April 2014 – Casino Review

April 30, 2014April 29, 2014

With Sterling Gone for Good, Attention Can Turn Back to the Court

New National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver wasted no time in putting his stamp on the league. Faced with a growing chorus of players, fans, politicians and common citizens, Silver banned Los Angeles Clippers’ Owner Donald Sterling for life.

Sterling was also fined $2.5 million which in the grand scheme of things is small potatoes considering his worth is nearly $2 billion. It’s widely believed that Sterling will be forced to sell the team but based on his past, he won’t go quietly into the night. I expect a long, drawn-out process in the years to come unless he just decides it isn’t worth it.

Some are speculating that the franchise could fetch as much as $1 billion in a sale.

While I applaud Silver’s forceful action, it isn’t a day to celebrate. Yes, the NBA is ultimately better without Donald Sterling in it, but the damage has been done. Sports were often thought to be safe harbor from this kind of bigotry despite random cases in the past. This situation illustrates that we remain far from where we need to be.

Brooklyn (+3.5) at Toronto, Series Tied 2-2 – I have to give the Toronto Raptors some credit. I really thought after the game three loss that they were in trouble and would fold under the playoff pressure. The young Toronto team finished off the Nets with a 12-4 to end the game to even the series and take it back home for tonight’s game.

For the Nets to grab game five Deron Williams has to be better than four of twelve shooting. He scored just 10 points in game four and was 0-5 from three-point land. My gut feeling is that he plays significantly better tonight.

While both squads shot almost an identical 41% from the field, the difference ultimately was from the charity stripe. Toronto went 19 of 23 while the Nets were just 19 of 29. I think this is where the veteran leadership in Brooklyn kicks in; take the Nets and the 3.5 points.

Dallas (+6) at San Antonio, Series Tied 2-2 – I just don’t have a feel or this series. Just when I think the Spurs are ready to dominate and move on, the Mavericks come firing back. Even after a 20-point lead in game three, the Spurs still let it slip away but were able to pull out the victory.

Both teams were almost identical in the three-point shooting department in game three as they each hit on just 29% of their long-range shots. Ultimately the difference was better field goal and free throw shooting by San Antonio. If I’m Gregg Popovich, I’m concerned about Tony Parker. Again he struggled from the field and didn’t even attempt a three-point shot.

Parker’s poor shooting was offset by a 46-28 advantage in the paint and that’s something the Spurs must repeat. I like San Antonio to win, but I really like the Mavs getting the six points.

Portland (+5.5) at Houston, Blazers Lead 3-1 – If Rockets’ coach Kevin McHale was fighting for his job when the series was tied 1-1, then what must he be fighting for now? Granted the Rockets have dropped two overtime games, they’ve still lost three games total and one more ends a season that many had figured to be going much longer.

Houston had excellent balance in their scoring and dominated the paint to the tune of 68-30. While Portland didn’t exactly have the balance, they did have LaMarcus Aldridge who has dominated the series.

The Rockets were very good at home this year and they have to ride the crowd to a victory tonight but I really like Blazers getting the 5.5 points.

April 30, 2014

College Football Updated Props for 4-team Playoff

Are you ready for some college football anyone? Well its might be just the end of April but sportsbooks across the globe are working on their props for college football and the first ever college playoffs in NCAA Football.

The Bowl Champions Series has been finally put to rest and now we head towards the College Football Playoff, which features four teams in a playoff system.

Two semifinal games will start the playoff system. Playoff semifinal No. 1 will be the Rose Bowl game played in January 1, 2015 in Pasadena California.

Semifinal No. 2 will be the Sugar Bowl game played on January 1, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The two winners will play 11 days later for the national championship. The College Football Championship Game will be played in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium on January 12, 2015.

Even though last August is still almost three months away, top sportsbooks such as Bovada, topbet, betonline and sportsbook.com have prepared for the new playoff format and are offering props on a number of teams that are considered contenders for the first playoff series this season.

Florida State is predicted to defend its national title in this year’s playoffs in college football. Currently Florida State is -350 to be one of the 4 teams in the playoff and is +250 not to be selected. On the -350 the bettor bests $350 in order to win $100, while in the +250, the bettor bets $100 to win the $250.

Alabama is a perennial choice to finish in the top 10 and this season is currently sitting on -135 to make the 4-team playoff and -105 to not be part of the 4-team playoff. A question mark for Alabama is who will lead their offense now that A.J. McCarron is no longer the quarterback after four straight seasons of being the signal caller.

