Betting On The 2018 World Cup

We’re back for another edition of Club 20 Trivia and this week its Sports/Popular Culture. So break out the lego for the kid and the drinks for yourself and whoever you’ve been stuck in lockdown with these past weeks and enjoy the pub quiz that brings the pub to you in these dark, uncertain times. Club 20 Scoring System It’s out of 40 points and let us be the first to tell you, if you claim to get all 40 of them we'll accuse you of cheating and slowly shake my head in a very deliberate, very judgmental way at you.  Don’t be that person, after all you are only cheating yourself.  0-5 Points: Really? Less than five? Geez this can’t have been fun for you at all. You’ve managed to handle this trivia worse than Scotty and Gladys have handled the pandemic! 6-15 Points: Look you tried, you got a few right, had a few drinks and forgot for just an hour where you are and why you’re stuck there – so in one sense you are the real winners of this trivia. Of course, in another more real and legally binding se

We’ll be honest, not being able to play golf, go and see our mates and really a myriad of other annoying/depressing happenings across the state of NSW/Australia/the world has been starting to take its toll. Like a lot of you out there, we’ve been pretty flat these past few days, so we were pleasantly surprised to find an activity that was a very happy distraction.  Hopefully it can be the start of an enjoyable afternoon (or morning, we don’t judge here) session for you as well!  If we can’t go out into the world, can’t go and enjoy a nice cold beverage with good friends at the pub or club, then we thought let’s bring the pub to you. Club 20 Scoring System It’s out of 40 points and let us be the first to tell you, if you claim to get all 40 of them we'll accuse you of cheating and slowly shake my head in a very deliberate, very judgmental way at you.  Don’t be that person, after all you are only cheating yourself.  0-5 Points: Really? Less than five? Geez this can’t have been fun for yo

It's been described by some as the "Melbourne Cup" of Australian sports betting. For punters, beating the Brownlow is as tough as it gets. It's not enough to simply know who played well in each and every game of the season (as hard as that is on its own). To bust open the Brownlow, bettors must get inside the minds of the men and women giving the votes... the umpires. And, that, of course, is impossible. Or is it? Stats Insider's senior AFL data analyst, Greg Butyn, joins Hedge Hopkins to discuss a revolutionary way of modelling the 2020 Brownlow Medal.   In this podcast, we look at markets including:  Outright Winner; Top 5 / Top 10 Finish; Leader After Rounds 5 / 10; Team Leaders; and much, much more! Download Stats Insider's complete 2020 Brownlow Medal report right here (https://www.statsinsider.com.au/afl/brownlow) .

New Golf etiquette, AFL and Racing news, trivia, prizes and the running of the Covid-19 1000m Sprint - as the world locks down we're kicking things up a notch on Episode 2 of Sportocalypse Now.  Oh yes and also, Hedge gets up on his soapbox to deliver a compelling case as to why cheaters should never, ever prosper in sport...god help us all!

The Sportocalypse has arrived and punters and sports lovers are hurting out there, hurting pretty bad – because there’s very little left to watch or punt on! But in this chaotic new world we thought we’d try and keep the punting pulse beating and maybe, hopefully, lift some spirits (or beers, whatever is handy) during these troubling times. Sports, punting, trivia, giveaways, stupidity, man-tears and a decent amount of additional idiocy (we warned you), this new podcast from Club 20 features everything (well most things. ok some things) that we shattered, broken sports-loving punters need to get us through this - welcome to Sportocalypse Now! 

Well, it's all come down to this. The Chiefs and the 49ers face off in Miami for Super Bowl LIV and the famous Lombardi Trophy. The boys are back after a PERFECT postseason (to date) on Locks of the Week, while last episode Josh went 2-0 on his best, and Nick's bets were Raheem Mostert-Conference Championship-like going 3-0 on his best bets and hitting the longshot double at a juicy $3.20. What's the plan for Super Bowl 54? Josh, James and Nick each give their best analysis for the season finale, with best bets, score predictions and abit of fun with some novelty props at the end. For all Stats Insider's Super Bowl coverage, head to statsinsider.com.au/nfl and remember you can follow LIVE, IN-PLAY Super Bowl match probabilities from kickoff at Stats Insider. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform if you want to see us back next season! Follow us on Twitter: @StatsInsider (http://twitter.com/statsinsider) @jwyeNFL (http://twitter.com/jwyeNFL) @nicksplitter (http://twitt

