - 9/22/2005 2:21 PM Tom Stryker's Notre Dame, Big 10 & MAC Week 3 Review Notre Dame got a taste of its own medicine, the Big Ten continued its domination of interconference play, and the Mid-American Conference had another luke-warm, vanilla Saturday. That’s the storyline after Week 3 of the college football season, which really did help separate the powers this season from the “wannabees.... |
| Bad Encore Tom Stryker - 9/22/2005 2:20 PM Bad Encore By: Tom Stryker If you’re a true fan of college football, than you’ll agree that there’s nothing better than watching an underdog go into a hostile environment on the road and pull of an upset. The emotion, thrill, and excitement of that stunning victory can be a rush. With the balance of power constantly changing on the gridiron, upsets are going to r... |
| The Big Ugly! Bryan Leonard - 9/20/2005 9:14 AM There’s plenty of beauty to observe in the NFL. Perfect spirals to graceful wide receivers, a slick runner cutting back against the grain, perfect blocking execution, or a great call such as a perfectly executed screen pass when the opposition is in an all-out blitz. There is also plenty of ugly play, too. After two weeks of the NFL season, here are some of the “Big Uglies” thus far. Let’s start... |
| College Football Notebook: Week 3 Mike Neri - 9/19/2005 9:38 AM College Football Notebook: Week 3 by Mike Neri Week 3 of the college football campaign saw several showdowns and conference play battles. Remember 1978! 1978 was the last time the Miami Hurricanes started 0-2. After losing to Florida State it sure had the feeling of 1978 in the air as Miami fell behind 10-6 at the half at Clemson, then blew a late lead and went into... |
| NOTRE DAME - BIG 10 - MAC - WEEK 3 PREVIEW Tom Stryker - 9/17/2005 5:29 PM Tom Stryker's Notre Dame, Big 10 & MAC Week 3 Preview Not too often does anyone complain or whine when he goes 18-3. But that's the situation the Big Ten finds itself in going into Week 3 of the college football season. It has been a solid non-conference two weeks for the Big Ten. Eight of the 11 teams are undefeated. There were no losses to Mid-American Conference teams.... |
| A GAME THREE NOT SO WELCOME HOME PARTY Tom Stryker - 9/17/2005 5:25 PM A Game Three “Not So” Welcome Home Party You can’t imagine what it’s like around the city of South Bend right now. Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis has this town absolutely nutso about “The Dame’s” perfect 2-0 start. You see, we “Bender’s” live for Irish football. When Notre Dame enjoys success on the field, the entire city of... |
| Quarterbacks & Defense Bryan Leonard - 9/17/2005 1:00 PM There’s really no truer adage in pro football than the importance of quarterbacks and defense. Betting lines take these factors into account, and you can understand why. The offense revolves completely around the play of the quarterback, the only player on offense who touches the ball every play. QBs need touch, and accurate, split-second decision making all the time to keep the offense moving. Th... |
| Football Tidbits Mike Neri - 9/14/2005 11:38 PM Football Tidbits By Mike Neri It’s important to cull the Internet for every day for tidbits regarding football news and notes. For example, a 49ers player took a verbal swipe at Terrell Owens this week, saying they are a better team without the selfish receiver. Who do the Niners play Sunday? At Philadelphia and Owens. Points like that are important to log, as it brings... |
| Analyzing NFL Week 1 Box Scores Bryan Leonard - 9/14/2005 12:34 AM There are many different handicapping strategies to look at during football season. Betting angles, trends, statistical matchups, situational handicapping, and many more. There are also tried and true methods, too, which shouldn’t be overlooked. Statistics are the most basic of handicapping analysis. I bring this up after the first weekend of NFL games simply because it was a fascinating Sunday fo... |
| College Football Notebook: Week 2 Mike Neri - 9/13/2005 10:56 PM College Football Notebook: Week 2 by Mike Neri Week 2 of the college football campaign saw the resurgence of Notre Dame, a new-look LSU passing attack, and the Big 10 go bust. Notre Dame, National Champions: It’s far too early, of course, to be thinking about winning the national title, but the biggest surprise thus far has only been the school with the proudest traditi... |
