OffshoreInsiders Handicapping Blog

U.S. health officials have reported that they have now received 167 reported cases of Salmonella from tomatos from 17 states. Representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said they are continuing to search for the source of the Salmonella outbreak, which has hit hardest in New Mexico and Texas.  Public fear has driven speculation regarding the food they ingest through the roof, and people are wondering if anything is safe to eat anymore.
This being the case, the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com has once again beaten everyone to the punch and posted odds on all things Salmonella related.  People are flocking to the site looking for answers.
”When it comes to what we put in our bodies,” says BetUS spokesman Reed Richards.  “We shouldn’t have to wait for an outbreak of salmonella to tell us which foods are safe.  That’s why we’re providing the public with answers regarding potentially harmful foods.”
Analysts at BetUS.com posted the following odds regarding possible salmonella suspects:

Which food will be reported to have a salmonella outbreak next:

Lettuce 10/1

Onions 10/1

Potato  20/1

Mushroom 8/1

Radish  10/1

Apple  30/1

Orange 30/1

Banana 30/1

Plum 30/1

Chicken 4/6

Beef 6/5

Fish 1/1

Additional sports and newsworthy odds can be found at:   www.BetUS.com

June 19, 2008  New York:  Tim Russert was regarded as a beacon of truth and honesty in the American press corps and an individual who sought out honesty in American politics with the diligence and effectiveness of a world class lawyer.  Tim Russert loved politics, and the American public he represented in his quest to find the truth.

The long time host of the revered program Meet The Press is sorely missed, and speculation grows as to who will be his successor on the show.  Will anyone take on the role of moderator, or will the program not go on?

With the public looking for answers regarding Meet The Press and who likely candidates are to host the show next, the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com once again beat everyone to the punch and carefully analyzed all possibilities, providing interested site users with odds on who the next host might be.

Analysts at BetUs Sportsbook posted the following odds on the next Meet The Press host:

Chris Matthews     2/1
George Stephanopoulos      3/1
Brian Williams    6/1
Tom Brokaw 10/1
Andrea Mitchell  20/1
Field   5/1
Juan Williams  30/1
Andrew Sullivan  40/1
Robert Samuelson 15/11
Stuart Taylor   11/1
Thomas Mann  11/1
Tucker Carlson 50/1
Paul Begala 50/1
Barbara Walters 60/1
Billy Bush 100/1
Star Jones 500/1

Additional sports and newsworthy odds can be found at:   www.BetUS.com
For press enquires, email rrichards@betus.com


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Wise investors are already cashing in on offshore drilling to beat the struggling economy. Smart Democrats and Republicans agree on how significant financial windfalls can be drilled offshore. Offshore sportsbooks and OffshoreInsiders.com that is.

We are not talking about black gold or Texas tea. Speculators are abandoning the perilous stock market and turning to the sports market. Cy McCormick of the MasterLockLine, which has outperformed NASDAQ every year since 1981 says this is a good time to invest with the elite sports handicappers.

Referring to the scorephone origins, McCormick stated, “We pick up the highest number of permanent clients when the economy goes sour” because the sharpest businessperson liquidates their stocks and invests in the more predictable sports betting marketplace.

Mike Godsey of GodsTips, anchor of OffshoreInsiders.com, could not agree more. “Baseball is generally a slow time for sportsbooks. Because of our prowess with small favorites and underdogs, the low risk, high return commodity is more precious than ever.”

When asked if he feels sympathy that tough economic times lead to a boon in business for his sports service, Godsey wryly responds, “I only feel sorry for those who continue to lose money gambling on stocks.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be looking to continue to race up the driver standings on Sunday when he takes to the track at Infineon Raceway for this season's Toyota/Save Mart 350. Check out the NASCAR betting line.

Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag last week in the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway, holding off Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth for the win. Dale Junior last won a Cup event back in 2006, and he ended a drought spanning 76 races.

Brian Vickers and Tony Stewart rounded out the Top 5 at Michigan, while Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Elliott Sadler, and Jamie McMurray made up the rest of the day's Top 10. Kevin Harvick was 12th on the day, points leader Kyle Busch was 13th, Denny Hamlin was 14th, and Jeff Burton ended up in 15th place at the finish.

Martin Truex Jr. (17th), Jeff Gordon (18th), and Greg Biffle (20th) also cracked the Top 20 at Michigan, while Clint Bowyer ended up in 26th place, and Juan Montoya was 38th.

