Miscellaneous Articles

NFL Draft Projections: The Quarterbacks
by Alan Matthews - 4/22/2010

In the first NFL Draft betting story here on Doc’s, I focused on some unique first-round props that Bodog offers among its dozens of draft propositions. Today let’s look at the quarterback betting options on the site and offer our NFL Draft projections.

World Cup Betting Tips
by T.O. Whenham - 4/22/2010

It's finally almost here - after what has seemed like endless waiting, the World Cup is now less than two months away. Whether you are a die-hard soccer fan or not, the tournament is a great betting opportunity - the best of the summer. The chance to profit from this tournament only comes around once every four years, so you need to be prepared to make sure that you don't miss your chance. If you aren't feeling ready for the tournament now, here are five things you can do to get ready to cash some winning World Cup betting tickets:

NFL Draft Predictions: First Round Props
by Alan Matthews - 4/21/2010

I will take a look at the quarterback position on its own for an NFL draft betting story also here at Doc’s, but today let’s look at a few of the first-round prop odds available on Bodog – and the site has dozens of draft props available. Of course the draft starts Thursday in prime-time this year, so if you are planning to get those bets down don’t wait much longer.

NFL Draft: Potential First Round Trades
by T.O. Whenham - 4/21/2010

Trades in the first round of the NFL Draft have always been an intriguing part of the day. The league has been in a trading frenzy recently, so it's possible that there will be even more trades in the first round than normal. There are a lot of teams that could conceivably look to move up or down, and that leads to an intriguing few days between now and the Draft. Here's a look at some of the more interesting potential trades, and the impact those deals would have.

Teams Needing a Strong NFL Draft
by T.O. Whenham - 4/21/2010

The NFL Draft is obviously crucial for every NFL team - it's the best source of high-level talent at a (sometimes) reasonable price that there is. Teams that don't have good drafts can't be continuously rebuilding and filling holes, and teams that don't do that can't be competitive. For some teams, though, the draft holds an extra sense of urgency. Whether a team has been down for too long and needs to find a way back up, or a team needs to fight to stay at the top, there are teams that really need to have an especially strong draft this year. Here are four such teams:

NFL Draft: Potential Second-Day Steals
by T.O. Whenham - 4/21/2010

Thanks to the new, overly long three-day format of the NFL Draft, the second day is made up of just the second and third round. We've heard all sorts of talk about how this is one of the deepest drafts we have seen in years, so it only makes sense that there is going to be exceptional players available on the new second day of the draft.

NFL Draft “Don’ts”
by Robert Ferringo - 4/20/2010

“Don’t do it man.” We’ve all been there. Whether it’s advising your hammered homeboy not to rail some sloppy sweat-dumpster at the end of some dank townie bar or trying to talk your college roommate out of doubling down on a Norv Turner team in the playoffs, we’ve all uttered the same desperate, but sage, advice: “Don’t do it man.”

NFL Draft - Quarterbacks as No. 1 Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 4/16/2010

While the NFL Draft is one of the biggest gambles in sports I will say that it isn’t rocket science. And over the past 20 years the modern draft has given front office folk a pretty steady blueprint of what you should and shouldn’t do with your first round picks. Despite this fact, teams repeatedly ignore those signs, symbols, blueprints, tarot readings, and previous cautionary tales, passing by the rotting corpses of past first round failures on their way to the guillotine.

Jimmy Clausen in the NFL Draft
by T.O. Whenham - 4/16/2010

It's only fair since I am writing an article about Jimmy Clausen and his NFL Draft prospects to be up front about one thing - I am the furthest thing from a Jimmy Clausen fan. I'm underwhelmed by his arm, I think he crumbles under pressure, and I think that he's obnoxiously cocky. He's every bit the product of being developed under Charlie Weis, and that's the furthest thing from a compliment in my eyes.

NASCAR: Samsung Mobile 500 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard - 4/15/2010

It's time for the ‘Texas Two-Step’ for Tony Stewart who will celebrate, with pre-race musical guest Peter Frampton, his 400th NSCS race at one of his most dominant tracks, Texas Motor Speedway, as NASCAR gears up for the Samsung Mobile 500 on Sunday April 18, 2010 at 4:15 p.m. EST. And in other news, thanks to his resurgence late in the race last week, Jimmie Johnson's third-place finish was good enough to extend his lead in the Sprint Cup standings from 14 to 39 points.

