Miscellaneous Articles

Baseball Predictions: Phillies at Mets Odds and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/28/2013

Let me first say that I don't let my bias get in the way of my recommendations, but I pretty much despise all the New York sports teams, so it's been a rather entertaining week for me. Especially fun was watching Rex Ryan all but fire himself with the way he handled the Mark Sanchez situation in the preseason game against the Giants. Ryan wanted to WIN!!?? the game so he put Sanchez in the fourth quarter behind a backup offensive line?

College Football Power Rankings: Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 8/27/2013

When I was a reporter in New York, a former sports editor of mine used to say that college football was nothing more than “violent figure skating”. His point was that without a playoff, college football was no different than other “sports” that rely on a third party – beyond the two teams on the field – to determine the “champion” based on style points. College football crowns its champions not on pure achievement but on its stylistic and subjective merits. Like figure skating.

Baseball Predictions: Giants at Rockies Odds and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/26/2013

Look, I get that baseball players are like you and me. Well, better paid than you and me. But they go out there to do a job when called upon like the rest of us. What I don't understand is why the San Francisco Giants keep trotting lefty Barry Zito out in road games. The guy simply is not the same pitcher away from AT&T Park. But I guess Zito has been stealing the Giants' money for so long that they might as well toss him out into the fire at this point as he will be a free agent after the season.

WNBA Handicapping: Phoenix Mercury Currently Underrated
by Raphael Esparza, the Vegas Sports Informer - 8/15/2013

When you think about the Western Conference in the WNBA, there are two teams that come to my mind as squads that can make a strong playoff push: the Minnesota Lynx, who are 17-5 (10-1 at home), and the Los Angeles Sparks, who are 17-7 (10-2 at home). However, don’t sleep on the Phoenix Mercury.

WWE SummerSlam Odds, Picks and Betting Preview
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 8/14/2013

WWE’s second-biggest pay-per-view event of the year, SummerSlam, will take place this Sunday, Aug. 18 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the host of SummerSlam for the past five years. Despite the outcome of every match being predetermined, wagering on professional wrestling has grown over the years with odds becoming readily available through online sportsbooks, specifically 5Dimes.

Vegas Sports Informer is Raphael Esparza, Former Sportsbook Head at Aria
by Doc's Sports - 8/12/2013

For almost a year, Doc’s Sports has been sitting down with The Informer on a weekly basis to gain insight into some of the hottest trending topics in the sports gaming industry today. After a long and successful career in Las Vegas, he is finally ready to reveal his true identity as none other than professional handicapper Raphael Esparza, former race and sportsbook manager for Aria and New York – New York in Las Vegas.

10 Best UFC and MMA Fighters
by Trevor Whenham - 7/18/2013

We haven’t checked in on the MMA pound-for-pound rankings since February. Not much has happened since then — other than a shocking loss by the longest-reigning champion in the history of the sport, of course. Needless to say, that has shaken up the rankings significantly — even though the rest of the champs have done their job if they have been asked to. (Previous rankings are in brackets)

2013 Tour de France Predictions and Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 6/25/2013

The 2013 edition of the Tour de France — the 100th anniversary of the race — kicks off this weekend. The race starts off in Corsica, though not with the time trial that is most typically seen first. From there the race winds 2,162 miles over 21 stages before a rare nighttime finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

WNBA Betting One of Best Sports for Profit
by Indian Cowboy - 6/24/2013

Just because King James and his Miami Heat concluded the NBA season with their seven-game championship series victory over the San Antonio Spurs does not mean basketball bettors have to wait until fall and college ball to wager on hoops.

2013 Grey Cup Predictions and CFL Betting Odds
by Indian Cowboy - 6/17/2013

Football bettors don't have to wait until college ball rolls around, or the NFL kicks off its campaign, because the 2013 Canadian Football League campaign is just around the corner; Montreal and Winnipeg get things started with a Week 1 CFL bout Thursday, June 27.

