How pros use picks and information from others

By RAS

We have often pointed out that some of the most successful pros in the industry openly admit to following others and/or buying picks. Why do they do this and how do they utilize this information?

Let’s start by noting some of the examples described below are rare, or even exceptions to the rule. Most people who freely share or sell picks and/or information don’t win and present no value. You should be overly skeptical when considering using information and/or picks of others. Knowing who, why and how to follow someone are skills that must be developed with time and experience. With that said, always keep an open mind. People who win or provide value do very much exist. It is a pro’s job to find and identify them. With legalization spreading in the United States there are more talented up-and-comers in the space than ever before.

Long term winners who beat closing line

This is the most obvious reason to follow someone. You find someone with an established long-term record and/or someone whose plays consistently beat the closing line. You are able to follow their plays at the same line they play. The cost can range from free (if you find someone on Twitter/Slack/podcast/forum/etc.) to thousands of dollars for a season of picks from an established service and everything in between. You bet enough per play to justify any potential cost, and you are simply adding +EV volume to your portfolio.

Handicappers who provide write-ups and/or info

This requires a degree of skill, experience and expertise, but we often extract valuable info from write-ups posted by non-winning bettors. Oftentimes, it is a nugget or a perspective we hadn’t previously considered in a market that we follow closely, but that isn’t always the case. There have been several times through the years in markets big and small where the info being presented has clear value that we can leverage. More often than you might imagine, the person providing the info publicly for free is oblivious to just how valuable the info they’re sharing truly is. There are a lot of hard-working people in this industry whose efforts and information can add value to you for little to no cost.

Market Timing

Let’s say you are an active participant in a basketball market and have invested considerable time and resources into it. You start noticing that at around the same time each day a handful of lines suddenly steam a full point and even more in some cases. You come to find out that it’s some guy you never heard of posting picks on a message board or Slack or it’s a guy on Twitter with only 100 followers. It could also be a handicapping service that you had assumed was a scam.

For a pro, removing anonymity from a line move on the screen is invaluable. Instead of being surprised, wondering who it is and if it’s real, we know the exact source and timing of it. If we match up, we will bet immediately. If we are opposite, we may help that line keep moving with the intent to play opposite later at higher limits. If the plays beat the closing line, appear to be winning long term or are creating scalpable positions, we may just follow along blindly and decide what to do later. It becomes a no-brainer for us to be on that message board/Slack constantly, get alerts for that guy on Twitter and/or buy that service.


Make no mistake about it, it is hard to win. Identifying and utilizing value provided by others in the space is an important tool that can help even pros at the highest levels be more successful.


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Betting roundup: Favorites survive a wild opening weekend in NCAA Tournament

Even for March Madness, the first weekend of the NCAA tournament was a wild one.

Nine double-digit seeds advanced past the first round, including 15-seed Middle Tennessee State, which knocked off Michigan State with relative ease, 90-81.

But after a chaotic opening weekend, the dust is settling on a Sweet 16 field that’s dominated by top seeds. Just two of the double-digit seeds—tourney stalwarts Gonzaga and Syracuse—won their second round matchups, and Gonzaga was actually favored in its first-round matchup against Seton Hall.

A few betting notes and nuggets from the tournament’s first weekend:

Historic comeback or an epic collapse?

Northern Iowa (+7) covered Sunday night against Texas A&M, but doesn’t begin to tell the story of the 11th-seeded Panthers’ 92-88 loss in double overtime.

After advancing to the second round on a buzzer-beating halfcourt shot in the first round against Texas, Northern Iowa was set to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2010 and the second time in school history. With 44 seconds left, they led by 12 points before a historic meltdown that featured four turnovers culminated in the Aggies’ game-tying steal and layup just before the end of regulation.

At one point, bettors could have had the Aggies moneyline at +675.

Yahoo has a blow-by-blow breakdown of the comeback/collapse.

Bad for Sparty, good for sports books 

Michigan State became the fourth No. 2 seed in the last five years to lose in the first round, and Nevada’s sports books couldn’t be happier about the outcome.

