Ivy Basketball

When betting college basketball, the home court is a factor. The home court advantage is a true advantage, because the home team is on their own grounds, which is a familiar and often friendly environment. The fans are typically supportive of the home team. With the pressure of the fans, combined with the road team having to travel, it is often difficult to pick up a straight up win on the road. While it might be challenging a basketball team to win on the road, it does not mean that the visiting team cannot be bet profitably when betting college basketball. A college basketball bettor is well served avoiding the money line when betting the road team.

In college basketball odds, the home team wins outright over 70% of the time, with the favorite team taking down the game over 75% of the time straight up. However, when the point spread is brought into the equation, the away team wins over 52% of the time. If the home team wins outright over 70% of the time, yet the away team comes out on top over 52% of the time, this suggests that the away team is best bet taking points when they are the underdog. To confirm that betting theory, we notice that the away dog wins over 51% of the games played. This confirms that we are best off betting the point spread and taking points when we are betting on a road dog in college basketball.

When the away team is favored, they win over 75% of the time on enemy territory. When the spread comes into play, the away team giving points covers nearly 60% of the time. This suggests that either betting line is a profitable path to follow when betting the road team as the favorite. Considering there is a 15% difference on away favorites between straight up results and the spread, a bettor is best served checking the money line to determine the difference in payout before deciding which way to bet. If the money line sits at 115 or closer, stick with the money line for the visiting favorite. If the money line is above 115, spot the home team points and bet the road favorite via the point spread line.
When betting the away team in college basketball, the basketball bettor is best served taking points when their team is a dog, while looking at the money line to determine the more profitable route in betting them as a favorite, such as the Duke Basketball Team. If the money line exceeds 115, spot the home team points on the bet. However, if the money line is 115 or closer, betting straight up via the money line is the most profitable angle.

Now that all thirty-two teams have qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa it’s time to start looking at what teams have a legitimate shot at winning the event. In past World Cups we have been able to witness some stunning upsets in early rounds and late rounds. This year many people expect the top teams to move forward with ease and not many people have been expecting many upsets, but keep in mind it’s still early.

Most of the online sportsbooks have already posted the odds for the outright winner of the 2010 World Cup. Generally if you bet on big events like this early you’ll be able to receive the best odds possible on the favourite teams. Once money starts coming in on the favourites you’re going to notice that the odds begin to fall. On the other hand, if you’re going to be betting on some underdog teams you might want to wait until closer to the event in 2010 as the odds may move up.

The favourite to win the World Cup at this point is Spain at 9/2 world cup odds. I have a feeling that these odds will stay where they are for awhile, but if the books start getting lots of action on Spain you might see the odds fall a bit. The next two teams that the bookies have given a good shot at winning the World Cup are Brazil at 5/1 odds and England at 6/1 odds. There is some definite value in these teams at these odds so if you’re thinking about picking one of them I would think about jumping on the current odds while they’re available.

After the initial three heavy favourites to win the 2010 World Cup there are several teams grouped together with some fairly juicy odds if you like underdogs. You can currently bet on Argentina at 9/1, Germany at 12/1, Italy at 14/1, Holland at 14/1 and France at 15/1. With odds like this you can basically find value in any of these teams. As most of you know, anything can happen in the World Cup and I’m sure the outright favourites will have a run for their money with the teams listed above.

If you’re looking to do some serious world cup betting on a huge underdog at the upcoming 2010 World Cup then you have plenty of options. You can bet on your home country to win the event or you can look at some other nations including Portugal at 18/1, Chile at 45/1, USA at 66/1 and Ghana at 66/1. You can bet on whichever team you would like to route for at the World Cup as the sportsbooks have odds posted for all thirty-two teams.

There is no doubt that the 2010 World Cup is going to be a very fun filled time with lots of money being thrown around. Make sure you analyze the match-ups and make smart bets throughout the event so that you can walk out a winner. As the event becomes closer to kicking off you can expect to find a lot more 2010 World Cup betting odds available apart from picking the outright winner.

One has to wonder how www.BetFair.com Poker could be suffering from such stability issues with the World Series of Poker Europe, sponsored by BetFair, only a week away. Even BodogPoker, who’s suffered their own share of financial difficulties in recent months, has reportedly out-performed BetFair Poker.

