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 Coors Field ParanoiaBryan Leonard - 6/22/2004 12:00 AM Coors Field Paranoia By Bryan Leonard A writer covering the Colorado Rockies recently remarked, “The last at bat in Coors Field is the best advantage in all of baseball.” Many people around the country may not have any interest in the last-place Rockies, or get to see them play much. But for sports bettors, it’s important too look at the strengths and weaknesses of all teams, both home... |
| Baseball's Money Ball Bryan Leonard - 6/13/2004 12:00 AM Baseball’s Money Ball By Bryan Leonard The term "Money ball" has been in the air in recent years. The topic comes from the title of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s book. The A’s have been very successful the last few years despite a low payroll, very successful in the regular season, though they’ve developed a reputation for... |
| What's Cookin", Lefty? Bryan Leonard - 6/2/2004 12:00 AM What's Cookin', Lefty? By Bryan Leonard Baseball is unique from other sports in that there is particular attention paid to lefty and righty pitchers and hitters. There are many reasons for this. One is that, technically, it’s slightly easier for a left-handed batter to get to first base on a swing, in the hitter is already moving his body toward first base at the end... |
| 2004 NBA Finals Big Al McMordie - 6/2/2004 12:00 AM 2004 NBA Finals By Al McMordie The last time these 2 teams clashed in the NBA Finals, George Bush was in the White House after running against a Massachusetts Democrat. Hmmm. That was 1989 and times have certainly changed (or have they?). This is a rematch of the 1989 Finals, which was won by the Pistons' rugged, bad-boy defense. The faces are different, but Detr... |
| June: Good Month - Bad Month Pitchers Mike Neri - 6/2/2004 12:00 AM 2004 JUNE GOOD MONTH / BAD MONTH PITCHERS And OVER / UNDER RECORDS FOR JUNE By Mike Neri Mike Neri has the most extensive baseball data base in the nation! And with that being said we give you the month of June's Good and Bad Pitchers! Please Note that the win loss record is the teams record when that picther made the start. At Mike Neri Sports we do more than the average handicap... |
| Betting Baseball Totals Whocovers - 6/2/2004 12:00 AM Betting Baseball Totals By Ted Sevransky Baseball is a completely different type of sport to handicap from the two most popular betting sports, football and basketball. On the gridiron and the hardwood, teams are separated by pointspreads, and wagers are placed either laying the points with the favorite or taking the points with the underdog. But betting baseball, there is no p... |
| NBA Finals Totals Big Al McMordie - 6/1/2004 12:00 AM NBA Finals Totals By Al McMordie With the NBA Finals around the corner, let’s take a brief look at the recent history of scoring and totals. Give me a quick answer: Off the top of your head, would you expect to find more unders or overs in the Finals? The most obvious answers would be 1) Unders, because defense takes center stage, or 2) About an even number, as linemakers have... |
| NBA Playoffs: The Value of "THE BIG MAN" Big Al McMordie - 5/25/2004 12:00 AM NBA Playoffs: The Value of the BIG MAN By Big Al McMordie The last five NBA titles have been won by the Spurs and Lakers. What did those teams have in common? A very talented big man. With all due respect to slick-shooting forwards and the emergence of the big guard (Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tracy McGrady), a dominant big man is still the centerpiece of the best... |
| Team Chemistry Big Al McMordie - 5/12/2004 12:00 AM Team Chemistry By Al McMordie Chemistry in team sports is an interesting facet to examine. But since it’s nearly impossible to mark statistically, it's easy to overlook by sports bettors. But team chemistry is something to try to understand and be aware of. Don’t ever forget that professional athletes are human beings. Think back on your life for a moment. Of all th... |
| Make Those Freebies! Bryan Leonard - 5/9/2004 12:00 AM Make Those Freebies! By Bryan Leonard Sports bettors know that defense wins championships. If it were the other way around, the dynamic offenses of the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings would have won a few NBA titles in recent years. Instead, those teams have yet to make it to the Finals, while teams that have gotten down and dirty defensively – the Spurs, Lakers, Nets, Jeff Van... |
