Nearly 6 weeks ago I was extremely critical of CNBC’s decision to air a show called Money Talks highlighting the life and business of a handicapper named Steve Stevens.  Last night, after weeks of build-up, the show finally debuted amid much fanfare in the sports betting community. While I wanted to hate it (I really did), I found myself fascinated by the portrayal of a business model that’s become nearly obsolete in the internet age and the presentation of his business as representative of an entire industry. There were a number of things taken out of context as expected; it’s a reality show so we expected an emphasis on storytelling trumping accuracy.   I’d like to think I’m pretty in tune with most of what goes on in the world of sports gambling. Whether it’s the limits casinos here in town feel comfortable taking, how the offshore industry works, or what handicappers sell reputable information worth buying, I can sniff out fabrication at nearly every turn.  Until I saw the trailer for Money Talks I’d never heard of Steve Stevens.  Even after watching the show, I clearly don’t believe in his business at VIP sports let alone his ability to turn consistent profits but you can bet he’ll have a laundry list of clients ready to purchase his product as of this morning. Go through the entire episode and losing bets that were actually given out to VIP Sports’ clients are plentiful even while not highlighted by the narrative. Obviously this will be lost on perspective buyers who didn’t notice that Stevens not only gave out the Ravens +4 but also the under 48 in the game. However my criticism of the show isn’t in relation to Stevens involvement. He’s a businessman trying to make...

Every week (or that’s the plan) I want to share misleading stat lines from the college football weekend.  If you happen to see anything of note while watching the games, use the hashtag #BoxscoreReview to point them out and we’ll include them right here on these pages. Get complete college football power rankings here, the ultimate tool to assist in your handicapping The Hurricanes were out first downed 22-10, outgained 413-212, and had 16 minutes less of time of possession but found a way to upset the Gators thanks to Florida’s 5 turnovers and absolutely horrific execution in the red zone. Kentucky’s 41-7 win over Miami OH might not have been decisive enough given their stat sheet domination. The Redhawks gained 8 first downs to Kentucky’s 27 and were crushed in total yardage 675 to 122.  However, the most “impressive” stat line was for Miami’s QB’s who went 4-14 despite trailing by 17 for over 3 quarters. Michigan St and USF combined for 27 points but even that many shouldn’t have been scored. Mich St was the beneficiary of 2 defensive touchdowns and only amassed 265 yards of offense.  USF was that much worse; gaining 155 yards on 61 plays going 1-13 on 3rd downs.  Bobby Eveld the starting QB was 6-25 for 66 yards, ouch.  Sparty’s QBs didn’t light the world on fire either completing 12 of 24 passes for less than 100 yards. Oklahoma State and UTSA’s final was somewhat misleading when you consider the teams combined for 42 points in the 4th quarter compared to only 49 through the first 3 frames.  OSU threw for over 500 yards with efficient QB play as Chelf/Walsh combined to go 35-43. Houston needed a late touchdown to cover against Temple but they clearly were...

Complete updated list of game of the year lines from the LVH…after 2 weeks of potential over reactions from the general public 2013 COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES OF THE YEAR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 CLEMSON -12.5 NC STATE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 BOISE ST FRESNO ST -4 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 UTAH BYU -6.5 ARIZONA ST STANFORD -7 MICHIGAN ST NOTRE DAME -7.5 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 VIRGINIA TECH GEORGIA TECH -2 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 UTAH ST -7 SAN JOSE ST SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 LSU GEORGIA -4 TEXAS A&M -13 ARKANSAS USC ARIZONA ST -7 OKLAHOMA NOTRE DAME -1.5 WISCONSIN OHIO ST xxxx QB-?? THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2013 TEXAS -17.5 IOWA ST UCLA -2.5 UTAH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2013 BYU UTAH ST -1 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013 TCU OKLAHOMA -8 NOTRE DAME ARIZONA ST -2.5                        @ ARLINGTON, TX OHIO ST xxxx   QB–?? NORTHWESTERN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013 RUTGERS LOUISVILLE -15.5 ARIZONA USC -7 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 TEMPLE CINCINNATI -18 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013 TEXAS -1 OKLAHOMA                                @ DALLAS, TX FLORIDA LSU -5 TEXAS A&M -3 OLE MISS STANFORD -7.5 UTAH OREGON -11.5 WASHINGTON MICHIGAN -4.5 PENN ST BOISE ST UTAH ST -3 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013 MIAMI FL NORTH CAROLINA -3 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 CENTRAL FLORIDA LOUISVILLE -11 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2013 FLORIDA ST CLEMSON -1 FLORIDA -7 MISSOURI TCU OKLAHOMA ST -10 LSU -3.5 OLE MISS UCLA STANFORD -9.5 USC NOTRE DAME -7 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013 KENTUCKY MISSISSIPPI ST -9.5 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013 BOISE ST BYU -6 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2013 SOUTH CAROLINA -6.5 MISSOURI TENNESSEE ALABAMA -27.5 TEXAS -3 TCU UNLV NEVADA -8.5 UCLA OREGON -18.5 STANFORD -7 OREGON ST THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2013 ARIZONA ST -13 WASHINGTON ST FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013 USC OREGON ST -1...

