As good as Eduardo Rodriguez was last week, JV's big day in Cincy overshadowed Wednesday's early win. I made the fatal flaw of underestimating the accomplished veteran and overvaluing the top of the Reds lineup. Thursday's sketchy slate left the door open for Friday action but I left my morning…
I took it personally when the A's pushed a pair of runs across in the 6th inning Monday night, then quickly got over it with the help of Kansas City's rout of the White Sox. Neither Cease nor Cortes were especially effective despite Oakland going scoreless in the first half…
With my civic duty completed and our annual Kentucky Derby party in the books, it's time to get back in the saddle with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-8-2023. Minnesota's first half stalemate way back on Tuesday dropped the featured handicaps back into the red. But the season is alive…
Sunday's see-saw battle in Oakland brought home the over even with 18 men left on base between the Reds and A's. Hey, whatever it takes to get the dub is good enough for me. Unfortunately, the new month brought a short Monday slate that I had to pass on. Today's…
Today's MLB slate shrinks with wet weather peppering the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic for a second day in a row. So we'll head west to find clear skies for a solo shot in the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-30-2023. It felt good to be on the right side of Cincinnati's late-game…
Much like the Rangers' bullpen meltdown Monday night, the "success" of our featured handicaps ran away and appears to be in hiding. That's the risk of writing up about a third of my total action on the young season. For all of you who keep coming back, we appreciate you.…
A rather blah betting weekend for me with the MLB was in the cards after a decent run to start the season. Saturday's Mets call did not come to fruition against an on-point Logan Webb. After all, riding the David Peterson train can be a bumpy ride at times. But…
Turns out it was the Twins bullpen that blinked last night. Credit is due to both Tyler Mahle and Trevor Williams for sharp pitching performances at a cold Target Field. Griffin Jax, well, not so much. After a give some-take some kind of night including a cancelled under ticket in…
Thursday's short MLB slate kept me on the sidelines after a nice Wednesday run featuring the under in Detroit. Three weeks into the season and some teams have shown their true colors while others are still beating around the bush. That makes for very interesting early season handicapping! After a…
No harm, no foul with Monday's position on the Phillies in Chicago. Guess I should have seen that coming with nasty weather blowing through the Great Lakes this week. After a Tuesday with no action - my first dry day of the season - the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-19-2023…
Getting back to the homefront after a productive week on the road feels good but Monday means out of the frying pan and into the fire for me. A sweaty Saturday at Fenway transitioned to an easier finish in Kansas City to get our featured handicaps back into the black.…
After three straight dropped solo shot features, a winning Thursday was just what the doctor ordered. Since those three positions were the only wagers on Thursday's personal betting card the Rays' big 5th inning was a breath of fresh air. That and fixing what made our website go rogue made…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-13-2023 may or may not be reaching your inbox this morning. Our webmaster (me) really fouled up the site yesterday with some updates that went afoul. So I'm firing off a two handicap breakdown before I rebuild several pages and try to get the rest…
Dishing out handicaps with losing results is not quite what I'm going for, but that's been my M.O. in the last couple articles. Regardless, the season rolls on with plenty of action to keep us all busy. Let's fire up Wednesday with an early game solo shot in the MLB…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-10-2023 is back after an Easter weekend hiatus...and a dud of a featured handicap on Friday. After spending 8 hours on the highway only to watch the White Sox crumble in Pittsburgh - good thing long term, bad thing for that particular wager - an…
Happy Easter weekend everyone! Wednesday's rainout in Cincy left us with a small 1-unit win as the grind rolls along on Good Friday. It's almost time for me to hit the road, but first a quick solo shot is on the docket with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-7-2023. I'll…
I guess playing the bullpen volatility game was the move after all. Lack of execution squandered a shot at sneaking away with the D-backs first 5 innings team total. That was extra frustrating since Darvish was expectedly ripe for the picking. In a Groundhog Day scenario I would bet the…
