General Ramblings
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My, how perceptions change week to week. The betting lines appear completely different in Week 2 as compared to the Week 1 lines. Before the NFL kicked off play last week, the majority of teams were unproven. You had a hunch, but you didn’t really know who was going to shine and who was going to stink up the joint. The narrowness in spreads reflected this uncertainty. Now, with one week of NFL action already in the books, linesmakers have a better sense of who is good and who is not (yes, Oakland still sucks). Spreads have jumped more than 50% this week, with the average spread in Week 2 standing tall at 6.28 points. In fact, five games feature spreads of 10 points or more. These large favorites include Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Baltimore, Denver, and Chicago - all home teams. The big question becomes: Can the favorites cover these large spreads? Looking back to Week 1, we find that:
- The favorites were 9-5-2 ATS and 13-3 straight up.
- Home favorites were 7-3-2 ATS and 9-3 straight up.
- Road favorites were 2-2 ATS and 3-1 straight up.
The dominance of the favorites in Week 1 is apparent. Backing the dog resulted in financial loss, unless you were able to identify the strong dogs and bet accordingly. Another interesting tidbit from Week 1 was the dominance of the Under bet. Playing the under won an astounding 11 of the 16 games. The average total line for Week 1 coming into play, across all 16 games, stood at 40.65 points. That number has dropped significantly to 37.59 points this weekend. So, in effect, the linesmakers are telling us that the games, on average, will be lower-scoring affairs, with the victors winning by more significant margins. As always, we will have to see how it plays out!
For updated NFL lines, check out:
Written by Jon on September 15th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has fined Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 for his role in stealing defensive signals from the NY Jets in last Sunday’s 38-14 road victory. In addition, the New England Patriots will be slapped with a $250,000 fine and will be forced to give up a draft pick in next year’s draft. It has been rumored for some time that New England has been playing unfairly. In November of last season, New England was accused of spying on the Packers in a game that resulted in a 35-0 win for the Patriots. In that game, Green Bay officials removed the same man, Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella, after they witnessed him filming the Packers defensive personnel from the sidelines.
You have to wonder how many other Patriots games employed the use of videotape-spying and what effect, if any, these tactics had on the results of the games. In my opinion, Goodell came down rightfully hard on Belichick and hit him square where it hurts - in the wallet. Poor Matt Estrella. He will probably be available to photograph your wedding or Bar Mitzvah sometime in the near future.
Written by Jon on September 13th, 2007 with no comments.
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You really can’t go wrong here. Deposit $250 and you get $125 worth of free plays in return. Deposit $500 and get $250 worth of free plays. Deposit $1000 and get $500 back and so on. This book also offers a generous 30% reload bonus. Nice, clean user interface and generous with the bonuses. WW is moving up on my list of favorite books. The 50% bonus is for new accounts only and the offer expires October 1. Click here for details:
Written by Jon on September 8th, 2007 with no comments.
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Forty-five year old fossil Roger Clemens was forced to leave Sunday’s game against the Seattle Mariners after only 4 innings due to elbow tightness. The Yankees dropped a key game at home to Seattle by the score of 7-1 as the Rocket allowed 5 runs and 8 hits before hitting the showers. He is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday. This was a must-win game for the Yankees and the Rocket fizzled in a big spot. Entering play, the Yankees commanded a two game lead over Seattle for the wildcard spot. The Yankees had the chance to step on the necks of a reeling Mariners squad, but came up way short. At this point, it is reasonable to ask whether Clemens’ most recent tenure with the Yankees has been a bust.
Consider that the Rocket’s salary this year is a whopping $28 million - his cut, on a pro-rated basis, is $18.7 million. He has started 16 games thus far and sports a 6-6 record with a 4.45 ERA. The Yankees have won 7 of his 16 starts (44%). Let’s do some math. To date, Clemens’ price tag has been $1.17 million/start and $2.67 million/win. No wonder ticket prices are through the roof! Upon further scrutiny, one notices that in three of Clemens’ wins, the Yankees hammered out 9 runs per game. In effect, the Yankees, with their potent offense, were “destined” to win these games, regardless of who pitched. So basically, whoever would have pitched in place of Clemens for 16 starts, would have been spotted 3 victories. This mystery pitcher would then have to go 4-9 in the remaining starts to match Clemens’ output. Obviously Roger Clemens is headed to the Hall of Fame and is probably one of the top 5 pitchers of all time. But let’s be honest, Clemens has not added much to the win total of the New York Yankees in 2007. It is probably too early to tell whether Clemens has been a total bust. That will largely depend on his playoff performance if the Yankees make the playoffs and if he pitches in it. In the meantime, I’ll just label him as a very expensive antique.
