Archive for October, 2008
Here’s the latest betting strategy update from the team at Bodog Sportsbook.
Perhaps you’ve heard that old chestnut about the wheat and the chessboard. Long story short, put one grain of wheat on the first square, two on the second, four on the third, and keep doubling that amount until all 64 squares are covered. How many grains of wheat is that? 18,446,744,073,709,551,615. Even if you made the Earth a giant wheat farm, it would take 80 years to harvest that much grain.
That’s the power of parlays. Of course, your chances of picking 64 correct games out of 64 is frightfully small: (that number up there) to 1. So let’s start smaller. Let’s say you’re looking at this week’s NFL matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, and let’s say you like both the Ravens (+1.5) and the under on the total of 36.5 points (For current lines, see Bodoglife.com). You could wager $110 on each of them separately for a potential profit of $200, or you could place a single $110 parlay bet and earn $286 if both the Ravens and the under cash in. You pay half as much, and you win more.
You’ll already have noticed that’s $286 and not $330 on odds of 3-1. That factors in the juice the book collects for processing the bet. Every 2-team parlay (where the juice is –110 on each item in the parlay) is given odds of 2.6-1. Here is the full “fixed odds” list:
2-team 2.6-1
3-team 6-1
4-team 12-1
5-team 25-1
6-team 35-1
7-team 75-1
8-team 100-1
9-team 150-1
10-team 300-1
11-team 450-1
12-team 600-1
As you can see, those payouts can get pretty big – up to a maximum of $100,000. The more teams you parlay, the higher the risk and the juice as well as the payout. You can put together any combination of football and basketball games, using both pointspreads and totals.
There are a few simple things to know about parlays before making the plunge. The first is that every team in the parlay has to win to get paid. Four out of five is not good enough. However, if there is a push, that team gets taken out of the equation. Let’s say you have a 3-team parlay where one of the games ended in a push. That game is removed, and you proceed with your remaining 2-team parlay at 2.6-1 odds. If you started with a 2-team parlay and you get a push, the other team is treated as if it were an ordinary straight bet instead.
Get in on parlay betting with Bodog online sports betting.
An easy parlay strategy that many sharps employ is to bet the pointspread and the total on the same game, as we did in the above example. One important benefit is that you’re studying almost entirely the same handicapping information, so it’s a major timesaver – there’s a reason why they say time is money. You can also expect the underdog to have a better chance of covering if the score is low, particularly if the favorite is laying a ton of points. The underdog-under and favorite-over parlays are value bets following this line of reasoning. (Please note, however, that Bodog does not take action on correlated parlays.)
We’re into parlays so much that we’re pleased to be holding a special Parlay Promotion contest that earns you bonus points for all the parlays that you hit, all the way up to the end of the NFL regular season. There are weekly prizes available for the bettors who rack up the most points, and the more teams you parlay at once, the more points you get. Make sure to visit bodoglife.com to check out the rules and regulations, as well as the prizes you can win.
TAGS: Sports Betting Strategies
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>>The latest sportsbook review on what’s hot and not about Bodog Sports here at BookieLabRat.com
>>Compare Bodog to JustBet and Bookmaker.com, the other two online sports betting sites that offer safe, secure betting services to bettors from around the world including Americans.
October 30th, 2008
Here’s a quick summary of the bookie offers available on EPL football betting this weekend (1-3 November 2008). For the full listing of all Stake-back betting specials across all sports at the top online bookmakers check out the “Bookie Cash Backs & Specials” page at GoonersGuide.com. (It’s updated daily).
When Harry Met Scally!
Tottenham v Liverpool – Sat. 5.30pm Setanta
If Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher score the last goal, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on the match. Max Refund E300/£200 per customer. If either player plays no part in the match the special will revert to if the last goal is scored from outside the box.
Perfect Ten
Premier League 1 November – 3 November
If the last goal of the game in any of the following games is scored by a player wearing the number 10, Boyle Sports will refund all losing single first/last/anytime goal scorer bets on that particular match. Max refund €300 or currency equivalent.