NBA Free Picks - ESPN Wednesday Night Doubleheader
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 4/14/2010

Both team’s motivation can be questioned here. This will be the first meaningless game of the season for the Thunder, who just clinched their playoff fate with the loss to Portland. With a tough series on the horizon against the Lakers, the Thunder may want to put forth a good showing to build some momentum. They are 5-4 SU and 5-4 ATS in their last nine.

Potential NFL Draft Busts
by T.O. Whenham - 4/14/2010

People are fascinated by NFL Draft busts just like they are fascinated by car wrecks - you just can't look away from the carnage. All you have to do is mention names like Ryan Leaf, Tony Mandarich or Charles Rogers to a football fan and you're sure to get a chuckle - or a tear if their team drafted one of the duds. The fact is, though, that the first round of each draft is filled with many busts - guys who don't perform nearly up to the level that they are being paid.

NHL Power Rankings
by T.O. Whenham - 4/13/2010

The regular season is over, so now is the time to look back, and to look forward. To do that we're going to do the NHL Power Rankings slightly differently for this final version. The first 16 spots will be reserved for the playoff teams, and they will be ranked in their likelihood of and ability to go all the way in the playoffs. The remaining 14 spots will be the 14 non-playoff teams, and they will be ranked both in terms of how they looked this past year and their ability to improve their circumstances next year. Without further ado:

NASCAR: Subway Fresh Fit 600 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard - 4/9/2010

It’s time to order yourself a few $5 foot-longs and hunker down for the longest race in Phoenix International Raceway history as Carl Edwards will record his 200th start and Elliot Sadler celebrates his 400th career Sprint Cup start in the Land of the Sun as NASCAR races under the lights for the first time this season for the Subway Fresh Fit 600 on Sunday, April 11 at 7:45 p.m.

NBA Free Picks: Thursday TNT Doubeheader
by Matt Severance - 4/8/2010

It’s the final Thursday night of the regular season, so I hope these previews have made you a bit of money for the playoffs – and of course Doc’s will have the NBA’s postseason covered in full. That’s when the Association really gets interesting.

NBA Free Picks - ESPN Wednesday Night Doubleheader
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 4/7/2010

The second to last ESPN Wednesday Night Doubleheader of the season gives us a pair of Western Conference games with major playoff seeding implications. The Rockets are out of contention but the Jazz, Spurs and Suns are in that tight group in the standings where the second-seeded Jazz are just separated by 2.5 games from the seventh-seeded Spurs.

2010 Italy World Cup Predictions
by Doc's Sports - 4/5/2010

Italy is the reigning World Cup champion, and if nothing else that validates them as a potential contender this summer. However, the devil’s advocate will say this is hardly the same team that raised the trophy in Germany four years ago.

2010 Ghana World Cup Predictions
by Doc's Sports - 4/5/2010

Ghana’s lone World Cup appearance was a major success, as the 2006 debutants were the Cinderella of the tournament in Germany. Faced with an extremely difficult task in a group that featured Italy, Czech Republic and the United States, the Ghanaians met the challenge head on, finishing ahead of the Czechs and the USA. The West African nation advanced to the Round of 16, but met mighty Brazil and was unable to continue its magical run.

2010 Paraguay World Cup Predictions
by Doc's Sports - 4/5/2010

One of the biggest World Cup stories off the pitch is no doubt the tragedy behind star striker Salvador Cabanas being shot in the head in Mexico after a domestic game. What is even more mind-boggling is his amazing recovery, and in March he was jogging and taking kicks with his team. Miraculously, he might find his way to South Africa, and that is reason enough to make Paraguay a team to root for this summer.

2010 Serbia World Cup Predictions
by Doc's Sports - 4/5/2010

2010 marks the country’s first World Cup appearance as a total independent nation. First they were Yugoslavia and in 2006 they qualified as Serbia and Montenegro. And it only seems fitting this team is playing under their own name this time around, as Serbia has a wealth of experience and some extremely talented pieces playing throughout Europe’s top flight domestic leagues.