With the recession in full swing and unemployment rates skyrocketing, we all could use a little extra income. Perhaps it is time to develop a healthy gambling habit (it is not a problem, or an addiction until you start losing). So, grab a cold one on the house, get comfortable and lets go over some odds.
We still have 2 long months before the season starts, so you are going to have a hard time finding a site that will take game wagers this early. It is the off-season and now is the time to bet on Futures. And I would stay away from gimmick wagers, such as, the chances that Tebow circumcises a orangutan (4-1) or the odds that Bowden forgets his QB’s name (1-100). With Futures, the more mainstream the subject, the better your odds of cashing in are.
Heisman odds are out and the 3 names that we all expect have the lowest odds, but are good bets, nonetheless, especially if you have a gut feeling on one of the 3. The problem is, you have to risk a good amount to get a decent payout; Tebow is at 2-1, with McCoy and Bradford at about 3-1. But, if you are going to bet on the Heisman outcome, you may as well take a dark horse that pays out 10-1 or better. With the big 3 all being QB’s, the long shots that come to mind are RB’s Jonathan Dwyer, CJ Spiller, Jahvid Best and Jacquizz Rogers. The long shot bets can win you money, but if you are generally unlucky, I wouldn’t take out a 2nd mortgage.
But the real fun is in betting on the future BCS champ. In my opinion, if the odds of Your Team winning the NC are 40-1 or more, than you should wager at least $10 to $20 on them to win it all. If you lose, (good chance that will happen) it is just $20, but if you win, you win twice. Say you are a Husker fan, for example, they are 80-1 right now, you put $20 on them, and if Nebraska, by some miracle wins it all, than you get to celebrate a Championship with $1600, and you can tell your friends that you predicted it (with $$) before the season even started. If you lose, then you ‘forget’ to buy your wife/girlfriend a birthday present and you are back to even.
As far as the smart money on the NC winner, I would stay away from the heavy favorite UF at 2-1(if I was a Gator fan, I would wager $50 to $100 dollars on them), but it is a big risk with a small reward. Texas at 7-1 and Ohio State at 8-1 are better bets, if you think they have a decent chance. There are plenty of dark horse teams out there that will pay out nicely if they can surprise the nation. Some of my favorites are Oklahoma State at 50-1, Alabama at 20-1, and Penn St at 40-1. I’m hoping to keep this blog going on a weekly basis when the season starts with some Locks of the Week and actually listing my bets and how I’m doing. Hope you enjoy….Peace.