College football win totals have hit the offshore market. Well kind of…given that 5Dimes released a number on most D-1 teams but with very modest limits to start.  Either way the college football community and degenerates alike that clamor for real action now have another talking point worth discussing before we head towards summer. There’s no surprise that Ohio St has the highest posted win total of any team in the country considering the Buckeyes aren’t only favorites to repeat as national champions but they’re also the only school listed as a favorite to make the college football playoff. Traditional front runner Alabama sees their win total listed at 9.5, a far cry from what we’ve grown accustomed to with 10’s and 11’s during the Tide’s dynasty while SEC West rival LSU has an 8 next to their name. One of the most interesting numbers for me wasn’t Alabama or Ohio St though rather it was the Tide’s Iron Bowl rival Auburn.  Viewed as a national title contender by some, the Tigers total sits at 8.5; hardly a price consistent with a side currently listed as the 4th favorite to win the national championship by some high profile books.  However it’s always worth understanding a win total is a much better reflection of a team’s true expectations rather than futures which are forced to adjust on public perception as well. While contenders and blue bloods garner most of the headlines I’m alwasy fascinated by the programs expected to struggle.  As you can see it’s not exactly a murderers row of traditional powers with O/U’s listed at 2.5 wins for UNLV, UTSA, SMU, Georgia St, and the newest member of the FBS UNC Charlotte.  Although things look bleak for those 5 programs, Eastern Michigan and...

UFC 187: Cormier vs. Johnson/Weidman vs. Belfort: Chasing Chalk? (Fight analysis provided by Gamblou) Welcome Enthusiasts to one of the most stacked UFC fight cards in months. On first blush this slate seems to be steeped in chalk….as of 5-21-15 the average price on the favorite is -364 (and climbing) and that is with the Main Event being a pick-em price!* These firm favorites lead most to believe that finding live dogs on this card could be an arduous task but we feel that there will be a mangy mutt or two that will show up and bite the parlays players in the rear. Our role is to determine which mongrels will show up tonight for one thing we are confident about is that the fight game can be tricky and those believing that the chalk positions are foregone conclusions may well be in for a surprise. We are of the mindset that it just is not that easy to maneuver the Makers. So it is with respect and a keen eye that we submit the following positions for UFC 187. UFC 2015: 32-39 +482.00 (All GambLou.com releases are understood to be a standard and hypothetical $100 per position unless otherwise stated. We use $100 to easily track our results as every GambLou.com release is accounted for each Monday AM. Public accounting allows us to display our profitability while providing our readers with 100% transparency). Covington -260 vs. Pyle +240 Covington is an improving fighter with a wrestling based background yet he steps into this fight on relative short notice against a guy that is fighting for his UFC life. No doubt Covington is hungry and Pyle’s chin is of question but Pyle is a major step up in class for Covington. Pyle can...

Some crazy prices about on this final EPL weekend. Such is the unpredictable nature of this last day that I suggest lower stakes spread over a wider number of games. Jimmy Kempton signing off for another season! (Editor’s Note: Special thanks again this year to Jimmy for all his hard work and contributions covering EPL every week.  Hopefully we can secure him for another season beginning in the fall after sure to be intense contract negotiations!  Also if you’re a European soccer enthusiast interested in covering Serie A, La Liga, or Bundesliga for the site we’d love to see your submissions.  They can be sent here) Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion Arsenal -1.5 Goals 3 Tony Pulis would love to rub Wenger up the wrong way in this final game of the season. Animosity still exists between the two and I see West Brom pushing the home team close in this one so lean heavily to the away side on this line.  It might be nice if Arsenal elected to score this week as well going 3 straight home fixtures without finding the back of the net Aston Villa v Burnley Aston Villa -0.25 Goals 2.5 Villa may have the FA Cup final on their minds whilst Burnley say au revoir to the EPL, possibly forever! Burnley have shown very little away from home this season as they have won just once so why should we expect any different here? Look for the home team to bounce back after the south coast drubbing last weekend. Chelsea v Sunderland Chelsea -1.25 Goals 2.75 Jose will want to finish off in style after that sorry defeat on Monday night. Sunderland are safe from relegation after that heroic draw at Arsenal midweek so I see them coasting...

