3-0 Thursday SWEEP, now a sweet 7-1 L2 Days >>
*10* #1 Nov. Friday play goes today! (Oct won easy)
TOP Total tests PERFECT 6-0 "Main Event" Run...
NBA Total of the Week tips at 7:00ET! (4-0 L4 NBA)

Ben "brought out the broom" again yesterday, delivering a perfect 3-0 sweep. That brings him to a sweet 7-1 the last two days.

Yesterday's sweep included another 'Main Event' winner, the 'under' in the Carolina/Miami game. That continued Ben's RED HOT streak in the NFL and brought him to 15-4 YTD with his Thursday football picks. It also brought him to a PERFECT 6-0 his L6 "Main Event" releases.

Yesterday, also included another outright underdog winner in the NBA. This time, it was the Hornets, which represented Ben's **10** TNT Game of the Month. With that double-digit cover, Ben is now a PERFECT 4-0 his L4 NBA selections.

Friday's four (2 NCAA, 1 NBA, 1 NHL) selections are ready to go.

Additional Saturday and Sunday football is on the way. Stay tuned ...

**Note: Ben's 2009/2010 college hoops program will begin very soon**

As always, sharp players know to take advantage of our subscription offers, which get you ALL Ben's picks for an entire week/month.

Today’s Free Pick

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Expert Biography

Age: 35

Years in handicapping: I've followed sports very closely all my life. From an early age it became apparent to family and friends that I wasn't a "typical" fan. At age 11, I was mentioned in a major newspaper for correctly predicting a high profile trade before the Major League Baseball trading deadline. Nearly a decade and many winning "contests" later, I began wagering on sports seriously. Inspired by own personal success and encouraged by my peers, I made my picks available to the public in 1998.

Achievements in handicapping: From the years of 1998-2007, I had my selections independently documented at one of the Internet's most respected sports monitors Big Guy Sports. During that time, I earned literally dozens of documented Top 3 finishes in football, basketball, baseball AND hockey, including numerous #1 titles. While the first place national titles were a significant accomplishment, I'm more proud of my "All-Time" achievements. Check this out - at the same monitor (Big Guy Sports), I rank as the #1 NFL handicapper of All-Time. That's over the span of more than a decade and competing against a field of 150 of the biggest names in the industry. In fact, no competing handicapping service there has ever close to matching my NFL record. At the same monitor, I still rank as the #1 documented NHL handicapper of All-Time and am also currently the #1 combined NFL/NCAA handicapper. I no longer participate in monitors or contests, instead focusing every ounce of my energy (and then some!) into my daily handicapping endeavors.

Biggest win of 2009: The year isn't over yet, but it's unlikely that any will top my "Bowl Game of the Year" on Utah over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Utes came in as heavy underdogs and few were giving them much of a chance. However, they "shocked the world," jumping out to an early lead and cruising to a double-digit victory. That was part of a commanding overall bowl campaign, which was capped off with a 30+ point winner with my top total, the 'under' in the National Title game.

Biggest loss of 2009: All losses are painful but losing a big bet - in heart-breaking fashion - on the final game of the year, really hurts. My football picks did extremely well in December and I carried the positive momentum right into January, enjoying a superb run through the bowls, while making a profit in all three of the first rounds of the NFL playoffs. For more than 57 minutes, my ticket on the 'under 46.5' in the Super Bowl appeared to be in great shape. As you probably recall, Pittsburgh was leading by a score of 20-14 and had the ball with less than three minutes remaining. Backed up deep in his own territory, Rothlisberger completed a big pass which essentially would have "sealed the deal" for the 'under.' However, an offensive lineman was called for a hold in the end zone and that resulted in a safety. Instead of running the clock out, Pittsburgh was forced to kick the ball away. Two touchdowns were scored in ensuing two minutes, leading to a very tough loss. That dropped my record to 10-2 with my Super Bowl selections (7-1 on totals) and 55-28-1 my last 84 NFL playoff picks overall.

Why you like Covers Experts: Covers Experts is the most popular handicapping site on the Internet and I'm proud to be a part of it. The site is extremely professional and the handicapping talent is top notch. I like the fact that customers are only charged if they profit and I also like that there are records of all the handicappers' past picks. Accountability is everything in this industry.

Favorite stats/pages on Covers: The articles on the home page are often very informative and/or entertaining. The "matchup reports" are an excellent handicapping tool and the scoreboard is also first rate. Additionally, I find the "consensus reports" to be valuable, as they can help provide some insight into which side or total the public is backing, which can often help in predicting line moves.

Systems used for handicapping: By nature, I'm a "contrarian." This trait is often revealed in my selections. In other words, many of my plays tend to be opposite the plays of the majority of the betting public. I should clarify that I don't consciously choose to go against the public, more often than not, it just works out that way. Otherwise, I'm somewhat hard to "define" as a handicapper, as I really don't rely on any one particular methodology. Rather, I combine fundamental, technical and situational techniques, making use of any and all data, which I deem to be relevant. I always pay particular attention to the 'situational' side of things. This includes trying to determine when (and why) a team will be extra motivated ("pumped up") to play its best and also when a team may be ripe for a "letdown." It also includes determining whether the teams will be fresh or whether fatigue will be a factor. I always try to gather as much information as possible and look at every game on an individual basis.

Rating and Titles of Plays

Here at Covers Experts, Ben uses a scale of 1-10 to show his level of confidence with each play. Most plays will fall in the 5-8 range with the highest rated 9* and 10* plays being relatively rare. In order to give the player a better idea of what to expect, you'll also notice that his plays often include various "titles." The meanings or definitions of some of these titles appear below.

Complimentary Play - These are opinions which didn't make the grade as premium plays. They are not part of the overall program and are not counted in any records.

Regular play (no title) - Can be favorites, underdogs, and/or totals.

Annihilator - Side or total which Ben feels has potential to "annihilate" the pointspread.
Personal Favorite - Strongest favorite (or pick'em game) in that sport for the day.

Best Bet - Strongest underdog (or pick'em game) in that sport for the day, occasionally can be a total.

Blue Chip Total - Strongest rated total in that sport/category for the day. Ben's totals have truly been a "blue chip" investment over the past decade.

Main Event - Top rated favorite, dog or total which is always featured on television.

Game/Total of the Week - Strongest rated game in that sport/category for the week.

Game/Total of the Month - Strongest rated game in that sport/category for the month.

Game/Total of the Year - Strongest rated game in that sport/category for the year.

Favorite team to wager on or against: This varies from year to year. I'm constantly searching for 'value' against the number and that often involves wagering on low profile teams and/or wagering against teams which the public has fallen in love with.

Sports, conferences and divisions he excels at handicapping: I've had both winning and losing seasons in all sports. That said, I'm confident in my ability to beat them all and have done so over the longterm. In all sports, I tend to fare especially well in the playoffs/postseason. I've also always enjoyed a lot of success with football and basketball totals.

Quote: Sports handicapping is both my job and my passion. I work incredibly long hours and am proud of the product that I release. My game writeups and longterm records speak for themselves.