If you like to bet on sports, then you have probably experienced the ups and downs of being a bettor. There are a few tips every bettor can take that would help them to find more success each week and make more money with their gambling activities.

- Money Discipline

The price per head bookmaking websites have many options for you to choose from when it comes to games to bet on. If you want to be successful, you need to set a budget and stick to it. Once you start gambling beyond your means, you will find yourself digging a hole you cannot get out of. Put aside the amount of money you can bet each week and place bets based on that budget.

- Trust Yourself

When you are putting together your bets for the week, you will probably do a betonline review of each team and weigh their chances against the spread. When you do your research, you need to be thorough. Factors such as injuries, record against the spread and whether or not the team will be resting players because of the playoffs enter into your betting decision. If your research methods are sound, then you should trust yourself and make the bet. Avoid changing your mind based on the hunches of other people.

Becoming a successful bettor takes time and experience. Once you have created effective systems to use when placing bets, you will start to see more success. Always learn from success and failure when it comes to betting and trust your own instincts.

The online betting sites are buzzing with the lines and picks for the upcoming college bowl games. It was recently announced that LSU will take on Alabama in the BCS Championship Game on January 9, 2012. The other bowl games were announced as well and the long history of each of the bowl games will help to add to the drama each game will produce

AT&T Cotton Bowl – January 6, 2012

Kansas State Wildcats Vs. Arkansas Razorbacks

The price per head sports experts had the Arkansas Razorbacks as a contender in the BCS championship standings for quite a while. While the Wildcats do have a very fast offense, the Razorbacks and its punishing defense will be too much for Kansas State in this game.

Pick: Arkansas

Discover Orange Bowl – January 4, 2012

West Virginia Mountaineers Vs. Clemson Tigers (-3 ½)

Clemson was another team that looked like it has BCS national championship potential when the season started. But the Tigers slipped up and put together a respectable, but hardly championship quality, record of 10-3. Clemson has been surprising the experts all season long and will continue to do so in the Orange Bowl.

Pick: Clemson Tigers

Allstate Sugar Bowl – January 3, 2012

Michigan Wolverines (-1 ½) Vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

The NCAA football experts certainly did not see this one coming. Virginia Tech was supposed to be an NCAA powerhouse this season but instead finished the year but instead finished with an 11-2 record. The Wolverines were not supposed to be as good as they wound up being and have tipped the tables away from Virginia Tech in this game.

Pick: Michigan

NFL

The online sports book websites are getting busy with all of the picks coming through on playoff bound teams. The bookie software is starting to determine playoff favorites as some critical games are played in week 12.

New England Patriots @ Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are coming off of an emotional win over the New York Giants and the Patriots are coming off of a tough Monday night game against Kansas City. Vince Young looked very efficient in his relief of Michael Vick. The Eagles will turn a few heads in this game.

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles

NCAA Football

The college rankings are getting tight as LSU, Alabama and Arkansas are all battling to see who plays in the BCS Championship game. LSU looks to be a lock. But Arkansas and Alabama are still fighting it out.

Arkansas @ LSU (-12 ½)

Arkansas can lose this game but still affect the NCAA football standings. If the Razorbacks can keep this one close, then that could put them into the number two spot in the rankings for the rest of the season.

Pick: LSU

NHL

Sidney Crosby makes his comeback on Monday and the entire NHL odds get turned upside down. The Penguins were a good team already, but Crosby’s return makes it a legitimate contender.

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Montreal Canadiens – Saturday November 26

Montreal goaltender Carey Price has been playing well, but by the time the Penguins come to town, Sidney Crosby will be one week into his comeback. The Penguins bruising style of play complimented by Crosby’s talent will make this a tough game for the Habs.

Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins

The online wagering sites are seeing NHL betting action in full swing now as some of the teams from the Western Conference make a trip out east to take on the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Struggling teams are still trying to gain a foothold in the standings while the winning teams are finding it difficult to stay on top.

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Winnipeg Jets @ Buffalo Sabres

The Winnipeg Jets will play the 2011-2012 season in the Eastern Conference before switching over to the Western Conference next year. In the meantime, the Jets get to log more travel miles than any other team in the league as Winnipeg has to play the schedule of an Eastern Conference team while being based in the west. This game against the Sabres will be interesting because there seems to be some question as to which goalie will carry the Sabres to the playoffs this season. Superstar Ryan Miller has had his challenges while back-up Jhonas Enroth is undefeated in four starts this season.

