Archive for June, 2007

NBA Draft 2007 (Part 1)

Friday, June 29th, 2007

This year, as it is each year, the NBA draft drew its own share of enthusiasts. For sports bettors who pay close attention to the ongoing events at the NBA, then you will surely appreciate some inside news on the draft. Sports Illustrated recently published an article on some behind the scene stories about the draft. I don’t know at this point how useful the information would be in the future but here are bits and pieces of the article nonetheless.

Number 1: Yi and the Bucks
“The Chinese contingent was stunned by the draft destination of its home country’s next great basketball product after Yao Ming.

He looked unhappy,” one reporter from Guangdong said, referring to his lack of a smile as he met NBA commissioner David Stern on stage after the pick.
“We’re all shocked. The Bucks were never in China,” a reporter from Shanghai said.
“Yi said he didn’t know anything about the team, the coach, the GM or the city,” the reporter from Guangdong added.

Soon after the pick, rumors were flying about Yi’s future in Milwaukee. A source in an opposing team’s war room, who knew of Fegan’s desire to avoid having his client land in the Minnesota or Milwaukee markets, speculated that “this could get messy.” Would Yi — who’s been described as a Dirk Nowitzki-like big man and not a Yao clone — demand a trade? Would he threaten to remain in China for another season? Or would he eventually come around to the Bucks, who disregarded Fegan’s warnings because they had Yi ranked as the third-highest player on their draft board?”

Let’s look at the next bit of news in the next post.

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The Due Factor

Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

When betting on sports, there are certain things that are not cut in stone yet are as important as anything else.  These things are called intangibles.  For example, a serious sports bettor analyzes the recent performance of teams in a league.  This analysis will show who is playing well and who is playing poorly.  Aside from that, the sports bettor can find out information such as the mindset of the different teams and players as well as the chemistry between players both within the same team and with other teams.

The question, though, is just how much importance should be placed on the recent games when it comes to sports betting?  There is such a thing called due factor, which in essence simply refers to the idea that a team’s performance is about to change because of an extended streak (whether win or lose).

To give you a clearer picture, think about this year’s NBA champs, the Spurs.  Say they were on a winning streak – they’ve won their last 8 games.  The due factor would dictate that their chances of winning the next game have decreased.   Yet does this ring true?

I don’t think so.  The bottom line is that evaluating previous performances is important in determining sports picks but it does not have a predictive value regarding what will happen in the next game.  Though that is the truth, the due factor type of thinking is so common among gamblers – don’t be misled and fall for it as well.

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Sportsbetting and Superstitions – Do They Mix?

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

We know that sportsbetting and information go hand in hand – of that there is no doubt.  Yet how about another factor that seems to be present in many instances in the world of sportsbetting?  I am talking about superstitions.  Do they really matter when it comes to sportsbetting?

Try going to a sportsbook or even just observing both bet takers and bet makers on Friday the 13th.  The chances are that you will see a large majority crossing their fingers or making any other gesture that is supposed to ward of bad luck – all this despite the fact that there is no empirical proof that Friday the 13th brings about worse odds.

Even the athletes themselves have their own superstitions.  Some have to wear a specific piece of clothing.  Others consider a cross-eyed woman bad luck.  Though these beliefs probably stemmed from way back in the Middle Ages, they still exist today – and more than that, they actually hold sway over some people.

Now I don’t know about certain superstitions but there’s this story about Sam Hildreth, a horse trainer.  One night he dreamt of a big hat.  Arriving at the races the next day, he went over the entries for a horse with the name hat.  He actually found two horses – Hatrick and Top Hat.  Being the superstitious man that he was, he bet on both.  As the race went on, the two horses were nose to nose.  It looked as if they would win one-two.  Imagine Hildreth’s excitement!  At the last moment, though, another horse comes out of nowhere, overtakes the two “hats,” and wins.  His name was Sombrero.

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Sportsbetting For Delaware

Tuesday, June 12th, 2007

In a move that could either be good news or bad news depending where you stand, the state of Delaware is planning to come up with a bill that would make sportsbetting legal.  Of course, there is more to it than that – the legal aspect would be extended only to a state-run sportsbook which would be overseen by the Delaware Lottery.

On the state’s part, Republican Representative Vincent Lofink holds evidence that this activity could give the state up to 70 million dollars in revenue.  This figure was included in the results of a study commissioned by the Video Lottery Advisory Council (VLAC) and conducted by Morowitz Gaming Advisors LLC in March. This is surely enough to make the opposition think twice.  However, the professional sports sector is definitely not going to take this sitting down.

According to Jay Moyer, legal counsel to the NFL, “…the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball would make our presence forcefully known.”  He goes on to say that “We stand foursquare in our opposition.”

Why is the professional sports sector taking this stand?  Mainly because they feel that betting corrupts the sport.

Of course, each to his own.  People who are enthusiasts of sportsbetting believe otherwise.  For those residing in Delaware and the surrounding areas, this is good news.  Having a state-sponsored sportsbook will only give them more opportunities to engage in their activities.  We do have to wait and see how things turn out.  You know very well how it is in politics, some things take time.

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The Importance of Information

Wednesday, June 6th, 2007

Sports betting is perhaps one of the most popular activities in the United States today.  Countless people are engaging in betting on most any kind of sport.  With the NBA Finals just coming up, this event is definitely making a lot of money for the sportsbooks at this time.  However, it is a known fact that the NBA is one of the hardest sports to win at with regards to sports betting.  That is not to say that it is impossible to make money betting on it.  So how does one increase his odds of winning at sports betting for the NBA?

As with most other sports, it all boils down to the information that a bettor has in his hands.  Betting on the NBA requires that you, the bettor, know all that is going on in the league – past and present.  Though predicting what might happen in the future based on the past is not a hundred percent sure, the chances of you getting your predictions right are much higher if you know the ins and outs of the league, including the past seasons.

There are tons of information available online for avid NBA sports bettors.  One of the most important things you have to look at are the stats – both individual and team.  If you are betting on a team you have to look at how they performed in the regular season and how they performed against specific teams.  You also have to research on their playoffs and finals performance and base your bets on their tendencies.  Of course, you need to know all about each player – their physical condition, mental strength, and the like.  Having this information will guide you to making bets with high chances of winning.

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