Well, sometimes it's better to be lucky than right. And my first wager of the 2021 MLB season was a -150 play behind Brad Keller and the Royals - an amount of juice that I absolutely hate to lay. Bottom line: my read on Keller was way off the mark,…
After what seems like an eternity to us baseball fans, Opening Day 2021 is finally here! It's been five months since the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their franchise's seventh World Series Championship and now all 30 teams start fresh. And the head honchos at MLB have given us exactly what…
Download Episode 8 (Bristol Dirt) Things are really heating up in the NASCAR Cup Series! Episode 8 of the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast takes you to Bristol Motor Speedway for the 2021 Food City Dirt Race. As always, Paul and JJ discuss the Atlanta race, where Kyle Larson dominated the field…until…
The Braves' punctuated the 2020 season with their third straight and 15th overall NL East title. Atlanta's impressive young nucleus gives the impression of a club building their way towards a dynasty like that of the late 1990's. On the flip side, the 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals was…
Download Episode 7 (Atlanta) The NASCAR Cup Series’ West Coast Swing is over and Episode 7 of the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast takes you to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the 2021 Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500. Paul and JJ discuss the Phoenix race, where Martin Truex, Jr. is the latest…
A dramatic changing of the AL East guard was punctuated by Boston trading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers. While the Red Sox sunk to the depths of the division, Tampa Bay rose to the top with stingy pitching and defense. The Rays' grindy approach to the modern game earned them…
Download Episode 6 (Phoenix) The Cup Series action was sizzling hot in Las Vegas last weekend, and now Episode 6 of the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast takes you to Phoenix Raceway for the 2021 Instacart 500. Kyle Larson scorched the field in the Pennzoil 400 and leads Hendrick Motorsports down to…
It's a story that only made sense in the year 2020. While the Cardinals were stuck at home due to COVID-related issues, the Chicago Cubs grew an early lead in the NL Central. They slogged their way to the division title as St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee finished no better…
Another NL West title for the Dodgers. This time, however, Los Angeles was not denied the franchise's seventh World Series Championship. Six months earlier, there was plenty of optimism to go around the division. Arizona was positioned to build on a gritty 2019 season while San Diego looked the part…
Download Episode 5 (Las Vegas) Viva Las Vegas! Episode 5 of the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast takes you to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 2021 Pennzoil 400. Paul and JJ talk about the Chevies in last week’s race at Homestead and the takeaways for Sunday’s showdown in Sin City.…
The AL West was front and center all throughout the last offseason. Texas was set to move into its new airplane hangar-esque stadium while the Angels scored prized free agent Anthony Rendon, joining forces with all-world player Mike Trout. Even so, all of this mundane activity was overshadowed by Houston's…
The AL Central proved to be very competitive down the stretch in the truncated 2020 MLB season. Three legitimate playoff teams vied for the division - Minnesota, Chicago, and Cleveland - with just a single game separating them in the end. It took a 16-8 surge from the Twins to…
Download Episode 4 (Homestead-Miami) Episode 4 of the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast takes you to South Florida for the 2021 Dixie Vodka 400. We just watched first time Cup Series winner Christopher Bell end Chase Elliott’s four-race road course winning streak in a drama-filled race at the Daytona…
Download Episode 3 (Daytona Road Course) After an exciting late night finish at the Daytona 500, Paul and JJ are ready to roll with Episode 3 of the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast. They talk about the highs and lows of The Great American Race and how their bets…
Download EPISODE 2 of 2021 (Daytona 500) Paul welcomes back JJ from the BetCrushers to Episode 2 of the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast. It’s Daytona week, baby! And that means the 2021 NASCAR Cup season is off and running. First, the guys look back at Tuesday night’s Busch…
Paul welcomes JJ from the BetCrushers onto the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast to talk Daytona and how the 2021 NASCAR season is shaping up. Before they get too far ahead, Paul recaps some recent news since the season preview pod dropped. It’s Episode #1 of the new season…
