Monthly Archives: May 2013

Horse Racing

Kentucky Derby Expert Picks 2013

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All the picks and morning line for the 2013 Kentucky Derby are posted.

The Kentucky Derby morning line is up. Favorites include Revolutionary, Goldencents, Verrazano, and Orb.

Also up are NBA playoff picks, NHL picks, and MLB handicapper selections. We told you that we have a very trusted source for the ponies and we have been gravy training with you these picks for years. Get the top four in order in the Kentucky Derby, the NBA side, and NHL Wise Guy as we are 3-2 in the NHL playoffs with underdog San Jose winning.

We have three MLB Wise Guys and a Major. That is six winners in three team sports, plus the top four in order of the Run for the Roses.

Now Power of 620 sports services behind every selection, the MasterLockLine. MasterLockLine EXCLUSIVE:  Widely considered the most decorated handicapping contest winner in history, “Fat Al” from Raleigh has an exclusive arrangement to give us his real money maximum best bets.  He calls them his “no offense, you don’t know what you are talking about” bets to anyone who disagree. Most top sportsbooks have him on their “winners list” of sharp players. First since January 16 is on Bulls/Nets over/under

Baseball service out of Detroit became the first service EVER to have three straight MLB seasons in which they won at least 40 units (one unit per bet) in 2006-08 and are the No. 1 all-time MLB service in units won. Their top plays are Mandated Plays. Two MLB winners

Get a Level 5 pro baseball winner as TGO is 5-2 this season with all pro baseball picks. Stevie Vincent is universally agreed upon as the top pitching expert in handicapping. He shows that again with a huge Level 5. Get the picks now

Football Betting

NFL Handicapping: Eagles QB Situation With Matt Barkley

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Quarterbacks out of USC haven’t exactly lit the NFL on fire. There have been gaudy stats and playoff wins when you look at the quartet of Arizona Cardinals signal caller Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel, Mark Sanchez and Matt Leinart. Statistically Palmer is the best of the bunch and from a wins and losses standpoint the nod goes to Sanchez. But neither will have a bust in Canton.

The latest USC quarterback coming into the NFL is Philadelphia Eagles fourth round draft pick Matt Barkley. Barkley was projected to go in the late first or early second round of the NFL Draft. For reasons beyond my knowledge Barkley slipped all the way to the fourth round. Barkley is ready to prove that him slipping that far was a mistake. Palmer says the Eagles got a steal.



“I know Matt can play. I’ve had the opportunity to work out with him over the last couple of years. And I’ve obviously had a chance to watch him play,” Palmer told NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano in an interview that will appear Tuesday on “NFL Total Access.”


“For him to go in the fourth round is an absolute steal. I think the bigger question is how he fits into that system, and only time will tell that. But whether the guy can play or not, he can absolutely play, and I know he’s excited to prove a lot of people wrong.”

I know he didn’t live up to all the hype he had coming into his senior season, but only time will reveal if Barkley can excel at the NFL level or just another overhyped USC product.

Be sure to check out other great articles at just sports & just us .

Baseball Betting

Fantasy Baseball and Vegas Odds Handicapping: Who to Pick Up

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Fantasy Baseball free agent pools can be an incredible mystery.  In standard 5×5 mixed leagues the free agent pool is made up of players deemed not valuable enough to be on a roster.  We’re all familiar with the ‘island of mis-fit toys’ theory that has swept through baseball over the last decade, this theory isn’t exactly the same in fantasy baseball, but there are valuable free agents out there.  We’re going to take a look at who’s stock the fantasy baseball market says is rising.  We’ll break down if these players are valuable or not.  For relevancy’s sake, we’ll analyze the players who have been added the most frequently of late.

Mark Ellis (Photo credit: Keith Allison)

Mark Ellis, 2B, LAD:  Aging second baseman are normally not great fantasy baseball additions.  Ellis is 36 years old, easily falling into the ‘aging’ category.  Through 20 games, he’s playing well over his ability.  Ellis has never proved to be a valuable fantasy commodity.  He doesn’t hit for a high average, doesn’t score or drive in a lot of runs, and doesn’t steal bases.  If you struck while the iron was hot and picked up Ellis towards the beginning of the year, kudos to you.  Now would be a good time to dump him because he’s going to steadily move towards reality.  Which for Ellis is .266/.331/.395 and 6 HR, it’s time to get off the Mark Ellis wagon.

