Kansas is the best team in the nation, but there is not much value at 2/1 to win the NCAA Championship. Below are 3 long-shots that could make some noise next month.

West Virginia

Opened 15/1 Current 30/1

There is excellent value with West Virginia at 30/1 as their odds have doubled since the start of the season, due mainly to their recent two-game losing str ...  read more

Weather and line movement

Weather will not be a factor tonight as the forecast is calling for 71 degrees and clear skies with just a 20% chance of showers and only a 4 mph wind.

The Ravens opened as a 3-point favorite earlier this week and the oddsmakers have been reluctant to move off this key number. The early action has come in on the underdog Jets and the line has now ...  read more

The NBA Finals begin this Thursday, June 4th in Los Angeles. Below is a look at some key numbers in the matchup between the Lakers and Magic.

16.7

This was the regular season scoring average for Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson who averaged 16.7 points in the 42 games he played in before injuring his shoulder against Dallas on February 2nd. Nelson was ruled out for the r ...  read more

Lakers vs. Nuggets (-4½, 208½) – 9:05 pm ET (ESPN)

Updated odds

When a 7-game series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has historically won that series 76% of the time. The updated series odds now reflect this fact as Los Angeles is a -360 favorite, while Denver is a +300 underdog, even though the Nuggets are favored in Game 4 tonight. Phil Jackson coached t ...  read more

Below is a look at some of the hottest bets this week, covering an array of different sports and events.

NBA

DENVER NUGGETS

Despite their 105-103 loss in Game 1 on Tuesday night, the Denver Nuggets still got the pointspread win as a 6½-point road underdog. The Nuggets are now 10-0-1 ATS in their eleven playoff games this season. Denver has also bounced back w ...  read more

Nuggets at Mavericks (-1½, 210) – 9:35 pm ET (TNT) #732

Controversial Finish

Dallas led 105-101 with 0:31 remaining in Game 3 on Saturday, but the Mavericks allowed the Nuggets to score the final five points in a controversial 106-105 win. The Mavericks’ Antoine Wright tried to intentionally foul the Nuggets’ Carmel Anthony two different times in the f ...  read more

Rockets at Lakers (-8, 193½) – Game 1 - 10:35 pm ET (TNT)

Regular season dominance

The Lakers were a perfect 4-0 straight-up in the four head-to-head meetings during the regular season and this is a bad sign for the Rockets as teams that were swept in the regular season (3+ games) are 0-25 all-time in a NBA playoff series. Los Angeles is currently -900 ...  read more

Nuggets at Hornets (-2½, 193) – Game 4 – 8:35 pm ET (NBA-tv)

Line movement

The oddsmakers opened the Hornets as a 3-point favorite, but the early money quickly moved the line down to 2 ½ by Sunday afternoon. This is a full two points less than the line in Game 3 which saw New Orleans as a 4½-point favorite. New Orleans only won by two points and has n ...  read more

Bulls at Celtics (-8, 196) – 7:05 pm ET (TNT)

Tale of Two Teams

The Bulls pulled the upset in Game 1 as an 8½-point underdog and they covered from start to finish as they never trailed by more than five points the entire day. Chicago became a better team in late February after they acquired John Salmons and Brad Miller from the Kings. Salmons averages ...  read more

Bulls at Pistons (-4, 196) – 7:35 pm ET (NBA-tv)

Playoff Positioning

The good news for Chicago and Detroit is the fact they have both clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The bad news is that they will have to face Cleveland, Boston, or Orlando in the first round. Chicago (40-40) is currently 7th in the conference and one spot ahead of ...  read more

Michigan State vs. North Carolina (-7½, 152½) – 9:15 pm ET (CBS)

Line Movement

The oddsmakers opened North Carolina as a 7-point favorite on Saturday night after the semi-final games were complete and the early money has since pushed the line to -7½. The Over/Under line opened at 153 total points and was quickly bet down to 152, before settling at 152½ ...  read more

Below is a look at a key matchup in the Eastern Conference tonight:

Orlando Magic (-3, 194) at Miami Heat – 7:35 pm ET

Playoff Positioning

The Magic have clinched the Southeast division title and a top three seed in the upcoming playoffs; however Orlando is still battling with the Boston Celtics for the overall #2 seed and home court advantage in ...  read more

