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Ness Notes: Tuesday, Sep 29

by Larry Ness

Tuesday, Sep 29, 2020

NFL concluded Week 3 with a highly-anticipated MNF showdown between 2018 MVP Pat Mahomes and 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson. By game's end (KC won 34-20), Pat Mahomes won by KO. The Super Bowl MVP passed for 385 yards with four TDs, no INTs and earned a QB rating of 133.5. Jackson threw for just 97 yards (1 TD / 0 INTs / 73.1 rating) and added 83 yards rushing  but no TDs, Mahomes had now thrown nine TD passes without an interception in 121 attempts (QB rating of 114.3), as the Chiefs joined the Bills, Steelers and Titans at 3-0 in the AFC. The NFC still has three unbeaten teams, the Bears, Packers and Seahawks. The Packers and Seahawks are also 3-0 ATS, while the Titans stand with an 0-3 ATS record. The Bears, Bills, Chiefs and Steelers are all 2-1 ATS. The NFC 'Least' is back, as NFC East teams are a combined 2-9-1 SU and 2-10 ATS (combined minus-97 in point differential). There was a time when the NFC West was saddled with an NFC 'Worst' label but that hasn't been the case for quite awhile now. Seattle sits atop of the division that is a collective 9-3 SU and ATS, with a combined plus-100 point differential. Four playoff teams from the 2019 field are all in some early trouble. Houston (AFC South champs) are 0-3, NFC East champ Philly is 0-2-1 and NFC wild card entrant Minnesota is also 0-3. New Orleans won the NFC South with a 13-3 record in 2019 but dropped to 1-2 after losing a SNF game to the Packers. Those teams are a combined 1-10-1 SU and 2-10 ATS.Speaking of pointspread numbers, here is the up-to-date tally on the season's first three weeks. Home teams went 6-9-1 SU and 7-9 ATS in Week 3, including home dogs going 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS. Week 3 games averaged 52.2 PPG but unlike in Week 2 when games averaged 53.3 PPG with 11 of 16 games going over, Week 3 games saw nine games go over and seven stay under. Y-T-D totals have home teams 25-22-1 SU and 23-24-1 ATS (home dogs are 3-11 SU but 7-6-1 ATS). Over bettors are winning the 'battle' so far, with 29 overs and 19 unders (60.4%). Week 4 kicks off on Thursday, as 0-3 Denver plays at the 0-3 NY Jets. TV ratings should be sky-high.Let's hear it for the Lightning. Brayden Point scored his playoff-best 14th goal and the Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 2-0 in Game 6 on Monday night to win the franchise's second Stanley Cup (won first in 2004). Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the 10th defenseman to win the award. The Lightning went 2-1 in the seeding round and then 16-6 in the playoffs, as last night's win made Tampa Bay a perfect 7-0 after a loss. Everyone remembers last season's shocking first-round sweep by Columbus after the Lightning had tied the NHL single-season wins record (62) and won the Presidents' Trophy with 128 points. However, the Lightning also exorcised playoff demons from 2015 in the Finals when they lost four consecutive games to Chicago after going up 2-1 plus Tampa Bay also blew 3-2 series leads in the Eastern Conference final in 2016 and 2018. Kudos to the NHL, which played 130 games in a bubble, 25 of them going into overtime. After more than 31,000 tests, there were zero positive coronavirus cases reported among players, coaches and staff inside the bubbles and just a handful among hotel, arena or restaurant employees. There was nothing close to a breakout. The NHL has targeted a tentative Dec 1 start date for next season, but even commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged a later December or January start is possible. However, even that is no guarantee given the uncertainty.We were never quite sure a MLB season (of ANY length) would be played in 2020 but "here we are!" Amazingly, the two teams most-affected by COVID-19, the Miami Marlins and the St Louis Cardinals, BOTH made the expanded 16-team playoff field. So did the Blue Jays, who were not allowed to play home games in Toronto and were forced to play 'home' games at their Triple-A park in buffalo (Toronto played its first 13 games on the road, while that stadium was made MLB-ready). Getting back to Miami, the Marlins became just the second team in MLB history to reach the postseason the year after losing at least 100 games, joining the 2017 Minnesota Twins. Their 16-season playoff drought was the second-longest active streak in the majors, behind the Seattle Mariners (19). The Marlins have been to the playoffs only twice before in franchise history but they won the World Series both times (watch out!). MLB's 60-game schedule was limited to regional play, so SEVEN of the eight wild card series features teams that haven't met since 2019! The exception is the series between AL East rivals Toronto and Tampa Bay. The Padres (NL's No. 4 seed) are in the postseason for the first time since 2006, the White Sox (AL's No. 7 seed) are in for the first time since 2008 and the Reds (NL's No. 7 seed) are in for the first time since 2013. Tampa Bay won the AL East for the first time since 2010 and is the AL's No. 1 seed. Oakland won the NL West for the first time since 2013, a comfortable seven games ahead of the Astros. Houston, which had won three AL West titles with 101, 103 and 107 wins from 2017-2019, is one of two teams to make the postseason with a losing record (29-31). The Brewers are the other team as Milwaukee also went 29-31, making the playoffs for a third straight season. The Yankees and Dodgers were favored to meet in the 2020 World Series and while the Dodgers put together MLB's best record (43-17), the Yankees fought through injuries to go a much more modest 33-27, entering as the AL's No. 5 seed. The Dodgers are solid favorites at BetOnline to win the NL at +140, followed by the Padres (+450), the Braves (+575) and the Cubs (+750). All other teams are 10-1 or higher. The AL race is tighter, with the Rays at +325 and the Yanks at +350. The Twins (+575), A's (+650), White Sox (+700) and the Indians (+700) follow, with the remaining teams at 10-1 or higher. The Dodgers are +300 to win the World Series, while the Rays and Yankees are both listed at +650. All others are 10-1 or higher.The Four AL series begin Tuesday, with the four NL Game 1s set for Wednesday. All four AL series will also play on Wednesday (EIGHT games in all), as FOUR teams will be one loss away from elimination. This season's wild card round could be nicknamed, "The Fast and Furious," Play Ball!Good luck...Larry

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Big Al's Daily Angle: MLB Wild Card Playoffs Preview

