For the second year in-a-row, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams return to the red clay at Roland Garros as the respective men's and women's tennis betting favorites to earn singles titles at the French Open, which holds serve in Paris, beginning May 26. Nadal, who rewarded future book chalk players a year ago when he won his record seventh French Open championship, opened at 5/6 to win the game's second Major of 2013 while Williams, who came up short as the betting choice a year ago, aims to make amends as the women's 5/2 future book betting favorite.
For all the analysis, for all workouts and testing, for all the hours ESPN devoted to it, for all the words of praise that Mel Kiper Jr. showered upon the prospects, remarkably, perhaps, the 2013 NFL Draft, which had its annual turn before the cameras in New York City, April 25-27, has had no effect on NFL betting…yet.
Kentucky Derby betting always is fraught with risk and uncertainty but when "the greatest two minutes in sports" gets its annual trip around the Churchill Downs oval, May 4, the outcome may be even more unpredictable than in recent years. However, every horse betting fan understands that doubt and indecision quickly can be turned into opportunity and reward with just one well-placed wager.
There are no blockbuster events on the immediate horizon but the sheer number of fights on the ring schedule should keep boxing betting fans in plenty of action over the next few weeks. The most high-profile events take place at the beginning of May when undefeated "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather and heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko climb back into the ring, albeit against clearly overmatched opponents. In fact, if the boxing betting odds are to be trusted
It's been nearly five years since Tiger Woods last won a Major but operators of sportsbooks and golf betting fans alike are wagering that this is the year and The Masters is the tournament where Woods finally gets back on track in pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 Grand Slam titles. Woods, who has bagged 14 Major championships, opened as a 4/1 favorite in future book betting to earn his fifth Green Jacket on the Augusta National Golf Course, April 11-14.
Washington D.C. has been the home to over a dozen baseball organizations since 1872 but for the first time in the modern history of Major League Baseball betting, a team from the District is favored to win the World Series. "First in war, first in peace and last in the American League," a derisive phrase used to describe the hapless Washington Senators (1961-1971), does not apply to the Nationals, the most recent baseball residents in the nation's capital and the opening 8/1 World Series favorite in MLB future book betting for the 2013 season, scheduled to throw out its first pitch March 31.
For college basketball betting fans, it doesn't get any better than this with March Madness and the start of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on the 19th of this month, looming large on the wagering calendar. But gamblers need not wait until then to get a taste of the action; conference championship tournaments begin right after the regular season concludes on March 10. And come Selection Sunday on March 17, college betting enthusiasts can begin to analyze the brackets and the 68 teams that are participating in the Big Dance.
At first blush, NASCAR and the Academy Awards have about as much in common as a racetrack backstretch and a Hollywood back lot. But from Daytona to Los Angeles-and a great many more places around the wagering globe-NASCAR betting and Oscars betting will draw the Sprint Cup big wheels and the big wheels of cinema together, along with an international gambling audience on Sunday, Feb. 24.
Baltimore's 34-31 victory over San Francisco in Super Bowl XLVII, Feb. 3, marked the end of football betting for one season and the start of football betting for another. You see, for gridiron wagering wonks, there really is no down time, just a precious few moments to tally the ledger for wins and losses before plunging ahead into the NFL Draft, the preseason and the next campaign. In fact, many sportsbooks already have posted prices on which team will win the 2014 Super Bowl. That said, most savvy NFL betting fans will take a critical look back before moving forward into the new season.
Global Super Bowl betting could reach record numbers by the time the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers step onto the field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII, Feb. 3. Speaking of numbers, the most important number anywhere in the wagering world this year-something that is always the case when World Cup soccer isn't on the calendar-is 4 1/2, the opening pointspread by which the NFC Champion Niners are favored over the AFC Champion Ravens. The over/under for the game was set at 49 1/2.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams opened as favorites to win respective men's and women's singles titles at the first tennis Major of the year and-importantly to those who enjoy a little gamble with their white socks and Nikes-the first major tennis betting event of 2013, the Australian Open, in Melbourne, Jan. 14-27.
College Football betting fans who have been fortunate enough to earn a profit this year will be looking to pad their bankrolls while those in the red will be seeking to cut or eliminate their losses when the NCAA gridiron season comes to a close with the BCS title game in Miami, Jan. 7. There still are a bevy of bowl games before the title tilt and, in either case, gamblers will be searching for an edge against sportsbooks, some way to get the upper hand against the house.
In what has become an annual "write" of passage at this time of year, once again we'll match dollars and sense against the sportsbooks, tackling college football betting on the 35 bowl games. As in previous seasons, we'll be comparing the Sagarin Ratings, which appear in USA Today, against the opening Las Vegas line, looking to take advantage of discrepancies between Jeff Sagarin's "unbiased" or "scientific" numbers and the more interpretive Vegas pointspread, which assesses factors such as playing style and motivation.
Like the fellow who yearns for something new but gets the same old tie every year, boxing betting fans who were hoping to find a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. or, at least, a Pacquiao-Tim Bradley fight gift-wrapped under their Christmas trees will have to settle for something oddly familiar this holiday season, the fourth-count 'em, fourth-meeting between Pacquiao and fellow welterweight Juan Manuel Marquez.
As of Nov. 12, every team in the League either had enjoyed its bye week or was about to get a welcome week off from the wear and (ligament) tear that accompanies a violent game, making this a perfect time to assess where the state of NFL betting has been and, far more importantly, where it's headed over the final weeks of the regular season.
College basketball betting is a game of pointspreads except at the start of each year when ambitious gamblers look for value in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship future book. This year, the epicenter of the college basketball world-and by extension, the focus of the college basketball betting universe-will be concentrated along a three-hour, 187-mile corridor from Bloomington, Indiana that runs through Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky.
A year ago at this time there were six teams offered at odds of 12/1 or less in NBA betting futures to win the league championship. When the 2012/13 NBA season tips off Oct. 30, there will be just three teams, all at odds of less than 5/1. Talk about the rich getting richer! For basketball betting fans, especially those who enjoy investing a few long term crumpets in the NBA future book, that translates into taking a short price on the Heat, Lakers or Thunder, or ignoring what appears to be a significant talent gap and looking elsewhere for a better price among a bevy of double-digit longshots.
Ever since its start in 1970, when Monday Night Football cemented a blossoming marriage between an historic gridiron game and a burgeoning television market, a union of convenience that produced the biggest football betting boon to the game since the introduction of pointspreads, NFL betting fans have been chasing their dreams wagering on the last game of the week.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a "Norman Einstein," as Joe Theisman famously said, to understand why NFL betting students might favor a team coming off a week's rest over one that has far less time to nurse the collective wounds that are part of the struggle that comes with playing professional football. Of course, operators of sportsbooks also know that teams coming off their bye week will have a physical advantage over teams that played the previous weekend, so blindly betting on a team with rest is no sure path to success.
Television, the vehicle that has played a leading role in the rise of sports betting popularity, takes its own turn in the spotlight when Emmy Awards betting culminates with the handing out of statues at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Sept. 23. Odds-on favorites dominate six of the "super seven" main categories in this 64th edition of the hardware handout but like a TV cliffhanger season finale, plot twists are anything but uncommon and nothing is certain.
The 2012 college football season kicks off with more than a dozen games on Thursday, Aug. 30 but college football betting fans can get in on the action right now. In fact, along with a number of other attractive propositions (we'll get to those in a smidge), most sportsbooks have future book prices posted for which team will win the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title in the Orange Bowl, Jan. 7, 2013.
Sports betting fans who engage in golf betting and tennis betting only when a Major is at stake will get a final opportunity (actually three more chances) to take on sportsbooks when the last of this year's golf majors, the PGA Championship, Aug. 9-12, and the fourth and closing tennis Major, the US Open, Aug. 27-Sept. 9, wrap up those sports' respective Grand Slam seasons.
The Olympics is the biggest athletic event in the world and, if operators of sportsbooks have anything to say about it, the Summer Games, which begin with opening ceremonies in London, July 27, also will be one of the largest sports betting attractions on the planet. More than 10,000 athletes, representing over 200 countries will compete in 300 plus events in 30 sports, providing Olympic betting fans with a wagering canvas that is as varied as it is vast.
We're about halfway through the daily grind that is the 162-game MLB schedule, an ideal time for baseball betting enthusiasts to assess their wagering portfolios and, where disappointments outnumber successes, plot new strategies for the sport's run up to the playoffs.
A golf hole and a hole card may have as much in common as the British Open and World Series of Poker Main Event other than the fact that both fit comfortably on July's sports betting calendar. Always looking for wagering options, gamblers aren't likely to take a pass on either of these decidedly different but very challenging events
If sportsbooks are accurate-and they usually are-tennis betting fans will have fewer viable wagering options than usual when the Championships, otherwise known as Wimbledon, serves up the third Major of the year in London, starting June 25. The oldest tennis tournament in the world, and the only Major played on grass, looks like a showdown between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the men's side, and a battle among Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova in the women's bracket.
Manny Pacquiao and I'll Have Another will use their fists and hooves--not to mention their respective hearts--to try to gain a place in history while also rewarding sports betting fans in the ring and on the racetrack, June 9.
As has been the case recently, it looks like no more than a handful of men are in the tennis betting mix but as many as 25 women have plausible odds to capture singles titles at the sport's second Grand Slam event of the year, the French Open (Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros) beginning in Paris, May 28
For all the time spent analyzing collegiate talent, addressing NFL team needs and predicting just which players would go to which teams-not to mention the 23-camera, saturation live 15-hour coverage by ESPN--the recently concluded 2012 NFL Draft had almost no impact where it matters most, on NFL betting odds.
Now that all the major prep races are over, Kentucky Derby betting fans face the daunting but potentially rewarding task of finding the winner of the 138th Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, May 5. Actually, given the depth of the Derby field, trying to pick the winner of the mile and one-quarter race may not be as valid a strategy as looking for value from among the more than half-dozen contenders.
The "Sweet Science" takes center stage-or center ring-before HBO cameras, April 28 and May 5 and if there continues to be such a wide disparity of prices among sportsbooks, boxing betting fans finally could have the odds in their favor.
The Run for the Roses makes its annual sprint around the Churchill Downs oval on the first Saturday in May but fans of Kentucky Derby betting don't have to wait that long to get a piece of the action. In fact, many sportsbooks already have future book prices on the first of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown events.
Rory McIlroy, who held the world No. 1 ranking for all of two weeks before losing it to Luke Donald on March 18, nevertheless opened as a 4/1 future book favorite to win The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, April 5-8. The Masters isn't just the first Major of the year but the first major test for golf betting enthusiasts, as well. Tiger Woods, who was last seen limping off the course at Doral, March 11 with a sprained Achilles, will play and is offered as the 6/1 second choice in futures.
The first pitch of the 2012 Major League Baseball season won't be thrown until April 4 but baseball betting fans don't have to wait until then to get some future book action on America's national pastime. In fact, most sportsbooks not only are offering prices on which team will win the World Series, but on pennant and division winners, as well. Gamblers also can attack a number of interesting baseball betting propositions.
The practice of sports betting on soccer and American football is nearly universal but because of the popularity and reach of the movie industry, Oscars betting may have an even wider appeal. Oh, there won't be anywhere near as much money wagered on the 87th edition of the Academy Awards as the World Cup or Super Bowl, but with a television audience of two billion people, interest will be keen when the envelopes are opened at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, Feb. 26.
Sports betting is dominated by team sports such as football, basketball, soccer, baseball and hockey but there's a dedicated and growing contingent of NASCAR betting fans who are eager to wager on individual drivers when the Sprint Cup Series gets the green flag to start its season at the Daytona 500, Feb.
With a competitive pointspread that's sure to interest both sophisticated and casual sports betting fans, Super Bowl betting really could be super this year. Sportsbooks opened the New England Patriots as 3-point favorites to beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Feb. 5. The total for the game is 55, another number that should draw action on both sides.
While upwards of 90 percent of sports betting involves football, basketball, baseball and soccer, with the occasional gambling foray into boxing, tennis, auto racing and hockey, there remains a group of fearless wagering wonks who find golf betting appealing. Admittedly, choosing an individual event winner from among a field of 130 or more quality golfers is a daunting task, but the rewards as much as 500/1 can justify the risk.
