ACC:

Virginia starting center Assane Sene will miss as many as six weeks of action because of a broken ankle that required surgery. Sene is a 7'0" senior averaging 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 21 minutes per game. He started every game for the Cavaliers and they went 15-2 SU over their first 17 games. Since Sene’s injury, Virginia has gone 2-1 SU but just 1-2 ATS with their ...  read more

The New York Giants play the New England Pat ...  read more

ACC:

North Carolina has lost starting guard Dexter Strickland for the season after he tore his ACL in his right knee in the Tar Heels last game at Virginia Tech. Strickland was only averaging 8 points per game, but he was the catalyst for North Carolina’s transition game and he actually led the team while shooting 57% from the floor. Strickland’s biggest impact came on the defe ...  read more

But, I will also say, times change much more frequently in today’s sports than they ever have, and I dejectedly imagine they will o ...  read more

ACC

Virginia Tech got some good news this week as their leading scorer, point guard Erick Green, is expected to return to the lineup. Green is averaging 16.1 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game this season. But he has missed game time because of a sprained left knee he suffered in practice. The Hokies have really missed Green’s presence on the court as they turned the ...  read more

Apparently defense does still win championships.

San Francisco will host New York at 4:30 p.m. EST on Sunday for the NFC Championship Game. The winner advances to the Super Bowl (you may have heard of that) to face either Baltimore or New England.

The 49ers and Giants advanced to the NFC Title Game thanks to incredible defensive efforts last week, o ...  read more

ACC

Miami (Fla) is finally starting to resemble the team that had high expectations coming into this season. The Hurricanes had to play their first nine games of this season without their best player, Reggie Johnson, who was recovering from knee surgery. Miami was also without DeQuan Jones for their first eleven games as he was suspended indefinitely on accusations of receiving i ...  read more

ACC

Wake Forest is missing their best player as guard C.J. Harris is out with a groin injury. Harris ranks second in the ACC in scoring at 18.7 points per game. “We are sideways offensively,” said Demon Deacons head coach Jeff Bzdelik. Even opposing head coaches are sympathizing over the absence of Harris. After Wake Forest lost at home 56-52 to Wofford, their head coach Mike ...  read more

NFL Oddities

Drew Brees broke Dan Marino’s 27-year-old NFL passing record of 5,084 yards. Brees has thrown for 5,087 yards in 15 games. Tom Brady can also do it this week; he has 4,897 yards and needs just 187 yards to eclipse Marino’s mark. The Steelers have lost 8 regular season games since 2010. In their next game, their defense has allowed an average of just 8.9 points pe ...  read more

ACC

Virginia has lost two players to transfer. KT Harrell and James Johnson have decided to leave the Cavaliers after they were both relegated to the bench. Head coach Tony Bennett plays a very slow, half-court game and that style didn’t fit the player’s strengths. “I think we’re getting a better handle on what will work here and what we’re trying to get and filling holes,” Be ...  read more

College Oddities

Norm Chow has been an assistant coach for 39 years. Currently the offensive coordinator at Utah, Chow has been named the head coach of Hawaii. Perfect place for Chow to get his first head coaching job as he was born in Honolulu and started his career at Waialua High School on the North Shore of Oahu way back in 1970. Former Patriots and Steelers linebacker Mik ...  read more

ACC

Miami (Fla) finally got one of their best players back on the court as center Reggie Johnson returned to game action after having knee surgery over the summer. Johnson is a key cog in the paint for the Hurricanes, and his return will be a major boost. “You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to choke my doctor to get him to let me play,” said Johnson. “My knee didn’t bot ...  read more

NFL Oddities

The Colts are the sixth team to start 0-12 since 1978. Only one of the previous five teams went winless. The Packers have won 18 consecutive games. The Dolphins have out-scored their last five opponents 139-54. Kansas City ran just 2 plays on the Chicago side of the field in the first half, yet they led 7-3 at the half thanks to a Hail Mary touchdown pass caught ...  read more

NFL Oddities

Tim Tebow has won 83% (5-1) of his starts this season; the second highest of any QB with multiple starts this year – Aaron Rodgers 100% (11-0). Arizona rookie Patrick Peterson has 4 punt returns for touchdowns. Raiders’ kicker Sebastian Janikowski accounted for 19 of Oakland’s 25 points (6 FG’s and 1 extra point) versus Chicago. Arizona’s RB Beanie Wells ran for 2 ...  read more

Family and feelings are the enemy of good gambling and good writing about gambling. So I apologize for the soggy lead in this week, but I am trapped in Northern New York with my kin and only have a quick moment here in between dodging passive-aggressive barbs from my in-laws and skirting out to refill my cocktail from my depleting liquor supply to pass on this ...  read more

by Robert Ferringo - 11/10/2011

The weather is getting colder, the hits are getting harder, and the games are getting more critical as teams ride the elevator of expectations and expanded standings. In my opinion, November is the most crucial of months on the NFL schedule because it really sets the tone for the stretch run: some teams gain momentum and find the will for a strong finish, ...  read more

There were a handful of upsets in Week 9 that hopefully you avoided (and did if you took my top pick of the week) and kept you going in your survivor pool.

