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Jimmy V Column 11/14
As I See It, by Jimmy Vaccaro
November 14, 2001
We're approaching that time of year when there is so much going on, it can be overbearing and confusing to players, with the end result of frequently giving up our cash without much of a fight.
I'm referring to all the meaningful college football games yet to be played while we've reached the midway point in the NFL season. Throw in a full schedule of college hoops and the NBA, and the onus is on us not to make foolish mistakes.
I have my hands full keeping up with all the gridiron action, but admit to having played some baskets.
As I have pointed out in the past, I basically do all the work myself, and also write myself notes when needed.
While I tap into the computer, Don Best and reach out to friends for betting info, I find that brief, succinct notes are very helpful.
In the past 10 years, there has been tremendous growth of college basketball tournaments, which has transformed the landscape of the hoops season.
While teams still schedule "cupcakes", they have gone far beyond that approach in getting ready for the upcoming season. Another consideration is accumulation of revenue for the school.
Early on, tournaments usually had the home team almost an out price to win, and that lasted for a while.
Then, with cable networks such as ESPN aggressively seeking to televise the tournaments, the schools discovered they had some leverage and started demanding bigger pieces of the pie for broadcast rights.
Of course, some coaches were reluctant to play top teams because they didn't want to lose their luster in the early season pools. But after thinking about it and realizing that an early season loss wasn't that devastating, and considering the potential financial rewards, more and more teams committed to tournaments.
The polls notwithstanding, coaches realize that once you're in the NCAA Tournament, it's the team with six straight wins in March that wears the crown.
So, with beer and shoe companies firmly entrenched as sponsors, it was off to the races.
Remember in a previous column I mentioned that every time something new is added to the mix, smart players usually find out the rhythm and angle before the bookmakers. Count me in as part of the latter who took it on the chin for a while.
Usually in these tournaments, unique situations would arise that players could exploit. Not 100 percent, but with a winning percentage.
Some of the reasons we bookmakers were beaten to the punch by players were as follows.
Unlike the reliability of regular season schedules, tournament games would change on the fly as dictated by the TV networks which were concerned with maximum promotion of high profile teams.
On opening night a team might play a late game, then turn around and in a time change have an early start the next day against a well rested squad.
This is a small advantage but an edge nonetheless. But what about when a team plays overtime the previous night and then goes up against a team that had an easy game and was able to rest some players? Guaranteed winner? Absolutely not. Medium advantage? Probably yes.
Small dings that occur to players will usually result in the coach being more cautious about playing a star in order not to risk injury, especially with conference play imminent.
Try this on for size. Next Monday the Maui Invitational gets underway and you have three games in three nights. Keep some notes and see if you can spot a few edges.
Also remember that some teams travel a great distance to get to these tournaments, then travel again to get back home. If you really want to track this stuff, go to a site like sportspages.com and find out when the team left and, if possible, their travel plans to get back home.
You will at times come across good stuff. I can't remember the game, but I do remember it was a good sized bet that lost. At the time, it was determined that a team which played in the shootout in Anchorage had to stay over for an extra day, then flew long distance to get home on the day of their next game. They got Swiss-cheesed, and the books got barbecued.
Also, remember that in the early NIT games, home court is determined after each game to insure bigger crowds. Thus, teams do not know their travel plans until late. Some of the teams that get caught in the switch simply stay on the road instead of going home. Under normal circumstances this is tough on pros, so it usually has even more of a negative effect on college kids, even if they will not admit it.
Then there is the situation that is coming up in Las Vegas. Pressure from the NCAA has caused an early season tournament to be moved from a major venue associated with casinos to a high school gym.
I'm just surmising that a mid-level program won't be affected much, but a big time program might lose interest in their game real early.
So, what I have described in this column are some examples of keeping notes and profiting from them. Try it for the next few weeks and draw your own conclusions … if using them helps ferret out some good betting situations.
Whether it helps or not, at least the advice is free.
My selection this week is the Cleveland Browns on the road against the Ravens. The Browns have had two gut-wrenching losses in a row, and Baltimore is back to winning with its defense. Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa looked like the Great Wall of China last Monday night.
The Browns will not be completely shut down and their own defense should be enough to keep Baltimore in the low teens. Eight points is enough to put me on the Browns.
Comments and response is greatly appreciated: vaccarosports@lvcm.com.
Thanks for the nice comments on the offshore report.