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Sep 29, 2020

The first games of the four American League wild card playoff contests make up the Tuesday slate of games. The wildcard round is best-of-three showdowns with the higher seed hosting each game with the advantage of the final at-bat. With sixteen of the thirty-two MLB teams making the playoffs, a bracket was constructed for the American and National Leagues. The top three seeds are the Tampa Bay Rays, the Oakland A’s, and the Minnesota Twins for winning the AL East, West, and Central Divisions, with the Rays earning the top seed for owning the best record. The Cleveland Indians, the New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros earned the 4th through 6th seeds for finishing second in their division. The 7th and 8th seeds were awarded to the Chicago White Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays for having the two best records of teams finishing in 3rd place in their division. The Twins host the Astros in the first game of the day at 2 PM ET. Minnesota may have caught a break being the 3rd seed despite having the fewest wins of the division winners as they drew a Houston team that has the worst record of all the AL playoff teams yet elevated to the 6th seed because of the seeding format. On the other hand, this Astros team played in the World Series last year after winning the championship in 2017. Zack Greinke takes the hill for Houston while Kenta Maeda will be the starting pitcher for the Twins. BetOnline lists Minnesota as a -163 money-line favorite with the total set at 7.5. ABC has the broadcast.The A’s host the White Sox in the second game at 3 PM ET. Oakland received no seeding favors with the format having to play a Chicago team whose 35 wins were just one shy of what they accrued in the abbreviated regular season. With the White Sox starting Lucas Giolito in Game 1, BetOnline has them as the money-line favorite at a -120 price with the total set at 7.5. The A’s counter with their rookie Jesus Luzardo. This is Chicago’s first postseason appearance since 2008. Oakland has lost their last six playoff series. ESPN will televise the game. The third game of the day takes place at 5 PM ET with Tampa Bay hosting Toronto. The Rays give the ball to Blake Snell. The Blue Jays will push back their expected starter for Game 1, Hyun-Jin Ryu, to later in this series after he experienced arm soreness in his last start. Matt Shoemaker takes his place as the starting pitcher for this opening game. BetOnline has Tampa Bay as the money-line favorite priced at -190 with an over/under of 7.5. TBS gets the broadcast. The final game of the day has the Yankees traveling to Cleveland in a pitcher’s duel at 7 PM ET. Gerrit Cole gets the start for New York while the Indians call on Shane Bieber. New York led the American League with their 5.25 runs per game scoring average, but Cleveland led MLB by allowing only 3.48 runs per game. BetOnline has the Indians as a slight money-line favorite at a -106 price with the total at 6.5. ESPN televises the game. 

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What is an Exacta Bet?

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Sep 29, 2020

What is an exacta bet?Imagine yourself walking into a giant park with all eyes pointed in the same direction.  The center of the grounds, where the magic is happening.  At the gate, 12 horses line up, ready to give their all to secure the win.  In the foreground, you can see the tote board:  the board that lists the betting odds.  Beyond that, the stands are abuzz with excitement, as tens of thousands of bettors can't wait to watch the race to see if their horse gets into the winner’s circle.Horse racing has been around for ages.  It's one of the oldest sports and, logically, horse race betting developed soon thereafter.  Early on, the bets weren't that complicated.  You placed your wager on the order of finish, especially which horse came in first place.  Of course, technology was a lot simpler back then, too.These days, there's a whole line of exotic wagers that are a part of horse racing.  In this article, we'll dive into the exacta bet, and also look at what other exotic wagers are available.  And we’ll provide some practical tips to get you started the right way.<h2>How to get started with exotic horse racing wagers<h2> First and foremost, you should know that there are many different exotic wagers.  Horse racing might seem like a simple sport but, based on the fact there can be more than 10 contenders, there are a lot of possible combinations as to the order of finish.  Then, there are also multiple horse races at the race track each day.  That makes for even more possible bet types.  Now, let's list the most common exotic wagers besides the exacta wager: Quinella bet -- successfully predict the horses that come in first and second place, and you have a winning quinella bet; the precise order is not required. Trifecta bet -- successfully predict the horses that come in first, second, and third place, and you have a winning trifecta bet.  Here, the precise order has to be right. Superfecta bet -- successfully predict the horses that come in first, second, third, and fourth place.  You have to select each horse in the exact order; otherwise, your bet fails.  This is the riskiest bet you could make on one single race and surely is a long shot.We've taken a look at some alternatives, but what this article is all about is the exacta wager.   What does it take to have a winning ticket when wagering the exacta bet?  Let's dive right in! How to bet the exacta wager The exacta wager is also referred to as the perfecta, the exactor, or a dual forecast.  Don't get distracted by these other names as the bet is the same.  The exacta bet itself isn't the most difficult.  You have a winning ticket if you successfully predict which horse finishes in first place, and which horse finishes in second place.  The critical part, different than a quinella bet, is that you have to pick the exact order.  That's where the name of the bet came from.To illustrate the way this bet works, let's have a look at an example.  Let's take the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, one of the most iconic race tracks in the United States.  Each year, three-year-old horses compete for millions of dollars in prize money.  Usually, there are 18-20 starting horses, but to make this simple, we'll reduce the field to six different horses: Anothertwistafate Game Winner Long Range Teddy Plus Que Parfait Roadster Maximum Security The gates open, and the jockeys start pushing their horses.  Roadster (5) moves up to first place, but as bad luck strikes, he trips and falls.  The race now has only five active participants.  In the end, Maximum Security (6) finishes in first place, while Game Winner (2) takes second place.  You only have a winning ticket if you picked the exact order of the first two horses finishing.  Thus, if you picked Maximum Security number one, and Game Winner number two, you just won your exacta wager. How to calculate the payout of your exacta bet Since the bet is not difficult to understand, you might wonder, where does it get tricky?  Well, once we start discussing the way your payout is calculated, you might blink twice.  Usually, in regular sports betting, there's the bookmaker who offers the odds based on his calculations.  With horse racing, there's a tote board which displays the total amount invested in each race and each horse.  At a certain point, the betting pool closes, and the final odds come in.  This system is called pari-mutuel betting.  It merely means there are no exact fixed odds.  Thus, calculating your payout before the betting pools close is quite hard.Nevertheless, we can draw up a scenario which is common across various exacta wagers.  Let's imagine in the above Kentucky Derby example, bettors wagered a total of 5,000 exacta tickets, each exactly at $2 per ticket.5,000 x $2 = $10,000 in the exacta prize poolOf these 5,000 tickets, 250 people picked the exact order of the top-two finishing horses.  That brings the following formula:$10,000 / 250 = $40In reality, the horse tracks, bookmakers or betting sites take a small portion of that $40 as their administrative fee (and for government taxes).  As it's common to bet $2 on any race at Churchill Downs, the payout is calculated based on a $2 wager.  If you wager more or less than $2, your payout will increase (or decrease) based on the amount of your wager.  On average, the payouts on exacta bets are excellent.  But sometimes, they are enormous.  In the 2005 Kentucky Derby, the exacta payout was over $9,000 if you bet just $2.  If that isn't a bet you're interested in, then I don't know whether sports betting is the right thing for you.What is exacta box betting?There are other ways of exacta betting that require less risk than a regular (single) exacta bet.  One example is the exacta box bet.  This bet type makes it easier for a bettor to achieve that winning exacta as you reduce the risk you are taking.  Usually, with an exacta, you have to pick the top two horses in the right order.  With the exacta box bet, you create more possible combinations.Let's imagine there are 12 starting horses at the Belmont Stakes horse race, the third jewel of the Triple Crown.  You think the horses in positions 2, 4, and 8 could all be winners.  But you’re unsure what the correct order will be since you like each of them.  What you could do here is use the exacta box bet.  The box bet then creates all possible combinations of how these three horses could create a winning exacta.  For the above example, these combinations would be: 2-4 2-8 4-2 4-8 8-2 8-4 As you can see, six different exacta wagers make up the exacta box bet together, when there are three horses.  In essence, these are six single exacta bets you place.  Your initial stake is higher since you're wagering on more than one outcome.  Thus your total payout will be smaller.  But, since the exacta payout can be very generous, you should still go home with a nice profit!What is exacta wheel betting?Another way to place an exacta bet is to use an exacta wheel, also known as an exacta key or simple 'key.'  An exacta wheel is constructed by picking your favorite horse, or favorite horses to win the race, similar to a regular exacta wager.  The difference here is that you start creating every possible combination with your favorite horse in first place.  Let's imagine six horses are competing in one race.  You predict horse number #5 to end up in first place.  To create a full wheel, your betting slip would look like this: 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-6 This way, you're betting each possible combination with your horse finishing first.  Assuming you're wagering $2, your entire bet would only cost $10 -- with a huge increase in the possibility of having a winning ticket.  Now, you could go for two key horses as well.  Your exacta key would become a little bigger, but your chances increase as well.  Let's say you pick horses #2 and #5 as your favorites.  Your betting slip would then look like this: 5-1 | 2-1 5-2 | 2-3 5-3 | 2-4 5-4 | 2-5 5-6 | 2-6 In this exacta wheel, you have two key horses and each possible combination.  So long as one of your two key horses win, you have a winning ticket.  You do have an increase in your costs as, with each straight exacta bet, you have to risk another $2.  So keep in mind, the more wagers you make, the more money you risk. How to use exacta betting in your horse race betting strategy Horse racing is an exciting sport.  At first, it was solely for entertainment purposes.  But these days, some professional bettors are wagering only on the races.  Over time, more bet types have emerged.  And, when mastered, you can laugh all the way to the bank. To get you started the right way, we want to give a couple of small tips:Always do your researchOne important matter which people tend to forget with horse racing is the research before wagering.  You can get easily seduced by the tote board which displays large sums of money, or the horses on the field with exciting names.  It's easy to wager without doing any research.  You can simply look at the odds and throw your dart.  But that's not the smartest strategy.  Instead, read up on the entrants:  analyze their breeding; review which jockeys are riding the horses; and compare their recent results. There's never too much to study about a single race.Know what you're betting onIn horse racing, there are a lot of different options when it comes to betting.  You can go for the straight wagers -- win, place and show bets -- but that's just the start.  There are tons of different exotic bets that you will learn along the way.  Before you place your wager, make sure you know what you're betting on.  We've shown you the best way to make an exacta bet.  And there are tips and tricks for each bet, so make sure to be aware of your options.Pick your loserIt might sound weird, but eliminating losing horses can help you to predict the right winner.  When you are confident that a particular horse will not finish among the top finishers, you can leave that horse out of your betting slip.  That'll narrow your choices for your exacta bet, your exacta box, and your exacta wheel.  You can leave out the losers and save yourself from making some unnecessary bets. By now, you know what exacta betting is all about.  However, this is just one factor in horse race betting.  There's much more to explore and much more to discover.  We try our hardest to keep you informed, and cover the entire field of sports betting.  Everything so you can have a long and successful sports betting career!  Of course, perhaps the most important key to success is to choose your sportsbooks wisely.  Our current #1-rated sports and race book is BetAnySports, which offers 10% bonus payouts on winnings at major tracks, as well as a 9% rebate on losing tickets.  And, beyond horse race wagering, BetAnySports offers reduced juice on Football and Basketball games (-105 odds rather than -110).  Add BetAnySports to your roster of sportsbooks today!

