About The Wiz

My Start With Sports Betting

Some of my earliest memories of being born and raised in Akron, Ohio in the 1950s and 1960s are of keeping statistics on all sports, from local to professional teams. My older sister Cheri used to make fun of me because I would walk around with a shoe box full of my numbers. Little did either of us know at the time that that box would end up my life’s passion.

The first wager I ever remember making was in junior high school in 1960. I took the Pittsburgh Pirates against the mighty perennial champion New York Yankees. It didn’t take long for word to spread around the school that I was the sucker taking the woeful Pirates over the Yankees. I can still remember exactly where I was in Akron that day Bill Mazeroski hit his historical home run that helped me collect more than a few guys’ lunch money. The truth is I wagered on the Pirates because of their reliever Elroy Face. Some things never change: How many of you have won or lost a post-season wager because a reliever did or did not do what he is supposed to?

Stuffed in a VW mortgaged to the hilt and only $500 to my name, I set sail for California on April Fool’s Day, 1972. I chose that day because all my friends told me, like many other Ohioans before me, I would be back. I’m very proud to say, 40 years later, I am still here in The Golden State. I have repeatedly resisted the lure to live in Las Vegas and can only thank my oldest son Adam and my wife Sandy for preventing me from doing so a few years back. All this time I have been keeping track of sports and all the statistics that make these events go around.

A Reputation of Sports Expertise

A few years ago, I authored a book titled Wake Up John McCain! 40 Million Americans Enjoy Wagering On Sports that was published with the help of talented sports writer Woody Woodburn. I have done countless national radio interviews, including those with NBA star Rick Barry and ESPN’s Bobby Valvano.

I even appeared on the KTLA Channel 5 morning show in 2001 and correctly predicted both upsets in the AFC and NFC Championship games. The Ravens surprised the Raiders in the Black Hole 16-3 and the Giants pulverized the Vikings 41-0. Two weeks later I predicted the Ravens’ easy win over the Giants in the Super Bowl.

It is documented in the media that I picked the Broncos to beat the Packers in the 1997 Super Bowl before the season started. Despite owning an 18 to 1 futures ticket on the Raiders back in the 2003 Super Bowl, I advised my clients to bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who won in convincing fashion.

My recent future winners include the Detroit Tigers at 30 to 1 to win the American League Pennant, along with the SF Giants and the St Louis Cardinals to win the National League Pennant at 16 to 1 and 10 to 1, respectively. Just recently I cashed a sizable ticket on the Alabama Crimson Tide to win the BCS at 7 to 1 at The Palazzo – a wager I made in July.

It all sounds easy doesn’t it? Nothing could be further from the truth!

Lessons From Experience

I’ve participated in high-end Las Vegas sports contests and have come away with two revelations:

It is becoming even more difficult to beat the house on a day to day basis. Why? They are consolidated and computerized! I used to be able to catch a sports director asleep at the helm, but that is no longer true. Today you are wagering against very sophisticated, computer savvy conglomerates. Good luck at beating them.
Betting the sports futures is the only value left on the Las Vegas menu.

If you doubt what I say, let me share with you the track record of three individuals who I personally know, trust and admire. They live in Las Vegas and give their daily sports picks away for free:

Case Study #1
14 months
Win percentage: 46%
Total based on $100 wagers, you would be down $7,840

#2 Case Study
58 months
Win percentage: 53%
Total based on $100 wagers, you would be up $918

#3 Case Study
42 months
Win percentage: 49%
Total based on $100 wagers, you would be down $3,675

These stats are from honest Las Vegas handicappers. So if you’re thinking about quitting your day job for sports gambling, let me ask you – would you be able to live on $918 over one month, let alone 58 months? How long would you stay on a job where there is a paycheck only occasionally? Would you pay your employer to be there? I don’t think so!

Sports wagering should be no more than an activity that you enjoy as part of your entertainment hours and dollars. If you think speaking with me on a regular basis might make you more successful at this activity, feel free to contact me on Facebook, Twitter, or via email and I promise to get back to you!

Good luck to all!

Larry Trusley, “The Wiz of Odds”