Earnhardt Jr. still sits in third place in the driver standings, but he's now just 84 points behind first-place Busch. Burton is 32 points back of the leader in second place after 15 events. Edwards, Johnson, Hamlin, Kahne, Biffle, Gordon, Harvick, Stewart, and Bowyer also sit in Top-12 positions in the standings and above the Chase's cutoff line.

Ragan is only 10 points behind Bowyer for 12th place, while Kenseth moved up one spot into 14th with his result at Michigan (14 points behind Bowyer). Truex Jr. and Vickers sit just behind Kenseth, while Ryan Newman dropped three spots into 17th place after running into engine troubles on the weekend and finishing well back in 42nd.

Former Formula One driver Montoya picked up the victory at the Infineon road course last year, after starting way back from the No. 32 spot on the grid. Montoya sits back in 22nd place in the current standings, and he will be hoping for a solid result this weekend.

Gordon has five career Cup wins on the Sonoma, California track; he visited victory lane there in 2006, 2004, 2000, 1999, and 1998. The only other active driver with multiple Infineon wins is Stewart, who took the checkered flag there in both 2005 and 2001. Robby Gordon won this event in the 2003 season, and Mark Martin got the win in 1997.

And the Vegas oddsmakers have Jeff Gordon and Stewart pegged as the 5/1 co-favorites to win at Infineon this weekend. Robby Gordon, Montoya, and Scott Pruett are next at 7/1, with Kyle Busch and Harvick at 8/1, and Boris Said and Ron Fellows at 10/1.

Biffle begins the next tier of contenders at 12/1 odds, with Hamlin at 15/1, Bowyer and McMurray both at 18/1, and each of Earnhardt Jr., Truex Jr., and Kurt Busch at 20/1. Burton, Newman, and Patrick Carpentier are all at 22/1 odds, with Johnson, Edwards, Kahne, and Dario Franchitti sitting just back of that group on the current list at 25/1 odds.

Points leader Kyle Busch is still the oddsmakers' choice to win the Sprint Cup this year - he's pegged as the 5/2 favorite. Earnhardt Jr. is next at 3/1, with Edwards at 7/2, Johnson at 5/1, and Hamlin at 7/1. Jeff Gordon is currently listed at 10/1 odds to win the championship this season, with each of Stewart, Burton, and Biffle sitting at 12/1 odds.

After racing at Infineon the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will move on to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on June 29. July's schedule then features the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland, and the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

We have gotten a few emails about Haralabos Voulgaris, a professional poker player, who also bets basketball. Our clients wondered if he was one of the NBA sharpies featured as MasterLockLine exclusives that have led MasterLockLine.com to unprecedented heights.

We also get a lot of questions about John Morrison, who calls himself the Sports Betting Champ and others who use betting systems. Previously, we’d get questions about radio advertisements featuring Bobby Ventura, Larry Dukehart, AKA Duke Wins, Tom Kennedy

Our partner sportsbooks don’t often like to mention by name the players on their “winner’s lists” and often with sports service plays, we cannot always give the source by name for various legal reasons.

But be it top sports betting services or professional gamblers, it’s not likely anyone has or will sneak under the radar of MasterLockLine.com often.

June 16, 2008 New York:  With some of the NFL’s teams starting minicamps and training camps and pre-season a little more than a month away, grumblings have already begun on behalf of some the league’s players about potential hold-outs during pre-season. 

Additionally, some disgruntled stars have been talking about sitting out training camp for one reason or another.  Most notably this season complaints have come from Chad Johnson, Plaxico Burress and a few others.  The possibility for hold-outs and trained player-front office relations during the pre-season seems to be at an all time high as the summer rolls toward the start of the season.

That said, and with fan speculation growing at a fever pitch regarding whether or not their teams will see pre-season strife, BetUs Sportsbook posted odds on which NFL player is most likely to hold out or sit out prior to the start of the season.

”Passion for the NFL, teams, and players on the part of fans is always high,” stated BetUS.com spokesman Reed Richards.  “What doesn’t seem to be such a constant is a return of the adoration and respect on the part of players.  Fans are extremely intuitive when it comes to their favorite players and teams and they can sense when something is amiss.  As such, we saw it as our duty to provide them answers and relieve some of their speculative angst regarding any pre-season blow-ups between players and their team’s front office.”

