Continuing with our week long theme of what makes a wise guy, here are 8 handicapping violations you won’t see the professionals make.  If you see a square behavior we didn’t include be sure to add it to the article’s comment section Written by Mark Angelou (follow him on twitter @govolx) Your bookie knows who you’re going to bet before you even call him and has offered you free half points, 10% cashback, and to take you and your wife out to dinner once a month during football just to keep your business. You never saw a double-digit road favorite you didnt think was a lock to win outright. Your bet sheet takes up an entire page and contains 20 times more ‘-‘s and ‘o’s than ‘+’s and ‘u’s. Mike and Mike’s Stone Cold Led Pipe Locks is your can’t miss resource for handicapping advice because if these guys are on ESPN they have to know sports gambling. Every March your NCAA tournament bracket amazingly consists of all four #1 seeds getting to the final four yet you wonder why you’re mathematically eliminated by the sweet 16. You hit one 7 team parlay four years ago and continue to bet one every week hoping to recapture the magic figuring the due theory is bound to kick in by now Every week you convince yourself the best handicapping strategy is to fade yourself but you never work up the courage to do it. You bet the entire board with the mindest breaking even would be ideal because you really could use the money this...

Seeking value in betting college basketball is easier said than done.  Isolating the right time to bet on, pass, or bet against certain teams is critical to long term success.  The betting axiom is over a 30 game season, teams will play above their heads for 5 (bet on), like their normal selves for 20 (pass those games), and below their capabilities for 5 (bet against).  If you can recognize these situations as they present themselves, you give yourself a great opportunity to optimize value and gain an edge on the bookmaker’s power numbers that won’t reflect the strength of a particular situation....

Click here to listen Mark and I break down the early bowl games, NFL line movement, and an intriguing slate of Saturday college hoops  

written by Matt Lindeman [ twitter @lindetrain ] As we embark upon another college football postseason and make our best determination as to who will be studs and who will be duds in the coming weeks, there are three key factors we must keep in mind to effectively cap the bowls: Coaching There’s no greater factor when trying to determine a team’s mental state than the man in charge, as coaching becomes all the more significant in the postseason. Take a look back and you’ll find some of the biggest bowl head-scratchers over the past five years have come when an inept coach leads the favorite—and conversely, some of the most impressive performances have been the result of a distinct coaching advantage.  Before coming to the conclusion your team will or won’t come to play, make sure you have a clear understanding of that team’s tendencies under the current head honcho.  Nothing is more agonizing than laying double digits with a Tommy Bowden-led Clemson team who inevitably gets smoked by bowl newbie Kentucky, or fading Chris Petersen and Boise while watching them steamroll an inferior Utah bunch. While there are exceptions (even Petersen and Nick Saban have fallen victim to bowl upsets over the past few years), having a capable leader on your side will be a significant advantage from a motivational standpoint. Bowl History & Location Highly underutilized in the effort to cap bowl motivation is a team’s recent bowl history.  What better indicator of how a team will approach an upcoming matchup then recent performances in the postseason?  While one team might be hungry to avenge a poor showing in their previous bowl appearance, another may be complacent after cruising the last time out. Just as recent successes or disappointment can fuel...

Many of you know him as @stuckey2 on twitter and he will join us every week sharing college hoops handicapping advice as well as breaking down the situations, sandwiches, and spots he relies on during the season to make him so successful. Written by @stuckey2 I don’t know about you, but a few years back when I was in college I can tell you a certain professor wouldn’t have my full attention after a weekend bender or before a big night out.  A class in between both?  Might as well not even show up.  This can occur with players, teams, and programs if we just replace class with games. If a team upsets a top ten team at home and then has to go on the road to play an inferior opponent, there’s always a tendency to come out flat.  Same thing with a team that has a giant game on deck (whether it be a top 5 team or an in state rival) might not show up with full focus due to the look-ahead.  A sandwich occurs when a team fits into both situations…something I always keep my eye out for. So, lets get into some good situational spots for Saturday so you can see some of my thinking at work: UNLV  I have been waiting for this game since last March when UNLV was run out of the gym in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.  McCamey and Davis came out white hot and built a 25 point lead before you could even check to see who you had moving on in your bracket.  Illinois comes in grossly overrated sporting an undefeated record and ranked in the top 20 with their marquee win over a Gonzaga team which doesn’t look nearly as good with each passing day.  The Rebels will be salivating to exact revenge and they...