One game I warned you to stay away from was the winless Dolphins visiting a suddenly streaking Chiefs team. But if you looked closely at that matchup, Miami had come close to winning in back-to-back wee ...  read more

The consensus two best teams in college football will get a chance to prove their worth on the field this Saturday night (8:00 pm Eastern, CBS) when the No. 1 LSU Tigers head to Tuscaloosa to take on the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide in one of the biggest regular-season games to come along in college football betting action in years.

BCS battle in November

Wit ...  read more

The old adage you see crop up from time to time is , it isn’t the picking winners and losers that does in sports bettors but rather the inability to control your emotions. While this is true most guys don’t know exactly what this means and entails and thus don’t recognize how it hinders their efforts. Every season you will encounte ...  read more

In my Week 6 player props story, there weren’t too many immediate results for us to look back on – in other words I tackled a few season-ending totals for NFL players, such as 50-yard field goals for Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski (he was two-yards shy of adding one in Week 6), sacks for Minnesota’s Jared Allen (he added No. 9.5 against the Bears on Sunday) or t ...  read more

One of the most overrated angles in NFL betting is to bet on a team that is off a bye week. Most people assume that a week of rest and preparation is just what the doctor ordered for pro football players and that they will return extra focused and fresh the next week when they finally get back on the field.

The problem is that betting on NFL teams coming ...  read more

We are a quarter of the way through the NFL schedule, and we have four teams — Indianapolis, Minnesota, Miami, and St. Louis — that haven’t won a game yet. It’s always interesting to watch which team stays winless the longest. Tracking futility is especially significant this year, though, since the worst team in the league will have a chance to draft Stanford’s An ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play with analysis for Friday night:

DIAMONDBACKS at BREWERS (Under 7 ½, -120) – 5:00 pm ET #987-988

Not an official play, but I would rate the Under as a light lean tonight.

We head back to Milwaukee for Game 5 of the NLDS series between the Diamondbacks and Brewers. It's a rematch of Game 1 when the Brewers won 4-1. Yovani Gall ...  read more

At this point of the football season the term “MUST WIN” is heard often as some teams face crucial games earlier in the season that will often determine their fate in the future. Of course in college football they are all must win games for teams who have designs on a national championship but in the NFL you start hearing this term around week 5 and 6 ...  read more

Lions (4-0) vs Cowboys (2-2); The Lions beat the Cowboys, 34-30. The Lions have been more than showing they are a team to be taken very seriously. Putting something pretty special together early in the season. I, who was once unsure of the hype, am buying in on the Lions, they are legit. Turning a 24 point deficit from the 2nd quarter, roaring back to win the game 34-30 o ...  read more

In the AFC East we pretty much know the Patriots ar ...  read more

Blake Wheeler of the Winnipeg Jets

If you have ever met a Winnipeger — and they are everywhere because it seems like everyone leaves the city when they are old enough to do so — you have heard about the Jets. A Winnipeg native is incapable of speaking for more than two minutes without mentioning the Jets. It’s a law.

The town was obsessed with their te ...  read more

When creating profitable NCAAF Picks there are all sorts of trends and angles to consider. Obviously some are just supposed "experts" just flapping their gums and others are bonafide NCAAF Picks information. Over this past week I was looking at Week 4 NCAAF Picks teams who were coming off a bye week to see if that really helped or hurt their changes of making us money. After much searching, ...  read more

Who needs the preseason?

Scoring is through the roof in the National Football League and through two weeks of the year seasoned quarterback play and horrendous defense have been front-and-center. With the lack of a traditional offseason and with a truncated training camp the thought was that teams would be a little sluggish out of the gate and that we may ...  read more

This NFL season may be headed into Week 3, but that doesn't mean we can't continue to search out value in the NFL futures betting market. There have been a few early surprises this season, such as the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, and some early disappointments, like the Kansas City Chiefs. The trick now is to figure out if there's any long-term value in an ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play with analysis for Wednesday night:

Tigers/Royals OVER 9 +111 (Scherzer/Paulino) – 8:10 pm ET #977-978

Not an official play, but I would rate the Over as a light lean tonight.

