There’s dozens of sports betting podcasts out there to enjoy whenever you’ve got the time. The only problem is, some programs aren’t worth any of your time. To each his own: some like humor, some like all-22 breakdowns, some like trends, or some combination. The 11 podcasts listed below represent the Sports Handle crew’s favorites and recommendations for your valuable time. Some are new, others long-running. Here they are in no particular order:
1) ‘Bet The Board’ with Payne Insider and Todd Fuhrman (Listen).
Let's GO! The #MarchMadness Podcast is LIVE! @ToddFuhrman and I break down the Matchups, Metrics, Brackets and Bets with former Kansas and Creighton captain @NickBahe now @FS1 Basketball Analyst + @DaveMasonBOL shares what the PROS and PUBLIC are Betting! https://t.co/Z2zZJvmk4u
— Payneinsider.com (@PayneInsider) March 20, 2019
Payne is the professional bettor and Fuhrman is the media guy/interviewer/former Las Vegas oddsmaker. Together they bring a ton of valuable insight covering match-ups, personnel, injuries, situations (macro and micro), coaching, line movement, sharp and square positions and more. They deliver the goods (about an hour apiece) on Monday (ahead of MNF) and on Thursday (prior to TNF) looking at the upcoming Sunday action. (They also produce college football podcasts and record for special events like Mayweather-McGregor.) Be advised: they don’t force action or drive anyone toward a side. It’s all about analysis and understanding the market. They’ve developed a great rapport and a loyal, growing following that’s much deserved based on the consistent quality of their podcasts.
2. ‘Beating the Book’ and ‘A Numbers Game’ by Gill Alexander (Listen)
Beating The Book: #NFL #MegaPod #SuperBowl Props Edition w @mlombardiNFL @VSiNLive, @MarcoInVegas, @Greek_Gambler: https://t.co/RtnKY1vHWd
— Gill Alexander (@beatingthebook) January 29, 2019
Consistently cracking the Top 100 Sports Category chart on iTunes, “Beating the Book” host Gill Alexander covers a wide range of sports betting topics from the NFL, golf, college football to Alexander’s favorite, Major League Baseball. What drives him? Helping sports bettors get better at their craft. (Pod also here for non-iTuners.)
Also a host on Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN), Alexander is regarded as an innovator for his use of sabermetrics in MLB handicapping. He provides an in-depth statistical analysis of sport betting competitions and gives his advanced unique betting strategies. Regular guests during the NFL season for ‘A Numbers Game‘ include a pair of aces in Bill Krackomberger and Warren Sharp. If you want to number crunch and make informed wagers, tune in.
3) ‘Behind the Bets’ by ESPN Chalk (Listen)
Brought to you by ESPN Chalk and hosted by Ben Fawkes, Doug Kezirian, Stanford Steve, and Chris “the Bear” Fallica, this crew explores the culture of sports gambling in “Behind the Bets.” They take a wide view of what’s happening in the sports betting world, covering events such as football to horse racing and everything in between. They’re some of the best in the business with varying areas of expertise and consistently quality guests. Come for good sports betting culture conversation an stay for breakdowns of marquee matchups and events in the sports betting world. (Also on iTunes.)
4) ‘BangTheBook’ with Adam Burke (Listen)
We like BangTheBook because it’s like the US Postal Service: Delivered every day. Every weekday at least. Host Adam Burke consistently brings in a good guests — professional handicappers, bettors and sports writers — and they discuss their analysis and opinions and how they’re formulated. In addition to NFL action they cover MLB, NBA, college football and hoops. Burke might be the hardest working man in sports betting podcasting — every day, every week he’s grinding.
5) ‘Bet The Process’ by Rufus Peabody and Jeff Ma (Listen)
Ummm… well @RufusPeabody got his wish and got to interview me on the latest episode of @BetTheProcess https://t.co/lMMEbwObOy
— Jeff Ma (@jeffma) February 22, 2019
This podcast delivers a 1-2 punch of Jeff Ma, of MIT blackjack team fame, and widely respected professional sports bettor Rufus Peabody of, we suppose, of getting shafted at DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship fame. As the name implies, both men respect analytics as they cover sports betting from all angles: handicapping and analyzing most major sports (especially football, college football and hoops, etc.), also the industry at large, challenges for pro bettors, big news in U.S. sports betting regulation and so forth. Two smart guys and a sharp listen.