Controversial bid

When the 34 at-large teams were announced for the NCAA tournament, the most controversial bid went to Arizona which extended Wildcat’s NCAA-leading streak of tournament appearances to 25 in a row. Arizona was just 19-13 straight-up and many felt that a non-BCS team such as San Diego State, St. Mary’s-CA, or Creighton should have been dancing. Arizona re ...  read more

Below is a look at tonight's top game in the NBA:

Nuggets vs. Suns (-3½, 236½) – 10:05 pm ET

Playoff Positioning

Nuggets vs. Suns (-3½, 236½) – 10:05 pm ET

Playoff Positioning

The Nuggets are currently in first place in the Northwest division and one game ahead of Portland in the standings. As a division wi ...  read more

Rockets vs. Hornets (-3½, 182) – 8:05 pm ET

Playoff Battle The Western Conference is once again the dominant conference in the NBA this season with seven of the current eight playoff teams with a win percentage of 61% or better, compared to the weaker Eastern Conference that has just three teams with a win percentage above 58%. Houston enters tonight’s ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports

The Florida Gators are two years removed from a national championship and they are now firmly on the bubble with a strong chance of missing the Big Dance for the second straight season. Florida plays a must-win game on Thursday night in the SEC tournament versus Arkansas, so now is an excellent time to take a closer look and to decide if t ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports

March is upon us and there is nothing like making a last minute push for an at-large bid. One team that is gaining some “bubble” notice is Rhode Island as the Rams have won six straight and are 10-1 straight-up in their past eleven games overall. This strong finish down the stretch is a reversal from last season when Rhode Island started ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports

One of the biggest losers coming out of the Bracket Buster Weekend was Davidson who couldn't defend their home court against the Butler Bulldogs and lost outright 75-63 as a 4½-point home favorite. Davidson is now a bubble team that might need to win the Southern Conference tournament in order to ensure their spot in the field of 65. The ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports

The month of February is a time for bubble teams to start separating themselves from the pack. This year’s bubble includes Florida State who has been one of the surprise teams in the nation with a current 19-6 straight-up record and a 6-4 ACC mark, but the question still remains if the Seminoles are they for real?

Any discussion of F ...  read more

Duke remains one of the most prominent college basketball programs in the nation and they have high expectations this season with four returning starters from a squad that went 28-6 SU last season. Expectations are always high in Durham and the Blue Devils have not missed the NCAA Tournament since 1995, so when the question arises this season if Duke is “for real” this refers to the Blue Dev ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports

The Naval Academy’s future this season has already been determined as they are penciled in for the Eagle Bank Bowl against an ACC team on December 20th. Still, do they deserve to play in a better bowl? Are they for real?

Navy has tested themselves this season against some quality opponents and the Midshipmen have passed a few of tho ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports

The MAC conference has posted some success this year in non-conference games and one of those teams bringing them strong victories is Central Michigan. Last year the Chips were the MAC champions and lost a close game with Purdue in the Motor City Bowl 51-48. Now CMU enters a key game on Wednesday night versus Northern Illinois a ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for Steve Merril Sports

South Florida burst onto the scene last year and climbed as high as #2 in the national polls by midseason. They faltered down the stretch, losing four of their final seven games, but still garnered a respectable 9-4 SU record. This year’s Bulls team isn’t surprising anyone, but that didn’t stop them from starting the season with five stra ...  read more

By Matt Josephs for for Steve Merril Sports

Entering this weekend, the list of undefeated teams features some of the usual suspects… a Big 10 squad, a SEC team, a couple of Big 12 squads, Utah, Boise state, Ball state and Tulsa... wait a second, did i just type Tulsa… the Golden Hurricanes? The school that produced Steve Largent is producing some impressive offensive numbers thi ...  read more

When the college football season began seven weeks ago, there were 49 teams ahead of Oklahoma State in the BCS title odds and the Cowboys were a whopping 200-1 at some sportsbooks. Oklahoma State is now 6-0 straight-up and 5-0 ATS after a surprising 28-23 outright win as a 14-point road underdog at Missouri last week. Oklahoma State’s national title odds are now down to 22-1 and the Cowboys ...  read more

Until this week, Ball State was best known for being the alma mater of late-night TV host David Letterman, but now the Cardinals are getting attention for their football program with their best start since 1965 and first Top 25 ranking in the school’s 84-year football history. So the question now arises… is Ball State for real?

Ball State has benefited from a relatively easy schedule; ...  read more

The Southeastern Conference is the strongest college football conference and by the third week of the season they became the first conference to ever have five teams ranked in the Top 10. The league is extremely deep from top to bottom and this was evident last weekend when Florida lost outright as a 22-point home favorite versus Mississippi.