We did this before the start of the college football season and it was well received so we’re doing it again today with the NFL. Of course most twitter personalities on the college list offer great content for the pros as well but here are a handful of guys better known for their pro contributions when it comes to helping you line the wallet. Irish Mike Moran While Mike’s definitely a character when it comes to sports gambling with a flair entirely his own, the insight he provides into the pro game is definitely worth paying attention to throughout the NFL season. Stuckey You’ll get as much personality out of following Stuckey as you will betting nuggets; trust me when I say it’s worth it.  One suggestion? Just don’t troll the Ravens on gameday around him but if he makes a play on or against his own side, it’s worth a strong strong wager. Justin Zovas He’s a regular contributor to this very website and his passion for football analytics is evident every time he puts pen to paper.  Make sure to keep tabs on his gambling acumen because Justin’s poised to be a rising star in the world of betting the NFL. When it comes to sports media types who understand the value of gambling on their radio shows, these guys get it Pat Williams Inside the Lines on TSN – Canada Steve Rapp Inside the Lines on TSN – Canada Dan Berlin Inside the Lines on TSN – Canada Peter Burns Mile High Sports Radio – Denver Michael Harmon Fox Sports Radio – National Dave Cokin Las Vegas Sportsline Matt Youmans Las Vegas Sportsline Wagerminds A hidden gem when it comes to great betting content, their website provides an outstanding resource for...

Click here to listen Football Fix starts at the 39:30 mark as Carmen, Jurko, and I break down our best bets for the weekend. Plenty of balance between the NFL and College to get you to the window....

On the Friday morning press box, there is no messing around. Peter Burns, Mark Kizzla, Oren, and myself break down all things sports related through a gambling lens.  It’s entertaining, just listen Click here to...

The wheels of club soccer have begun to spin, transfer deadline day has come and gone, but soccer fans this weekend won’t have their eyes on the Barclays Premier League, La Liga, or Serie A.  Instead, fans around the world will be tuned into the penultimate round of World Cup Qualifiers, cheering on their countries as teams look to seal the deal and punch their tickets to Brazil.  While there will certainly be many great games across the globe worth analyzing and watching, the two most important (for obvious patriotic reasons) are the ones our USMNT will be playing.  Both contests should be tough hard-fought matches but other than that you will be hard pressed to find any similarities between the upcoming US qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico.  Before we delve into the differences between the matchups, lets first take a glance at the roster (with projected starters italicized) Jurgen Klinsmann has called up. Written by Garret Yancey Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Y), Brad Guzan, Nick Rimando Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley, Matt Besler, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron (Y), Edgar Castillo, Michael Parkhurst, Omar Gonzalez, Michael Orozco Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Michael Bradley (Y), Mix Diskerud, Fabian Johnson (Y), Jermaine Jones (Y), Graham Zusi, Forwards: Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey (Y), Aron Johannsson, Eddie Johnson (Y) Without a doubt, this is one of the most talented and deepest lineups our country has ever fielded.  Combine the pace at which Jozy Altidore has been scoring goals with a revived Landon Donovan reuniting with Clint Demspey, and our players up front should cause havoc for any team’s back line.  That being said, there are some things to worry about with this roster, and some tricky issues for Klinsmann to navigate.  First, seven players are carrying yellow cards...