The Spartans spent a good portion of the regular season as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll and the favorite in the futures market, and many believed they were deserving of a No. 1 seed. They were one of the three favorites at the Westgate SuperBook, William Hill US and offshore book 5Dimes, and no team received more support in terms of tickets or overall money wagered at Westgate.

Little consensus in betting markets as Stephen F. Austin narrowly misses Sweet 16

One of the most interesting lines of the weekend involved 14 seed Stephen F. Austin, which opened as a favorite against Notre Dame at some books, and closed any where from a pick ’em to a two-point underdog.

The Lumberjacks, who advanced with an easy win over West Virginia in the first round, led by as many as five late in the game before eventually falling, 76-75, on an Irish tip-in with 1.5 seconds remaining.

The one-point win for Notre Dame left no clear winner across the board, as books took bets on both sides of the highly volatile line.

“I’ve heard guests say, ‘I could have had Stephen F. Austin at plus-2 and I got that at Pick,’” Chuck Esposito, Sunset Station sports book director told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

AROUND THE WEB

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

ODDSMAKER’S TAKE

“The public just got crushed. The games kept falling our way, the ‘dogs and favorites were falling our way. We started rolling early and kept going all night.” —Golden Nugget sports book director Tony Miller on the house’s strong start in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Tournament off to a slow start at some sports books, but typical ‘Madness’ expected

Spurred by the ever-popular NCAA tournament, sports books have set records for basketball handle in March in each of the last two years and could do so this year if projections hold true.

But so far, betting volume is a little off last year’s pace at William Hill’s Nevada sports books, according to director of trading Nick Bogdanovich.

Bogdanovich told ESPN Radio/Las Vegas on Wednesday that action on the First Four games was “down a little from last year,” and that overall betting action had been somewhat light heading into what will likely be the busiest four-day stretch of the year.

“It’s been a disappointing couple of days as far as handle. I think it’s been fairly slow. It’ll pick up fast and furious (Thursday) for sure, and hopefully later on (Wednesday).”

If handle is down at William Hill’s 105 books in Nevada, it’s a fair indication of trends statewide. Prognostications are nonetheless rosy, however, as the tournament tips off in earnest today.

Some books were slated to open at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, and seating at watch parties is expected to be at a premium at venues throughout Las Vegas.

William Hill’s odds on Thursday’s games (as of 8 p.m. Eastern Wednesday) 

COLLEGE BASKETBALLCURRENT POINT SPREAD% of TICKETS AS OF 5PM PST% of $’s WAGERED AS OF 5PM PST
NC WILMINGTON vs. DUKEDUKE -10.556% NC WILMINGTON66% NC WILMINGTON
BUTLER vs. TEXAS TECHBUTLER -463% BUTLER81% BUTLER
UCONN vs. COLORADOUCONN -3.558% UCONN62% COLORADO
IONA vs. IOWA STATEIOWA ST -868% IONA79% IONA
YALE vs. BAYLORBAYLOR -5.570% BAYLOR79% BAYLOR
HAMPTON vs. VIRGINIAVIRGINIA -2483% HAMPTON55% HAMPTON
AUSTIN PEAY vs. KANSASKANSAS -2660% AUSTIN PEAY64% AUSTIN PEAY
ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK vs. PURDUEPURDUE -955% ARK LR75% ARK LR
BUFFALO vs. MIAMI FLORIDAMIAMI FL -13.561% MIAMI FL54% MIAMI FL
CHATTANOOGA vs. INDIANAINDIANA -11.551% CHATANOOGA59% CHATANOOGA
FLORIDA GULF COAST vs. NORTH CAROLINAUNC -2270% FGCU85% FGCU
FRESNO STATE vs. UTAHUTAH -8.555% UTAH50% FRESNO ST/UTAH
WICHITA STATE vs. ARIZONAARIZONA -1.554% ARIZONA54% WICHITA ST
STONY BROOK vs. KENTUCKYKENTUCKY -1475% KENTUCKY61% KENTUCKY
PROVIDENCE vs. SOUTHERN CALPROVIDENCE -269% PROVIDENCE83% PROVIDENCE
GONZAGA vs. SETON HALLGONZAGA -164% SETON HALL51% SETON HALL