Two of the hotter teams in baseball take the field in Kansas City when the Royals host the Tigers. Kansas City has won eight of their last nine games, d ...  read more

It's Week #1 of the NFL season and with it brings a plethora of NFL Picks activity. There are a number of ways to analyze this weeks NFL Picks and you'll see as many articles as there are approaches. With today's NFL Picks article I am focusing on Week #1 NFL Picks Trends and Angles. It is not just enough to use these as a way of betting but one in a number of approaches to use with today's ...  read more

Hello again readers here at Doc’s, it’s that time of year that we all love the most: football season. And of course that means I’m back to deliver my weekly Survivor Pool picks advice column for Week 1 of the NFL 2011-12 NFL season.

For those of you who may not know what a Survivor Pool is, it’s pretty simple: You pick one team per week that you are most su ...  read more

College Football Week 1

Every week world champion handicapper Michael Blake will offer his college football analysis on 10-20 games. This is a great opportunity for everyone to look at specific games that he has targeted for you. These games can be considered ‘free picks’ if you like. All you have to do is look at spread at the time analysis is released and pr ...  read more

The Preseason is winding down and the juices are flowing for the start of the NFL Picks regular season. While the off season and preseason is spent honing our NFL Picks strategies for the year, it's an interesting angle to look at what NFL Picks teams historically start out the season making money.

It is with that thought where I pinpointed NFL Picks teams who have a winning ATS record ...  read more

One of the major issues the troubled wide receiver apparently had was his desire. He never seemed to play with the fire and take 100% full advantage of his skills, he just “let it happen.” M ...  read more

You know exactly what you’re going to get from the AFC North each year:

Blood and pain.

Pittsburgh will again be a Super Bowl threat. Baltimore will again be the able challenger led by a violent defense. Cleveland and Cincinnati? Yeah, they suck just as badly as they have for the past 20 years.

In a way it’s comforting, especially as an NFL ha ...  read more

PAC-12 Conference:

Conference Rating: #3

Predicted Order of Finish: PAC-12 North

1. Oregon (9-0): Explosive on the offensive side of the ball and the Ducks play like fast-break basketball team. They wear you down and the 4^th quarter you are gassed on defense. The team is led by QB Darron Thomas and RB LaMicha ...  read more

Conference Previews list our power rating for the conference, predicted order of finish, as well as what the teams projected record will be in conference play only.

BIG 12 Conference:

Conference Rating: #2

Predicted Order of Finish:

1. Oklahoma (9-0): Many of you have seen that we have already projected Landry Jon ...  read more

Conference Previews list our power rating for the conference, predicted order of finish as well as what the teams record will be in conference play only.

SEC Conference:

Conference Rating: #1

Predicted Order of Finish: SEC West

1. Alabama (8-0): Saban and Co. are loaded this year. 7 returning starters on offense and 10 on ...  read more

Below is a free NFL play, with analysis, for Saturday night:

SAINTS at TEXANS (Over 40) – 8:00 pm ET #419-420

Not an official play, but I would rate the Over as a light lean tonight.

New Orleans and Houston both won their opening preseason games last week but neither team was satisfied, especially with their offensive production. The Saints first-team ...  read more

1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Stanford

4. Oklahoma St

5. Boise St

6. Oklahoma

7. Oregon

8. Oregon

9. Clemson

10. Arkansas

Dark Horse: Houston

1. Andrew Luck- Stanford, QB

2. Landry Jones- Oklahoma, QB

3. Trent Richardson- Alabama, RB

4. Marcus Lattimore- South Carolina, RB

5. Denard Robinson- Michigan, QB

6. Lamichael James- Oregon, RB

7. Justin Blackmon- Oklahome St, WR

8. Kellen Moore- Oklahoma, WR

1. New England Patriots- It was a tight race for #1, but the Patriots just beat out the defending Super Bowl Champs. The Patriots seem to be geared up for some big things this year. They made some big moves in the offseason. They landed a lot of good players, most importantly getting Albert Haynesworth and Chad Johnson. Not to mention they still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick runnin ...  read more

Top 5 QB's

1. A. Rodgers

2. D. Brees

3. T. Brady

4. M. Vick

5. P. Rivers

Sleeper

Cam Newton

Top 5 RB's

1. A. Foster

2. M. Forte

3. L. McCoy

4. M. Turner

5. F. Jackson

Sleeper

C. Johnson

Top 5 WR

1. G. Jennin ...  read more

Welcome back NFL!

Now, onto the “Packer Backers.” Last season, the Pack made it into the playoffs with a 10-6 respectabl ...  read more

Not a day and a half after the NFL lockout was over, BetOnline was the first in the industry to open the always popular Season Win Totals. No surprise that the defending champion Packers are at the top of the heap with 11.5 wins. BetOnline’s odds-makers also have the N ...  read more

We continue our look at some NFL player props with the biggest regular-season award of them all: the league’s Most Valuable Player. We will offer some predictions for the NFL MVP along with futures odds for 2011.