After an exhilarating Divisional Round, one which didn't disappoint at all, Nick, James and Josh are back with the Punt Return Podcast as they take a look at the upcoming Conference Championships. 2019 Podcast Best Bet Records: Podcast Lock of the Week: 12-5-1 (66.6%) Josh: 29-19-2 best bets (58.0%) Nick: 30-20 best bets (60.0%) As always the the show ends with Best Bets, Long Shots, a quick look at the Stats Insider model's favourite plays for the week, and a reminder that you can now follow live scores and in-game probabilities (http://statsinsider.com.au/live) as events happen on the field, right here at Stats Insider, absolutely free for every NFL game. For every game and more, have a listen to this week's edition of the Punt Return Podcast, and don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform if you want to see us back next season! Follow us on Twitter: @StatsInsider (http://twitter.com/statsinsider) @jwyeNFL (http://twitter.com/jwyeNFL) @nicksplitter (http://twitter.com/ni

After a tense Wild Card Weekend, the Kansas City Chiefs proved to be the only one of last season's quarterfinalists to return to the Divisional Round. The good news, this podcast won’t finish the season - or their career - with a pick six... The podcast lock of the week was a push (12-5-2 on the season), as the Buffalo Bills squandered a 16-0 lead to lose to the Houston Texans by three points in OT, who, by the way, was the only home winner of the Wildcard Weekend. If you were lucky enough to get the extra point or half-point on the Bills as Nick did on his longshot line-total double, well done! Meanwhile, James is laughing as his pre-playoff tip of Derrick Henry for most playoff rushing yards ($13AUD) is off to a belter, with the Tennessee Titans RB racking up 182 yards on the ground in an upset victory against the New England Patriots, and none of the other remaining playoff teams with a stable, consistent, number one running option (bar Aaron Jones at the Green Bay Packers who had a week off)! Josh and Jam

Nick, James and Josh are back for the first pod of the new decade. With the regular season over, the boys look ahead at an action filled Wild Card Weekend. The boys kick off the show with their biggest takeaways from Week 17 and also from the regular season. 2019 Podcast Best Bet Records: Podcast Lock of the Week: 12-5-1 (66.6%) Josh: 29-21-2 best bets (55.8%) Nick: 31-21 best bets (59.6%) (https://app.cosmicjs.com/insiderapi/edit-object/5df1735696067900075841df?message=object-edited#) As always the the show ends with Best Bets, Long Shots, a quick look at the Stats Insider model's favourite plays for the week, and a reminder that you can now follow live scores and in-game probabilities (http://statsinsider.com.au/live) as events happen on the field, right here at Stats Insider, absolutely free for every NFL game. For every game and more, have a listen to the Week 17 edition of the Punt Return Podcast, and don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform if you want to see us ba

Nick and Josh return for a short catchup in Week 17 after Christmas, talking through the matchups that matter. With all games split over Sunday and Sunday night,  we're in for a massive Monday (Australian time) of NFL Football. James is away this week but has left us with an article on Stats Insider discussing the talking points of a Week 17 (https://www.statsinsider.com.au/nfl/what-to-watch-for-in-nfl-week-17) where six of eight division winners have already been decided. As always the the show ends with Best Bets, Long Shots, a James futures play and a quick look at the Stats Insider model's favourite plays for the week, and a reminder that you can now follow live scores and in-game probabilities as events happen on the field, right here at Stats Insider, absolutely free for every NFL game. http://www.statsinsider.com.au/nfl For every game and more, have a listen to the Week 17 edition of the Punt Return Podcast, and don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform if you want

The Week 16 episode of the Punt Return Podcast opens with a look back at some of the best or worst betting beats in recent memory, with the Philadelphia Eagles covering against the Washington Redskins in spectacular fashion, with a last second fumble recovery in Week 15, only to be outdone by the total soaring over the line in the Atlanta Falcons vs San Francisco 49ers game with an incredible 12 points scored in the final 5 seconds. Incredible. Nick, James & Josh recap the rest of Week 15 by discussing why fantasy football stinks at this time of the season, where Drew Brees ranks among the all time Quarterbacks, and an incredibly tight Defensive Player of the Year race between Stephon Gilmore, TJ Watt, Danielle Hunter & Aaron Donald. NFL PREDICTIONS: Week 15 Matchups and Projections (https://www.statsinsider.com.au/nfl/) Week 16 kicks off with an impressive 'Super Sunday' slate of games, all involving a playoff contender, or - in the case of the Buffalo Bills & New England Patriots - playoff contenders. Multi

