MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-1-2021

The MLB Morning Breakdown for 5-1-2021 is back again after a busy work week and some travel. At least that travel paid off with a very unique experience watching the Blue Jays and Braves face off in Dunedin last night. What a game from the Toronto offense and Robbie Ray.…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-28-2021

It's been a couple days but the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-28-2021 is back in action. Monday's slate left me with more questions than answers, then a packed work schedule kept me from publishing a handicap on Tuesday. I left off this weekend with a timely push on the Royals…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-25-2021

The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-25-2021 returns to the scene of yesterday's...victory?!? With the Arizona/Atlanta rainout last night, Brady Singer's gem pushed the Kansas City Royals to another divisional win and a much-needed W for my featured handicaps. Both Singer and Detroit's Matthew Boyd were spectacular, though it was KC's…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-24-2021

JJ the Ice Man nearly squashed the Athletics 11-game win streak with my greedy money line/run line play. But Cole Irvin worked his magic to escape a couple jams posed by the Orioles and get us the money. That 3-1 win was crucial considering how one of my nemesis, Luke…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-23-2021

Baseball is a game of sequencing. Offenses need to string together hits and walks to convert baserunners into runs. Batteries must sequence pitches to set up batters for optimal results. And handicappers like us have to get ahead of angles to capitalize on attackable prices. I am taking my lumps…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-22-2021

The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-22-2021 says adios to the St. Louis Cardinals. After my fourth loss in as many times featuring that club this season, I received an executive order to stay away from any Cardinals games from here on out. It's simple - the Redbirds and I are…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-20-2021

Despite the best-laid plans, Washington swung for the fences and kept falling short Sunday afternoon. That matchup against a lefty who is prone to getting knocked around was juicy but the results did not manifest. I'll be completely honest and say that was a very disappointing outcome. Realistically, though, not…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-18-2021

The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-18-2021 comes to you fresh off of what turned out to be a near push on Saturday. Oh, my Cincinnati Reds - they sure looked like the 2020 version yesterday afternoon. Granted, tons of credit goes to Triston McKenzie for working his way out of…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-17-2021

Let's just say that the St. Louis Cardinals and I are not seeing eye to eye these days. At least the New York Mets had my back Wednesday as David Peterson pitched a gem. Then Ronald Acuna helped us get over the mark to seal up a much-needed winning day…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-14-2021

After Tuesday's quick in-and-out solo shot on the Nationals/Cardinals first 5 inning position, it's time to stretch out the playbook in the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-14-2021. And that play was quick because the Cardinals pounded Strasburg for 4 runs in the 3rd and a ton more in the 5th.…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-13-2021

After a weekend on the road and Monday back in the office, the MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-13-2021 is back! I broadened Sunday's card to four plays, but the Tigers fell just short of delivering a nice payday. Looks like they were the play last night though. I need to…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-11-2021

I’ve cranked out three straight Ls in my featured handicaps. That's pretty disappointing, especially with a couple wagers getting cancelled recently. But it’s Day 11 of the 2021 MLB season and I’ve been waiting for these days a long time. Now it’s time to roll with the MLB Morning Breakdown…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-10-2021

What a fiasco yesterday's betting card was. Unfortunately, our featured handicap position on the Angels was cancelled twice for pitching changes. My BetCrushers partner Yanni took the bait and went over 6 runs - and those guys got the money. Not I, but that's on me for going with listed…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-9-2021

The MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-9-2021 is back after a travel day (for me, not the MLB). Chicago's "light" lineup in Seattle Wednesday afternoon left a lot to be desired for our plays behind them. Though their timely runs in the 5th inning salvaged one of three wagers in our…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-7-2021

We asked for a strong performance from Marcus Stroman yesterday and he delivered. Stroman plus a timely bomb from Dominic Smith enabled the Mets to take care of our first 5 inning wager and cash Tuesday's solo shot. Three Ws in a row is nice, but the MLB Morning Breakdown…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-6-2021

The new week began with two plays on Monday that banked on offensive eruptions from the Blue Jays and White Sox. Well, that's what we got. Some confidence was restored when my doubts in Mike Foltynewicz' rebound from a brutal season came true, leading to Toronto surpassing their team total…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-5-2021

For the second time this season, my expectations for a Royals starter were way too high compared to what took place on the field. Brady Singer just did not have the stuff I called for and my solo shot of the day backing the Royals went up in flames. But…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-4-2021

I took just one position on yesterday's big slate - technically two half-unit bets on the Blue Jays team totals - and it flat out failed to get there. Close, but no cigar. Yet 3 runs is absolutely less than 4, so we move onto the MLB Morning Breakdown for…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-3-2021

No complaints here with Day 2 of the MLB season. My Cincinnati Reds didn't lose (they had the day off) and we managed to crank out a nice return on our pair of plays. Pablo Lopez and Ryan Yarbrough put on a pitching clinic in south Florida, delivering a 0-0…

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MLB Morning Breakdown for 4-2-2021

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,…

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Handicapping Opening Day 2021

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…

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2021 NL East Preview & Futures

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…

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2021 AL East Preview & Futures

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…

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2021 NL Central Preview & Futures

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…

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2021 NL West Preview & Futures

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…

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2021 AL West Preview & Futures

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…

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2021 AL Central Preview & Futures

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…

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A NASCAR Doubleheader at Pocono (6/27/2020)

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…

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2020 GEICO 500 at Talladega (6/21/2020)

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…

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NASCAR’s Battle at Bristol (5/31/2020)

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…

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Running it Back at Charlotte (5/27/2020)

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…

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NASCAR’s Darlington Encore (5/20/2020)

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…

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Adjusting MLB Win Totals to a 100-Game Season

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…

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The Return of NASCAR to Darlington: An Early Look

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…

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2020 MLB Season Win Totals: AL West

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…

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2020 MLB Season Win Totals: NL East

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…

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2020 FanShield 500 at Phoenix

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…

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2020 MLB Season Win Totals: AL East

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…

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2020 MLB Season Win Totals: NL Central

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/29/2020

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…

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2020 Auto Club 400 at Fontana

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…

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2020 MLB Season Win Totals: AL Central

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/26/2020

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.…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/25/2020

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…

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2020 MLB Season Win Totals: NL West

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/22/2020

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…

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2020 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/18/2020

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…

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2020 Daytona 500 Betting Card

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/13/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/12/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/8/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/7/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/5/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/3/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 2/1/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/31/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/30/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/29/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/27/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/26/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/25/2020

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 @…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/23/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/22/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/20/2020

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.…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/19/2020

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…

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NCAAB Road Dog Report – 1/17/2020

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.…

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