The Oregon Ducks have proven to be one of the most explosive offensive teams in NCAA football the past five seasons. That should continue this season with Marcus Mariotta returning to call plays for the Ducks. Oregon is currently +125 to make the 4-team playoff field and -165 to not make the 4-team field. The Ducks will face Michigan State, Washington and Stanford all at home but must face UCLA late in the season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are sitting on +140 to make the 4-team playoff field and -180 to not be a part of the 4-team field. The Buckeyes schedule is not that tough this season. They will play Michigan at home. If the Buckeyes win their division, they likely will play Michigan State in a rematch for the conference title and I see them winning.

Of the four teams on this list, I see Florida State and Ohio State playing in the 4-team playoff while Oregon and Alabama miss out.

April 29, 2014April 28, 2014

Betting the NBA is No Picnic This Postseason and More NFL Playoff Expansion Talk

The National Basketball Association Playoffs have been outstanding for most fans. Tons of last-second drama, overtime games and great individual performances have been the staple of this year’s tournament.

For those of us that have been interested in wagering on these same basketball games, it’s been nothing short of a nightmare. Well, I guess I can only speak for myself here but I guarantee there are those in similar circumstances as myself.

It just seems to be that every time I have a feel for a team, they let me down. When I see the Spurs bouncing back and beating the Mavericks after their game two loss, they go out and get beat again.

When I expect the Indiana Pacers to finally just throw in the white towel there they are beating the Atlanta Hawks to even the series. The same can be said for the Toronto-Brooklyn series and the Memphis-Oklahoma City series as well. Oh and did I mention the Washington-Chicago series to?

About the only the only thing that seems to be going according to plan is the Miami-Charlotte series which I’m guessing ended last night especially if Al Jefferson didn’t take the court. If you’re wondering about my thoughts on the Clippers-Warriors series then here they are; stay away. Stay very far away from this series for the remainder of it.

I say this because with the on-going investigation into the racially insensitive comments by Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling, none of us have any grasp on the psyche of this team. Head Coach Doc Rivers said he had about 45 minutes of sleep the night before game four and we know how that went for him and his team.

While I expect a very excited and supportive crowd tonight in Staples’ Center, there is still no way to really gauge what has gone on inside the Clippers’ locker room. I fully expected the Clippers to rally and play well in game four and they did anything but.

Until we see them on their home-court tonight in a crucial game five, I wouldn’t spend a lot of time, or money on them.

NFL Playoff Expansion Is Imminent

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell once again openly discussed the expansion of the playoffs in his league from 12 teams to 14 teams. Also a talking point was an increase from 16 to 18 regular season games as well. The regular season expansion has much less chance of happening because the players will be vehemently against it, but the playoff expansion is coming much to my chagrin.

For us in the wagering community, two more playoff games to wager is always a welcome thought. The practical side of me however sees this as nothing more than a money grab by an already $10 billion a year league.

It’s already been reported that the league could see an increase of $200 million just for adding two more playoff teams but the bracket in each conference is what the real problem is.

By adding one more team per conference, this would mean only the top seed would a first-round bye. The other six teams in each conference would end up playing each other on the opening weekend.

Goodell argues that playoff expansion would not water down the post-season and he couldn’t be more wrong. The NHL and NBA already see more than half of the teams in their respective leagues make the postseason. The beauty of professional football is that typically, only teams with winning record make the playoffs. Yes there have been exceptions but they are rare.

Leave the NFL postseason as it is. Earning a playoff spot at 8-8 or 7-9 is watering down the playoffs whether Goodell thinks so or not.

April 29, 2014

Updated NCAA 2015 Men’s Basketball National Championship Futures

What a difference a week makes. Last week Arizona was sitting at 6 to 1 odds to win the 2015 NCAA men’s Basketball National Championship.

Then two twins with the last name of Harrison decided they would hold off signing for possibly millions of dollars to play and the NBA and return for their sophomore years at the University of Kentucky.

That decision by Aaron and Andrew Harrison changed the odds at Bovada and topbet making Kentucky the new favorite to win the national title.

When the odds were first released only hours after the April 7 national championship games, the Arizona Wildcats were the projected favorites, however with the Harrison deciding to return, Kentucky vaulted up to No. 1. Prior to the announcement Kentucky was 12 to 1 to win the national title, but now sit at 4 to 1 on betonline and sportsbook.com.

