Betting Dork With Gill Alexander

Host Gill Alexander welcomes legendary MIT blackjack team member and the inspiration for the main characters depicted in “Bringing Down the House” and “21”, Jeffrey Ma, to the show, resulting in a fascinating discussion on all that Ma has been up to in the years since, and the insights culled along the way.  From dispelling blackjack’s biggest fallacy to his takes on Malcolm Gladwell, sports markets, and sports betting, Ma weaves compelling stories to illustrate his points.  It’s an instant classic, on Thursday's Betting Dork (April 28, 2011).

Wiseguy Vegas Runner and Host Gill Alexander are back at it again, interpreting tweets and talking Value Top 10.  Through it all, if you're not careful, you might just learn something.  Among the nuggets uncovered: how understanding the market can take you off a losing bet (despite initial temptation), what inside information should inform a key UFC 129 play for you on Saturday, what the most exploitable NFL Draft Props are at Sportsbook.com and Bodog, and which of VR's undervalued NBA squads are still getting no respect from square bettors.  Plus, a slew of MLB total plays, on Wednesday's Betting Dork (April 27, 2011).

Have at it, bettors.  Out of the lab just long enough to offer up capsules for each and every MLB game on the schedule, Basewinner joins Host Gill Alexander for their indispensable Friday baseball betting board breakdown.  Whether confirming your lean, countering your lean, taking you off of a game, or just making you think twice, one shouldn't place a MLB wager tonight without taking advantage of this eavesdropping opportunity.  Plus, Aaron, or Unassail from the Pregame Forums, stops by a week in advance to give his UFC 129 thoughts.  6 Free plays in MLB, and a few more in UFC, all on Friday's Betting Dork (April 22, 2011).

Every Wednesday, Pregame Pro Vegas Runner and Host Gill Alexander get together without any preconceived notion of what they're going to talk about, and seemingly every week, betting gems are revealed.  Today, in addition to delving into VR's Value Top 10 and interpreting tweets about what bettors' expectations shouldn't include when purchasing line services, the exchange highlights the unique enhanced value of cross-sport parlays this time of year and the math behind why laying big money shouldn't always scare one away, including on a game tonight.  Free NHL, MLB, and NBA picks are included, on Wednesday's Betting Dork (April 20, 2011).

In the first-ever Betting Dork show dedicated exclusively to hockey, Host Gill Alexander welcomes Pregame Pro Denver Money and Pregame blogger Brandon Watson, hosts of their own NHL-focused podcast, to discuss their betting approach on the ice.  With the NHL Playoffs in full swing but with plenty of hockey still to go, there's plenty of money to be had this spring away from the diamond and hard court.  How does NHL handicapping specifically tweak for the postseason?  Does line movement matter?  Does Power Play efficiency factor in?  Which teams and goaltenders have what it takes to advance the furthest?  What current advanced statistic might evolve into a highly predictive metric?  All of those questions and more are answered on Tuesday's Betting Dork (April 19, 2011).

In an NBA/MLB tag team podcast, it's nothing but a plethora of picks as Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports checks in from the airport on his way to Oklahoma City and offers up his NBA Playoff picks, and advanced statistics numbers cruncher Basewinner comes out of the lab just long enough to give us his baseball analysis for today's entire slate.  Host Gill Alexander soaks it all in, on Friday's Betting Dork (April 15, 2011).  

NCAA Basketball, NBA, MLB, and NHL.  It's all on this one.  Pregame Pro Vegas Runner drops the knowledge on Host Gill Alexander from a Vegas Strip perspective on the USD point shaving scandal, then segues into his formula for calculating MLB offensive efficiency.  Plus, VR talks about what to expect from NBA lines today, and even includes an NHL Playoff series lean and MLB free pick to boot, on Wednesday's Betting Dork (April 13, 2011).

In a wide-ranging exchange, Las Vegas Sports Consultants Executive Director and lead developer of the Midas Algorithm, Andrew Garrood, joins Host Gill Alexander to discuss a number of sports betting industry issues.  From financial market parallels, to the current state and future of in-running wagering, to the greater context of what the M hopes to accomplish in welcoming wiseguy action, what's revealed is an exciting snapshot of where the sports betting landscape is headed, on Tuesday's Betting Dork (April 12, 2011).

Baseball handicappers STL Sharp, Dave Essler and Basewinner discuss Washington Nationals at NY Mets, St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins at Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds at Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays at LA Angels, and Cleveland Indians at Seattle Mariners with Host Gill Alexander, on an MLB Free Play Bonanza, on Friday's Betting Dork (April 8, 2011)

Pregame Pro Vegas Runner and Host Gill Alexander discuss two key sports betting concepts, defining the sharp bettor and flat v tiered unit betting.  Then, from the man who gave us the Packers and Steelers as two of his futures bets before the NFL season, VR unloads his MLB National League Futures Play of the Year, on Wednesday's Betting Dork (April 6, 2011).

