Marc Lawrence

Years in handicapping: Began handicapping professionally in 1975. Developed a love for the profession as a student in high school where I met my wife and have been happily married since.

Systems used for handicapping: I have authored thousands of articles expounding on the fact that three primary forms of sports handicapping exist. Those are Fundamental, Statistical and Technical. To be a successful handicapper one must be a well-rounded handicapper, meaning it's critically important to blend all three forms into the handicapping equation. I rely heavily on a powerful database that allows me to query scores, stat and results of games played since 1980 in College and Pro Football, along with College and Pro Basketball. By being able to identify and recreate identical situations, and checking them against the database, I have come to rely on similar results created by this technical 'cause and effect'. Applying these findings to statistical and fundamental match-ups makes for a solid handicap. By applying the handicap to 'value' we learn to win in the long run. And winning, in the long run, is what it's all about.

Game Ratings: I rate games on a weighted star (*) basis. They include: 1* - light leans, reserved primarily for free or opinion plays. 3* - medium selection, usually reserved for daily premium plays. 4* - strong selection, Key Plays usually released once to three times weekly. 5* - very strong selection, MVP Plays usually released once to three times monthly. 10* - extremely strong selection, MVP plays usually released once to three times annually. Please play accordingly.

Favorite team to wager on or against: I firmly believe fatal mistakes are made by players who tend to fall in love with a certain team(s). The bottom line is they are all 'machines' and our job as handicappers is to identify those that are well oiled and hitting on all cylinders, and conversely those who are not. My primary focus is isolating on winning teams in underdog situations that have a good chance of winning the game in straight-up fashion. If they do, you win. If they don't, but play well, you still win. If they do neither, you lose. I like those kinds of odds. Hence, I live by the 'Woody Hayes' theory of handicapping. Hayes' contention was that when you pass the ball, three things can happen and two of them are bad. When it comes to handicapping sporting events, three things can happen when you bet on a favorite, and two of them are bad. Conversely, three things can happen when you bet on a dog, and two of them are good. Think about that the next time you're convinced a favorite can't lose.

Team you avoid when wagering: I look to avoid high priced favorites, especially those with suspect defenses. In the same regard, I will avoid playing losing teams that are favored against winning opponents because losing teams find ways to lose, while winning teams find ways to win.

Sports, conferences and divisions the service excels at handicapping: Over the years I have come to realize that results will vary from sport to sport and season-to-season. Because of my experience and my powerful database, I have learned it's important to keep an accurate pulse on what is working and what is not. As a result, I have been fortunate to have enjoyed success on all levels.

Quote: Nothing overcomes experience, hard work and information. Together they help make informed decisions. Nobody - absolutely nobody - in this industry is more dedicated or works harder at handicapping sports than I. Because of my desire to be the very best handicapper I can be, I continue to burn the midnight oil while working 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. I've learned over the years that the harder I work, the luckier I get and I'm a real lucky guy.

There is no greater feeling when you wake up each morning and your first thought is, "I'm a winner."