AROUND THE WEB

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

“When I started at CG Technology in 2011 the overall handle in the state of Nevada was less than $2 billion, last year the state of Nevada did $4.3 billion and this year they expect the state of Nevada to do over $5 billion.” —Matthew Holt, CG Technology’s COO, on the booming business of sports betting.

ODDS & ENDS

ODDSMAKER’S TAKE

“The worst team for us right now is Indiana. We took several wagers on them at 70-1 back in January, and then an accumulation of bets throughout the season on them, even as their price shortened.” —Jason Simbal, CG Technology’s vice president of race and sports, discussing line movements and betting trends this week.

Betting roundup: Bettors backing Baylor, Butler in NCAA Tournament’s Thursday slate

Gamblers got off to a solid start in this year’s NCAA tournament as the First Four games tipped off with a Tuesday night doubleheader.

Both favorites won and covered easily, with Florida Gulf Coast (-5.5) trouncing Fairleigh Dickinson, 96-65, and Wichita State (-3.5) taking a 70-50 win over Vanderbilt.

William Hill US reported that 55 percent of the money and 61 percent of tickets were in favor of FGCU, while 78 percent of the money was on Wichita State as of Tuesday afternoon. At BetOnline, 64 percent of money wagered was on FGCU, with 60 percent on Wichita State.

The field of 64 will be finalized tonight as the First Four wraps up with another doubleheader. As of Wednesday morning, Southern is favored by two over Holy Cross at most books, while Michigan is giving 3.5 against Tulsa in the nightcap.

Who else are bettors behind?

On ESPN’s Behind the Bets podcast, Bob Scucci, director of race and sports for Boyd Gaming, predicted gamblers would be all over Baylor in the Bears’ first-round game against Yale. So far, it looks like he’s right.

Though most of the bigger money is expected to come in closer to game time, Baylor has been the overwhelming choice among gamblers at most sports books. At William Hill’s sports books, the Baylor/Yale matchup was the most popular Thursday game in terms of tickets written as of Tuesday afternoon, and 83 percent of the money was on the Bears, currently a 5-point favorite.

But the biggest disparity in terms of money wagered on Thursday’s games is Butler, which was getting 94 percent of the support at William Hill as of Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs are currently a four-point favorite against Texas Tech at most books and giving 3.5 at William Hill.

AROUND THE WEB

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

“But it’s basically we’re sending a message to the court that we’re prepared in the state of New York to allow daily fantasy sports to continue — providing it’s monitored, it’s regulated and there are consumer protections.”—John Bonacic, the Racing and Gaming Committee Chairman in the New York State Senate.

The senate’s proposed state budget quietly included language that would make DFS a legal, regulated activity in the state, where the industry is embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that Bonacic’s plan for regulation includes a $500,000 licensing fee and a 15 percent tax on gross revenue generated by players in the state. That could make it near impossible for all but the biggest operators to do business in the state.

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

ODDSMAKER’S TAKE

“We were a little high on Cal. We opened at 7 and it got bet down to 6, and I think that was the first one out of the gate. I wasn’t even done hanging the numbers yet when the money came in on that one.” —Boyd Gaming’s Bob Scucci, on betting support for Hawaii.

Report: Brackets outnumber votes, March Madness betting more than doubles Super Bowl

The number of brackets filled out this week will outnumber the total votes ever cast for a single presidential candidate, according to the American Gaming Association.

The AGA, a casino industry advocacy group, released the figures Monday, claiming 70 million brackets are expected to be filled out during March Madness this year. No President has ever received more than 69 million votes, per data from the Roper Center.