After five months of hearing about nothing but lockouts, salary caps and mediation, sports betting fans awoke Christmas morning to find that Santa had left the NBA and more importantly, NBA betting under their trees. But, like a toy that carries the "some assembly required" warning, these gifts also force recipients to do a little work before they can enjoy their benefits.
For most practitioners of college football betting, the process of choosing a wager comes down to an assessment of raw data and human qualities, a mixture of science and art. But what if imponderable emotional factors such as motivation and revenge and were eliminated from the wagering equation and bet selection became nothing more than a matter of pure science?
The most important decision facing football betting fans each weekend is whether to take or lay the points. On the other side of the counter, the most critical determination for sportsbooks is if and when to move that number. Occasionally, these two disparate but linked disciplines conspire to offer bettors the potential for a wagering windfall.
College basketball betting fans have plenty of options but as sophisticated sports betting practitioners understand, you can never have too much of a good thing. So, when sports books offered future book betting on the winners of a half-dozen top tier hardcourt conferences, gamblers drove right to the hoop.
For savvy sports betting fans, the tip-off of the college basketball betting season offers almost unlimited opportunity, six months where action is more plentiful than in any other game and shrewd bet makers sometimes can gain an edge over even the most experienced of bet takers.
Only two Big Ten teams, Michigan and Purdue, were consistently strong versus the pointspread last season, a trend that basketball betting aficionados will be monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2010/11 season are in parentheses:
Big 12 teams posted just a 45-51-2 pointspread record out of conference last season, a trend that college basketball betting fans will be watching this year. With Colorado and Nebraska having departed to the Pac-12 and Big Ten, respectively, the Big 12 will have 10 teams this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2010/11 season are in parentheses:
For the second straight year, only three of the ACC's 12 teams played more over games than under games last season, a college basketball betting trend worth watching. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2010/11 season are in parentheses:
All five starters return from a North Carolina team that won 29 games and reached the Elite Eight last season, reason enough for sportsbooks to list the Tar Heels as 4/1 future book college basketball betting favorites to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in New Orleans, next April. UNC also may get the benefit of some good karma in that the Crescent City has been kind to the Tar Heels before, with Coach Dean Smith winning his two national titles there in 1982 and 1993. The 2011/12 season tips off the second week in November.
Although a labor dispute between billionaire owners and millionaire players has wiped out all exhibition games and, far worse, is threatening to force the cancellation of the entire season, a handful of fearless sportsbooks have taken a positive view and posted NBA betting future book odds on which team will win the 2011/12 NBA Championship.
Sports, and especially sports betting, can be serious matters but even the most hardened wagering wonk should be able to find some humor in what athletes, journalists and others have had to say about the games we all follow with such grim and steadfast determination:
The Pacific Division was the only division to produce five teams that won at least half their games last season but that didn't translate to the betting windows where only Anaheim was a solid play against the spread, something NHL betting advocates will be monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010/11 regular season straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS) and over/under (O/U) results in parentheses:
As savvy NHL betting mavens surely know and likely will be watching this season, the Northwest Division earned the distinction of having the two worst teams in the League terms of wagering units lost over the course of the 2010-11 campaign, Colorado and Edmonton. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010/11 regular season straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS) and over/under (O/U) results in parentheses:
Interestingly, of the five teams that comprise the Central Division, the Nashville Predators were the only one that was a positive wagering (+8.2 units) for the entire year, a trend NHL betting fans will be closely scrutinizing this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010/11 regular season straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS) and over/under (O/U) results in parentheses:
Of the division's five teams, only Tampa Bay was friendly to gamblers, finishing up +9.8 units in 2010/11, a statistic that betting devotees almost certainly will be tracking this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010/11 regular season straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS) and over/under (O/U) results in parentheses:
While Montreal (+2.7 units) and Boston (+1.0) ended the season with small edges versus the spread, the real money to be made was in wagering against Ottawa (-12.2 units) and Toronto (-5.2), teams that NHL betting aficionados will be watching in 2011/12. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010/11 regular season straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS) and over/under (O/U) results in parentheses:
This is a defense-dominated division with only the last place Islanders failing to finish in the top 11 in the goals against category. The Isles also were the only team in the division that played more "over" than "under" games last season, something savvy NHL betting fans will be monitoring this campaign. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010/11 regular season straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS) and over/under (O/U) results in parentheses
After leading the league in several categories, including points, the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup on their home ice, a devastating defeat which apparently hasn't diminished the optimism of sportsbooks which listed Vancouver as a 7/1 favorite in early NHL betting for a 2011-12 season that drops the first puck Oct. 6.
We're now entering the third decade since the League voted to allow each team a week of rest during the regular season, a variable which savvy NFL betting fans always should consider before matching hard-earned cash to conviction.
The long-running marriage of television and wagering will be on picture-perfect display when 2011 Emmy Awards betting culminates with the statues for TV excellence being handed out in Hollywood, Sept. 18. Cash, which signifies betting excellence, will be dispensed the next day.
Some self-professed experts claim that NFL over/under betting, where the gambler wagers on the whether the total points scored between two teams will be over or under a predetermined number, is for suckers. Why, then, don't sportsbooks allow bettors to risk as much on the total of a game as they do on the "side" or outcome of a game?
With quality teams such as the Packers, Eagles, Patriots, Chargers, Jets, Saints, Steelers and Falcons on the 2011 schedule, the slate of games on Monday Night Football should be among the most entertaining and challenging for NFL betting fans in the show's 42-year history.
Once Monday Night Football was banished to ESPN and NBC took over Sunday Night Football broadcasts in 2006, demanding and receiving superior quality games, the latter quickly emerged as a wagering staple for NFL betting fans. Although the NFL is loath to admit it, if you put a game on national television, fans will bet on it.
Some NFL betting wonks believe that the NFL labor dispute, which shortened practice time and delayed free agent signings this year, could have an impact on the first weekend of the regular season. The theory espouses that teams with continuity in their coaching staffs and stability at the key quarterback position will have an edge early in the season.
The Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, may not be too exciting in the ring but they've been money in the bank for boxing betting fans. In fact, between them, the Klitschkos have won 23 consecutive bouts and have not lost in more than seven years. It will be with confidence, then that bettors rush the windows to back Vitali when he defends the WBC version of the world's heavyweight championship against challenger Thomasz Adamek in Wroclaw, Poland, Sept. 10.
At a combined 65 games under .500 and without a single team with a winning record against the number, this is the worst performing pointspread division in the league, a trend NFL betting aficionados will be watching closely again this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
NFC South teams have been 13-23 as home underdogs the last four years, an emerging trend that NFL betting followers surely will be monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
Defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay is not just good on the field but at the windows, posting an against the spread (ATS) record of 19-11 over division foes the past five seasons , a trend that NFL betting devotees will be watching in 2011. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
In a complete reversal of form, Washington was the division's only team with a winning record against the spread last season, an unexpected development that NFL betting fans will be closely monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
Newly minted No. 1 ranked Novak Djokovic and 27-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams opened as respective favorites to win the men's and women's singles titles at the 2011 US Open at Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York, Aug. 29-Sept. 11.
Combined, Denver, Kansas City and Oakland have amassed just two winning seasons against the spread (ATS) over the past five seasons, a dismal statistic that NFL betting wonks will try to turn to their advantage in 2011. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses
The Colts have dominated the AFC South for nearly a decade but it's the Titans, who are 45-36-1 against the spread (ATS) overall and 20-10 versus the number within the division the last five seasons, who have been best wagering friends to NFL betting enthusiasts. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
Pittsburgh doesn't just dominate this division but causes pain to anyone it plays as evidenced by the five year 22-39 ATS (against the spread) record of teams the week after playing the Steelers. It's a clear warning to NFL betting devotees that Pittsburgh doesn't just play teams as much as punish them. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
Most pundits see the AFC East race as a battle between the offensive minded Patriots and the defensively stingy Jets, the two teams which also have the division's best against the spread (ATS) records since 1998, a statistic not lost on NFL betting fans. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
With players and owners having settled their grievances and signed a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) that assures football betting fans there will be action for at least another decade, NFL Super Bowl future book betting already has kicked off on home computer screens and at wagering watering holes around the globe in advance of the league's season opener, Sept. 8.
Just five of the Sun Belt Conference's nine teams have pointspread records dating back 11 years so there's not a great statistical data base for bettors. Among independents, only Navy has been a winning play against the spread (ATS) since 2000. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
The Mid-American Conference is 2-11-1 against the spread (ATS) in bowl games the last three seasons, a trend that college football betting aficionados will be watching. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
MWC teams have been 6-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in bowl games last two seasons so followers of college football betting know better than to dismiss the league as just some wagering weak sister. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
The last dozen Major golf events have produced 12 different winners so it's no wonder that golf betting on the last Major of the season, the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Aug. 11-14, is spread as wide as a duffer's tee shots.
Rice, East Carolina and Central Florida are the only Conference USA teams to enjoy a winning pointspread record over the last 11 seasons, a trend college football betting enthusiasts are sure to watch carefully this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
College football betting fans again will be watching to see if WAC teams, which are 37-29-1 against the spread (ATS) versus non-conference foes the last two years, can continue to impress this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
It's easy to underestimate the Big East but six of the league's eight teams went to bowls last season and conference teams are 106-82-1 against the spread (ATS) outside the Big East the past five seasons, a statistic that should be of great interest to devotees of college football betting. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
The addition of Utah and Colorado has turned the Pac-10 into the Pac-12 and created a title game at the end of the season. Throw in USC's NCAA probation and the psychological impact it could have on Trojans players, and college football betting followers have much to consider this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Take Ohio State out of the mix and the remaining Big Ten teams are just 32-51-1 as home favorites the last two years, a development college football betting enthusiasts will watch closely this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS)--including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Conference stalwarts Texas and Oklahoma are a combined 20-30-2 against the spread (ATS) the last two years, something college football betting aficionados will be checking this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS)--including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Take Ohio State out of the mix and the remaining Big Ten teams are just 32-51-1 as home favorites the last two years, a development college football betting enthusiasts will watch closely this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS)--including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
SEC teams are 53-40-1 against the spread versus non-conference foes the last two years, a trend that college football betting fans will be monitoring this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 records, returning starters (RS)--including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Fresh off a record-breaking triumph in last month's US Open, sportsbooks have listed Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy as a solid 9/2 favorite to capture the third Major of the season, the British Open at the Royal St. George Golf Club, in Sandwich, Kent, England, July 14-17. McIlroy, who also had the lead with nine holes remaining in The Masters before faltering and finishing 15th, won the US Open by eight strokes while finishing a record 16 under par.
College Football betting is comprised of dozens of variables but gamblers often overlook the wagering impact a new coach can have on an NCAA gridiron program. New coaches are eager to impress and many aren't reluctant to run up the score when they're able to do so, often covering large spreads. In situations where their team is an underdog, a number of head coaches will play conservatively while others will adopt a bold game plan that offers both significant risk and reward.
Because it's a team sport, college football betting enthusiasts rarely get the opportunity to wager on individual players. One notable exception is the awarding of the Heisman Trophy, where always accommodating sportsbooks have posted odds on which NCAA gridiron star will carry away the iconic hardware at the end of this season.
College football betting fans who are overwhelmed with trying to select one national champion from among more than 100 schools can improve their chances of achieving wagering success by betting on which teams will win more than a half-dozen individual conferences. And for those wary gamblers who want to narrow the field even more, where it's applicable, many sportsbooks even have future book prices on separate divisions within those leagues or conferences.
There's still some concern that a labor dispute will delay or even derail the 2011 NFL season but, thankfully, college football betting fans have no such worries about the upcoming NCAA gridiron campaign. In fact, future book odds on teams winning the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title are up and already taking action at most sportsbooks.
Under a seemingly never ending cloud of illegal drug use, sportsbooks have opened Spain's Alberto Contador as an overwhelming 2/3 favorite to capture the 2011 Tour de France, the premier event on the elite International Cycling Union (UCI) calendar. The 2,150-mile bicycle race starts out with a 112-mile flat stage from Passage du Gois on July 2 and concludes with the traditional ride down the Champs-Elysees, in Paris, July 24.