Analysts at BetUs posted the following odds on player who might sit-out or hold out:

Titans DT Albert Haynesworth 3/1
Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs  2/1
Lions WR Roy Williams      10/1
Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin   5/1
Giants TE Jeremy Shockey     1/1
Dolphins DE Jason Taylor     2/1
Eagles CB Lito Sheppard       10/1
Rams RB Steven Jackson        15/1
Bears LB Brian Urlacher        15/1
Bucs QB Jeff Garcia            7/1

Additional sports and newsworthy odds can be found at:  BetUs Sportsbook

As always, we will allow others to engage in rampant speculation about Tim Donaghy’s latest bombshell finger pointing. We will continue to give our fair and balanced take.

Mind you, in lieu of a smoking gun, we are all engaging in conjecture, but unlike others, I only claim to have educated theories, not the definitive rejoinder.

Let’s rid of one apocryphal contention. I have heard enough of this “we didn’t believe Jose Conseco either” balderdash. This is not to say I accepted every name and detail from the get-go. However, the before/after comparisons of sundry players girth, corroborated by rapidly ascending power statistics, had me long previously convinced of MLB’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” steroid policy.

Whether or not such circumstantial evidence would hold up in a court of law is irrelevant. The visual and statistical evidence that existed long before Conseco’s casebound is infinitely more damning than any so-far undocumented innuendo Donaghy has thrown against the wall.

Until Donaghy presents supporting evidence, here is my learned take. The rogue criminal merely cherry-picked several high profile NBA officiating controversies and decided to retro fit insinuation with the intent to intimidate the NBA from aggressively seeking punitive action.

Yet he is fortunate enough to possess likely legitimate, though irrelevant to his criminal charges, tattletale scuttlebutt that conspiracy theorists will accept as proof that the more salacious whistle-blowing (pun unintentional) is valid.

As an example, the jailbird alleges, “Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3’s Owner complained to NBA officials. Team 3’s Owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. Referee Supervisor Z informed the referees about his instructions. As an alternate referee for that game, Tim also received these instructions.”

Coaches and players make game-to-game adjustments. The fact that officials also view game film in order to correct errors, even on a night-by-night basis, is every bit as commendable as it is believable. Nice try convict, but thanks for the big “so what”.

He also alleges that in violation of league policy, officials at times socialized with team hierarchy or solicited players for autographs. While it’s quite plausible a referee requested a star player’s John Hancock for their grandson, this is the equivalent of proving a person jaywalked as evidence he is guilty of murder.

Okay Tim, we are sure officials didn’t obey the NBA’s overbearing guidelines infallibly, but even if said squealing proves accurate, it only demonstrates your fellow zebras human, not illicit. Score another “so what” for the inmate.

Sadly though, early returns of the court of public opinion suggest Donaghy’s indoctrination has been met with initial success. While Donaghy skillfully planted confirmation bias to put the NBA on the defensive, the burden of proof is on him to substantiate, not the league to negate.

“Innocent until proven guilty” may not a burden of proof that applies at the collective water coolers around the country, but the desperado seems to be given a lot more credibility than he has earned.

In the book, Propaganda and Persuasion, authors Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O’Donnell define propaganda as “the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.”

In lieu of a scinitlla of even an air of reality, it appears window dressing is all Donaghy can deliver.

Joe Duffy is the top sports handicapper in America and CEO of OffshoreInsiders.com

It could be a historic day at Belmont Park on Saturday, as Big Brown tries to become only the 12^th horse ever and the first in 30 years to win the elusive Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes.

The big story is Grandmaster sports handicapper Joe Duffy has the first through fourth places finishers, plus the baseball card, for just $17. Click now to purchase

Either due to his own dominance or to the questionable strength of the field around him, Big Brown is a huge favorite to win the Belmont at 2/5. It looked like Big Brown’s run at Affirmed - the last Triple Crown winner - might be in jeopardy a few weeks ago after a crack was discovered in his left front foot. However, the crack was found to be very minor and Big Brown went through his regular training regimen without any problems leading up to the Belmont. For added safety a synthetic patch was applied to the hoof on Friday which should all but erase any doubts regarding Big Brown’s health.

Judging by the rest of the odds for the 140^th running of the Belmont, the only horse the oddsmakers think has a real chance to upset Big Brown is Casino Drive, listed at 7/2. In his very short racing career Casino Drive is undefeated in two races, both of which were impressive victories. In his maiden, which took place in Japan, Casino Drive utterly destroyed the rest of the field, winning by 11 ½ lengths. In his first race on American soil, Casino Drive won the Peter Pan Stakes by 5 ¾ lengths.