Russell Martin, C, PIT:  Not many two-time All-Star catchers that hit 21 HR are free agents.  Although Russell Martin falls into that category.  Martin is coming off a year where his BA was .211, undoubtedly driving down his draft stock.  The Canadian however, has proven to be a much better hitter through his career with a career BA of .260.  Home runs are what make Martin a valuable pickup.  Catcher is the toughest position to get offensive output out of, so unless you’ve got one of the premier catchers in the league, scoop up Martin.

Omar Infante, 2B, DET:  If you read the breakdown of Mark Ellis above, there won’t be much different when it comes to Infante.  He’s a little younger than Ellis which is good for his career but not for a fantasy owner.  Infante is a light hitter who doesn’t provide much more than a decent average.  Hitting .305 through 86 PA is a great accomplishment for Infante but he won’t keep it up.  Stay away from Infante unless you’re desperate for a couple hits at the second base position.

Travis Hafner, DH, NYY:  Designated Hitters are tough fantasy plays.  Obviously, they lock up your roster moving ability by only being able to play the utility position.  Nonetheless, if you’ve been playing Hafner for the month of April you’ve got to be loving life.  Hafner has cranked 6 home runs and driven in 14 runs.  Hafner has had some big years in the best but those days are far behind him.  Playing in Yankee Stadium will help improve his home run numbers but he’s still not playing every single day and most will agree that his numbers are going to subside.  Leave him for someone else to grab.

Marwin Gonzalez, SS, HOU:  Gonzalez’s biggest accomplishment of this year will probably be breaking up Yu Darvish’s no hitter in early April.  Even though his single between Darvish’s legs have gotten him the most ink, Gonzalez has been a solid offensive producer this year.  He’s hitting .300, something he’s come close to doing in the minor leagues a couple times, so the potential is there.  Gonzalez won’t provide value to power metrics but he is a serviceable shortstop especially if you need help with BA.  He’s a good pickup if you’ve got a shortstop with a low BA and no potential.

 

Check out other great articles at Fantasy Team Advice.

Boxing

Boxing Betting: Wladimir Klitschko defends Heavyweight Titles against Francesco Pianeta

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Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine will attempt to hold onto his WBA, WBO, IBO, and IBF titles when he faces Francesco Pianeta of Germany at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany on Saturday May 4. Klitschko has an impressive record of 59-3 with 50 Kos while Pianeta is undefeated so far in his career at 28-0-1 with 15 Kos.

The 37-yer-old Klitschko has won his last 17 bouts with his last defeat coming back in 2004. He’s stopped seven of his last nine opponents and owns an excellent knockout percentage of 81 per cent for his career. Klitschko’s strengths are his size, conditioning, heavy right hand, mobility, and stinging left jab. He’s also got tons of experience with 157 rounds of world championship boxing under his belt. This will be Pianeta’s first shot at a world title.

In addition, Klitschko is a very skilled boxer. He’s never been beaten by a decision, but that means his three losses have all been by stoppage. This brings up the question of the big man’s chin and ability to take a shot. He may have had a questionable chin earlier in his career, but hasn’t really shown any signs of having one lately. However, it’s arguable that he’s taken on any elite, heavy-hitting heavyweights…as there aren’t many of them around these days.

There’s no doubt that Klitschko is an imposing and intimidating figure in the ring and this could explain why his last half dozen opponents have managed to muster up an average of just 24 punches per round against him. Out of those 24 , he gets hit by just five of them on average. It’s going to be impossible to beat the champion by throwing and connecting on so few punches every round unless you can knock him out.

The 28-year-old Pianeta is also a pretty big man as he stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at about 240 lbs. for most bouts. But like many of Klitschko’s opponents, he’s another European heavyweight with a good record, but not much else. He’s beaten a few name fighters and former world champions in Oliver McCall and Frans Botha, but they’re well past their primes. He doesn’t seem to have the power to stop somebody like Klitschko and five of his last seven opponents have taken him the distance.

Pianeta isn’t too bad defensively and he can move around the ring pretty well for a big fellow. He’s also a southpaw and that could take the champion a round or two to figure out. It’s quite possible that Pianeta is just here to survive and won’t be taking any chances. The WBA has him ranked at number 12 and the WBO lists him as their number seven contender.

To beat Klitschko, Pianeta’s going to have to either knock him out or win the majority of rounds by dominating him. Neither of these scenarios is likely to work out. However, Samuel Peters dropped Klitschko several times while Ross Puritty, the late Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster have all stopped him. If Pianeta decides the best course of action is to try to emulate these boxers it’s probably his best bet here. Anybody can get decked by another boxer, especially one as big as Pianeta, but it’s doubtful it will happen here. Look for the champion to retain his belts by decision or late stoppage.