6) Gambling With An Edge (Listen)
The “Gambling With An Edge” podcast comes from the same-named website, which is home to a variety of experts on casino games, advantage playing techniques, poker, and of course, sports betting. Co-hosts Bob Dancer (a video poker maven) and Richard Munchkin (AP and author of “Conversations with the World’s Greatest Gamblers”) bring a trove of gambling insights from their own minds and through interviews with respected figures from across the gaming industry, including a lot of sports bettors. Past episodes have covered line origination, expected value, analytics, beating the closing number and much more. To be sure, it’s not strictly sports betting, but whatever the topic, you’ll become a more educated gambler for all purposes. They also take lots of reader questions.
7) ‘Even Money’ with Ross Tucker and Fezzik (Listen)
Here we have Fezzik again with former NFL lineman-turned-media pro Ross Tucker — the guy who makes this podcast unique. He brings great insight based on his experience on the field and in the locker room; He can evaluate X’s and O’s matchups and has a good sense of the emotional toll of certain games, or of situations and travel. Tucker and Fezzik also grade their previous week’s picks and best bets (consensus) — a good way to keep honest and learn from misjudgments. The two have been going strong three or four years. This is a great option for those of you pressed for time: it’s a quick listen at about 25 minutes a pop.
8) ‘Gamble On’ by US Bets (Listen)
A more industry-focused podcast than the others on this list, Gamble On features veteran journalists Eric Raskin and John Brennan breaking down the biggest news in gambling (with an emphasis on sports betting) every week, with a focus on New Jersey sports betting and sports betting in nearby Pennsylvania, home states for Raskin and Brennan, respectively. They welcome guests ranging from media members to bookmakers to politicians to sports bettors before closing every episode by placing bets, making NFL picks, and trying to resist the lure of sucker parlay bets. It’s the perfect podcast if you’re looking for a mix of both the serious and silly sides of sports betting.
9) ‘Against All Odds’ with Cousin Sal (Listen)
Cousin Sal from Jimmy Kimmel Live has been focused on sports betting for years. Whether it’s guessing the lines for the last 11 years with Bill Simmons or giving out his top three picks on SportsCenter, Cousin Sal loves to gamble. Since the end of April, he’s had his own podcast on the Ringer Podcast Network where he and his high school friends (“The Degenerate Trifecta”) invent lines on things they’d like to wager on, and discuss actual lines available at sportsbooks, such as the SuperBook, DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook. Sal will also occasionally bring on experts to talk about prop bets for specific events, such as Max Kellerman to talk fight props for the Mayweather vs. McGregor bout, also WWE events (see above). It’s great show for the bettor who wants a laugh — and some memories — along with the betting talk.
10) ‘Dream Preview’ by RJ Bell (Listen)
Brought to you weekly on Thursdays by Pregame.com’s RJ Bell (@RJinVegas), a well-known voice in sports betting media who’s appeared on ESPN. Bell brings in his “Wiseguy Roundtable,” typically with two solid guests, among them pro bettors Steve Fezzik, Ken Thomson, Brad Powers, and Vice President at CG Technology Matthew Holt for the behind-the-counter perspective. They whip around the horn and everyone gives solid nuggets and trends (if you’re into trends, some don’t have predictive value) and X’s and O’s analysis. And Bell and the Wiseguys are on top of what’s happening in Vegas.
Self-serving, bonus entry
Check out Sports Handle‘s The Pro Football Handle. This NFL betting podcast pairs together Las Vegas-based sports talk voice Matt Perrault with veteran bookmaker Robert Walker, now of USBookmaking, formerly of Resorts World, MGM Mirage and “numerous other books that were glad to see me go,” he says on Twitter. Perrault is also host of Pushing The Odds on SB Nation Radio.
On PFH, Perrault and Walker will dive into select NFL games, line movements and bookmaker liabilities, plus greater sports betting topics and stories that may have nothing to do with football. Walker has seen it all behind the counter and Perrault the same from behind the microphone, so they’ll have you prepared for anything.