Written by Jon on September 3rd, 2007 with no comments.
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With the NFL set to kick off this week, it is worthwhile to take a quick gander at which teams the linesmakers respect and which teams they disrespect. Clearly the lines are heavily influenced by last years results. But as we have seen in recent years, teams can make dramatic jumps from crap to quality in a single season - and vice versa. Perhaps you know something these linesmakers don’t know. The four favorites to win Superbowl XLII this year are:
- New England Patriots +300
- San Diego Chargers +500
- Indianapolis Colts +635
- New Orleans Saints +900
The 4 lowly teams who are expected to watch the Super Bowl from home this season are:
- Oakland Raiders +14000
- Buffalo Bills +8900
- Houston Texans +8200
- Cleveland Browns +8100
The Chicago Bears are the favorites to win the NFC at +455, while the New England Patriots are +230 favorites to win the AFC.
For updated futures odds, along with regular-season-wins betting odds, check out:
Written by Jon on September 1st, 2007 with no comments.
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I was screwing around with my Bookmaker account last weekend and noticed that the sportsbook now offers a Contest section. By entering a contest, you compete against other bettors for cash prizes. Bookmaker hosts a bunch of racing contests daily, but I am only interested in the MLB contests (seemingly offered during the weekend only). Last weekend, I entered the MLB Moneyline contest against 21 other bettors and kicked their ass and took first place. The contest was only $5 to enter and the winner (me) got paid $56. The prize increases with the number of participants. If nothing else, this contest helps to sharpen one’s handicapping skills. This week, I jumped to the $25 contest. The more players, the bigger the pool, so hop on in!
Written by Jon on August 25th, 2007 with no comments.
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Mastering the stock market can greatly increase one’s wealth and financial well-being. Successful stock trading requires great skill, tactical patience, superior research skills, and years of experience. You are competing against other investors on both the retail and institutional level for a piece of the pie. You are also competing within yourself on both an emotional and psychological level. Sports betting is really no different. Actually, there are two major differences: (1) You don’t have to pay taxes on wins and (2) The pay-offs and losses are almost immediate, but generally speaking, the same skill-sets are required to master both the stock market and the wonderful world of sports betting.
While the stock market has been tanking the last two months, Sports Gambling Blog has been riding high. In the month of August, we have publicly posted 7 plays and all 7 have hit (See Link). In fact, if you had funded a sportsbook account with only $100 and layed that same $100 on all 7 plays, it would be worth $823.55 now. If you blindly let your winnings ride after each successive win, that original $100 would be worth a whopping $32,227.79 right now. As you can see, sports betting can yield incredible returns on investment. We at SGB will continue to post plays and hopefully continue to make our readers loads of money.
Written by Jon on August 19th, 2007 with no comments.
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Remember that French dude Zinedine Zidane? He was the soccer player who head-butted the Italian defender during the World Cup a little over a year ago. The skull attack would lead to the Frenchman’s ejection and the teams subsequent defeat. Well, the Italian, Mr. Marco Materazzi finally disclosed the magic words that he uttered to Zidane that preceded the famous head-butt. The words were: “I prefer the whore that is your sister.” Unfortunately for Materazzi, it was Zidane and not his sister that ultimately gave him head!
Written by Jon on August 18th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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Jose Offerman hasn’t made much use of his bat in recent years. That all changed last night when the former major league infielder of 15 years attacked the opposing catcher and pitcher after being plunked with a pitch. Offerman, playing for the Long Island Ducks, hit a home run in his first at-bat and was subsequently drilled by Bridgeport Bluefish starter Matt Beech in his next at-bat. Offerman charged the mound with bat in hand and took out the catcher and pitcher. The catcher sustained a concussion and the pitcher suffered a broken middle finger. Offerman is being charged with 2 counts of second-degree assault and faces possible jail time. While Offerman’s playing days may have come to a conclusion, he has managed to rake in over $32,000,000 in his playing career. Not bad for a mediocre player with 57 career home runs. If he plays his cards right, he could add to his net worth by becoming Louisville Slugger’s next spokesman.
Written by Jon on August 15th, 2007 with no comments.