| Home Field: Pay Close Attention Big Al McMordie - 5/6/2004 12:00 AM Baseball’s Home Field: Pay Close Attention By Al McMordie Former Orioles' manager Earl Weaver never cared much for the idea of momentum in baseball. “Momentum,” the great Earl used to opine, “is only as good as your next day’s starting pitcher.” The Earl had a point. A team may be on a 7-game winning streak, but if they’re going with th... |
| NBA Playoffs: Quarter and Halftime Wagering Big Al McMordie - 4/29/2004 12:00 AM NBA Playoffs: Quarter and Halftime Wagering By Big Al McMordie While we're smack in the middle of the NBA playoffs, this is a good time for a note about some of the various proposition wagers you can find. With so many fewer games than during the regular season on the schedule, more sports books offer lines on individual quarters and halftime. For instance, in Game 2 of t... |
| NBA PLAYOFFS!!! Mike Neri - 4/19/2004 12:00 AM I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!! |
| Fourth and Fifth Starters Can Be Overvalued Bryan Leonard - 4/11/2004 12:00 AM Fourth and Fifth Starters Can Be Overvalued By Bryan Leonard Everybody loves a bargain, whether you find the price of gas twenty cents cheaper at a station down the street, or if you clip a two-for-one luncheon special from the newspaper. Sports bettors are no different. There is value all over the betting board. In order to turn a profit, one has to search – just like a shopper who... |
| Baseball Betting: Smartly Manage Your Picks and Your $$$ Bryan Leonard - 4/4/2004 12:00 AM Baseball Betting: Smartly Manage Your Picks and Your $$$ by Bryan Leonard As the baseball season gets underway, I’m reminded of an old story about a gambler. A husband accompanies his wife to the hairdresser, which will take just over an hour. The guy goes next door to the casino and plays five dollars at the blackjack table. He proceeds to go on the roll of a life... |
| NBA Myth Exposed Big Al McMordie - 4/4/2004 12:00 AM NBA Myth Exposed By Big Al McMordie I've always found it interesting when I've turned on the television, and heard half-truths and falsehoods uttered from the mouths of the "experts". Perhaps the saying that gets propagated the most is the post-season axiom, "It's always tough to beat a team 3 times in a season". Well, if an NFL or college basketball team al... |
| HANDICAPPING THE SWEET SIXTEEN Tom Scott - 3/24/2004 12:00 AM HANDICAPPING THE SWEET SIXTEEN by Tom Scott For the purposes of this article the following terms are translated thusly: SU = Straight Up • ATS = Against the spread • PLON = Play ON • PLAG = Play AGAINST • HS = Higher Seed DD = Double Digit • BB = Back to Back • PGLD = Previous game line differential • FWL% = Foe's Won-Loss percentage All quoted records are from 1990 thr... |
| NIT Can Feature Surprises Big Al McMordie - 3/16/2004 12:00 AM NIT Can Feature Surprises By Al McMordie Your assignment this week, class, is to read the sports pages. I know that's a dream-job assignment that we all wish had happened more when we were in school (or at least once), but in the world of sports wagering, this is an important week to focus less on stats and matchups and more on emotion and interest. College basketball's tourna... |
| ACC Tourney Time! Big Al McMordie - 3/8/2004 12:00 AM ACC Tourney Time! by Big Al McMordie This week, let’s take a closer look at the top teams in arguably the best conference in college hoops – the ACC. They will be “Duking” it out for the ACC title this next weekend. Duke: What’s impressive about the Blue Devils is how much they improved from a year ago. That may sound hard to believe, as Duke was... |
| HANDICAPPING THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS Tom Scott - 3/5/2004 12:00 AM HANDICAPPING THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS by Tom Scott For the purposes of this article the following terms are translated thusly: SU = Straight Up • ATS = Against the spread • PLON = Play ON • PLAG = Play AGAINST • SSR = Same Season Revenge • DD = Double Digit • BB = Back to Back • LG = Last game • WL% = Won-Loss percentage All q... |
