Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won

Scorecasting a book to help the sports punter

The more you learn about how sports work the more likely you’re going to increase your winning bets over your losing bets. This is why I’ve introduced the Sports Betting Reviews category.

This weeks review is about a book by Tobias Moskowitz called Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won. We’ve all heard about the ‘home advantage’. Amongst other things the authors look  at the ‘home advantage’ factor. Is it because of travelling fatigue of visiting teams? Perhaps referees / umpires are affected by the crowd.

Scorecasting has been reviewed quite a lot, including the following;
“The closest thing to Freakonomics I’ve seen since the original. A rare combination of terrific storytelling and unconventional thinking. I love this book…”
Steven D. Levitt, Alvin H. Baum Professor of Economics, University of Chicago, and co-author of Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics

“I love this book. If I told you why, the NBA would fine me again.”
Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks“Scorecasting is both scholarly and entertaining, a rare double.  It gets beyond the cliched narratives and tried-but-not-necessarily-true assumptions to reveal significant and fascinating truths about sports.”
Bob Costas“A counterintuitive, innovative, unexpected handbook for sports fans interested in the truths that underpin our favorite games. With their lively minds and prose, Moskowitz and Wertheim will change the way you think about and watch sports. Not just for stats nerds, Scorecasting enlightens and entertains. I wish I had thought of it!”
Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter, Author of Cinderella Man.“(Sports + numbers) x great writing = winning formula.  A must read for all couch analysts.”
Richard Thaler, Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics, best-selling author of Nudge.

Scorecasting will change the way you watch sports, but don’t start reading it during a game; you’re liable to get lost in it and miss the action. I’m not giving anything away because you’ll want to read exactly how they arrived at their conclusions.”
—Allen BarraNJ Star Ledger

“Like Moneyball and Soccernomics before it, Scorecasting crunches the numbers to challenge notions that have been codified into conventional sports wisdom.”
Wired Magazine

Freakonomics meets Moneyball
The Wall Street Journal

For an in depth review the New York Times has one titled Game Theory.
Naturally the reviews that matters most are the ones from people who have actually purchased the book. That’s why I love Amazon. You get to read real reviews from real people who don’t have anything to gain by writing their reviews. What Scorecaster seems to offer is a really good read. Everyone knows more will sink in when you’re enjoying what your reading. Boring books about facts and figures are harder to absorb. Scorecaster seems to have the entertainment factor necessary for making a good read.

Germany vs Argentina World Cup Final Bet Of The Week

Germany vs Argentina Who Will Win The World Cup

On Monday the 14th of July 2014 at 4:35 AM the last remaining teams will be going head to head in their effort to win a Fifa’s World Cup victory. I just had to make this match of the remaining Titans, Germany vs Argentina, the Bet Of The Week!

In my last Latest News World Cup post I mentioned one news service who predicted mass riots following Brazil’s loss to the Netherlands. I personally didn’t believe it as I thought if it was going to happen it would happen straight after the loss and not after a good nights sleep. After some research I did find this report on Brazil riots after the game. A bit tame as far as riots go if you ask me.

As the Dutch crumble in the early hours of this morning leaving Argentina victorious everyone is trying to work out who to place their germany vs argentinamoney on in the forthcoming World Cup final. It’s going to be a Germany vs Argentina bet of the week! The question is who am I going to back in this weeks bet of the week?

I’ve decided to go with bet365 for this weeks bet of the week. As you can see from the image on the right bet365 is currently offering $2.30 for a German win. $3.25 for a draw and $3.50 for Argentina to win. Now there is no point putting your money on Argentina if you think Germany will win. The fact they have better odds doesn’t mean shit if they lose. Your team needs to win for your bet to pay off.

The New Zealand Herald repots a likely win for a rested Germany. This mornings Argentina vs Netherlands clash was likened to a war. One which has to leave Argentina a victorious albeit weary team. Germany on the other hand won their match against Brazil with relative ease in comparison.

Naturally one needs to keep in mind that this is not the first Germany vs Argentina World Cup final. The first Germany vs Argentina World Cup clash was in 1986. The Argentinians were the winners in that clash. Four years later it was another Germany vs Argentina World Cup final. I’m sure Argentina would have loved a back to back win but this time the Germans were able to snatch the World Cup from the Argentinians grasp.

