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…
We appreciate our loyal readers sticking around despite middling NFL results and the serious hole I've dug in the young college basketball season. The dogs that I've backed in the first couple weeks have been more apt to lie down for a nap in the second half than keep fighting.…
I'm taking my lumps in the first couple weeks betting this NCAA hoops season, but still grinding after 15 lackluster handicaps. Sunday's 1-2 outcome was a mixed bag of a solid win, bad loss, and near miss on the swing game. Monday's slate isn't the biggest but the Road Dog…
The Road Dogs record holds at a "modest" 4-8 record after Saturday's pair of plays split. The season is young and there's plenty of opportunities to surpass last year's 55.8% mark. With that in mind, I sharpened the pencils late last night and found a trio of games to fill…
After two days with just a handful of college basketball games, we finally get a solid menu to handicap. On the bright side, those short slates gave us more time to put together a focused NFL Week 15 card going into the playoffs. We left off Wednesday evening with a…
Needless to say, the effort put forth by Tennessee State at Arkansas-Little Rock last night was disappointing. This loss sets the Road Dogs back to 2-7 early in the season, but I am the least bit deterred. Old non-conference rivals are clashing before teams are sealed off to conference play.…
The BetCrushers NCAAB Road Dog Report for 12/10/2019 returns after a Monday off from the college hardwood. We were glued to the NFL action as our consensus plays delivered a much-needed 4-0 sweep. Although today's is a short betting card, we found a couple matchups worth diving deep into and…
Everyone needs a good ol' fashioned gut punch to keep them humble, right? Yesterday's 1-4 is a perfect example, although it's all about maintaining progress to reach your goal. We didn't achieve a solid 56% ATS on the court last season without some days like this. That said, let's get…
Dartmouth played exceptional defense in last night's matchup at South Florida...for the first half, anyways. Turnovers plagued the Big Green while USF Coach Brian Gregory made significant adjustments at the half, yielding a huge second half for the Bulls. That notches a loss for us but we've got a solid…
Northern Illinois did not out-rebound St. Mary's last night. Trendon Hankerson was 0-2 from beyond the arc and the Gaels' Malik Fitts pulled down 12 rebounds. However, the Huskies managed to cover the +15 with a 49-61 loss by holding St. Mary's to one of their worst shooting performances of…
Less than a year ago, we started BetCrushers in the thick of the college basketball season with a simple Twitter account. We posted our plays with a handful of handicapping nuggets; after all, there's only so much detail you can give in 280 characters. Months later, we rolled out BetCrushers.com…
NASCAR Playoffs mainstay Kevin Harvick earned his free pass to the Championship 4 with a dominant win at Texas last week. He joins Martinsville winner Martin Truex, Jr. with that distinction, leaving only two open slots for the finale in Miami. It's do-or-die for two-thirds of the contenders, so let's…
The NASCAR Playoffs intensity gets dialed up another notch this week at Texas Motor Speedway. Messin' with Texas is not a good idea, but it's not quite as bad as starting a slap-boxing match on pit road. The stakes are high so let's jump right into the BetCrushers.com NASCAR Texas…
Round 3 of the NASCAR Playoffs is here and the eight drivers still in the mix are staring down the O.G. short track of the Cup Series circuit: Martinsville Speedway. With rain in the forecast, Mother Nature may have the final say when the green flag will fly. Regardless, it's…
The Yellow Flag Fiesta at the end of Sunday's race at Kansas was a nail biter. Brad Keselowski's Championship hopes were dashed at the expense of runner-up Chase Elliott. Round 3 of the NASCAR Playoffs shifts from the speedy 1.5-mile tri-oval to the half-mile short track at Martinsville Speedway. It's…
The NASCAR postseason field will be slashed by a third when checkered flag flies at the Hollywood Casino 400 this afternoon. Two drivers are locked in for the next round of playoffs and four more are effectively in, barring some sort of disaster. Who will be in next week and…
Last week's race at Talladega was expectedly unpredictable. Only a handful of the top drivers made it across the line, and most of their cars were torn up. We doubt that Kansas will be as explosive as Talladega, which makes handicapping significantly more straightforward. That said, let's jump right into…
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said it well before Friday's final practice that he expected an 80% chance of getting caught up in a crash at Talladega when he still raced. It's inevitable. It's The Big One. And this is the BetCrushers final NASCAR handicapping at Talladega. Weekend Recap The dual practice…
The NASCAR Playoffs action is getting intense in the lead up to the Cup Series' middle race of Round 2. After six months of regular-season racing, the circuit is back at one of the United States' baddest tracks: Talladega Superspeedway. Let's roll with the BetCrushers Talladega NASCAR race preview! We…
The Monster Mile is small but mighty, and there's no doubting that the racing action will be fierce to open Round 2 of the NASCAR Playoffs. We're looking to follow up a big handicapping week at the Charlotte Roval last Sunday with another one at Dover. Our card was limited…
What a way to end Round 1 of the NASCAR Playoffs at the Charlotte Roval last weekend with a huge performance from Chase Elliott. He persevered after a major miscue mid-way through the race to get the victory. This cemented his position in Round 2 (and a profitable day of…
It's been a full weekend in Charlotte, and now it's race day! The Bank of America 400 at the Roval is the last race before four playoff contenders are cut from the field. We detailed how unique this track is in our race preview, as confirmed by the weekend practice…
The NASCAR Playoffs move further south this week to one of the most unpredictable tracks on the Cup Series circuit, the Charlotte Roval. It's a road course and an oval jammed together, exactly like how a spork is both a spoon and a fork. Bottom line: the Roval debuted in…
The NASCAR postseason intensity grows as the Cup Series hits Richmond for a Saturday night showdown. We love the night races, although our time to prepare for them is compressed. They wrapped two practices and qualifying into Friday so there's plenty to break down to fill out your betting card…