While the media has been focusing on powerh ...  read more

Below are 2 daytime MLB selections for Sunday afternoon. You can also get an awesome NFL Sunday Night winner (Cowboys/Packers) on Steve Merril’s Guaranteed Selections page!

MINNESOTA +100 (action) – 1:40 pm ET #973

The Devil Rays completed one of the greatest turn around stories in MLB history by clinching a playoff birth last night for the first time in franchi ...  read more

Below is a free MLB selection for Wednesday night. You can also get an awesome MLB Steamroller Blowout on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page!

MILWAUKEE +110 (Sheets) – 8:05 pm ET #963

The Brewers have struggled this month, but they are still one of the best teams in the league and they should receive a spark now that manager Ned Yost has been fired. Milwaukee p ...  read more

The Fighting Irish have always been a public team, so last year’s collapse and 1-9 SU start to the season was national news. Their eventual 3-9 SU losing record for the year was especially surprising since Notre Dame had been a combined 19-6 SU in 2005 and 2006 and entered their BCS bowl games with #5 and #11 national rankings.

Notre Dame’s sudden fall led to a 0-4 ATS start in 2007, b ...  read more

Below is a free college football play for Saturday night. You can also get an awesome 3-game NCAA Triple Play on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page!

UL MONROE +26 (at Auburn) – 7:00 pm ET (time-change) #195

UL Monroe is perhaps the best team in the Sun Belt conference this season as they return 7 offensive starters and 8 defensive starters, along with some key J ...  read more

Below is look at 2 of the NFL preseason games for Friday night. You can also get an awesome NCAA Football Steamroller Blowout for Saturday on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page!

SAN FRANCISCO -2½ -120 (vs. San Diego) – 10:00 pm ET #140

The 49ers have a decisive scheduling edge in their game as they have 8 days of rest, while San Diego must travel on just 3 days ...  read more

Below is a free MLB selection for Monday night. You can also get an awesome MLB Over/Under Grand Slam on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page! as his RED~HOT 14-5 run continues!

SAN DIEGO -105 (Peavy/Haren) – 10:05 pm ET #908

The Padres would ...  read more

Below is a free NFL winner for Friday night. You can also get an awesome NFL Steamroller Blowout for Friday night on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page!

OVER 36 (Titans/Falcons) – 7:30 pm ET #245

The Titans have been an excellent offensive team in the preseason the past two years, averaging 27.2 points during their past five games with total scores of 51, 45, 44 ...  read more

Below is a free Daytime winner for Thursday afternoon. You can also get an awesome 2-0 **NFL PARLAY** for Thursday night on Steve Merril’s Guaranteed Selections page!

ARIZONA -140 (Haren/Rusch) – 3:05 pm ET #953

The Diamondbacks were swept by Colorado in the NL Championship Series last year, but Arizona has gotten their revenge this season with a 9-2 record versus t ...  read more

Below is a free underdog play for Tuesday night. You can also get awesome late-night MLB **STEAMROLLER** BLOWOUT on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page!

BALTIMORE +120 (Olsen/Sowers) – 7:05 pm ET #971

The Orioles fit a subset of my Underdog System tonight, and they are in solid current form offensively as they have scored 9, 9, 7, and 8 runs in each of their past ...  read more

PITTSBURGH +1.5 -120 (Maholm/Blanton) - 7:05 pm ET #953

Statistically, the Pirates and Phillies are even offensively this season and Pittsburgh has the bet ...  read more

Below is a free underdog play for Thursday night. You can also get awesome MLB Grand Slam **CRUSHER** on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page as his RED~HOT 27-7 MLB run continues!

SAN DIEGO +100 (Peavy/Lohse) – 8:15 pm ET #953

The Padres vastly underachieved during the first half of the season, and they will now be a value t ...  read more

Below is a free underdog play for Friday night. You can also get awesome MLB Steamroller Blowout on Steve Merril’s Premium Selections page as his RED~HOT 20-6 MLB run continues!

