The Greek

Archive for August, 2010

How To Predict A Turnaround Team

Aug 21

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baseball_firstbaseBefore the start of every season, MLB betting handicappers try and predict which teams will rise from obscurity and turn their fortunes around. One such example of this was the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays who got off to a hot start and made it to the World Series. Since then they have made the playoffs in back to back seasons. Baseball betting fans base the premise of a turnaround team on a number of factors and today we will be looking at each.

  • Offseason Moves – Baseball teams have shown immaculate turnarounds based on making one or two key acquisitions during the offseason. One such example was the 2009 New York Yankees. They went from missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade in 2008, to winning the World Series in 2009.

How they did this, was that they acquired two of the best pitchers in baseball at the time to anchor relatively overhauled starting rotation. As well they acquired one of the premier bats in the league as Mark Teixeira took over for an aging Jason Giambi. The three moves paid dividends as the Yankees not only returned to the post season, but also to the post championship parade.

  • One Run Games – The majority of teams that are on the cusp of turning their fortunes around are those that lost a high percentage of one run games one season. For instance since 2004, 32 teams have had a 60 percent win or loss ratio in one run games. However, of those 32 teams, 14 that had 60 percent losing efforts, bounced back the following season to win the close games.

Since 2008, four of the teams taken in the 2004 survey, the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners have all been turn around teams. Of the four, only the Mariners have yet to make it to the post season.

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PayPerHead.com launches new pricing, a new site, and a new campaign featuring Soprano’s Johnny Sack

Aug 18

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PayPerHead.com, an online sportsbook service provider for local agents, today unveiled a new campaign featuring Vince Curatola, Johnny Sack of The Sopranos fame.

The campaign leads with Vince asking “Five bucks per head, that’s what I wanna pay…” and the website, featuring video and voice overs by Vince, walks you through the product, the process and the competition.
“Five bucks a head is really an industry first given our level of service,” a spokesman from PayPerHead.com explained. “And we very carefully and in great detail delineate on the website exactly what you get and at what price level at PayPerHead versus the other serious players, such as Book ‘em Direct.”

And what you get is a lot, including not only the traditional online per head sportsbook but an optional casino, live poker, in game live betting, mobile betting, tools for managing players and their funds, layoff and scalp accounts, even a “sharp check.” “We have the sharpest lines out there and one of the most experienced stages anywhere offshore,” the spokesman said, “so if we start seeing sharp action from one of your players, we can give you a heads up. What you want to do with him is up to you.”

The choice of Vince Curatola was an interesting one. “We always liked Vince’s character on The Sopranos, as John “Johnny Sack” Sacramoni,” the PayPerHead spokesman said. “He had a certain style, classy, but not over the top; there’s a calmness and authority about him that we really admire.  He brings that serious business demeanor to PayPerHead.com, the first sportsbook-service to EVER feature any kind of celebrity in its marketing.”
With post-up books like BetUS, Sportsbook.com and SportsInteraction stopping taking US players, Bodog and others struggling with “Ecom” processing problems, the street scene is heating up and players are posting daily in forums looking for a “local out.” Players want the huge selection of markets, including live in-game betting, and the convenience of anytime betting online or via their mobile, but more and more say “they want to bet online but prefer to settle in cash on Monday.”

Is this the future of online sports betting? Quite possibly. And with firms like PayPerHead.com investing in marketing in an unprecedented way (celebs, who’d have thunk it?!) and in product (they also offer live poker, casino and in-game betting), expect to see this sector grow significantly this season.

For more information, see PayPerHead.com.

Baseball Favorite Betting System

Aug 14

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mlb1MLB betting is one of the trickiest niches to develop a consistent formula for, as there are more winning and losing streaks in baseball than in any other major sport. Sports betting fans have discovered that although formulas are difficult in baseball, they can still make the biggest profit at the end of the season. Today we look at the baseball favorite betting system.

