We’ve all been there before; sitting with our buddies beyond more than a few drinks deep trying to have serious sports debates. Topics start on the greatest teams of all time eventually deteriorating to dialogue about the single worst beat experienced during gambling careers…as if there’s a lifetime achievement award for winning this category. Normally nothing productive comes from the discussion because well the crux of arguments are incoherent and the brainstorms you thought were airtight are anything but airtight the next morning when sobriety sets in.   However, I remain steadfast in believing my buddies and I came up with a new way to positively impact NFL season long gambling adding a simple wrinkle to regular season wins: win totals just for divisional games. Hear me out on this before suggesting I give up drinking in my limited free time (or drink myself smart somehow). We’ve all seen how popular NFL win total betting has become within the last few years. Why not take it one step further adding a win total within the win total for the most important games of the season, especially those fans typically live and die with all fall. Even if your team stinks, those 6 divisional games mean the world for bragging rights and franchise confidence headed into next season. So what if you lose a meaningless inter-conference game against a franchise you play once every 8 years, the only 6 that matter for this win total are those against your fiercest rivals. We’ve all been there before, dead and buried with a reg season win total that haunts us by week 9. However, this new option potentially keeps you alive or interested all the way through week 17. I cite the Atlanta Falcons as a prime example...

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 –...

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...

Every prop is not created equally.  Naturally recreational bettors or professional bettors gravitate towards different props given their level of engagement.  The folks at William Hill US were kind enough to share their top 10 most popular prop bets thus far in anticipation of Sunday’s big game #10: Team to receive opening kickoff: Patriots +115 #9: Will there be overime? Yes +500 #8: Exact Margin of Victory: New England by 13-18 +1000 #7: First scoring play of the game: Seattle Safety +5000 #6: Player to score first touchdown: Julien Edelman +1200 #5: Which will be the highest scoring quarter: 3rd Quarter +320 #4: First score of game: Field goal or safety +150 #3: Will there be a successful 2 pt conversion? Yes +310 #2: Will there be a special teams or defensive touchdown? Yes +145 #1: Will there be a safety in the game? Yes...

Cross sport props continue to grow in popularity each and every year.  Books offshore and in Las Vegas tend to offer a wide variety to test even the most veteran handicappers abilities.  Whether it’s golf, rugby, hockey, soccer, you name it…if you can find an angle worth attacking there will be a bet for you come next Sunday.  Here’s a list of the numbers currently available at the Westgate Superbook here in Vegas. WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Heat/Celtics–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 10:10 am Pacific HEAT POINTS                                -31.5  -110 ROB GRONKOWSKI (NE) RECEIVING YARDS        +31.5  -110   WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Heat/Celtics–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 10:10 am Pacific CELTICS POINTS                             -15.5  -110 MARSHAWN LYNCH (SEA) RUSHING YARDS         +15.5  -110   WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Heat/Celtics–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 10:10 am Pacific HEAT+CELTICS POINTS                        +11.5  -110 RUSSELL WILSON (SEA) GROSS PASSING YARDS   -11.5  -110   WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Heat/Celtics–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 10:10 am Pacific CHRIS BOSH (MIA) POINTS                     +1.5  -110 TOM BRADY (NE) COMPLETIONS                  -1.5  -110   WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Lakers/Knicks–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 11:10 am Pacific JEREMY LIN (LAL) POINTS                     +0.5  -110 SEAHAWKS FIRST HALF POINTS                  -0.5  -110   WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Lakers/Knicks–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 11:10 am Pacific LAKERS FIRST HALF POINTS                   -10.5  -110 JERMAINE KEARSE (SEA) RECEIVING YARDS      +10.5  -110   WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Lakers/Knicks–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 11:10 am Pacific KNICKS FIRST QUARTER POINTS                 -1.5  -110 PATRIOTS POINTS                             +1.5  -110   WHO WILL HAVE MORE: **(Lakers/Knicks–February 1, 2015) Prop closes at 11:10 am Pacific (If no punt—all bets are refunded) **Must be an official punt LAKERS+KNICKS FIRST QUARTER POINTS          -7.5  -110 JON RYAN (SEA) DISTANCE OF FIRST PUNT       +7.5  -110   WHO WILL...