Following Big Brown and Casino Drive on the Belmont odds is a former challenger of Big Brown, Denis of Cork at 12/1. Denis of Cork last raced in the Kentucky Derby and finished third behind Big Brown and the late Eight Belles. Also returning from the Derby field to take another shot at Big Brown is Tale of Ekati at 20/1 and Anak Nakal at 30/1. Tale of Ekati finished fourth in the Derby, while Anak Nakal was seventh.

There will also be two horses from the Preakness Stakes field running in the Belmont. They include Macho Again, a 20/1 Belmont underdog, and Icabad Crane, also listed at 20/1. Macho Again finished as runner-up to Big Brown, while Icabad Crane followed him in third place.

Odds to win Belmont Stakes

Big Brown 2/5
Casino Drive 7/2
Denis of Cork 12/1
Icabad Crane 20/1
Macho Again 20/1
Tale of Ekati 20/1
Anak Nakal 30/1
Da’ Tara 30/1
Ready’s Echo 30/1
Guadalcanal 50/1

North American gamblers are most concerned about the NBA Finals odds and the Belmont Stakes morning line but internationally football punters, also known as soccer bettors, are abuzz about Euro 2008.

Switzerland and the Czech Republic kick things off, with the Swiss a modest -115 favorite. Much like American sports bettors can wager on the baseball run line, there is a goal line to bet on with Switzerland laying -1/2 at +175.

The second contest sees Portugal and Turkey, with Portugal an overwhelming -335 chalk, but also options for adjusted lines at -.5 or a full goal.

Sunday sees Austria and Croatia, with the Croatians laying a half-goal. The next game will be broadcast in ESPN as Germany is a goal favorite to Poland. Do you think the Poles will upset them outright? The money line will pay you 4-1.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals is not until Sunday, but at press time Boston is a one-point favorite at NewBodog.

For those who believe Big Brown will win the Triple Crown, but the odds are too steep, gamblers can bet a parlay and match Big Brown with the English Derby. The double sees him paired with Casual Conquest at 6/1, New Approach and Tantan Bearer each at 7/1.

The NBA Finals continue this weekend (NBA line), while the Belmont Stakes (Belmont Stakes morning line) gives bettors another option on top of MLB, AFL, WNBA, NASCAR and Formula 1.

The NBA Finals between the Lakers and Celtics tipped off on Thursday night with a 98-88 win by the Celts, and after two days off the series resumes in Boston with Game 2 on Sunday. Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday night back in Los Angeles. Get the best sports handicappers picks from OffshoreInsiders.com.

The 140th running of the Belmont Stakes goes on Saturday night with Big Brown looking to snap a 30-year Triple Crown drought. Big Brown is a huge favorite to make history at 1/3, while Casino Drive is considered to be his biggest threat at 5/2.

In the Major Leagues this weekend Cleveland takes on Detroit in what was supposed to be a matchup of the top contenders in the American League Central. Other AL divisional matchups include Baltimore at Toronto, Minnesota at the White Sox and the Angels at Oakland. The rest of the AL weekend schedule sees Seattle at Boston, Kansas City at the Yankees and Tampa Bay at Texas.

In the National League this weekend the only divisional matchups on tap are Philadelphia at Atlanta and St Louis at Houston. Some other interesting matchups include Cincinnati at Florida, Milwaukee at Colorado and the Cubs at the Dodgers. Rounding out the rest of the NL series are Arizona at Pittsburgh, San Francisco at Washington and the Mets at San Diego.

On the gridiron this weekend Week 15 in the AFL kicks off on Saturday with a very busy day that includes six games. Starting things off on Saturday night is New Orleans at New York (-1.5), Chicago at Cleveland (+4.5) Colorado at Grand Rapids (-6) and Georgia at Columbus (+4). The rest of the Saturday schedule includes Orlando at Tampa Bay (-3.5) and Philadelphia at Dallas (-1.5).

Sunday’s AFL schedule includes only one contest, as Arizona takes on Kansas City (-3).

In the WNBA, the weekend gets started on Friday night with six games. They include Minnesota at Connecticut, Chicago at Atlanta, Houston at New York, Washington at San Antonio, Detroit at Sacramento and Phoenix at Los Angeles.

There are three more games on Saturday, as Houston battles Indiana, Atlanta takes on Chicago and Detroit travels to Seattle. Three more games finish off the weekend on Sunday, as Washington faces Connecticut, Sacramento drops in on New York and San Antonio clashes with Minnesota.