Race #1 of the NASCAR Playoffs is in the books. Martin Truex, Jr. scored an impressive win at Las Vegas, punching his ticket to the Round of 12. The win also gained him significant ground in the playoff point standings against Kyle Busch. Our betting results were very kind to…
If there's anything far from a surprise in NASCAR these days, it is Kyle Busch having one of the fastest cars on the track. Friday's practice sessions showed that the Vegas native has the potential to make a strong statement in the opening race of the 2019 NASCAR postseason. The…
The playoffs are here, and there's no better place to kick them off than Las Vegas! At least from the perspective of a handicapper and bettor, it sure can't be beat. Several of our drivers have been on the wrong side of wrecks the last couple races and we're ready…
A whole rack of drivers trying to punch their ticket to the 2019 NASCAR playoffs have officially reached desperation mode. Our Wednesday race preview touched on the troubles with this race from a race enthusiast's perspective, though most should agree there is no shortage of drama today. It's the final…
We've got an extra NASCAR feature this week because the matchups for Sunday's Brickyard 400 came out a day after we prepared our race preview. This is far from the most entertaining race of the season, but if there's an opportunity to find an edge we'll back it with our…
The NASCAR Cup Series' regular season finale is situated at one of the world's most famous tracks, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's the last chance for many drivers to score an eleventh-hour victory and backdoor their way into the playoffs. Of course, this will be at the expense of someone…
There's nothing like a late summer night race on the Cup Series circuit, with the regular season fading into the postseason and the stakes getting higher. It's race day and you know that the BetCrushers team is serving up some last-minute NASCAR handicapping for this year's Darlington race. What the…
After a rare week off, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action on Labor Day weekend. Our early handicapping of the NASCAR Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will give you the insights to tackle Sunday night's race. We took advantage of the extra week to highlight the track and isolate…
The NASCAR postseason kicks in after upcoming Cup Series stops at Darlington and the Brickyard. We hold a few small Championship futures tickets made before the season began, but now it's time to look for value as we near the final ten races of the season. Handicapping the 2019 NASCAR…
Darlington Raceway: The Lady in Black. The Cup Series may be taking a week off, but The BetCrushers Team is revved up to give you our NASCAR race preview at Darlington. It's a good thing they give the teams a break after Bristol before heading to South Carolina. Darlington's tumultuous…
Corners, grooves, and grip. We've got it all in the BetCrushers.com final handicapping article for the NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Night Race. 500 laps on a Saturday night in The Last Great Colosseum? Count us in. Track officials applied the PJ1 traction compound (i.e. sticky stuff) on the low groove…
There's nothing like it in racing: the Bristol night race. Every August, the Cup Series teams duke it out in the northeastern corner of Tennessee as they jockey for playoff positioning. Our NASCAR race preview for Bristol will get you prepared to take advantage of betting opportunities Saturday night. It's…
It's race day and the weather looks beautiful for today's 400-mile race at Michigan International Speedway. We brought you a track overview and key driver analysis in Wednesday's preview, then made adjustments based on qualifications and practice sessions in yesterday's post. Saturday's duel practices told us a lot about how…
The stage is nearly set for 200 laps at one of the fastest tracks on the Cup Series circuit: Michigan International Speedway. Today's special Saturday BetCrushers.com NASCAR race update at Michigan comes at you because there's plenty to break down with this week's spread out schedule. Michigan native Brad Keselowski…
No mysterious late cautions, just pure hard racing by Chase Elliott and Martin Truex, Jr. closed out Sunday's battle at Watkins Glen. Elliott (+1000 pre-qualification; +500 race day odds) earned the pole on Saturday, then proceeded to dominate the race and take the checkered flag. Chase had struggled before hitting…
It's Sunday, and until the NFL season is up and running, Sunday is race day. Handicapping NASCAR at Watkins Glen is about as much of a challenge as racing it. OK, maybe that's a weak comparison. Regardless, this unique road course blends seven turns with long straightaways in a grueling…
Being overly selective this time of year has its pros and cons. On the positive side, you can slim down the MLB card by eliminating huge favorites and teams who've are significantly underperforming. The major detraction is that there are days where I don't make any plays. Successful sports betting…
It's road course racing time again as the NASCAR Cup circuit makes its annual stop at Watkins Glen, NY. The stock car boys have been racing here continuously since 1986 and on the track's current configuration since 1992. Road courses can be polarizing with NASCAR fans, but the BetCrushers team…
Monday's break from betting the MLB was a good example of "If the glove don't fit, you must"... OK, maybe that's not the most appropriate analogy. There's no shame in sitting on the sidelines when the games don't show me much. It's that time of year and the Monday card…
No task seems too tall when a team is in a groove. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Christian Yelich's spot in the lineup come up when needed the most. Yelich was clutch against Kimbrel in the 10th and Hiura sealed the deal with a 2-run bomb of his…
The NASCAR Cup series' second stop at Pocono in 2019 goes to green Sunday afternoon. Saturday marked two practice sessions capped off by a qualification run. As we detailed on Wednesday, Pocono Raceway is a unique 2.5-mile, three-turn track that can put added stress on inexperienced drivers and their teams.…
The NL Central is arguably one of the more disappointing divisions in MLB this season. Division-leader St. Louis is 9 games above .500 with Chicago and Milwaukee right on their heels. The Cardinals have been propelled to the top via a scorching hot run and now the Cubs and Brewers…
Miles Mikolas gave up the 3 runs that was expected of him in the Thursday afternoon divisional showdown. Fortunately for us Cardinals backers, he did so over 6 solid innings and the bullpen was stout enough to hold the 6-3 margin. Pittsburgh's Musgrove lived up to what appeared to be…