We needed runs in Cincinnati last night and boy did we get them. Throw a couple of guys out there who struggled all spring and those lineups took batting practice for a good hour or so in Cincinnati. Hey, whatever it takes to get an easy winner after plenty of…
After a quick break on Sunday, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-3-2023 returns with a quick solo shot to get the week started. Unfortunately, the last couple featured handicaps were duds to say the least. So I owe our readers some good ones this week. Let's dive right into a…
A swing and a miss with the Mets yesterday was not the look we were going for when backing the short road favorite. Aside from spectacular defense that both clubs flashed, Jesus Luzardo was a man on a mission. The young lefty absolutely dominated the stout Mets lineup and cut…
Opening Day is in the books and was it something or what? Other than our Fenway Park under getting obliterated, we survived a very sweaty day on the diamonds. And I wouldn't have it any other way. The hangover from the first MLB bender of the year is real...and it…
We made it through the offseason. We made it through six grueling Divisional Previews. Now it's showtime. Shameless plug: visit our MLB page to check out the six preview articles and futures positions. March 30th is in sight and we have your 2023 Opening Day handicapping covered with a quick…
Is the 2023 AL West a two-horse race once again after the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners rose to the top in 2022? Anchored by tested veterans and juiced up by a pair of phenomenal rookies, these two clubs represented the division in the postseason after their division mates floundered…
There was certainly something about the East divisions last year as the American League and National League versions each sent three representatives to the playoffs. Yet it was the NL side's representative that had enough left in tank to reach the sport's biggest stage. Even though Philadelphia fell just short,…
The AL East stood as MLB's deepest division with four teams above .500, three of which made the postseason. New York's return to the top of the hill got them as far as the ALCS where the ride ended abruptly at the hands of the World Series Champion Astros. In…
From a win total futures betting perspective, the NL West joined the AL Central as sweet spots for the bankroll last fall. The Dodgers could not be stopped while the Giants fell off a cliff once May rolled around. But Los Angeles and their MLB-leading 111 wins couldn't keep them…
The second half of the 2022 MLB season featured a pair of noteworthy NL Central battles. Most importantly was the tug of war for last place between my Cincinnati Reds and their dance partner Pittsburgh Pirates (that's sarcasm, folks). In a fitting conclusion they both held down the cellar with…
It's quiet out there in the Midwest - and that's how the Cleveland Guardians stayed under the radar with one of the strongest second-half performances in the MLB. The rebranded - and still beloved - Guardians squad finished the regular season on a 38-18 heater that yielded an eleven game…
With the Clash right in front of us, there's no better time to break down our featured 2023 NASCAR futures position. At least I don't have to eat crow from last year's handicap that was loosely based on the premise that Kyle Larson is not the next Jimmie Johnson. Might…
Just like that, two domestic books drop their season win totals out of the blue. Days away from the NFL Playoffs kickoff and our mid-January projections get put to the test. Caesars Sportsbook and BetRivers (Kambi) posted eight totals in common this week and the other 22 varied anywhere from…
And then there were eight. Of course it is a group missing one key name: defending Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson. Talk about an unusual series of events that turned a fairly tame race at the Roval into mayhem after the final restart. An iffy caution with a handful of…
Chopping last week's featured matchup bets represented a split of my entire Talladega betting card. Despite the Blaney/Elliott bet flip-flopping on us in the final laps, Charlotte approaches with my bankroll intact. When it comes to making the Round of 8, the top teams headlined by Chase Elliott sit in…
We all know that you don't mess with Texas. But wow. Sunday's 500 miles fought hard against several playoff teams, burying the #20 & #48 at the bottom of the heap. Plus William Byron's self-inflicted 25-point penalty submarined the #24 team's chance to advance. What a way to kick off…