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NHL and EPL Preview

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 28, 2020

For the first time since the days of late July, the Monday sports card features a light schedule with only two games representing the major four sports. MLB has the day off before the Wild Card round of the playoffs begins on Tuesday. The NBA Finals begins on Wednesday after Miami defeated Boston last night in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference Finals. After a prime-time showdown, last night, between future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees for Sunday Night Football, the Monday Night Football showdown features a duel between the two quarterbacks that have won the last two NFL Most Valuable Player awards. Patrick Mahomes has led the reigning Super Bowl champions to a 2-0 start this season. The 2018 league MVP completed 27 of 47 passes last Sunday for 302 yards in Los Angeles while rallying the Chiefs to a late touchdown to force overtime where they defeated the Chargers by a 23-20 score. Mahomes added another 54 yards on the ground for 356 of total yardage in the game. Lamar Jackson followed up his team’s 38-6 victory over Cleveland in the opening week of the season by leading the Ravens to a 33-16 victory last week at Houston. Last year’s MVP completed 18 of 24 passes for 204 yards while adding 54 rushing yards. Baltimore has won fourteen straight games in the regular season. The Ravens also possess the best point differential in the NFL as they have outscored their first two opponents by +49 points. Jackson is completing 77.6% of his passes this season. BetAnySports lists the Ravens as a 3.5-point favorite for this showdown with the total set at 54. ESPN broadcasts the game with the kickoff scheduled for 8:15 PM ET.The Stanley Cup playoffs return to action tonight after the Dallas Stars forced a sixth game in the finals with their 3-2 victory in double overtime against Tampa Bay on Saturday. Head coach Jon Cooper announced that Steven Stamkos will not return to the ice for the rest of the playoffs with the lower-body injury that he has been dealing with since late February. Stamkos did play in Game 4 where he scored a dramatic goal in his limited ice time to help inspire the Lightning to secure their third win in this series. The puck drops shortly after 8 PM ET on NBC. BetAnySports lists Tampa Bay as a -160 money line favorite with the total set at 5.Two matches take place Monday afternoon in the English Premier League. At 12:45 PM ET, Aston Villa plays at Fulham while at 3 PM ET Arsenal plays at the defending champions, Liverpool. Both games are televised on the Peacock app. BetAnySports lists Fulham as a -0.25 goal-line favorite with the total set at 2.5. They then have Liverpool as a -1 goal-line favorite with that over/under installed at 3.5.