Sports journalists operate in shades of grey.  It’s an unspoken truth within the industry during the social media era that being right (or accurate) isn’t nearly as important as being first. Opinions dominate the space and that’s why we choose to read our favorite columnists each week, appreciating the unique lens through which they view the game.  Earlier Tuesday I stumbled on an article (and was also sent to me by countless people) that blew the oddsmaking process entirely out of proportion.  While the words sound harsh, I’ve grown critical of folks covering the gambling industry that don’t exactly understand that of which they write (exactly how I’d expect everyone to feel if I started writing about quantum physics). Let’s start with the headline and go from there… LAS VEGAS SCREWED UP THE POINT SPREAD FOR THE SUPER BOWL – AND IT COULD COST MILLIONS Ah yes, the grandiose proclamation that a point spread has been messed up by oddsmakers on the single most important game to the entire industry here in town.  Before we come to a final decision let’s see how the number moves between now and next Sunday. The article continues… With 12 days to go before the Super Bowl, there is no favorite to win the big game. But it didn’t start out that way, and that could spell disaster for Las Vegas sportsbooks. Shortly after the New England Patriots completed their destruction of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game, the 2015 Super Bowl opened with the Seattle Seahawks as 2.5- or 3-point favorites, depending on where you looked. However, in the first 24 hours of betting, the line fell all the way to a pick ’em (no favorite), a surprisingly big move for a point spread and...

Tis the season for prop bets and Sportsbook.com has unveiled a sampling of what we can expect offshore this Superbowl season.  Not only will players be offered but everything from pop culture, to Gatorade, to anything the most twisted oddsmaker may dream up by then.  Keep those creative juices flowing…there’s a good chance you can influence the industry into turning your brain child into a bettable commodity.  Amazing to think it’s been 25+ years since the birth of prop bets back in 1985 when William Perry plunged into the endzone for a 1 yd TD run. Complete list can be found here and will be continuously updated Marshawn Lynch – Will he be fined by NFL for any incident on Super Bowl XLIX Media Day YES +800 NO -2000 Bill Belichick – What Color Hoodie will he wear for Super Bowl XLIX (Main Color) Grey      -145 Blue       +105 Bill Belichick – Hoodie Style for Super Bowl XLIX Sleeves                +115 Sleeves Cut        -155 Katy Perry – What will she be wearing during her first song performance for Super Bowl XLIX halftime Dress/Skirt                          -150 Pants/Shorts/Any Other              ...

We’re Back!!! After an unplanned technology induced hiatus PayneInsider and I are back with a full breakdown of this weekend’s conference championship games.  As always there are still a multitude of ways to listen before the season comes to an end in a few weeks. Subscribe on itunes Subscribe to the RSS sound cloud...