And in essence, the MVP has become the NFL’s version of the Heisman Trophy. By that I mean the MVP is only going to go to a quarterback or running ...  read more

Maybe now the Left Coast will get some love.

The Pac-10 is no more, choosing instead to swell its ranks to 12 teams, institute a new divisional system, and implement a championship game that should keep this conference in the news well into December. It is a pretty heady time in the Pac-12. And with new promise and potential comes new expectations.

...  read more

Most bettors are always looking for the latest hot tip or pick to make a ...  read more

When most people prepare for the up-coming football season they read popu ...  read more

Today’s article is going to be applicable to both the NFL and college foo ...  read more

There are a few keys to success in the first week of college football. ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play, with analysis, for Tuesday night:

ASTROS at CARDINALS (Over 8.5, -105) – 8:15 pm ET #911-912

Not an official play, but I would rate the Over as a light lean tonight.

The Cardinals continued their hot offensive run on Monday by putting up 10 hits or more for the fourth straight game and for the fifth time in their last six gam ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play, with analysis, for Friday night:

INDIANS at ORIOLES (Under 8.5, +105) – 7:05 pm ET #967-968

Not an official play, but I would rate the Under as a light lean tonight.

Baltimore's losing streak continued on Thursday night. Now they'll hope Jake Arrieta can stop the bleeding. He'll be glad to be home after making four straight ...  read more

The Tour de France is underway over in Europe and you might be surprised how much betting interest in the race we’ve had from our players over at Bodog’s online sportsbook.

Cycling isn’t a particularly popular sport in North America. It’s had its surges in media exposure, particularly during the heyday of Lance Armstrong, who won ...  read more

It is not a stretch to say that no one in baseball likes doubleheaders.

The players dislike putting forth that much effort in one day. Managers cringe at the thought of having to burn their bullpens. Umpires loathe having to sit out there for a double-dip, especially the guys that have to work the plate in one game and the field in another. The vendors and ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play with analysis for Friday night:

RAYS at ASTROS (+1.5 runline, -140) – 8:05 pm ET #966

Not an official play, but I would rate the Astros run line as a light lean tonight.

Houston returns home on a high note after taking a late inning victory against the Rangers in Arlington. Now they'll host a Tampa Bay team that just took a s ...  read more

Not many people expected Cleveland to be one of the best teams in baseball.

Nor did many think Arizona would be neck and neck with the World Series champs.

They didn’t believe Seattle had much of a chance either.

And they especially didn’t foresee Pittsburgh flirting with .500.

But all four of those teams have failed to live up (or down) ...  read more

The little guys in the saddle are important in every horse race, but they are especially significant in the Belmont Stakes. The race is much longer than the horses have ever run before, and the track is unique thanks to the very long stretch and the wide turns. If a jockey doesn’t have a good day then he can cost his horse the race.

The most obvious recent ex ...  read more

When is the last time you sat down and analyzed a Major League Baseball team’s defense? The answer is likely either a long time ago or never. The average sports bettor thinks a lot about defense when analyzing a football or basketball game, but I’m convinced that most people don’t think nearly enough about defense when it comes to baseball. It may not mean as much ...  read more

Since we may not see any NFL transactions for months, depending on a June 3 court hearing on the lockout, and with the draft still fresh in everyone’s memory, let’s take a look at one of the few NFL player props out so far this year: the 2011 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (check back at Doc’s for a story on the Offensive Rookie of the Year as well).

Wage ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play, with analysis, for Wednesday night:

BLUE JAYS at RAYS (Under 8, -115) – 6:40 pm ET #919-920

Not an official play, but I would rate the Under as a light lean tonight.

Toronto is looking to snap a 3-game losing streak as they continue their series in Tampa Bay against the Rays. Jeff Niemann makes the start. He's 1-3 with a 5. ...  read more

2-Denver Broncos (Last year’s record 4-12); Nick Fairley, Auburn, Defensive Tackle; Extraordinary pass rusher desired.

3-Buffalo Bills (Last year’s record 4-12); Patrick Peterson, LSU, Cornerback; Immediate help at corner, create some ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play, with analysis, for Tuesday night:

GIANTS at PIRATES (+1.5 runline, -130) – 7:05 pm ET #904

Not an official play, but I would rate Pittsburgh as a light lean tonight.

The Giants, losers of four straight games, head to Pittsburgh to begin a 3-game set with the Pirates. San Francisco was swept at home by Atlanta in a series whe ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play, with analysis, for Monday night:

A’s at ANGELS (Under 6 ½, +110) – 10:05 pm ET #965-966

Not an official play, but I would rate the Under as a light lean tonight.