The boys are back and ready for a big Week 15 of NFL football. After last weekend's slate included what might just be the best game of the season between the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints, this week feels like a let down week but with so much at stake for a number of teams there's plenty to talk about! From Denver's potential QB of the future, Drew Lock, to Carson Wentz's struggles in Philadelphia, to the new New England Patriots cheating scandal and the Tennessee Titans shortening by the week for the AFC Championship, there's something in this week's podcast for every NFL fan, not to mention at least one betting play for each matchup in Week 15. Finally, Nick rolls through the Stats Insider NFL model projections for the week, remembering that the podcast is recorded on a Thursday afternoon (AEST), leaving plenty of time for the model to evolve and develop as more information becomes available to identify value against the sportsbook markets. For every game and more, have a listen to the Week 14

The boys are back after a disastrous Week 13 of NFL betting, with upsets galore and nothing going to script, except for the Stats Insider model, which had a very solid week of projections. Luckily the season has still been incredibly profitable for all three lads, with records in the black across the board. Before getting stuck into Week 14 action, the boys chat College Football and the annual Ray Guy Award, presented to the NCAA's most outstanding CFB Punter. Australia's own Dane Roy, friend of Woot & Wye, and Stats Insider's College Football correspondent on the ground, has been announced as one of the three finalists for the award after a phenomenal season for the University of Houston Cougars. Dane comes up against another Australian in former Fremantle Docker, Max Duffy of Kentucky. He's a ripper bloke, so vote for Dane (or Max... but really, Dane!) at the Ray Guy Award Fan Vote (https://www.rayguyaward.com/fan-vote) website. Josh asks, "What now for Nick Foles?" after the Jags' $88 million man was bench

Nick, James & Josh are back from an underwhelming Week 12 for the annual Thanksgiving Edition of The Punt Return. They open the show listing everything they are thankful for and in particular it’s the exciting young blood we have at the quarterback positions in the NFL that have them talking. Nick mentions that, for the first time in close to 18 months, the Stats Insider Model (https://www.statsinsider.com.au/nfl/futures) has a team not named “The New England Patriots” favourite to win the Super Bowl. The guys recap their lukewarm Week 12 betting results, with the 2-0 Lock of the Week record being an absolute shining light. In looking back at Week 12, only two teams really came to mind for the boys: the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.  Josh mentions that John Harbaugh is his frontrunner for 'Coach of the Year' while Nick asks if the MVP race is over? Funnily enough, the two hottest teams in all of sports, play each other in Week 13 in what could be a Super Bowl preview. Before getting to that ga

Nick, James & Josh are back from a helmet hitting Week 11 for a massive Week 12 Edition of the The Punt Return Podcast.  Week 12 features five huuuuuuge games between playoff contenders and Nick has - and rightly so - been hyping this slate up for over a month now. Before looking at the Week 12 action, the guys cast their eyes back and talk about THAT Myles Garrett incident, Colin Kaepernick’s situation (mostly that he should be starting for the Chicago Bears this week, instead of Mitch Trubisky) and James highlights the blazing form of Kirk Cousins.  Week 11 saw the team with the better record win 11 of the 12 games. The born-again Atlanta Falcons proving to be the lone exception with their comprehensive beatdown of the Carolina Pretenders... err, Panthers. The guys throw up some possible theories on where the Falcons turn around has come from and Nick cuts loose on the Panthers. Week 12 kicks off with a blockbuster divisional game between the Colts and the Texans. The winner will take control of the AFC Sou

