Written by James Kempton (follow him on twitter @ukbettingpro) This Sunday White Hart Lane stages one of the most significant North London derbies for many a year. Neither side has any hope of catching Manchester United at the top of the EPL but it is a game where the loser of sees their Champions League qualification hopes diminish. It could also be a powerful indicator as to a potential shift in power between these two London giants. Tottenham have not finished above their local rivals since the 1994-95 season but they come into this game above the Gunners and more importantly in much better recent form.   It may be surprising to learn that despite such recent dominance, Arsenal does not have a great record at White Hart Lane. Only four wins in their last twenty EPL visits does not do justice to the stranglehold they have maintained over Spurs. If the match result is hard to figure out here, the way the game pans out may be slightly easier to predict. Action, excitement and plenty of goals certainly look like they’re on the agenda at White Hart Lane this Sunday. The last seven meetings between the two sides has seen at least three goals and both sides have found the net in twenty two of the last twenty eight EPL meetings.  Only Chelsea have scored more than once as visitors at White Hart Lane this season which would suggest the home side have a strong defence. However, they have kept just seven clean sheets in their 27 EPL games this season.  Arsenal has fared slightly better on a defensive front keeping nine clean sheets in twenty seven matches but only twice in the last nine games. An approach the match, I like to...

You hear the term thrown around all the time: “Trap!” Put plain and simple, the word trap gives the entire oddsmaking fraternity too much credit because it implies we know the outcome before games are even played. Of course the best in the business effectively steer action to create decisions in the house’s favor but they don’t inject their opinion into every game on the betting board.  Every line tells a story and bettors that rely on calling certain prices “traps” do so as a crutch because they don’t understand what a particular price is trying to tell...

Written by Steve Caruso (follow him on twitter @RusoCaruso) If you’re like the rest of the public when it comes to gambling on sports, you’re struggling and could use a few tips. We live in the information age but we still need to filter all the information ourselves to gain value from it. Experience is key yet a lack of patience and limited bankroll can get you lost along that path. Your average gambler doesn’t understand the market, money management, or even have an honest understanding of how much work goes into long-term success. More and more the successful handicappers are the ones implementing styles that resemble Wall Street methods while the ‘public’ is trying to get rich off Apple and Google…or in NBA terms, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder. Over the last six months I had the pleasure of shadowing a former gambler turned start up bookmaker. No, he wasn’t hitting at some ridiculous clip before getting recruited and offered a six-figure deal to work for the big boys. He barely hit 50% but  had ideas, goals, and a way to turn his fortunes around. He went from talking shop with friends and acquaintances to opening up shop for friends and acquaintances. “My Guy” we’ll call him prefers to keep things simplified and remain anonymous but the events are on the record and now part of a “How Not To” guide in reference to handicapping success. Previously I said experience was the key and the biggest part of experience is remembering, “Don’t do that again.” Consider my  position along side a new bookie; it was my own personal focus group for the business in betting. For “My Guy” on the other hand it was like getting a scholarship anywhere in the country...

Credit is owed to William Hill US for taking initiative and creating a handful of unique prop markets. Headed to Vegas this weekend? Try your hand and betting acumen at a few new creative offerings. COLLEGE BASKETBALL Number of Big Ten teams to make the 2013 Final Four 0: 11/5 1: +130 (bet $1 to win $1.30) 2: 11/5 3: 10/1 4: 250/1 Will a Big 12 team make the 2013 Final Four? Yes: -130 (bet $1.30 to win $1) No: +110 Will a Pac-12 team make the 2013 Final Four? Yes: +250 No: -300 Will a Mountain West team make the 2013 Final Four? Yes: +650 No: -850   COLLEGE FOOTBALL Who will have more regular season wins in the 2013-14 season? San Francisco 49ers: +120 Alabama Crimson Tide: -140   Will an SEC team win the 2013-14 BCS championship? Yes: -200 No:...

Written by James Kempton (follow him on twitter @ukbettingpro) Saturday Fulham v Stoke Traditionally Fulham has been strong at home but this season they’ve been victorious in just 5 of 13 EPL games. Stoke has traditionally been poor on the road and this season that’s at least held true to form. With just 1 win on their travels you cannot back the away win under any circumstance.  It’s 7-2 in favour of the under 2.5 goal line and despite winning 1 of their 4 trips to Craven Cottage, Stoke have only scored two goals on Fulham soil.  Expect a home win here. Arsenal v Aston Villa The sky appears to be falling in at The Emirates for the reign of Arsene Wenger.  The Frenchman vows to continue though this funk and this weekend they should (I say should), pick up all three points against a poor Villa side. If you are expecting goals you may be disappointed as only 2 of the last 13 meetings between the sides has seen an over 3 line on the goals market cash. The -1.5 handicap for the home side should be covered as they look to bounce back but I suggest it with no real confidence. Norwich v Everton These sides have met three times in the last eighteen months in the EPL.  All three games have been scoring draws, with two 1-1’s and a 2-2.  This season Norwich have drawn 5 of 13 at home and Everton have drawn 6 of 13 on the road.  The odds of around 3.5 for the draw do look very attractive as I feel both sides would see a point gained from this fixture as an acceptable return.  Draw. QPR v Manchester United QPR are awful and Manchester United are...

the craze that’s sweeping…well youtube and sometimes you have to go off the beaten path in sports to have a little fun Big Red goes Bonkers…at a hoops game nonetheless! This is where Coach Riley finds his walk-on’s Best of Harlem Shake…the full montage The pacific northwest where rainy weather leads to creative indoor pursuits Gotta give the Canadian’s some credit for creativity and using their best natural resource as a focal point and the winner...