Two hot A.L. West starters take the mound in Anaheim when the Angels host the Athletics. Jered Weaver is 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA in five starts this season. The righty ...  read more

Playing at Syracuse, he scored 22 a night for the 30-5 Orange, taking them to the NCAA championship and winning it all in 202-2003 beating Kansas. After only 1 season, he decided to ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play, with analysis, for Thursday night:

TWINS at ORIOLES (Under 8, +110) – 7:05 pm ET #965-966

Not an official play, but I would rate the Under as a light lean tonight.

Two struggling offenses take the field on Thursday night in Baltimore. The Twins have scored just 54 runs in their first 18 games which is an average of just 3 ru ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play, with analysis, for Tuesday night:

ANGELS at RANGERS (-1.5 runline, +110) – 8:05 pm ET #974

Not an official play, but I would rate Texas as a light lean tonight.

Texas took Game 1 of their important early series with the Angels and they’ll hope to do it again on Tuesday night in a pitching match-up that they have a clear advan ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play from Steve Merril, with analysis, for Sunday afternoon:

PADRES at ASTROS (-115) – 2:05 pm ET #960

Not an official play, but I would rate Houston as a light lean today.

Houston picked up their fifth win of the season on Saturday after beating San Diego and Mat Latos. Brett Myers has a chance to end their homestand with another ...  read more

The NFL is a copycat league. If a team has even a modicum of success, however fleeting or trivial, it seems like the rest of the league immediately enters an unsanctioned race to mimic Said Team’s path to success.

The Cover-2. The 3-4. The audible attack of Peyton Manning. The blitz-crazed schemes of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or the New York Giants. Zone b ...  read more

They were ripping teams apart, beating Miami, Oklahoma City and Chicago along the way, easily. Putting up 101 a game, and holding their opponents to only 92 a night over the first 25 games of the season. Teams struggled getting go ...  read more

The Baltimore Orioles have been a bad team for a long time. The last time they won 70 games was 2006. The last time they had a winning season was all the way back in 1997. Trapped in the AL East with the free-spending Yankees and Red Sox, making the playoffs has been a challenge to say the least.

So when the Orioles won the first ...  read more

Anyone who seriously follows professional football understands that championship teams are built around a strong offensive and defensive line. Yet, when it comes to the NFL Draft, much of the focus revolves around the top prospects in the offensive skill positions.

This year’s crop includes Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton at quarterback, A.J. Green and Julio Jo ...  read more

Steve Merril’s Starting Five, a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of NBA and college basketball. Steve uncovers the juicy quotes that relate to the pointspread wars – who cares who wins the game? We only care about who covers!

1. Arizona: For the conspiracy theorists out there, this game is for you. Arizona will face Memphis, and if you think like fo ...  read more

Merril’s FULL-COURT REPORT (Thursday, March 17, 2011)

Steve Merril’s Starting Five, a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of NBA and college basketball. Steve uncovers the juicy quotes that relate to the pointspread wars – who cares who wins the game? We only care about who covers!

1. San Diego St: Head coach Steve Fisher’s best team wa ...  read more

Every year there are teams that are surprisingly strong at the NCAA Tournament. They might not get a whole lot of attention coming in, but they are ready to play, they are talented, and they make some noise. Obviously it’s not always easy to see these Cinderella teams coming -- if it were then they wouldn’t be surprises. You can make a guess about who will come th ...  read more

1-San Antonio Spurs (51-11) The Spurs laid a beating on the hyped Miami Heat, establishing themselves again as the best team easily in the NBA right now. The Spurs hold an incredible 27-10 record vs .500 or better teams. They can lay it down every night on opponents.

2- Dallas Mavericks (45-16); The Mavericks have won 18 of their last 20 games. Anyone giv ...  read more

The NBA Picks season is in the latter half of the year and it's this time of the NBA Picks year that I look for some solid betting trends that we can capatilize on. So, as I poured through the piles of betting trends and angles I discovered a profitable NBA Picks betting angle! Although the general public tends to lean towards the NBA picks favorites there are some spots where that could be dr ...  read more

If you weren’t sure, the Philadelphia Phillies are pretty good.

Philadelphia made the most daring and surprising move of the offseason when they usurped Cliff Lee from the Rangers and Yankees. Lee has become the final piece to what is potentially one of the best starting rotations in recent baseball history and has automatically made the Phillies one of th ...  read more

1. read more

Let’s cut to the chase and go with the nation’s best scorer. Jimmer Fredette 6-2, Guard, BYU ranked #3

Firstly ...  read more

...  read more

Merril’s FULL-COURT REPORT (Thursday, February 17, 2011)

Steve Merril’s Starting Five, a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of NBA and college basketball. Steve uncovers the juicy quotes that relate to the pointspread wars – who cares who wins the game? We only care about who covers!