| NBA Power Ratings Whocovers - 3/1/2004 12:00 AM Homecourt Team 3/1/04 2/23/04 3 Kings 97 97 3 T-wolves 96.5 96.5 ... |
| Underrated and Overrated Bryan Leonard - 2/29/2004 12:00 AM Underrated and Overrated By Bryan Leonard Let’s discuss being underrated and overrated. Am I talking about my cooking, or perhaps even my tennis game? Well, I can assure you if we were talking about those things, my tennis play is overrated along with my cooking abilities. In fact, the latter is actually nonexistent. No, I’m talking about sports teams that offer betting value because they are... |
| Live Dogs Big Al McMordie - 2/28/2004 12:00 AM Live Dogs By Big Al McMordie The successful sports bettor knows how to keep both eyes open for potential live dogs. First, the majority of non-professional sports wagerers like to bet favorites. In this business, the betting lines are built not by how many points one team should beat another, but by how many points the public thinks one team will beat another. Linesmakers hone... |
| College Basketball: Of No-Names and Schedules Bryan Leonard - 2/17/2004 12:00 AM College Basketball: Of No-Names and Schedules By Bryan Leonard Basketball fans love the BIG NAME teams. Duke, UConn, North Carolina, Arizona. But you’ll notice successful handicappers don’t always give out top plays on the most recognizable schools. That’s because there’s value all over the board when wagering on college hoops, and it’s not always on the marquee teams. ... |
| NBA Travel: Study Your Schedules! Bryan Leonard - 2/17/2004 12:00 AM NBA Travel: Study Your Schedules! by Bryan Leonard In recent weeks I’ve written about the importance of carefully examining the home road breakdowns of basketball teams. Both college and pro teams often can perform radically different when they’re in front of their hometown fans, or when they’re on the road. Another area tied into this is the days of the week. That is,... |
| NBA Power Ratings Whocovers - 2/17/2004 12:00 AM Homecourt Team 02/09/04 02/02/04 3 Kings 97 97 3 Spurs 96.5 95 3 T-wolves 95.5 96 ... |
| Whocovers NBA Midseason Eastern Conference Report Whocovers - 2/17/2004 12:00 AM Midseason NBA Awards: By Ted Sevransky of WhoCovers With just about every NBA team playing their 41st game out of an 82 game schedule this week, now is the time for my annual midseason awards. Part 1: Eastern Conference All Stars: Center: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland. How weak is the Eastern Conference compared to the West? In writing this midseason review, category after categ... |
| Whocovers NBA Midseason Western Conference Report Whocovers - 2/17/2004 12:00 AM Midseason NBA Awards: By Ted Sevransky of Whocovers With just about every NBA team playing their 41st game out of an 82 game schedule this week, now is the time for my annual midseason awards. Part 2: Western Conference All Stars: Center: Yao Ming, Houston Picking the All Stars in the West is certainly no easy task. Unlike the East, there are at least three or fou... |
| NBA: Best of the East Big Al McMordie - 2/6/2004 12:00 AM NBA: Best of the East By Big Al McMordie You don’t have to remind the East about their championship drought. Not since Michael Jordan played his last game with the Chicago Bulls has a team from the East won the NBA title. That was in the spring of 1998, and since then the Lakers and Spurs have shared five titles. The catch is that the East teams haven’t even com... |
| FEBRUARY - THE MONTH OF THE AVENGER Tom Scott - 1/31/2004 12:00 AM FEBRUARY - THE MONTH OF THE AVENGER by Tom Scott For the purposes of this article the following terms are translated thusly: SU = Straight Up • ATS = Against the spread • SSR1 = Same season single revenge • RVGMGN = The margin of that earlier loss DD = Double Digit • BB = Back to Back • TWL = Team Won-Loss percentage • FWL = Oppon... |
| Super Bowl Week: Run the Football!!! Big Al McMordie - 1/30/2004 12:00 AM Super Bowl Week: Run the Football! By Big Al McMordie As the Patriots and Panthers prepare for Super Bowl 38, it's clear that the team that controls the line of scrimmage and runs better will win the game. Then again, maybe not. Going back to the dawn of football, tough defense and ball control has been a staple of many championship teams. Ohio State coach Woody Hayes loved the ... |