The defending Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch was dismissed from the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs along with three other playoff drivers at the Roval last weekend. A wet start ended in a decisive victory by - you guessed it - Chase Elliott. Elliott answered any remaining questions about his road course…
Fives races are in the books and five remain in the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs. Classic tracks, Las Vegas, Talladega, and now the Charlotte Roval. This hybrid track will axe four drivers from the postseason, leaving just eight teams fighting for the Cup Series Championship. Who survives elimination at the Charlotte…
One of the least likely contenders advanced to the Round of 8 last weekend by automatic bid. Kurt Busch returned to his home town of Las Vegas and proved that every playoff driver is alive if there's a race to be won. It's been The Outlaw's worst track until he…
The rich keep getting richer. Kevin Harvick held off a fierce bid from Kyle Busch to notch his ninth win of the 2020 season last weekend at the Bristol Night Race. Four drivers' Championship hopes were crushed, but there isn't much time for the survivors to catch their breath because…
With Richmond in the books, just one race remains before four teams find themselves on the outside looking in. The tracks have gotten progressively smaller as the Round of 16 plays out, which wraps up at The Last Great Coliseum Saturday night. Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the shortest…
The Southern 500 at Darlington ushered the 2020 postseason in style. Throwback Weekend at The Lady in Black delivered an excellent race where nearly all of the 16 Championship contenders were in the mix. Now the Cup Series moves north to Richmond for the second installment of the 2020 NASCAR…
What an odd way to get here, but the NASCAR Playoffs have arrived! The field of 16 contenders was set when William Byron survived Daytona's late fireworks and punched his postseason ticket with a big win. I expect that intensity to carry through on Sunday. The Cup Series returned from…
And then there was one. Only one automatic bid to the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs remains after an unusual season on the Cup Series circuit. After the COVID hiatus this spring, we've been treated to mid-week races, weekend doubleheaders, and a new venue in the Daytona Road Course. The postseason came…
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to a familiar track at Dover's Monster Mile this weekend. I am also back after a long road trip of my own through the heart of stock car racing. While I was away, Chase Elliott took down NASCAR's inaugural race on the Daytona Road Course…
It is often said that invention is the mother of necessity. NASCAR responded to the COVID curveball by scheduling mid-week races and weekend doubleheaders. With just six races to go before the playoffs, things look positive for completing the 2020 Cup season. This weekend, Michigan International Speedway hosts the FireKeepers…
It seems like an eternity since the Cup Series last raced. Last week's race at Kansas combined with MLB's Opening Night for a long-awaited sports overload. NASCAR gave the big boys the weekend off, so you know they're chomping at the bit to get back on the track. And so…
Whoever's idea it was to schedule these mid-week Cup Series races deserves a big pat on the back and a case of Busch beer. These night races have been a fantastic addition to the schedule, regardless of whether they are driven by COVID or not. The Cup Series now heads…
Things are looking up in the NASCAR world. Last weekend, Kentucky's Quaker State 400 fired up without a weather delay and ended a rookie crossing the line in first. Wednesday night's All-Star Race at Bristol was a spectacle for sore eyes with fireworks, underlighting for the cars, and 30,000 people…
The Summer of NASCAR heads to the land of thoroughbred horses and bourbon whiskey after visiting the Tricky Triangle and the hallowed ground of Indy. There is no doubt that last Sunday's rendition of the Brickyard 400 was a little more "exciting" than in previous years. You had a pit…
2020 is a year of change for the NASCAR Cup Series in many respects, one of which is front and center this weekend. For the last two years, Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted the final race before the postseason. This year, the traditional July 4th weekend race at Daytona is now…
Talladega. Must I say more? Mother Nature's lack of southern hospitality pushed Sunday's race into Monday. After waiting out another obligatory weather delay, we were rewarded by an evening of heart-pounding action. Ryan Blaney scored back-to-back wins at Talladega - both by a minuscule 0.007-second differential. Blaney, obviously affected by…