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One of my favorite sportsbooks is offering a 20% cash back bonus if you place a bet now on any of their Week 1 NFL Lines. Win or lose, you will receive the bonus. If you win your bet, they’ll deposit 20% of your bet’s net winnings into your account. If you lose your bet, they’ll refund 20% of your bet amount back to you. No brainer!
Click here for the promo:
Written by Jon on August 13th, 2007 with no comments.
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Once pegged as a can’t-miss phenom, the career of one-time flame-thrower, Rick Ankiel, has taken more twists and turns than a season of 24. Almost 7 years after imploding during the 2000 Playoffs, a postseason marred by 11 walks, 9 wild pitches, and 7 earned runs in 4 innings, the lefty has finally made it back to the majors. This time as an outfielder. Much credit should be given to the St. Louis Cardinals organization, who despite his playoff meltdown and subsequent failure in the 2001 season (24 IP, 25H, 19ER, 25 BB, 5 wild pitches, 7 HR’s allowed, 7.13ERA), have allowed Ankiel to keep pursuing a big-league career. Since returning to the big show this week, Ankiel is hitting .417 with 3HR’s and 6RBI’s in 12AB’s. Hollywood can’t script a story better than this. In a day when major sports are being stained by rampant steroid use, referee gambling, dog fighting, and “making it rain” strip club shootings, Ankiel’s story is one of determination, endurance, grit, and class. It is too early to tell how Ankiel’s story will eventually end, but we should all enjoy the story is it continues to unfold.
Note: In AAA Memphis, Ankiel blasted 31 homers and 86 RBI’s in just 100 games this season before being called up to the Cardinals.
Written by Jon on August 12th, 2007 with no comments.
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Well Barry Bonds finally broke the all-time home run record. Good for him. Halleluja. Let’s all take a moment to rejoice. Sure, the home run record, although tainted by his prolific steroid use, is an accomplishment. But let’s not overlook all the things he hasn’t accomplished in his playing career. For all the pills he’s popped, all the roids he’s injected into his ass, all the HR’s he’s hit, and all the MVP awards he’s amassed, Barry Bonds has still never won jack. He’s never led his team to a World Series Championship. He’s never been a leader. He’s never displayed class. So yes, Bonds may have now hold the home run record, but pathetically, he still trails David Eckstein in number of World Series rings.
Written by Jon on August 8th, 2007 with no comments.
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The New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers kick off the NFL preseason festivities in the Hall of Fame Game tonight in Canton, OH. Quite frankly, who gives a crap? This game may only be of importance to bettors, because it sure as hell doesn’t mean a damn thing to the teams involved. True, certain guys may be playing for a roster spot, but these guys generally suck, which is why they have to prove themselves during these meaningless games. The preseason means absolutely NOTHING! There is no correlation whatsoever between past record and future record, based on a team’s final preseason record in a given year. How would I play the preseason? I wouldn’t. But if I had to, I would just take the moneyline underdog in every preseason game, skip the needless handicapping, and see what results. The line in this game is 3 points with Pittsburgh being the favorite. What is this line based on? Absolutely nothing.
Written by Jon on August 5th, 2007 with no comments.
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If gambling on baseball games that you play and manage in is deemed inappropriate, then I don’t even know how to categorize Pete Rose’s actions at a baseball camp last week. Rose was asked to speak to a group of campers, aged 7-14 years old. Along with dropping the “F-bomb” repeatedly to these youngsters, Rose pontificated about a number of questionable topics. He told the campers that he was (bleeped) off that Marge didn’t leave him any money in her will and that she left it all to the zoo. He commented about how Marge loved to smoke and she would have smoked in her sleep if someone was there to hold her cigarette all night. He proclaimed that he saw Joe DiMaggio in the shower and he saw more of him than Marilyn Monroe ever did. He also felt it important to express that a good friend of his is a gambler. Good old Pete Rose. Class act all the way.
Full Story
Written by Jon on August 3rd, 2007 with no comments.