ATLANTA +135 (Reyes/Peavy) – 10:05 pm ET #913

The Braves remain an underrated team as they head into the second half of the season as they have been ex ...  read more

MINNESOTA +110 (Slowey/Rogers) – 1:05 pm ET #963

Minnesota is coming off an embarrassing 18-5 loss yesterday, but they should bounce-back today as they have their best pitcher on the mound. We also get solid line value with the better p ...  read more

By Jason Crowe for Steve Merril Sports

It’s hard to remember a 4th of July without fireworks, hot dogs, a few beers and great baseball. A few of the notable series this weekend include a matchup between the two teams battling for the NL Central lead, Cubs @ Cardinals; AL East rivals, Red Sox @ Yankees; and the surprising Rays (I think taking the preceding Devil out of the ...  read more

Most Americans celebrate Independence Day with an outdoor barbeque or with an assortment of fireworks, however another tradition is quickly gaining popularity and it involves eating an enormous amount of hot dogs in a very short period of time.

The first Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog-Eating Contest was held 92 years ago in 1916 in Coney Island, New York. Rumor has it that four immigrants had ...  read more

Below is a free Over/Under for Monday night. You can also get a late-night MLB Steamroller Blowout on Steve Merril’s Best Bets selections page!

UNDER 8 -115 (Athletics/Angels) (Smith/Garland) - 10:05 pm ET #976

The Angels are ice-cold on offense and have scored 0, 0, and 1 run in their past three games. They are likely to struggle again tonight as my pitcher perfo ...  read more

By Jason Crowe for Steve Merril Sports

The final weekend of Interleague play wraps up this weekend highlighted with an extended Subway Series in New York and the boys from the north side making the short trip to the south in Chicago.

Yankees @ Mets

The first game of an unusual four game series starts Friday afternoon at 2:05 pm ET in what will very possibly ...  read more

By Reed Hogben for Steve Merril Sports

The general betting public usually leans to Favorites, Overs and the Home teams; therefore sportsbooks were probably happy campers after the 2007 CFL season.

Favorites and Underdogs went a perfect 50% at 36-36 ATS. Home Favorites let bettors down at 25-28 ATS, while Away Favorites made a little money at 11-8 ATS. Of those 36 covering ...  read more

Below is a free MLB play for Tuesday night:

OVER 9½ -110 (Mariners/Mets) (Dickey/Perez) – 7:10 pm ET #967

The Mariners should have plenty of success tonight against Oliver Perez as Seattle has been much stronger versus left-handed pitchers this season, averaging 6.9 runs and batting .275 on the road versus LHP, compared to just 3.2 runs and .235 versus RHP.

Per ...  read more

By Jason Crowe for Steve Merril Sports

Everyone has heard the quote Defense Wins Championships, but have you ever utilized this mindset when making your picks? Before you rush to place all your wagers on the Under, let’s take the time to evaluate some trends from last year’s playoffs, as well as those that are developing so far in this year’s playoff series.

Over/Under ...  read more

(2 unit play) LIBERTY +17 (at William & Mary) – 7:00 pm ET

Normally, I would not release an I-AA game as very few sportsbooks post a line on these games, but this situation is just too good to pass up. If you are trying to find a sportsbook that posts I-AA lines, I would recommend Ultimate-Odds.com.

The oddsmakers are force ...  read more

Most sports bettors believe that selecting the winning team (versus the pointspread) is the most important aspect to successful sports wagering. While this is the most difficult factor, it is only third in the order of importance. The top two components to long term profits are money management and shopping for line value. These are the two factors which professional bettors understand and ...  read more

The hype leading up to Super Bowl XLI was as overblown and drawn out as I have ever seen. There are too many sports networks and too many TV analysts these days.

My favorite statement of the week came from ESPN’s Sean Salisbury who proclaimed:

”If Devin Hester returns a kick for a touchdown, I guarantee you that the Colts will not win.”

For those keeping score at home, Sali ...  read more

A pair of national TV battles for Thursday night on TNT. Many felt the early game between Cleveland and Miami would be a preview of the Eastern Conference finals, but both squads have under performed this season and continue to battle injuries.

The late game pits two contenders in the Western Conference and two of the best teams in the league as the Suns look to rebound from a rare los ...  read more

A pair of inter-conference battles on Thursday night in the NBA. The Mavericks look to extend their red-hot 21-1 SU run when they visit Chicago’s strong home court where the Bulls stand 18-6 SU this season, while the Nets look to continue their 11-2 ATS run when they visit a Clippers squad on a current 3-games winning streak.

Below is a look at both national TV matchups on TNT tonight. ...  read more

There are three games on the NBA card for Tuesday night and each of the three games involves key injuries to starters. Below is a detailed look at all three matchups for this evening.