Who stays and who heads to the NBA influences greatly the futures for the NCAA season.

Usually the odds between the national championship game and the last day to enter the NBA draft are kept low. Bookmakers do not want to be exposed if they put high odds on a team thinking a player will leave to play in the NBA, but then stays for another collegiate season.

The Wildcats of Arizona, which opened at 6 to 1 as the favorite to win the 2015 national title, have watched their odds go from 6 to 1 to 12 to 1 after Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon all announced they were leaving the team for the NBA draft.

The Kentucky Wildcats odds did the opposite, shortening from 12 to 1 to 4 to 1 thanks to the Harrison twins. The Duke Blue Devils have been sitting in second place since the futures were first released and there they remain at 8 to 1 after opening at 7 to 1.

Arizona was not the only team that saw its odds lengthened from the time the original futures list was released.

Michigan is losing Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary to the NBA Draft. The Wolverines odds went from 30 to 1 to 50 to 1.

UCLA is losing Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams and saw their odds go from 50 to 1 to 60 to 1.

UConn, the current national champions will lose DeAndre Daniels. The Huskies odds went from 75 to 1 to 100 to 1.

Syracuse will lose Jerami Grant and Tyler Ennis to the NBA draft and their odds went from 40 to 1 to 50 to 1.

Duke’s price was changed from 7 to 1 to 8 to 1 as Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker declared for the NBA draft.

Top 5 Odds to win NCAA Basketball Championship 2015

Kentucky Wildcats 4 to 1

Duke Blue Devils 8 to 1

Florida Gators 12 to 1

Kansas Jayhawks 12 to 1

Wisconsin Badgers 12 to 1

April 28, 2014April 27, 2014

Three Different Scenarios Tonight in the NBA

When you look at odds and lines on a daily basis like I do there are bound to be times when things just don’t go well. Saturday night’s games were a prime example of that as I went just 1-3. Oh sure, I could quit, hang up the keyboard and walk away but the challenge of actually being right is too much to pass up.

Tonight’s games feature three different situations; the Miami Heat are looking to close out the Bobcats, the Pacers and Hawks look for a game five win and in Dallas, the top seeded Spurs are looking to avoid a 3-1 hole.

Let’s get to the games.

Miami (-6.5) at Charlotte, Heat Lead Series 3-0 – Whether LeBron James stared down Michael Jordan during Saturday’s game three win is a topic for another day, but what was clear was that the Heat made a statement to the Bobcats; we are by no means going to let you in this series.

Playoff experience the Bobcats do not have and it was evident towards the end of the half on Saturday when they just couldn’t take care of the ball during a sequence when Miami was turning it on. I have to think that the Heat are taking some solace in the fact that the Pacers and Bulls are struggling right now to advance to the next round.

With that in mind, the Heat would like to finish off Charlotte as soon as possible in order to get the rest they need. I anticipate a strong early effort from Charlotte but I love Miami to cover and get the sweep.

The Pacers pulled out game four despite another poor showing from Roy Hibbert.

Atlanta (+7) at Indiana, Series Tied 2-2 – The back and forth continued this past weekend as the teams split in Atlanta leaving the series tied at two games apiece. Many wondered if Frank Vogel would sit all-star Roy Hibbert but he did not. In a little less than 25 minutes of action, Hibbert finished with six points and three rebounds.

While Indiana proved that they could win without much of an effort from their big man, the question remains as whether they can win the series in the same manner. The Hawks continue to spread the floor to limit Hibbert’s defensive presence but Atlanta really didn’t do themselves any favors down the stretch in game four either.

The Hawks turned the ball over and suffered from poor shot selection before the Pacers’ David West ultimately put the dagger in. Whether the pattern of wins and losses continues in game five I cannot say but I feel very confident taking the Hawks and seven points.

San Antonio (-4) at Dallas, Mavericks Lead 2-1 – If you ask most casual NBA fans about Vince Carter they’d probably say something like, “he had a nice career.” The reminder that Carter sent about his current status resonate like a bomb going off as he hit an off-balance three-pointer to beat the San Antonio Spurs.

The eighth seed Mavericks now hold a surprising 2-1 lead over the Spurs and this lead has been accomplished in large part without a dominant Dirk Nowitzki. Carter and Monta Ellis have been the key players so far in the series for Dallas.