1. The Spurs? Have you ever heard of them? Not many ...  read more

All I know is this: 68 is a whole lotta teams.

For those of you that have been kicking it with the Tea Party/mountain folk in the hills of Tennessee over the last few months, I am here to remind you that the NCAA Tournament has actually expanded this year. The Big Dance will now feature 68 teams, with four at-large squads taking on four automatic qualifie ...  read more

Merril’s FULL-COURT REPORT (Wednesday, February 16, 2011)

Steve Merril’s Starting Five, a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of NBA and college basketball. Steve uncovers the juicy quotes that relate to the pointspread wars – who cares who wins the game? We only care about who covers!

1. Hibbert to be Square: Indiana fired head coach J ...  read more

Merril’s FULL-COURT REPORT (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)

Steve Merril’s Starting Five, a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of NBA and college basketball. Steve uncovers the juicy quotes that relate to the pointspread wars – who cares who wins the game? We only care about who covers!

1. To Infinity and Beyond: Buzz Lightyear? No, let’s ...  read more

Merril’s FULL-COURT REPORT (Monday, February 14, 2011)

Steve Merril’s Starting Five, a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of NBA and college basketball. Steve uncovers the juicy quotes that relate to the pointspread wars – who cares who wins the game? We only care about who covers!

1. West Virginia: ‘We can't shoot,’ Mountaineers head ...  read more

1-San Antonio Spurs (45-9) The Spurs being led by Manu Ginobli’s 18/game, are a new look team. Dealing with their perennial all star starter, Tim Duncan, who, was not voted into the starting lineup for the Western Conference All-Star game, are still the best in the NBA.

2- Boston Celtics (38-14); They are still the best in the East, with their suffoca ...  read more

1-San Antonio Spurs (42-8); The San Antonio Spurs are the team no one gave a chance to this season. They are too old, they can’t contend with the big dawgs in the West anymore; don't have the stars or weapons to challenge. They are obviously proving everyone dead wrong, winning in many ways. Scoring the ball, 104 ppg, playing defense, 97/gm, and how about the unkno ...  read more

It's the day of the Super Bowl and every self-proclaimed NFL Picks "expert" is coming out of the woodwork to tell you exactly who is going to win the Super Bowl! Some you probably never even heard from during the NFL Picks reqular season. While there is certainly a plethora of "Experts" out there the fact remains that the art of NFL Picks handicapping doesn't, or shouldn't, change just becaus ...  read more

In keeping our promise to update you on interesting bonuses, contests and developments in the offshore sportsbook world, BetUS is offering quite a compelling opportunity for those betting hoops.   The $25,000 Court King Contest is a no-brainer for those already bett ...  read more

The NBA picks season is a long one and takes a full time effort to keep abreast of the continious changes to ensure that you have a profitable NBA picks season. Looking up and down the NBA Picks leaderboard you can certainly see the "Haves" from the "Have Nots". There are a number of NBA picks teams that you know don't have a snowball chance of winning. Particularly any NBA picks teams who a ...  read more

Is betting on the Super Bowl coin toss one of the most inane bets out there? I certainly think so, but it’s also one of the most popular Super Bowl bets there are (hey, bettors want to start the game off right and reinvest their winnings), and that’s why Bodog has had odds up on the Super Bowl coin toss, for example, since well before the 2010 NFL season even beg ...  read more

After a very long, often brilliant season we finally have our Super Bowl matchup set. After everything that has happened, it’s interesting to note that this is one of the more predictable finals we have seen in a while. The last five years we have seen at least one Super Bowl team that could be called a surprise. This year, though, both teams came into the season ...  read more

In the beginning of NFL Picks Championships it was a virtual lock that #1 seed would be hosting the NFL Picks Championship game as they did 21 of 26 times. However in the Last 12 NFL Picks games they have hosted only 5 (including this weeks NFL picks action).

With those changes it has changed the way to handicap the NFL Picks Championship games. Home teams are 22-14 SU and 17-18 ATS i ...  read more

Take a look at the number 1 picks in the draft over the last 10 seasons. Most have turned out to be pretty go ...  read more

1-San Antonio Spurs (35-6); The Spurs have been just playing all around excellent basketball, from defense to offense, they cover it all. Manu Ginobli has been a rock this season.

2- Boston Celtics (31-9); So strong on the defensive side of the game, holding opponents to only a mere 92 a night, without Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, and starting center, ...  read more

In what is one of the best NFL Picks Playoff contests this weekend the Baltimore Ravens Travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. This will promises to be another defensive battle. In seven match-ups over the past three seasons, neither team has topped 23 points, and five of the games have been decided by a field goal.