Pick: Buffalo Sabres

Edmonton Oilers @ Montreal Canadiens

What a great hockey game this should be. Both the Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers are benefiting from great goaltending and timely scoring. Edmonton’s rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is living up to the hype while Montreal goalie Carey Price has found his game again. This will be a close game, but the Canadiens have a slight edge in offense that will help them win the game.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens

Colorado Avalanche @ Detroit Red Wings

The bookie software shows the Detroit Red Wings on a horrible slump. Detroit is 4-5-1 in the last 10 games and looking for anything that can help create positive momentum. Unfortunately for Detroit, the Colorado Avalanche are almost unbeatable on the road this season.

Pick: Colorado Avalanche

Online betting sites offer plenty of options for betting on NHL hockey games. Before you place your bets on your favorite NHL teams, there are some tips you should follow for deciding whether or not your favorite team is the best bet. Remember, the best price per head bookie experts bet using good information and not their emotions.

Goaltending

One of the single most important factors in determining if a team can win in the NHL is whether or not it has good goaltending. NHL goalies tend to play differently on the road than they do at home, so take that into consideration when picking your teams. Goalies are usually either consistently good, or consistently bad. Be sure you know who is starting in goal before placing your bet.

Goal Scoring

Some teams score goals in bunches, while other tend to score consistently. It is best to bet on teams that score consistently because they manage to find ways to get past the better defensive teams. The teams that score in streaks not only drive NHL fans crazy, but they can also be bad bets.

Injuries

Just like any other sport, NHL teams are affected by key injuries. But before judging the effect of injuries, take a look at the players that the team puts in to replace key players. The Pittsburgh Penguins lost superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for most of the year last season, but the team still dominated. A team with a very strong defense can overcome injuries to offensive players easier than an offensive team can survive injuries to key defensive players.

The 2011 – 12 NHL season has arrived, and already fans and handicappers alike are looking for the best free picks this season. Today we will be using our bookie software, to research a couple of marquee games.

Tampa Bay Lighting At Washington Capitals – In a rematch of round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Washington Capitals welcome the Tampa Bay Lighting. The last time these two hooked up, the Lighting sent the Capitals back to the drawing board, as they were swept in rather convincing fashion. One of the main issues the Capitals had was that they were using a rookie goaltender in current backup Michael Neuvrith. This offseason, the Capitals agreed to a one year deal with veteran goalie Tomas Vokun, with the belief that Vokun could be the deciding factor in a Stanley Cup run.

Despite the embarrassing second round exit at the hands of Tampa Bay five months ago, the Washington Capitals are a sports betting favorite to win the Cup this season. As we noted earlier, Vokun will be the dark horse for the Capitals success, as the team’s new approach to defense, will be irrelevant if he struggles out of the gate. Look for Washington to make a statement against the Lightning as they try to exorcise past demons.

Carolina Hurricanes At New Jersey Devils – Both the Hurricanes and Devils will aim to put last season’s playoff misses in the rear view mirror. Carolina is shaping up to be more of a Toronto Maple Leafs castoff center then Calgary, as the additions of Tim Brent, Tomas Kaberle and Alexi Ponikarovsky to a team that already includes Jay Harrison, and Jiri Tlusty, makes fans wonder what exactly is going on.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the return of Zach Parise can only mean good things for one of the oldest cash strapped teams in the NHL. On paper, the veteran lineup of the Devils should have more firepower. Yet, this is the same team that ranked dead last in goals a year ago. Pick: Carolina.

While MLB scores will be in the spotlight on Saturday night because of the playoffs, there is also a full slate of games on the college football schedule and here is a look at the trends for the best games of the day.

Texas A&M Arkansas Odds – Saturday, 12:00 PM ET

The No.14 Aggies are 2.5-point favorites in this neutral-site affair in Dallas in the latest edition of the Southwest Classic, which resumed two years ago. The No.18 Razorbacks have won both meetings with Texas A&M in Dallas, and both of those games have fallen under the posted total.

