The Jacksonville Jaguars opened as 20-point road underdogs to the Seattle Seahawks, and the number has dipped to 19½. The point spread is the oddsmakers’ equalizer. In this case, the number is a monster, and it presents a dilemma for a handicapper.
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There are two $1 million stakes in North America this weekend at a racetrack you might not guess: Parx Racing. With two seven-figure purses fueled by an on-site casino, the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion co-headline an outstanding card in Bensalem, Pa.
Not only does Chip Kelly speak as quickly as an auctioneer, the Philadelphia Eagles coach instructs his offense to play at high speed. Kelly probably eats breakfast and reads the newspaper in less than a minute.
Too frequently, when Floyd Mayweather Jr. takes center stage, fans overpay to see something resembling a dance competition and a pillow fight.
When Ken McPeek won his first horse race as a trainer, I was there. McPeek had invited me and a mutual friend to River Downs because his horse Final Destroyer had a big shot.
When it goes bad, it tends to get worse before it gets better. Eli Manning’s first pass was a screen thrown directly to a defensive lineman and intercepted. That’s how the season started for the New York Giants.
Preseason hype is often a lot of hot air. But anything that has been said or written to pump up UCLA and its sophomore quarterback, Brett Hundley, was not an error.
Lightning strikes lit up the opening night of the college football season, and there was a threat of point-spread shenanigans after a severe weather delay chased Steve Spurrier off the field.
I am old enough to recall when statistical data was bare bones in the Daily Racing Form. Old-school handicappers, who kept their own records, had a big edge over those who relied solely upon past performances.
Hundreds of guys will flock to a ballroom Friday night, eyes fixed on a stage, and no dancers resembling Kate Upton will be shedding clothes and sweeping up $1 bills. The power of football, and how to bet on it, will be on display.