Good things come to those who wait. Mother Nature tested our patience with several hours of delays before delivering uninterrupted racing at Homestead-Miami. There's no mid-week Cup race in the meantime, so all eyes are on the 2020 GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Buckle up because this race is going…
After 18 years of hosting the NASCAR Cup Championship race, Homestead Speedway is now home to a mid-season 400-mile contest. At this point in the sports landscape, that suits me just fine. Miami may no longer be the center of a season-ending celebration, but plenty of eyes will be focused…
Atlanta gave us a clean race on Sunday with a ton of green flag laps. Happy Harvick walked away with the checkered flag for the second time this season and the second time at Atlanta in three years. The hot rods took over the race and held on, as you…
It was Bristol Baby! Brad Keselowski positioned himself advantageously and parlayed Chase Elliott's miscue into another Sunday win. Now NASCAR circles back to where it left off in March for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Let's see if the boys can keep the action hot.…
The whirlwind that is the 2020 NASCAR schedule takes us next to Blue Ridge Mountains for a Battle at Bristol. Charlotte treated us to a spectacular Memorial Day weekend Coca-Cola 600 and a rain-delayed 311-mile sprint on Thursday. Brad Keselowski won his first 600 and Chase Elliott pulled away with…
NASCAR's return has been nothing short of electric. Darlington's first race was action-packed and the mid-week encore was as tense as it gets, with rain was looming. Then Kyle Busch clipped Chase Elliott and sent him spinning into the wall. Sunday's thrilling Coca-Cola 600 was a fitting Memorial Day weekend…
Memorial Day can mean many things for Americans, but most important is commemorating our fallen military. A lot of traditions have grown up around the long weekend: time with friends and family, cookouts, camping, and (usually for me) catching a baseball game. For us race fans, Sunday means the Indy…
Sunday's action at The Lady in Black was fast, furious, and long-awaited. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. started off as only he could by hitting the wall then shedding flames on his way to the garage - all before completing a single lap. Later, Jimmie Johnson ruined his own day with an…
It's been one hell of a wait, but we're a couple days away from green flag racing at the track that's Too Tough to Tame. We've had more than enough time to dig into the pair of upcoming NASCAR Cup Series races and our betting card is just about filled.…
In case you missed the news, NASCAR is back in full force. The Cup Series may have missed a couple months, but the nation has a need for speed and NASCAR is delivering. Four Cup races will run over an eleven-day stretch at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Our…
The need for sports is real as the United States deals with quarantines and work closures. Hell, even national leaders are calling for the return of sports like baseball to help improve morale. NASCAR rolled out its plan to resume their 2020 season this month. MLB followed that with another…
We could all use some good news these days and boy did NASCAR deliver. Real-life, on-the-track, no-simulator-in-sight Cup Series racing is back, by God. NASCAR made the call to resume the 2020 season at Darlington Raceway on May 17th. Then the action moves to Charlotte for Memorial Day weekend. The…
The 2019 American League West saw the Houston Astros make their second run at a World Series in three years. Oakland repeated their 2018 season with 97 wins and another loss in the Wild Card game. Below them, a trio of teams struggled to crack the .500 mark. The Angels…
Going into the 2019 season, expectations were high in the NL East, where all but one team had season win totals of 85 or higher. Even more impressively, three of those four actually exceeded their totals. Your World Series Champions, the Washington Nationals, cleared their total with a second-half surge…
I'll start by saying how competitive and entertaining the young 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season has been. Daytona - what can you say about that? Vegas - late caution forces a 2-lap sprint. Fontana - a huge, bumpy track made for flat-out racing. Three races into the season and the…
Goldilocks would have loved the 2019 AL East: two teams pushed their way to the top, two sunk to the bottom, and one settled in the middle. But she's the only one who'd call Boston "just right" last year, as they failed to repeat their 2019 glory. Baltimore and Toronto…
Last year's NL Central crown race was one of the tightest in the league. My eyes, as a holder of a late-season plus-money divisional futures ticket on the Cardinals, were glued to Milwaukee's September charge. The Brew Crew made things way too interesting for my taste, even without 2018 NL…