| Pro Football Notebook: Week 1 Mike Neri - 9/13/2005 10:52 PM Pro Football Notebook: Week 1 by Mike Neri Week 1 is in the books, and as usual, events were plentiful. Miami played like World Champions under new head coach Nick Saban, absolutely trashing Mike Shanahan’s Broncos, 34-10. The Browns are clearly in the beginnings of a long rebuilding program under Romeo Crennel, while the Packers appear to be a team on the downside of the cur... |
| NFL Week 1 Review Big Al McMordie - 9/13/2005 1:07 PM NFL Week 1 Review, By Big Al McMordie The NFL’s opening week is in the books. So what have we learned? Well, the home teams went 10-6 against the spread, the favorites covered 9 of 16, and the 'unders cashed in 10 of 16. In a recent article I pointed out that the defenses are generally ahead of the offenses this time of year. The 'under' ruled in both National TV games,... |
| Pennant Fever! Bryan Leonard - 9/12/2005 12:43 AM 22 days left, 22 games left. That’s pretty much it for the baseball regular season. For some teams that are sitting pretty atop their divisions, like the Cardinals, this doesn’t mean much accept to rest players and get the pitching rotation set for the postseason. For other teams long out of the race, it doesn’t mean anything, either. But for a few clubs, the next 22 days means postseaso... |
| STRYKERS ND/UM & UT/OSU Preview Tom Stryker - 9/10/2005 10:11 AM Tom Stryker's ND/UM & UT/OSU Preview It's only Week Two of the college football season, but Saturday has at least a pair of games that could weigh heavily on this year's national championship picture. At least one of the nation's top four teams in the rankings is going to fall. With potential unbeatens Oklahoma and Miami already 0-1 SU this year, look for Michigan (No. 3)... |
| College Football Notebook Mike Neri - 9/10/2005 9:59 AM College Football Notebook by Mike Neri At last! The season got underway this weekend, and there’s plenty on the docket already to dissect and discuss. One of the big stories was in South Carolina, where Steve Spurrier made his return to college football. They got a win, but it’s clear the Gamecocks have a long way to go. Sophomore QB Blake Mitchell passed for 330 yards with... |
| College Footballs Opening Weekend Big Al McMordie - 9/10/2005 9:56 AM College Football's Opening Weekendby Big Al McMordie The anticipation was worth the wait. College football kicked off this weekend and, as always, there were surprises, upsets, blowouts and thrillers. In the way of statistical trends, there really weren't a whole lot of surprises. That is, there were 21 underdogs covering and 17 favorites, which is the norm, as oddsmakers aren't quite up to sp... |
| 3 Key Factors to View when placing a College Football wager!!! Brian Graves - 9/9/2005 5:58 PM The 3 key factors I look at when placing a college football wager are returning starters and particularly key playmakers from the previous season, head coaching changes along with possible offensive or defensive scheme changes and lastly the university history and particularly the head coaches history in big games. If... |
| College Football's Game 2 Blowout Encore Tom Stryker - 9/8/2005 8:48 AM Momentum. Remember that word when you're handicapping college football. Confidence-building wins can do great things for the morale and emotion of a team. Early in the season, successful programs feed off the electric energy that victories provide. Teams that get out of the gate quickly have shown a tendency to stay ahead of the pack and keep on winning. That fact is proven in the "Game 2 Bl... |
| NFL Power Rating Leaders Part II Bryan Leonard - 9/6/2005 12:42 AM The NFL regular season kicks off this week, and my web site lists my pro power ratings. These ratings are based, in part, on offseason changes, last year’s stats, and a team’s play in the preseason with its starters. This final part is key, as I carefully watched how the starting units on offense and defense played. Last week I looked at the top teams in the AFC. The AFC has won 6 of the last 8 Su... |
| 2005 NFC Preview of WIN TOTALS with 2 FREE WINNERS! Players Advantage - 9/4/2005 9:25 PM 2005 NFC Preview of WIN TOTALS with 2 FREE WINNERS! We went 2 and 1 with our 3 win total predictions prior to the 2004 NFL Season. We narrowly missed the 3 and 0 and this year we fully expect to attain perfect results. This year we have split our Preview into two parts. The First part covered the AFC and included 2 FREE WINNERS. Part two is below and also includes 2 FREE WINNERS. Be sure to ca... |