For the latest odds on the bout visit http://sports.visitorium.com/bet365/

Uncategorized

Betting MLB Injuries: Bugs Start to Bite: Stanton, Teixiera, and Youklis All Out

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The late April injury bugs have started to bite across the league.  The latest victim is the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton.  On Tuesday, an MRI revealed that Stanton had suffered a Grade 2 strain to this right hamstring.  The prognosis indicated he may be out longer than the 15 day DL.  Stanton’s injury came in the 10th inning of Monday night’s contest with the New York Mets.  Stanton when sprinting to first base in the close game when he awkwardly crossed the first base bag and immediately pulled up.  A Grade 2 strain is mid-range in this type of injury with a Grade 3 – muscle tear being the worst.  Stanton has been a catalyst for the struggling Miami team and his absence from the field makes Marlin’s fans all the more anxious.

The Yankee’s Mark Teixiera is likely to be out through early June with a wrist injury he suffered in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.  He had hoped to return as early as May 1st but the recovery has not progressed as expected.

Kevin Youkilis has also been placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a lumbar spine sprain. An MRI examination taken on Youkilis’ back was negative for further damage, but he was given an epidural injection on Tuesday to alleviate the discomfort. Cashman said that Youkilis was told not to report to Yankee Stadium for the club’s game against the Astros.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under: GAME PLAY Tagged: Giancarlo Stanton, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Teixeira, New York Mets, Stanton, Tuesday, World Baseball Classic, Yankee Stadium

Check out other great articles at Baseball Trash Talkin.

Football Betting

Bet Like a Pro: Where Will Tim Tebow Wind Up?

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After just one season as a member of the NFL’s New York Jets, third-year quarterback Tim Tebow was released by the club on April 29. The winner of the Heisman Trophy in 2007 joined the Jets from the Denver Broncos in 2012 after New York sent a pair of draft choices to Denver. The move didn’t surprise the player or fans though as it was expected to happen sooner rather than later after the Jets went 6-10 last season.

The Jets still have Mark Sanchez as their starting quarterback, but his future with the team could also be on the bubble. John Idzik, the general manager of the Jets, is trying to get his club back on track and the quarterback position appears to be his number one priority at this moment. The Jets chose quarterback Geno Smith from West Virginia in the NFL Draft with the 39th selection overall and then three days later said goodbye to Tebow.

With the selection of Smith, some insiders feel the Jets may also let Sanchez go if he doesn’t improve this season. However, the club has already announced that Sanchez will be a member of it at least throughout the pre season. It’s believed Sanchez will remain with the team since it would cost New York $8.25 million to release him. The Jets will head into the pre season schedule with Sanchez, Smith, Greg McElroy, Matt Simms, and David Garrard as their quarterbacks.

Tebow is now free to join another NFL club after spending most of last season watching from the sidelines. He never seemed to earn the confidence of head coach Rex Ryan last year even when Sanchez struggled. Tebow is seen by many as an NFL-caliber player and could end up with another team in the near future. The Montreal Alouettes of the CFL (Canadian Football League) are also reportedly interested in him.

David Caldwell, the general manager of Jacksonville, said even though it’s Tebow’s home town, he won’t end up there with the Jaguars. He could interest Marc Trestman, the new coach of the Chicago Bears, but Tebow would have to back up starter Jay Cutler. Trestman has worked with Tebow before at the Senior Bowl as well as before the 2010 draft and said he’s very impressed with Tebow’s abilities and work ethic.

The San Diego Chargers could be another possibility as quarterback Philip Rivers struggled last season, but new head coach Mike McCoy will likely go with him against next season. McCoy worked with Tebow in Denver though and knows how good he can be when he’s on his game. Tebow led Denver to the playoffs in 2011 and McCoy hasn’t forgotten that. It’s possible that San Diego would take a chance on Tebow as he could seriously challenge Rivers for the starting job.

Since Tebow hails from Florida it’s possible that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be interested in him. He’s attract a lot of fans there even if he’s used as starting quarterback Josh Freeman’s backup. Tampa Bay currently has Adam Weber and Dan Orlovsky as backups along with Mike Glennon, a third-round draft choice. Tebow shouldn’t have a problem reaching number two on the team’s depth chart.

A long shot would be to join the New England Patriots to back up starter Tom Brady. It’s possible that he could play on special teams as well as a fullback/tight end. Another long shot could be ending up in the CFL with the Alouettes as they hold Tebow’s negotiating rights in the Canadian league. Wherever Tebow ends up, he’s surely going to attract a lot of attention.

For the latest odds on NFL football please visit http://sports.visitorium.com/bet365/