East Coast Gambler -

I’ve made a couple of posts on betting NASCAR races around the past couple of Daytona 500 races.  Few people have told me that they actually bet on any NASCAR events.  From what I’ve read NASCAR television ratings are dropping so the fact that betting on NASCAR is on the rise is a little surprising.

“We have grown every year in NASCAR wagering,” Hilton manager Ed Salmon told ESPN. “Our odds to win handle has increased an amazing amount from when we started in June of 2004.”

Ya learn something new every day.  I don’t know NASCAR well enough to bet on it, but I have noticed myself watching it a little more than I used to so maybe I’ll dabble in this down the line.

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Last year was the first and only time I placed a bet on a NASCAR race.  At least it was the Daytona 500.  I don’t know enough to gamble wisely on NASCAR.  Below are the odds if you’re into driving.  If I get bored later I’ll throw a few bucks on Brian Vickers and/or Kyle Busch.

As a reminder + means you bet $100 to win the amount below.  For example; AJ Allmendinger is +5000.  A $100 bet would pay $5,000 meaning he’s 50-1.

•    AJ Allmendinger +5000
•    Bobby Labonte +8000
•    Brad Keselowski +5000
•    Brian Vickers +4000
•    Carl Edwards +1800
•    Clint Bowyer +2500
•    Dale Earnhardt Jr +800
•    David Ragan +2500
•    David Reutimann +4000
•    Denny Hamlin +1200
•    Elliott Sadler +4000
•    Greg Biffle +2500
•    Jamie McMurray +3000
•    Jeff Burton +2500
•    Jeff Gordon +1200
•    Jimmie Johnson +500
•    Joey Logano +4000
•    Juan Pablo Montoya +2000
•    Kasey Kahne +1500
•    Kevin Harvick +900
•    Kurt Busch +1500
•    Kyle Busch +800
•    Marcos Ambrose +6000
•    Mark Martin +1000
•    Martin Truex Jr +5000
•    Matt Kenseth +2000
•    Michael Waltrip +10000
•    Paul Menard +10000
•    Ryan Newman +3000
•    Sam Hornish Jr +6000
•    Scott Speed +10000
•    Tony Stewart +600
•    zx Field (Any Other Driver) +6000

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A state senate panel approved sports betting at casinos and racetracks pending the lift of a federal government ban on sports betting.

The amendment could ultimately allow for betting on professional, college or amateur sporting events in person, by telephone, over the Internet or by other means. It would prohibit bets on college games played in New Jersey or on any game in which a New Jersey college team plays.

There isn’t much movement here, but the government seems to be getting aggressive trying to get sports betting legalized.  There have been many “attacks” on the casinos of Atlantic City over the past year, that this legalization should help slow the downturn in gambling revenues.

At this point anything will help.  I love sports betting, so I’m eagerly watching this.  This would change the way I spend my time in casinos for the better (and bettor).

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So the Saints won the Super Bowl this week.  I won my prop bet on Peyton Manning throwing a first quarter touchdown, but lost my bet on the Colts.  I had a winning day since I also had the under on Celtics vs. Magic.

The legal sportsbooks in Las Vegas made more money than they did last year.  Upsets will do that.  The casinos usually win, but upsets can hurt.  Not this time.  From Pro Football Talk:

The Nevada Gaming Control Board said Tuesday that casinos in the state turned a profit of nearly $7 million on the $82.7 million bettors wagered on the Super Bowl.

Overall, bettors in Nevada placed about $1.21 million more in bets than they did on last year’s Super Bowl, and the casinos’ profits were about $179,000 more than last year.

The house usually wins in Las Vegas, although some years the Super Bowl is actually a money loser for casinos. In 2008, according to the state board, Nevada casinos lost almost $2.6 million when the Giants upset the Patriots.

I read the headline a few times, but wasn’t sure if this was good or bad for the casinos.  Low and behold it was good.  The NFL draft is up next for those, like me, that always hunger football.

