Record-keeping Books Arrive To Help Hoops Bettors Track Streaks

1 November 2006

By Howard Schwartz

Basketball bettors who do their homework, who find soft spots and/or mistakes in the line and who take advantage of streaks usually have a better bottom line in the long run. The ability to see a pattern--fatigue, a long road trip, a change in altitude or the loss of a key player--can often mean the difference between a winning or losing season. To keep records, we need a tool. It could be a computer, a notebook, or a ready-made record-keeping device we can use daily to identify "patterns."

As the 2006-07 season gets under way, the Gambler's Book Shop has three books--two for the pro bettor, one for the collegiate handicapper--that meet this special need. They are, The RME NBA Workbook (96 pages, 8x11, plastic spiral bound, $16) and the RME NCAA Basketball Workbook (238 pages, 8x11 plastic spiral bound, $26) and the Complete Guide to the NBA Schedule by Jim Catello (208 pages, 8x11 plastic spiral bound, $29.95).

The RME book gives you each team's pro schedule from November to April with room to record opening and closing lines; the totals number; the final score and to indicate if the team won straight up; if the team covered the spread; if the game went over or under; if the team was a favorite or dog and the team's overall record after each game.

The day and dates (Monday, Feb. 26, for example) of games are listed, along with the opponent and where the game will played.

For those who love what are called "mechanical angles" there are several dozen for betting a side or for the totals. Example: Memphis is 0-12-1 against the spread after losing to the L.A. Lakers and are 10-1 in over and unders vs. San Antonio.

For the RME College version, there's an easy to use table of contents to find Air Force to Youngstown State.

Here you'll find the date (not the day though) of each college game for each team and the site of the game. Again, there is room for opening and closing lines; the total number; whether a team won straight up or not; if the team covered; whether the game went over or under and the team's overall record as of that game.

There's a web site listed for each college team should you need a quick reference for injuries, etc. and a look at how the team did last season as a favorite, dog, against conference, non-conference teams and how the team did after a straight up win or straight up loss or against the line.

It's only in summary form, like Arkansas was 9-4 against the spread in home contests.

Jim Catello's guide to the NBA schedule is also a record keeper, but more. For each pro team, you'll see the schedule, the opponent, the day and date the game will be played and where and you'll be able to record the line, the total number, the first and second half score and indicate whether a team won straight up or not.

But the bonus is in the author's "potential angles and alerts" such as the top 15 most important schedule issues, which include: when the first and second games of a back-to-back set are set; home court advantage; getting three or more days off between games; the last home game before leaving on a trip and the first home game after a long trip.

Catello tells you which teams have the toughest schedules and most favorable and, for virtually every game of the season for each team, offers these "alerts" including some like "Because of their relative central geographical position in the Eastern Conference, the Bobcats will have to make 15 one-game trips," and "the Grizzlies were given the 8th best schedule in the league, primarily due to the whopping number of teams (21) when they will get at least three days rest between games."

One of the finest compilation ever for the angle-seeking pro basketball bettor, this item has one small flaw, and I can't explain it, having just noticed it--the author calls the Toronto Raptors the "Rappers" throughout the book--maybe it's a better name for the team in the future, but it's an interesting flub.