EPL play resumes this weekend after the FA cup took center stage last week.  James Kempton is back to share his fixture analysis for every match.  If you’re looking for more in depth analysis check out his podcast with Pete Nordsted. Aston Villa v Stoke City Pk and Goals 2 Thank god Lambert is gone as now maybe Villa will try and at least score a goal. I’d be wary of fading Tim Sherwood in his first game as his cocky wide boy image may give his side a temporary lift but that lift will only be temporary. Overs on the goal line appeals to me given the way Villa opened up in the second half of their cup win last weekend after the half time input from Sherwood. Chelsea v Burnley Chelsea -2 and Goals 3 If you think Burnley will be scared of the Blues then think again. They’ve scored at both Manchester clubs this season and once again they will give it everything they have against a top of the table side. Give me the overs with a push being the worst case scenario that I envision. Crystal Palace v Arsenal Arsenal -0.5 and 2.5 goals Pardew was owned by Arsenal when he managed Newcastle so he’s hoping the passion of a London derby may help turn his fortunes against the Gunners.  Wenger dislikes Pardew, he isn’t in the minority! It’s a tough game to call but give me Arsenal to do just enough in a game where they need the win. Hull City v QPR Hull -0.5 and 2.25 goals Rangers have picked up recently whilst Hull’s form has been up and down to say the least. Who can seriously rely on Hull to win a game with any confidence?...

Thursday marks the next installment of a gambling phenomenon that’s relatively new: betting the combine.  These props have become much more prevalent in recent years with increased viewership and coverage for the NFL’s very own beauty contest.  From a handful of props years ago to an entire laundry now, list www.betonline.ag has an extensive offering available for this year’s event.  As you’d expect most of the prop offerings focus on truly defined measureables like 40 time, bench press, vertical, etc.  I won’t encourage anyone to attempt to beat these figures on their own at local gyms but who am I to discourage some friendly competition among friends. Thursday, Feb 19, 2015 2015 NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash – Best TimeBest Time Best Time in the 40 yard Dash  08:00 PM 253 Over 4.29 Seconds -125 254 Under 4.29 Seconds -105 2015 NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash – New Record2015 NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash – New Record Will the Chris Johnson’s NFL Combine 40 yard dash record of 4.24 second be broken at the 2015 NFL Combine? 08:00 PM 251 Yes +400 252 No -600 2015 NFL Combine Bench Press – Best PerformanceBest Performance in the Bench Press Workout at the 2015 NFL Combine 08:00 PM 255 Over 42½ Reps -120 256 Under 42½ Reps -110 2015 NFL Combine Broad Jump – Best PerformanceBest Performance in the Broad Jump Workout at the 2015 NFL Combine 08:00 PM 257 Over 11 Feet, 2 Inches -115 258 Under 11 Feet, 2 Inches -115 2015 NFL Combine Vertical Jump – Best PerformanceBest Performance in the Vertical Jump Workout at the 2015 NFL Combine 08:00 PM 259 Over 43 Inches -105 260 Under 43 Inches -125 Friday, Feb 20, 2015 2015 NFL Combine Specials 40 Yard Dash –...

We’re still weeks away from the first pitch of Major League Baseball 2015 but that doesn’t stop sports book operators from hanging regular season win totals before teams even get to camp.  Credit to Atlantis in Reno for being the first again this year to post their numbers before any other casino in Nevada. Westgate followed suit this weekend opening their numbers on Sunday afternoon.  Keep in mind when looking over win totals either for investment opportunities or merely as a casual fan understand they’re better indicators of oddsmaker’s true expectations than futures prices.  The Cubs provide one of the most compelling examples for this market trend given they’re as high as 6th in some future pools yet only predicted to finish right around .500.  Many know my thoughts on the north siders but I won’t go quite as far to say this season could be as underwhelming for them as 2 years ago proved to be for the Bluejays amid lofty expectations. Team LVH Bovada Diamondbacks 71.5 71.5 Braves 74.5 73.5 Orioles 81.5 82.5 Red Sox 84.5 86.5 Cubs 82.5 82.5 White Sox 82 81.5 Reds 78 77.5 Indians 84.5 83.5 Rockies 71.5 71.5 Tigers 83.5 84.5 Marlins 81.5 81.5 Astros 75.5 74.5 Royals 79.5 79.5 Angels 88.5 89.5 Dodgers 93.5 92.5 Brewers 78.5 78.5 Twins 72.5 70.5 Mets 82 81.5 Yankees 81.5 81.5 A’s 80.5 80.5 Phillies 68.5 68.5 Pirates 83.5 83.5 Padres 84.5 85.5 Giants 83.5 84.5 Mariners 87.5 86.5 Cardinals 88 88.5 Rays 80 78.5 Rangers 79.5 77.5 Blue Jays 82.5 82.5 Nationals 94...