From the moment the Patriots finished off the Seahawks in Superbowl XLIX, the gambling countdown began anew for another season of betting professional football.  It’s no surprise, the NFL is King Kong when it comes to sports gambling in North America generating the most betting handle and fan interest from recreational bettors.  Spring and summer are the perfect time to prepare for the new season, giving us months to identify the sleepers, darkhorses, futures, and win totals that are all worth our investing dollar.  However before spending all of that time trying to isolate winners, developing a gameplan for establishing your bankroll needs to take precedence.  Whether you’re a $5 or $5,000 bettor, optimal money management is essential to long term gambling success.  Here are a few tips for that novices should keep in mind before they handicap a single game. Stay within your means I know this sounds simple but you’d be surprised how many recreational bettors ask me how much they can expect to make betting sports.  That’s actually the wrong question to be asking. Instead, take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself how much you can afford to lose in this hobby without it impacting your day to day.  Sports gambling should be viewed by the majority of the population as a form of recreation, mentioned in the same breath breadth as other forms of entertainment like movies or shows.  By taking this pragmatic approach you’re better equipped to keep perspective and properly allocate the kind of funds you feel comfortable risking during the season.  Winning is great but the reality of this business is that most bettors will lose over the long haul especially in their first few seasons.  The amount you dedicate to gambling should be...

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer.  With it comes one of the greatest traditions in auto racing; the Indianapolis 500.  I’ll admit I’m not a fan of Indy Cars most weekends spending most of my hours covering the trio of top level NASCAR circuits but there’s just something about the history of open wheel racing at the Brickyard that captures even the casual fan. Drivers completed qualifying over the weekend (no thanks to the weather) meaning we saw oddsmakers forced to shuffle their odds a bit before the big race.  Despite a previous best finish here of 8th back in 2013, Simon Pagenaud moved to co-favorite at 9-2 after a strong week of practice highlighted by a good result on Sunday.  Pagenaud was widely available at 10-1 early last week.  The other driver listed at 9-2 along side the talented frenchman?  None other than 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon, who also happens the pole sitter for Sunday’s race.  Aside from shuffling at the top, long shot Justin Wilson’s odds to win the race dipped from 100-1 down to 30-1 now that he knows where he’ll be starting on the grid.  However the implied probability of his heading to victory lane with a milk jug only changed minimally from 1% to 3% What you should know about the starting lineup Here’s a complete look at the side by side comparison of current prices post qualifying compared to the opening lines courtesy of the Westgate Superbook Driver Post Qualifying Openers Scott Dixon 9-2 6 Simon Pagenaud 9-2 10 Helio Castroneves 6 5 Juan Montoya 7 5 Will Power 5 7 Tony Kanaan 6 6 Marco Andretti 15 10 Ed Carpenter 18 10 Carlos Munoz 20 20 Ryan Hunter-Reay 25 12 Josef Newgarden...

Kentucky Derby Jay is back to break down the Preakness fresh off his match-up sweep at Churchill and his near misses at the top of the board.  There isn’t anyone in the business better at handicapping the biggest races that comprise the triple crown. American Pharoah proved to be deserving favorite in Louisville two weeks ago, winning the Kentucky in impressive (albeit comparatively slow) fashion. Next up in the quest to end thoroughbred racing’s long Triple Crown drought is the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore. American Pharoah will enter the race as the prohibitive favorite, but his two closest finishers in the Derby — Firing Line and Dortmund — also return to challenge. Only five others join them, making this quite the small field. Let’s look at the competitors: Tale Of Verve: One of the three new shooters in the race, and by far the worst. Way outclassed, and far too slow. Absolutely no chance. Bodhisattva: Represents the local interests, and exits a win over the track in the Tesio in his last start. These types have sometimes hit the Preakness board at big odds. A candidate for third or fourth, but not much else. Divining Rod: The last of the new shooters. Hasn’t done much wrong, finishing a respectable 2nd in the Tampa Bay Derby to Carpe Diem, followed by a win at Keeneland in the Lexington. Was eligible for Derby field, but connections opted to wait for this spot. Looks like a nice second-tier colt in this crop, but is likely out of the element today. Would need a career-best performance to best this field, and while it’s not out of the realm of possibility, I’m siding against. Mr. Z: Wasn’t much of a factor in the Derby, yet here he is again...