Nick, James & Josh are all back on deck for the Week 11 Edition of The Punt Return Podcast. Josh opens the show discussing the curveballs that the NFL continually throws out, with not only three 1-7 teams claiming victory in Week 10, but it was the first time since 2001 that a team on a losing streak of at least six games beat a team on a winning streak of at least six games (Atlanta Falcons def. New Orleans Saints). The boys then turn their attention to some other Week 10 takeaways, with James brings up the possibility of a Super Bowl "Sleeper in Seattle."  Can Russell Wilson lead the Seahawks through a vaunted NFC to hoist another Lombardi Trophy? James certainly thinks so.  Wilson is also very much in the mix for the NFL MVP award, which Nick mentions is completely wide open after yet another perfect performance from Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. After recapping another successful week of results, the crew then look ahead to Week 11, which looks to be a tricky slate, featuring some blockbuster matches includi

Yes, that's right! A massive Week 10 is on the schedule and the Punt Return boys are back to guide you through it all. Week 9's 'Lock of the Week' was a push on the Seahawks -6 line, but nevermind, we're still 6-2-1 on the season for locks. Josh went 2-1 for a season record sitting at 16-8-1, while Nick also went two wins and a loss (how could the Jets lose to the Dolphins?!), but his 19-9 leads the pack, not to mention ANOTHER long-shot win as the Ravens upset the then-unbeaten Patriots. "Why not the Ravens?" he said.  Great call, Nick, great call. Josh laments the Bears' Mitch Trubisky... "He just ain't it." Chicago put up a 40-year NFL-low NINE TOTAL YARDS with just two first downs in the first half against what isn't a particularly good Philadelphia Eagles pass defense last week.  "How good is NFL at the moment?" asks Nick, looking at the Week 10's fixtures before a sneak peek at Week 12's blockbuster matchup schedule. Meanwhile, James is back on board this week, loving the Ravens win. The Pats are indeed

Join the boys as they discuss the NFL 2019 season to date and go through their mid-season surprises and disappointments, as well as their favourites for all the major awards with a few outsiders thrown in for good measure. James is away for Week 9 so Nick and Josh take a dive into the unknown of each matchup... finding along the way that they are unwittingly on the same page this week. Unheard of! Josh notes in the incredible gap between the two top ranked DVOA defenses and the #3 ranked is bigger than the gap between the third ranked defensive unit and 31st. Nick's longshot streak may be over, but he's gone 3-0 on best bets in three out of the last four weeks so all eyes are on him as he thinks about picking the Ravens at home to defeat the rampaging, unbeaten New England Patriots. Is he crazy? What do you think? Josh only had the one winner on best bets last week but he's over the moon that his single win was in a Head to Head play against Nick. For every game and more, have a listen to the mid-season editi

It's over. The great long shot streak of 2019 is over. We went into Week 7 with 3 undefeated: the Patriots, 49ers, and Nick's long shot streak. Only two remain as Nick finally whiffed for the first time in season 2019. James may have found a new passion as he went 2-0 on his Week 7 plays, having generally focused on the long-term futures market to date. Josh had another good week and sits at 13-7 for the year on his best bets, but is still looking for a second long shot win after missing out on T.Y Hilton and Cooper Kupp prop plays last week. But enough of ancient history! Let's look at Week 8! Discussion starts when Josh asks if Lamar Jackson can win the MVP without elite passing stats, or a consistent receiving corps. What do you think? The topic of conversation moves onto another athletic QB with Cam Newton nearing a return to full health. The Panthers went 0-2 with a banged up SuperCam as starter, while Kyle Allen has come in and led Carolina to a 4-0 record since. What should the Panthers do with their f

The boys are back for Week 7 of the NFL after another good week on the punt. The LOCK OF THE WEEK saluted for the third straight week, while Nick's hot streak continued on another week. The boys (Nick & Josh) are now a collective 23-13 on best bets, while James' future book is starting to flex after another MVP performance from Russell Wilson. Josh says it's all over in Atlanta, but makes the point that this cannot be blamed on QB Matt Ryan, who, despite the franchise's terrible record, is having another fantastic year by the numbers. "Friends don't let friends blame Matt Ryan," he says. Nick and James are raving about Seattle and where this team can go in season 2019-20, despite not having any depth in their receiving corps and featuring the worst Seahawks defense in years. Which leads us to what Nick calls his "Game of the Week." Seattle host Baltimore in a clash of Top 5 DVOA offenses, where all the lads feel should set up well again for Russell Wilson. The Saints head to Chicago in the game that features