The last time these two NFL Picks teams met in the playoffs it w ...  read more

As a part of our ongoing mission to locate the safest and most reputable Sportsbooks, Online Poker Rooms and Internet Casinos for our players, we'd be remiss to not mention the Bodog Casino is right up there at the top of the list.  Under a recent round of intense scrutiny by the 10StarPicks.com Sportsbo ...  read more

New Orleans Saints

Defending Super Bowl Champs, led by Sean Payton's creative offensive play calling & Vet QB Drew Brees. Defeated Seattle 34-19 in the Regular season

What the Saints do Right :

Offense can score points & Can Pass on any down.

Questions

With Injuries at RB (Ivory & Thomas), Can the Saints Run when they have to ...  read more

I have said it many times in the past that successful handicapping is more than just looking at numbers and tracking trends. A truely successful handicapper is one that not only looks at the numbers but takes into account any and all other variables that pertain to the game, whether they be matchup angles, injuries, weather, rest, etc. However, that is not to discredit the NFL Picks technical ...  read more

The 2010 season has been again, stimulating. Never are sports fans left without anything to say after a season in the sport of your choice. All sports fans look forward to their respective season after the current ones end. Some hope for better ones, some hope for continued dominance.

This year, in 2010, we have seen some of our favorite teams ...  read more

MNF Preview – Saints/Falcons (ESPN) – 8:35 pm ET by Steve Merril

Current Odds

The Falcons opened as a 2-point home favorite and the line has since risen to -2½ in most locations as 53% of the public is supporting Atlanta according to the consensus sites.

The Over/Under line opened at 47½ total points and has since risen to 49 points as 75% of ...  read more

MNF Preview – Bears vs. Vikings – 8:35 pm ET (ESPN) by Steve Merril

Current Odds

This game was off the board all week until Saturday because of the uncertainty of both the Minnesota starting quarterback and where this game would be played. Once Joe Webb was named the starter and the location was set at the University of Minnesota, the oddsmakers fina ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews a Monday night match-up between the Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden

Milwaukee is last in the NBA in scoring and it’s likely not going to improve with starting point guard Brandon Jennings expected to miss his first career start. The Bucks are averaging 91.6 points per game overall this season, but just ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an NFL matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome.

Kansas City will make the cross-state trek to renew its Governor’s Cup rivalry with the Rams when visiting the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday. The Chiefs will look to keep their record unblemished in games played in the Show-Me State, owning a 6- ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an NFL contest between the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Green Bay is set to travel to New England for the first time since the 2002 season and will play its fourth prime-time game of the season. The Packers will face a daunting task of trying to hand the Patriots a home loss without starting quarte ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an Eastern Conference matchup between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Miami captured its 10th-straight victory on Wednesday night with a 101-95 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and now head on the road to take on the toast of the Big Apple. “It’s always great to play in the Garden, especially with t ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews a Western Conference matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

San Antonio put the finishing touches on a perfect 6-0 home stand with a thrilling 92-90 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on a last second shot by Manu Ginobili. “It was a tough shot,” Ginobili stated after the game. “I got lucky.” T ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews a Thursday night NFL contest between the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

San Francisco has a quick turnaround following its 40-21 home victory over the Seattle Seahawks and will face off against the San Diego Chargers in prime time on Thursday night. The 49ers are 5-0 all-time when playing on Thursday ...  read more

2-Atlanta Falcons (11-2) The well oiled machine of the Atlanta Falcons crushed their 7th in a row, led by Michael Turner finding the end zone 3 times, giving him 11 TD on the year.

3-Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3 ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an Eastern Conference matchup between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Boston has enjoyed some time off since a dominating 93-62 road win over Charlotte on Saturday and will now put its 10-game winning streak on the line against one of the league’s hottest opponents. “They’re probably going to be extr ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews a Monday night matchup between the New Orleans Hornets and Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena.

New Orleans is struggling on the offensive end recently and scored just 23 points in the first half of a 88-70 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. The Hornets defense has allowed 93.4 points in their last 11 games, but have managed to s ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an Eastern Conference matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

Indiana has dropped a season-high four straight games on the road and fell 97-83 to Atlanta on Saturday. The Pacers are an even 11-11 on the season and have produced a 7-5 record against the Eastern Conference this year, including a 3-3 ...  read more

MNF Preview – Ravens at Texans – 8:30 pm ET (ESPN) by Steve Merril

Current Odds

The Ravens opened as a 3-point road favorite and the line has held steady at most books, while a few books do have Baltimore at -2½ -120. The line might rise a bit on Monday night as 76% of the public is backing the Ravens according to the consensus sites.