It's Leap Day and we've got some MACtion locked and loaded! Wednesday's Denver +7.5 play gave me one hell of a sweat with IPFW getting the 58-51 win. Saved by the hook...and a lucky steal by the Pioneers to keep the Mastodons from covering in the final seconds. It's all…
We move southwest from last week's high stakes action in Las Vegas to California for Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Fontana. We were treated to some spectacular racing in Vegas; three-wide, four-wide, and even five-wide action was not uncommon. There was just something about the competitiveness of last week's race…
The Minnesota Twins owned the AL Central in 2019. They took the division lead on April 20th and ran away with it by smashing offensive records and by getting unexpected production out of starting pitchers. It looked like a runaway until the Indians picked themselves up off the mat and…
We've been ugly in the Road Dog Report lately, though the results fortunately haven't. LaSalle and their 3-10 Atlantic 10 record did not keep them from getting a road win on Saturday. Then we backed a Toledo team last night who had dropped six of eight before their 93-81 win.…
Saturday's Road Dog Report landed on that perfect confluence of being picky and fortunate. Rhode Island needed to overtime to sneak inside the hook after two stressful out-of-bounds reviews. LaSalle choked away a 14-point halftime lead only to regain it in the waning minutes. I'll take it though, especially after…
In 2019, the Los Angeles Dodgers were crowned kings of the National League West for the seventh year in a row. Given this juggernaut, few people expected the division to be competitive despite San Diego making an offseason splash by signing monster free agent Manny Machado. Regardless, consensus gave Colorado…
A Saturday in February means one thing is for sure: a huge college basketball slate is staring us down. XFL Week 3 rolls on today as well as qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas, so our eyes will be on those events as well. We settled…
Sunday's Daytona 500 was a prime example of superspeedway racing, also known as a 200-MPH crap shoot. Races at Daytona and Talladega are exciting as hell, especially in the later laps when guys are antsy and cars are nose-to-tail at extremely high speeds. The Cup Series circuit travels from the…
It's been a minute since the last Road Dog Report, and Tuesday MACtion is a great reason to get back on the ball! I find myself getting pickier with college hoops plays as the season progresses, which is fine considering it is time to ramp into the MLB season. There's…
After a three-month layoff the NASCAR Cup Series is back, baby! The green flag drops on the Great American Race Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET and we've got you covered with the BetCrushers' Daytona 500 Betting Card. NASCAR's highest circuit continues to evolve with rules, race packages, and the car…
Southern Illinois had two powerful things going for them: a strong defense and a seven-game winning streak. Their defense came to play last night, but the Salukis' shooting was horrendous. They relied on the perimeter shot that was not falling (5-28) and shot only 23% from the field. Despite the…
After a few days without any college hoops action, the Road Dog Report is back! Saturday's pair of featured handicaps (Florida International and Northern Arizona) split as each squad attempted a second-half comeback. One was successful, the other was not. I was built to grind and so we push forward…
Losing the game via three free throws in the final seconds is not the way you want to go down. Friday's 61-60 loss to the Rider Broncs was a brutal way for Canisius to slip further down the MAAC standings. This result partially substantiated the premise of yesterday's handicap that…
I have not found an overwhelming number of opportunities on the college hoops slates in the smaller conferences that I follow lately. Whether it is my tendency to be more conservative during a down season or just the way the lines are shaping up, I'm not one to force the…
If nothing is there, don't force it. It's a principle that you have to stick to as a handicapper, and that's the situation I faced last night when looking at Tuesday's college basketball slate. Monday's handicap for Lafayette/Bucknell came to fruition despite the Leopards facing a team that had beaten…
Regardless of the outcome, I must say that last night's Super Bowl was one hell of a contest. Props go out to my BetCrushers partner, Yanni, who led us in our inaugural season of NFL handicapping. It's been a learning lesson with the website since our Memorial Day launch and…
Friday night MACtion delivered an excellent game between Akron and Kent State last night. The 68-67 Golden Flashes victory had everything a hoops fan wants in a game: big dunks, a bunch of lead changes, and a three-point attempt to close it out. The offenses were held in check for…
