’Cappers find info, stats in cyberspace

If you’ve got a PC and some software savvy, you can up your edge on your football bets with computer programs that pack some wallop with handicapping know-how. For serious bettors (and I do mean serious), try PDS Sports College Football Handicapping Software or PDS Sports Pro Football Handicapping Software ($119.95 each). The software’s main menu drops down into six sections starting with its database that includes game logs by schedule, road games, home games, and all games by team, followed by a list of all the stats maintained by the system.

In the maintenance section, you enter and edit game lines, box scores, schedules and teams. You can use the handicapping section to guide you, and the utility section for new season game files, team files, rebuilding team files and merging downloaded data. You also can control the strength of the figures you use, keeping them tight, loose or medium. After purchase, you’ll need a password to get into the PDS website where you’ll be able to download all the current files.

Another strong software program sports the catchy title Stat Attack Sports. This software series’ Preseason Pro Football 2010 ($24.95) gives you a season preview for the 2010-2011 versions of Stat Attack Sports football programs, with 38 search options and drop down menus to refine your search.

This software contains preseason game results for the past eight years (including totals) and gives you the ability to find out how any team or coach did in certain situations in the preseason. Using your own search parameters, you can discover a team’s trends or tendencies. The program also answers the usual questions such as how teams fare weekly or how road favorites who are switching surfaces have fared.

Another program in the Stat Attack series, Pro Football 2009-2010 ($49.95) gives you an amazing 5,500 game database that contains every professional football game played since 1985 with the final score, closing point spread and the final over/under number. You can find out how any team or division has done against any other team or division straight up, versus the points and against the over/under number for any number of years you want with this extensive database at your command. For bettors who rely more on facts and figures than on feelings or fantasy, this software can be an invaluable tool.

Now let’s close the computer screen and open the pages of a football handicapping book. Mike Hillin’s kickoff page in his Las Vegas Line-maker V (168 pgs, $29.95) is titled "What Vegas doesn’t want you to know," referring to the payoff odds at the sportsbooks in a dozen casinos around town. "A $20 bet could make up to $800 difference in a payout depending on where you wager," he asserts and substantiates his claim by listing the payouts that Vegas sportsbooks give bettors on teasers and parlays. He adds that this information will save you the price of his book in gas money driving around to check things out for yourself. (Clue: Arizona Charlie’s has the best odds on a 6-point, seven or eight-team teaser.)

If you’re not a style and grammar purist (I admit that I am) and can get past some glaring gaffs, you’ll find valuable stuff in this book, including his introductory chapter on how to use his power rating adjustment chart to adjust a team’s rating using its final score against a rival team. Hillin documents the playoff results from 2006-2009 for backup, plus the results of the top 10 public football bets from the 2009 NFL season.

The workbook pages give you plenty of space to enter 2010 season results, adjust power ratings, record injuries and jot in stats on all 16 variables. Hillin also projects team results for the year and gives odds on which players will cut the mustard on passing, rushing and receiving yards. If you like the buzz that you can only get from wagering at Vegas sportsbooks, take this book along to get the most bang for your buck.

These books and thousands of other titles are available at Gambler’s Book Club in Las Vegas. You can order them at www.gamblersbookclub.com, where you can view the store’s complete line of books, or by phone at 1-800-522-1777, M-F 9-7 and Sat 10-6. Opened in 1964, GBC is located at 5473 S. Eastern between Tropicana and Russell, just a short drive from the Strip.