Everton Fulham Chelsea v Sunderland
Man Utd v Hull Middlesbro v West Ham
Portsmouth v Wigan Stoke v Arsenal
West Brom v Blackburn Tottenham v Liverpool
Bolton v Man City Newcastle v Aston Villa
1st Scorer 2nd Chance
All Premier League Games: Place a 1st goal scorer bet and if your player fails to score the 1st goal but scores at any other time in the match, Victor Chandler will refund your stake as a free bet on any future match. Max refund £100 (€120) per person per match.
Premier League Second Chance Special
Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic – Saturday, 01 November
If your bet loses and 5 or more goals are scored in this match, Canbet will refund your bet (Correct Score Only). Maximum bonus is £50 (€65)
Premier League Second Chance Special
Bolton Wanderers v Manchester City – Monday, 02 November
If your bet loses and any player scores a hatrick (3 goals) in this match, Canbet will refund your bet (Correct Score Only). Maximum bonus is £50 (€65)
Bet365 Bore Draw Offer
Place a pre-match correct score, double result or scorecast bet on ANY FOOTBALL MATCH and Bet365 will refund losing stakes if the match finishes 0-0.
Premier League Picks Contest
Are you a better football tipster than Victor Chandler? Predict the correct score for the following four matches (played on Saturday 1st November 2008).
Chelsea v Sunderland
Man Utd v Hull
Stoke v Arsenal
Tottenham v Liverpool
You receive a mythical £1 on each correct score you choose. If your prediction is correct your mythical £1 will be settled at the VC Bet price on that correct score. Every one who Beats Victor’s total points score from the four matches wins a £5 free bet and if you are the tipster with the largest overall return you win a £500 free bet.
October 30th, 2008
The gambling world is about to go into overdrive. Basketball is second only to football in popularity among handicappers, and the NBA is the king of the hardcourt between now and March Madness. Millions of dollars will exchange hands. Some of it could go directly into your pocket!
The 2008-09 season begins Tuesday, but the sharpest handicappers have already been doing their homework and keeping track of all the offseason changes. If you’re behind the curve, no sweat. A quick brush-up will instantly make you sharper than a large percentage of the betting public.
The new season starts with three teams hogging the spotlight. The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a dramatic NBA Finals; the Lakers are favored at 3-1 to win the title this time, with the Celtics a close second at 7-2. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the third team in question. They’re a second-tier pick at 12-1, but James is a +250 co-favorite with L.A.’s Kobe Bryant to win the league’s MVP award.
All three of these teams have made aggressive personnel changes over the past couple of years: Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Boston, Pau Gasol to Los Angeles, and a revamped supporting cast for James in Cleveland. The Cavs have the most room for improvement of the three, especially after going 45-37 SU and 37-45 ATS last year.
The Lakers figure to play better as well with Andrew Bynum in the middle. He was enjoying a breakout season last year (18.3 points and 14.1 rebounds per 40 minutes) until a knee injury put him down for the count after just 35 games. The statheads at Basketball Prospectus compare Bynum’s production to Dwight Howard’s in Orlando. Bynum certainly doesn’t share Howard’s profile, so the argument can be made that Los Angeles still has some betting value.
We can’t predict how healthy Bynum will stay, but we should get a very good sense of how well Bynum and Gasol will mesh when the Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader on TNT. The first game, conveniently enough, features the Celtics and the Cavs. Boston faces a potential downgrade with Garnett at age 32 and Allen at age 33, but the Celtics and Lakers both have young, strong benches that keep their teams competitive through the inevitable injuries and fatigue of an 82-game season.
Again, the Celtics, Lakers and Cavaliers are at the center of public attention. It’s natural to want to pay attention to them – they play outstanding basketball. But if you’re interested in making real money, the trick is to find the next big thing, the rising team that the betting public undervalues. That could very well be the Trail Blazers. They’ve improved from 21 to 32 to 41 wins over the last three seasons, and they’ve added two potential instant stars in Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez. Portland has moved from 50-1 at the open to 35-1 to win the title this year; perhaps Oden-Fernandez will be this year’s Garnett-Allen.
It helps that the Portland franchise is all alone in a Pacific Northwest market that used to include Seattle and Vancouver. Being isolated from the national media consciousness is a great way to sneak up on the pay window. It’s worked for the Toronto Raptors for years, although the 2007-08 season was a disappointment at 39-42-1 ATS. Trading for Jermaine O’Neal is expected to take the Raptors (25-1 title odds) to the next level; at the other end of that trade, T.J. Ford will be a big help for the Indiana Pacers, who have been largely ignored the past two seasons.
