By Marc Lawrence Get your dancing shoes out. With just two weeks remaining to the start of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, teams sitting on the outside looking in are now - more than ever - sweating their bubbles off. For the legitimate teams who find themselves sitting ‘on the tournament bubble', it's now crunch time. And with it the pressure peaks. As Elvis said, "It's now or never." With post-season conference tournaments... Read more

Rounding Third and Heading Home By Marc Lawrence In the blink of an eye the 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament will begin its annual pulse-pounding extravaganza. In all likelihood hearts will be broken, a new champion crowned, and memories of upsets and game-winning shots will leave the court in assured dramatic fashion when the 'Big Dance' takes center stage Thursday, March 17th. Before we take in all the 'Big... Read more

By Marc Lawrence Some say the NBA is simply an acronym for Nothing But Aggravation. Others contend it's merely a Nice Bankroll Additive. Whatever your take, there is no better time than the present - with the NBA taking a time out for the All-Star break - to examine the condition of each team in the league at this stage of the season. From the surprise teams to the disappointments, the run to the 2011 playoffs is about... Read more

Too Much Rest Makes Rust By Marc Lawrence Generally speaking, the first rule most good handicappers look to apply is seeking out live dogs that have a realistic shot at winning the game. That's because three things can happen when you bet on an underdog - and two of them are good. There are, however, certain dogs that can bite the hand that feeds them if they are not conditioned to win. For the most part they... Read more

By Marc Lawrence With the college basketball season now in full conference swing, let's examine a handicapping theory that yields a much better return on your investment than the banks these days. It deals with teams playing back-to-back days without rest during the regular season. For the most part it pertains largely to Ivy League games, noted for playing back-to-back contests on Friday and Saturday nights. ... Read more

By Marc Lawrence It seems like only yesterday when NFL playoff teams took the field with a week of rest against advancing Wild Card Round winners and proceeded directly to winners circle. But such is not the case today. As Bob Dylan so sagely put it, "The times are a-changin'." Don't know if you've noticed but what was once a moneymaking proposition backing rested teams in the NFL postseason has turned into a stone... Read more

By Marc Lawrence Handicapping the NFL Playoffs can be a bit tricky. The knee-jerk reaction is to back home teams. After all, they have been a solid-moneymaker, going 157-125-6 ATS (55.6%), dating back to 1980. Today, however, that would be a mistake as the success of home teams in the playoffs has dissolved like an Alka Seltzer in a cold glass of water. A closer look finds home teams just 109-94-5 ATS since... Read more

By Marc Lawrence The 2010 College Bowl games have descended upon us and with it we begin working overtime on the season as we handicap the matchups. One time-tested theory that holds up well during the post-season is isolating teams and how they fared in games this campaign against winning opposition. It's one thing to make your mark against stone-cold losers. It's another to be able to go toe-to-toe against... Read more

By Marc Lawrence Smart handicappers alike agree on one thing - preparation is the key to success. The better prepared you are the better chance you stand at succeeding. With the 2010 College Bowl season now upon us it's time to get ready for the thirty-five games that await. While a myriad of different techniques and approaches exist one simple element is often overlooked and that is how teams are or have been performing... Read more

When U.S. space shuttle Apollo 17 returned safely to earth December 19, 1972 after landing on the moon, it was the sixth and last Apollo mission in which humans walked on the lunar surface. Safe to say that after over 300 hours of elapsed time, the performance of the spacecraft was excellent for all aspects of the mission. The Apollo program totaled 17 missions in all and included the only 12 humans to have ever... Read more