| NBA TOTALS WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO WATCH THEM Rick George - 1/30/2004 12:00 AM NBA TOTALS WHAT TO EXPECT This article really isn’t going to tell you what side of the total to play (more on that at another date) but some things to expect if watching an NBA game you have played the over/under in. It may also save you a heart attack or two also. If you play the under you always have the chance of overtime which usually means you lose. Having played thousands of totals... |
| NBA Trend Report 01/19/04 Rocco Vincintore - 1/19/2004 12:00 AM NBA Trend Report Chicago at Washington WASHINGTON is 5-1 ATS in home games revenging a same season loss vs opponent. WASHINGTON is 6-1 ATS in home games revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points. Seattle at Philadelphia SEATTLE is 6-1 ATS in road games after playing a game as favorite. SEATTLE is 5-1 ATS off an upset loss as a road favorite. PHILADELPHIA is 1... |
| The Straight Scoop on Straight-Up Stats Big Al McMordie - 1/12/2004 12:00 AM The Straight Scoop on Straight-Up Stats By Big Al McMordie This past week, I received a phone call from a client who questioned my selection on the Green Bay Packers +5.5 over Philadelphia because they were (according to the client) "2-51 when they lose the game straight-up". I told him that SU stats were meaningless, and a dangerous foundation on which to base any ki... |
| Beware of the Bye Week Bryan Leonard - 1/5/2004 12:00 AM Beware of the Bye Week By Bryan Leonard The regular season of the NFL is behind us, which means the surviving teams are battling for the Super Bowl. There has been a lot of jostling regarding playoff positioning over the last few weeks. And now that it’s finally resolved, here’s something to keep in mind as the first round playoff games kick off this weekend: Team... |
| Basketball Injuries and Subtle Changes Big Al McMordie - 1/3/2004 12:00 AM Basketball Injuries and Subtle Changes By Al McMordie A good handicapper needs to be flexible. You do all your preseason homework on what to look for, then make adjustments day to day depending on what you see taking place game to game. For example, few expected the surprising Denver Nuggets to come together so quickly, even with No. 3 draft pick Carmelo Anthony. Remember--the... |
| NFL Playoffs on the Horizon Big Al McMordie - 12/26/2003 12:00 AM NFL Playoffs on the Horizon By Big Al McMordie The final week of the NFL season is approaching. Seedings are still up in the air, though the top teams favored to get to Houston for the Super Bowl are clear. Parity seems to be a theme of this particular NFL season. While there are favorites in each conference (Colts, Chiefs, Patriots, Rams, Eagles) it wouldn't be a shock to see... |
| Make Your Own Numbers Big Al McMordie - 12/18/2003 12:00 AM Make Your Own Numbers By Al McMordie Line movement is a key aspect of successful sports wagering. Would you rather have a favorite at 2½ or 3½? That may be a one-point difference, but in the world of sports betting, it can be an enormous edge. Good handicappers watch line movement and often make plays on soft lines. It's also smart to try and anticipate which way lin... |
| "Frankly, Scarlet..." Big Al McMordie - 12/12/2003 12:00 AM "Frankly, Scarlet..." By Al McMordie For you non-movie buffs, "Frankly, Scarlet" is followed by, "I don't give a damn." And, frankly speaking, sports bettors, that's the attitude of many NFL players and teams as December begins to dissolve into the New Year. For many athletes, this is the time of the year when winning games is last on their Chr... |
| NBA Coaches: Are They Really Important? Bryan Leonard - 12/10/2003 12:00 AM NBA Coaches: Are They Really Important By Bryan Leonard "Anybody can coach the Lakers or the Spurs and win 60 games." How often have you heard comments similar to that? There is some truth in that, when you compare basketball to other sports. For example, it would be extremely difficult for a great NBA head coach like Red Auerbach or Phil Jackson to take over the Orl... |
| "Weather" or Not Big Al McMordie - 11/22/2003 12:00 AM "Weather" or Not. By Al McMordie Many of you reading this might be sitting in a nice warm weather environment, such as San Diego, Florida, or on some Caribbean island. You may not think about bad weather very often, and you might even get a good laugh when watching hail and snowstorms on CNN taking place in New England and the Northern U.S. as autumn begins to change... |
