NBA Annual; Angles, Spreads, Records, Crushing the (Breeders') Cup Timely

15 October 2004

By Howard Schwartz

Annually, some of the best material for pro basketball betting comes from the hard-working, talented Ed Meyer of Killer Sports. This year's 2004-05 Killer Sports NBA Annual ( 227 pages, 8x11 plastic spiralbound, $29.95) delivers. As expected, a fine package.

Looking at the book's format using the Denver Nuggets as an example, we see 40 past trends keyed to the spread and another 40 keyed to totals. For example, the book tells us the Nuggets are14-1 against the spread since December of 2000 versus the Portland Trailblazers, with an average spread margin of 10.1 per game. For totals we're informed that the Nuggets are 12-0 since March 2001 when played in an isolated game (2 or more days of rest before and after) with an average over-under margin of 15.3 points per game.

The book then lists three years of results, spreads, totals for the last three seasons, followed by two pages containing the Nuggets' complete schedule with room to keep records, see the date the game will be played and where and on what day (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) and most importantly, observe how many days' rest Denver and the opponent will have on the date the game will be played. Thus you can keep track of winning and losing streaks and be alert for situations where a team is coming off a long road trip or returning home for a long series.

The book also contains 20 pro basketball systems keyed to the entire league (or considered "not team specific"). A sample would be "The league is 0-11 in over-under games since December 2000 as a double digit away dog off a an overtime win at home." The system contains analysis and rationale for its existence and a workout showing you every game which has occurred since December 2000 up until last season.

On the thoroughbred side, Jim Mazur and Peter Mallett have produced another supersource for those planning to bet the 21st Breeder's Cup at Lone Star Park in Texas.

This 13th edition is a great way to prepare for one of the great days of the yet to bet the ponies. The authors look at each race, explaining how favorites have done; which jockeys are trainers team best to produce winners; what style of running seems to pay off; the impact of workouts and tuneups; how the Europeans have fared; if pedigree had an impact; if certain post position bias played a role.

If you're looking for some angle, whether it be Beyer numbers or a jockey-trainer switch, the book may help you find a pattern -- and hopefully a winner or two.

The book is titled Crushing The Cup 2004 (150 pages, 8x11 plastic spiralbound, $29.95).