NCAA Tournament Field Predictions and Projections, December 1
by Robert Ferringo - 12/1/2011

If you want a tip on how to handicapping college basketball there are dozens of insights I can give you: always bet against the public in smaller conferences, don’t be afraid of some road favorites, stay away from teams with bad point guards or shaky bench coaches, etc. But one tip that I would give out to a college basketball handicapper is to always keep the big picture in mind.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 13
by Robert Ferringo - 11/29/2011

I actually liked last week’s straightforward, abbreviated version of our NFL Power Rankings. At this point we have 12 weeks in the books and it should be pretty apparent who’s who and what’s what in the NFL. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it is any easier to beat the NFL odds over the last month of the season.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 12
by Robert Ferringo - 11/23/2011

Family and feelings are the enemy of good gambling and good writing about gambling. So I apologize for the soggy lead in this week, but I am trapped in Northern New York with my kin and only have a quick moment here in between dodging passive-aggressive barbs from my in-laws and skirting out to refill my cocktail from my depleting liquor supply to pass on this week’s NFL Power Rankings.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 11/23/2011

The Ferringo 15 college football power rankings is my own twist on the obsessive ranking systems that pervade this sport. The Ferringo 15 is my profit-power rankings; a rating of the 15 teams that hold the most value in college football betting at the moment. It is a reflection of past, present, and projected future achievement against the spread in college football betting.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 11/16/2011

1. Stanford (9-1) –“He’s cut! The Russian’s cut!” The invincible Stanford money machine suffered its first setback in more than a year’s worth of games (14-1-1 ATS rush), and the question now is how do they bounce back? They are in a letdown spot this week against one of their fiercest rivals, Cal. But I can’t say that the current line (around 18.0) would scare me off the Cardinal.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 11
by Robert Ferringo - 11/15/2011

The weather is getting colder, the hits are getting harder, and the games are getting more critical as teams ride the elevator of expectations and expanded standings. In my opinion, November is the most crucial of months on the NFL schedule because it really sets the tone for the stretch run: some teams gain momentum and find the will for a strong finish, while other have dirt thrown on their graves and decide to mail it in.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 11/10/2011

The Ferringo 15 has been exceptional over the past four years at pinpointing undervalued teams according to their college football odds. If you were to have bet every team in the Ferringo 15 the week that they appear in my college football power rankings then you would have hit over 58 percent of your wagers for a four-year period.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 10
by Robert Ferringo - 11/8/2011

The weather is getting colder, the hits are getting harder, and the games are getting more critical as teams ride the elevator of expectations and expanded standings. In my opinion, November is the most crucial of months on the NFL schedule because it really sets the tone for the stretch run: some teams gain momentum and find the will for a strong finish, while others have dirt thrown on their graves and decide to mail it in.

2011 Pac-12 Basketball Predictions and Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 11/8/2011

The Pac-12 added two new programs, Colorado and Utah, and no league in the nation will see as many new starters as the boys out West. A scant 26 of 60 returning starters are back this season, which is the smallest percent of returning starters in any BCS conference over the last four years.

2011 College Basketball: Syracuse Predictions and Futures Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 11/8/2011

North Carolina and Kentucky are enjoying the entire preseason national championship buzz. But, in my opinion, the Orange are barely a notch below the 1a and 1b top teams in the land. Syracuse is a true title contender, and I have a feeling that at some point this year they will find themselves atop the polls.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 11/2/2011

If you had USC last week I have two things to say to you. First, that was an all-time bad beat. It is never fun to lose a game in college OT, but that one had to be heartbreaking. Second, why the hell are you betting against Stanford?!?!?! That is now a tasty 20-6-1 ATS mark in their last 27 games and a 13-0-1 ATS rush dating back to last year. They will need to avoid the letdown (from USC) and look ahead (to Oregon) spots this weekend. But as good of a spot as this is for Oregon State, how do you bet against the Cardinal this week? Or as long as Andrew Luck is under center?

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 9
by Robert Ferringo - 11/1/2011

The season is halfway in the bag and things are starting to get intense. However, one of the best suggestions that I can give to anyone looking to make money betting on the NFL in the second half is that you need to ignore a team’s record when breaking down games in November and December.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 10/26/2011

1. Stanford (7-0) – I suppose I’m the idiot for not having Stanford as the Top Dog in the F-15 all season long. I mean, all they have done is go 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games and put together a sensational 12-0-1 ATS rush dating back to last year. Stanford has won and covered in three of four against the Trojans, including last year’s 37-35 home win in which the Trojans took the cash as 10-point dogs. I know this: beating Notre Dame is a lot easier than beating Stanford, so I don’t know if I’m buying into USC against this buzz saw simply based on last week’s performance.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 8
by Robert Ferringo - 10/25/2011

We are reaching “The Turn” in the season, and at this point it should be pretty clear what role each team in the NFL is playing. However, that doesn’t mean that someone off to a hot start (Detroit, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Buffalo) isn’t headed for a precipitous fall, and it doesn’t mean that someone left for dead (Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Kansas City) isn’t capable of putting together a savage second-half rush.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 10/19/2011

1. Wisconsin (5-0-1) –The wave has already started to go the other way against the Badgers. They are facing inflated odds this week against Michigan State and a lot of sharks are circling that game. There is a heavy reverse line movement on this game and the number has taken a big dip. But Wisconsin is still 8-0 ATS against the Big Ten and they are 15-5-1 ATS over their last 21 games. However, they are just 3-7 ATS as a conference road favorite of over a touchdown. I may not be playing on Russ Wilson and the Badgers this weekend, but I sure as hell am not going to be betting against them.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 7
by Robert Ferringo - 10/18/2011

One of the most overrated angles in NFL betting is to bet on a team that is off a bye week. Most people assume that a week of rest and preparation is just what the doctor ordered for pro football players and that they will return extra focused and fresh the next week when they finally get back on the field.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 10/12/2011

The Ferringo 15 College Football Power Rankings is my own unique twist on the obsessive ranking systems that have dominated the sport for nearly a century. The Ferringo 15 is my Profit-Power Rankings; a rating of the 15 teams that I think hold the most value in college football betting at the moment and it is a reflection of past, present, and projected future achievement against the spread in college football betting.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 6
by Robert Ferringo - 10/11/2011

For NFL clubs off to a slow start – teams like Philadelphia and Atlanta – this week’s games represent potential turning points for seasons that have gone astray. These clubs are desperate and find themselves in must-win situations to satiate rabid fan bases and front office folks, as well as regain some confidence after entering the year with lofty expectations. Time is running out. And a loss by any of those teams could lead to an avalanche of defeats that buries their respective seasons.

2011 NFL Power Rankings – Week 5
by Robert Ferringo - 10/5/2011

Just six weeks ago the Eagles and Falcons were set for a collision course in an epic NFC Championship Game. The Jets and the Steelers were the apparent heavyweights in the AFC and up-and-coming teams like Kansas City and St. Louis were poised to build on last year’s success.

College Football Power Rankings: the Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo - 9/28/2011

1. Georgia Tech (4-0) –I’m not sure that this team is underrated anymore, as they are double-digit conference road favorites and they are finally starting to get some national love. But until I see them fail to cover a number I suppose they have to stay No. 1. Count me among those that didn’t see this coming from this group. But their offensive execution, especially for such a young team, is just scary. Tech is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 as a road favorite and they are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 road games.