The biggest turnaround story of the year might end up coming from Los Angeles – the Clippers, that is. Losing Elton Brand to the Philadelphia 76ers was painful, but getting Marcus Camby from Denver for virtually nothing goes a long way toward replacing Brand’s production. Brand’s defection also took some of the spotlight away from the big Baron Davis signing. The bench is awful, but the poor man’s Big Three of Davis, Camby and Chris Kaman has a chance to do some excellent work in the media shadow of the Lakers.
There are dozens of sharp NBA bets out there waiting to be found just by using a simple value-based approach like this. And there’s a lot to be said for being a trendsetter instead of a bandwagon-jumper.
>>Get into the NBA Basketball betting at Bodog Sportsbook.
For more on Bodog Sportsbook:
>>Bodog Sport Review at BookieLabRat.com
>>Review of Bodog Sportsbook at GoonersGuide.com
Compare US-friendly online sportsbooks (Bodog Sportsbook, JustBet, Bookmaker.com)
October 27th, 2008
Last week’s USC-Washington State matchup was one for the history books. The Trojans were 42.5-point away favorites, the highest spread USC has faced on the road since Pete Carroll took over the program. That was enough chalk to send bettors scurrying to Washington State’s side.
Whoops. The Trojans won 69-0, improving to 5-1 SU and a healthy 4-2 ATS. But dealing with giant chalk is old hat for USC. This team has been favored by double-digits in every game this season. They don’t always cover – in fact, the Trojans have suffered some high-profile losses over the past couple of years to Stanford (+39) and Oregon State (+24). But USC gets the job done more often than not at 20-12 ATS in the Carroll Era when favored by at least 20 points.
These massive spreads are becoming more and more common. There was only one such occurrence in Carroll’s first two years at the helm, then six in 2003 as the program won the first of two back-to-back national championships. But the Trojans aren’t the only team finding itself laying three touchdowns or more on a regular basis. The Texas Longhorns are 7-0 SU and ATS this year; their first four games were all blowouts with no spread lower than 23. Penn State just beat Michigan (+24.5) by a 46-17 score.
These mismatches are great value opportunities for chalkeaters. Handicapping becomes less of an exact science the higher the spread gets. Casual bettors flee from these situations, or worse, take the underdog and the points. Some underdogs are better than others, of course, but simply hammering every team at –20 or higher would have earned you big bucks this year at 49-34-2 ATS.
Check out the college football spreads in the Bodog online sportsbook.
The higher the chalk gets, the more risk-averse bettors become. There are even many sharps who will avoid going too far into the deep end, preferring to sift carefully through the underdogs for value. However, it is exactly this risk aversion that makes the market so soft at the extreme. The books have to put a lid on the chalk at some point just to get people to support the favorite. And while laying 42.5 points to Washington State may appear risky, it’s actually a lot safer than being a small fave against a competitive team, which the Cougars most certainly are not.
The best time to use this strategy is during the opening three weeks, when most of the alpha males in the FBS are playing “cupcake” opponents in non-conference action. Many of these games won’t even have a betting line because the opponent in question is from the FCS, the former Division I-AA. But there are plenty of FCS-quality teams in the lower conferences. Arizona (-26.5) got to play the lowly Idaho Vandals from the WAC in the season opener and crushed them 70-0. In all, teams laying 20 points or more went 22-12-2 ATS through the first three weeks of the 2008 campaign.
It’s been a yo-yo ride since then, although the –20 Crew remains 27-22 ATS over the past five weeks. Markets tend to tighten as more and more football gets played and the public gets a better handle on how good these teams actually are. As well, you’ll find more occasions (especially in early conference play) where the underdog will play with a lot more passion than during the non-con portion of the schedule. Motivation is a powerful force, and the athletes we’re dealing with are teenagers fighting for school and personal pride. Weeding out these scenarios ahead of time will help keep your investment in chalk from turning sour.