Whether it be setting a line or betting against the spread, week 1 poses a challenge to anyone trying to forecast the outcomes of NFL action. Team evaluations are grounded in last season’s performances, offseason changes, and trivial preseason competition; variables that are misleading when trying to predict the future. But with every challenge comes an opportunity. Here is a trend dating back to 2002 that I believe highlights a market inefficiency in week 1 NFL point spreads:  Non-playoff teams facing playoff teams from the previous season are a combined 46-29-1 (.613) ATS. In other words, this trend suggests that heading into a new season playoff teams from the previous year tend to be overvalued and non-playoff teams tend to be undervalued – especially when pitted against one another in week 1. Written by Justin Zovas There are seven week 1 games where a 2012 playoff team is facing an opponent who missed the playoffs the previous season.   With the market’s tendency to misprice these games in mind, here are some brief thoughts on each of the contests. “Fairly Valued” Bears (-3) vs. Bengals: With the home team giving a field goal, I don’t view this matchup as a situation where the non-playoff team (Bears) is undervalued and/or the playoff team (Bengals) are overvalued.  I think this line is fair. Lions (-5) vs. Vikings: This line opened with the Lions favored by 2.5 points and has been bet all the way up to 5 (I even see some 6’s popping up).  General consensus is very bullish on the Lions headed into 2013 and views the Vikings as a team destined for a bit of regression this season.  At the current price, I believe most—if not all—of value that was to be had on the...

Click here to listen Quick whip around of all things sports wagering this weekend with a focus on NFL and college football

Our female insider from a sports betting household explains how there is no “normal” come the fall… And it started!! Just as i was beginning to enjoy the lull and downtime of summer pre-season football and now the regular season crept up on me!! The start of football means a few things; Football is priority 1 on the daily to do list in my household and everything else, even birthdays, become secondary. Every day, Mon-Thurs is in preparation of NCAAF games on Friday and Saturday and let’s not even talk about what goes into the NFL. Instead of having a normal Sunday dinner where 2 lbs  of meatballs is sufficient, I need to start extra early and make about 6-7 lbs instead because now it’s just not the immediate family but rather all my fiance’s friends for dinner. The boys come over to drink all weekend and they’re hungry so like any good Italian wife, Sunday dinner and feeding them til they pass out is the only option. Remember how I said birthdays come second? Well lucky me was born on Sept 12th and my birthday usually falls right around opening weekend of the NFL season.  The choices I have  for a birthday dinner become the following: If i want to go out somewhere it has to be very close to our house or offer essential amenities like wifi and multiple tv’s so that the men who attend with wives or girlfriends can watch whatever games are on and make sure they get updates on injuries or line movement.  Once the big thrill of week 1 passes, each day takes on a different meaning. Monday: Play early lines, go through box scores, and most importantly avoid watching ESPN. Why you may ask? Well because it...

ODDS TO WIN 2014 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ROSE BOWL — PASADENA, CA MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2014 Odds courtesy of the LVH ALABAMA 9-4 OREGON 6 GEORGIA 30 TEXAS A&M 15 OHIO ST 9-2 LSU 20 SOUTH CAROLINA 20 FLORIDA 30 CLEMSON 15 TEXAS 15 OKLAHOMA ST 25 STANFORD 15 NOTRE DAME 40 MICHIGAN 25 USC 60 UCLA 50 FLORIDA ST 20 OREGON ST 9999 ARIZONA ST 100 NEBRASKA 30 OKLAHOMA 25 LOUISVILLE 30 BYU 9999 VIRGINIA TECH 1000 TEXAS TECH 500 ARIZONA 1000 BOISE ST 9999 MICHIGAN ST 100 UTAH 1000 TCU 500 BAYLOR 100 NORTH CAROLINA 9999 ARKANSAS 1000 WISCONSIN 60 NORTHWESTERN 300 WASHINGTON 100 FRESNO ST 200 CINCINNATI 200 VANDERBILT 9999 MISSOURI 500 OLE MISS 100 AUBURN 200 TENNESSEE 500 NORTH CAROLINA ST 1000 KANSAS ST 9999 GEORGIA TECH 1000 MISSISSIPPI ST 5000 IOWA 9999 WEST VIRGINIA 2000 FIELD...

The On the Line Podcast returns to its regularly scheduled time slot. Drew Collins, Bud Elliott from SB Nation, Adam Kramer of Bleacher Report (and KegsNEggs) fame, and yours truly are back.  Guess what, we’re here to talk real football without the guise of season previews or other nonsense getting in the way.  Sit down, grab a frosty beverage or 12, and enjoy the soothing sounds of frat house banter.  The girls are excited, you should be too. ITUNES?! You can also find us...