BetFair Poker immediately took the opportunity to latch onto the inaugural WSOP Europe last year, expecting a potentially significant increase in membership at the online poker room. Apparently this has not been the case, as BetFair Poker continues to struggle in the vast online gambling market.

Among the top ranked online poker rooms in regards to active, real-money player traffic (as of September 15, 2008), BetFair Poker comes in at the 16th position, just ahead PKRPoker.com and two spots behind www.BodogPoker.com. In terms of online poker rooms that do not accept US players, the top three online poker networks are the iPoker Network, PartyPoker and the OnGame Network, with BetFair taking the 9th spot.

BodogPoker has made headlines since early summer, 2008, starting with the seizure of several bank accounts (as reported by Forbes.com), and followed up with the lay-off of 200 employees and numerous reports of bounced checks from affiliates. Even so, BodogPoker sits two positions above BetFair Poker.

PokerStar.net, the largest online poker room in the world (US players accepted) upstaged BetFair Poker last weekend at EPT Barcelona when BetFair’s contracted endorsement deal with Canadian pro Sorel Mizzi was overshadowed by his label “PokerStars.net Qualifier”, as listed by organizers of the EPT title event.

BetFair had another idea to increase its popularity – inviting record-breaking Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps to take a seat at the WSOPE, on the house. Phelps, though appreciative of the offer, chose instead to endorse the legendary Doyle Brunson by teaming up with DoylesRoomPoker.

Even though its online poker room has struggled with campaigns for increased traffic, cherry red casino continues to hold the top position in the UK online betting exchange market, raking in more than £50 million per week. That kind of success should ensure BetFair’s impeccable financial security across all gambling markets.

If you have never done any good tennis betting before on the internet using an online sportsbook and you’re interested in learning more about how to bet online then you should continue reading through this guide. Many people think that betting online is either really difficult or a complete scam, but these people couldn’t be more wrong. It only takes a few minutes to start betting online and as long as you use a sportsbook that is credible you won’t have any problems receiving your payouts.

Once you have set-up your account and made your deposit you will be able to start betting on tennis. Tennis is played throughout most of the year and you can find matches almost on a daily basis while the season is being played. Most sportsbooks will allow you to wager on tennis matches in multiple countries as well which opens up the opportunities to wager regularly. One thing you need to remember though is that you don’t want to bet on a tennis match simply because you want some action. If you bet for the sake of having action then you’re going to come out a loser more times then not. You need to make sure that you find an edge in the match-up before you make your wager.

If you’ve never bet on tennis and you don’t know how to read the tennis betting odds of the match it’s quite simple. Most online sportsbooks will post the odds of a tennis match using moneyline odds. Below is an example of how you will see the odds posted on most sportsbooks.

* Andy Roddick -220 vs. Rafael Nadal +130

The – means that Roddick is the favourite in the event and you need to pay juice. In order to win $100 on Roddick you would need to risk $220. If you risked $100 only on Nadal you would win $130 profit simply because the bookies have him as the underdog. In tennis you will find a lot of the odds are not really worth betting. For instance, if Nadal is a -1500 favourite against a no-name player then you would need to risk $15 for every $1 profit you win. It is hardly worth risking $150 to win $10 which is why tennis can be hard to bet on at times.

You need to try and focus on the tennis matches where the odds stay within the -200 range maximum. The matches will obviously be harder to cap, but as long as you only bet on matches where you have found an edge then you should come out ahead. It’s important that if you want to post profits while betting on tennis you also manage your bankroll properly. If you lose a couple matches you need to stick with your unit size and not increase the amount you bet per match because this typically only costs you money.

Betting on tennis can be profitable as well as enjoyable, but it can also cause a lot of headaches if you don’t do it right. Try to make sure you read a lot of tips and strategy before you start betting on tennis so that you’re prepared. The last thing you want to do is dig yourself in a hole before you even get off the ground.