In essence, the good teams in baseball are those that can limit the losing streaks and overwhelm with long consistent winning streaks. Since the system was created, it has an over 500 average winning percentage. Here is how it works:

Basically what you want to do is bet on any team with a winning percentage of .470 or greater, with a moneyline of -110 or higher as the home team and lost its last three games. Last year we found that team’s in this specific situation went 24 and 13. However we also found that of the 13 losing teams, nine ended up winning the very next game after the one that worked in the situation above.

After the system lost on the first premise, fans that bet on their home team to rebound in the second game, went 33 and 17. Meaning to suggest that teams with a .470 or greater win percentage had little difficulty if any winning at least one home game in a given series.

Some fans enjoy backing a team with a .470 or higher win percentage regardless of the three game losing streaks. Instead they arrange their baseball favorite betting system in a double up manner in which they back a team over a bigger span than three games.

However, the double up system is rather risky, as leaning on a team enduring a losing streak, can see you lose most of your profit. The reason for this is that you are investing so much on the team winning that you would actually be better off focusing on another team that endured the three game losing streaks, prior to becoming the home favorite at – 110.

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How To Bet Baseball

Aug 13

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baseball2Looking for an easy sport to make a profit off of? Well look no further than MLB betting, as most baseball fans will tell you that in a sport with such a long season turning a profit is easier than it looks. Nevertheless, even in such a sport which can make you a winner in the long run, not many breeders cup betting fans bet on baseball. The reason for this is because they are unfamiliar with what ways you can wager. Here are the three essential ways to gamble on baseball.

1.   Moneyline – The moneyline is the most common wager in all of sports. Essentially to bet the favorite you have to risk more money to get back less. Conversely to bet the underdog you bet less to get more. In baseball, because each team plays a series, the moneyline is dependent on the result of the game prior. For instance the Yankees may be favored against the Blue Jays at + 200 in the first game, but after losing that game, they may drop to a + 180 favorite.

2.   The Run Line – Basically, the run line wager is the love child between the point spread and moneyline. In essence, the run line operates on one and a half runs per game spread. Here is how it appears:

Kansas City + 1.5 – 125
Yankees – 1.5 +105

People wagering on the Royals are required to risk $125 to get back $100 specifically because they have a one and a half run advantage. Fundamentally, fans betting the Royals can still win the game if the Royals lose by one run, because they wagered on one and a half runs.

3.   Over/ Under Totals – The over / under in baseball is similar to the other major sports in that you are guessing the total amount of runs scored to be higher or lower then what the bookie predicts. Yet the one stipulation attached to a baseball over / under is that you will have to risk more money to prove your wager right.

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NHL Voids Kovalchuk’s Contract

Aug 12

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espn_g_kovalchuck_300This year’s annual flexing of the muscles by the NHL comes at the expense of star winger Ilya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils. In the middle of July, Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils agreed on one of the biggest contracts in the history of sports, at 17 years and $102 million. Devils fans futures betting online for their team to become the next NHL dynasty were foaming at the mouth when Kovalchuk agreed to such a long contract. However sports betting fans around the world were disgusted at how much money Kovalchuk was receiving when the question on everyone’s mind was, what has he accomplished lately?

Enter the NHL administration, who after last year’s disaster with the Phoenix Coyotes, felt they should step in and nullify the deal between the Devils and Kovalchuk. Last year as many may recall, Blackberry founder Jim Balsille a diehard hockey fan with a lot of money, attempted to buy the struggling Phoenix Coyotes franchise and move the team to Southern Ontario. The goal was to not only make the Coyotes an instant money maker in Southern Ontario’s untapped hockey market, but also to show that owners still want to win.

However, the NHL’s administration similar to the Kovalchuk situation decided to flex their muscles and disallow Balsille from buying the Coyotes and move them back to Canada. Ever since the NHL lockout in 2004 – 2005 when the salary cap was instituted, it appears more and more that the NHL under current Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly want to run the league as a dictatorship rather than a democracy.

For instance, one of the pushing points for nullifying the Kovalchuk deal is that it undermines the salary cap on an ethical standpoint. Essentially the contract is setup so that over the first 10 years of the contract Kovalchuk makes seven million a season. Yet for the last seven years he makes the league minimum, and many believe Kovalchuk will retire before the contract finishes. Now the only trouble with this is that it gives the Devils cap relief they may not have had, if Kovalchuk signed a 10 year deal at $102 million. After voiding Kovalchuk’s contract, the NHL is deciding whether to void several other superstars contracts to send a message about trying to get around the salary cap.