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The Boston Celtics were the worst team in the NBA last year. While it’s true that the Memphis Grizzlies actually had a worse record by 2 games, at least the Grizzlies played some NBA-caliber teams out there in the West. The Celtics played a bunch of scrub WNBA and college-level squads in the Eastern Conference and only managed 24 wins. Oh, but what a difference a year makes! Boston has officially acquired Kevin Garnett today. He will join stars Ray Allen (another great offseason acquisition) and Paul Pierce. The move has prompted sportsbooks to declare Boston a 7-2 co-favorite (along with Detroit) to win the East. I have to agree with the linesmakers here. Boston has very little competition in the East and should cake-walk into the finals, barring any injuries. Here’s the logic: If Detroit couldn’t stop Lebron last year, they aren’t going to stop Lebron this year. Furthermore, if Detroit couldn’t stop Lebron and a bunch of below-average teammates, they aren’t stopping the Boston trio. So let’s throw Detroit out of the equation. Therefore, it will likely come down to the Boston trio vs Lebron for the right to lose in the NBA finals. There is too much talent on Boston in my opinion and Lebron was lucky just to get there last year. I like the Celtics at +350 to win the Eastern Conference. The odds of Boston winning the Championship is listed at 10-1, but let’s not get crazy here.
Written by Jon on July 31st, 2007 with no comments.
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A year ago, I would have responded with “Now Eddy knows how the Knicks feel,” in regards to Isaiah Thomas’ trade with the Bulls, but I have to give props to Curry. His offensive game has vastly improved and at various points throughout the season, he was damn-near unstoppable. True, his defensive effort is about as impressive as Paris Hilton’s spelling abilities. But what do you expect? The 24 year old was only making $8.2 million last year. You can’t expect these young NBA players to play both offense and defense on such a tidy salary. According to ESPN, robbers made off with $10,000 in cash. But don’t feel too bad for Mr. Curry. He made $100,877.81 per game last season, which translated to a per-minute salary of $2,865.85 (he averaged 35.2 minutes/game last year). In essence, he lost nearly 3 1/2 minutes of one day’s salary due to this robbery. Those betting the Knicks in 2006-2007 likely fared much worse.
Written by Jon on July 29th, 2007 with no comments.
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If you are a Bonds hater, you have the opportunity to fade the Juice-Head and make a few coins in the process. One sportsbook offers a daily Barry Bonds Home Run Prop bet. If you bet that Bonds will hit a home run against the Braves tonight, the payout is +240 if he does in fact go deep. To bet that he doesn’t hit a home run, the cost is -300. Bonds is a career .297 hitter against Braves starter John Smoltz, with 8 career bombs in 64 at-bats. Bonds has been homerless in 10 of his last 11 games. This season, Mr. Bonds has homered in 17 of 79 (21.5%) games started, but most of that damage was done earlier in the season. Good luck!
Written by Jon on July 23rd, 2007 with no comments.
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Now that NBA official Tim Donaghy is out of a job and possibly headed to the slammer, his house is on the market. Actually, his house has been on the market for about a month now. Without NBA games to fix, Donaghy likely has no way to pay down his mounting gamblings debts without unloading his home. The six bedroom, 4 bath, 4200 square foot home is set on a golf course and is going for $1.35 million. Check out the listing here. So how to afford that house? Simple, put $1 million on the White Sox this afternoon. The Red Sox are 1-8 in the last 9 against the White Sox when they have Wakefield on the mound. You can purchase the house and even pocket a few $100k for your troubles.
Written by Jon on July 22nd, 2007 with 7 comments.
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If you are a new customer, JustBet will give you a 20% cash bonus on your initial deposit. They will also give you a 10% re-load bonus on every subsequent deposit. Considering today’s betting landscape, these promos are some of the best out there. This book welcomes US customers. Simply follow the link to claim your bonus. Good luck!
Written by Jon on May 27th, 2007 with no comments.
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If you reside in the US and have never had an account at JustBet, they are running a promo whereby you deposit $500 and get a $250 cash bonus. As stated, US players are welcome. Follow the banner for the offer and good luck!
Written by Jon on May 20th, 2007 with no comments.
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The Chicago Bulls unexpectedly decided to show up to the second round of the playoffs today. I took a little hit on that bet as the Bulls mopped the floor with the Pistons and looked like a totally different squad. My two late plays are the Minnesota Twins straight-up moneyline wager at -107 and the UNDER on the first quarter of the Golden State Warriors/Utah Jazz affair. That line is set at 55 1/2. I’m hoping for some increased defense in this series, especially in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the Tigers are off to a 2-0 lead thanks to a Magglio Ordonez dong. Could be a long night. Go Twins! Go defense!
Written by Jon on May 13th, 2007 with no comments.