It's not exactly Pacquiao versus Mayweather but as far as boxing betting fans are concerned, the heavyweight unification showdown broadcast by HBO between reigning IBF, WBO and IBO champion Wladimir "Dr. Steelhammer" Klitschko and WBA heavyweight champion David "The Hayemaker" Haye slated for Hamburg, Germany, July 2, may be the next best thing.
Aided by a home field advantage that most observers believe will be significant, Germany opened as a solid 5/4 future book favorite to capture the sixth FIFA Women's World Cup, which will take place at nine venues across Deutschland, beginning June 26 in Berlin and ending with the final in Frankfurt, July 17.
With at least three men given a realistic chance to bring home the singles title and the women's bracket considered wide open, tennis betting fans may want to take a forehand whack at the future books posted for Wimbledon, the sport's third Major, which takes center court outside London, beginning June 20.
How do you fall from No. 1 to No. 13 in the world rankings, go 19 months without a victory and still wind up as the golf betting favorite to win the US Open at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, June 16-19? You probably have to have the cache and name recognition of Tiger Woods.
Statistics compiled by the Jockey Club paint a grim picture of what's facing horse racing betting fans and why it's increasingly difficult to beat the game. The Jockey Club, which was founded in 1894 and has as its mission the improvement of thoroughbred racing and breeding, published its findings in the 2011 Fact Book.
Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness hero Shackleford are headed for a rubber match at Belmont Park, June 11, but that doesn't mean that Belmont Stakes betting is just a two-horse race. There won't be the bulky 19-horse field that Animal Kingdom dominated at Churchill Downs or even the 14-horse field that Shackleford beat at Pimlico but this year's Belmont Stakes field should have both enough quantity (10-13 horses) and quality to make the final jewel of the Triple Crown a challenge for horse racing betting fans.
Sometimes, when it comes to sports betting, it's easy to get lost in the statistics and minutiae of the individual games, often forgetting (or never learning) that whether the gambler is challenging sportsbooks in baseball, boxing or badminton, certain basic rules apply:
With two months and about a quarter of the current MLB season already in the books, there's more than enough of a sample for baseball betting enthusiasts to take stock and re-evaluate their wagering strategy, analyzing whether expectations have matched reality.
What's unique about the World Series of Poker, 58 separate card games that begin in Las Vegas, May 31, is that's it's the one endeavor where you can gamble on how well people gamble. Poker betting, especially when it comes to the Main Event, which starts on July 7, no longer is limited to those players sitting at the table.
If competition is the fuel that propels the wagering engine, then Indianapolis 500 betting fans should have no complaints when "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" returns to the Brickyard, Sunday, May 29. The race, like its four-legged counterpart of three weeks earlier, the Kentucky Derby, appears wide open.
With the first round elimination of the Spurs, the team with the best regular season record this season, quickly followed by the four-game sweep of the two-time defending champion Lakers, NBA betting fans may be looking for a new team to back in the ongoing playoffs. Look no further than Dallas, where the Spurs are fashioning one of the greatest bettor-friendly streaks in post-season history.
Animal Kingdom was the 20/1 upset winner of the Kentucky Derby, May 7 but Preakness betting fans eying another big payday will have to settle for a much smaller return should that 3-year-old colt capture the second jewel in the Triple Crown at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, May 21.
Conventional wisdom, especially when it's dispensed by squares and people who engage in horse racing betting as a pastime, not a living, should be taken with many grains of sodium chloride. In reality, what for decades has been passed down as equine wagering gospel are little more than myths and betting sins.
Rafael Nadal is an odds-on favorite to win a record equaling sixth French Open men's singles title but the tennis betting is wide open on the women's side where Carolina Wozniacki is listed as the tepid 4/1 choice to capture her first-ever Major. The French Open, the second of tennis' Grand Slam events, begins serve on the red clay courts at Roland Garros, May 17.
While NFL owners and players wonder how long it will take for the notoriously glacial moving federal court system to bring the game back on the field, NFL betting fans are wondering if the recently concluded draft will have any immediate wagering impact on this year's season...if there is one.
The MLB campaign may not even be a month old but it's not too soon for baseball betting practitioners to assess if expectations have matched reality during the first four weeks of the season.
Every spring about this time, Kentucky Derby betting fans complain about the inscrutable handicapping puzzle that is the Run for Roses, grousing that the first leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown, which gets its annual airing around the Churchill Downs oval in Louisville May 7 this year, is "wide open.
Boxing betting fans were hoping to take a wagering whack at a super bout matching Manny Pacquiao with Floyd Mayweather but, with sportsbooks offering dozens of gambling options, shouldn't be too disappointed that "Sugar" Shane Mosley now is the Pac Man's opponent at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, May 7.
Savvy sports betting practitioners understand that getting value involves comparing price to the likelihood of a favorable outcome. But even sophisticated bettors might wonder why they even bothered to bet if they knew the true odds of some of their wagers. That topic heads the list of some of the most informative, funny, silly and downright outrageous things said, whispered and written, recently:
Since sports betting would exist even if there weren't legally sanctioned wagering, the NCAA owes sportsbooks a debt of gratitude for helping to expose those liars, cheats and point-shaving thieves who would taint the sport of college basketball by throwing games or bribing players to throw games for financial reward.
They've cut down the nets, paid off all those happy UConn backers, and cleaned up the confetti at Reliant Stadium in Houston but college basketball betting is far from over thanks to a number of enterprising and accommodating sportsbooks that already have posted future book prices to win next year's NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, scheduled for the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, April 2.
We're not even sure there'll be a season this year but under the assumption that owners and players aren't greedy or stupid enough not to come to an agreement, NFL betting aficionados are gearing up for the April 28 Draft, a parade of talent that innovative sportsbooks have turned into the first bet of the 2011 season even if there is no 2011 season.
Some sportsbooks already have posted college basketball betting future book prices on which team will win next year's NCAA Men's championship but savvy gamblers might be wise to survey the results of the most recent March Madness before investing too much on the 2012 Big Dance.
For the gambler compelled to analyze as many as 20 precocious 3-year-olds running faster and farther than they've ever run before, successful Kentucky Derby betting probably comes down to an understanding of five fundamental factors: Preparation, stamina, running style, luck and value.
The fights may be separated by more than 3,000 miles and the Atlantic Ocean but boxing betting fans will be able to view both ends of a championship fistic doubleheader on HBO, April 16. On the left side of The Pond, in Mashantucket, Connecticut, it's Andre Berto versus Victor Ortiz for Berto's WBC welterweight title. Across the ocean, Amir Khan risks his WBA super lightweight belt against Paul McCloskey in Manchester, England.
The irony, both for NBA teams and NBA betting fans, is that after an 82-game regular season that eliminates just 14 of the league's 30 teams, the playoffs offer a new set of challenges for athletes and gamblers. In fact, the post-season requires a different skill set, with savvy bettors fully aware that what might have been successful strategy in the autumn and winter may have no wagering relevance in the spring and early summer.
Mired in the longest slump of his career, Tiger Woods nevertheless has been installed as a 13/2 future book favorite to win The Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club, April 7-10. Those golf betting fans who wager on Woods will do so with the same trepidation they feel standing over a four-foot putt.
No sport collects more statistics than Major League Baseball so it should come as little surprise that sportsbooks utilize those numbers to produce hundreds of ways to keep baseball betting fans involved in the game.
As often is the case, the team's with the best records in the NL West, the Giants and the Padres, also rewarded baseball betting devotees with the division's best ROI (Return On Investment), +10.6 and +9.6 percent, respectively, if you bet San Francisco and San Diego in each of their games last year.
The only division in the Major Leagues with six teams produced some double-digit baseball betting plays in 2010, a ROI (Return On Investment) bonanza that gamblers hope to replicate during the upcoming season:
The Phillies were the dominant team in the National League East Division last year, both on the field and, as baseball betting aficionados can readily attest, at the windows. In fact, Philadelphia was the only NL East team to finish the season with a positive ROI (Return On Investment) as Atlanta, Florida, New York and Washington all finished in the red.
The American League West was not the place to turn for baseball betting enthusiasts as all four teams posted a negative ROI (Return on Investment) last season, a fate avoided by each of the league's other five divisions. However, as savvy wagering wonks fully understand, while none of the teams were profitable overall, each could be a reliable money earner for gamblers in specific situations.
Performance on the field was duplicated at the windows as baseball betting enthusiasts who stuck with the AL Central Division's top teams, the Twins and White Sox, did better than those who chased the Indians and Royals last season. The Tigers, 81-81 overall, also were very close to .500 as a wagering proposition, posting an ROI (Return On Investment) loss of 1.5 percent.
The Red Sox improved themselves during the off-season, making moves that could also translate to success at the windows for baseball betting fans, especially those who were crushed wagering on Boston last year, losing on their ROI (Return On Investment). With shaky starting pitching, the Yankees will be underdogs more than usual this season and that has not been a scenario that's been kind to bettors who have backed the Bronx Bombers in that situation. The Rays won't be nearly as efficient on the field as they were last season but could still be potent at the windows, in certain situations. The Blue Jays were surprisingly adept as favorites last year while the Orioles excelled in one-run games, trends worth watching this year.
The Phillies are favored to win the 2011 World Series, snapping a decade-long streak during which either the Yankees or Red Sox were the future book baseball betting choice to capture the October Classic. Philadelphia, which may have one of the best starting rotations in Major League Baseball history if execution matches expectations, opened as the 3/1 favorite for a season that starts March 31.
If there's such a thing as Christmas in March, college basketball betting fans will celebrate when they unwrap the 32 games that comprise the opening round of the 2011 NCAA Men's hoop Tournament, March 17-18. Technically, the powers that be are calling this the "second round" after a "First Four" round on March 15-16 sends a quartet of teams into the 64-team main draw. Yeah, that's just another reason to call this annual hardcourt mayhem "March Madness."
Three months into the current season and with no team having established itself as anything close to invincible, savvy college basketball betting fans are looking to find value in futures before the start of the Big Dance, March 15.
Sebastian Vettel will be a narrow Formula One betting favorite to retain his World Drivers Championship when the 2011 F-1 season roars out of the grid at the Bahrain Grand Prix, March 13. Vettel opened as an 11/4 favorite, just ahead of Fernando Alonso, who is offered at odds of 3/1. Lewis Hamilton is tick behind those two at odds of 10/3.
Relentless," a boxing betting tripleheader on SHOWTIME pay-per-view that features an overwhelming favorite, a modest wagering choice and a pick 'em fight, should have something for every gambler when the fists fly at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, March 12.
Sportsbooks already have indulged gamblers with prices on the Golden Globes and Grammy Awards--and the Tony Awards and Emmy Awards are still to come--but nothing will approach the amount of interest or action that Academy Awards betting generates. Oscar takes center stage at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Feb. 27 before a TV audience estimated at more than two billion.
The glee in Green Bay and the pain in Pittsburgh may linger but NFL betting on which team will win Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Feb. 5, 2012 already has kicked off at sportsbooks and wagering emporiums around the globe.
The Super Bowl is over and the 2010 season is officially dead, reason enough to slip on the surgical gloves and sift through the remains of the NFL betting carcass in hopes of finding some useful clues for a 2011 season that, providing the labor dispute is resolved, will kick off in just a few short months.
It may be less than a week after Valentine's Day but most sports betting enthusiasts will be more concerned with fuel than flowers when the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season officially motors out of the garage with 53rd running of the Daytona 500, Feb. 20.
Sports betting, which is comprised mainly of wagering on football, basketball and baseball with ancillary action from auto racing, boxing, hockey, soccer, tennis, cycling, golf and horse racing, finally has gone to the dogs
The 2011 Run for the Roses will take little more than 120 seconds to complete but before the first leg of the Triple Crown is run at Churchill Downs, May 7, more than 120 days of Kentucky Derby betting will have taken place. It is a measure of the enduring appeal of America's most famous horse race that so much time and money is spent on an event that lasts all of two minutes.