ORLANDO (-6½, 177) at NEW ORLEANS (NBA-tv)

The Hornets 8-3 SU start to the season was a distant memory after the 4-19 SU slide that followed from November 22nd thru January 8th. That fall co ...  read more

Two full months into the NBA season and injuries continue to play a major role. Below is a look at three games on the Tuesday night card in which key players might be out of the lineup.

DETROIT (-3½) at PHILADELPHIA

The Pistons will most likely be without their starting point guard again tonight as Chauncey Billups is doubtful due to an ankle sprain. Billups has missed the ...  read more

There are three NBA games on the board for Thursday night. The Pistons and Hornets are both battling key injuries and will play tonight’s game without their starting point guards, while the Pacers will try to stop the Mavericks 11-game SU winning streak. Finally, the late-night TNT game pits a critical division battle between the Lakers and Kings.

Below is a look at all three NBA matc ...  read more

The heart of the college bowl season is here with 20 bowl games in the next seven days between December 28th through January 3rd. It is important to once again review proper money management as these games provide an excellent investment opportunity.

Most sports bettors believe that selecting the winning team (versus the pointspread) is the most important aspect to successful sports wa ...  read more

It is a busy night in NBA on Wednesday with thirteen games on the board and injuries continue to play a major role. Below is a look at five games this evening in which key players might not be available for their teams.

NEW ORLEANS at ORLANDO (-7½, 177½)

The Hornets 8-3 SU start to the season is a distant memory compared to their 2-10 SU mark since November 22nd. The fall ...  read more

The smaller schools have it right when it comes to determining a national champion in college football as Divisions I-AA, II, and III all use a playoff system. Below is a look at Saturday's Division II championship game on ESPN-2.

Division II Championship – Florence, AL

GRAND VALLEY STATE (-4, 50) vs. NORTHWEST MISSOURI – 12:00 pm ET (espn2)

This i ...  read more

Many sportsbooks do not offer proposition bets, but I felt these two had value and therefore I wanted to release them. I found the props available at Ultimate-Odds.com

(prop bet) CARLOS ARROYO +2½-140 points/assists (vs. Brevin Knight)

Orlando is decimated by injuries and will probably be without Jameer Nelso ...  read more

It is a busy night in NBA on Wednesday with thirteen games on the board and injuries continue to play a major role. Below is a look at nine games this evening in which key players might not be available for their teams.

PHOENIX (-10) at MIAMI (ESPN)

The Heat have learned to win without Shaquille O’Neal and have gone 7-1 ATS during the past eight games, compared to just 1-7 ...  read more

Six weeks into the NBA season and injuries continue to play a major role. Below is a look at all four matchups in the NBA for Tuesday night, along with the injury status of key players in each game.

DENVER (-5½) at ATLANTA

Atlanta forward Joe Johnson missed Sunday’s 117-92 loss at Sacramento and is questionable tonight due to his calf injury. Johnson has been one of the m ...  read more

It is a large card in the NBA on Wednesday night and injuries continue to play a major role. Below is a look at four different games this evening in which key players might be missing.

TORONTO at CLEVELAND (-8½, 197)

The Raptors have won five of their past seven games and stand 8-2 ATS over the past ten, but they might now be without their best player as forward Chris Bosh i ...  read more

There is a six-pack of games on the NBA card for Tuesday night. A month into the NBA season and injuries are starting to play a major role in team’s performances. Below is a look at all six matchups this evening, including three games with key injury concerns.

PORTLAND at DETROIT (-10, 193½)

The Pistons had their 8-0 SU (6-2 ATS) streak snapped on Sunday when they lost 97-8 ...  read more

We get a pair of strong national TV matchups for Thursday night which could very well be previews of upcoming playoff series this spring. Below is a look at each game on TNT this evening.

DETROIT PISTONS (-3, 193½) at MIAMI HEAT (TNT)

This is a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference finals and the Pistons will have revenge on their minds after losing in six games. The Pi ...  read more

The single most important factor which determines the straight-up and pointspread winner in the NFL is turnover margin. The parity and level of competition in the league is at an all-time high and a team can not afford to give away two or three possessions per game and expect to win. In fact, NFL teams that win the turnover battle have covered 80% ATS the past three seasons.

read more

The public has more influence on NFL lines than any other sport and it has always been important to take a contrarian approach when handicapping the NFL, but I have noticed that the 'due theory' hasn't worked as well the past few years as some teams remain overrated, while others remain underrated and the betting public and oddsmakers fail to adjust. Below is a look at some of the worst team ...  read more