The Ove ...  read more

It's that time of the week again with I scan the list of NFL Picks games in Wee 14 looking for some of the best techinical ATS winning angles. Last week in this column our NFL Picks technical angles went 0-3 but have been a very respectable 6-3 over the past three weeks of NFL picks. As I caution that proper handicapping of NFL picks involves more than just techinical angles they can give us a ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an Eastern Conference matchup between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Toronto makes the first of two visits to New York City on Wednesday night and hope to continue its success in the Big Apple, as the team won both games at the venue last season. It marked the first time in franchise history the te ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews a Western Conference matchup between the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.

Phoenix is aiming for its longest winning streak of the season and point guard Steve Nash has been instrumental in the team’s recent success. The two-time MVP enjoyed a perfect shooting night in the team’s 125-108 win over Washington ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an Eastern Conference matchup between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center

Miami is looking to win a season-high fifth straight game when visiting the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center on Monday night. The Heat called a players-only meeting after a 106-95 loss at Dallas on November 27th and have won four in a ...  read more

Professional sports handicapper Jeff Mattingly previews an Eastern Conference matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Toronto looks to bounce back from a 116-99 blowout home loss to New York on Sunday and the team has dropped three of five games after a season-high four-game winning streak. “You can go through the list and see who didn’t play well fo ...  read more

NFL Game of the Night – Jets/Patriots (ESPN) – 8:30 pm ET by Steve Merril

Current Odds

The Patriots briefly opened as a -3 -120 favorite last week, but the majority of sportsbooks around the world opened the line at -3½ where it currently stands. A few of the more “public” sportsbooks have risen to -4 as 62% of the public is favoring the Patriots accor ...  read more

I’m guessing not a lot of prognosticators had Dec. 5 circled as a critical juncture in the trajectory of the 2010 NFC South.

But when Atlanta hits Raymond James Stadium at 4 p.m. on Sunday to face Tampa Bay, the division is going to take a significant swing one way or another. This game is not only a crucial one for both of the teams involved, but also it ...  read more

The challenge with NFL Picks during the season is that bookmakers are constantly making adjustments to that the betting public doesn't gain an advantage. This simple issue is one of the main reasons that winning NFL picks are generated by several different aspects and not just one. However, in a bit of a contradiction, over the past two weeks I have published NFL picks utilizing only technica ...  read more

Dallas 8 consecutive games have gone OVER the total. Down 17 on Thanksgiving vs the Saints and didn't quit.

Bengals Defense has good schemes and are well coached. On Offense QB Palmer has lost arm strength, Ocho Cinco is a drama queen that won't go over the middle. T.O. has played suprisingly well.

Jets Defense hasn't been physically dominating as expected. ...  read more

MNF Report – 49ers at Cardinals by Steve Merril

Current Odds

There has been very little movement on the pointspread as the 49ers opened as a 1-point road favorite in most locations, which is still the current number, while a few sportsbook have raised the line to -1½. The public is leaning slightly towards the road team with 54% of the consensus sites ...  read more

Last Sunday I published my first NFL Picks Weekly Techinical Angle plays. These NFL Picks were strickly based on techinical handicapping angles that I found to be the most relevant of the day. As I normally do this time of the year each week, until the end of the NFL Picks season, I will publish three top techinical angles. Keep in mind that there is more to successful NFL Picks handicapping ...  read more

Nash has been in the league for 14 years, he is definitely towards the end of his ca ...  read more

MNF Preview – Broncos at Chargers by Steve Merril

Current Odds

The Chargers opened as a 10-point home favorite and the line has since dropped down to 9½ and 9 in most locations. This is not a surprise as 56% of the public is supporting the Broncos according to the consensus sites.

The Over/Under line opened at 48 and has risen sharply to 50 t ...  read more

MNF Preview – Eagles at Redskins by Steve Merril

Current Odds

The oddsmakers opened Philadelphia as a 3-point road favorite last week and the money has come in Philadelphia, pushing the spread to 3½ in many locations, while others have adjusted the juice only and made the Eagle -3 -125. Oddsmakers are often reluctant to move off the key number of ‘3’ a ...  read more

NFL Game of the Night - Steelers at Bengals by Steve Merril

Current Odds

The Steelers opened as a 3½-point road favorite last week and the money has since pushed the line higher as Pittsburgh is currently a 6 to 6½-point favorite. This is not a surprise as 63% of the public is backing the favorite according to consensus reports.

The public is ...  read more

NFL Game of the Night – Texans/Colts by Steve Merril

Current Odds

The Colts have fluctuated between a 5 to 6-point home favorite during the past week and currently stand -5½ in most locations. The Over/Under on this game opened at 49 and has since risen to the key number of 51. The public is looking for a high-scoring game as 65% of the Covers.com con ...  read more

NFL Game of the Night – Giants at Cowboys by Steve Merril