Doug Upstone: BMR Author

The 2025 college football season officially kicks off on Saturday, August 23, with three intriguing Week 0 matchups that set the stage for an exciting year.The headline clash features #22 Iowa State vs. #17 Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, renewing the fierce “Farmageddon” rivalry between two Big 12 contenders with championship aspirations. Later in the

One aspect to understand about the trade deadline it is often a subjective discussion. Two people may look at the same players and numbers, and draw a diametrically opposed positions on the same set of facts.Our mission is to look at what the teams accomplished or did not accomplish and what that meant for the

As you prepare your knowledge for the upcoming college football season, you become familiar with the top teams and the best quarterbacks.However, who are those other signal callers that could elevate their teams and make them a potential good bet for college football betting win totals?Here are three proven quarterbacks that can elevate their team

With one year of a 12-team playoff in the books, the powers that be, the Big 12 and SEC, had to alter the rules to ensure their teams had a better chance to win than last year.Boise State was the lone non-Power 4 conference entrant, and they ended up as the #3 overall seed to

A new men’s college basketball season will be here before you know it. With the Florida Gators crowned champions after a historic season for the Southeastern Conference, they were expected to slide.As you can see, their fall was not as precipitous as expected. Here are the top men’s college basketball teams for this upcoming season

The ACC had higher-than-anticipated payouts to conference members. The lawsuits disappeared, and suddenly, the Atlantic Coast Conference situation is brighter. Clemson’s futures odds are #7 for a national title, and some experts think that’s low. Miami-FL, Louisville, and SMU are one step behind.Will Florida State bounce back from a 10-loss season? Does North Carolina improve

The Big Ten would like nothing more than to win a third consecutive national championship and put to rest the SEC is the best conference in college football. The conference appears to have three squads capable of accomplishing this feat, with a couple of others who make some noise.Before heading to the top-rated sportsbooks, here

We might not have a Triple Crown race for the Belmont Stakes this year, but we have the next best situation. Horse racing fans at the top-rated sportsbooks can choose the winner of either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes for this fun race. Or, they can take a long shot, or make a

It is less than two weeks until the last leg of the Triple Crown will take place in Saratoga, New York. The field is taking shape, but plenty of unknowns still need to be determined.The biggest unknown for the Belmont Stakes is if Journalism will be a part of the field looking to have the

Not only has SEC Football failed to win a national championship the past two years, the conference has failed to have a participant in the title games. Making matters worse, the team to reach the semi-finals was Texas, who most still consider a Big 12 school, now just cashing SEC payroll checks.Questions arose last year,

With Derby runner-up Journalism headlining the field, the 150th Preakness Stakes promises excitement. A strong lineup of challengers and seasoned trainers sets the stage for a thrilling second leg of the Triple Crown. Here’s a closer look at the top contenders entering Saturday’s race.

We know the Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty, is bypassing this race to most likely run in the Belmont Stakes. Also, this week we learned late Derby scratch, Rodriguez, is still not ready to run and decided not to be part of the field. Here is a look at what we know, and we’ll include unofficial

It’s Kentucky Derby week! We’ve got our picks ready, and a few other betting angles in case your favorite horse isn’t ours. Let’s dive in!

Kentucky Derby 2025 is here.  There will be ample discussion about what favorites to consider and, later, what long shots to ponder. We decided to get ahead of the curve and talk about what horses behind the favorites deserve a look to win or cash. By all current accounts, Journalism is a solid favorite, and

Top Pick: 2025 Kentucky Derby – Journalism To Finish First (+240) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)This past Saturday, the gate positions were drawn for the next Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Favored Journalism received an excellent draw in the #8 slot on the 20-horse field, and his 3-1 odds on the morning

The Belmont Stakes is the last of the Triple Crown races. It doesn’t always attract the best fields when the Kentucky Derby and Preakness have separate winners. However, for a true champion, being a Belmont winner places you in history, and the jockey, trainer and owner are known for generations to come. Also, with some

