Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping News Articles

Sports Betting Insights: Betting the Over on the NHL Total Line
by Dave Schwab - 2/27/2014

The NHL regular season took a two-week break so its top stars could play for their respective countries in this year’s Winter Olympics. The league returned to action on Tuesday night with just one game on the slate, but it will be business as usual come this weekend with a full schedule of games.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 2/25/2014

Doc’s Sports: Last week we talked about Syracuse’s chances to run the table, and you made the correct call by stating that the remaining schedule was just too tough to navigate, especially with so many games on the road. Are this team’s last few games just a blip on the radar, or should there be some genuine concern that the Orange may be primed for an early exit from this year’s NCAA Tournament?

Case of the Mondays: Red, White, and Feeling Blue
by Ricky Dimon - 2/24/2014

Every Olympics ends in ceremonious fashion, by definition (see: the Closing Ceremonies). But it did not end that way for Team USA, which led the overall medal count at times only to finish second to host Russia in that department (28 to the Russians’ 33). The Americans earned nine gold medals, fourth best behind Russia, Norway and Canada. It wasn’t a bad haul, but it also wasn’t ideal.... Just ask the men’s hockey team.

Betting with The Prop Machine and Free Monday Pick
by Doc's Sports - 2/24/2014

The key to successfully wagering on sports in terms of betting on a spread or a total is to gain an edge in the numbers. Unfortunately, the oddsmakers make their living by keeping their betting odds razor thin, especially when it comes to betting on NFL and NBA betting lines and totals.

Thank God it’s Friday: From Russia Without Love
by Ricky Dimon - 2/21/2014

Hey, at least they won ladies’ figure-skating gold! But that will do little to assuage the majority of Russians, whose hopes for the Sochi Olympics hinged on men’s ice hockey. Russia not only lost to the United States in group play, but it also went from bad to worse when the home team was eliminated via a 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Finland on Wednesday. Nobody’s week was worse…except for maybe Ray Rice.

Back to the Futures: And Then There Were Four
by Ricky Dimon - 2/20/2014

United States (+120) – What a difference a week makes. Before the Sochi Olympics began, Canada was the favorite, Russia was the second choice, and the United States was fourth—also behind Sweden. However, Team USA compiled a 3-0 mark in group play and took down Russia in the process before hammering the Czech Republic 5-2 in the quarterfinals.

Sports Betting Insights: Betting Against NBA Bottom-Feeders
by Dave Schwab - 2/19/2014

Before the NBA regular season got underway there was quite a buzz around the league concerning the idea that certain teams might decide to start tanking games to ascertain a favorable position in the draft lottery given the amount of college talent that is expected to come out this year. While there is no definitive proof that this is actually going on, there appears to be a golden opportunity to go against a few of the teams that have fallen to the bottom of the barrel in the NBA.

This Week in Sports Betting, A-Z
by Ricky Dimon - 2/19/2014

B. Blake Griffin. Did he or didn’t he? A story surfaced last week that Griffin smacked Justin Bieber at a Starbucks in West Hollywood, gaining the L.A. Clippers’ forward admirers around the world. It has since been confirmed to be false, although the Clippers are unsurprisingly trying to take credit for its legitimacy. As for something that really happened, an offensive explosion in Sunday’s All-Star Game saw Griffin score 38 points on 19-of-23 “shooting” from the floor. In this case, “shooting” obviously means “dunking.”

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 2/18/2014

Doc’s Sports: The NBA comes off its all-star break geared up for the stretch run to the postseason. Now that we know which teams are still contenders, is this a good time of the year to start going against the teams that are obviously riding out the string?

Thank God it’s Friday: Singing the U.S. Blues in Sochi
by Ricky Dimon - 2/14/2014

The first week of the Sochi Olympics was not all bad for Team USA. But it could have been so much better. Disappointments included Shaun White in the halfpipe, Shani Davis in the 1000-meter speedskating, Bode Miller in the men’s downhill, and Julia Mancuso in the women’s downhill. As plenty of others know, however, it could be worse.