Given a narrow pointspread in a game that most sports betting fans grudgingly acknowledge could be won by either of two storied franchises, the Green Bay Packers or Pittsburgh Steelers, betting on Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, Feb. 6, could, indeed, be super this year.
While the action won't even approach what's wagered on a single football game, future book betting on the 53rd annual Grammy Awards could be music to some savvy gamblers' ears when the recording industry hands out the hardware before CBS' cameras at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Feb. 13.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which continues to thrive despite fierce competition from football, basketball and baseball, seems intent on alienating its fan base and, with it, sports betting fans who wager on the elite stock car circuit.
Can anyone beat Jimmie Johnson? NASCAR Sprint Cup betting fans will have to come to terms with that question as the elite stock car league revs up for its 63rd season, beginning with the Daytona 500, Feb. 20. Actually, the season starts with the Bud Shootout on Feb. 12 and although there will be betting on that individual event, drivers do not earn points toward the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, the 36-race campaign that concludes with the Ford 400, in Miami, Nov. 20.
While team sports such as football and basketball basically restrict the sports betting fan to winning about as much as he bets, horse racing betting offers the opportunity for a life-changing experience. That said, turning $20 into $20,000 in a single afternoon (yes, it's been done) not only requires overcoming vigorish of more than 20 percent on multi-horse wagers but a measure of skill, discipline, and, of course, luck.
They may still be celebrating a second consecutive Bowl Champions Series national title in the heart of Dixie but college football betting fans already have moved past this year's top team, Auburn, and last year's winner, Alabama, to fix their wagering gaze on Oklahoma, the early 5/1 future book favorite to capture the 2012 BCS National Championship.
Boxing betting fans can get involved in the biggest fight of the young 2011 season when undefeated world champions Devon Alexander "The Great" and Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley duke it out at the 140-pound weight limit before HBO's cameras in Pontiac, Michigan, Jan. 29.
They'll hand out the first entertainment awards of the year on Jan. 16 and while Golden Globes betting won't approach the amount of cash that's dropped on the Academy Awards six weeks later, it should give us a pretty good idea of what sportsbooks and gamblers are thinking. The Golden Globes also recognize television achievement but with the Emmy Awards not slated until September, have much less of an impact on that entertainment form.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are expected to renew their heated rivalry in the men's singles competition but the women's bracket is wide open and tennis betting fans could be in a for a couple of surprises when the year's first Major, the Australian Open, is served up in Melbourne, Jan. 17-30.
A New Year brings new hope, even for the sometimes pessimistic sports betting fan. Of course, hope will have a better chance of turning into reality in 2011 if gamblers resolve not to make the same mistakes they made in 2010:
After an intense few months of seemingly endless campaign commercials and annoying robo-telephone calls, most voters may not be eager to consider the 2012 US Presidential election but sports betting fans looking for a departure from football and basketball appear ready to cast an early cash ballot.
We're about a third of the way through the regular season and you really can't blame that contingent of NBA betting fans who are crying "foul" for the way things are turning out on the hardcourt, this year.
Golf betting, where any of 150 competitors are capable of winning an individual event and a gambler could go weeks or even months without cashing, is not for the faint-hearted. But the rewards can justify the pursuit and each new year brings a fresh set of challenges to the sports betting enthusiast
Let's end the sports and sports betting year by allowing those involved - athletes, journalists, whomever - to have the final say on the year that was 2010:
Prince William and Kate Middleton will tie the knot next year and, whether the Royal Family likes it or not, operators of sportsbooks and sports betting fans will play a part - peripheral though it may be--in nearly every nuptial decision made between now and April 29, 2011.
College football betting comes to an end (at least for a few months) with a series of bowl games and, as has been our custom over the last several seasons, while we're not sure if we'll go out with a bang or a whimper, at least we're willing to take our best shot at building a Super Bowl bankroll.
Long the forgotten stepchild to football, college basketball betting now has earned near-equal status with its formidable gridiron sibling as sportsbooks have found new and innovative ways for gamblers to wager on the hardcourt sport.
College basketball betting fans will have thousands of wagering opportunities over the next few months but whether they win or lose probably will come down to how well they understand six key elements of NCAA hoops
College basketball betting fans know there's money to be made by tracking the Mid-Major teams, especially those outfits likely to make an appearance at March Madness. Let's take look at some of those NCAA Tournament candidates. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Mid-Major teams often don't get the ink many top notch schools do but they can be a presence in both the regular season and the NCAA Tournament. So let's continue to preview the most likely candidates to take part in the Big Dance in March. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
They're on the board and they receive automatic bids to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, ample reason why college basketball betting fans need to monitor teams from the 11 mid-major conferences. Let's take look at the most likely candidates to take part in March madness. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
College basketball wagering wonks spend the vast majority of their time and attention dissecting the 11 major conferences. But teams from 11 mid-major conferences frequently are on the board and, thanks to an automatic invitation to the NCAA Tournament, at least one team from each of those leagues will be among the 68-team field that comprises March Madness. That seems like reason enough for savvy gamblers to, at a minimum, follow the leading contenders in each of those conferences. Let's take look at the most likely candidates to make an appearance at the Big Dance. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/010 season are in parentheses:
WAC teams are 17-29-1 as home underdogs last two seasons, a trend that college basketball betting devotees will be tracking again this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Northern Iowa (40-24 ATS) has been the only MVC team that has consistently beaten the spread over the past two seasons, a trend college betting fans will checking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Mountain West Conference teams were 25-11-1 as road favorites last year, a trend college basketball betting fans will be monitoring this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Conference USA teams were a collective 44-67-2 as home favorites last season, a trend that college basketball betting followers will be watching in 2010/11. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses
The six A-10 teams that won at least 20 games straight up last year also were 115-81-7 versus the pointspread, a trend college basketball betting wonks will be watching this winter. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Pac-10 teams were 14 games under .500 ATS versus non-conference foes, a trend that college basketball betting fans will be watching this year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Overall, SEC teams were a collective 10 games under .500 against the spread last season, a trend basketball betting devotees will be tracking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Seven of the nine Big East teams that won 20 or more games also had winning records against the pointspread last season, a statistic that college basketball betting fans will be eyeing this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Only one Big Ten team, Northwestern, was a consistently strong wager versus the pointspread last season, a trend that basketball betting aficionados will be monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Only three of the ACC's 12 teams played more over games than under games last season, a college basketball betting trend worth watching. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Overall, Big 12 teams have the best out of conference pointspread record over the past eight seasons, a trend that college basketball betting fans will be watching this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season are in parentheses:
Full court college basketball betting won't tip off until December but sportsbooks are ready to facilitate gamblers willing to lob a couple of not-so-free throws at an NCAA Championship future book on which team will be cutting down the nets at Reliant Stadium in Houston, April 4.
OK, you don't know a fetlock from a furlong and horse race betting, with is hieroglyphic past performances and many variables can be a bit intimidating. But even novice gamblers should take the rubber band off their sports betting bankroll when the Breeders' Cup makes a stop at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 5-6.
As a whole, Pacific Division teams were 24-33-1 as road favorites last season, a statistic that NBA betting practitioners will be tracking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season in parentheses:
Oklahoma City's success on the court continued at the windows where the Thunder came as a surprise to most NBA betting followers. You can be sure that gamblers will be keeping a closer eye on Oklahoma City this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season in parentheses:
The Magic has been 46-24-2 against the spread versus Southeast Division foes over the past four seasons, a solid wagering trend that betting devotees will be eyeing again this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season in parentheses:
NBA Central Division teams were "underwhelming" last season as not a single unit played more "over" games than "under" games, a trend NBA betting aficionados will be following this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season in parentheses:
Not a single Atlantic Division team enjoyed a winning record against the spread last season, a trend which NBA betting fans surely will be monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2009/10 season in parentheses:
Consider yourself the luckiest (or smartest) NBA betting fan in the world if you had the foresight to make a future book wager on the Heat at odds of 25/1. After opening at that generous price, Miami, now with perennial all-stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining resident top pro Dwayne Wade in South Beach, is a solid 7/4 favorite to capture the 2010-11 NBA Championship. The defending champion LA Lakers are a 3/1 second choice to earn their third consecutive NBA title.
Boxing betting fans will have to decide whether to take another very short price or take a chance on an improbable longshot when Vitali Klitschko risks the WBC version of the world heavyweight championship against Shannon Briggs in Hamburg, Germany, Oct. 16. Vitali, who has not lost in over seven years, is half of boxing's reigning brother act with younger sibling Wladimir, unbeaten since 2004, owning the IBF and WBO versions of the heavyweight title.
There's a school of thought that when it comes to NFL betting, the opening week of the season is the easiest one for gamblers to beat sportsbooks. The assumption is that a number of factors, including NFL teams being cautious with their key players and hiding their true nature during the preseason, conspire to thwart oddsmakers, making it difficult for the numbers crunchers to make a clear evaluation of teams for the first week of the season.
College football betting is mostly about teams but sportsbooks also are challenging gamblers to wager on whether Alabama's Mark Ingram will win a second straight Heisman Trophy this season or which other individual player will capture the award that is emblematic of the NCAA's most outstanding gridiron performer.
Boxing betting fans will know better than to blink when IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steel hammer" Klitschko defends his titles against Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter in Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 11. With 75 knockouts between them, the fight is unlikely to go the scheduled 12-round distance. We'll have more to say about that in a bit
The year's final Major, the US Open, which has its first serve Aug. 30 in Flushing Meadows, NY, will offer tennis betting fans several more viable wagering options than in previous years.
He hasn't won a Major in more than two years but oddsmakers are sticking with Tiger Woods, installing the world's No. 1 ranked golfer as a lukewarm 5/1 favorite to capture the 2010 PGA Championship at the Whistling Straights Course in Kohler, Wisconsin, Aug. 12-15.
Playing over a layout he clearly loves, Tiger Woods opened as a 5/2 golf betting favorite to win the 2010 British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, July 15-18. Woods dominated play each of the last two times the Claret Jug was hoisted at St. Andrews; in 2000 when his 19 under set a record for the lowest score to par in any Major, and again in 2005, when Woods finished 14 under par, winning by five strokes. Woods also won the 2006 British Open at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Alberto Contador dominates 2010 Tour de France betting the way Tiger Woods once dominated golf betting. But Contador is an odds-on favorite to win the world's most revered bicycle race, something Woods never achieved in a Major, even in the best of times. In fact, Contador is such an overwhelming favorite that there also is a Tour de France future book in which Contador's finish is not considered. More about that, later.
The dust, or more appropriately the red clay, barely has settled at the French Open in Paris but for tennis betting fans it's on to the third Major of the year, Wimbledon, at the All England Tennis Club, outside London, June 21-July 4.
Humbled by injury, humiliated by scandal, and with his No. 1 ranking hanging by the results of a single tournament, Tiger Woods opened as a narrow golf betting future book favorite to win the 2010 US Open, in Pebble Beach, California, June 17-20.
Whether you're handing over Euros, dollars, yen, pesos or something else, World Cup betting on the 2010 championship of soccer is expected to break all wagering records this year. The 32-team event kicks off June 11 in the host country of South Africa with the final slated for July 11 (local date) in Johannesburg.
With nearly two months and a third of the Major League Baseball regular season in the record books and with an eye toward the rapidly approaching Dog Days of Summer, fans of MLB betting would be wise to assess what's worked and what hasn't worked so far in 2010.
Both Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness hero Lookin' at Lucky will sit out the third leg of the Triple Crown but that doesn't mean that Belmont Stakes betting will be any less attractive for the 135th running of the race, June 5th.
Boxing betting fans will have to decide if it's kosher to bet against a budding rabbi when Yuri Foreman risks his WBA middleweight championship against Miguel Cotto before HBO cameras in New York's Yankee Stadium, June 5.
Scott Dixon opened as a tepid 3/1 favorite but Indianapolis 500 betting fans will have plenty of other viable wagering options when the 94th running of the "Greatest Spectacle on Earth" gets its annual 200-lap run around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in front of ABC-TV's cameras, Sunday, May 30.
If you're interested in playing poker it will cost you $10,000 to enter the 2010 No-Limit Hold 'em World Series of Poker Championship. But if you interested in betting on poker, you can be a part of the action for a whole lot less. That's because many sportsbooks already have a future book posted on which card player will win the 13-day marathon event.