| The Tinder Box 11/22 Tom Scott - 11/21/2003 12:00 AM THE TINDER BOX by Tom Scott A REVIEW OF LAST WEEK’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL ACTION STUFF TO REMEMBER FROM THE STAT PAGE: Rush Doublers were 20-3 last week and are now 192-71-3 ATS for the season. Double Digit Dog Rushers were 6-1 (51-11 on the season) to the money. Home Digit Dog Rushers went 4-0 last week running their total to 64-17 vs the money for the year. Miami Ohio beat... |
| Oklahoma--and Everyone Else Big Al McMordie - 11/14/2003 12:00 AM Oklahoma--and Everyone Else By Al McMordie College football historians don't want to hear this before their Thanksgiving dinner is served, but let's go ahead and ask it anyway: Is Oklahoma the greatest team in college football history? The numbers are simply staggering as the 10-0 Sooners are outscoring teams by a 35-point margin (48-13). The Big 12 title game and the Sugar B... |
| Joe Gavazzi's College Pointspread Prognosis Joe Gavazzi - 11/13/2003 12:00 AM Joe Gavazzi's College Pointspread Prognosis "Top 5" This is my 24th year of analyzing the top midweek College Football Selections. For the remainder of the College Football Regular Season, I will analyze 5 College Football games for you each week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Triple Play OHIO STATE (-4-, -3) over Purdue by 14 ... |
| The Tinder Box: The Angry Home Favorite.... Tom Scott - 11/7/2003 12:00 AM THE TINDER BOX by Tom Scott THE ANGRY HOME FAVORITE VS THE FAT ROAD DOG There is something very upsetting about losing a game you were supposed to win. It affects teams in all sports and that effect is particularly noticeable in college football. Of course, we decided to investigate how that effect can be translated into pointspread winners. As we have said many times, the key ... |
| Don't Ignore Good Rushing Dogs! Bryan Leonard - 11/7/2003 12:00 AM Don’t Ignore Good Rushing Dogs By Bryan Leonard Did you know that when the game of football was first played (over 100 years ago), the forward pass was illegal? College teams still met each other on the gridiron, but the game was not as innovative and exciting as it is today. Like English rugby, teams ran the ball up and down the field. And, yes, there was less scoring... |
| Athletic Interest and Motivation Big Al McMordie - 11/7/2003 12:00 AM Athletic Interest and Motivation By Big Al McMordie The football clock keeps ticking and the cool winds of November have descended on gridirons across the nation. This is an interesting time of year because changes are happening. Changes in the locker room, changes on the field, changes when players show up for practice Monday morning. You can't always gauge these changes stati... |
| News And Notes - Week 11 Phil Steele - 11/7/2003 12:00 AM NEWS AND NOTES - WEEK 11 2003 By Phil Steele of Northcoast Sports N Texas RB Patrick Cobbs came into last Thursday's game leading the nation in ypg rushing and had 106 vs Troy St. Not only did he score both of the team's offensive TD's, but also returned a blocked punt 8 yds for a TD in NT's 21-0 win. Troy turned it over 5 times, was SOD twice and missed a 42 yd FG... Texas ha... |
| Motivation...And Lack Thereof Big Al McMordie - 11/1/2003 12:00 AM Motivation...And Lack Thereof By Al McMordie Motivation is an endlessly fascinating angle to look for and dissect when trying to figure out which team is going to cover the point spread. Football fans are familiar with legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne's halftime speeches: "Let's win this game for George Gipp," and "You've got to 'Go, Go, Go, and hit 'em! A... |
| The Tinder Box 16-2 ATS System Winner Inside! Tom Scott - 11/1/2003 12:00 AM THE TINDER BOX by Tom Scott HAPPINESS OFTEN COMES WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. How many times have you watched a team struggle at home against the number then, go out on the road and bring home the money? It happens too many times to be blown off as sheer coincidence. I did a study in which I looked at winning teams who had failed to cover in back-to-back home games and who were out... |
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