TRENDS TRENDS AND MORE TRENDS! Everyone loves numbers when it comes to the NFL The numbers here are all courtesy of www.oddshark.com (follow them on twitter).  As always trends should never be the lone justification for any of your bets with a limited sample size but the information contained here within. This article is also worth a read regarding same season rematches Conference Championships NFL Betting Trends ·         Since 1998, there have been 12 instances where the Conference Title Games had a favorite of a touchdown or more (see the accompanying chart below of those games) o    The highest spread was St. Louis -15.5 over Tampa in 2000. They won 11-6 o    Four times the spread has been in double digits since 1998 and each time the dog covered o    In the 12 games, the dog is 9-3 against the spread and 5-7 straight up Date Road Home Line Total ATS OU Dog/Fave 1/17/1999 Atlanta 30 Minnesota 27 -12 55.5 Atlanta OVER DOG 1/17/1999 NY Jets 10 Denver 23 -9 50.5 Denver UNDER FAVE 1/23/2000 Tampa Bay 6 St. Louis 11 -16 45 Tampa Bay UNDER DOG 1/23/2000 Tennessee 33 Jacksonville 14 -7.5 39.5 Tennessee OVER DOG 1/27/2002 New England 24 Pittsburgh 17 -8 36 New England OVER DOG 1/27/2002 Philadelphia 24 St. Louis 29 -12 51.5 Philadelphia OVER DOG 1/19/2003 Tennessee 24 Oakland 41 -7.5 47 Oakland OVER FAVE 1/20/2008 San Diego 12 New England 21 -14 46.5 San Diego UNDER DOG 1/20/2008 NY Giants 23 Green Bay 20 -7 40.5 NY Giants OVER DOG 1/24/2010 NY Jets 17 Indianapolis 30 -7.5 40 Indianapolis OVER FAVE 1/22/2012 Baltimore 20 New England 23 -7 49 Baltimore UNDER DOG 1/20/2013 Baltimore 28 New England 13 -8 49.5 Baltimore UNDER DOG Green Bay Packers at Seattle...

We haven’t seen a Superbowl 49 winner crowned yet but that hasn’t stopped the guys at Westgate Superbook posting odds for NEXT year’s champion.  There aren’t any major surprises aside from the up and coming Rams opening at an apparently short 25-1.  No real shock that the 3 longshots are “proud” franchises in Jacksonville, Oakland, and Tennessee at 300-1.  Even a successful draft won’t help any of them be considered “contenders.” 2016 SUPER BOWL 50 @ LEVI’S STADIUM, SANTA CLARA, CA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2016 SUPER BOWL SEAHAWKS 5 PATRIOTS 6 PACKERS 7 BRONCOS 8 COWBOYS 12 EAGLES 16 COLTS 16 LIONS 25 SAINTS 25 RAMS 25 49ERS 25 CARDINALS 25 STEELERS 25 RAVENS 25 BENGALS 25 TEXANS 30 CHARGERS 30 CHIEFS 30 GIANTS 30 PANTHERS 30 FALCONS 30 DOLPHINS 30 BEARS 50 VIKINGS 50 BILLS 50 BROWNS 50 REDSKINS 100 JETS 100 BUCS 200 TITANS 300 JAGUARS 300 RAIDERS...

Some will argue bye weeks are now more of a detriment to NFL teams than they are a benefit.  Yes players have a chance to heal up, rest those nagging injuries but the ATS trends in the modern NFL say time off isn’t actually as good for your bankroll as it once was. What we’ve seen the past few years is teams actually lose steam coming out of a bye week looking more like lethargic sloppy teams than well oiled machines. Not only has this shown to be true in the regular season but it also resonates with postseason results. Written by Steve Caruso (Visit his website www.twitbet.com) The logical question then becomes what’s changed? Look no further than the 2011 CBA. In 2011 as a result of the new CBA rules surrounding bye weeks, player-team commitments have changed. Let’s take a closer look: Section 2. Bye Weeks: During any regular season bye week period occurring during the term of this Agreement, players will be given a minimum of four consecutive days off.  Such four day period must include a Saturday and a Sunday unless the Club is scheduled to play a game on the Thursday following the bye week, in which case players may be required to report to the Club on the Sunday preceding the Thursday game. In such an event, the four day period shall be Wednesday through Saturday. Any injured player may be required to undergo medical or rehabilitation treatment during such four day period provided that such treatment is deemed reasonably necessary by the Club’s medical staff. Click here to view Page 143 of the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement The new set of rules gives players more time off during bye weeks and as a result, less mandatory time...

It’s the playoffs…meaning we have a grand total of 11 NFL playoff games to bet before massive withdrawl sets in around these parts (well 12 if you count the Pro Bowl).  Payneinsider and I are here to break it all down for you even if it means we don’t have a strong opinion on a particular game. Subscribe on itunes Subscribe to the RSS sound cloud feed...