UFC Fight Night 66 Edgar vs. Faber: Muay Thai in Manila Fight analysis courtesy of GambLou Good day Enthusiasts. Saturday’s UFC fight card occurs in the wee hours (7AM EST/4AM PST) from Pasay City in the Philippines. We scour these cards for live dogs and feel we have spotted several strays stranded in the streets of Manila. Last week we realized a 2-1 +$90.00 result. Vick (+170) started the day with his upset win followed by Tavares’ setback <130> before we were able to add to our net profitability with a half unit win on the prop position ‘Miocic/Hunt starts Round 3’. Anytime we can pull profit from a card and add to our bottom line we bank it then move forward. UFC 2015: 29-35 + $557.00 (All GambLou.com releases are understood to be a standard and hypothetical $100 per position unless otherwise stated. We use $100 to easily track our results as every GambLou.com release is accounted for each Monday AM. Public accounting allows us to display our profitability while providing our readers with 100% transparency). -Let’s Fight- Guangyou -115 vs. Wee -105 We liked Guangyou’s chances prior to weigh-in based on the fact that we view him as the more skilled, well rounded fighter. Wee is simply a one dimensional grappler who arrived to weigh-ins a couple pounds over the limit. This translates to us as distraction and lack of focus. As soon as we saw him miss weight we jumped Guangyou -105 for if you study your ‘Fightmetrics’ you’ll know the advantage missing weight gives an opposing fighter. Gaungyou -120 (half) Lima -170 vs Li +150 Lima has seen the better competition but he has not necessarily shown us much heart. Lima is in on short notice and is the longer...

It’s bitter sweet when the season winds down…well unless you’re a QPR or Burnley fan sick of seeing your favorite club get drummed by the big boys in the Premiership.  As he’s done every week this season James Kempton (follow him on twitter @UKBettingPro) is back to drop knowledge before figuring out the weekend’s best bets. Southampton v Aston Villa Southampton -0.75 and 2.25 goals On current form this line looks set a quarter of a goal too high so from a risk/reward perspective you should only consider bets that favour the away team. Burnley v Stoke City Pk and 2.25 goals Burnley are already relegated ahead of next years campaign whilst Stoke look focused on providing coach Mark Hughes with a strong end to this season. The trends suggest a low scoring game but these meaningless games often explode into goal fests wither neither side having anything to lose. QPR v Newcastle United Newcastle -0.25 and 2.5 goals Given the way the other fixtures pan out a draw could be a great result for Newcastle. In view of that I want the draw on my side here so I love the home side to at least avoid defeat. Sunderland v Leicester City Pk and 2.25 goals I don’t believe in collusion in the ranks of the EPL but a draw could strongly favour both sides. I honestly haven’t got a clue in this one so I’m going to stay well clear and advise you do the same! Tottenham Hotspur v Hull City Tottenham -0.75 and 2.5 goals Straight up bets may be the way forward in the match market and I do like a bit of the overs on the goal markets. Hull will throw everything (including the kitchen sink) at Tottenham especially...

Hey look, you can bet on the next president of the US at Bovada!  Unfortunately those looking to get down on this market in Nevada will be disappointed because wagering on federal elections has yet to be approved by the gaming control board.  As always there are a few serious names atop the leaderboard but also a handful of media personalities that have as much chance of landing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as I do.  Remember limits on these props are for low limits and designed more for entertainment purposes than get rich quick opportunities.  However if someone knows about George Clooney’s status let me know, a $10 spot at 150-1 will buy me an extra drink or 2 at Encore Beach Club. 2016 US Presidential Election – Next President of the United States of America Hillary Clinton                            11/10 Jeb Bush                                  5/1 Marco Rubio                             9/1 Scott Walker                             9/1 Rand Paul                                 18/1 Chris Christie                             20/1 Elizabeth Warren                       20/1 Ted Cruz                                   33/1 Andrew Cuomo                         33/1 Martin OMalley                          33/1 John Kasich                              33/1 Joe Biden                                 40/1 Paul Ryan                                 50/1 Kirsten Gillibrand                       50/1 Bobby Jindal                            50/1 Ben Carson                               50/1 Jim Webb                                 50/1 Mark Warner                              66/1 Rick Santorum                          66/1 Susana Martinez                        66/1 Rahm Emanuel                          66/1 Rob Portman                            75/1 Condoleeza Rice                       75/1 Deval Patrick                            75/1 Michael Bloomberg                   75/1 Bob McDonnell                         75/1 Donald Trump                           75/1 Al Gore                                     100/1 George Clooney                        150/1 Michelle Obama                        150/1   2016 US Presidential Election – Winning Party    Democratic Party                      -180     (5/9) Republican Party                       +150    ...