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Ness Notes: Monday, Sep 28

by Larry Ness

Monday, Sep 28, 2020

This column will be available Monday through Friday (posted no later than 1:00 ET), EXCLUSIVELY at BigAl.com. I like to call it my daily 'random thoughts' on the sports betting world, although I'll pass along that my therapist refers to it as "thoughtful commentary."The NFL concludes its Week 3 schedule with its marquee game, as the defending champion KC Chiefs (2-0) visit Baltimore to take on the 2-0 Ravens. This was the matchup all anticipated to be last season's AFC championship game but the 14-2 Ravens (-10) were upset 28-12 by the Tennessee Titans. Does it get any better than Mahomes vs Jackson? The Ravens are favored by 3 points (-125) at BetAnySports. I'll recap NFL Week 3 in Tuesday's Ness Notes but first let's look back at the college football weekend.There were three games featuring top-25 opponents (had been just ONE, prior to Saturday) and the higher ranked team won all three (2-1 ATS). Fourteen other ranked teams were in action against an unranked opponent and while 12 of the 14 won, the group went just 5-8-1 ATS. As September comes to a close, ranked teams vs unranked opponents are 24-4 SU but only 10-17-1 ATS (that's 37.0 percent). The two losses by ranked teams were more than a little noteworthy. No. 3 Oklahoma welcomed Kansas St to Norman looking for revenge from last season's 48-41 loss at Manhattan, as a 23.5 point favorite. Kansas State lost its home opener to Arkansas State two weeks ago and had its roster depleted by COVID-19 but came back from a 35-14 deficit in the late third quarter to win, 38-35 as a four-TD underdog. The Wildcats outscored the Sooners 17-0 in the fourth quarter and after giving up 455 yards the first three quarters, held Oklahoma to 62 yards in the fourth. It marked K-State's first-ever road win over a top-3 opponent and its first win while playing as an unranked team against an AP top-3 opponent in 30 tries (now 1-29!).Defending champion LSU opened its season against Miss St, as Mike Leach made his SEC coaching debut for the Bulldogs. Miss St, led by K.J. Costello (a Stanford graduate transfer) ended LSU's 17-game winning streak with a 44-34 upset as a little more than a two-TD underdog. Leach's "Air Raid" offense suited Costello just fine, as he threw six TD passes plus set an SEC-record with 623 passing yards. LSU became the first defending champ to lose its season opener since Michigan did so back in 1998.<p>Speaking of rankings, the latest AP poll was released on Sunday afternoon. It was sure a poll unlike any before it (AP began its poll back in 1936), as the AP decided that all FBS schools planning to play in 2020 could be included (note Big Ten starts Oct 24 and Pac-12 schools are expected to return Nov 6). Clemson remains No. 1 (55 of 62 1st-place votes) and Alabama, after extending its record of consecutive wins over an unranked opponent to 92 with a win 38-19 at Missouri, sits No. 2 with three, first-place votes. Ohio St, which was a close No. 2 to Clemson in the preseason poll, is ranked No. 6 and actually got four first-place votes. The Buckeyes were one of FIVE schools ranked in the AP's preseason poll to enter Sunday's poll, despite not yet playing. Miss St, unranked in the preseason, entered the poll at No. 16. SIX schools dropped out of the poll, including No. 19 ULL which improved to 3-0,  No. 20 Va Tech which beat NC State 45-24 despite missing 23 players due to COVID-19 and No. 25 Marshall which was idle.The 2020 NBA Finals are set, as the LA Lakers (No. 1 seed in the West) will meet the Miami Heat (No. 5 seed in the East. The Lakers (including their beginnings in Minneapolis) are in the Finals for the 32nd time in franchise history (but first appearance since 2010) and a 17th title would tie them with the Celtics for the most all-time, Miami is making its sixth Finals appearance (win in ) but first without longtime star Dwyane Wade. Game 1 is set for Thursday. Full preview and NBA postseason numbers to-date, in Wednesday's Notes.Bye-Bye Denver and Boston. Entering this season's Western conference finals with the Lakers, the Nuggets had played FOUR consecutive seven-game series the last two postseasons. They won their first in 2019 against Utah, but then lost to the Blazers last season, as Portland won Games 6 and 7. Here in 2020, the Nuggets fell behind the Jazz AND the Clippers 3-1 but came back to capture each one in seven games. In the process, Denver became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit TWICE in the same postseason. In the East, Boston swept longtime rival Philly 4-0 in the first round but after taking the first two games against defending champions Toronto, needed seven games to dispatch the Raptors. Boston's performance in the East Finals against the Miami Heat was an abject embarrassment. Boston heads into the offseason, dealing with the reality that they collapsed in the second half of THREE of its four losses. Boston entered the 4th-quarter of Game up 12 but the Heat forced OT and won. Boston then owned a 17-point lead in the first half of Game 2 but didn't wait for the final period to collapse, getting outscored 37-17 in the third quarter. Boston then gave up a 26-6 fourth-quarter run in Game 6 that officially sealed its fate.The Stanley Cup final continues with Game 6 on Monday. The Lightning took a 3-1 series lead with a 5-4 OT win in Game 4 on Friday but playing the very next night, the Stars staved off elimination with a 3-2 win in double-OT. However, they still trail 3-2 and the Lightning are a perfect 6-0 in games following a playoff loss in this year's postseason. Tampa Bay is a minus-160 favorite at BetAnySports. MLB's COVID-shortened season is complete and its 16-team playoff-field starts play tomorrow. I'll feature some random thoughts on the 2020 MLB season in Tuesday Notes, along with that NFL Week 3 recap.Good luck...Larry

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NFL Monday Night Football: Ravens/Chiefs Preview

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 28, 2020

After a prime-time showdown, last night, between future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees for Sunday Night Football, the Monday Night Football showdown features a duel between the two quarterbacks who have won the last two NFL Most Valuable Player awards. Patrick Mahomes has led the reigning Super Bowl champions to a 2-0 start this season. The 2018 league MVP completed 27 of 47 passes last Sunday for 302 yards in Los Angeles while rallying the Chiefs to a late touchdown to force overtime where they defeated the Chargers by a 23-20 score. Mahomes added another 54 yards on the ground for 356 of total yardage in the game. Kansas City trailed by a 17-6 score midway through the 3rd quarter. That was the sixth straight time (including the playoffs last season) where Mahomes has successfully rallied his team to victory if the Chiefs were trailing by a double-digit deficit. However, Mahomes has been placed in that situation to where he had to bring his team back from a deficit of at least ten points in four his last five games, including last year’s postseason. Lamar Jackson followed up his team’s 38-6 victory over Cleveland in the opening week of the season by leading the Ravens to a 33-16 victory last week at Houston. Last year’s MVP completed 18 of 24 passes for 204 yards while adding an additional 54 rushing yards. Baltimore has won fourteen straight games in the regular season. The Ravens also possess the best point differential in the NFL as they have outscored their first two opponents by +49 points. Jackson is completing 77.6% of his passes this season. Despite their young careers, this is already Mahomes-Jackson III. These quarterbacks first clashed on December 9th in 2018. Mahomes completed 35 of 53 passes for 377 yards to lead Kansas City to a 27-24 victory in overtime. Jackson accounted for 214 total yards with 67 rushing yards and two touchdown passes in the loss.The rematch took place on September 22nd just over a year ago again in Kansas City where the Chiefs pulled out a 33-28 victory. Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 374 yards with three touchdown passes. Jackson accounted for 313 total yards with 267 of them coming in the air. The third act of this trilogy moves to Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium for the first time. This is also the first opportunity for the Ravens to play the host for Monday Night Football. COVID-19 protocols in Maryland prohibits fans in the stadium so Baltimore will be playing in an empty building for the third straight game. BetAnySports lists the Ravens as a 3.5-point favorite for this showdown with the total set at 54. ESPN broadcasts the game with the kickoff scheduled for 8:15 PM ET.

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What is a Quinella?

