Buy from the GBC
Betting to Win on Baseball by Robert Ross provides the reader with a broad overview of handicapping baseball. This book will provide the most value to the beginning baseball bettor, as Betting to Win on Baseball starts with an in depth overview of the various baseball odds and wager types. Key topics such as break even percentages for baseball money lines are invaluable for the baseball bettor to understand.
With the reader understanding baseball's odds, Ross then covers ways in which you can make your own line. Ross places an emphasis on historical lines combined with the notion that home teams win 55% of MLB games. Unfortunately the odds maker sets the line, and creating your own line based on historical lines can lead you to overlook the current form of the teams and pitchers in question.
The section on record keeping provides the reader with a solid start to keeping records of past baseball games. The sections on pitchers and teams provide the handicapper with good reasoning to look at more than just the pitcher when handicapping a MLB game.
Lastly, Ross covers playing totals and the post season that provide a good start for the beginning handicapper.
Overall this is a good book for the beginning handicapper. The section covering money management, however, is a definite pitfall of this book. Ross suggests using the "Kelly Criterion", which will most likely wipe out your bankroll, regardless of the baseball handicapping skill you have.
I give this book a four out of five on the Benjamin scale.
- Ryan J. Parker | Ryan's sports handicapping blog
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