If you're interested in playing poker it will cost you $10,000 to enter the 2010 No-Limit Hold 'em World Series of Poker Championship. But if you interested in betting on poker, you can be a part of the action for a whole lot less. That's because many sportsbooks already have a future book posted on which card player will win the 13-day marathon event.
With four French Open singles titles apiece, it should come as little surprise that Rafael Nadal and Justin Henin are respective men's and women's championship tennis betting favorites to win the second Major event of the year, at Roland Garros, outside Paris, May 24-June 6.
Like fingerprints, no two horse races are alike so if you had success wagering on the opening jewel in the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, there are no assurances that your Preakness betting will be just as bountiful when the second bauble in the tiara rolls into Pimlico Race Course, outside Baltimore, May 15.
Opinions vary as to which teams improved their fortunes and which ones did poorly at the NFL draft, April 22-24, but you need only follow NFL betting future book odds to see what operators of sportsbooks think of the recent college talent distribution.
"Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 knockouts) opened as a -400 favorite (bet $400 to win $100) to beat "Sugar" Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) in their welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, May 1 but sportsbooks also are offering dozens of other ways to bet on the scheduled 12-rounder. HBO will offer the fight on a pay-per-view basis.
"Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 knockouts) opened as a -400 favorite (bet $400 to win $100) to beat "Sugar" Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) in their welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, May 1 but sportsbooks also are offering dozens of other ways to bet on the scheduled 12-rounder. HBO will offer the fight on a pay-per-view basis.
Stretching from the promise of spring through the dog days of summer to the start of autumn, baseball betting can become a laborious, near-daily grind of cash and cunning. No wonder even the most hardened and focused of gamblers may sometimes surrender to the urge to stray from that discipline to pursue an alternate means of profit through proposition betting.
Tigers Woods returns from a five-month layoff, adding a twist of doubt to a Masters betting cocktail that always is an unpredictable mix of skill, luck, talent and guile. The year's first golf Major will tee off at Augusta National on April 8 with Woods listed as the tepid 4/1 favorite, a relatively robust price in comparison to seasons past. In fact, Woods, who has admitted to frequent episodes of marital infidelity, was a 5/2 Masters favorite in 2009, a 4/5 betting choice in 2008, and a 5/4 wagering darling in 2007. Woods' current odds not only reflect his long layoff but whether the world's No. 1 ranked golfer can regain his legendary focus under intense-and often unfriendly - media scrutiny.
After a 2008 campaign in which all five NL West teams were losing wagers overall, posting unit losses (if you bet on a team every game it played) from -5.3 to -37.2, the division bounced back last season with the Dodgers, Rockies, Giants and Padres all in the plus for baseball betting fans.
The only division in the Major Leagues with six teams produced some double-digit baseball betting plays in 2009, trends that will be well worth monitoring during the upcoming season:
The National League East Division has the distinction of housing the best and worst teams in the senior circuit, factors which baseball betting aficionados may be able to use to their wagering advantage again this year. The NL champion Phillies, especially in certain key betting situations, were dependable while the Nationals were dependably awful.
The American League West was friendly to baseball betting fans as all of its teams sported a positive ROI (Return on Investment) last season, something no other division could claim. That means that, overall each of the four teams were profitable investments for bettors, all showing double-digit gains in specific categories.
The AL Central Division was anything but kind to baseball betting enthusiasts last year unless they went against those five teams with regularity. In fact, none of the AL Central quintet had a positive ROI (Return on Investment), meaning you couldn't bet any one of them with frequency and expect to make a profit.
The Yankees spent big and won big last year and those baseball betting fans who went along for the ride also prospered as New York was a solid wager in most individual betting categories in 2009. The Red Sox continued to be a good bet at home in 2009 but the Rays, who were darlings of many wagering wonks a year earlier, burned up a lot of cash. You had to be very fortunate to make any money on either the Orioles or Blue Jays last season, a trend which might continue this year.
Formula One betting always has been a merger of man, machine and money, an uneasy alliance that again will be tested when the 2010 F-1 season screeches off the grid at the Gulf Air Grand Prix in Bahrain, March 14.
College basketball betting doesn't get any more exciting than the opening round of the NCAA Men's Tournament, March 18, 19. The 32 Big Dance pairings, often matching teams that would never play each other, is a test of guts and guile for both bet makers and bet takers. Now you know why they call it March Madness.
College basketball betting has been a near daily occurrence since November but the two most exciting and potentially rewarding wagering days of the year, the opening rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, March 18 ands 19, still are ahead for every March Madness betting fan.
Boxing betting fans hoping to get a rare chance to wager on Fighter of the Year Manny Pacquiao as an underdog in a bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr., will instead have to lay some serious cash if they want to back the Pac Man when he faces Mayweather replacement Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, March 13. The Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, in which Pacquiao would have opened as a +140 underdog (bet $100 to win $140) was canceled when the two fighters could not agree on terms.
The first Saturday in May is still months away but horse racing betting fans know that a future book wager made now could reap big dividends when the Triple Crown opens with the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, May 1.
With six odds-on choices in as many key categories, chalk players are looking at Academy Award betting as an opportunity to write a happy ending to the 2009 year in cinema when the Oscars are handed out, Mar. 7. Ah, but sportsbooks will make you pay for those favorites and it wouldn't take more than an upset or two to turn this drama into a tragedy.
Unconventionally, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series runs its most prestigious race, the Daytona 500, at the beginning, not the end, of the stock car racing season and it may seem that oddsmakers have Daytona 500 betting odds in the wrong order, too.
NBC, along with TV affiliates USA, MSNBC and CNBC, will devote 435 hours of original coverage to the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Feb. 12-28, but it remains an open question whether Winter Olympics betting will come anywhere near matching the peacock network's depth, intensity and dedication to the international sporting event.
Oddsmakers may have opened Indianapolis as a 4-point favorite over New Orleans but Super Bowl betting fans quickly showed their disapproval of that number, backing the Colts to a 5-point choice over the Saints in the NFL Championship game in Miami, Feb. 7. The total on the game, which opened at 52, also has been bet up to as high as 56 at some sportsbooks.
We're about halfway through the current NBA season and if NBA betting fans thought there would be some correlation between winning on the court and winning at the windows they're probably working from a very meager bankroll about now.
Sports betting has long been about a lot more than betting on sports, a premise that will be tested by gamblers wagering on the Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast by CBS, January 31. The Grammy Awards, along with the Academy Awards, Tony Awards and Emmy Awards, are part of the Grand Slam of entertainment and, as has become the custom in this media-driven age, are offered for wagering consumption by ambitious sportsbooks around the globe.
The first legitimate super fight of the New Year, the welterweight showdown between WBA champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley and WBA 147-pound title holder Andre Berto at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Jan. 30, should also be the first major boxing betting event of 2010. HBO will handle the broadcast duties but unlike many other championship encounters, this one is not a pay-per-view affair.
Roger Federer and Serena Williams, the world's top ranked players, opened as modest favorites to capture respective men's and women's singles titles at the Australian Open, the sport's first Major, in Melbourne, Jan. 18-31.
Tiger Woods didn't win a Major in 2009 but he did find himself in major marital trouble, a factor which could have a huge impact on the always difficult and tricky prospect of trying to earn some cash through golf betting, in 2010.
Gamblers have understood the importance of Mother Nature for ages, or at least from the early seventies when a few enterprising bettors began to chart wind velocity and direction in select MLB cities to help them gain an edge wagering on baseball totals.
There's no sure path to victory for the sports betting enthusiast but abiding by a few well-chosen New Year's resolutions could lead to greater success in 2010:
Beginning with the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, Dec. 19 and continuing through the BCS title game in Pasadena, Jan. 7, college football betting followers have 34 opportunities to end the season with fattened wallets.
Spain opened as a slight favorite over Brazil to win the 2010 World Cup of Soccer next summer in South Africa. The largest wagering event on the planet kicks off in Johannesburg, June 11 with Mexico taking on the host nation South Africa. The final is slated for July 11.
College basketball betting fans who waited several weeks before plunging into conference future book wagering waters, now have a better idea of which teams are contenders and which are pretenders in a half-dozen major loops that begin league play at the end of this month or in early January. Unfortunately for gamblers, bookmakers also now have that enhanced knowledge.
It's still five men a side with what started as a peach basket at each end but fans of college basketball betting face a whole new set of challenges and considerations when moving from wagering on the NBA to the NCAA game.
College basketball betting fans know there's money to be made by tracking the Mid-Major teams, especially those outfits likely to make an appearance at March Madness. Let's take look at some of those NCAA Tournament candidates. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Mid-Major teams often don't get the ink many top notch schools do but they can be a presence in both the regular season and the NCAA Tournament. Let's take look at the most likely candidates to take part in the Big Dance. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
They're on the board and they receive automatic bids to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, ample reason why college basketball betting fans need to monitor teams from the 11 mid-major conferences. Let's take look at the most likely candidates to take part in March madness. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
While the majority of college basketball wagering attention is focused on the 11 major conferences, teams from 11 mid-major conferences frequently are on the board and, thanks to an automatic invitation from the NCAA, at least one team from each of those leagues will be at the Big Dance in March. That's reason enough for college basketball betting aficionados to, at a minimum, follow the leading contenders in each of those conferences. Let's take look at the most likely candidates to take part in March madness. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
WAC teams were 7-12-1 as home underdogs last season, a trend that college basketball betting devotees will be tracking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
MVC teams were a collective nine games under .500 as home favorites last season, a statistic college betting fans will checking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Mountain West Conference teams covered 60 percent of the time as road favorites last year, a trend college basketball betting fans will be monitoring this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
With Memphis down for the first time in memory, college basketball betting followers will be watching to see if the other teams in the C-USA try to gain some revenge by crushing the Tigers. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Collectively, A-10 teams were 19 games under .500 versus the pointspread, a statistic that college basketball betting wonks will be watching this winter. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Pac-10 teams were 15 games over .500 ATS versus non-conference foes and played 21 more "over" than "under" games last season, trends college basketball betting fans will be watching this year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Two of the sport's premier attractions, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Miguel "Junito" Cotto, will square off in a special 145-pound catch-weight bout before a packed house at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and an HBO pay-per-view television audience on Nov. 14 in which boxing betting fans will have dozens of wagering options.
Only four of the SEC's 12 teams had winning pointspread records last season, a trend basketball betting devotees will be tracking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Despite it reputation as the nation's deepest and toughest conference, Big East teams were nine games under .500 ATS versus non conference foes last season, a statistic that college basketball betting fans will be eyeing this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Only one Big Ten team, Northwestern, played more "over" games than "under" games last season, a trend that basketball betting aficionados will be monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
Take mighty North Carolina out of the mix and ACC teams were just 54-55-4 ATS outside the conference last season, far from the expected dominance and a college basketball betting trend worth watching. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2006/07 season are in parentheses:
The Big 12 Conference has the best pointspread record over the past seven seasons, a trend that college basketball betting fans will be watching this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season are in parentheses:
We're still a few weeks away from the start of the 2009/10 NCAA men's hoop season but college basketball betting fans need not wait until then to start dipping into their wallets for some much-needed hardcourt action. Future book wagering is open for which team will cut down the nets in Indianapolis, April 5, 2010. What's more, some books also are offering odds on which teams will win their respective conference crowns.
Even if you're strictly a sports betting practitioner, someone who doesn't know an exacta from exact change, it still might be worth your time to take a run at some horse race betting when the windows open for Breeders' Cup XXVI, to be contested this year at Santa Anita Park, Nov. 6-7.