Back to the Futures: It’s All-Star Weekend in the NBA
by Ricky Dimon - 2/13/2014

Dunkers, sharpshooters, skills guys, and all-around all-stars will take their talents to New Orleans this weekend. While that hardwood action will grab some of the limelight from all other avenues of sports, the Sochi Olympics cannot be overlooked, because ice hockey is heating up.

This Week in Sports Betting By the Numbers
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 2/13/2014

It is not quite March yet, but the Winter Olympics have featured its share of March Madness-like upsets already with the likes of Shaun White and Bode Miller not medaling. Here in the states, Wichita State survived challenges at Indiana State and Northern Iowa to remain perfect, and Syracuse used a very March-like near-half court heave from freshman Tyler Ennis to remain perfect, stunning Pitt 58-56 at the buzzer.

Sports Betting Insights: NBA Road Warriors
by Dave Schwab - 2/12/2014

The NBA takes a break from the regular season this weekend for its annual All-Star Game. With all 30 teams having at least 50 games in the books heading into the break, we now have a solid grasp on some overall betting trends for the league. The one thing that really jumps off the page when you go through the numbers is the success of road teams this season.

This Week in Sports Betting, A-Z
by Ricky Dimon - 2/12/2014

A. Arsenal. Well, that was no way for a league-leading team to perform. Arsenal, which had been atop the Premier League from just about start to finish this season, lost to Liverpool 5-1 last Saturday and even trailed by a shocking 5-0 margin before scoring a meaningless late goal. The Gunners are now second behind Chelsea, which hammered Newcastle United 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal is +300 at TopBet to beat Bayern Munich in the next round of the Champions League and it is +3000 to win the Champions League title.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 2/11/2014

Doc’s Sports: A few weeks back you tipped us off that Cal had a good chance at covering against then-No.1 Arizona, and the Golden Bears went on to win that game straight up. Do you have an ‘upset special’ in mind for any top-ranked teams when it comes to this week’s games?

Back to the Futures: Legion of Boom Favored to Throw Down Again
by Ricky Dimon - 2/7/2014

It’s never too early to start talk of a repeat, especially not after a dominant performance such as the one the Seattle Seahawks turned in at Super Bowl XLVIII in New York. Seattle slammed Denver 43-8, making a mockery of Peyton Manning’s record-setting offense. Will the Legion of Boom do it again next season? Let’s take a look at some futures odds to give us an idea.

This Week in Sports Betting, A-Z
by Ricky Dimon - 2/5/2014

B. Bubba Watson. Seeking his first win since the 2012 Masters, Watson found himself tied for the lead with playing partner Kevin Stadler heading into the 72nd hole on Sunday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Stadler left the door open by missing a birdie putt, but Watson’s five-foot par attempt after a miraculous chip never got near the cup. Stadler is +400 to win this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, per Bovada Sportsbook. Jason Day and Dustin Johnson are +1200 favorites.

Weekly Q&A with Doc’s Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 2/5/2014

Doc’s Sports: Super Bowl XLVIII did not really go according to plan in what many betting experts predicted to be a tight, hard-fought battle between the NFL’s top two teams. How did the Las Vegas books fare with Seattle’s lopsided 43-8 victory over Denver?

This Week in Sports Betting By the Numbers
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 2/5/2014

The unexpected occurred often at Super Bowl XLVIII, including safeties, defensive touchdowns, special teams touchdowns, a blowout and odd winning block pool numbers during the game. Now the sports world attention turns to the XXII Winter Olympics, set to begin on the other side of the world in Sochi, Russia, tomorrow.

Back to the Futures: Will Manning Be the Man in Super Bowl XLVIII?
by Ricky Dimon - 1/29/2014

The Seattle Seahawks were the talk of New York at media day on Tuesday, either for what they did or did not do. Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos mostly stayed on the down-low, but that won’t be the case come Sunday’s kickoff of Super Bowl XLVIII. Manning is a considerable favorite to win MVP of the game.