New week, new round of the NASCAR Playoffs! The Round of 12 fires up this afternoon with the 2022 AutoTrader Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. 500 miles on the lone "vanilla" track of the round calls for sustained speed and handling over the long haul. You better believe the…
Plenty of NASCAR Cup Series teams' prospects took an abrupt turn for the worse at the Bristol Night Race. Unfortunately, I did not get the memo on Ford's tire pressure gamble that snagged our Joey Logano Top 10 bid late in the race - let alone the early blowout that…
Nighttime is the right time in my old stomping grounds of East Tennessee. There are few better ways to eliminate four drivers from the playoffs than with one of the toughest tracks in NASCAR: Bristol Motor Speedway. And you know the 2022 Bristol Night Race is going crush some dreams.…
Seems like there might be a little something bubbling in the 23XI organization after their season sweep at Kansas Speedway. Kurt's W in the spring followed up by Bubba's statement victory on Sunday says a lot about the trajectory of that organization. As for me, 2-1 seems to be the…
With the Bristol Night Race on deck, the field of 16 Championship hopefuls approaches the 2022 Hollywood Casino 400 as a prime opportunity to take the checkered flag and advance to the Round of 12. These 1.5-mile intermediate tracks are like a mid-range jump shot in basketball - occasionally overlooked…
We knew the Southern 500 was going to chew some cars up and spit them out. But wow did Sunday night's test of stamina consume some of the best teams in the Cup Series. Kevin Harvick's late charge failed in an unforeseen fiery end while mechanical issues rejected the bids…
It sure is good to have practice and qualifying back to help finalize this week's betting card. Saturday's action at Darlington shed some light on likely contenders and, of course, pretenders. In the good news department, Mother Nature appears to be in a favorable mood as the sun goes down…
Not getting Daytona under the lights last weekend was a damn shame, but that's on Mother Nature. I will say that the action in the Sunday morning into the late afternoon delayed race had my heart rate up for way too long. My eight matchup bets on the final regular…
The third time was NOT a charm at Watkins Glen for Kevin Harvick or my three-pack of matchup wagers. But the race was far from a bust by any stretch - it was highly entertaining and I didn't get swept. Plus it was another reminder that The Glen puts on…
What more can you say about Kevin Harvick's back-to-back dubs? Ms. JJ's 2022 Season Championship future bet on Happy Harvick is officially off of life support. Kudos to her being live in the postseason and in keeping me humble despite delivering back-to-back 3-0 matchup winners after Richmond played out nicely.…
Tensions are rising as the Cup Series regular season schedule winds down to just three more races. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex, Jr. are battling for one playoff slot at this point in the game, though a wild card winner here at Richmond or Watkins Glen will push them into…
After an eventful Indy Road Course fiasco the Cup Series migrates north to Michigan for a different style of action. Turn 1 debacles and the frenzied overtime restart combined to wreak havoc on some betting cards, while leaving others victorious. Daniel Suarez getting knocked out in that final sequence hurt…
Sometimes the best laid plans get crushed by reality. As for Triston McKenzie's curveball Tuesday night, Arizona watched it miss the strike zone time and time again, pouncing on the inevitable fastball. An ugly swing-and-miss on my part. But the MLB Morning Breakdown for 8-6-2022 rolls on with a pair…
Saturday's look at Mitch Keller's sinker paid some dividends in an interesting way to play what turned out to be a pitchers' duel in Pittsburgh. Today we stay focused on starting pitching with young starting pitchers who are steadily moving forward in their major league career progressions. So let's head…
What else can you say about last week's battle at Pocono? Let alone the course of events that shook out a couple hours after Denny Hamlin completed his burnout and popped his bottle of bubbly. Just another week on the Cup Series circuit, right? When it comes to the on-track…
Here I am on the fence once again. Gotta admit that I like writing about the tricky handicaps more than the ones that carry higher conviction though. Thursday's edition highlighted an unsung starting pitcher against one of the more prolific lineups in the league. Now the MLB Morning Breakdown for…
Today's short MLB slate left more questions than answers as far as I'm concerned. Can Philly's bats support Wheeler as a 2/1 favorite? Will the Red Sox get out of their own way for a change? And the most interesting question among Thursday's games will be answered in the Bronx…