As a whole, Pacific Division teams were 27 games under .500 against the spread last season, a statistic that NBA betting practitioners will be tracking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season in parentheses:
It probably comes as little surprise to NBA betting followers that the three best teams in the division, Denver, Portland and Utah, also were very solid plays at home, notching a 78-53-2 mark against the spread last season, an evolving trend worth watching. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season in parentheses:
Every team in the Southwest Division had a losing record against the spread last season, a trend NBA betting fans will be monitoring carefully again this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season in parentheses:
The Magic has been 30-16-2 against the spread versus Southeast Division foes over the past three seasons, an evolving wagering trend that betting devotees will be eyeing again this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season in parentheses:
The Cavaliers were wagering bullies but three other teams within the division also had winning pointspread records last year, a trend NBA betting aficionados will be tracking this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season in parentheses:
Since acquiring Kevin Garnett, Boston has ruled the division the last two seasons, both straight up and against the spread, trends which NBA betting fans will be monitoring. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2008/09 season in parentheses:
The Lakers are a narrow future book NBA betting favorite over the Cavaliers to win a second straight championship next summer. The matchup, which was expected but did not materialize last season when Cleveland failed to keep up its end of the bargain, would pit the game's two biggest super stars, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, and the Cavaliers' LeBron James, against each other in a bonanza for TV ratings.
While 90 percent of NFL betting action is on the pointspread, there are some gamblers who find value in totals, the wagering pursuit where you bet whether the combined points scored by the teams in an individual game are over or under a prescribed number. Other gamblers believe that "totals," as they're called, are sucker bets, another diversion designed by the house to separate the player from his money. Of course, if that were true, bookmakers wouldn't have to place such severe restrictions on over/under wagering.
Since the introduction of the 17-week schedule to the NFL in 1990, every team has enjoyed a week off during the regular season, a scheduling phenomenon that has created yet another wagering variable for NFL betting fans to consider. Savvy gamblers will tell you this is a good development; that the more complex the betting equation, the better the opportunity to find advantages where the less focused, less disciplined and less determined bettor fears to tread.
Monday Night Football has been broadcast into homes across America since 1970, adding an extra day to the gridiron weekend that has been both used and abused by ardent NFL betting enthusiasts over the past 40 years. Because it is the final game of the week, MNF often is the difference between winning and losing for bet makers and bet takers alike.
It's not the last game of the week but when NBC took over and began flexing its muscles in 2006 by commanding a strong schedule, Sunday Night Football quickly became a wagering staple for NFL betting fans.
Despite a 21-month absence from the ring following a hasty retirement and a subsequent injury, Floyd Mayweather Jr. opened as a solid -400 favorite (bet $400 to win $100) to beat Juan Manuel Marquez in a welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Sept. 19. Take back +300 (bet $100 to win $300) on Marquez.
Arizona eked out a winning record against the spread last season but over the past five years this is the worst performing pointspread division in the league, a trend NFL betting aficionados will be watching closely again this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
With fewer wagering opportunities than any other team sport, NFL betting places a premium on gamblers to get off to a quick start. That again will be the case when the NFL kicks off another season, Sept. 10.
No system, especially one designed to earn a profit at college football betting, is foolproof but some gamblers have reported success matching the dispassionate "scientific" approach of mathematician Jeff Sagarin against the Las Vegas wagering line.
Every team in the NFC South held its own against the spread, especially in non-division play where the four teams were a combined 24-14-2 ATS last season, a statistic that NFL betting enthusiasts surely will be monitoring this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
The division enjoyed a combined 22-16-2 pointspread record in other neighborhoods last season, attesting to the overall strength of the NFC East. The division draws the weak AFC West this year so more wagering success is likely, though NFL betting fans will want to watch for inflated lines. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
Defending champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams opened as future book favorites to successfully defend their respective men's and women's singles titles at the final Major of the year, the US Open Tennis Championship in Flushing Meadows, New York, Aug. 31-Sept. 13.
The Colts have won at least 12 games every year since 2003 but it's the Titans, who are 31-19 against the spread overall and 14-4 versus the number within the division the last three seasons, who have been best wagering friends to NFL betting enthusiasts. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
Pittsburgh hasn't had a losing pointspread season since 2002 and Baltimore was one of the league's best against the spread last year, trends that NFL betting devotees undoubtedly will be monitoring this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
Just five of the Sun Belt Conference's nine teams have pointspread records dating back nine years so there's not a great statistical data base for bettors. Among independents, only Navy has been a decent play versus the number since 2000. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Although he failed to win any of the year?s first three Major events, oddsmakers are sticking with Tiger Woods, installing the world?s No. 1 ranked golfer as a 5/2 favorite in PGA Championship future book golf betting. Woods, who boasts four PGA Championship titles among his 14 Major victories, will head a field of 156 golfers who tee off for the season?s final Major, at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, Aug. 13-16.
For a great many NFL betting enthusiasts, their initial wager of the 2009 season won't be on the first game of the upcoming campaign but on the last. Future book betting on the 2010 Super Bowl, where prices are far more generous than the usual 10/11 odds gamblers readily accept on individual games, is a nice way to start the gridiron betting season.
Just five of the Sun Belt Conference's nine teams have pointspread records dating back nine years so there's not a great statistical data base for bettors. Among independents, only Navy has been a decent play versus the number since 2000. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
The Mid-American Conference was better than expected out of conference, finishing 28-21 ATS last season, a trend that college football betting aficionados will be watching this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Teams from the MWC were 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS versus the Pac-10 last year while producing the nation's only major undefeated team (Utah) so followers of college football betting know better than to dismiss he league as just some wagering weak sister. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Rice and East Carolina are the only Conference USA teams to enjoy a winning pointspread record over the last nine seasons, a trend college football betting enthusiasts are sure to watch carefully this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
College football betting fans again will be watching to see if the WAC, as it was last season when members posted a record of 12-21 ATS, is a "go-against" conference again this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
It's easy to underestimate the Big East but six of the league's eight teams went to bowls last season and conference teams are 66-51-1 ATS outside the Big East the past three seasons, a statistic that should be of great interest to devotees of college football betting. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Pac-10 teams were 19-15 ATS in non-conference games and were 4-1 ATS in bowls, trends that college football betting followers will be tracking this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
The ACC sent 10 teams to bowls last season, compiling a 7-3 record ATS, a show of national strength that college football betting fans will be eyeing this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Big 12 play produced an average of 67 points per game last year leaving college football betting devotees to wonder if "over" is the way to go again this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Tiger Woods opened as a consensus 9/4 future book favorite to capture his fourth British Open Championship, in Turnberry, Scotland, July 16-19. Two-time defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland is the distant second choice at odds of 14/1.
Big Ten teams were just 15-26-1 ATS in non-conference games last year, adding to the perception that the league really isn't that good any more, a trend college football betting enthusiasts will monitor this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
The SEC may be the strongest conference but its teams were just 25-22 ATS versus non-league foes last year, something college football betting fans will watch this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2008 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
One of the best ways to achieve college football betting success early in the season is to identify those teams that have improved enough from the previous year that oddsmakers may be behind the pointspread curve.
Just as NFL future book betting has evolved to include the winners of the AFC and NFC Championships as well as the league's eight divisions, college football betting has expanded to encompass future book wagering on which teams will earn titles in the six major BCS conferences.
It's usually right around this time, after Lord Stanley has had his Cup hoisted, when the NBA Playoffs finally have crowned a league champion, and when the prospect of another three months of Major League Baseball begins to wear on even the heartiest of wagering souls, that gamblers begin to turn their attention to the upcoming college football betting season.
Their results may have been different in France but Roger Federer and Serena Williams each cross the Channel to England as tennis betting favorites to win respective men's and women's singles titles at the Wimbledon Championships, outside London, June 22-July 5.
"There are three kinds of lies," wrote Benjamin Disraeli, "lies, damned lies and statistics." Devotees of the oft-quoted British Prime Minister (1874-1880) will have to forgive baseball betting fans if they differ with him on the value of statistics.
We're about a third of the way through the regular season, a time when many Major League Baseball betting fans assess their future book wagers and look to improve their position. It turns out that MLB futures also reveal quite a bit about day-to-day baseball betting, as well.
Since bursting on the scene more than a decade ago and quickly establishing himself as the man to beat in every tournament he enters, the fundamental question for golf betting fans always has been whether to take a short price on Tiger Woods or whether to shop for longer odds and wager on someone else.
Horse racing betting fans were left wondering if Rachel Alexandra would join the boys in the in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 6 after the filly worked a half mile at Churchill Downs, Monday, May 25.
Fans of boxing betting may be eying a wagering parlay when HBO presents a fight doubleheader featuring a pair of rising stars against a couple of aging former title holders, from Ft. Lauderdale, May 30.
The World Series of Poker, which began nearly four decades ago with less than a dozen players, has grown into the biggest and richest poker game in the world, an event so large in size and stature that gamblers now can bet on the poker betting. Last year, nearly 55,000 card players fought it out for some $180 million in prize money, numbers that could be aced this year.
Rafael Nadal is an overwhelming choice to win a fifth consecutive men's singles title but on the women's side, au contraire, where as many as four ladies can claim to be the tennis betting favorite to capture individual glory on the red clay courts at the French Open in Paris, beginning May 24.
Helio Castroneves had the beat and beat the federal government. Now, with Indy 500 future books listing him as the favorite, can he beat the odds and win America's most revered motor race, May 24?
If winning the Triple Crown, a task that's been accomplished just 11 times in 133 years, is the ultimate achievement for any thoroughbred, then having a winning wager on each of the three races is a primary goal for any horse racing betting enthusiast.
Horse racing betting fans, eager to forge ahead to the second jewel in the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, May 16, might aid their handicapping cause by first looking back at the results of the May 2 Kentucky Derby.
Boxing betting enthusiasts understand that fighting styles, motivation and conditioning can be almost as important in determining the outcome of a fight--and a wager--as talent. But this time gamblers also will have to ponder whether injury will be a factor when Chad Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs) defends his IBF lightweight championship in a rematch against Antonio Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs) in Las Vegas, May 9.
The NFL Draft had its impact on NFL betting as 13 off the league's 32 teams had their Super Bowl future book odds adjusted at the conclusion of the personnel lottery in New York City, April 25-26.
It's been more than three decades since Affirmed became thoroughbred racing's 11th and last Triple Crown winner, compelling evidence that whether your game is horse racing betting or horse racing breeding, a horse's pedigree and the best intentions do not assure success.
Horse racing betting fans, long famous for carping about the difficulty of handicapping races, will have a legitimate complaint when the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby is contested at Churchill Downs, May 2.
There hasn't been a winner of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown in more than three decades but the trio of races that comprise the triad, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, also pose quite the challenge for horse race betting fans, as well.
With its wager-friendly dime line and the inability of bookmakers to influence the outcome of games through a pointspread, baseball betting may be a player's best bet.
The latest version of the British Invasion to America's shores means that boxing betting fans will be tested on successive Saturday nights, April 25 and May 2.
The daily six-month drudgery of money lines and game totals that is baseball betting can wear on any gambler but there are other, far less intensive and much more enjoyable ways to wager on America's pastime.
NBA betting enthusiasts who wagered on games during the regular season will need to address a whole new set of challenges when the playoffs tip off in mid April.
For the past decade or so, the fundamental question facing golf betting enthusiasts has been whether to bet on Tiger Woods or against him. Once again, gamblers will have to ask and answer that query when Woods and some 125 other of the world's premier golfers tee off at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, April 9-12.
Boxing betting will get a boost when Showtime and HBO bring the action to gamblers during the first two weekends of April. As has conclusively been proven by other sports, most notably football, events that appear on television generate more activity at the betting windows.
The big risk, big reward strategy that is an inherent part of future book Kentucky Derby betting, never has been more evident that this year when several winter favorites stumbled in the spring on their way to the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
From a baseball betting standpoint, there was no more inept division than the National League West last year. In fact, all five teams were losing wagers overall, posting unit losses (if you bet on a team every game it played) from -5.3 to -37.2.
The teams that were good on the field in the National League Central division also were pretty good to baseball betting fans last year. On the other cleat, the two division teams with losing records, the Reds and the Pirates, rarely merited a gambler's devotion in 2008, trends that are more likely than not to continue in the approaching season.
Not surprisingly, the two teams in the National League East Division that were better than expected, the Phillies and Marlins, also surged at the baseball betting windows last year. But will higher expectations in 2009 take away that crutch from baseball betting fans?
The only suspense in this division will be at the baseball betting windows where gamblers see if LA's field dominance again translates to some wallet-fattening or if bookmakers adjust their money line prices to such an extent that the Angeles become a betting liability.
