Pro Scorebook--22 Years of Results; New Halftime Betting Book by Frederick

10 August 2005

By Howard Schwartz

Few books command the annual attention of sports bettors like Phil Steele's Pro Football Scorebook (332 pages, plastic spiralbound, $34.95). It's an all-time best-seller at Gambler's Book Shop, with 22 years of pointspread histories (with totals histories beginning in 1987); betting angles for Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday night games; pre-season angles; playoff histories and angles; before and after "bye" week plays; room to keep records week by week; a look at key box score statistics from games played in 2004 and game summary descriptions of each game. Plus there are Super Bowl histories-spreads, results, quarter scores, records and betting angles are also in this solid reference.

One interesting chart immediately identifies which teams covered the spread most or least effectively year by year or for the last two, three, four or five years (at home, away, as a favorite or dog). There is room for pre-season record-keeping, past pre-season results and pre-season betting angles.

For those interested enough, one page is devoted to the 2005 NFL Europe history--top passers, rushers, receivers (should one of those players make it to the NFL and you wonder how good he was).

Overall this is one of the best books ever produced for the person betting pro football seriously, recreationally (parlays cards) or entered in a football contest and needing someone else to do the work based on past performance histories.

For years, players have been asking for a "halftime" book. Why? Because it's become to some, a beatable proposition and gained in popularity.

The late Minnesota Jack Granowski had written a book, but alas it's no longer available. Now Bob Frederick of Inside Sports View has produced his 2005 Football Halftime Notebook (first half and half time). The 66-page 8x11 paperbound ($34.95) explains the history of the wager, how the first half wager differs from the second half line (which is of course dependent on how play goes in the first half).

The book shows the records for 2003 and 2004 with headings titled Home Favorite; Home Underdog; Away Favorite and Away Underdog; Overall Total; Home Overs; Home Unders, Away Unders and Average Points scored given up for the first half and second half.

Frederick offers suggestions, guidance, rationale and logic if you plan to tackle this type wager for the first time. He points you to certain teams to watch for this season in certain situations.

Overall it's a unique book for the special individuals who see halftime betting as the way to go from this season on. There's nothing else like it out there.