Basic strategy for NFL betting, or how to beat the football-picking chicken

I was gratified to learn that this column was being used as a piece of the curriculum in the UNLV class described here.

We're two weeks into the National Football League season.

Do you know where your bankroll is?

Every year, some joker who's operating a football prediction contest will include one wacky wild-card entry.

Last year, for instance, one of the contestants in the football contest on Howard Stern's radio show was a live chicken.

Bernard Hopkins calls the tune

Somewhere, the Chairman of the Board is smiling.

Bernard Hopkins invoked the spirit of Frank Sinatra before, during and after Saturday night's knockout of Oscar De La Hoya in a bout that did a decent job of living up to its billing as fight of the year.

"Just like old Frankie, when they talk about me I want them to say, 'He done it his way,' " said Hopkins, who possesses the oratory skills of a world-class preacherman, though he spikes the oration with a dose of North Philly tough guy street talk.

This time, all bets are off for Hopkins

For Bernard Hopkins, known as "The Executioner," placing a sizable wager on himself used to be as much a part of his prefight routine as donning a black hood and robe for publicity photos. But Hopkins, the longtime middleweight champ, evidently has given gambling the ax.

Hopkins said this week he does not plan to make a large public bet on himself in Saturday's highly anticipated showdown with Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand.

He said he now shies away from doing so because he believes a bet he made with veteran middleweight William Joppy might have affected the integrity of their bout last December in Atlantic City.

Bang for your buck in future-book wagering

I particularly like David Sklansky's insightful comments here.

Gamblers with an opinion on which team will win the Super Bowl this season -- and some cash to back it up -- will get the most bang for their buck at the Venetian, according to an analysis of National Football League future books.

The Las Vegas Hilton, Coast Casinos and the Golden Nugget also offer good value in Super Bowl futures, the study revealed.

The analysis, conducted by the Sun, examined the theoretical hold percentage -- or "house edge" -- in the Super Bowl futures on the board at 14 major Las Vegas sports books.

House edge expresses, as a percentage, the amount of money a sports book is expected to keep after paying out winning wagers.