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Sep 28, 2020

What is a quinella?Horse racing is a fascinating sport.  Unlike many other sporting leagues like the NFL or the NBA, in this sport, animals play a significant role.  Usually, sports fans connect with the players as they can identify with them as human beings.  With horse racing, it’s quite different.  This makes the race tracks an exciting place where adrenaline rushes through the stands.  You see the horses on the field, waiting for the gate to open.  And the races last only a couple of minutes, so the experience is intense.  Bettors then wait for the official results and payouts, and march to the counter to cash their tickets.There are lots of different betting opportunities for horse racing bettors.  When it comes to the quinella wager, some bettors tend to underestimate this type of wager.  It's not the most difficult bet of them all, so the potential payout is a lot smaller than the more exotic wagers.  But that also means you're not trying to catch lightning in a bottle, and there's a greater chance to succeed.In this betting guide, we'll share all there is to know about the quinella wager:  how you can start placing quinella bets straightaway, and the most effective ways to place these wagers.  After all, we're striving for profits here!  To that end, it's a great idea to join BetAnySports, which is currently our #1-rated race book.  BetAnySports offers 10% bonus payouts on winnings at major tracks, as well as a 9% rebate on losing tickets, so it's a very smart move to create an account. How to make a quinella bet In any horse race, there can be 10 (or more) starting horses.  Each horse has its starting position, which corresponds to its number for that particular race.  The lower its number, the closer a horse is to the rail at the start.  With a quinella wager, you have to predict the horses that will be the top two finishers.  But the horses do not have to finish in an exact order.  All it takes is your two horses to finish among the top two spots at the end of the race.We'll show a quick example to illustrate a quinella bet.  In this example, we'll take six starting horses to keep things easy to understand. Bullish Brother Fantastic Fabio Compassion Star Wins All Bright Kid Kanbeki Molly You are watching the horses from the infield, looking for an edge to bet.  After some proper consideration, you pick Bullish Brother (1) and Wins All (4) as your top two finishers.  That leaves you with two possible outcomes to secure your winning ticket: 1. Bullish Brother 2. Wins All 1. Wins All 2. Bullish Brother As the order of the two horses does not matter, any of these two outcomes will bring you a winning ticket.  To create your quinella ticket, you simply pick two horses, without filling in the order of finish, as that is irrelevant to the quinella wager.What is a quinella box?When betting the quinella, you're taking less risk than with the more exotic wagers that are available for horse racing.  You’re not risking your money with trifectas or superfectas; you’re keeping it safe and sound.  Nevertheless, there are still risks that come along with each wager.  In the above example, there were only six starting horses, which highly increases your chances.  In reality, there are usually at least 10 starting horses, which makes your quinella harder to succeed.  There's a strategy, though, to reduce your risk and increase your chances.  And that’s a quinella box.When you can't decide among three horses, and you feel like taking a less risky route, you can create a quinella box.  That means you add a horse to your ticket and create each possible combination.  Let's take the example above to illustrate how this works.  We still trust Bullish Brother (1) and Wins All (4), but Fantastic Fabio (2) is looking excellent as well.  To cover each bet, we'll create a quinella box that makes your betting slip look like this: Bullish Brother (1) and Wins All (4) Bullish Brother (1) and Fantastic Fabio (2) Wins All (4) and Fantastic Fabio (2) You're wagering on all the possible combinations with your three key horses.  That means your initial stake increases, but your risk reduces simultaneously.  You can create a bigger box with more horses if you'd like.  You could cover each possible combination, but your quinella payout would probably not cover the costs of your wagers.  So we recommend keeping your quinella boxes to a maximum of three horses.What is a quinella wheel?There's another example of quinella wagering:  the quinella wheel strategy.  As you're already taking less risk than with an exotic wager like the trifecta or superfecta, we're playing a safer game here.  You can never fully cover the risk you're taking, but that would take away the fun, wouldn't it?The quinella wheel revolves around trusting a particular horse.  Let's say you think Bullish Brother (1) will take the win, but you're uncertain which horse will end up in second place.  Then you could go for a quinella wheel which covers all possible combinations.  There are two possible strategies when it comes to the quinella wheel.​Full wheelWhen going for a full wheel, you cover each possible combination with your key horse.  In the case of Bullish Brother (1) a full wheel ticket would look like this: 1 - 2 1 - 3 1 - 4 1 - 5 1 - 6 As you can see, each possible combination is covered with Bullish Brother (1) ending in the first position.  You should note each bet itself is a straight quinella wager, so your initial stake goes up with it.Part wheelThe other way to use a quinella wheel is to take a part of the wheel, but not the entire thing.  This requires more handicapping, as you have to determine the horses you trust or don't trust at all.  In other words, if you are confident that Bright Kid (5) won't finish as high as second, then it wouldn’t make sense to add this horse into your wheel.  At the same time, if you are confident with other horses, you could add those to your wheel.  Let's say we take Bullish Brother to win, and Bright Kid to not finish among the top two.  Then, your part wheel would look something like this: 1 - 2 1 - 3 1 - 4 1 - 6 This takes away just one wager and thus reduces your initial stake.  But, now let’s say you're confident of just three horses ending up among the top three -- for example, horses #1, #3 and #6.  Then, your betting slip could look like this: 1 - 3 1 - 6 3 - 6 As you can see here, this is similar to a quinella box just constructed in a different manner. This is one of the safest ways to bet the quinella wager.What is the difference between a quinella and an exacta bet?When you've done a little digging into horse betting, you’ve probably seen the term exacta.  It's a type of wager which has a lot of similarities with the quinella bet, but the risks are a little different.  With an exacta wager, you select two horses to end up in the first two positions, but there's a catch.  You have to predict the correct order of the two horses.Logically, the exacta wager brings along more risk than a quinella bet, but the payout also increases along with it.  To reduce the risk, you could go for an exacta box or an exacta wheel, similar to the quinella bet.  The only difference is the fact that the order of the top two horses has to be exact. How are quinella payouts calculated? When you are familiar with race tracks, you know there's a huge tote board.  This board displays all the money that has been bet at the track on the race (both per horse, and per wager type).  This system is called pari-mutuel wagering.  All the money bet on the race is collected in a prize pool, which is later divided among all the winning tickets.  Therefore, each wager has different odds.Each betting site or race track has its minimum bet.  But a quinella bet is typically made for $2.  Let's draw a scenario where 50,000 bettors each create a quinella ticket with the exact price being $2:50,000 x $2 = $100,000After the race, there are just 50 bettors with a winning ticket.  The total prize pool is $100,000.  The winning tickets share that prize pool, and each bettor takes home $2,000.  In reality, the bookmakers (or the government) always take a piece of the pie, so you won't end up with $2000.  The fees and/or taxes for placing your wager must always be considered, as well. How to use quinella bets in your horse race betting strategy We're not here to tell you what to do.  However, we are here to inform you so you can make the right decision.  There are tons of sites that recommend several strategies, but we like to leave the real choices to the bettors.  It's on you to pick your battles and to do it with a thoughtful and clear mind.  However, we do have a short list of tips that we want to share. Never forget to do your researchIt's essential to read up on the contenders for each race.  If you're not aware of their previous results, or their current form, don't bet.  You can simply wait for better opportunities.  Don't risk hard-earned money by making wagers with a low level of confidence. Know who's losingEach race has a favorite, while some horses are merely filling up the lanes.  Such also-rans don’t stand a chance against the other horses, but they are in the field, anyway.  When creating a quinella box or a quinella wheel, you can leave out the losers to save you some costs.  Why bet on a horse if you're confident it won't finish among the top two? Keep an eye on your moneyWhen you're in the stands, adrenaline and excitement can get to you.  You might place an extra bet here, and double-up with another bet there.  But be careful.  Don't go rogue betting on too many horses, as you have to keep your bankroll healthy.  With each bet, consider your options and always follow the holy rule:  never bet more than you're able to lose.This betting guide discussed quinella betting in a nutshell.  We can draw up hundreds of other scenarios and provide you with a lot more examples, but it's on you to take matters into your own hands.  Find yourself a race book and start wagering.  One great option is BetAnySports, which offers 10% bonus payouts on winnings at major tracks, as well as a 9% rebate on losing tickets.  And another trusted race book is GTBets, which offers a very customer-friendly 15% rebate on monthly losses.  The more you practice, the better you'll get!