It's the first major of 2011 and perhaps the most beatable.  Host Gill Alexander welcomes Pregame Pro and golf guru Mike Hook to map out a buffet-size smorgasbord of plays for The Masters.  From a trio of solid plays to win it all, to sleepers, to Top 5 and Top 10 picks, to head-to-head cherry-picked selections, all the way to the most exploitable props, this is about as indispensable a listen as it gets for bettors looking to cash in at Augusta, on Tuesday's Betting Dork (April 5, 2011). 

You may know him best from his "Behind The Bets" podcast or blog on ESPN.com, but Chad Millman takes some time off to chat with Host Gill Alexander about what still amazes him about wiseguys after all these years and what still leaves him skeptical.  Plus, does he feel more drawn to old school research handicapping methods or to the more statistically driven approach?  Then, Gill dives into additional MLB wagering fundamentals, including what could be considered the Holy Grail of all sports betting, on Monday's Betting Dork (April 4, 2011).

Michael Perry, Senior Manager and Oddsmaker at Sportsbook.com, joins Host Gill Alexander and provides insight into a number of not-often-shared sportsbook facts, including which teams leave his shop most exposed in the NCAA Final Four, and to exactly what extent.  Plus, he offers up some interesting MLB props available at his site, as well.  Then, with MLB Opening Day upon us, Gill and Basewinner offer up notes on every single ballgame on Thursday and Friday, including a few free picks thrown in, on Thursday's Betting Dork (March 31, 2011).

On a rare Betting Dork, it’s an “Interpreting the Tweets” segment run amok.  Host Gill Alexander and Pregame Pro Vegas Runner discuss a number of sports betting related sidebars, including the importance of shopping around for the best lines and how bettors can make more informed decisions about which cappers to follow and how they react to them.  Plus, VR talks Final Four.  It’s a fiery Wednesday Betting Dork (March 30, 2011).

Pregame Pros Marco D'Angelo and JR O'Donnell bring years of handicapping experience to the table, as they share their thoughts with Host Gill Alexander on college basketball.  Included are Marco's Free NIT Play of the night, their thoughts on the Final Four matchups, and the two pros' best stabs at all the potential betting lines for the NCAA Championship Game.  Plus, how you can win $10,000 betting on MLB, on Tuesday's Betting Dork (March 29, 2011).

It's a Dork mash-up.  First, Yahoo! Sports NBA expert Marc Spears hangs out with Host Gill Alexander to give his take on the pro prospects of Derrick Williams, Jimmer Fredette, and Harrison Barnes.  Then, it's American Idol betting talk with Tara in South Carolina.  And for good measure, Gill dispenses some 2011 Fantasy Baseball draft guidelines with some sleeper thoughts thrown in.  There's something for everyone, on Friday's Betting Dork (March 25, 2011).

So, how are those brackets looking?  Whether you're still alive in your 2011 NCAA March Madness brackets or just plain ol' toast at this point, Sweet 16 brackets gives everyone new life.  Pregame Pro Vegas Runner joins Host Gill Alexander and goes through all the games in detail, following the unveiling of his new weekly feature, The Value Top 10.  It's all on Wednesday's Betting Dork (March 23, 2011).

Last show, it was all about the mechanics of setting helpful guidelines for first-time baseball bettors.  This time, it's about the ingredients that go into an advanced stats driven MLB handicapping approach.  Once again, Basewinner joins Host Gill Alexander to break it all down on Monday's unapologetically super nerdy Betting Dork (March 21, 2011).

Host Gill Alexander coaxes sabermetrician, Basewinner, out of his lab to discuss the guidelines that will help first-time MLB bettors have a profitable and enjoyable experience in their first foray into betting baseball.  Plus, which 2011 World Series futures bets have the most value, which teams' win totals are of note, and who has the best odds to win the MLB Home Run crown?  It's the annual "Introduction to Baseball" episode, on Thursday's Betting Dork (March 17, 2011).

Ya gotta love the Madness!  Pregame Pro Vegas Runner joins Host Gill Alexander to discuss NCAA Tournament handicapping angles before turning their attention to the real matter at hand, filling out brackets.  If you haven't quite filled yours out yet and are looking for any reason to finally pull the trigger on those particularly dicey Thursday and Friday games, listen in as the two fly through 32 ballgames and hone in on what will ultimately separate the men from the boys.  It's all about Bracketology, on Wednesday's Betting Dork (March 16, 2011).