If you asked most experts they’d tell you that Rick Carlisle has outcoached Gregg Popovich to this point in the series. Everything Carlisle does seems to work while Pop’s moves haven’t panned out quite as well.

Tony Parker knocked down 17 points in the first half of game three and then scored nothing in the second half. That cannot and will not happen in game four in my opinion. While I expect another close game, I like the Spurs to cover and even the series.

April 28, 2014

Two Eastern Conference Series on Monday Lineup

Two big games are on tap Monday in the Eastern Conference playoffs with the Miami Heat visiting the Charlotte Bobcats in Game 4 of their best of seven series and the Indiana Pacers hosting the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of their best of seven series.

Miami is favored by 7.5 points on Bovada and betonline in their matchup on the road in Charlotte. The point total on topbet and sportsbook.com is sitting on 187.

A win tonight for Miami would complete a series sweep against, advance the Heat to the next round and give them some rest.

In Game 3, LeBron James scored 30 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out six assists for the Heat. After three quarters, the Heat led by 21 points.

James is 18-0 versus Charlotte since 2010 when he joined Miami.

Miami is 2-1 ATS through the first three games of the series, but on Saturday were favorites on Bovada by only 4.5 points. Tonight’s game has been adjusted up by 3 points on most betting sites.

The season likely will end tonight for the Bobcats. With Al Jefferson still hobbled by injury and a prospect of near impossibility of winning four straight against the two-time defending NBA champions, Charlotte will fold tonight.

That could be seen in the latter stages of Game 3 as the players slumped their shoulders heading to time outs and resigned themselves to the fact they had probably just one game left in their 2013-14 season.

The game likely will be fast paced due to the situation in the series. Many are looking at the OVER on 187 as the play in this matchup, with the 7.5 spread inflated for Miami.

The Atlanta Hawks are tied 2-2 in their series against the top seeded Indiana Pacers. In Game 5, Indiana is favored by 7 points while the point total is sitting on 186.5.

It seems just a couple of weeks ago that Atlanta was not going to make the postseason. Then with a strong finish, they qualified but many considered Indiana would advance into the second round in just 5 games.

However, Atlanta has played well and Indiana as equally bad at times. The first two games in Indiana were split 1-1 SU, ATS and in the OVER/UNDER.

In the four games played thus far, each team is 2-2 SU and ATS, while the UNDER has cashed in 3 of the 4 games.

While the Pacers would not surprise anyone with a double-digit win on Monday, but laying that number is not an easy thing to do.

However, taking the UNDER could be the easiest option in this matchup. Three of four games have gone under thus far and the Pacers must look to slow things down and create their best opportunity each time down the court.

That translates to longer possessions and a lower score. Nine of the past 12 games played by Atlanta have cashed UNDER and the 186.5 UNDER could be the best option in the contest.

April 27, 2014April 26, 2014

Sterling’ Comments Resonate In, Out of Basketball

For most of the tenure of Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers his team has played second-fiddle to the Los Angeles Lakers. Calling his teams ‘second-fiddle’ is being nice because the Clippers have pretty much been the laughing stock of the NBA for generations.

With a championship coach and an amazing team now assembled, Sterling seems to have finally put into place a team that can actually win a title. The effect has been amplified by the recent demise of the Lakers who share the same building and that’s about it.

Sterling’s world has suddenly come crashing down. His girlfriend, who is black and Mexican, allegedly recorded a conversation with him that was filled with racist remarks and overtones. The tabloid website TMZ is the one who released the tape. Sterling not only makes generalities but he also mentions Magic Johnson whom his girlfriend apparently had been photographed.

Sterling lectured her on why she shouldn’t post such things on Instagram and used far more inappropriate language than I will here. The question that has been asked repeatedly since this story broke is what will the team do?

The Clippers’ team is coached by an African-American in Doc Rivers and has a roster that includes all African-American players with but one exception. There has been talk that the team could choose to not play in game four of their series with Golden State. After all, who would want to take the court and make money for a money who speaks of you this way?

LeBron James had very harsh words for Sterling saying “There’s no room for Donald Sterling in our league.” James also went further by saying he would actually sit out if his owner had said those things. I’ve always believed that players rise above this type of stuff especially in the playoffs. The goal is and always has been to win the championship and I believe that’s what the coaches and players will do.

With that said, would it surprise me if they chose not to play their next game or perhaps when the team returns home for game five? No, it wouldn’t simply because I understand how these men feel.