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NBA and MLB Preview

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 27, 2020

The third week of the NFL season offers fourteen games on the Sunday schedule. Eight games kick things off at 1 PM ET. The feature game on Fox (36% of the market share) in the first window of games features the Chicago Bears traveling to Atlanta to play the Falcons. The winless Atlanta will be trying to pick themselves off the mat after their epic collapse last week in Dallas. Atlanta went into halftime with a 29-10 lead, and they still held on to a 39-24 lead with under five minutes left in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys then scored on three separate occasions, which included them getting the ball a final time from an improbable watermelon-styled onside kick to steal a 40-39 victory. Chicago is unbeaten so far this season after defeating the New York Giants at home last week by a 17-13 score. BetAnySports lists the Falcons as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 47.CBS has regional coverage for the 1 PM ET slate of games with the Tennessee Titans traveling to Minnesota to play the Vikings appearing in most homes. Tennessee is 2-0 this season after their 33-30 victory at home against Jacksonville last week. Minnesota is still looking for their first win of the season after losing at Indianapolis last Sunday by a 28-11 score. The Titans are 2.5-point road favorites at BetAnySports with and over/under of 50.Another five games are scheduled in the second window of afternoon games. The New York Jets travel to Indianapolis to play the Colts while the Carolina Panthers travel to Los Angeles to play the Chargers for the two games with 4:05 PM ET kickoffs. Three more games kickoff at 4:25 PM ET headlined by the Cowboys trip to Seattle to play the Seahawks. Dallas is 1-1 on the season after their miracle comeback victory over the Falcons. Seattle is 2-0 so far this season after they defeated New England at home last Sunday night by a 35-30 score. BetAnySports lists the Seahawks as 4.5-point favorites with the total set at 56.5.Sunday Night Football on NBC features a dream matchup between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks with Aaron Rodgers facing off against Drew Brees in New Orleans. Green Bay is 2-0 this season after they defeated Detroit last Sunday by a 42-21 margin. New Orleans returns home on a short week with a 1-1 record after losing in Las Vegas on Monday to the Raiders by a 34-24 score. The Saints are 3-point favorites at BetAnySports with a total of 53. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 PM ET. The NBA playoffs continue on Sunday with Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston kept themselves alive in this series on Friday with their 121-108 victory over the Heat. Miami still owns a 3-2 lead in this series and can clinch their spot to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. A Celtics victory would force a climactic Game 7 on Tuesday. BetAnySports has Boston as a 3-point favorite with the over/under at 214. ESPN has the broadcast starting at 7:30 PM ET. The final day of the MLB regular season has fifteen games on the card. The lone early game has the Detroit Tigers playing in Kansas City at 1:05 PM ET. The remaining fourteen games all start in the 3:05 PM ET to 3:15 PM ET range with playoff implications at stake. TBS has a national broadcast of the White Sox playing the Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field in this Chicago rivalry game. The Cubbies send out Reynaldo Lopez with Adbert Alzolay getting the ball for the White Sox. The White Sox are -127 money-line favorites at BetAnySports with a total of 9.5.

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NFL Sunday Night Football: Packers/Saints Preview

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 27, 2020

The Sunday Night Football game on NBC this week features a dream matchup between future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. However, both quarterbacks may be without their favorite target for this game. Green Bay’s Davante Adams is listed as doubtful for this contest with the hamstring injury he incurred last week in their game against the Vikings. His absence did not slow down the Packers who racked up 488 yards of offense in their 42-21 beat down of the Detroit Lions. Adams already has 17 receptions for 192 yards this season with two touchdown passes. Yet the secret weapon for this Green Bay offense may be an offensive line that might be the best unit in Rodgers' career with the Packers. Rodgers has been sacked only once this season. The strength of this offensive line has also helped Matt LeFleur find the balance in the offensive attack that he has sought since being hired as the head coach last season. Green Bay is averaging 34 rushing attempts per game this season, which has produced 208 rushing yards per game with a 6.2 yards-per-carry average. Keeping defenses honest has helped Rodgers complete 67.6% of his passes while averaging 296 passing yards per game. Rodgers has already tossed six touchdown passes without an interception. The Packers have scored 43 and 42 points in their first two games of the season despite trading up in the first round to select Jordan Love at quarterback, who currently is the third-string quarterback. Relax, indeed!New Orleans will be without Michael Thomas, who did not play last week in the Saints' 34-24 upset loss in Las Vegas to the Raiders, who were playing their first home game representing Sin City. Brees will miss Thomas for the next few weeks as he recovers from an ankle injury. His 149 receptions last year that accounted for 1725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns are difficult to replace. Brees has been the target of criticism all week as perhaps being a victim of Father Time with diminished arm strength. The analytics folks will point to him having only 116 air yards so far this season, which is below the (dreaded) Kirk Cousins mark entering Week 3. Yet while many of these same analytics experts dismiss the importance of old school statistics like time of possession, perhaps there is some value in recognizing that the Saints had the ball for less than 24 minutes on Monday. Even without Thomas and his 41-year old arm, Brees led an offense that averaged 7.44 yards per play, which produced 424 yards of offense. The Saints outgained the Raiders by 47 net yards last week, which is typically an indicator of a victory. Autopsies of New Orleans' loss need to account for the 129 yards they gave Las Vegas from  10 penalties, with five of these penalties giving the Raiders a new set of downs. Green Bay is hot, and New Orleans returns home to the Big Easy as an angry football team. The Saints will be allowed a crowd of up to 750 people who are family members of players, coaches, and staff. BetAnySports lists New Orleans as a 3-point favorite with a total of 53. Kickoff is set for 8:20 PM ET.

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What are the Biggest Sports Betting Mistakes Made by Sports Bettors?