| Power Rating Leaders in the AFC Bryan Leonard - 9/3/2005 12:25 AM The NFL regular season kicks off next week, and my web site lists my pro power ratings. These ratings are based, in part, by offseason changes, last year's stats, and a team's play in the preseason with its starters. This final part is key, as I carefully watched how the starting units on offense and defense played, which is sometimes an entire half, or just a few series. The Raiders, for example,... |
| Tom Strykers NFC North Preview & Investing Tips Tom Stryker - 9/2/2005 1:11 PM When analyzing the NFC North, most pundits don’t speak in terms of championships or Super Bowls. This “black and blue” division has not been a factor in the overall NFL scheme of things for some time. Looking at the four teams - Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota - one finds plenty of similarities. They all want to move up. And for at least two, if not more, of the coaches it better happen... |
| Trend Report Big Al McMordie - 9/2/2005 11:00 AM Trend Report Al McMordie Here are some trends for the upcoming College Football weekend, as well as a System in NFL action for Friday night. SYSTEM OF THE WEEK: Play on any Preseason road team off back to back home wins, if they scored 30 or more in their last game, and won by double-digits. Record (1983-2005): 11-1 ATS This week's play: Denver + over Arizona Colle... |
| THURSDAYS PRESEASON FOOTBALL QB ROTATIONS William Kidd - 9/1/2005 2:20 PM THURSDAY'S PRESEASON FOOTBALL QB ROTATIONS NY Jets - Chad Pennington (1st Q, possibily more), Jay Fiedler, Brooks Bollinger. Philadelphia Eagles - : Koy Detmer (1st Q+), Mike McMahon (2nd Q+), Andy Hall (3rd Q+) Atlanta Falcons - : Michael Vick (1-2 series), Ty Detmer, Matt Schaub Miami Dolphins -: Gus Frerotte, A.J. Feeley, Sage Rosenfels, Brock Berlin Houston Texans - : David Car... |
| Looking Ahead: NFL Futures Bets Big Al McMordie - 9/1/2005 1:48 PM Looking Ahead: NFL Futures Bets, By Al McMordie One of the great things about sports wagering is the growth of creativity over the last decade. Future wagers, prop bets, halftime wagering have all seen an increase, adding to the challenge and enjoyment of the industry. Another example is “Games of the Year” which crop up before the college and pro football seasons. O... |
| NFL Revenge Spots Mike Neri - 8/31/2005 10:45 PM NFL Revenge Spots By Mike Neri College football is well known for revenge situations, because of rivalries and the fact that young kids are playing. But pro football also features revenge spots, too. Each year you will find teams beating up on an opponent and referring to the last time they played, or how “This team knocked us out of the playoff race and we remembered... |
| The Best College Football Teams Youv'e Never Heard Of Bryan Leonard - 8/31/2005 11:18 AM The Best College Football Teams You've Never Heard Of By Bryan Leonard Everybody knows the Top 20. Everybody knows the small handful of teams that will be in the running for the national title. Here are a few teams to keep an eye out as the college football season kicks off this week. No, they will not win the national championship and all are long shots to make major bowls. ... |
| It Is How You Say It The Hitman - 8/31/2005 3:35 AM It Is How You Say It By Jack "The Hitman" Walker So, that degenerate dropped a dime on the bow wow with a BM and then kicked in my television over the Zebras. Huh? Wagering has its own language and whether a seasoned player or new to wagering it is always good to stay up on the terms. Besides, it is an easy way to amaze and confuse your friends. Accountant/ BM /Book/Bookie... |
| September Baseball Big Al McMordie - 8/30/2005 12:00 AM September Baseball By Al McMordie The end of this week marks a new baseball season. No, not the playoffs, but the time of the year when major league baseball rosters expand. This is very important to understand. With football season kicking off this week, a lot of attention is going to be focused there, but don’t overlook the world of baseball wagering. Pennant races ar... |