Situations and scheduling yield the best betting opportunities.  Talk to any sharp college hoops bettor and he/she will have games penciled into their betting calendar weeks in advance.  Schedule analysis requires the foresight to look ahead and if everything breaks the right way, you’ll gain the competitive edge before numbers hit the betting boards.  Here are some choice spots worth noting for the upcoming week in college basketball Monday Kansas vs Kansas State The Jayhawks are in free fall, losers of their last 3 conference games. Expect a max effort against in state rival Kansas St but be prepared to pay a price as books realize the sharps were itching to bet the Hawks here and inflated the opening number to -7.5.  Deeper analysis actually reveals this to be a bit of value considering KU was -4 in Manhattan and even with the adjustment for current form, the Hawks should be closer to 9 or even 9.5 pt favorites here. Wednesday Boston College vs Wake Forest Wake comes in fresh off a dismantling of FSU with a revenge date against Georgia Tech on deck. BC finally gets another ACC opponent they can handle in their building brimming with confidence from the near miss against Duke. The lone concern is how a young team handles disappointment from the upset that could have been…in my opinion, they let it build confidence and attack the Deacons with confidence. Depaul @ Notre Dame Nobody fears seeing the Demons on their schedule but coming on the heels of a 5 OT thriller and back to back games against Syracuse/Louisville, the Irish should fear a letdown. Depaul and Notre Dame went to OT in their first meeting only a few short weeks ago. Although the Irish covered the 6 in...

Written by James Kempton (follow him on twitter @ukbettingpro) Who needs a thousand words of analysis per game when you can get all you need in small bite sized chunks! Here we go with a quick EPL round up for this Saturday’s fixtures to help you get your individual and parlay bets down with confidence. Tottenham v Newcastle Tottenham goes into this game having seen all of their last four games go under 2.5 goals.  The loss of key striker Defoe is a big blow for them and they are too short a price for this game. Newcastle will look to sit back and deny the space in behind the defence that quick attackers Bale and Lennon thrive on.  I sense the home side may be vulnerable here with no outright forward and Newcastle possess a beast of a striker in recently purchased Moussa Sissoko. Take Newcastle either on the handicap or as a straight up dog as the value bet in this fixture. Chelsea v Wigan Wigan has only ever beaten Chelsea once in twelve EPL meetings never winning at Stamford Bridge.  Plenty of goals look to be in the offing here as Chelsea has scored at least twice in their last five games and Wigan has scored twice in their last three games.  Time may be running out for interim Blues boss Benitez.  However, the home side has experienced veterans that will not allow them to slip up in this fixture.  Value here is with the home side on the handicap and over on the goal line. Norwich v Fulham   The three EPL meetings between these two sides over this and last season has yet to yield a Norwich victory. The meeting earlier in the season in West London was a 1-1 draw so I believe Fulham...

Losing streaks happen to even the best gamblers in the world, they’re inevitable. You can’t avoid them entirely (which would be nice) so it’s important we all develop techniques to manage the downturns and minimize the losses when things aren’t going our way. After all, betting isn’t about how long you stay on top but rather how many times you dust yourself off and put in the time to become a long term winner.  ...

Written by Justin Zovas The market has hammered the side and total lines into place for well over a week now and most, if not all, of the value has been sucked out of these numbers.  Thankfully for us bettors and NFL enthusiasts alike, the Super Bowl presents a multitude of diverse options to wager on.  Here are three propositions I like this Sunday. Ray Lewis solo + assisted tackles o/u 11.5. Pick: Under 11.5 (-110) Reasoning:  In his career, Ray Lewis has averaged 9.1 combined solo + assisted tackles per game.  At 9.5 tackles per game this season, his 2012 numbers have remained consistent with his career.   In his past three postseason games, however, Lewis has produced the following tackle numbers; 13, 17, 14.  Parlay these recent three straight above average performances with the appeal for the average bettor to bet overs, and the result is line inflation.  Replace Ray Lewis’ name with random linebacker X, and this number is right around 9 where it should be. First team to make a field goal. Pick: 49ers convert a field goal first (-110) Reasoning:  Put simply, the 49ers offense loves to settle for field goals and the Ravens defense thrives at forcing its opponent into field goal attempts.   David Akers led the league with 42 field goal attempts this season.  Meanwhile, the Ravens allowed the most field goals in the league this year with 37.  Also consider that the Ravens boast one of the stingiest red zone defense’s in the league, surrendering a runner-up 42.86% red zone touchdown percentage in 2012.  Lastly, thanks to the Ravens recent trend of choosing to kick off to start the game, oddsmakers believe that the 49ers are most likely to receive the ball first (prop is currently at-150,...