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Sep 27, 2020

The excitement of watching sports greatly changed when the United States Supreme Court overturned PASPA and legalized sports betting throughout the country in 2018.  All of a sudden, there became an extra dynamic to the game, and bettors could legally put money on their opinions.  In a blink of an eye, the sports betting industry saw its value increase billions of dollars.  However, with wagering becoming more common, there’s also a whole new slew of bettors walking up to the window.Before you knew it, you had a large group of bettors doing nothing else than flushing their money down the drain.  They didn’t have a well-founded betting strategy, and their bets were based on nothing but a gut feeling.  When analyzing these bettors, you can learn a thing or two.  We spoke to several hundred sports bettors across the globe to categorize their mistakes.  We found out that many people run into the same problems and make the same erros.  Whether you’re a novice bettor or a seasoned pro, you might recognize yourself in these mistakes. Let's be honest, you're never too old to learn, right?In this betting guide, we'll take you through the most common mistakes in sports betting.  That means we'll zoom in on the most common sports that people bet on, like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL.  Besides that, we'll dive into sportsbooks, bookmakers, money management, and many other aspects to get you on your way to a successful sports betting career. The most common mistakes by novice sports bettors When you're just starting as a rookie bettor, you're bound to make mistakes.  There's not a single person who has a clean track record.  However, if you want to take sports betting seriously, and not just as something done for entertainment purposes, then carefully review this guide to avoid the biggest mistakes most sports bettors make. Betting too many games One rookie mistake is going in and just betting any moneyline, point spread, parlay or teaser out there, regardless of whether or not the bet offers value.  You'll sign up with your offshore book and start to place bets here and there.  Before you know it, you're on a losing streak, and you feel dreadful.  In short, you're not betting for the long haul, and you're only focused on having action.  It's an illusion to think that you can win every single bet -- especially when your wagers don’t have value.You should understand that professional bettors don't bet on games without an edge.  They pick their battles carefully and don’t put money down on a game just because it’s on television.  They're not chasing winning bets by the bushes.  Instead, they’re focused on value and numbers.  So, keep a close eye on what kind of bets you're making.  Don't bet to have action.  Instead, bet smartly.  Always ask yourself if you have an edge on the game, or if you're just betting for another payout. Bad bankroll management It doesn't matter how much experience you have, it’s always critical to manage your bankroll.  The worst thing you could do is deposit new funds straightaway when you're on a losing streak, and double up on your bets.  Of course, to be successful at sports betting, you need a plan, and the discipline to stick to it.  You need to set some boundaries for yourself, and create some rules to keep yourself in control.  The holy rule here is:  never risk more than you're comfortable losing.Think about setting cap limits:  First, establish your gambling bankroll.  Then, consider whether you want to have a maximum amount you'll wager on any day.  Then pick your unit size:  the amount of money representing your standard wager.  Usually, this is a percentage of your bankroll (generally about 1% to 3%).  After creating a plan, you’ll have much more self-control and a greater ability to stick to your system.  All of us can well understand being under the influence of adrenaline after a couple of winning bets.  Everyone has felt the urge to wager a bit more than usual.  And everyone has experienced losing when they’ve done so (and felt stupid).  However, when you stick to your money management system, you’ll have your winning days and losing days for sure, but you’ll never be out of control or feel stupid. Parlays There's one type of wager which brings the most rookie sports bettors into the industry:  the parlay bet.  Everyone has read stories of a lucky bettor who managed to hit a multi-legged parlay bet to turn a $25 stake into a payout of $62,525.  All the bettor had to do was correctly predict 12 games.  It's catching lightning in a bottle, for sure.  But just the fact that it's possible will convince enough people to try their luck.  On any given day, millions of dollars flow through online sportsbooks through parlay bets.  Of these bets, only a minority will end up with a winning bet and take home a payout.We're all fortune seekers in some way or another, but don't let greed get the better of you.  You're usually better off making straight bets than parlay bets.  Especially in the long haul, you'll always be better off betting straight bets since a bookmaker’s hold is much less.  After some analysis, some Las Vegas sportsbooks’ hold on certain parlays was up to 30% compared to just 5% on straight bets.  That shows the risk of losing a parlay bet outweighs the reward. The most common mistakes by experienced sports bettors You should not forget that anyone makes mistakes.  Let us repeat that phrase.  Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced bettors.  One thing to understand is that sports handicapping always evolves, so there's always new stuff to learn (and always new mistakes to be made).  We've found two mistakes that are still very common among experienced bettors today.  When you master these mistakes, the sky is the limit. Setting unrealistic expectations When you're in the sports industry, you know that adrenaline plays a giant part of the game.  Besides that, the betting industry involves money.  When you're a professional, this usually involves a whole lot of money.  That means adrenaline and the rush of seeing money in front of your eyes collide into an exclusive feeling that's sometimes uncontrollable. Any sports bettor who has been winning bets for an extended period of time knows that feeling.  It takes over, and it brings you into a different state of mind.  You feel like the king of the world, and you feel that there's not a single bet that you can lose.That's when you should exercise caution.  Just because you’ve won 36 of 48 bets doesn’t mean your hot streak will continue.  Experienced gamblers should understand this, and have realistic expectations.  But sometimes they forget, and either put too much money on a game or lower their standards, and make wagers that don’t offer great value.  Thus, we recommend to always stick to your plan.  We assume you devised your betting strategy carefully, especially when you're a professional.  So, stick to the plan even when your feeling says otherwise! Picking the wrong sportsbooks The importance of picking the right sportsbooks is massively underestimated.  Sports bettors pay a fee to bookies to use their services, which means their win percentage needs to be higher than 50%.  But just because all bookmakers charge a fee doesn’t mean they charge an equal fee.  Indeed, some sportsbooks -- like our #7-rated sportsbook WagerWeb -- give cash back on volume.  The effect of WagerWeb's cash back offer is that their customers are laying -108 rather than -110.  So, instead of needing 52.38 percent to break even at football, a sports bettor only needs to hit 51.9% to break even at WagerWeb.  And it gets even better at our #1-rated Sportsbook, BetAnySports, which gives its customers -105 odds, rather than -110, so the breakeven point gets lowered to 51.19%.  This bookmaking fee is where the real value is and where the differences between bookmakers become evident.  Another important factor is whether your sportsbook has unique numbers.  Now, if you only have one sportsbook, this wouldn’t matter.  Of course, as any serious sports gambler knows, you need to have three to five sportsbooks to shop for the best numbers.  But it doesn’t do you much good to have three sportsbooks if those three always have the same numbers on the NFL games!  The key is to choose sportsbooks with unique numbers.  That is, sportsbooks that originate their own odds, and don’t just copy the numbers of other sportsbooks.  Our top five sportsbooks all have unique numbers.  Those are BetAnySports, BetNow, Bovada, BetOnline and BookMaker.  When you’re choosing your sportsbooks, these are the best of the best.  As you can see, the sportsbook plays a very important role in being successful as a bettor.  It might not matter for just one bet, but it's very important to always have access to the best odds in the long run.When you're considering which sportsbook to join, you might get a bit overwhelmed.  To help you with your choice, we have researched more than 60 online sportsbooks and have written reviews on the upper tier.  Here are a few factors that we use to judge whether a sportsbook is top-shelf: User experience Bonuses and promotions Banking methods Availability of games However, the most important factor of all, as discussed above, are the competitive odds and the unique numbers.  Especially when making point spread bets, you want to have access to the best lines.  When you register at multiple sportsbooks, you can always shop around and place your bet with the book which brings the best returns.  In the end, these small differences in lines are what matter, and distinguish the real bettors from the rookies. Having too much pride Anyone who has made a substantial amount of money in his profession feels enormous pride in some way.  You are confident because you know that you probably have more knowledge about your profession than many others, and you're better at it.  It's probably true, but it also doesn't mean that you should succumb to it.  Unfortunately, successful bettors often fall prey to this when they’re on a losing streak.  Sometimes, the best thing to do is to step back, and take stock of why you’ve hit a rough patch.  But experienced gamblers who have had a lot of success often try to repeat what they’ve always done, instead of recognizing that maybe things have changed.  The worst thing you could do is continue on the same path. Instead, you have to make adjustments to turn a losing streak into a winning streak.To conclude this article, we want to wish you all the best in your sports betting career.  Whether you have just started or have been around for multiple years, have fun while you're at it.  The sports betting industry is an exciting playing field that can generate a lot of cash for you, but you have to approach it the right way.  Besides this article, we have other great info about any topic related to sports betting!  Enjoy yourself and, as we always say, happy betting!

