Penn State Chasing 2011 Big Ten Football Championship
June 27, 2011
Legendary Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions enter 2011 off a mediocre 7-6 campaign ending with a 37-24 loss to Florida in the Outback bowl. Since 2005 Penn State has averaged 9.67 wins per campaign. In that mix the Blue and White earned three 11 win seasons. With 45 returning letterman, we look for the Nits to challenge for the Big Ten title. Go inside for our season preview and the point spread possibilities. Coaching Don’t become alarmed, but Joe Paterno does not have a contract extending...
Updated Odds to Win the 2011 World Series
June 27, 2011
With another month in the books for the MLB, we see more and more surprises. Texas is starting to separate themselves from the rest of the AL West. The AL Central has only 1 game difference for the top spot between Cleveland and Detroit. However, the Indian’s are looking more consistent. The coveted AL East is always an epic. Baltimore and Toronto wouldn’t be able to field a decent team if they joined forces. Only 2 1/2 games decide the fate of the top 3 in Tampa Bay, New York, and Boston. Tampa...
Handicapping Recent Streaks
June 27, 2011
One of the many great challenges in handicapping sports is the understanding that it’s not easy to predict the future. That’s essentially what oddsmakers and handicappers do in attempting to set/wager on a number regarding a sporting event. There are many different ways to analyze games, from matchups, to trends, to pure stats, to coaching, to situational handicapping. A successful handicapper over the long haul understands that, no matter how sound your analysis, anything can happen. We saw...
Baseball Handicapping: Bullpens
June 27, 2011
Starting pitchers in baseball get much of the attention (and money) thrown their way. The average starter is asked to go 6-7 innings, while aces are expected to give 7-8 quality innings. Many games are decided in the last three innings, however, making relief pitchers an extremely important, and often overlooked, element. The use of effective relievers is nothing new. Specialized closers were around in the 1960s, with terrific relievers like Dick Radatz, John Hiller, Luis Arroyo and knuckeballer...
MLB Betting: Hot and Cold Streaks!
June 13, 2011
Baseball is a game of stats and streaks. The Red Sox started this season 2-10 and had all kinds of problems with pitching, injuries and an ice cold offense. However, they made some minor adjustments, got their starting staff straightened out and have been playing great baseball the last two months, back in the pennant race. Three years ago the Tigers started the season losing 7 straight games, despite being favored in the first five. The Angels went 14-1 under the total that May when their offense...
Baseball Betting Tips: Speed
June 13, 2011
There’s been a huge emphasis on power in baseball over the last decade. Certainly there’s been a lot focus on bulk and home runs, speed as an extremely important, and often overlooked, aspect of winning baseball. Speed isn’t simply stolen bases, although that’s one part of the equation. Speed is also the ability of a player to go from first to third, or turning a single into a double. And defense in the outfield. And speed is a huge asset, along with on base percentage, with...
MLB Odds: Surprise Teams Good for the Book
June 9, 2011
Not many people expected Cleveland to be one of the best teams in baseball. Nor did many think Arizona would be neck and neck with the World Series champs. They didn’t believe Seattle had much of a chance either. And they especially didn’t foresee Pittsburgh flirting with .500. But all four of those teams have failed to live up (or down) to their preseason expectations. The Indians are first in the AL Central, the Diamondbacks are challenging the Giants in the NL West, and the Mariners are within...
Baseball Handicapping: Lefty/Righty Dynamics
June 7, 2011
In football it’s interesting and unique to have a left-handed quarterback, like Boomer Esiason or Kenny Stabler. The same thing is true in basketball. It doesn’t make any difference if an ace point guard dribbles the ball primarily with his left hand, or a pivot man shoots left handed. It’s something to talk about or point out, but it doesn’t affect play on the field. That’s not the case in baseball. Lefty/righty dynamics are a significant aspect of the game. A team must have one or two...
Updated Odds To Win the 2011 World Series
June 6, 2011
Well, sports fans with just about a week left in the NBA, sports enthusiasts must rely on baseball to make money and to get their sports fix. It is the MLB that will keep us going until August (Hopefully) when football starts. Musician David Bowie coined a song named “Changes.” Folk singer, Bob Dylan wrote, “Times they are a changing.” Since the MLB season began, we have seen some teams exceed expectations and we have seen some teams fall way short of pre-season hopes. As...
NBA Finals: Rebounding is the Key
June 2, 2011
It’s still a big man’s game in the NBA. The Pistons won the NBA title in 2004 with a commitment to defense, rebounding and team play. Boston did it in 2008 with the same formula, adding Kevin Garnett, and the Grizzlies, Mavericks and Bulls had great postseason runs this year with the same attack the glass strategy. Having a dominant low post player is a rare commodity, much like having an ace pitcher in baseball. The 2011 NBA Finals will be interesting as Miami has 6-11 Chris Bosh and 6-8 Udonis...