The total amount that will be wagered on this year’s tournament is estimated to hit $9.2 billion, with only about $262 million through legal channels. For comparison, the AGA predicted $4.2 billion would be bet on this year’s Super Bowl, with legal gambling accounting for just $115 million (actual Super Bowl betting in Nevada surpassed the AGA’s estimate).

“Americans’ passion for betting fuels the unmatched popularity of March Madness,” AGA president and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a press release. “Betting increasingly drives sports fans—and even casual observers—to invest in the tournament, offering further evidence that sports betting is the new national pastime. It’s time for a fresh, rational approach to sports betting that reflects this reality.”

In Nevada, the impact of the NCAA tournament is obvious. Monthly betting handle on basketball has set records each of the last two years in March, hitting $375 million last year (NCAA and NBA combined). Much of the action comes in the first weekend of the tournament, as the first two rounds are completed between Thursday and Sunday.

“It’s crazy, because that first weekend is all in, and then the rest of the tournament betting wise is sort of calm,” said Nick Bogdanovich, William Hill US director of trading. “(Bettors) embrace that first four days of furious action where they can make a straight bet or make an eight-teamer, no problem, and you can get hot and turn a little into a lot or go broke trying to chase your money.

“It turns into quite a betting spectacle those first four days.”

AROUND THE WEB

  • FanDuel, DraftKings and the Fantasy Sports Trade Association oppose the DFS bill that passed a New Jersey Senate Committee on Monday. The bill would allow fantasy contests in the state, but would introduce taxes and regulatory fees, and it makes no statement on the matter of skill vs. chance.
  • A small startup site says it will have to leave Virginia due to a recently passed law, which includes a $50,000 licensing fee.
  • Pennsylvania remains the best candidate for online gambling expansion this year.
  • Pinnacle has launched a native mobile app.

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

“If you’re a college basketball fan, it’s better than the Super Bowl because there is a lot more action” —Jay Rood, sports book director for MGM Resorts, on March Madness in Las Vegas.

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

ODDSMAKER’S TAKE

“West Virginia was probably our biggest miss in terms of opener,” CG Technology’s Jason Simbal on the fluctuating point spreads for first-round matchups.

Selection committee second guessed by bookmakers; futures odds for NCAA field

The theme of upsets that ran through conference tournament week extended to the selection committee as the field for the NCAA tournament was announced Sunday with more than a few puzzlers.

Snubs are as much a part of the annual ritual of March Madness as first-round upsets and buzzer beaters, but this year’s bracket seems especially out-of-sync with public perception—and betting market values.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi correctly predicted 65 of the 68 teams—his lowest total since 2011—but didn’t hold back in a column headlined “The selection committee got so much wrong–and here is how.”

… the committee’s performance is slipping, year over year, and it’s also my job to point that out when necessary. Put aside my three misses for a moment — Vanderbilt (perfectly reasonable selection), Syracuse (borderline at best) and Tulsa (indefensible by every known standard) — and what you have is a selection and bracketing process that appears to have gone off the rails.

Bookmakers were also bewildered by some of the committee’s decisions. In addition to Tulsa getting in, Oregon getting a No. 1 seed over Michigan State was especially egregious in the eyes of many, including Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports at MGM Resorts.

Rood, to the Las Vegas Sun:

Michigan State not getting a No. 1 seed was screwy. They’ve been the clear-cut favorite for us the last few weeks, so I think they really missed the mark on that. … (No. 4 seed) Kentucky has a more solid power rating than Oregon. Oregon is just living off of recency. If you would have told me a week ago that Oregon was going to be a No. 1 seed, there’s no way I would have believed you.

Prior to the bracket announcement, the Ducks were listed at 30/1 odds to win the tournament, while the Spartans were one of the favorites at 5/1.

Maybe the only thing garnering more dismal reviews than the selection committee is CBS’s selection show. Freshly bloated to a two-hour runtime, it was a near unanimous flop, from Charles Barkley fumbling with touchscreens, to the actual bracket getting leaked on Twitter prior to the network unveiling.