Last night’s gambit to catch a falling knife with Coastal Carolina resulted in bloody palms. I tried to grab them in a spot where they could cover the +7 easily if they snapped out of their shooting funk. Well, they didn't. Despite the loss, watching the teams commit a combined…
Wednesday's handicap of the Cal Baptist Lancers recognized the potential weakness against Utah Valley's 6'7" front court duo. And the Lancers came into the game after one their worst shooting performances this season. Nonetheless, I trusted the handicap and stuck with a team who has treated us very well this…
Tuesday MACtion got a little weird when coronavirus concerns on the campus of Miami of Ohio postponed last night's showdown with the Chippewas. Thankfully, I took the morning off from writing up a full handicap on that one. That break was well-deserved after a big swing-and-miss on Sacramento State Monday…
Sunday's on-court action took a back seat to reality as the news about Kobe Bryant's death shook us and sports fans everywhere. The tragedy certainly put the games and betting action in perspective. When the dust settled, my featured sides ended in a 1-1 split. Monmouth started the day with…
The NFL may have left us stranded today (unless you REALLY need to watch the Pro Bowl), but the college hoops slate has a good mix of power- and small-conference action. I'm coming with another pair of handicaps after yesterday's featured sides went 1-1. Drexel (+8.5) was too sloppy to…
BetCrushers.com is free and clear of hosting issues this morning! Good thing, because it's college hoops Saturday and the slate is huge. I won't bury the lead with a recap of Thursday's game since it is a topic of the Road Dog Report for 1/25/2020. Let's go! (683) Drexel @…
Thursday offers a healthy college hoops slate to dive into. As much as I want to crank out full breakdowns on several key matchups I'm playing, I need to stay focused. As most of you know, balance in life is essential and my love for handicapping college hoops and the…
No college hoops handicap yesterday only gave me more time to plug away at our MLB divisional previews. Another free agent found a new home, as the Braves signed Marcel Ozuna to fill Josh Donaldson's hole. Despite these previews being a work in progress, I just moved on one season…
College hoops on a Monday afternoon? Count us in! The NFL Conference Championship games treated us well but there's only one game left for us to handicap in that department. After Sunday's South Dakota State disappointment, I'm ready to get back on track with the Road Dog Report for 1/20/2020.…
There's certainly no shortage of sports betting action today despite the short college hoops slate. It's NFL Championship Weekend and we've got you covered with a pair of in-depth handicaps on the gridiron. After a much-needed day off from pounding away on the keyboard, I'm back with a solo shot…
After a couple days of taking (and hitting, fortunately) solo shots on my betting card, yesterday's feature handicap expanded to a pair of Road Dogs. I take the split as Georgia State bombed out South Alabama with 15 buckets from downtown, while Loyola Marymount missed the mark by a half-point.…
What a roller coaster last night's Bradley/Missouri State turned out to be. Bradley worked themselves into a nice 10-point halftime lead last night even without one of their best players, Elijah Childs. However, Missouri State came out hot after the break, went on a big 12-0 run to take a…
I never want to see my alma mater take the L, though there was enough solace in them covering the spread last night at least. The Ohio Bobcats lost a tight one at Buffalo Tuesday on a final-possession turnover. We've brushed it off and are back on the grind with…
Hiding in the shadows of an insane NFL Divisional Round weekend, Saturday's featured college hoops handicaps went 2-1. Seems unspectacular, right? After the previous Saturday's 0-3, I wondered if that particular day of the week was my boogeyman. Coastal Carolina made up for their meltdown in their previous game and…
The beauty - and sometimes frustration - of handicapping is that there is no universal method or "secret code" that holds the answer. Fortunately, Major League Baseball is blessed with a cult following of statistical-oriented minds that compile and make available volumes of data for us to use. You can…
Yesterday's handicap on Canisius simply did not come to fruition. However, this weekend presents a ton of opportunities including our play in the NFL Divisional Round. My college hoops card is loaded up with this big Saturday slate, but I've focused on three matchups in the Road Dog Report for…
Conference play continues to be quality entertainment for the fans. For handicappers like myself, it adds some tricky angles that you cannot ignore. These teams know each other well, which can emphasize scheme and coaching more than in non-conference games. I'm dialed in on one such matchup in the MAAC…