The season is winding down…I mean we’ve already crowned the 2015 EPL champion but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty left to play for with European positioning and relegation still in the mix.  James Kempton is here to drop some knowledge for the weekend slate Everton v Sunderland Everton -0.5 Goals 2.25 The variable nature of the Toffees performances makes me wary of siding with them here against a team fighting for their EPL life. Only five goals in the last four EPL meetings of the sides suggests this will be a cagey low scoring game and given the away sides plight who could argue? Under 2.5 goals for me. Aston Villa v West Ham Aston Villa -0.5 Goals 2.5 Was the victory at home to Burnley last Saturday West Ham’s final stand at the end of a long season for the Hammers? I can’t trust Villa though on this match line and despite their recent expansive play against a dour Hammers side the goal markets also appear a mystery to me. Hull v Burnley Hull -0.5 Goals 2.25 Burnley have to win this game and whilst it’s not imperative that the home team gain all three points, it is advisable that they do. Burnley have gained just one win on the road all season so although I suggest looking at straight up bets for either team it will be a brave man who bets Burnley. All the trends though point to a bet on the home team or a complete swerve. Leicester v Southampton PK and Goals 2.25 Leicester are in an incredible run of form and you’d think you have to favour them here? The Saints don’t concede many goals on the road at the poorer teams, just eight in nine away...

A lot can change in the first month of the major league baseball season…then again a lot can stay the same.  We’ve already witnessed prolonged winning streaks from much maligned franchises in the Mets and Astros while some preseason favorites have struggled to find mid season form.  This is nothing new to a sport more akin to a marathon than a sprint where simply being in the race late in the year is all that matters.  As a result oddsmakers can’t over react to slumping or surging starts but they also don’t want to create liability in their future books for teams that might not fizzle as the temperatures rise.  Here’s a complete look at the future board’s biggest movers from late March All Prices courtesy of Westgate Superbook 4-May Pre Season Change Dodgers 5 6 -1 Royals 7 25 -18 Nationals 7 5 2 Tigers 10 18 -8 Cardinals 10 10 0 Mets 14 30 -16 Padres 14 20 -6 Cubs 14 16 -2 Yankees 16 25 -9 Red Sox 16 12 4 Astros 18 60 -42 A’s 25 20 5 Pirates 25 20 5 Orioles 25 18 7 Mariners 25 14 11 Angels 25 12 13 Rays 30 50 -20 Blue Jays 30 30 0 Giants 30 20 10 Indians 30 20 10 Marlins 40 30 10 White Sox 60 20 40 Rockies 80 60 20 Braves 100 100 0 Twins 100 100 0 Reds 100 60 40 Brewers 200 60 140 Diamondbacks 300 100 200 Rangers 500 60 440 Phillies 1000 500...

Every now and again you identify a specialist who excels in a unique handicapping discipline.  I won’t sell our author short in his abilities for other sports but around these parts he’s come to be known as the horse whisperer during triple crown season.  You can follow him on twitter @KyDerbyJay, a name that’s well earned over the years.  Here’s his thorough analysis of where you should be investing around 6:24 eastern this Saturday at Churchill downs. For those new to wagering on horses, (specifically reading Jay’s analysis for the first time), he goes through the painstaking effort to share what horses are worth including in your exotics (exactas, tris, and supers) along with his pick to win the race.  If that’s not enough, there are a few matchup suggestions as well which may resonate more with the traditional sports bettors.  Whether you watch the race for fun or profit, throw back a few mint juleps and enjoy the analysis of one of the industry’s most unheralded experts. Horses I Will Be Tossing From All Bets: Far Right: Does have the best Timeform Late Pace Rating in the field, but otherwise just looks too slow for this field. Could benefit from a complete pace breakdown, but I won’t be using him. Itsaknockout: Badly overmatched in his last start, and was trounced. Looked promising at one point, but a horse does not factor in the Derby off such an atrocious last start. Keen Ice: Way too slow for this crew, and even with a significant improvement would still be lucky to crack the top half of this field. Ocho Ocho Ocho: Too slow, and is up against a negative pace scenario, and a horrible post position. Strong candidate to bring up rear. Tencendur: Improved by...