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Well, it was bound to happen. After a long hiatus from the wonderful world of sports gambling, I am back in the game. Over the past few weeks, I have also been contemplating a change to the look, feel, and content of this site. If you have any suggestions or advice, please shoot me an email! Now back to the business at hand: I took a 3-team parlay in MLB with the Red Sox -1.5, Astros -1.5, and White Sox on the ML. Formerly an account holder at Cris, I decided to sign up at their sister site at Bookmaker. They cater to US bettors and apparently accept Visa credit card as a valid method of desposit. I had the cash in my account within seconds. Ahhh, it’s good to be back!
Written by Jon on May 12th, 2007 with no comments.
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At 22-1, the Zach Johnson backers made out very nicely today. The 31 year old, who had 1 lifetime PGA victory coming into the event, held off Tiger Woods and won by 2 strokes to secure the Masters Tournament victory, the green jacket, and a fat check for $1.26 million. For Tiger backers, it was heartbreak. Woods had a 4th round lead after a birdie on the second hole. He could not hold that lead. It was the first time Tiger had a lead in the final day of a major and did not win. Congrats to Johnson and his backers!
Written by Jon on April 8th, 2007 with no comments.
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As Tiger Woods came storming back into contention at the Augusta National Golf Course, sportsbooks have adjusted their lines accordingly. Tiger Woods is a heavy favorite and everyone else is a huge longshot. And really, who can blame these sharp linesmakers? Tiger rarely falters on the last day of a tournament, especially the last day of a major. Stuart Appleby currently leads the field with a +2, while Tiger Woods and Justin Rose are trailing at 3 over each. Not exactly stellar scores for a major, but who cares? All we care about is making money! The odds of Tiger Woods winning the Masters are currently set at -150. If Tiger doesn’t win, a huge payout can be in place if one can correctly select the winner of this tournament. Below are the top 7 current leaders of the Masters and odds of them winning, along with 3 other notable mentions:
Written by Jon on April 8th, 2007 with no comments.
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It looks like Oddsmaker is now acepting credit cards for US customers. I am not sure if it will work for every US bettor, but it did work for me. These sportsbooks are very fickle about accepting certain credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, etc. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Even if the credit card fails, they are utilizing MG Cash - which is free anyway. While depositing methods are certainly important, withdrawal methods are of the utmost importance. They claim that they will have a Debit Cash Card coming soon. This will allow you to transfer all winnings to the Debit Card account and cash out at any ATM in the country. Sounds good. The site is very fast, they have good lines, and decent promos. It is probably worth checking out.
Written by Jon on April 6th, 2007 with no comments.
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With the recent government crackdown of online sports betting, it is difficult to find a decent book these days. Fortunately a top notch book, BetCris, has begun shifting their US accounts over to BookMaker.com. This book advertises a wide array of depositing and withdrawing methods and openly accepts US bettors. It may be worth checking out!
Written by Jon on March 4th, 2007 with no comments.
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Sports Gambling Blog concluded the NFL betting season with a large Super Bowl victory. The Indianapolis Colts won by 12 points and easily covered the 6.5-7 point spread. The game wasn’t even that close and at no time in the fourth quarter did I feel Chicago was going to damage the spread. Boy is Rex grossman terrible! The 5 unit Super Bowl victory gives us a 29.8 unit net gain for the entire 2006-2007 season. We also attained a 25-15-1 record. That equates to 63%. Just a great all around season. Now the blog will concentrate solely on the NBA until baseball season starts up again. Good luck to all bettors out there!
Written by Jon on February 5th, 2007 with no comments.
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Looks like Kobe Bryant will be suspended for one game after a flying elbow connected with Manu Ginobili in overtime against the Spurs on Sunday. He will likely be absent from the lineup tonight against the NY Knicks. Linesmakers have adjusted the spreads and the Lakers are now 2 point underdogs after opening as 3 point favorites. Bryant is appealing the suspension and wants an “immediate hearing.” No word about the status of that request. I still think the Lakers can win this game and easily cover the 3 point spread. Maybe that is just wishful thinking. Should be interesting.
Written by Jon on January 30th, 2007 with no comments.
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What a ride this has been in the NBA! We have won the last five bets and are now selecting NBA winners at a ridiculous 72% through 26 games. Things were looking dim last night as the Nets were down 17 at half. They rallied in the third and fourth quarters before losing by 1 point. Good enough for us. The Nets have now lost three consecutive games by 1 point. That has to be approaching some kind of record. Friday’s NBA picks will be posted between 5-6pm EST today after I’ve had a chance to analyze the matchups and crunch the numbers. If you have any questions or comments, shoot me an email. Good luck!
Written by Jon on January 26th, 2007 with no comments.
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