DraftKings revenue exploded from $2.5 million in Q4 2013 to $17 million in Q4 2014, but they actually lost market share to DFS leader FanDuel. Written by Trev Rogers I expected the big jump in revenue for DraftKings however I also expected to hear about gains in DFS market share. Keep in mind around Q2 of 2014, FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles confidently proclaimed a 65% market share for FanDuel. DraftKings publicly balked at the number, but did not show metrics to prove otherwise. When FanDuel reported their Q4 2014 numbers, they did so with a claim of 80% DFS market share, a truly dominant number. Myself and other DFS players thought 80% was a bit high and waited for DraftKings to present their case, they did not this time around, yet I believe they will later this year. For FanDuel to gain an additional 15% market share in just 6 months is truly impressive, but can FanDuel keep the momentum going in 2015? WHAT IS NEXT FOR DRAFTKINGS? Lets keep things in perspective. DraftKings reported $30 million in revenue for 2014. That is up from just $4 million in 2013. No one can argue with 650% revenue growth, but believe me, their investors want to see market share gains. I believe DraftKings has set the groundwork for a HUGE 2015. DraftKings has agreements in place with Major League Baseball and the NHL, to be represented as the league’s official daily fantasy sports provider. DraftKings also recently announced deals with numerous NBA teams: DraftKings is now the official daily fantasy game provider of the @LAClippers #ClipperNation http://t.co/qgHQsuPSRT pic.twitter.com/vgslRUB2FC — DraftKings (@DraftKings) February 5, 2015 We are excited to announce our partnership with the @SacramentoKings http://t.co/IKMoZvwmTA pic.twitter.com/JYL0WUsGwx — DraftKings (@DraftKings) February 4, 2015 FanDuel and DraftKings...

The only thing better than a full slate of weekend fixtures in the EPL is when there are mid week matches to bet as well.  Resident EPL insider James Kempton worked double duty this week providing his thoughts as he always does on every single match Arsenal v Leicester City Arsenal -1.75 and 3 goals The home side need to bounce back after the weekend derby defeat and their is no better team to host than City to get you healthy. Arsenal will win this game against Leicester who appear to be in disarray with or without the current manager confusion and the value is with the Gunners covering the handicap line. Hull City v Aston Villa Hull City -0.25 and 2 goals Both teams managed to score against an elite team over the weekend so surely they should at least give us a push on the overs of goal line of 2? You’d think so but I can’t trust either team so I’m staying away completely! Sunderland v QPR Sunderland -0.5 and 2.25 goals Sunderland gained a great point on the road this past weekend against Swansea. Rangers showed great fight against Southampton before losing in stoppage time. That showing alone makes me want to side with QPR to get a point but with their away record I simply can’t. The loss of Charlie Austin for QPR also stops me from considering an Overs ticket Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool -0.5 and 2.75 goals Over 2.75 goals for this Liverpool side? No thanks! The under looks a strong play here and I have to be with the away team to gain at least a share of the spoils. Once Daniel Sturridge is fully fit my thoughts for Pool may change but whilst he...

Bookmaking is very different all around the world.  Given the differences in geography every book knows the kind of betting markets their customers will demand.  Some shops are in business to take the largest limits out there, others cater more to recreational players, and of course some fall right in the middle.  As we’ve seen recently there’s an increased trend among offshore shops dealing to North American customers to offer a higher volume of novelty or entertainment props.  This type of bet is still prohibited by the Gaming Control Board here in the state of Nevada.  On the heels of last night’s Grammys with the Oscars looming, I wanted to get a perspective of how fringe betting markets are viewed throughout the UK where every shop offers them.  I had a chance to talk to Nick Goff, head of football trading at Coral and he shared a very unique perspective on the topic. How has the UK market changed the past few years when it comes to exotic type wagers? There is more pressure put on traders from PR/marketing departments to offer a lot more markets now. And as one bookmaker offers more, their rivals are pressured to follow suit, and even overtake, and this leads to a never-ending battle to have the most betting content available. Why do you think this is…that the traditional is no longer an option? From a trading perspective we understand the way the industry has moved and why the marketing guys demand this of us. It’s simply not acceptable for any firm to lag behind in attracting new customers because we don’t have the level of betting content available that some rivals have. This means sometimes we now price lots of events we would have elected to leave...