Thursday presents another healthy college hoops slate, and we're ready to roll with handicaps for two early-evening matchups. Conference play has a tendency to reduce the number of large mismatches, sometimes making point spreads irrelevant. Last night was a good example of this, where both of our Road Dogs got…
We walked a tightrope last night with a Missouri State team that had been unable to seal the deal on the road this season. Coach Dana Ford had them ready to play and it showed as they knocked off a tough Illinois State team who defends their home court quite…
The Florida A&M Rattlers bit back last night, putting up a little too much of a fight. FAMU battled back and made it to overtime, where dogs go to die. We're roaring back like a bear today in the Road Dog Report for 1/7/2020. (635) Missouri State @ Illinois State…
The NFL Wild Card Weekend action was anything short of wild, including a pair of overtime games, a 1-point game that eliminated the defending champs, and a repeat of the previous matchup between Seattle and Philly. Unfortunately, we got swept on the gridiron and the court. Time to keep grinding…
We've got one hell of a sports day ahead of us! The NFL Wild Card games kick off today and the college hoops slate is massive. I have nine NCAAB tickets but I'll focus on three handicaps in the Road Dog Report for 1/4/2020. (707) Eastern Illinois @ Belmont -11.5…
The holidays are over and this means two things in the BetCrushers' sports betting world: the NFL Playoffs and NCAA hoops conference play are here. Our early Wild Card handicapping is done and early bets are made. Thursday's NCAAB slate is a big one and have two early wagers made…
First and foremost, Happy New Year! 2020 is here and I'd like to make my 18-24 start to the NCAAB season last year's news. Air Force sent 2019 out with a giant thud as my UC Riverside ticket was bombed out by the Falcons. It did not take long to…
Oh so close to a 3-0 Monday as the Bonnies fall short of covering the +4 at Buffalo. Regardless, closing line value was positive for all three plays and our friends at Cleveland State and Idaho handled their business. We're ready to turn the page on 2019, but first, it's…
Lafayette's performance on Sunday was the definition of "survive and advance", except the Leopards simply advanced to Patriot League play with a 8-3 record. That's something, considering that Lafayette hasn't won more than 10 games in an entire season in five years. Another solid card is here, and that means…
Today's college basketball card is lengthy as compared to the average Sunday slate, and I have one early ticket to show for it. It's Week 17 in the NFL and we've cooked up a couple plays as the pros' emotions range from apathy to desperation. Let's get today's express version…
We haven't quite hit the typical Saturday mega-deep college basketball slates, but today's offerings provide several betting opportunities. For many teams, this will be the last out-of-conference game as the calendar turns to 2020. After a short recap of Friday's Coppin State play, we'll dive right into the Road Dog…
Fresh off of a fantastic Christmas holiday break, I'm ready to get back to the college hoops handicapping grind after an annoyingly-slow start to the season. Our Week 17 NFL plays are nailed down and we are anxiously looking forward to a strong postseason. Today's NCAAB card is short with…
Yesterday's Florida Atlantic at Mercer matchup was anything but a clash of titans. Regardless, we relied on our ratings to shake off the notion that FAU had yet to cover a spread on the road and took the +3 on the Owls. After a great day in NFL and on…
Saturday was simply disappointing as three Road Dogs won outright, five were thumped, and one lost by a deuce in OT. It's almost time for me to hit the road for the holidays, so we'll break down a game and let the college hoops and NFL action get rolling. Here's…
After Thursday's 3-0 rebound, I was initially disappointed to come away without a ticket on yesterday's short NCAAB slate. Carrying some "momentum" into the weekend never hurts, but if the handicapping doesn't give me a viable place to put my money, then the bankroll sits on the sidelines. It was…
Our Road Dogs chopped on Wednesday with an early letdown and a late night comeback. Generally speaking, my leans have looked good and delivering some confidence as D1 hoops inches towards conference play. I have a rare three plays with a short Thursday card in the Road Dog Report for…
Wednesday's college basketball card offers a solid menu of opportunities that is even bigger if you have access to the extra games. To my relief, there was no buzzer beater last night in Malibu to crush the Portland State ticket. With the positive vibes rolling this morning, it's time for…