Thankfully for all involved, basketball gets started with a First Four doubleheader Tuesday night. As of Monday morning, Florida Gulf Coast is a consensus six-point favorite over Fairleigh Dickinson, while Wichita State is giving three points to Vanderbilt.

NCAA Tournament futures odds

 WestgateWilliam Hill5Dimes
Kansas9/29/2+515
Michigan State5/19/2+815
North Carolina5/14/1+635
Virginia12/115/1+900
Villanova12/118/1+1300
Kentucky15/110/1+1350
Oregon15/112/1+2200
Oklahoma20/118/1+1200
Xavier25/130/1+3000
West Virginia25/125/1+1800
Duke25/128/1+2500
Miami30/140/1+5000
Texas A&M30/130/1+3000
Indiana30/140/1+4000
Purdue30/150/1+3300
Maryland30/130/1+3500
Utah40/140+6600
California40/150/1+6000
Arizona40/135/1+4500
Iowa State60/160/1+5500
Baylor60/150/1+8000
Texas 80/175/1+5500
Notre Dame80/175/1+11000
Seton Hall80/150/1+15000
Gonzaga80/1100/1
Wisconsin100/1100/1+10000
Dayton100/1200/1+20000
Iowa 80/1150/1+8000
Uconn100/150/1
Vanderbilt100/1200/1
Wichita State80/1100/1
Oregon State80/1300/1+35000
St. Joseph's200/1125/1
Providence200/175/1
Butler200/1200/1
Cincinnati200/1125/1
VCU200/1200/1
Michigan 200/1300/1
Texas Tech200/1300/1
Colorado200/1200/1
Pitt300/1200/1
Syracuse300/1200/1
Temple300/1250/1
Tulsa300/1300/1
Northern Iowa500/1250/1
Chattanooga500/1600/1
Arkansas-Little Rock500/1600/1
Hawaii1000/1400/1
Buffalo1000/1400/1
Fresno State1000/1400/1
S.F. Austin1000/1250/1
Middle Tenn. State1000/11000/1
Yale1000/1600/1
South Dakota State1000/11000/1
NC Wilmington2000/1600/1
Stony Brook2000/11000/1
Iona2000/1400/1
Wisc-Green Bay2000/1750/1
Cal St. Bakersfield2000/12500/1
UNC-Asheville2000/11000/1
Weber State5000/1600/1
Austin Peay9999/12500/1
Hampton9999/15000/1
Fla. Gulf Coast9999/15000/1
Fairleigh Dickinson9999/15000/1
Southern9999/15000/1
Holy Cross9999/15000/1

AROUND THE WEB

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

“We go to great lengths to prevent the tournament field from being revealed early and the NCAA took its usual measures to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, and regrettably, the bracket was revealed prior to our broadcast partners having the opportunity to finish unveiling it. We take this matter seriously and we are looking into it.”—NCAA statement after the official brackets were leaked early on Twitter on Sunday.

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

ODDSMAKER’S TAKE

“It’s almost like they had the seeds backwards here. The ceiling for Gonzaga is much higher. That’s one of the teams that’s a double-digit seed, though they shouldn’t be, that could go far in the tournament.”—Jay Rood, VP of race and sports for MGM Resorts, on one of many gripes with this year’s NCAA tournament bracket.

Daily fantasy sports scores legislative win, but small sites bemoan looming duopoly

On Monday, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe signed into law the Fantasy Contests Act, making it the first state to formally legalize daily fantasy sports. It is being hailed as a victory for the industry at a time when bad news outnumbers the good, but some smaller operators are unhappy.

The bill includes a one-time $50,000 licensing and an annual $5,000 regulatory fee. Its broad language also makes no mention of the word “daily,” making it applicable to real-money seasonlong operators as well.

“It really puts us out of business in your state,” David Gerczak, co-founder of a high-stakes, seasonlong fantasy football site, told the Virginian-Pilot.

He’s likely not alone. While the daily fantasy sports market is dominated by behemoths FanDuel and DraftKings, there are dozens of smaller companies that might find $50,000 fees for a single state prohibitive.