The NBA draft is usually something to look forward to each year as a sports fan. It’s arguably the sport with the most recognizable names and faces, making for dramatic announcements and trades throughout the event. This year, however, once you got past Griffin, it started to go downhill pretty quick into obscurity. Nevertheless, there are some gems in the college basketball betting field that you’ll want to study and follow throughout their rookie season. If they don’t have an immediate impact on their team winning games this coming season, they just might during their sophomore year. Or, they might not. Hate to play spoiler, but there’s a whole lot of Sam Bowie potential in this year’s draft.

I’m actually going to start with Blake, because I think, while the basketball betting Clippers really had no choice, he’s nowhere near the game changer everyone seems to think he is. I can see him settling in as a nice Ron Artest, 14 points per game type guy, but in no way would I predict (or put money on) him rising to superstar, or even star, status. Bet on him being a role player that’s capable of creating his own shot when he needs to. His size gets him caught in-between positions, which could actually work out to be a good thing for him. He can muscle away some smaller forwards, but can’t really bang with the big guys down low. Don’t get caught up in the hype, avoid the Clippers as you normally would.

Hasheem Thabeet lands on the Grizzlies, a team still in search of a point. Not a point guard, just a point of existence. That aside, this athletic shot-blocker is a one-dimensional option who didn’t really deserve to go No. 2. I’m getting tired of NBA players who can’t score. It’s the big leagues, boys, you should be able to do everything, and really well. I don’t care how well you can jump for a rebound, leave the Ben Wallace’s, Joakim Noah’s and Thabeet’s at home and give me some more points. Defense might win championships, but offense wins fans, baby. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you Thabeet won’t have much of an impact on the Grizzlies’ winning percentage this year or the next.

And finally, Ricky Rubio. Yeah, for some reason the Wolves den is now crowded with rookie point guards, but Rubio will be the star, and he WILL impact the team’s winning percentage. Even at the ripe young age of 18, you can expect some flash and dazzle from him. Now, the Wolves were 24-58 last year, I wouldn’t exactly bank on them getting back to the playoffs (nor would they have a shot at escaping the first round even if they did). But a 9-10 game turnaround is not out of the question, nor is a .500 season the next year. If you’re watching the Wolves as either a team to bet on or against, you also have to wonder if a Jonny Flynn deal is actually going to come? And if not, how long until someone gets unhappy about playing time?

March 21: Hawks at Cavs: Atlanta’s quietly put itself in the #4 seed in the East, just under the three powerhouse teams, of which the Cavs are a part of. Won’t matter come Saturday, expect a 9-point line in favor of the Cavs, who, despite Atlanta’s 6-game win streak to match that of Cleveland’s, will roll over the Hawks. The Cavs, despite what I still consider to be a great NBA betting option, and a lack of championship depth, will almost assuredly increase their record-threatening home record pace. By the way, Cleveland beats teams by an average of 9 points a game…best in the entire league.

March 21: New York Knicks at Orlando: Another great Eastern Conference Saturday game, this time between a team in the Magic trying to prove they belong in that elite class, and the Knicks, beaming from a renewed sense of confidence stemming from their recent and unexpected road success. The Knicks still have a mountain to climb to reach that #8 spot, but to hear it from their mouths, they have as good a shot as anyone. I doubt it, though. The stink from Isaiah Thomas’ awful management skills will keep this team down for at least another year. I’ll put the NBA Odds at 2:1 and give the Magic a 7-point line, but I wouldn’t be so quick to plunk down a huge chunk of change on them. Confidence can carry a team a long way, especially on the road these days. If the line is that large, I’d give the Knicks a chance.

March 21: Lakers at Bulls: Sticking with the Saturday theme, and since this one is on national TV for everyone to watch, the best team in the West comes and visits the two-faced, often inexplicably horrible Chicago Bulls. As much as it pains me to speak ill of my Bulls, they’re just an NBA odds train wreck. For a team with this much talent, they should be right up there with the Hawks fighting for home court in the first round, but instead they’re fighting with the Bucks, Knicks and others for the right to get plowed by the Cavs. How ironic it used to be Chicago waiting to prey on the sacrificial #8 seed. Anyway, Lakers get a 10-point line here, and easily cover. Bulls will start to fade even more as we come down the home stretch. All they can hope for is another miracle in the lottery and maybe some production out of their big men next year.