Ironically, Sterling was scheduled to receive an award from the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP next month. To me that was surprising in and of itself because Sterling hasn’t exactly been known as someone to be associated with the organization. Let’s not forget that it wasn’t long ago that Sterling beat a court case brought against him by former employee and NBA great Elgin Baylor.

Baylor claimed age discrimination and harassment during the 22 years he worked for Sterling. He commented yesterday “Myself and other people of color were subjected to this mentality for over 20 years,” Baylor told ESPN. “I both witnessed and experienced it. What he said speaks for itself.”

It was not only players and other NBA personnel commenting yesterday because as usual Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson both took advantage of the opportunity to get some attention. Sharpton’s group may protest outside of Staples’ Center prior to game five. It angers me that these men always wait for something like this to come up when there are thousands of examples of racism of all kinds that happen each and every day.

The fact that Sterling’s comments have been politicized outside of the NBA is not surprising and not undeserved, but I can’t help but wonder why more attention hasn’t been called to this man in the past. With so many essentially saying “I’m not surprised because…” I can’t help but lay some blame on the NBA and their owners for allowing this guy to continue to exist in the league.

New Commissioner Adam Silver has his first real issue to deal with so let’s see how he handles it and more importantly, how the Clippers handle it.

April 27, 2014

Clippers vs Warriors in Game 4, with Sterling’s Comments Lingering in the Air

On Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Clippers will be in northern California to play the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of their best of seven first round NBA playoff series in the Western Conference. The Clippers lead the series 2-1 after losing Game 1 but coming back to win 2 straight.

However, the Clippers might not have 100% of their minds on today’s games thanks to the alleged comments made by their owner Donald Sterling. The Clippers owner is alleged to have spoken to his girlfriend, who is half-black and half-Mexican, telling her not to invite African-Americans to the Clippers home games.

It was announced late Saturday that players on the Clippers had actually threatened to boycott their playoff game on Sunday, but head coach Doc Rivers stepped in and quickly dismissed that action. Rivers like his players is irate over the alleged tape-recorded conversation and hopes the NBA will do something to Sterling if the tape is confirmed to be authentic.

Back to basketball.

Bovada and sportsbook.com has Los Angeles as the favorite in the game by 2.5 points. The total on topbet and betonline is sitting on 209.5 at the moment.

The Clippers at one time led Game 3 by 18 points and looked on their way to another 40-point rout like in Game 2. However, the Warriors stormed back in the fourth quarter and missed a shot at the buzzer that could have won the game.

In that game, the Clippers did not cover a spread as the favorite of 2.5 points.

Part of Golden State’s problem in Game 3 was its long range shooting. The Warriors hit just 6 of their 31 shots from beyond the three-point line.

With the win, the Clippers road record is now 24-18 SU and 25-16-1 ATS. For the Warriors, their home record is now 27-15 SU and 20-21-1 ATS.

The Los Angeles win was big on Thursday as the visitor. In the previous seven games between the two teams, the home team was 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS.

Since the beginning of the 2011-12 NBA season, the Clippers are 7-8 SU and 6-9 ATS against Golden State. The OVER in the point total has cashed in 10 of those 15 games.

Andrew Bogut who has a problem with his ribs will miss another game for Golden State.

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul continue to carry the offensive load for the Clippers, while Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are firing from long distance for the Warriors. David Lee is averaging 14 points and nearly 9 rebounds for Golden State. The big man was slowed by a hamstring problem late in the season.

Pick: I like the Clippers to come out strong on the emotion that has been boiling over due to the comments allegedly made by team owner Donald Sterling. The Clippers will win and cover 112-107.

April 26, 2014

Momentum Swings Likely in Four Key NBA Playoff Games Today

If you didn’t need to know already, the National Basketball Association likes to ‘stretch’ their seven game series’ out just a bit. The fact that these teams play 82 games in the regular season and many times on back to back nights is apparently lost on the NBA’s front office.

Let’s not be totally naive here because making a seven game series last three weeks is about two things; money and attention. Oh well, nothing is going to change is it? On to the games.

Indiana (-2) at Atlanta, Hawks Lead 2-1 – We’ve known for some time that the game of basketball at the collegiate and professional levels has changed drastically. The game has gone from one dominated by big, talented centers to one driven by guard and forward play. Indiana has tried to stay true to the old way with Roy Hibbert but it isn’t happening.