The Twins, Indians, Tigers and White Sox all have a legitimate chance to win the AL Central title but although these teams are evenly matched on the field, baseball betting enthusiasts know that won't necessarily be the case at the wagering windows.
Seemingly, all it took was exorcizing the name "Devil" from their names for the Tampa Bay Rays to become not just an on-field success, but a baseball betting powerhouse in the American League East last season.>Seemingly, all it took was exorcizing the name "Devil" from their names for the Tampa Bay Rays to become not just an on-field success, but a baseball betting powerhouse in the American League East last season.
While NASCAR still has more auto race betting horsepower, Formula 1 and Indy Car competition, which rev up with their respective season openers Mar. 29 and April 5, each have been gaining speed with wagering wonks, recently.
"April is the cruelest month" wrote T.S. Eliot, who probably didn't have Major League baseball betting on his mind when he first put pen to paper to scribble those words. But for anyone who's endured the daily six-month grind of wagering on America's National Pastime, April can seem like little more than the start of a long and difficult journey that has no certain destination or outcome.
The Super Bowl attracts more attention but many sports betting fans believe the opening round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, which tips off March 17 this year, is the best wagering opportunity of the year.
College basketball betting will reach an insane pitch this month with March Madness but you can avoid a trip to the asylum and maybe even make a few bucks by observing a few simple rules when wagering on the 2009 Men's Basketball Championship.
Wagering interest won't be nearly as keen as was on the Super Bowl but with a viewing audience of some two billion people, sportsbooks aren't about to let the Academy Awards be handed out in Los Angeles on Feb. 22 without offering that enormous pool of potential gamblers some Oscar betting with their popcorn.
They may still be celebrating Florida's BCS title in Gainesville but college football betting fans across the country already are looking to next season, eyeing a future book on whether the Gators will repeat or whether some other team will end the 2009 campaign ranked No. 1.
Students of college basketball betting will have to crack open a book before testing their wagering skills on the Ivy League. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Horizon League teams were 51-40-2 ATS outside their conference a year ago, trend college basketball betting enthusiasts surely will be watching this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
The over/under for the conference's eight teams was 99-134-3, giving college basketball betting technicians a solid trend. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
For the second straight season, the five MAAC teams that won 18 or more games straight up also had winning records against the spread, a trend college basketball betting enthusiasts will be monitoring this year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
The teams with the three best SU records also had the best ATS marks, a trend college basketball betting fans will be monitoring this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Despite a faltering economy, NASCAR betting shows no signs of running out of gas any time soon. Even the start of the 2009 Sprint Cup season, which puts tires to the racetrack at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15 - the Budweiser Shootout, Feb. 7, is a non-scoring event--demonstrates how stock car racing can attract an expanding audience despite a defiance of conventional wisdom.
With Friday the 13th on the calendar for both February and March (and, for those of you scoring at home, November, as well) superstitious athletes, sports betting fans and sportsbooks may be knocking on wood for the next couple of months.
With and the start of the NFL preseason still more than five months away, bookmakers quickly rushed to fill the wagering void by offering future book prices on which team will win Super Bowl XLIV in Dolphin Stadium, in Miami, Feb. 7, 2010.
All seven teams that had a losing straight up won/lost record also were unsuccessful against the pointspread last season, a trend that college basketball betting followers will be watching again this year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
College basketball betting followers should expect the unexpected in an Ohio Valley Conference that could look a lot different than last year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
College basketball betting aficionados made a bundle betting "over" in the Big Sky, a trend they'll be tracking again this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Only four of the Sun Belt Conference's 13 teams had winning records against the spread, a trend college basketball betting followers will be watching this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
One trend, as it has in the previous six seasons, again was validated last year: Straight up (SU) losers are losers against the spread (ATS), too. In fact, of the 11 teams that had SU regular season losing records in 2008, not a single one of them had a winning record ATS:
With its enormous payoffs but slim chances for success, golf betting is something less than an ideal wagering pursuit for weak-kneed gamblers who might be prone to choke over a two-foot putt.
As regular readers (thanks, Mom) will recall, this is the time of the season when we pit art against science in an annual college football betting ritual matching the Nevada oddsmaking community against a man and his computer models.
Conference bully Davidson again had the best pointspread record last year, something students of college basketball betting will be watching this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
VCU not only did it on the court but also proved kindest to college basketball betting devotees of the CAA last season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
College basketball betting fans will take note that only three of the conference's nine teams had winning pointspread records last season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Big 12 teams were 70-57-2 ATS outside their conference last season, providing a winning trend for students of college basketball betting. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Atlantic 10 basketball betting junkies profited from the league's 83-64-2 non-conference ATS mark last season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
College basketball betting followers did well going against the WAC in one-conference games (33-57-2 ATS) and will be watching that trend this year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Missouri Valley Conference teams were worth a wager at home last year, something college basketball betting followers will be monitoring this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Memphis gets most of the coverage but college basketball betting fans know that other Conference USA teams may be better pointspread plays than the Tigers. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
The teams with the best records also were the best bets in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year, a trend which college basketball betting fans will watch closely this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
College basketball betting fans have to be careful gauging the ever-changing power struggle in the Big Ten. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
For all its prowess, only five of 16 Big East teams had winning records against the number last season, something college basketball betting devotees will be watching closely this year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Only three of the Pac-10's teams failed to post a winning pointspread record last season, making the league a favorite of college basketball betting fans. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
There should be a lot of volatility in the SEC, forcing college basketball betting aficionados to stay on their wagering toes this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
NCAA hoops, which are pushing the NFL for the most popular wagering sport among North American gamblers, won't tip off until November but college basketball betting fans can get an early start on the action right now.
Motivation should be the only question as bettor-friendly Boston seeks a second straight NBA championship after competing in the NBA's weakest division. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2007/08 season are in parentheses:
Sports betting darling Detroit should be able to hold off Cleveland in a division that always offers many wagering opportunities. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2006/07 season are in parentheses:
The Magic were also magic to NBA betting fans last season but a rising Heat and a dangerous team of Wizards may have something to say about that this year. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2006/07 season are in parentheses:
Having emerged as a serious contender last season two or three years before most predicted, don't expect the Jazz to wait around for the rest of the division to catch them. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2006/07 season are in parentheses:
The Lakers not only were the best team but the best pointspread team in the division a year ago. The former may be easier to achieve than the latter this season. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2006/07 season are in parentheses:
It would be wagering justice if New Orleans, the team with the best pointspread record in the Western Conference last season, won it all this time, which is a distinct possibility. Straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS), and over/under (O/U) records for the 2006/07 season are in parentheses:
Minnesota and Green Bay were a combined 13-5-2 ATS outside the division last year, a trend which could continue this season for those two NFC North contenders.
The US Open Tennis Championship takes center court in Flushing Meadows, New York, beginning Aug. 25 but for the first time in recent wagering memory oddsmakers can't even agree on which players should be made the tennis betting favorites to win the men's and women's singles titles in the year's fourth and final Major.
New England's dream season ended in a nightmare in the Super Bowl but it's difficult to see how the Patriots won't dominate this division again, certainly straight up and probably against the spread, as well.
There's not much separating Pittsburgh and Cleveland at the top of the division this year and, come to think of it, Cincinnati and Baltimore at the bottom.
Just five of the Sun Belt Conference's nine teams have pointspread records dating back eight years so there's not a great statistical data base for bettors. Among independents, only Navy has been a reliable play since 2000.
The Giants may have won Super Bowl LXII just five months ago but in a lack of NFL betting respect only the late Rodney Dangerfield could appreciate, New York isn't even favored to win its own division this season.
The Giants may have won Super Bowl LXII just five months ago but in a lack of NFL betting respect only the late Rodney Dangerfield could appreciate, New York isn't even favored to win its own division this season.
Only one Conference USA team, East Carolina, has enjoyed a winning pointspread record over the last eight seasons, so there are wagering opportunities here.
The WAC may not be at the top of every gambler's list but many of the conference's teams have fallen into statistically reliable betting categories over the past decade.
With two-time defending champion Tiger Woods still in rehab following June knee surgery, golf betting fans shouldn't have any difficulty finding value at the final Major of the year, the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, Aug. 7-10.
Olympic Games betting never has enjoyed the action of a World Cup, a Wimbledon, an NBA Championship or a World Series, but the inclusion of soccer, tennis, basketball and baseball, not to mention dozens of other sports popular in different parts of the globe, should ensure that the bi-annual five-ring circus, which gets underway in Beijing, August 8, will keep both bet makers and takers hopping.
The continued popularity of NFL preseason betting can be linked to America's growing addiction to anything football. Bettors, particularly those in the United States who have survived a five-month hiatus from their favorite wagering sport, seem unwilling (or unable) to endure another five weeks before the NFL preseason.
Pac-10 teams were 21-14 ATS outside their conference last season but don't appear to be as strong, overall, this year. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2007 records, returning starters (RS) - including kickers - and returning lettermen (RL) in parentheses:
Don't go to sleep on the Big East. Conference teams were 22-16-1 ATS outside their league last year and, if history is a guide, could be undervalued and underestimated by oddsmakers again in 2008.
When it comes to boxing betting, anything that removes the outcome from the hands of the judges is preferable, thus the affection gamblers have for those knockout prone heavyweights who seem to rarely leave matters to the ringside pencil-pushers.
For the greater part of a decade, when it came to golf betting, the key question always was whether to take a short price on Tiger Woods or put your cash on some other player at much longer odds.
If gamblers accept assurances that doping scandals truly are a thing of the past, then Tour de France betting should get a wagering boost when the world's most revered bicycle race wheels out of the western naval port of Brest on July 5 to start its annual three-week journey across the country before concluding with a ride down the Champs-Elysees in Paris, July 27.
Anyone who is contemplating a round of golf betting tees off by asking themselves if Tiger Woods, the world's No. 1 ranked player and the most dominating force on the links since Jack Nicklaus, is worth the price.
Favorites may have been dominate in recent years but if you want to do more than just scratch the surface of French Open Tennis Championship betting, look to, well, the surface.
Legendary oddsmaker Roxy Roxborough was fond of saying that NFL betting is part reality and part perception, a description that aptly fits this year's recently concluded NFL draft.
The first thing you should know about Preakness Stakes betting is that it's even farther removed from the Kentucky Derby, the opening leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown, than the 494 miles that separate Louisville from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the site of the triad's middle jewel, May 17.
Rain may have washed away the race's second round of qualifying on May 11 but many bookmakers, looking for maximum wagering mileage, raced to open their windows for Indy 500 betting on the annual Memorial weekend American racing classic at the Brickyard, Sunday, May 25.
The Kentucky Derby, dubbed "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports," surely is the greatest two minutes in horse race betting and, come to think of it, probably also is the two greatest minutes in sports betting.
Don't get too cocky if you did well betting NBA basketball during the regular season because the playoffs, which tip-off at the end of this month, are a whole new ball game for gamblers.
Joe Calzaghe has never lost (44-0, 32 knockouts) so it shouldn't come as
a major surprise that the former super middleweight champion of the world opened as a solid favorite
to continue his unbeaten streak before HBO's cameras at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, April 19.
As the only one of golf's four major events that can boast a permanent home course, betting The Masters is a little more predictable than golf betting in general.
It was in early 1992, just after the successfully concluded Gulf War, when the first President Bush had a popularity rating of 90 percent that Roxy Roxborough, the nation's preeminent price maker at the time, came under fire for political future book betting odds he'd posted on the upcoming US presidential election.
The best two sports betting days of the year, the opening round of the NCAA
Men's Basketball Tournament, dribbles into the wagering picture on March 20 and
21 and gamblers already are sharpening their attacks for the 32-game onslaught.
There's no doubt that the Red Sox and Yankees are the bullies of the American League East but baseball betting aficionados understand that straight up achievement doesn't always translate to wagering success, arguing for a more sophisticated analysis of the upcoming Major League Baseball campaign.
The Indians were the surprise team in the American League Central Division a year ago, not only winning on the field, but at the wagering windows, as well.
The Angels may have coasted to a comfortable victory in the AL West but astute
MLB betting fans also were able to find winning plays for the other three teams
in the division last year.
