Tracking the Odds Makers

Tracking the Oddsmakers

If there was ever a definitive list of how the teams line up, it's the Oddsmakers Ratings.This chart aligns the teams according to how the odds makers set the margins of victoryweek by week. The thing that makes this ranking excel is that there is an incredibleamount of money riding on every team's rating. This is not their official rating as that issecret. It is an estimation updated each week based upon the opening line.

Though there are problems - such as the wave created when, for example, a heavily-favored team loses - most changes are slight and soon disappear. The ranking is veryinteresting as you can see which teams the odds makers favor. And, of course, the oddshave to follow the money fans are expected to bet on each team.

Surprising, isn't it? Yet if you go to Todd Beck's Prediction Tracker, you will see thatthey are very accurate year after year.

How can you argue? Call it the weekly power adjustment.

2010-2011 Final Edition

tw	team	rating	previous

1	Boise State	132.32	135.02
2	Auburn	131.58	128.59
3	Oregon	130.08	133.06
4	Ohio State	128.32	129.20
5	TCU	126.79	126.99
6	Wisconsin	126.79	126.59
7	Alabama	126.77	125.31
8	Oklahoma	126.08	125.06
9	Arkansas	125.82	124.93
10	Stanford	124.55	123.87
11	LSU	123.48	124.93
12	Missouri	123.40	123.56
13	Oklahoma State	122.50	121.09
14	Nebraska	122.42	123.56
15	Florida	122.08	120.92
16	Virginia Tech	121.55	122.23
17	South Carolina	121.16	118.59
18	Texas A&M	120.98	119.53
19	Iowa	120.40	120.24
20	West Virginia	120.23	118.64
21	Georgia	119.98	118.80
22	Michigan State	119.77	121.23
23	Florida State	118.66	121.23
24	Utah	117.32	114.62
25	Penn State	117.08	118.23
26	Miami	116.95	117.29
27	Notre Dame	116.95	116.61
28	USC	116.58	116.58
29	NC State	116.23	117.82
30	Nevada	116.02	115.37
31	Hawaii	115.86	112.83
32	Mississippi State	115.69	113.68
33	North Carolina	115.57	118.06
34	Tennessee	115.57	113.08
35	Arizona	115.50	116.90
36	Pittsburgh	115.02	114.46
37	Baylor	114.98	112.97
38	Texas Tech	114.91	113.22
39	Clemson	114.73	116.36
40	Arizona State	114.40	114.40
41	Oregon State	114.06	114.06
42	C. Florida	113.98	115.15
43	Maryland	113.79	111.82
44	Illinois	112.98	114.99
45	Texas	112.03	112.03
46	Kentucky	112.02	112.58
47	San Diego State	111.46	108.50
48	Northern Illinois	111.08	111.16
49	Michigan	110.69	112.70
50	Southern Miss	110.58	110.39
51	Cincinnati	110.46	110.46
52	South Florida	110.23	108.59
53	Kansas State	110.15	112.63
54	Syracuse	110.15	107.66
55	SMU	109.81	109.15
56	Mississippi	109.68	109.68
57	Air Force	109.55	109.79
58	Connecticut	109.08	110.09
59	Navy	108.96	111.91
60	California	108.71	108.71
61	Temple	108.68	108.68
62	Washington	108.42	107.27
63	Louisville	108.08	108.26
64	Fresno State	108.08	107.99
65	Iowa State	107.91	107.91
66	Tulsa	107.86	110.89
67	BYU	107.33	107.62
68	Georgia Tech	107.05	106.80
69	Boston College	107.02	107.66
70	UCLA	106.58	106.58
71	Houston	106.22	106.22
72	East Carolina	105.79	107.75
73	Ohio	104.31	105.05
74	Virginia	104.04	104.04
75	Colorado	103.52	103.52
76	Northwestern	103.41	105.09
77	Minnesota	103.24	103.24
78	W. Michigan	102.43	102.43
79	Toledo	102.42	101.11
80	Army	102.31	102.96
81	Troy State	101.81	101.06
82	Duke	101.06	101.06
83	Rutgers	100.64	100.64
84	Vanderbilt	100.63	100.63
85	UAB	100.53	100.53
86	Miami OH	99.96	99.68
87	Marshall	99.76	99.76
88	Wake Forest	99.13	99.13
89	Indiana	98.73	98.73
90	Arkansas State	98.66	98.66
91	Kansas	98.56	98.56
92	Louisiana Tech	98.37	98.37
93	C. Michigan	98.11	98.11
94	UTEP	97.83	97.53
95	Purdue	97.73	97.73
96	Florida Int'l	97.42	98.73
97	Middle Tenn	96.96	97.23
98	Colorado State	96.85	96.85
99	Kent State	95.05	95.05
100	Utah State	95.02	95.02
101	Wyoming	94.85	94.85
102	Washington State	94.27	94.27
103	Florida Atlantic	93.56	93.56
104	Idaho	93.53	93.53
105	Rice	93.53	93.53
106	Bowling Green	93.43	93.43
107	Tulane	92.76	92.76
108	Ball State	92.49	92.49
109	W. Kentucky	90.83	90.83
110	North Texas	90.63	90.63
111	La-Monroe	90.63	90.63
112	Buffalo	88.56	88.56
113	La-Lafayette	87.63	87.63
114	Memphis	87.54	87.54
115	UNLV	85.83	85.83
116	Akron	85.56	85.56
117	E. Michigan	85.16	85.16
118	San Jose State	83.53	83.53
119	NM State	81.16	81.16
120	New Mexico	80.99	80.99

How to Gamble

I neither promote nor discourage gambling. However, many people ruin their lives doing it. Here is a formula you can follow to make sure you aren't one of them.

Take a certain amount of money you won't miss.
Pick some games using whatever method or service you prefer.
Never, ever bet more than ten per cent on any single game. Ever.
Never bet more than half your money on any particular day. Hold at least half for next time.
When the money runs out, quit. Seek another profession.

It's that simple.