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NBA, MLB and NHL Preview

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 26, 2020

A very crowded card is on tap for Saturday featuring College Football, the NBA and NHL playoffs, and the penultimate day of the MLB season. 26 games between FBS opponents are on the College Football card. Seven games kick off the day at Noon ET highlighted by Kansas State at Oklahoma along with Florida at Mississippi. Fox has that Big 12 matchup with the Sooners a 28-point favorite with the over/under set at 60.5 (all listed lines are provided by BookMaker). ESPN has that debut of SEC action this season with the Gators a 13.5-point road favorite with a total of 58. ABC will broadcast Central Florida’s game at East Carolina at Noon with the Knights 28-point favorites with the total at 78.Another five games are set for 3:30 PM ET. ABC has Oklahoma State hosting West Virginia with the Cowboys a 7-point favorite with the total set at 50.5. Fox will televise Texas playing at Texas Tech with the Longhorns 17.5-point road favorites with the over/under set at 72. The ESPN game during this window of games has Cincinnati hosting Army with the Bearcats 12-point favorites with a total of 45. The defending national champions begin their season at home hosting Mississippi State on CBS. LSU is a 16.5-point favorite with the total set at 56.5.The evening slate features seven games. Alabama begins their season at 7 PM ET with their trip to Missouri to play the Tigers. The Crimson Tide are 28.5-point road favorites with an over/under of 56.5 with the game being televised on ESPN. ABC has the rivalry game between Florida State playing at Miami with the Hurricanes a 10.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 53.5. ESPN broadcasts the final game on the Saturday football card at 10:15 PM ET with Troy’s trip to BYU. The Cougars are 14.5-point favorite with the over/under at 59.5.The Los Angeles Lakers have the opportunity to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals Saturday night. They defeated Denver on Thursday by a 114-108 score to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. This is the third straight series with the Nuggets facing a 3-1 deficit going into the fifth game of the series. The Lakers are 5-point favorites with the total set at 213.5. TNT has the broadcast starting at 9 PM ET.Game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs takes place Saturday night with Tampa Bay having the opportunity to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Lightning defeated Dallas by a 5-4 score in overtime on Friday to take a 3-1 lead in the NHL Finals. NBC has the telecast starting at 8 PM ET. The final Saturday of the MLB regular season has seventeen games on the schedule with Oakland/Seattle and the New York Mets/Washington playing seven-inning doubleheaders. The prime time game on Fox features the St. Louis Cardinals hosting the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:07 PM ET. Brandon Woodruff takes the hill for the Brewers while the Cardinals give the ball to Adam Wainwright. Milwaukee are -115 money-line favorites with the total set at 7.5. 

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NCAA Football: Florida State/Miami Preview

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Sep 26, 2020

Florida State and Miami (FL) continue their annual rival as the prime-time game for Saturday night on ABC. The broadcast starts at 7:30 PM ET.Miami (FL) is off to an impressive 2-0 start this season after they defeated Louisville on the road last Saturday by a 47-34 score as a 2.5-point favorite. Second-year head coach Manny Diaz appears to have solved the team’s problems on offense over the last few seasons with two inspired additions to the program. He started the transformation with his offense by poaching Rhett Lashlee away from SMU in the offseason to become the new offensive coordinator and install his version of an up-tempo spread offense. Diaz then convinced D’Eriq King to transfer from Houston to South Beach to be the Hurricanes starting quarterback. King completed 18 of 30 passes last week for 325 yards with three touchdowns against the Cardinals defense to lead Miami to the victory. King is also dangerous with his legs as he rushed for 85 yards in the Hurricanes opening 31-14 win over UAB. His mobility has helped to make an offensive line that allowed 51 sacks last season to appear improved. Miami has had their quarterback sacked only three times so far this season. The Hurricanes’ defense is, once again, loaded with playmakers. A couple of transfers in defensive end Quincy Roche, a grad transfer from Temple, and Jaelan Phillips, who came over from UCLA two seasons ago, lead the defensive front. Miami already has 18 tackles for loss in their first two games. Yet the Hurricanes needed three takeaways last week to overcome the 516 yards of offense that Louisville generated. The Cardinals had success in both their rushing and passing attacks as they gained 209 yards on the ground along with 325 yards in the air. Florida State has had an extra week to prepare for this game after getting upset at Georgia Tech two weeks ago by a 16-13 score despite being a 13-point favorite. Things started well in the first game of the new era of head coach Mike Norvell as the Seminoles scored 10 points on their first two drives. But Florida State then saw three of their subsequent drives stopped from two fumbles from quarterback James Blackman and one interception by Blackman. The Seminoles also failed to convert two 4th down opportunities, which resulted in them scoring just three more points the rest of the game. The Seminoles face the additional challenge of playing this game without Norvell on the sidelines after he tested positive for COVID-19. Norvell has coached the team to prepare for this showdown but will not make the trip to Miami. Norvell is considered an offensive guru who called all his plays as the head coach Memphis. It will be offensive coordinator Kenny Gillingham who will call the plays for this game. Gillingham was Norvell’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Tigers from 2017-2018 before he took the offensive coordinator job at Auburn last season. Tight ends coach Chris Thomsen will serve as the head coach on the sidelines for Norvell. Thomsen was the head coach at Abilene Christian for 2005 through 2011.These proud programs have something to prove after both settled for 6-7 campaigns that ended with losses in their bowl game last year. Miami has won the last three meetings between these in-state rivals after upsetting the Seminoles in Tallahassee on November 2nd by a 27-10 score as a 3-point underdog. BetOnline has Miami as an 11-point favorite for this contest with the over/under set at 53.5.

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