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Stat & Log Book; college analysis -- super football betting references

Two hot football reference sources -- favorites year after year -- have arrived at Gambler's Book Club this week. They are Marc Lawrence's Playbook Stat & Log Book (380 pages, 8x11 plastic spiral bound, $34.95) and Andy Iskoe's Pointspread Encyclopedia: College Football (142 pages, 8xll plastic spiral bound, $29.95).

Those handicappers who like lots of room to take notes while instantly being able to identify conference games, homecoming games, the type of surface the game will played on, the number of returnees and what the team's web address is will find Lawrence's book to their liking. With all this material there's also room to keep records for both the college and the pro schedules with instant, on-the-same-page data that includes 10 years of results (spreads and totals for the pros and spreads only for the colleges).

There is a complete pre-season schedule and room to record results; pre-season betting angles; charts showing how teams performed after a week off and how they did Monday nights (both extracted from Lawrence's magazine, Football Handicapper's Yearbook . The entire pro football schedule, showing who's playing who from Week One on and a similar logbook format for the colleges (major game matchups) are on the first 62 pages. Also extracted from Lawrence's magazine are totals records summarized for one year, three years and six years at home, away, versus division, non-division teams; angles showing you how teams did before and after playing other pro teams; how coaches did against the spread and in a variety of other situations.

For the colleges, there are charts showing how teams performed straight up and against the line since 1990; bowl results; the 2007-08 bowl schedule and pro playoff results since 1997.

Overall, this is one of the best college-pro record-keeping devices on the market with an abundance of angles and a decade of results, spreads.

Iskoe's college football study (17 years worth of information) covers two dozen angles for each year since 2001, a three-year look and one for six years. Since 2001 for example, Minnesota is 16-8 as a home favorite against the spread; 9-4 as a road favorite and 8-2 against non-conference teams when at home. They've also covered in their last three home openers.

Hawaii as a home favorite since 2004 has covered 11 of 16 games and Ohio State since 2004 is 10-2 in conference games at home and 7-3 as a road favorite.

If you wonder about "smart money" bets, where the line moves more than 1-1/2 points, Iskoe shows you how all college teams overall performed since all the way back to 1990 -- year by year, three years combined or six years combined. Is it better to bet early or late? Does it matter? The book may help you make the decision or come to a conclusion about the theory.

From Air Force to Wyoming, it's all there, analyzed for easy access and should save the serious or just curious handicapper many hours of research.

Any item reviewed here is available from Gambler's Book Shop (Gambler's Book Club). The store's web site is www.gamblersbook.com . You may order there using MasterCard, VISA or Discover (no CODs please) or by phoning the store any day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time at 1-800-522-1777. Orders usually shipped the next working day. The store, now in its 40th year, is located a mile from downtown Las Vegas, a block west of Maryland Parkway, just off Charleston Boulevard at South 11th Street. You may view the store's complete array of books, videos and software via the Web site or request a hard copy of the catalog be mailed free and first class. The store's address is 630 S. 11th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101.

All books reviewed in this article are available from Gambler's Book Shop (Gambler's Book Club), located at 630 South 11th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Order using a MasterCard, VISA or Discover card (no American Express or CODs please) via the store's toll-free number 1-800-522-1777 any day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time. You may order from the store's web site at www.gamblersbook.com anytime, using the credit cards indicated. Books usually shipped the next working day. The store has an 80-page catalog listing 1,000 other books, videos and computer software in 30 other areas of gambling. You may receive a free copy by requesting one by phone or from the web site or by writing, or view it in its entirety at the web site. When in Las Vegas, visit the store, which also has thousands of used books. The store is a mile from downtown, a block west of Maryland Parkway, just off Charleston Boulevard at South 11th Street. This is the store's 39th year of operation.

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