| RETURNING STARTERS - HOW TO USE THEM The Consensus Group - 8/30/2005 12:00 AM RETURNING STARTERS - HOW TO USE THEM In College Football returning starters has become a major handicapping tool. Here is some help to get you into the win column this season or at least save you some cash... Look for a team with at least 7 returning starters on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Look for a team who returns both their quarterback and thei... |
| Unfinished Pre-Season Business Tom Stryker - 8/30/2005 12:00 AM Unfinished Pre-Season Business The gameplan was perfect. Practice went exactly as planned. Both the offense and defense were well prepared. Unfortunately, once the actual game kicked off, nothing went right and the outcome was a complete disaster. As you know, week three of the NFL Pre-Season is a dress rehearsal for most teams in the league. Coaches and players bring their "... |
| College Road Opening Revenge System Tom Stryker - 8/27/2005 12:00 AM College Road Opening Revenge System Handicapping the first few weeks of the college football season can be tricky. Unlike the Pros, the NCAA doesn’t allow exhibition games. When a college team tees it up for the first time, surprises can be in store. Depending on the amount of returning starters, both in the trenches and at the skill positions, a team can look completely differe... |
| College Football Bounce-Back Teams, Part 2 Big Al McMordie - 8/27/2005 12:00 AM College Football Bounce-Back Teams, Part 2 By Al McMordie Some football teams look very different from one season to the next. This is especially true in college football, where players graduate and have to be replaced with new faces. Let’s look at some more college football teams that are off frustrating seasons in 2004, yet may turn things around -- both straight up a... |
| NCAA Coaching Shifts Bryan Leonard - 8/27/2005 12:00 AM NCAA Coaching Shifts By Bryan Leonard Each August various publications and power ratings examine the strengths and weaknesses of each team on the field. Returning starters, offensive line and skill positions, new quarterbacks stepping in, and even home field advantage rankings are some of the many topics examined. One area that’s sometimes overlooked is coaching staffs. Ea... |
| Saturday and Mondays QB Rotations William Kidd - 8/27/2005 12:00 AM SATURDAY & MONDAY'S QUARTERBACK ROTATIONS Tampa Bay Bucs - QB Rotation: Brian Griese (first half), Chris Simms (3rd Q), Luke McCown (4th Q). Miami Dolphins - QB Rotation: Gus Frerotte (first half and into the 3rd Q), A.J. Feeley (3rd Q), Sage Rosenfels, Brock Berlin. Houston Texans - QB Rotation: David Carr (first half), Tony Banks (3rd Q), Dave Ragone, B.J. Symons, Preston... |
| Week One...Maybe Not What You Expected William Kidd - 8/27/2005 12:00 AM Week One…Maybe Not What is Expected By William Kidd As the first regular season week approaches it is a good idea to look at some factors that can increase your odds during the early weeks. Many hold of on their wagers early in the season and wait to see how teams are performing before plunking down their cash. Yet, with a bit of knowledge you can turn week one into a ve... |
| FRIDAYS QUARTERBACK ROTATIONS 8/26 William Kidd - 8/26/2005 12:00 AM FRIDAY'S QUARTERBACK ROTATIONS 8/26 Cincinnati Bengals - QB Rotation: Carson Palmer, Jon Kitna, Casey Bramlet, Craig Krenzel Philadelphia Eagles - QB Rotation: Donovan McNabb (first half), Mike McMahon (3rd Q), Andy Hall (4th Q). San Diego Chargers - QB Rotation: Drew Brees (1st Q), Philip Rivers (2nd Q), Cleo Lemon (3rd Q), Craig Ochs. Minnesota Vikings - QB Rotation: Daunte Cu... |
| College Football Preview Great Lakes Sports - 8/26/2005 12:00 AM College Football Preview by Great Lakes Sports The 2005 College Football season will be upon us and Great Lakes Sports has carved out the Top 10 teams to watch this year. Take a moment to preview the list and be sure to follow Great Lakes Sports all season long. 1. USC - The Trojans are locked and loaded this year returning eight starters on offense, along with five starters b... |
| NFL Preseason Notes Big Al McMordie - 8/26/2005 12:00 AM NFL Preseason Notes By Big Al McMordie It’s the third week of the NFL preseason this weekend. These are generally the most interesting games to watch simply because history tells us that coaches normally use this weekend to evaluate the starters, giving them the most work of the preseason. You might see the most intricate game plans or trick plays, and certainly many te... |
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