For more on Bodog online sportsbook check out the latest reviews onsite at:
>>Bodog Sport Bookmaker Review (BookieLabRat.com)
>>Review and Rating of Bodog Sportsbook (GoonersGuide.com)
>>Compare Bodog to other popular offshore online sportsbooks that accept American bettors
October 24th, 2008
Here’s what the team at Bodog Sports think you’ll be betting on this week… and we think they’re probably right!
What’ll it be this week? We’ve got a Rays-Phillies World Series, the halfway point of the NFL season, college football matchups with major title implications, a fresh sheet of hockey games – it’s Oktoberfest for handicappers. And just think: NBA action starts next week.
These are the Top 5 games of the week (all times Eastern):
1. NCAAF: No. 3 Penn State at No. 9 Ohio State (Saturday, 8:00 p.m.)
The college gridiron takes the spotlight away from the pros, at least for one week. The Nittany Lions (8-0 SU, 5-1-1 ATS) are playing like they’re the best team in the nation, destroying opponents by an average score of 45-12. Ohio State (7-1 SU, 2-5 ATS) only has the loss to USC on the record, but the Buckeyes were having trouble getting their offense going until last week’s 45-7 thrashing of Michigan State (+3.5 at home). Beanie Wells ran 31 times for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Stopping him will stop the Buckeyes.
Ohio State easily won the last two meetings SU and ATS. The home team is 8-2 SU and 9-1 ATS over the past 10 years.
2. NCAAF: No. 6 Oklahoma State at No. 1 Texas (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)
Over in the Big 12, the No. 1 Longhorns have yet to be corralled at 7-0 SU and ATS. But the rival Cowboys have also stormed up the rankings at 7-0 SU and 6-0 ATS. They can’t both get paid on Saturday. Texas has won every single game between these two clubs this past decade, going 7-3 ATS. That’s old news now, though. OSU has flourished this year under coach Mike Gundy, and his team has betting value as the lesser hyped of the two parties involved. ‘Pokes QB Zac Robinson (14 TDs, four INTs) is not far behind Heisman frontrunner Colt McCoy (19 TDs, three INTs) in production.
3. NFL: N.Y. Giants at Pittsburgh (Sunday, 4:15 p.m.)
Here’s a classic East Coast slugfest with the added bonus of a 50-50 chance of rain at press time. The Giants lead the NFC East at 5-1 (4-2 ATS), while the Steelers are atop the AFC North at the same 5-1 (3-3 ATS). That’s about where the similarities end. The Giants are running one of the best offenses in the NFL, while Pittsburgh has relied on its defense to keep the team in the game. New York is playing at a higher level overall; those three points seem like a gift, even at –125 juice. But buyer beware: The Steelers are 9-2 SU and 7-4 ATS in their last 11 at home.
4. MLB: World Series Game 1; Philadelphia at Tampa Bay (Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.)
The entire MLB postseason has been one big moneymaking opportunity for handicappers – simply put, there’s a lot of dumb money out there right now waiting to be scooped up. Most of the interest in this series will be regional, as fans of the Phillies and Rays bet on their own teams. Philadelphia has made the biggest playoff profit up to this point at 7-2 and 5.83 units in the black. Tampa Bay is 7-4 with 2.69 units. The Rays took two of three interleague games from Philly back in 2006 but haven’t played since. Both clubs are –105 on the moneyline for Wednesday’s matchup with southpaws Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir on the mound.
5. MMA: Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote, UFC 90 (Saturday, PPV starts at 10:00 p.m.)
Cote might be gone in 60 seconds. Silva is undefeated in the Octagon at 7-0, dispatching four of his opponents in the first round, most recently James Irvin in July with a devastating KO punch at 1:01. The UFC’s middleweight champion is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world; Silva is a titanic –650 favorite in this bout. Cote has been training in Montreal with Georges St. Pierre and is 4-0 in UFC since appearing in The Ultimate Fighter 4.
Honorable Mentions:
NFL: Tampa Bay at Dallas (Sunday, 1:00 p.m.)
NCAAF: No. 7 Georgia at No. 13 LSU (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)
NHL: Boston at Buffalo (Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.)
