HOW TO BET THE FINAL WEEKS BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS By Rob Crowne © Rob Crowne Assoc. December 23, 2012 NFL Playoff time is almost here again. Sports bettors always seem surprised by some of the results in the final 2-3 weeks before the playoffs. Just this past Sunday, for example, New England, one of the best teams in the NFL this season, was favored by 14 points but struggled to beat one of the worst teams in the... Read more

The Wiseguys & the 2012 Hall of Fame Game C. Robert Crowne Assoc. August,2012 You can’t follow the wiseguys by relying on after-the-fact betting action statements from the bookmakers. If the bookmakers are correct in their assessment of the side chosen by the smart money, then you will be too late. Once the bookmaker tells you the smart money has bet a side, the books have already been hit and have moved the... Read more

Enough of meaningless all star games that look more like Harlem Globetrotter exhibitions than actual games. Enough of the showboating and pretending to play. Why even call what goes on in the NBA and NHL All Star silliness a game? At last, we once again have the MLB All Star Game . It may not be quite the same as a real game, but at least you know the pitcher won’t be throwing powder puffs so the batter can look good... Read more

Martingale System Betting © Robert Crowne & Assoc., March 29, 2012 A Martingale system is a money management system that increases the amount wagered after a loss. The classic Martingale System involves doubling your bet after every loss. The Martingale System was originally developed for even-money propositions in roulette -- black/white or odd/even. The attraction of the Martingale System is that it guarantees... Read more

NY GIANTS ARE UNDOCUMENTED "FOREIGNERS" by Rob Crowne © Rob Crowne Assoc., February 7, 2012 New Jersey has never had a good reputation, and the Super Bowl Champ Giants are out to prove it. The Giants deserted New York in 1976 to move to a fancier stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but for the next 35 years they continued to claim to be the NEW YORK GIANTS . Today, the Giants victory parade will... Read more

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." -- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities It was the best of games, it was the worst of games. If you're watching it should be a good game. For bettors, it's the worst of games. The Sugar Bowl matches two very equal teams. Both should be happy to be there and trying hard to win. Michigan is 10-2. Virginia Tech played an extra geme and is 11-2. Tech has the... Read more

What’s a Beef ‘O’Brady’s? No sooner did I finally figure out what a Chic-Fil-A is, then along comes the Beef O’Brady Bowl. I figure if all Beef ‘O’ Brady’s could sponsor was a minor bowl, they must be a minor business. It turns out that’s exactly what they are -- an Irish Pub-type place that caters to the minors in your family. If you’ve never heard of a Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, you probably don’t live within shouting... Read more

BIG PLAYS AND THE JOB OF THE HANDICAPPER © Robert Crowne & Associates, December, 2011 "A one year record is totally irrelevant to me. Give me someone’s five-year record or lifetime record that’s what’s really significant. Take a coin and flip it 80 times and you’ll be shocked how often you get 50 tails and 30 heads.” -- Fezzik after winning the Hilton Supercontest twice in a row I keep reading posts in the various... Read more

NFL HALF TIME RANT In the NFL, there are exactly 13 minutes from the time the teams start to walk off the field to the time they kick the ball for the second half. I suspect the timing of the break at the half is regulated by the NFL since every game, except the Super Bowl, is exactly the same 13 minutes almost to the second. A mere 13-minute break makes no practical sense whatever. Given that it takes the teams... Read more

The Hilton Consensus “Everything is relative.” -- Albert Einstein This past week Minnesota was selected by 145 contestants. Only 16 contestants picked against Minnesota by selecting Arizona. Despite the 129-contestant differential between those picking Minnesota and those picking Arizona, Minnesota did not make it into the Top 5 Consensus posted around the net. Instead, Tennessee was installed in 5th Place in the Consensus... Read more