The Wiz of Odds

Playing It Safe in Week 1

It has been 238 long days since last season’s Bowl Championship Series title game. Thursday marks the start of the 2009 season.

For months, bettors have been preparing for Week 1 games, building their bankrolls, reading as much literature they can get their hands on and scouring the Internet to track injuries and suspensions of key players.

And now that the magical day has arrived, what should a bettor do? Not a damn thing.

That’s right — do not place a bet on opening week. Instead, wait, watch and listen. Yours truly, in this week's column for Covers, believes this is the worst weekend of the season to risk hard-earned simoleons.

David Payne, a colleague at Covers, disagrees. He writes that this is the weekend to pound the sportsbooks because oddsmakers are posting lines based on flimsy information.

Covers is second to none in coverage of industry news, statistics and advice. Check the site's excellent matchups page, featuring previews, trends and line moves.

Swine Flu: The Unexpected Opponent

College football schedules are generally made up years in advance. But this fall, many teams could be facing an unexpected opponent. The H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, could infect between 30% and up to 50% of the American population during the fall and winter months, with large outbreaks expected at universities.

The virus swept through the Duke roster two weeks ago, and Tulane canceled fan day last Saturday after 27 players came down with Type A flu, the same strain as H1N1. I examine the potential impact of H1N1 on the college season in my latest piece for Covers.com.

Covers is second to none in coverage of industry news, statistics and advice. With the start of the season just around the corner, you'll want to have Covers' college football page among your bookmarks.

Covers Column: The Speed vs. Size Argument

Is speed everything it's cracked up to be? Or is it better to have a bunch of big, fat ugly guys and run over people? My column this week for Covers.com examines the speed vs. size argument. Southeastern Conference and Big Ten fans will definitely want to check it out.

I'd once again like to welcome all the newcomers to the Wiz from Covers.

Covers is second to none in coverage of industry news, statistics and advice. With the start of the season just around the corner, you'll want to have Covers' college football page among your bookmarks.

A Column That Covers Everything

This programming note: I'm now contributing a weekly column to Covers.com, and this week's effort details the six most undervalued and underappreciated teams entering the 2009 season. I'd also like to welcome all the newcomers to this site from Covers.

Covers is second to none in coverage of industry news, statistics and advice. You'll want to bookmark its college football page for the coming season.