For a man who stands 7’1″ I’ve never seen a guy like this become the smallest player on the court. Hibbert has been totally ineffective on the offensive end and his defense isn’t any better. He had just two rebounds in the game three loss while the Hawks’ Paul Millsap collected 14 boards.

Frank Vogel is coaching for his job and if he truly realizes this then he’ll go with Luis Scola more often than he does Hibbert. If not for Scola, this would be a three game deficit for the Pacers. Hibbert is not the only problem by far for Indiana and I just don’t have any confidence in this team any longer. Take the Hawks getting the two points.

Tony Parker and the Spurs must do a better job of taking care of the ball in game three.

San Antonio (-3) at Dallas, Series Tied 1-1 – Surprisingly, we’ve seen this before. The Spurs, who look so dominant during the regular season, suddenly look more pedestrian in the playoffs. Despite sweeping the Mavericks in all four regular season games this season, the Spurs find themselves tied at one and heading into Big D.

The Mavericks forced 24 very uncharacteristic turnovers and held Tim Duncan to just 11 points after he scored 27 in game one. I fully expect a more ‘Spurs-like’ performance in game three. Take the Spurs to cover today.

Miami (-5.5) at Charlotte, Heat Leads 2-0 – The Bobcats may be down 2-0, but they’ve got the Heat focused on things besides winning. LeBron James and the rest of the team are whining about Charlotte fouling too hard and being overly physical. It would appear that James doesn’t recall what Michael Jordan went through when he and the Bulls played the Detroit Pistons.

The physical play is only going to get worse because the Bobcats now know they are in the heads of the Miami Heat. This game sets up perfectly for a Charlotte win because Miami always seems to lay an egg during their earlier playoff series.

Take the Bobcats getting the points and don’t be surprised if they win.

Oklahoma City (-3.5) at Memphis, Grizzlies Lead 2-1 – Is there any team with more intestinal fortitude than the Memphis Grizzlies? They’ve had big leads in both games two and three only to see the Thunder come back. That’s when the Grizzlies persevered though and came away with the wins.

I expect the Thunder to play with some urgency tonight in the hopes of getting out to an early lead but this Memphis team has been one of the better teams in the NBA over the last couple of months. All of the pressure in this series is on the Thunder and already Russell Westbrook is chirping about the media.

That tells me there is some doubt. Take Memphis tonight getting the 3.5 points.

April 26, 2014

Sportsbooks Profitable on NFL Due to Uninformed Bettors

Sports books are very profitable and it might be because too many public bettors listen to what sports reporters say. Reporters tend to be unrealistic with their expectations of the teams they are covering.

Regardless of the year, sports books like Bovada, sportsbook.com, topbet and betonline make large sums of money during the NFL season.

Most media companies around the country, especially the large sports networks, hire a reporter for each team in the league. The number one responsibility of that reporter is to cover that team and study them better than 99% of the public could or would. They in turn then share that expertise with the public.

It would only seem right to say the reporters should have a pretty close and accurate way of assessing the fortunes of the team or teams they are covering. The reporters are not expected to be fans of the teams they are covering, but rather information gatherers that can give the public the truth but not information that favors the team being covered.

A group of 32 reporters from a national sports network was asked to give their predictions of the record for the regular season for the NFL team they were covering.

The reporters gave their predictions without consulting any of their colleagues. The results will surprise many bettors and those who follow the sport closely.

Of the 32 NFL teams, only five were predicted to finish below .500; Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and the Oakland Raiders.

Thirteen of the 32 teams were predicted to win 10 games or more.

In comparison over the past three seasons, 14 teams on average per season have finished below .500.

On average, 11 teams over the past three seasons have won 10 games or more during the regular season.

The total wins predicted for the 32 teams were 290, which is an average of 9.1 per team. This means an average NFL team would finish 9-7.

These are results that are impossible to reach for average teams in the NFL. Therefore, when the national media cannot estimate accurately the success of a team, it in turn filters on to the bettors.

Bettors are usually already brainwashed due to their own fan bias, but then adding to that the media angle which is placing unrealistic expectations for their team’s success, causes bettors sometime to make uninformed wagers at the window or online.

That is why when sportsbooks online like Bovada, betonline, topbet and sportsbook.com field NFL win totals for teams, the vast majority are on the OVERs as the bettor is influenced by his or her won bias as the fan and by the media handing out unrealistic expectations of the teams they are covering.

To make the best informed wager possible check the sportsbooks on line and the historical trends, latest trends and past results which can then help to make a much more informed wager at the window.