Las_Vegas_Asian: Thanks! After suffering enough through boxing corruption it's a sport I enjoy the most as a participant or a viewer. The many years with friends who made lines for sportsbooks (Pinnacle, and many smaller name outfits), I learned to make NFL lines which were very easy (only because they are so accurate and the previously fallen dynasty teams still were always worth an extra 1 to 2 points, as was any home favorite on a night game).
I was 14 and remember Tuesday mornings after my father got the newspaper he would quiz me on the lines. Back then I got to watch all the NY teams (Buffalo, Jets & Giants) as you didn't have youtube in the 1980's. The nice thing was teams didn't switch every year with free agency, franchise player claims, etc... and the set offensives they ran were standard and it was rare to change. They maybe did 2 or 3 "risky plays" (which are now standard, and even the most conservative teams change) like a flea flicker.
I kept up with stats using "College & Pro Football Weekly" but that was a few years later. After week four or so my father opened the sports section and read me the match-ups and without doing a thorough breakdown I used heuristics from my memory. Many times when they didn't have a line back then it was mainly if the QB was questionable, but that was it. For 2/3s of the games I was at most 1.5 points off. Now for 1/6 of other games I would be within 2.5 points. Now for 2 game I might be off, many times it was PK and I felt a team was 1 point favorites and they might be 2.5 point dogs.
The best part was the one game I was always WAY OFF. I remember thesoulpurpose talking about the sucker bet and it was true. You would often get 1 game in NFL that a team should be 10 point favorite but the line showed them maybe 4 to 6 points. Now, almost every person went for it but I was told to be disciplined because when I make a line and it is that far off, lines makers have access to every piece of information and they knew something important I didn't. It was so hard to go against what you felt was a lock, but you either had to stay away or make the play. Those games as you know were 85% or so accurate (many times the dog won outright). Below is my post from above.
Quote Originally Posted by ZOUK:
A realistic line and a public
line are very different. Also, those handicappers that think NFL
linesmakers are always trying to get an even amount on both sides is
incorrect. Yes it is an automatic win, but they also have a few games
that the line seems to be an overlay but in reality it is s "sucker
bet". This is called cushioning, and a gamblers who bets against the
sucker bets all year will win, but you have to bite your teeth and go
against all reason and look at the past 30 years of results.
I also noticed that teams that had won recent multiple superbowls always had an extra point or two added as bettors failed to realize that the team two years prior is not the same anymore. Popular teams playing night games at home were also jacked up lines. Today the Patriots lines are always a few points higher than what a true line would be for the fact it would help even out the betting, but 60% of the money would be on Patriots regardless of a bad line.
As a young teenager this was good training as I learned some insight into how and why the lines are made and set. I had to learn bankroll management, staying away from parlays, and most importantly it didn't take long to notice that the NFL made lines that were more accurate than any other sport (event). I've yet to meet a very successful NFL bettors that has been consistent with accurate plays, betting larger units on better value, and a long term winner monetarily. I know guys that have been beating 52.38% (break-even on -110 or 4.54% juice) but lose overall, or guys that win big bets but lose playing parlays or teasers, etc. Even the best handicapper has leaks (common term for poker players that do well winning consistently but lose on horses, sports, etc...).
BACK TO BOXING (lol)- It was Aaron Pryor vs Alexis
Argüello (RIP) in 1982 was my first boxing fight I watched with total concentration... I was only 8 years old, but I was hooked! I got involved in contact sports (martial arts, kick boxing, boxing) from 12 onward. It was 1985 and a local channel was broadcasting Tyson's fights that were in Albany. I still was only eleven and had a great deal to learn, but my eye for skill and talent was always a gift. Watching him once (not knowing boxing politics or rankings) I said why don't they let this guy fight whoever is the best his next fight and after he KO's them, everyone will know who the best is now! It only took a year, but for a kid that feels like forever.
My apologies to many that don't care for the long posts I write, but that was my primer for sports betting and boxing.
Currently I haven't kept up with many MMA fighters, so I have limited just to boxing again. I also do NCAAMB during conference play (this is mainly because you can use previous years with teams still intact and the box scores give you great depth into handicapping). For me not even watching any college hoop games and betting mid-to-late conference (Jan-Feb) and using box scores I do quite well. Handicappers of thoroughbreds use the Daily Racing Form as a bible (but watching a race can tell you more as if a horse was bumped early, it might not say). Using box scores and making my lines, I look for certain criteria, then I assess it through several Matrices, a weighted ranking system and a utility tree. The NBA is tricky as players don't play as hard as college athletes, so it's hard to know if they had an off game, were tired from road travel, or were behind that they didn't care. Although I don't bet NFL (maybe props that overlay), every game is essential to win or even gain confidence. One thing, I do believe you can beat basketball and I can list the reasons and will in a different post why. I think NBA totals are better to bet than sides, because the acute handicapper can assess the game and range it well,... and doesn't have to lose to meaningless layup with no defense.
I won't wager and have money tied up for a year again... I did before but I bet the fight wouldn't happen before 12/31/20XX... so I was getting WIN or LOSS and not a wager return. GL to all that do!