Although our good friend Paul's Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast is still on hiatus, we continue to plug away at betting the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. That said, there is a growing NASCAR handicapping community on Twitter and other outlets providing a ton of quality content and betting insights.…
The MLB second half is off and running after Friday night's display of prolific run production. We see you Toronto and Chicago! Talk about some pent up lineups around the league - except for a pair of teams with postseason trajectories that played to a 4-1 finish at the expense…
The short and sweet All-Star Break left JJ & Yanni with no choice: jump on a pod with Big Tasty and D-Nice to talk Major League Baseball's first half and futures bets as the season heads down the stretch. You know The BetCrushers Team is in good hands with these…
The clock is ticking on the first half of the 2022 MLB season with the All-Star Break just a couple days away. This means a break from daily handicapping while providing some time to take a step back to look at the league. I'd lay odds that D-Nice will have…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-12-2022 comes at you after a disappointing - yet not surprising - failure to produce runs in Chicago. It sure seemed like a good idea at the time...what more can I say? And in full disclosure, today's Solo Shot does not have my money behind…
All I can say about yesterday's handicap is that I am thanking my lucky stars for Josh Naylor being in the lineup. Not that he made a huge impact in the Guardians' blowout victory as much as he was my trigger point to play the over. More importantly, Naylor's availability…
The BetCrushers Team's prodigal son returns to writing with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 7-9-2022. Overseas vacation is over. Anniversary is in the books. And despite the day job having a firm stranglehold around my neck, I'm back to what I truly enjoy: breaking down some sweet MLB action. As…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-25-2022 gets me back in the writing game after a week away from the keyboard. What can I say...when the day job has a firm grip on your throat, you have to buckle down and TCB. Not that my betting results have been anything to…
JJ@BC The MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-18-2022 drops with a pair of handicaps on this windy Saturday morning. Despite staying ahead of the market since my last post on June 14th, I gave some back to the gambling gods this week after returning from vacation (holy LOB, Boston!). Not to…
JJ@BC It might have been shaky here and there, but coming home to sweat a first 5 inning under ended up being the right move. Legitimate threats by each team in the early innings fortunately resulted in a 1-1 tie after the 5th, making my half-unit dip back into the…
JJ@BC As great as vacation can be - which last week's trip to the Azores certainly was - there's no place like home. Especially when you've spent a week in a nation that blocks access to gambling websites! The things we do to get away, right? Despite being sleep deprived…
JJ@BC With two days left to grind out profit before I head overseas, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 6-3-2022 delivers a Friday Solo Shot after nickel and diming my way through the week. Thankfully I was not awake to watch the Brewers score 4 runs in the bottom of the…
JJ@BC We've made it just about two months into the 2022 MLB season with more victories than battle scars. That's testament to a ton of offseason prep, grinding through daily handicapping, and undoubtedly a friendly kiss from Lady Luck. I jumped on a pod with D-Nice, braintrust of the Wager…
JJ@BC With just one week left before leaving the country, it's almost like I'm in one of those money booths with cash swirling around. How much can I grab before the thing shuts off and my 10-day hiatus kicks in? While I joke, my MLB betting has maintained a positive…
JJ@BC Monday's extra-innings nail biter in St. Louis somehow, some way kept the positive momentum rolling. It rolled right into...a day off from handicapping yesterday. That break from betting on baseball left me plenty of time to gear up for a special three man production to cover today's action. The…
JJ@BC Talk about one hell of an "engaging" Sunday on the diamonds. And somehow I made it out the other side unscathed. A couple serious sweats in the 5th inning of both first 5 innings positions and a Coors Field under resulted in one near-miss push and three half-unit Ws.…