News.com.au thinks that Messi’s passion to win the World Cup will enough to carry Argentina over the line. They explain why Messi has never been adored by his countrymen as Maradona was. It’s believed that a win on Monday will finally gain their adoration.

According to the Telegraph, Argentina have a slight advantage over Germany in winning the Germany vs Argentina confrontation. This is despite Germany now having the highest scorers in World Cup history with 223 goals. They have some other interesting stats you may want to check out.

You know what though? All this is doing my head in. No matter how much you try to analyse who is going to win we all know it’s anyones game. Shit, I may as well flip a coin. You know what? I think I will do just that. Heads for Argentina and Tails for Germany. After all, it’s a fifty fifty chance. I may as well leave it up to Lady Luck to help me pick a winner in the Germany vs Argentina 2014 World Cup final. Hang on a sec while I find me a coin……………OK, here goes…………It’s Tails. That means that Germany is going to win the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

lady luckOK, now lets have some fun. I don’t think I will go for the Double Chance wager this time round. But I think I will have some fun with trying to get the final correct score for this momentous clash of this years World Cup Titans. Once again, you can check out all the odds in the image above. They show all the odds for the final scores. So, a 2-1 win will pay $9.50. A 3-2 win to Germany pays $41, whereas a 5-0 win will pay $126. If you’re going to back Argentina you’ll notice that 5-0 win for Argentina pays a huge $451! Shit, wouldn’t that be something. 😉

If you’ve been following this blog you’ll remember that as part of my responsible gambling rule I have a $10 limit when placing a bet. Using my trusty bet365 app I’ve placed $5 on Germany to win. That leaves me five bucks to spread around. So, what will be the actual scores in this match. I’m going to place a dollar on a 3-1 win for Germany. Another dollar on a 4-2 win. A dollar on a 1-1, which will mean another penalty shootout. And finally a dollar on 4-0 win. I know that is a big ask for Germany, but then who would have thought that would have a 7-1 win against Brazil? Can you imagine what that would have payed?

So, all my bets have been placed and locked in. Who are you going to back in the final Germany vs Argentina World Cup Final?

There’s still a couple of days left in the Who will win the 2014 World Cup Final: Germany Or Argentina poll.

Latest Sports News World Cup

My latest sports news that I find absolutely astounding is Brazil’s loss to Germany in yesterdays Fifa World Cup match. The loss itself isn’t so bad. In soccer, or any other sport for that matter, upsets occur. What is surprising is the magnitude of the loss. The final score was 7 – 1. That’s seven goals to Germany and only one for Brazil. Naturally the fact Brazil is hosting the World Cup makes such a loss even more embarrassing.

In the latest sports news, published only minutes ago, news.com.au are predicting mayhem when daylight finally hits Brazil.

latest sports news

 

They reckon that a repeat of of what happened after the 1998 World Cup Final loss to France is not out of the question. The assumption being that the Brazilians are too numb from the shock of it all to react after the game? Really? I would have thought that if anything was to happen it would have happened then and there, after the loss. Certainly not after they have slept the loss off, But that will all depend on whether there are certain Brazilian fans out there who are willing to stir things up. After all Brazilians are well known for their hot temper. Let’s not forget the beheading of the referee who stabbed a player in an amateur soccer game last year.

More Latest Sports News

  • No such predictions from Fox Sports! They’re offering five reasons, in a video format, for Brazils loss.
  • The BBC have chosen to feature an apology from Brazilian captain, David Luiz. But it’s the coach who takes the blame for their loss.

    However, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari took responsibility for the defeat.

    “I will be remembered as the coach to lose 7-1 but I knew that risk when I took the job,” said Scolari, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002.

    “The person who decided the line-up, the tactics, was me. It was my choice.”

I reckon he’s got that right.

  • The New York Times aren’t far wrong when they state that Brazil was stunned Germany. Shit, I reckon most of the world was stunned by their loss.

 Reaction to Brazil’s humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany FIFA World Cup 2014


I think that pretty well sums up the general consensus of the latest sports news concerning the Fifa World Cup 2014, at least as far as Brazil’s loss to Germany that is. Feel free to add your view of that particular game in the comments section.