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This year I’ve learned a lot about sports betting.  I like to bet with the trends and research whenever I can.  In the past I would usually make a handful of prop bets to go along with my game bet.  This year I fell asleep looking at the prop bets.  Props don’t pay out well, unless you go for long shots, which are kind of a crap shot.

This year I only went with one prop bet and one game bet.  Both bets can be summed up with one image.

I have the Colts -4.5, which I picked earlier this week.  I only went with one prop bet: Peyton Manning will throw a touchdown in the 1st quarter at +165.  There weren’t any other big + bets available that seemed interesting or possible to me, so I only went with one prop.

All of my odds come from sportsbook.com.  Click the banner below for up to date odds.

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JMP has been awesome to make picks and help analyze fantasy football for ECG this season.  It’s been awesome that he’s been able to do this.  These have been some of the more viewed articles.  Here is the season finale which includes his Super Bowl pick as well as a look back and forward to next year’s fantasy football WR’s and RB’s.  I’ll get my Super Bowl pick and prop bets up later today or tomorrow morning.

Hey, everyone, before I get to what you’re all waiting for (all 1 of you!), let me first thank TC for giving me this opportunity.  Like I said a while back, I originallly ‘pitched’ myself as a PA racino correspondant, yet I haven’t set foot in one since.  He could’ve just as easily said “no thanks” to any of what I’ve written, especially my fantasy football post-mortem.  I mean, heck, even *I* am getting sick of ranking players now that the season is over.  I know I said “there is NO off-season” and maybe I needed some extra time to let this season go, but right now I need a BREAK!  To wit, here’s a quick and dirty listing of RBs and WRs:

RBs

Chris Johnson, MJD, AP, Rice, Gore, Turner, Deangelo Williams, CedBen, SJax, Ronnie Brown, Jamaal Charles (although if they redo his contract, watch out for a let down), Pierre Thomas, Ryan Grant, Moreno, Mendenhall, TJones, Jerome Harrison, Beanie Wells, Matt Forte, Shonn Greene, MBIII, Addai, J-Stew, Reggie Bush, Brandon Jacobs, Steve Slaton.

WRs

Andre Johnson, Wayne, Colston, Austin, Rice, VJax, DJax, Randy Moss, Roddy White, Julian Edelman, Calvin Johnson, Jennings, Holmes, Steve Smith (NYG), Fitzgerald, Meachem, Driver, Ward, Nicks, Harvin, Bowe, MSW, any IND WR not named ‘Reggie Wayne’

So now that that’s out of the way and there’s only one thing left to do, you may be wondering what’s next for ol’ JMP.  Well, I’ll be fine.  The weather will warm up, the busses to AC continue to run, and when I run out of bacon, I can take a pork belly over to Parx b/c I hear it’s a veritable smokehouse.  Also, what I’m guessing is a temporary casino with the SugarHouse label is supposed to open on the Philly waterfront in July.  Perhaps I’ll make my way over there.

Okay, enough padding.  If you’ve made it this far, congratulations!  Here’s your reward.  In Sunday’s big game, the Colts are favored by 5 (so says vegas.com).  I’m reminded something ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook wrote a few years back: in games where it’s easy to say it’s one vs the other, it’s ’something else’ that decides the game.  On Sunday, we’ll have two dominant aerial attacks and two mediocre defenses – one that thrives more on turnovers than the other (N’awlins).  Let’s see Peyton brings his A game and doesn’t throw a pick.  That leaves the running games; I think IND can run on the Saints.  I don’t have the same confidence in the Saints to run on the Colts.  5 is a high number for me to consider laying, but I’m going to do so.

Again, thanks for reading, and I’ll be in touch!

ps. 2-0 in Championship week, 4-6 in the playoffs overall.

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Part 3 of Super Bowl Prop bets.  I’m not normally a prop bettor, but I usually make a handful of small prop picks for the Super Bowl.  Earlier this week I had the game prop bets, and Colts prop bets.  Today I go with the Saints individual and team prop bets.  Later this week I’ll study things and make my picks.

All odds are from sportsbook.com and will likely change throughout the week.

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