JJ@BC Many thanks to Big Tasty for hosting our five-game Friday night livestream breakdown. And give a tip of the cap to Tasty for his call on the Texas Rangers - at my expense, mind you! Still, Friday & Saturday treated us decently despite the Astros setback so we roll…
JJ@BC The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-20-2022 is far from a morning production today as I jumped on with Big Tasty for an afternoon live stream. We last joined forced at the beginning of May for an excellent show with some nice results. Can we put our heads together for…
JJ@BC Despite bombing my featured handicaps while on the road last week, I have NOT yet been exiled from The BetCrushers Team. Yanni kept me around because I kept firing Sunday & Monday and got things back on track for the crew. Admittedly, I rushed some of my handicaps last…
JJ@BC The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-14-2022 drops late this morning off of a disappointing loss with the Orioles. Disappointing not so much in Eduardo Rodriguez' good outing but with Baltimore leaving the bases loaded in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. The O's 14 men left on base is…
JJ@BC Who would have thunk that four days days of golf and hiking would leave me next to no time to write up handicaps? No worries on your end, however, as Monday through Thursday was about as close to a break-even chop as can be. I've finally made the jump…
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially those who gave birth to the nightmare known as The BetCrushers Team. Especially the mothers of our wives who keep us in check. Speaking of keeping in check, we skated by with the Rays first 5 inning wager while cruising…
Imagine thinking that Wednesday night's Bundy-Bradish matchup was going to be a pitcher's duel. That's where I left off, dropping the Twins game and watching my ROI slip into a more reasonable level. The day job has been punishing enough but today we head south to kick back and hit…
First off, I owe our loyal readers an apology - a two-fold one. 1) Pablo's bad day on Monday and my overconfidence in the Marlins. 2) Getting sabotaged by the day job early Tuesday AM, sinking my plans for an article. The day job also poses a high likelihood that…
Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Many thanks to Big Tasty for sparing me from writing yesterday morning by bringing me on his show. It was a good time breaking down five games on the Sunday slate - two of which we took positions on, yielding a…
The Cubbies had me fooled Friday morning and sure I paid the price. Combined with another half-unit loss at Coors Field, those two losses ate the Mets' profit plus a little bit of my bankroll. At least Friday's action did not yield an 0-3 whoopin. After a day off from…
When the Tigers failed to plate the tying run in the 5th yesterday afternoon, I thought of what could have been for my first 5 inning dog bet. Then the Twins piled on 4 more runs in the bottom half of the inning and that thought turned to "damn I…
"Maybe Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez are breaking out of their slumps. Maybe it’s a mirage." Perhaps I invoked just enough mojo in yesterday's edition to get the Astros over the first 5 inning hump last night and cash our ticket. Certainly a sweaty one, but isn't that the way…
Day jobs, man. After skipping the Tuesday edition, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-27-2022 drops after an unfortunate loss Monday night with the Mets first 5 innings bet. Props to Miles Mikolas for going toe to toe with Max Scherzer and delivering a 0-0 tie after the 5th. That said,…
My wife said I got lucky with that one. I beg to differ. The Rays rallied for Shane McClanahan and delivered a first 5 inning winner that kept our nice little winning streak rolling. After enough years of doing this, I know how important it is to stockpile some ammo…
Saturday brought us some good news with a side of bad news in the form of a 1-1 split. Fortunately, the full-unit position on Dylan Bundy and the Twins first 5 innings cruised to the finish line. On the other hand, Toronto and Houston failed to deliver a single run…
The weekend is here as is the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-23-2022 after a fantastic Friday that arguably could have been better. I got a little greedy with the Mets -1 run line that left me with a push in Phoenix after the bullpens took over. Never fear, as profits…
It's a good day for a Friday edition of the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-22-2022 fresh off back-to-back feature winners. That may be a low bar, but it's my bar and the money is moving in the right direction after two weeks into the season. Carlos Carrasco's 7.2-inning gem got…