Clemson Virginia Tech Odds – Saturday, 3:30 PM ET

The No.11 Hokies are favored by a touchdown at home against the No.13 Tigers in this ACC showdown according to most price per head services, and they’re 3-0 in Blacksburg against Clemson since 1999, covering the spread on all three occasions. Two meetings went under the posted total (there was no total in 1999), which is likely down to a Virginia Tech defense that is consistently good.

Alabama Florida Odds – Saturday, 8:00 PM ET

Finally, the No.3 Crimson Tide are favored by 3.5 points in Gainesville, where they are 1-3 SU and 2-2 ATS in their last four trips to “The Swamp”. There have been totals in the last two meetings, and one went over the posted total, but you can expect this to be a defensive showdown and a low-scoring affair when you bet football online this weekend.

Those who bet on MLB baseball odds online will have a full slate of games to wager on this weekend in their sports betting book, and here is a look at the top three matchups to watch (remember to confirm the pitching matchups before making your picks).

Mariners Rays Odds (Friday, 7:10 PM ET)

This could be the best matchup of the weekend as Seattle’s reigning Cy Young winner, “King” Felix Hernandez, takes on David Price of the Rays in Tampa Bay, and even though these two aren’t pitching up to their normal standards, the possibility is always there for a duel.

Phillies Nationals Odds (Saturday, 7:05 PM ET)

The Phillies are the World Series betting favorites because of their pitching, but Roy Oswalt has had a shaky season in 2011, mostly due to injury. Philadelphia needs him to get back to his best for their postseason run, and he’ll be on the mound on Saturday in Washington, where he’ll face off against the Nationals’ John Lannan.

Rangers White Sox Odds (Saturday, 7:10 PM ET)

Speaking of veteran pitchers battling injuries, Jake Peavy was never the same after winning the Cy Young in 2007 with San Diego, and he’s a shadow of his former self with Chicago. He’ll lead the White Sox out against the Rangers and Alexi Ogando, who is running out of gas in his rookie season, but Texas needs him to pick up his game if they’re going to boost their betting chances in the World Series.

The NFL betting lines for the Super Bowl are ready to go as the lockout has ended, unleashing a flurry of activity as players switched teams and made free-agent moves. Here are five teams to watch this year, and the best sports betting choice of all.

New England (+600): Picking up Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth were massive moves; if Haynesworth is motivated (and no one is better at that than Bill Belichick), the defense will improve by leaps and bounds.

Philadelphia (+600): No team made more moves than the Eagles, and Nmandi Asomugha was the move of the offseason. But more problematic is the contract problems surrounding DeSean Jackson.

Green Bay (+600): The Super Bowl champions never got worse during the offseason and their offense should be better with a healthy Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley. But how much will they miss Cullen Jenkins?

Pittsburgh (+1000): The runners-up didn’t get much worse either, although the linebackers are getting a little older. Look for the offense to be more explosive this season.

New York Jets (+1200): They’re getting closer and closer, but the Jets will get to the top of the mountain someday. The defense is just too good and Mark Sanchez is getting better all the time.

Pick: The Patriots’ defense may be the most improved unit in the league if Haynesworth can keep his wits about him, and Belichick and Tom Brady will keep this team in check. Bet on New England this fall in your online sports book.

Those who bet on MLB odds have had their eye on a couple of lockout situations as the NFL and NBA are in the midst of work stoppages. Actually, the NFL lockout is winding down and could be ending very soon, which means the spotlight is on the NBA, and this lockout threatens to make the NFL look like a walk in the park. This is going to be a brutal time for sports betting players waiting for the NBA.

The NBA and the players’ union are finally going to the bargaining table this week, the first meeting between the two sides since the lockout began on July 1^st, but it will be missing some very crucial pieces, like commissioner David Stern, union head Billy Hunter, nor any players or owners. Representatives for the two sides are getting together with no new proposals, which means the posturing has begun. Stern has been known to be a heavy-handed individual, but the consensus is that Hunter has come out on top in the last two CBAs. This will probably be the last time that Stern negotiates on behalf of the owners and the league, and you can expect him to be as stubborn as he has ever been to go out on a high note.

None of that bodes well of our chances of seeing NBA basketball anytime soon, and there is a real fear that the owners are willing to sacrifice a season to get a new deal done. Of course, the same was said about the NFL lockout, so hopefully both sides can be open-minded. However, that’s not something we’re betting on.