NASCAR: Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
For more on Bodog online sportsbook check out the latest reviews onsite at:
>>Bodog Sport Bookmaker Review (BookieLabRat.com)
>>Review and Rating of Bodog Sportsbook (GoonersGuide.com)
>>Visit Bodog Sports for a look around
>>Compare Bodog to other popular offshore online sportsbooks that accept American bettors
October 22nd, 2008
Here are the latest betting picks for the best action this week on US sports. It’s from the team at Bodog online sportsbook.
It’s like being a kid in a candy store. Everywhere you turn, there’s a game being played: NFL, college football, the MLB playoffs, hockey, NASCAR’s Chase for the Cup – and there’s more where that came from. We’re here this and every week to highlight the biggest games and the best betting opportunities on the sports calendar.
These are the Top 5 games of the week (all times Eastern):
1. NFL: Indianapolis at Green Bay (Sunday, 4:15 p.m.)
Bettors can look forward to an impressive display of offense from both teams in this matchup. The Colts (3-2 SU and ATS) are coming off their best game of the season and second payday in a row, a 31-3 dismantling of the sterling Baltimore Ravens defense. QB Peyton Manning said it felt like the first game of the regular season; he even found Marvin Harrison in the end zone twice. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was also sharp in last week’s 27-17 win over Seattle to lift Green Bay to 3-3 SU and ATS.
The Packers are 1.5-point underdogs at home; this will be the fourth time in five games that Green Bay has gotten points. The Colts have been favored in all five of their contests.
2. NCAAF: No. 12 Missouri at No. 1 Texas (Saturday, 8:00 p.m.)
This Big 12 battle looks a lot different now than it did even a week ago. Texas upset the Sooners (-7) in the Red River Shootout to take the top spot in the polls. Missouri lost its first game of the year to Oklahoma State (+14) and fell from No. 2 in the polls; now the Tigers have to assume the underdog role for the first time this season. We’ll see two Heisman QB candidates go at it; Chase Daniel and Colt McCoy have 33 touchdown throws and just seven interceptions between them. Missouri is on an 8-0 ATS streak in away games, but Texas is 6-0 ATS this year.
3. NCAAF: No. 11 Ohio State at No. 17 Michigan State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)
Ohio State’s offense is stuck in neutral. The Buckeyes are 1-5 ATS (6-1 SU), and so is the over as the team makes the midseason transition from Todd Boeckman to Terrelle Pryor at quarterback. Pryor and Beanie Wells are keeping the ball on the ground for OSU, which also keeps the scoring down. Ohio State won the past five meetings with the Spartans straight up, although MSU cashed in last year as a 17-point road dog in a 24-17 loss.
4. MLB: ALCS Game 4; Tampa Bay at Boston (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
There will be more important games later in the week as we get closer to eliminating one of these two excellent AL East teams. For now, we’ll deal with Tuesday’s pivotal Game 4; Tampa Bay has a 2-1 series lead after beating up on Jon Lester in Monday’s 9-1 victory at Fenway. The Rays were +175 in that one; they’ll be road dogs again on Tuesday with Andy Sonnanstine taking on Tim Wakefield. Tampa Bay is 5-2 in these playoffs (2-1 as the underdog) with a profit of 2.74 units.
5. Boxing: Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins (Saturday, 11:00 p.m.)
There’s no strap on the line for this bout, and it takes place on the same day as the UFC 89 show. But Pavlik-Hopkins is the marquee fight of the weekend. Pavilk is undefeated at 34-0 and gaining so much fan support that he’s a –350 favorite over the 43-year-old Hopkins. His last fight was a split-decision loss in April to Joe Calzaghe. This is actually a catch-weight fight at 170 pounds and not a light-heavyweight bout as some reports suggest. Hopkins has been fighting in this weight range for the past two years; Pavlik was 159 pounds when he knocked out Gary Lockett in June.
Honorable Mentions
NFL: New Orleans at Carolina (Sunday, 1:00 p.m.)
NCAAF: No. 23 Vanderbilt at No. 9 Georgia (Saturday, 12:30 p.m.)