Stay well, Jimmy V.
November 14, 2001
We're approaching that time of year when there is so much going on, it can be overbearing and confusing to players, with the end result of frequently giving up our cash without much of a fight.
I'm referring to all the meaningful college football games yet to be played while we've reached the midway point in the NFL season. Throw in a full schedule of college hoops and the NBA, and the onus is on us not to make foolish mistakes.
I have my hands full keeping up with all the gridiron action, but admit to having played some baskets.
As I have pointed out in the past, I basically do all the work myself, and also write myself notes when needed.
While I tap into the computer, Don Best and reach out to friends for betting info, I find that brief, succinct notes are very helpful.
In the past 10 years, there has been tremendous growth of college basketball tournaments, which has transformed the landscape of the hoops season.
While teams still schedule "cupcakes", they have gone far beyond that approach in getting ready for the upcoming season. Another consideration is accumulation of revenue for the school.
Early on, tournaments usually had the home team almost an out price to win, and that lasted for a while.
Then, with cable networks such as ESPN aggressively seeking to televise the tournaments, the schools discovered they had some leverage and started demanding bigger pieces of the pie for broadcast rights.
Of course, some coaches were reluctant to play top teams because they didn't want to lose their luster in the early season pools. But after thinking about it and realizing that an early season loss wasn't that devastating, and considering the potential financial rewards, more and more teams committed to tournaments.
The polls notwithstanding, coaches realize that once you're in the NCAA Tournament, it's the team with six straight wins in March that wears the crown.
So, with beer and shoe companies firmly entrenched as sponsors, it was off to the races.
Remember in a previous column I mentioned that every time something new is added to the mix, smart players usually find out the rhythm and angle before the bookmakers. Count me in as part of the latter who took it on the chin for a while.
Usually in these tournaments, unique situations would arise that players could exploit. Not 100 percent, but with a winning percentage.
Some of the reasons we bookmakers were beaten to the punch by players were as follows.
Unlike the reliability of regular season schedules, tournament games would change on the fly as dictated by the TV networks which were concerned with maximum promotion of high profile teams.
On opening night a team might play a late game, then turn around and in a time change have an early start the next day against a well rested squad.
This is a small advantage but an edge nonetheless. But what about when a team plays overtime the previous night and then goes up against a team that had an easy game and was able to rest some players? Guaranteed winner? Absolutely not. Medium advantage? Probably yes.
Small dings that occur to players will usually result in the coach being more cautious about playing a star in order not to risk injury, especially with conference play imminent.
Try this on for size. Next Monday the Maui Invitational gets underway and you have three games in three nights. Keep some notes and see if you can spot a few edges.
Also remember that some teams travel a great distance to get to these tournaments, then travel again to get back home. If you really want to track this stuff, go to a site like sportspages.com and find out when the team left and, if possible, their travel plans to get back home.
You will at times come across good stuff. I can't remember the game, but I do remember it was a good sized bet that lost. At the time, it was determined that a team which played in the shootout in Anchorage had to stay over for an extra day, then flew long distance to get home on the day of their next game. They got Swiss-cheesed, and the books got barbecued.
Also, remember that in the early NIT games, home court is determined after each game to insure bigger crowds. Thus, teams do not know their travel plans until late. Some of the teams that get caught in the switch simply stay on the road instead of going home. Under normal circumstances this is tough on pros, so it usually has even more of a negative effect on college kids, even if they will not admit it.
Then there is the situation that is coming up in Las Vegas. Pressure from the NCAA has caused an early season tournament to be moved from a major venue associated with casinos to a high school gym.
I'm just surmising that a mid-level program won't be affected much, but a big time program might lose interest in their game real early.
So, what I have described in this column are some examples of keeping notes and profiting from them. Try it for the next few weeks and draw your own conclusions … if using them helps ferret out some good betting situations.
Whether it helps or not, at least the advice is free.
My selection this week is the Cleveland Browns on the road against the Ravens. The Browns have had two gut-wrenching losses in a row, and Baltimore is back to winning with its defense. Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa looked like the Great Wall of China last Monday night.
The Browns will not be completely shut down and their own defense should be enough to keep Baltimore in the low teens. Eight points is enough to put me on the Browns.
Comments and response is greatly appreciated: vaccarosports@lvcm.com.
Thanks for the nice comments on the offshore report.
Stay well, Jimmy V.