I'd say that the San Diego Padres made the under a little more interesting than it needed to be. But a win's a win - even if it was just a half-unit total. On that note, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-21-2022 comes at you super early due to a…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-20-2022 returns after a quick break due to my work schedule. Back-to-back long days at the office sandwiched a very disappointing loss with the manufactured -1 run line on the Rays. Shane McClanahan dazzled but, in my opinion, Monday night's game ball went to Keegan…
Saturday's trio of one-run results left me with a -1.25-unit giveback day - a finish that was much better than I expected after a fast and furious start to the 2022 season. Tampa gave us a run for the +120 money with bases loaded in the 9th though my manufactured…
A run in the 9th sinks the Colorado under while the Mets and Marlins fuel a winning day - one that made up for Thursday's loss and adds more ammo to the bankroll. But that could be all for not as I load 'em up with a three-play Saturday in…
The Gausman-Severino main event in the Bronx proved to be quite the pitching duel amongst two high-powered offenses last night. The Jays first 5 inning position also proved to be an L for us, but at least one of the half-unit variety. Lineup uncertainty led to my limited exposure early…
Make it two days in a row now that our Solo Shot hit a very sketchy patch. This time, it was Max Scherzer loading the bags full of Phillies in the 1st. Mad Max somehow took care of business while the Mets' bats kept their end of the bargain. That's…
When the man is dialed in, the man is dialed in. Shane Bieber had the mojo rocking for as long as I needed him to against my Cincinnati Reds, making for a quick first 5 inning scoop. First 5 ringer Mr. Pig had a great breakdown of the same wager…
I must admit that things got a little sketchy when Alek Manoah's mechanics went south on me last night in the 3rd. But Toronto' defense had his back and George Springer took care of the scoring as the Blue Jays deliver the W. With immense gratitude to Bo Bichette's fielding…
The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-11-2022 drops after one hell of an Opening Weekend. Not necessarily my betting results - although I'm far from upset with the season's start - but the amount of action and sweaty bets I got to watch play out. Especially when it came to the…
After yesterday's outbreak of low scoring games we had to put our research team of Yanni and D-Nice on the case. They've run multiple statistical analyses and made the executive decision to bet the under in every MLB game today. This should be interesting. As for me, I'm ready to…
Getting walked off by the Yankees yesterday afternoon wasn't the best follow up to a decent Opening Day for our featured handicaps. Is it time to start firing on -200 favorites until I'm blue in the face? Not a chance! The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-9-2022 rolls in with cash…
Download Episode 5 of 2022 (Martinsville) The Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast is back - just in time for Paul to spare JJ from another 1-2 betting week. Richmond was interesting to say the least - high tire wear, very few yellow flags, and pit strategy galore. Joey Logano found…
After a successful special edition to usher in the 2022 season, we shift gears into a routine with the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-8-2022. Opening Day reminded many of us just how sweaty baseball games can be. Granted, my getting cute with the Guardians first 5 inning bet cost me…
It's time, boys and girls. For a while there looked to be no end in sight for the winter lockout. And here we are: Opening Day. I'm pumped to get things going with Opening Day 2022 handicapping for the remaining seven games on Thursday's slate. For our new followers -…
There's one small problem that comes with rolling out divisional previews on the early side in an offseason like this. Quite a few impact trades and free agent signings occurred after the early editions were published and my win total bets were booked. So with Opening Day right around the…
Although there's no Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast this week, we still dug into the 2022 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway for betting angles. It's the first points-paying short track race of the season so we're dealing with yet another first with this Next Gen ride. The Clash at…
I saved the best for last. The World Series Champion Atlanta Braves brought the hardware back to the NL East after a slow start to the season. It was impressively opposite of the Mets' summer swoon that landed them with a below-.500 record behind the sneaky Phillies. There's a ton…