It’s another busy weekend of EPL fixtures to get those gambling juices flowing.  James Kempton is back to share his analysis and leanings on every single match.  As always you can get more from him by listening to his podcast here. Spurs v Arsenal (Arsenal -0.25 / 2.75) I really like the home team in this spot as they’ve already shown this year against Chelsea that they can rise to the big occasion. Arsenal hammering Aston Villa so emphatically on TV last week should ensure that all the value is with the home team. Aston Villa v Chelsea (Chelsea -1.25 goals 2.5) It’s a brave man who would ever lay one and a half goals on the road in the Premiership. However, how can you realistically believe Villa find the back of the net? Chelsea will get back to their winning ways here and they should cover the handicap line. Leicester City v Crystal Palace (Leicester -0.25 goals 2.25) In a relegation dogfight I’d always try and have the draw on my side. When the better side is on the receiving end of the quarter goal though then it’s a no brainer for me. Palace or no bet and this game could see some goals, much like Palace’s recent trip to Burnley. Manchester City v Hull City (Man City -2 goals 3) City need a good performance in front of the home fans following their recent wobble. Who better to host than the pitiful Tigers from Hull? Has a clubs nickname ever been in such contrast to the way their team performs on the pitch? This line should be more around the -2.5 mark so I will take the home team to cover. QPR v Southampton (Southampton -0.75 goals 2.5) So long ‘arry and...

During the build-up to Superbowl one of the most frequently asked questions by casual bettors is how do sportsbooks determine limits?  The short answer is that every betting market is different with limits for each individual sport determined by the risk management team.  Large 6 (or even 7) figure wagers that are granted to customers for the Super Bowl aren’t the norm for regular season NBA (or even NFL) games without special arrangements.  While working at Caesars we did have a customer that was granted 6 figure limits on NFL regular season games but he was an exception to the norm. The goal of every book is similar to any other business; turning a profit by knowing your customers. I’ve been mulling a piece like this for a while but was further spurred on by the story that broke over the weekend regarding suspended wagering on the national anthem prop.  Originally reported by USA Today,  Sportsbook.com saw an unusual flurry of action on their length of the national anthem prop about 45 minutes before Idina Manzel was set to perform.  Here’s an excerpt from a conversation I had with their marketing director via email right about the time the prop was pulled: Yes, around 30 mins ago we took [a number of] bets at the maximum. We took bets from new accounts that only wagered on the over on Anthem, everytime we moved they kept re-betting, so as a precaution we’ve suspended the market Now it goes without saying that books open each morning for one reason: to make money (a concept lost on twitter a lot of the time).  Even with low limit offerings ($50-$200), compromised integrity of a market means books from Costa Rica to Australia would respond the same way by...

We talk about responsible gaming all the time…even for those that have been in the business for ages.  Apparently long time pick seller Stu Feiner couldn’t handle the finish of Sunday’s Super Bowl and took to youtube.  Marketing ploy or not, this video is beyond ridiculous....

I won’t claim to be a music aficionado by any stretch.  However, when there’s a wagering line being placed on who takes home the hardware that warrants at least a mention. Earlier today Bovada put out a handful of unique markets for the upcoming award show.  As always these are meant more as novelty bets not get rich quick angles so enjoy. 57th Grammy Awards – Album of the Year  Beyoncé – Beyoncé                               5/4 In The Lonely Hour – Sam Smith      7/4 X – Ed Sheeran                                      17/4 Morning Phase – Beck                          7/1 Girl – Pharrell Williams                       10/1 57th Grammy Awards – Record of the Year  Stay With Me (Darkchild Version) – Sam Smith    10/11 Chandelier – Sia                                                             13/4 Fancy – Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX                             4/1 Shake It Off – Taylor Swift                                            9/2 All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor                      15/1 57th Grammy Awards – Song of the Year     Stay With Me (Darkchild Version) – Sam Smith    4/5 Take Me To Church – Hozier                                     13/4 Chandelier – Sia                                                            9/2 Shake It Off – Taylor Swift                                           8/1 All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor                     9/1 57th Grammy Awards – Best New Artist    Sam Smith                                            1/6 Bastille                                                   10/1 Iggy Azalea                                            10/1 Brandy Clark                                         10/1 Haim                                                       12/1 GRAMMY SPECIAL – Will Sam Smith sweep all 6 nominations at the Grammy’s? Yes                  8/1 No                    1/10 GRAMMY SPECIAL – How many Grammy’s will Sam Smith be awarded? Over                             3 (+110, 11/10) Under                           3  (-150,...

This has absolutely nothing to do with sports betting but that’s not stopping me from posting it on the site.  Clearly Gronk’s performance on Kimmel was one of the single best interviews we’ve ever seen post Super Bowl.  I’ll still take the under on the last book he read actually being in 9th grade but I digress.  If you haven’t seen this already…watch it.  I can say first hand his bros and dad put on quite the show earlier in the week at El Hefe in Old Town Scottsdale as...

It’s a bittersweet day when the NFL season comes to an end.  PayneInsider and I decided to take Bet the Board to the next level for our Superbowl Spectacular pod, even bringing on an industry insider Dave Mason to share his book’s position on the game.  Thanks to all of our loyal listeners for a tremendous first season, we’ll be looking to take the pod to another level in year 2. Subscribe on itunes Subscribe to the RSS sound cloud feed...