NHL: Boston at Montreal (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
NASCAR: 2008 TUMS QuikPak 500 at Martinsville Speedway (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
MMA: Michael Bisping vs. Chris Leben, UFC 89 (Saturday night in Birmingham, England; main card via tape delay at 9:00 p.m. on Spike TV)
To get your bets on NFL, NCAAF, MLB, and Boxing visit Bodog Sport
For more about Bodog Sportsbook (BodogLife.com) check out the latest reviews online:
>>BookieLabRat.com Review of Bodog Sportsbook
>>GoonersGuide.com Bodog Sport Review and Rating
>>Compare Bodog to other top US-friendly online sportsbooks here
October 16th, 2008
BetFair Celebrates 2 Millionth Customer!
A Swedish man became Betfair’s two-millionth customer after he placed a small bet in favor of John McCain’s White House bid, the eight-year-old online betting company announced today.
Betfair, who reached the one-million mark almost two years ago, rewarded the 59-year-old with a V.I.P. weekend for two in London.
“In a year when we won a Queen’s Award for International Trade, it is fitting that Betfair’s two-millionth account comes from outside the U.K.,” said David Yu, chief executive of Betfair, in a prepared statement. “Our international customers are already an essential part of our business, and they are growing larger in number every day.”
If you rate yourself as a fairly savvy bettor and are prepared to do your homework to make some betting profits – isn’t it time you joined Betfair Betting Exchange?
…
Check out the latest views and reviews on BetFair Betting exchange:
>>Betfair Review at GoonersGuide.com
>>BetFair Review at BookieLabRat.com
PS: Betting Exchanges let you offer your own odds to other punters. You can also accept odds offered by other bettors. No bookies are involved – the odds are offered by punters (like you) and the Exchange charges commission for facilitating the traded bet. A straight win single bet is called a “back” bet. You can also place “lay” bets (betting that an outcome will not occur)… and you can often trade bets while a game is in play.
>>Compare the top 2 Betting Exchanges here at BookieLabRat.com.
October 16th, 2008
Here’s a quick rundown of Week 6 NFL betting action courtesy of the team at BodogLife.com online sportsbook.
Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans
The Dolphins have shown improvement and beat two good teams the last two weeks; they are due to learn another lesson. Their secondary isn’t deep enough. Eventually they will get exposed again as they did versus Arizona. Andre Johnson is playing like a man and he should be able to bring them back to reality.
Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta has the second best rushing offense in the league so far and Michael Turner has looked almost unstoppable at home. Brian Urlacher doesn’t care. Chicago will shut down the run and force “Matty Ice” to go downfield.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts 
Peyton Manning and company were practically given the game by the Texans last weekend. The Ravens’ defense has been playing extremely well; even Ray Lewis is playing like a 20-year-old again. Peyton Manning vs. Joe Flacco? Peyton is going to get his timing back eventually and when he does the Ravens won’t be able to keep up.
Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Lions are the only team right now with a legitimate shot at going 0-16. Rod Marinelli needs to blow this team up and start over. As a coordinator. In college.
Oakland Raiders vs. New Orleans Saints
The Raiders are like that cousin who went to juvie for six months for exposing himself on a playground and then comes over to your family for Thanksgiving dinner and your mom tells you that you have to play with him. Sure, he seems a little awkward but then one day he just goes batshit crazy and becomes dangerous. The Saints will win if they just sit around awkwardly and keep the Raiders busy until their plane leaves.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets
Brett Farve is the highest rated QB so far this season. The Bengals defense doesn’t stand a chance. This may be a good game to see Kellen Clemens in the fourth quarter. Ma and Pa Clemens will be so proud.
Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
The Bucs defense is playing well, even in the losses. The Carolina Panthers are going to have to take a page out of Denver’s book and find a way to win this thing at the end. Playing on the road, though, might make it impossible.
St. Louis Rams vs. Washington Redskins
The Rams will be a tougher team under Jim Haslett, but it might take them a few weeks to all get on the same page. The Redskins, on the other hand, are on the same page and playing great. The Redskins should come out on top of a surprisingly close game.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos
The Jags are not playing tough mentally. The Broncos have more guts than brains. At home in the thin air of Mile High Stadium, they should be able to send Jacksonville home with another loss.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals
T.O. will start to get the ball again. He just has to be patient as teams see that keying on him is opening up the field too much for Jason Witten. Dallas will bury the Cards in the desert, but this game might break the scoreboard in the process.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers 
Donovan McNabb is going to have to really take his play to another level with the injury to Brian Westbrook. Westbrook is probably going to try and play, but watch for some extra fumbles and misplayed hand-offs as his rib-protecting flak jacket gets in the way. Of course, none of that should matter because they are playing the 49ers.
Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Green Bay looked awfully exposed in a few areas the last couple of weeks. Their secondary is completely different without Al Harris and they are soft on the edge without Cullen Jenkins on their d-line. This is going to be one that Seattle steals.
New England Patriots vs. San Diego Chargers
Randy Moss is back. The Chargers’ secondary isn’t. The amount of INTs generated by Shawne Merriman’s pass rush was completely underestimated. Without him, Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer look mediocre at best. The Patriots win another.
New York Giants vs. Cleveland Browns
Really? This shouldn’t even be close. The Browns will come one step closer to the Brady Quinn era.
Bet on all the NFL odds for Week 6 action at the Bodog online sportsbook.
Compare Bodog to the other two popular online sportsbooks for US bettors here at BookieLabRat.com.
October 9th, 2008
Here’s the latest round up of offers from sportsbooks on the weekend’s World Cup Qualifiers. Bookie cash-back deals do pay-out surprisingly often and are well worth a look.
Heads You Win
Scotland v Norway – England v Kazakhstan – Wales v Liechtenstein – Slovenia v N.Ireland
If the last goal scored is a header in any of the above games, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st /last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on that match. Own goals do not count. Max Refund €300/£200 per customer
Home Nations
Scotland v Norway, Wales v Liechtenstein and Slovenia v Northern Ireland (11 October)
If James McFadden, Craig Bellamy or David Healy score the last goal during their game on Saturday – BetFred will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets as a free bet on that particular match. Maximum refund is £100 (or your currency equivalent) per customer.
Theo Cash Back
England v Kazakhstan Saturday 11th October
If Theo Walcott scores the last goal in the England v Kazakhstan game on Saturday – BetFred will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets as a free bet.
Bore Draw
Place a pre-match correct score, double result or scorecast bet on ANY FOOTBALL MATCH and Bet365 will refund losing stakes if the match finishes 0-0. (90 minutes).
For more about these online sportsbooks check out the latest reviews for October at BookieLabRat.com.
>>Bet365 Bookmaker Review
>>BetFred Bookmaker Review
>>Paddy Power Sportsbook Review
October 9th, 2008
David James and Portsmouth dive into UEFA Cup action.
The groups have been selected for the 2008/09 UEFA Cup. Here they are:
Group A
FC Shalke (GER)
Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
Manchester City FC (ENG)
Real Racing Club (ESP)
FC Twente (NED)
Group B
SL Benfica (POR)
Olympiacos CFP (GRE)
Galatasaray AŞ (TUR)
Hertha BSC Berlin (GER)
FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
Group C
Sevilla FC (ESP)
VfB Stuttgart (GER)
UC Sampdoria (ITA)
FK Partizan (SRB)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
Group D
Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
FC Spartak Moskva (RUS)
Udinese Calcio (ITA)
NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
NEC Nijmegen (NED)
Group E
AC Milan (ITA)
SC Heerenveen (NED)
SC Braga (POR)
Portsmouth FC (ENG)
VfL Wolfsburg (GER)
Group F
Hamburger SV (GER)
AFC Ajax (NED)
SK Slavia Praha (CZE)
Aston Villa FC (ENG)
MŠK Žilina (SVK)
Group G
Valencia CF (ESP)
Club Brugge KV (BEL)
Rosenborg BK (NOR)
FC København (DEN)
AS Saint-Etienne (FRA)
Group H
PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS)
RC Deportivo La Coruña (ESP)
Feyenoord (NED)
AS Nancy-Lorraine (FRA)
KKS Lech Poznań (POL)
The outright UEFA Cup market has AC Milan as favourites at around 6.00 (5/1) (Eurobet or Paddy Power currently have the best prices) – with MSK Zilina absolute long shots at 501.00 (500/1) (at Eurobet at BetFred Bookmakers)
PS: As I opened this blog post with a photo of David James, the best prices for any Pompy fans out there have Portsmouth currently at around 41.00 (42/1) Eurobet and Centrebet.
October 7th, 2008
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