Proving that MLB betting is a difficult pursuit for even the most studious sports bettor, the Nationals, who finished a distant fourth in the NL East, were a lot more reliable a bet that the heralded Mets, who were in the division hunt until the final weekend of the season, last year.
The Cubs won last year's National League Central title (and are favored to do
so again in 2008) but savvy baseball betting fans were more than able to find
wagering nuggets throughout the division by either betting on or against
certain teams in certain situations.
With four teams over .500 and three teams involved in the post-season (the
Rockies beat the Padres in a one-game playoff for the wild card), the National
League West was a high-profile division last season, not just for baseball fans
but for fans of MLB betting.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series puts pedals to the metal later this month but sports betting enthusiasts need not wait a minute longer to jump start their wagering engines.
While most of us have bid farewell to 2007, it's not too late for one final look back at the athletes, administrators and journalists who have given the arena of sports and sports betting such fabulous lip service over the past 12 months
With over half the NBA regular season complete, this would be both a convenient and appropriate time for NBA betting fans to take a detailed look back at the more than 600 games that have been played
The teams had barely left bone-chilling Lambeau Field in Green Bay when the word arrived from up high (actually, the second floor of a building in Las Vegas)
It was the colorfully named "Deep Throat" who, cloaked in a dark and desolate parking garage in the motion picture, "All the President's Men," admonished Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to "follow the money" in the Watergate investigation.
Shouldn't anyone eyeing a serious sports bet or three on the NFL Playoffs have their TV remote set to the Weather Channel? Don't games where there is snow, rain and/or wind favor the underdog?
Sports betting, particularly football betting, has become significantly more sophisticated over the past decade with players mining years of research in an effort to gain an edge on sports books.
Sports betting, particularly football betting, has become significantly more sophisticated over the past decade with players mining years of research in an effort to gain an edge on sports books.
A 23-59-3 pointspread record outside their league last season tells college basketball betting followers all they need to know about the prowess of the Ohio Valley Conference teams.
The four MAAC teams that won 18 or more games straight up also had winning records against the spread last season, a trend college basketball betting enthusiasts will be monitoring this year.
The conference's only 20-game winner also was the only reliable pointspread play, an emerging trend that college basketball betting aficionados will be watching this season.
With a non-conference record of 41-51-1 ATS, college basketball betting followers of the Sun Belt Conference had to be careful picking their wagering spots last season.
All five teams that had a winning straight up won/lost record also were successful against the spread last season, something college basketball betting followers will be eyeing this year.
Conference bully Davidson also had the best pointspread record last year, something students of college basketball betting will be watching this season.
The three teams that won 20 or more games, Butler, Wright State and Illinois-Chicago, also had the best pointspread records a year ago, a trend college basketball betting enthusiasts surely will be watching this season.
Six of the eight teams had losing pointspread records outside the conference, an indication to college basketball betting technicians to tread lightly with this group.
Sports betting, particularly football betting, has become significantly more sophisticated over the past decade with players mining years of research in an effort to gain an edge on sports books.
The Big 12 played just .500 ball ATS outside the conference last year, leaving students of basketball betting to ponder if the league will be as good as advertised this season.
The Pac-10 could be the nation's strongest hoop loop this year, hardly a surprise to college basketball betting fans who backed the league's teams to the tune of a 63-48-3 ATS record versus non-conference foes.
Back-to-back titles by Florida and a 77-63-2 out-of-conference ATS record have alerted every college basketball betting aficionado to the power of the SEC.
Sports betting, particularly football betting, has become significantly more sophisticated over the past decade with players mining years of research in an effort to gain an edge on sports books.
Sports betting, particularly football betting, has become significantly more sophisticated over the past decade with players mining years of research in an effort to gain an edge on sports books.
Of the eight teams in the Sun Belt conference, only two, Troy and Middle Tennessee, had winning records last year and just one, Troy, is above .500 for the past seven seasons.
Western Michigan and Toledo look solid but overall the MAC appears mediocre at best with a quartet of teams (Miami, Temple, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan) having won two or fewer games last season.
Southern Mississippi and Houston, the winners of the respective East and West divisions of CUSA last season, again will be the teams to beat this year.
For the second year in a row, there could be another undefeated BCS bound team from the WAC, only this season it's more likely to be Hawaii than Boise State.
The MWC is a league with three strong teams and six weak ones with BYU, TCU and Utah clearly in position to dominate. The Cougars get the nod because they get to play both the Horned Frogs and Utes at home this year.
Either West Virginia or Louisville - but not both - could have a chance to play for the national championship. The teams meet before a Thursday night national television audience in Morgantown, Nov. 8. Notre Dame will be the best of the three independents, though Navy may have more victories this season.
Oklahoma and Texas meet in the Red River Shootout in the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 6 in a contest that could decide one of the representatives in the BCS title tilt.
USC will begin the year as the top team in the nation, a position the Trojans will have a good chance of defending, if they can negotiate road trips to Oregon and California.
With HBO as an unwitting accomplice, betting on boxing should move to the top of the sportsbook betting menu around the globe over the first three Saturdays in July.
The Mets came within a game of the World Series and hope that better health, especially in the pitching staff, and a good mix of emerging young players and veteran performers, will get them to the October Classic this year.
Chicago's fall from World Series champion to also-ran can be traced to a pitching staff that yielded exactly one more run per game (3.61 to 4.61) than in 2005.
The Yankees scored the most runs in baseball last year and a lineup that features Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Hidecki Matsui, Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano figures to be every bit as potent this season.
While betting totals for the Feb. 25 Academy Awards won't approach what was wagered on Super Bowl XLI earlier in the month, with a worldwide television audience estimated at more than two billion people, there's plenty of incentive - including cultivating a slew of new bettors - for sportsbooks to post prices on many of the top categories.
While the end of one year and the start of another always bring about a measure of self - examination for the gambler, it should be comforting to know that over the eons, other people, some of great fame, repute and disrepute, have pondered the complexities of sports betting, gambling and luck, as well...
NBA betting is a lot like baseball betting; a player needs discipline and stamina to deal with the daily drain of a long and debilitating six-month season.
The 23rd edition of the Breeders' Cup - renamed the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships five years ago to give it a sense of global importance - comes to Churchill Downs (and sportsbooks everywhere), Nov. 4 so even if you're not one who regularly plays the ponies, this is the time to make horse betting your passion.
Astute bookmakers - most other types soon are wearing paper hats at fast food joints - realize that the greater the number of wagering choices in an NFL betting equation, the easier it is for them to hide the vigorish.
Friday the 13th looms large in the sports betting world, forcing bet makers and bet takers alike to superstitiously cross their fingers even though there's no credible evidence that the second Friday of this month will carry more risk than any other day.
Chicago Bears (11-5 SU, 9-5-2 ATS, 4-11-1 O/U): The Bears gave up the fewest points in the NFL last year and dominated their NFC North rivals by a wide margin, trends which should continue in 2006.
Here are thumbnail sketches of the NC East and NFC West teams. Numbers in parentheses indicate last year's straight up (SU), against the spread (ATS) and over/under (O/U) records...
The Greek Sportsbook released the opening betting lines for the first week of college football. As most online sports bettors rejoice at the prospects of the upcoming season, The Greek continues previewing the BCS conferences.
AFC North: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS, 8-6-2 O/U): The Steelers lost several key players, including Antwaan Randle El, from last year's Super Bowl winning team but the biggest loss is the one that didn't happen, to QB Ben Roethlisberger, who seems to have recovered from a motorcycle accident.
The Greek Sportsbook recently released future book odds for baseball's postseason awards. Online sports bettors will find some intriguing opportunities in the Cy Young, Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards.
The Greek Sportsbook is currently offering college football game-day lines, as well as odds on the conference champions, season 'over/under' win totals and the winner of the Heisman trophy.
Some people are critical about the quality of the NFL exhibition season. However, for the sharp bettor, there can be an abundance of good opportunities.
Fed an August diet of preseason games where motivation was questionable and lines and betting limits reflected a queasiness of confidence, you can't blame gridiron gamblers or the bet takers at The Greek Sportsbook if they're starved for some real NFL betting when the regular season starts this month.
The dog days of summer are here but that doesn't mean that baseball bettors, panting from the daily drudgery of the sport, have to roll over and play dead.
Handicapping Mistake #5: There are several tried and true rules of the game, such as, "Never bet a horse to do something he hasn't done before," "Never bet a 3-year-old against older horses in the spring," "Never bet fillies against colts," "Never bet maidens versus winners," and "Never bet the highest weighted horse on a muddy track," which always should be followed.
Handicapping Mistake #4: Public prognosticators can help you win. Those who can, do. Those who can't, make selections in newspapers or via a telephone service, hold seminars or write books.
The Heisman Trophy is awarded in early December, but its outcome can be wagered on now. The Greek was the first online sportsbook to release lines on the Heisman.
Handicapping Mistake #3: Class will tell: "Years ago, before there were reliable speed figures and when there were fewer horses and fewer racetracks, class might have meant something. Today, there's no such thing as class," said the professional horse player.
Handicapping Mistake #2: Never let the tote board influence your wagering decisions: "You couldn't possibly make a dumber statement," one of Nevada's best professional horse bettors who asked that his name not be used.
The planet's biggest and most widely bet sporting event, the World Cup of Soccer, kicks off in Germany June 9 and it's no surprise that the globe's grandest and most innovative bet taker, The Greek Sports Book, already has a series of prices posted for the 32-nation extravaganza that makes America's Super Bowl look like a provincial backyard game of touch football.
Last time out, The Greek Sportsbook examined the four handicapping pillars - speed, pace, track bias and value - on which a foundation of successful horse race betting is based.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither, for that matter, was Athens so if you're planning to bet on horses with The Greek Sportsbook, it would be wise to analyze the four essential pillars on which race handicapping is constructed...
With the Greek Sportsbook offering a myriad of wagering options on thousands of games each season, sophisticated gamblers understand that in order to be successful betting online on Major League Baseball, a player needs to concentrate on eight core factors...
The Kentucky Derby won't be run until the first Saturday in May but The Greek Sportsbook already has prices posted and is accepting wagers on the 132nd Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.
With The Greek Sportsbook offering a money line, runs line and total on every Major League Baseball game, that's 2,430 regular season baseball games, you wouldn't think there'd be any need to expand the sports betting menu beyond those appetizers.
The 2005/06 NFL season has come and gone and the 2006/07 campaign still is a couple of months away but before the handicapping buzzards pick the carcass clean, it's time to wash up, put on our scrubs, make like Kay Scarpetta or Temperence Brennan (or any other medical examiner on your fiction reading list) and perform a pointspread postmortem.
Shouldn't sportswriters, journalists and commentators know something about odds and oddsmaking before they issue proclamations and offer opinions on gambling?
Defending champion Tiger Woods opened as a strong +175 favorite (bet $100 to win $175) to win his fifth Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, April 6-9, but if that price is a little too short for your wagering taste, The Greek Sports Book is offering double-digit odds (and more) on every other golfer in the elite field.
The shout of "play ball" has yet to arrive at Major League Baseball Stadiums but it's not too early to place a future book wager or three on the upcoming season, which begins April 2.
Whoever coined the phrase, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" couldn't have been a fan of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, which roars into arenas, living rooms, wagering outlets and onto computer screens this month.
Formula One racing celebrates its centennial this year, a season that promises to be among the most challenging - but potentially rewarding - for bettors in the 100-year history of the sport.
If you can't wait for the "March Madness" that is the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament then try out the "February Frenzy" that is the Match Play Golf Championship in Carlsbad, California, this week.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is favored to win the battle but Tony Stewart is favored to win the war when the NASCAR Nextel Cup season roars out of the garage with the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida, Sunday.
It may be the calendar's shortest month but with the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympic Games and the start of the NASCAR Nextel Cup season all packed within its 28 days, February figures to be long on both wagering options and activity.
Hardwood hysteria continues to build on college campuses this month, presenting the bettor with a set of challenges and considerations that have a limited application to the NBA.
Astute bookmakers - most other types soon are wearing paper hats at fast food joints - realize that the greater the number of wagering choices in a betting equation, the more vigorish that can get passed along to the gambler.