The drivers of NASCAR return to the track on Sunday at Pocono Raceway in the Pocono 500. Jeff Gordon won at Pocono last season, but Kyle Busch will be the favorite heading into the race, as the points leader goes for his fifth win of the season.

Formula 1 also takes to the track in North America on Sunday with the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. Lewis Hamilton is the defending champion of this event and he should be one of the favorites to top the podium again coming off a win in the Monaco Grand Prix two weeks ago.

The MasterLockLine.com occasionally gets requests and questions about this sports service and that one. One of the more common inquiries is about radio tout Sebastian. He is more of the Jim Craig of sports handicappers than the Dagmar Midcap to be perfectly honest.

Okay, some of you are asking who Dagmar Midcap is. She’s a weather woman in Atlanta, where our international headquarters are. The point is she looks great every day. Jim Craig, goaltender for the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, was the best in the world for a week.

That’s how Sebastian made his name. He was the hottest handicapper in the world for a short while just as he sent a lot of listeners to a sportsbook that stiffed a bunch of gamblers. It wasn’t one of our approved sportsbooks, no surprise.

Sebastian did finish No. 9 last year in college and pro football combined—and we released a few of his plays—but the truth is he is not among the top ranked handicappers long-term in any sport.

We don’t care about handicappers de jour or those with the big budgets, cable TV shows or radio infomercials. The MasterLockLine.com is simply about the best handicappers with their highest rated plays in their highest rated sports.

Now that he has officially clinched the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama is a -260 favorite to be next President of the United States according to the offshore odds, often referred to as the Vegas odds for US President. Republican nominee John McCain is +175.

Intrade gives Obama a 58.8 percent chance at the White House, while McCain’s fading chances are at 35.3.

RealClearPolitics.com gives Obama a slimmer edge in their consensus poll as he’s up by 1.4 percentage points to McCain.

Who will get the Vice Presidential nods according to the sportsbooks? Hillary Clinton is still the favorite for the Dems at 5/2, with Jim Webb a close second at 3/1. Will John Edwards get the second fiddle again? He’s surprisingly just 5/1.

While Edwards isn’t likely to help Democrats win over the undecided, the bipartisan Bill Richardson would. He’s 8/1 while Kathleen Sebulius and Wesley Clark 10/1. The most interesting possibility Al Gore comes in at 20/1.

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal is the unanticipated favorite for the Republican nominee at 7/2. Tim Pawlenty is 9/2. Mitt Romney, considered by many media talking heads as the likely choice, is a relative long shot at 8/1 tying him with Lindsey Graham at 8/1.

Joe Duffy, the world’s top sports handicapper, but also a political handicapping guru believes Fred Thompson at 40/1 is a great long shot. “He is popular among the group McCain alienated: conservatives.”

It’s been 30 years since there has been a Triple Crown winner in horse racing. Will Big Brown end the drought this Saturday? Many have won two legs including several to win the first two, with Smarty Jones being the latest.

The latest 2008 Belmont Stakes odds have Big Brown as a 1/3 favorite to make horse racing lore. Make sure you check Saturday morning for the official offshore and Las Vegas morning line odds for the Belmont.

Casino Drive is the most likely spoiler at 7/2. Every other horse will qualify as a long shot. Denis of Cork is 10/1, while Tale of Ekati is 16/1.

Cy McCormick of the largest online betting syndicate in the world MasterLockLine.com says that Saturday won’t be a great day for sharp gamblers to exploit the bookmakers, be they offshore, Las Vegas or OTB.

“Most of our top horse racing handicappers think the finish will be similar to the order the oddsmakers order,” wars Cy Mac.

However, NewBodog has some wacky propositions such as Will Big Brown win the Belmont Stakes going wire to wire? Will Big Brown tie or beat Secretariat’s record of a 31-length win in 1973? 

Grandmaster sports handicapper Joe Duffy of GodsTips says there is one prop bet that jumps out big time. Will Big Brown race again after the Belmont Stakes? No is -155, but Duffy says the odds should be more like -500.

“If he wins the Triple Crown, he will be retired to stud. Risking him by racing again would be financial suicide.”

The options are many for bettors. Will Big Brown’s winning time in 2008 Belmont Stakes be faster than that of Affirmed - 2:26 4/5. in 1978? Will Belmont Park attendance for the 2008 Belmont Stakes exceed that of 120,139 in 2004 when Smarty Jones attempted to win the Triple Crown? 

Check the home page of OffshoreInsiders.com Saturday for details on where to get the best bets.