“Maybe one or two could try and pony up the dough,” Gerczak told WFYI in Indianapolis. “But when you think about all the states we’re talking about, what they’re trying to do is create this duopoly.”

Indiana could be the next state to make DFS legal. Its bill, which includes identical fees, is currently awaiting the governor’s signature after easily passing through both chambers of the state legislature.

Twenty-three states currently have active legislation that would legalize DFS and introduce some form of regulation. Many of those are seemingly based on the model bill created by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. The model does not include fees or taxes, but could be amended to include both.

AROUND THE WEB

  • The Nevada Gaming Policy Committee talked about daily fantasy sports at length in Monday’s meeting, which featured an appearance from FanDuel and DraftKings CEOs Nigel Eccles and Jason Robins, respectively. Some six months after the state Attorney General said daily fantasy companies needed to apply for gaming licenses to operate in the state, the committee is considering possible amendments to its current regulatory infrastructure or the creation of a new scheme to deal specifically with DFS.
  • Meanwhile, veteran sports book operator Vic Salerno says his DFS site, US Fantasy, remains on track to be up and running in Nevada and beyond by the start of the 2016 NFL season.
  • A new effort launched to regulate (and tax) DFS in New Jersey.

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

“We got our nuts kicked in.”—BetOnline’s Dave Mason on the losses absorbed by the online book thanks to a pair of upsets in UFC 196 on Saturday.

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

Betting roundup: Sports books take a hit on UFC 196 after late money comes in on Diaz

A pair of upsets stunned the mixed martial arts world Saturday, as heavy favorites Holly Holm and Conor McGregor went down in back-to-back bouts to close UFC 196 in Las Vegas.

Holm, in her first fight since upsetting Ronda Rousey in November, fell by submission in the fifth round to +240 underdog Miesha Tate. Soon after, Nate Diaz (+350) handed McGregor his first loss since 2010 via second-round submission.

Among sports books, the consensus seems to be that it was a bad night—but it could’ve been worse.

For most of the week, Diaz, who was filling in for an injured Rafael dos Anjos, drew loads of small-ticket support, but the big money remained on McGregor. That started to change in the hours before the fight, as bigger bets poured in on the underdog.

As of Friday night, William Hill US was reporting that just 12 percent of the money wagered was in favor of Diaz, but by fight time, that had swung dramatically to 56 percent at the operator’s 105 books in Nevada.

Those trends appear to have held elsewhere, as well. Prior to the main event, a BetOnline representative tweeted that a Diaz win would deal the online book its second-biggest loss on a fight in company history, and Jeff Stoneback of the Mirage told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Saturday was “probably our worst UFC result ever, besides the night Ronda Rousey got beat.”

It could’ve been much worse if not for late-arriving money on Holm.

Tate was receiving 81 percent of tickets and 85 percent of the money at William Hill books on Friday night, but was down to 55 percent by Saturday night, and Stoneback said big bets on Holm helped the Mirage avoid a truly ugly night.

“We did win every undercard fight,” Stoneback said, “so we were very fortunate to break even on the night after losing that McGregor fight.”

AROUND THE WEB

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

Betting roundup: DraftKings tweaks MLB rules

With Opening Day just a month away, DraftKings unveiled changes to its Major League Baseball contest rules Thursday, tightening the limitations on “stacking” and adding a utility position, among others.

Rosters will still be made up of 10 players, including two pitchers and eight hitters, but one roster spot has been changed from a dedicated outfield position to a utility hitter, which can be chosen from any position.

Users will also be limited to five hitters from a single MLB team, one less than previous restrictions, and rosters must include players from two different MLB games. The prior rule stipulated that rosters must include players from three separate MLB teams. The caught-stealing point deduction has also been eliminated.

DraftKings hasn’t commented since the rules were modified Thursday morning, but the changes were a response to player requests, according to a site representative.