Although the 150th Kentucky Derby finished in spectacular fashion, including the closest photo-finish since 1947 and a winner with 18-1 odds, it wasn’t long after that horse racing enthusiasts started talking about the 149th Preakness stakes, which will take place on May 18th, 2024. The field for the race is yet to be settled so

From a wagering perspective at the top betting sites, this year’s Kentucky Derby has a different feel to it. Only three horses have single-digit odds going into Saturday’s big race and just five horses have odds less than 20-1. Does that mean picking the winner or for win, place and show is less complicated? Unfortunately,

It is called March Madness for a reason. Despite what often looks and even feels true, that is not the outcome. Here are a variety of betting tips to consider and follow before you head to the top-rated online sportsbooks. Interested in making your March Madness experience more exciting? Consider joining BMR Forum’s bracket contest.

This is one of three remaining weeks in horse racing to determine who will be the 20 horses that will saddle up for the Kentucky Derby. This Saturday we will have three certain qualifiers, as the winners of the Arkansas, Florida and UAE Derby will pick up 100 points which will get them in the

We are getting down to the nitty-gritty for those trying to make the field of the Kentucky Derby. This week we have two very important races, the Louisiana Derby 2024 and the Jeff Ruby Steaks 2024 (intentional play on words), with massive qualifying point totals (100-50-25-15-10), for those finishing 1st to 5th place. Because we

This week starts the first of many important Kentucky Derby prep races with points earned on a sliding scale for those finishing first to fifth place. The field is set for the important Tampa Bay Derby, so let’s delve into it to see who earns the points (50-25-15-10-5) and what will turn out to be

Top NFL Pick: First Quarter Total Under 9.5 (-115) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) Though it seems like an eternity from the NFL Championship games to the Super Bowl, once you get to the week of the game, it goes rather swiftly. Here are betting thoughts on the first 15 to 30 minutes of

The Super Bowl is inching closer and the wagering aspect, particularly against the spread, has been intriguing. Let’s break down the NFL odds to see who is where for the Big Game at the top-rated online sportsbooks! Please take into account that the following splits are as of press time, at 1:00 pm ET on

There are varying opinions on how to handle a futures bet that was made before the season. Now it comes down to the last game. If you have either Kansas City or San Francisco betting tickets, or both, here are some ideas for you to consider at the top-rated online sportsbooks. San Francisco 49ers vs.

Top Pick: #8 Angel of Empire to Win and Place at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) This Saturday will conclude the Triple Crown action when the ‘test of champions’ takes place at Belmont Park. The Belmont Stakes appears to be the most competitive of all Triple Crown races despite the elusive honor being unachievable once

The 148th running of the Preakness Stakes at the Pimlico Race Course won’t feature any potential duels between Kentucky Derby winner Mage and those that cashed winning tickets for second and third. That is because not one horse other than Mage is running in this race, which is a real oddity. Because Mage won, he probably

Though Forte is the 3-1 favorite and has arguably the best jockey and a Hall of Fame trainer in Todd Pletcher, the betting markets at the top US sportsbooks are lukewarm on the favorite. Maybe it is because the odds are 3-1, which doesn’t suggest an overwhelming favorite. Though Forte has four Grade 1 wins

MLB Pick: Astros -1.5 (+105) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) Picks Summary: Astros vs. Pirates: Astros -1.5 (+105)Yankees vs. Guardians: Over 9.5 (-110)Padres vs. Mets: Mets ML (-105) On Hump Day, baseball bettors have to go to work early with seven contests just before or just after the 01:00 PM hour local time. We

Santa Anita Derby Pick: #5 Practical Move to Win at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) The Santa Anita Derby is West Coast’s premier Kentucky Derby (G1) prep race. This will be run over 1 1⁄8 miles, it offers qualifying points of 100-40-30-20-10 to the top five finishers. That is important because we are coming to