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2011 Stanley Cup Prediction

Aug 12

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logo_stanley_cup_2008jpgSports betting fans are beginning to get their predictions in for who will win the 2010 – 2011 Stanley Cup. Well online betting enthusiasts beware as although this offseason was quiet in terms of free agent talent, one of the busiest teams will be this year’s Stanley Cup winner.

That’s right fans out in Canada, this year we think that a Canadian team will finally break the 17 year curse. Ever since the Montreal Canadians won the Stanley Cup back in 1993 against the Los Angeles Kings, no Canadian team has been able to hoist the greatest prize in all of sports. However, Vancouver Canucks fans, your 16 year drought without making it to a final may be over this year.

This offseason, the busiest team from June 26th the day of the NHL Entry Draft until now were the boys on the West Coast. Already having a relatively solid core of the Sedin brothers, Ryan Kessler, Alex Burrows, Mason Raymond and Roberto Luongo, Canucks GM Mike Gillis felt his team was lacking a punch. Instead of improve from within the organization, Gillis went out and bought two of the best defenseman in the league in Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard. On top of this, Gillis felt his bottom six forwards were really lacking, so he went out and got the best faceoff man and penalty killer in the game, Manny Malholtra.

Although he acquired all of the free agents mentioned above, perhaps the biggest move Gillis made was finally deciding on bringing up goalie prospect Cory Schneider. Fans when the Canucks hoist the 2010-2011 version of Lord Stanley’s Mug, you can thank Schneider. Essentially on any other team Schneider is your starting goalie, but on Vancouver he will be the backup goalie to long term star goalie Roberto Luongo.

Why Will This Move Put Them Over The Top?

Since Luongo arrived in Vancouver, the man has been a workhorse averaging at least 70 games a season. As a result by the time the Canucks get to the playoffs, Luongo is on his last legs and can’t make it through a long playoff drive. Enter Schneider, who himself is a workhorse. Do not be surprised if two things occur this season, first Schneider plays at least 25 to 30 games which will give Luongo enough time to rest. Secondly, Schneider has been amazing in the minors to say the least. If he can convert that success to the big show, and Luongo struggles in the playoffs, do not be surprised if Schneider comes in and guides the Canucks to their first Stanley Cup.

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NFL Preseason Betting Tips

Aug 11

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nfl-preseasonNFL preseason betting has become quite popular over the last decade. To help you become the ultimate NFL betting handicapper here are a few tips for the preseason.

1. Focus On The Fourth Not First Quarter – During the preseason, each team’s starters usually play the first two quarters and then are pulled for secondary units in the second half. What many fans forget is that similar to the fourth quarter in the regular season, the fourth quarter in the preseason is the most pivotal.

For instance, what you should be looking for is the experience level of each team’s backups that will be playing in the second half. In last night’s Bengals vs. Cowboys hall of fame game, the Cowboys had a veteran secondary and where able to overwhelm the youthful secondary of the Bengals. This allowed the Cowboys to cruise to a 16 to seven victory and open up the preseason as a winner.

2. Quarterbacks Are Crucial – The preseason is a strong indicator to many handicappers as to who they should take during the regular season. Essentially, seeing how much depth one team has over another at quarterback can potentially be make or break for the regular season as well.

For instance, a team such as the Denver Broncos is a wiser choice to take in a preseason game than a team such as the Buffalo Bills. The reason for this is that a team such as the Broncos, has three outstanding quarterbacks, so if their number one goes down, the number two and three quarterbacks are competent enough to carry the offensive load.

3. Team Motivation – Your best northbet.com odds of picking a winner in the NFL preseason is to look at which teams have new coaches. Here you may notice that a team with a new coach but a lot of journeyman players may perform better then that a of a veteran coach’s team. The reason for this is that the journeyman for the new guy will try to make a better impression then the journeyman for the old guy, because their job is not as guaranteed.