Under the new rules, DraftKings MLB contests will more closely resemble those at industry co-leader FanDuel in some ways, but significant differences remain.

Stacking: DraftKings will allow five hitters from a single team; The FanDuel limit is four players (including a pitcher) from a single team.

Roster construction: DraftKings now requires players from two separate MLB games, while FanDuel requires players from three different MLB teams. FanDuel maintains a roster with one starting pitcher slot and eight traditional positions, while DraftKings has two pitcher spots, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, UT.

The sites also diverge quite a bit in scoring.

Scoring at DraftKings:

  • Hitters will accumulate points as follows:
    • Single = +3 PTs
    • Double = +5 PTs
    • Triple = +8 PTs
    • Home Run = +10 PTs
    • Run Batted In = +2 PTs
    • Run = +2 PTs
    • Base on Balls = +2 PTs
    • Hit By Pitch = +2 PTs
    • Stolen Base = +5 PTs
  • Pitchers will accumulate points as follows:
    • Inning Pitched = +2.25 PTs
    • Strike Out = +2 PTs
    • Win = +4 PTs
    • Earned Run Allowed = -2 PTs
    • Hit Against = -0.6 PTs
    • Base on Balls Against = -0.6 PTs
    • Hit Batsman = -0.6 PTs
    • Complete Game = +2.5 PTs
    • Complete Game Shut Out = +2.5 PTs
    • No Hitter = +5 PTs

Scoring at FanDuel:

Hitters Pitchers
1B = 1pt W = 4pts
2B = 2pts ER = -1pt
3B = 3pts SO = 1pt
HR = 4pts IP = 1pt*
RBI = 1pt
R = 1pt
BB = 1pt
SB = 2pts
HBP = 1pt
Out (calculated as at bats – hits) = -.25pt

* * *

AROUND THE WEB

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

“The handle for UFC last year was nearly equal to boxing, which is saying something because we had a really big handle on the Mayweather fight.” —MGM Resorts sports book director Jay Rood, who said this weekend’s UFC event might attract $5 million in handle at MGM’s books.

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

Betting roundup: Bettors flocking to Diaz, but big money still on McGregor in UFC 196

Bettors on this weekend’s UFC 196 are finding it hard to resist taking a flier on +400 underdog Nate Diaz in his non-title welterweight bout against featherweight champion Conor McGregor.

William Hill US, which operates 105 sports books in Nevada, reports that 83 percent of tickets written have been in favor of Diaz, but those account for just nine percent of the money wagered on the fight. Results are similar at BetOnline, where more bets have been taken on Diaz than McGregor, Miesha Tate and Holly Holm combined.

McGregor (19-2, 17 KOs), who opened in the -350 neighborhood and now sits at -500 at William Hill, is moving up two weight classes for the fight, which will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He was expected to be fighting lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos this weekend, but it was announced Feb. 23 that the Brazilian fighter was withdrawing due to a reported foot injury.

Diaz (18-10, 4 KOs) will also be fighting one class above his usual lightweight designation.

Holm was a -320 favorite as of Wednesday at William Hill and was listed at -345 on Thursday morning at BetOnline in her first fight since upsetting Ronda Rousey in November.

AROUND THE WEB

  • Report: FanDuel brought in $600 million more in entry fees than DraftKings in 2015.
  • Georgia’s AG recently became the latest to advise that DFS is illegal gambling in his state. What happens now?
  • Cruz shows moderate gains in betting markets following Super Tuesday, but Trump still the heavy favorite to take the Republican nomination.
  • How to fix the NCAA/NBA “one-and-done rule.”

TWEETS OF NOTE

ODDS & ENDS

  • Against his employer’s wishes, Curt Schilling continues to weigh in with his opinions on politics. ESPN says it is “addressing” his most recent missive on Hillary Clinton.
  • On online book has Tom Hardy installed as the 2/1 favorite to be the next James Bond.
  • Family finds seven Ty Cobb cards over a century old in deceased great-grandfather’s house. The find is estimated to be worth $1 million.