2013 WNBA Championship Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 5/29/2013

The WNBA — easily the most underappreciated league to bet on — in now underway for another season. From now until Oct. 12, teams will play 34 regular-season games and three playoff rounds to determine the championship. The league has been in action since 1997, but most people aren’t particularly familiar with it — at least not familiar enough to make good handicapping decisions.

2013 Indy 500 Picks and Betting Predictions with Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 5/24/2013

Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the rest of the Constitutional Crew would be rolling over in their graves if they knew what had happened to the Indianapolis 500. The Framers of the Constitution and Founding Fathers of this bloodthirsty nation of ours tossed off the shackles of British bureaucracy. They did so in part to their firm belief in the inalienable right of human beings to fulfill their appetite for speed and death-defying feats.

2009 Academy Awards Odds
by Doc's Sports - 5/1/2013

Below you will see odds listed for the 2009 Academy Awards. The Oscars are the second most watched event annual, second to only the Super Bowl. People enjoy watching them, especially to see what their favorite actors are wearing to the event. There are always a couple of upsets each year in the major categories and seldom do all the favorites win. Listed below are the odds for the major categories of the 2009 Academy Awards. Betting has made this event even more popular and most offshore books offer odds. Please note that Las Vegas books to not post odds on the Academy Awards.

NCAA Tournament Field Projections and Predictions, March 6
by Robert Ferringo - 3/6/2013

You don’t need to be Christopher Langan to know that there is plenty of uncertainty in the college basketball landscape right now. Who is the best team in the country? Who will be the No. 1 seeds? Who has a realistic shot at winning the NCAA Tournament, and will this be one of the craziest dances we’ve seen in a decade?

2013 Daytona 500 Predictions and Picks
by Dave Schwab - 2/21/2013

This Sunday at the fabled Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. the quest for this season’s NASCAR Sprint Cup title gets underway in grand fashion with the running of the 55th Daytona 500. In what is by far the sport’s most prestigious and coveted racing title, a packed field of 43 drivers will take aim at claiming this year’s checkered flag. Here we will provide some 2013 Daytona 500 picks and predictions to help with your wagers.

NCAA Tournament Field Projections and Predictions, Feb. 19
by Robert Ferringo - 2/19/2013

We are just two weeks away from beginning the Harlem Shake that is March college basketball. It starts with a few undistinguished conference tournaments. These small and mid-major schools are bouncing around and bobbing their heads while the rest of the country goes about the business of sorting out regular season championships. But you can already feel things rising. And you know what is coming.

NCAA Tournament Field Projections and Predictions, Jan. 29
by Robert Ferringo - 1/29/2013

What the hell happened to January? Maybe I am just blacking this month out of memory banks because for the last two weeks I’ve been in what feels like some Eli Roth-concocted torture chamber with my college basketball picks. But I feel like it was just yesterday that I was shaking off that New Year’s hangover and lying to my wife about why her Christmas present was late (because I ordered it Christmas Day, honey. Sorry.).

Texans at Patriots Picks and NFL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 1/10/2013

The last time these squads met, it was billed as a dream matchup for NFL fans. However, it very quickly turned into a nightmare for Houston. They were completely and utterly exposed in every aspect of the game. The result, beyond the bad loss, was a real blow to their confidence that they haven’t completely shaken.

New Year’s Betting Resolutions
by Trevor Whenham - 1/3/2013

The dawn of a new year means it is time to make new resolutions and set the goals that are going to motivate and inspire us throughout the rest of the year. When it comes to sports betting, here are the eight resolutions that are going to drive me this year:

Cowboys at Redskins Picks and NFL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 12/28/2012

The playoffs start a week early in the NFC East. Thanks to a season that was disappointing for three teams in the division, and shocking for the fourth, we head into the final weekend of the season not knowing whether the Cowboys or the Redskins will win the division and host a playoff game next weekend. This is essentially an elimination game. If the Cowboys win they are in. The same goes for the Redskins, though they have a small chance of survival even if they lose. They would still advance if Chicago and Minnesota also lose, though they will know those results before their game kicks off, and it seems unlikely that neither will win.