Written by Brandon Crusan ( @cruz0210 ) #5  Cowboys vs Giants Closing line Dallas -4.5 Final score New York 37-34 With 5:41 left in the 4th Romo hit Bryant for a 50 yard TD giving dallas a 12 pt lead and all but Icing a cover for dallas backers.  Well like we’ve seen so many times before against Dallas what can go wrong, does go wrong.  Eli Manning Hit Ballard for a TD with 3 minutes left cutting the lead to 5 leaving Cowboy bettors still looking good but everyone with a Dallas ticket was asking the same question; How will they blow it this week?  On 3rd and 6 with 2 minutes left Romo missed a wide open Miles Austin that would have cemented the Dallas cover.  Mcbriar then shanks a 33 yard punt, giving Eli great field position, and 6 plays later the G-men had a 37-34 lead that held up for the cover. http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/playbyplay?gameId=311211006 #4  Bengals vs Texans Closing line Cincinnati -2.5 and total 38.5 Final score Houston 20-19 With 2:33 and a 19-13 lead, The only way Bengals bettors could lose was if Rookie QB TJ Yates went 80 yards with 0 timeouts: Guess what, Yates came of age in the River City.  With 12 seconds left Cincinnati was called for a questionable PI penalty that gave Houston the ball on the 6 yard line.  On the next Play Yates hit Kevin Walter for a TD and a Houston outright win that also put the game over the total. http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=311211004 #3 Ball St vs Butler (College Hoops) Closing line ball st -3.5 Final score Ball St 58-55 Ball St had a 58-54 lead with 3 seconds left in the game: avoid the 3 and this bet cashes no problem.  However,...

Born and bred with Chicago roots but an affinity for New York sports, my passion for the gambling industry brought me to Las Vegas back in 2006.  With educational stops along the way at the Groton School and Wesleyan University, I built my foundation on hard work and dedication that I’ve used to be successful in this fast paced competitive industry.  Hockey was my sport of choice and thankfully the 20 years spent between the pipes didn’t negatively impact my ability to crunch numbers in my entry level financial analyst role with Caesars Entertainment nor limit my ability to express views on sport coherently and concisely in my current position as Sr Race and Sports analyst.  My blog is a space I plan to utilize for sharing information on all sports wagering related topics that not only the veteran handicapper can appreciate but the aspiring novice will find extremely valuable.  Enjoy and feedback always welcome and encouraged. “For every jackass in this industry, there’s a sharp, well-educated professional like Caesars senior race and sports analyst Todd Fuhrman ….” David Purdum – Covers.com Todd Fuhrman is the rare Vegas young gun with a college degree in International Economics. At 29, he was named senior race and sports analyst at Caesars this week. He broke into the business in 2005 as a financial consultant at Harrah’s. His passion for sports led him toward his current position. His personality and media savvy have vaulted him to the top....

Click to LISTEN The guys and I break down early bowl moves, the Titans dwindling playoff chances, and how we maintain the Vegas pools even during winter (no Clay, they don’t stay...

Click to LISTEN David Bastl and I discuss some of the biggest game’s in pro football for the upcoming weekend and if you pay careful attention, I may tip my hand to sides that have caught the bookmaker’s eye...

Click to LISTEN Mark Rodgers and I rehash my first Bedlam experience along with an early bowl breakdown, NFL line moves, and how he plans to cope with life as a Cardinal fan post Albert...

Click to LISTEN Brent, Blaine, and I talk bowl games and how the NBA lockout creates upheaval in the basketball futures market