The Favorites Sports Betting Podcast

The Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills are atop the preseason AFC East odds board, and today's guest Tim Graham is no stranger to life in Buffalo. He's a senior writer for The Athletic, with a decades-long journalism resume that includes stints at ESPN, the Palm Springs Post and the Buffalo News, which has made him one of the most connected, pragmatic and well-respected voices not only in the annals of Western NY sports media but across the entire AFC East.  Together with our Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter, the trio discusses the Patriots and Dolphins attempt to dethrone the Bills, the Jets quest towards relevance, and so much more. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is Steve Magness, a performance expert, coach and author of the new book "Do Hard Things."  He's coached some of the top distance runners in the world, and literally wrote the book on the subject. But his newest book asks its readers to re-think how they perceive the prevailing model of toughness and its mentality of fear, false bravado, and hiding weakness.  Sports betting is famously an environment filled with false bravado and weakness hiding as strength. It is a pursuit loaded with mental pitfalls some never overcome. That's why Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter dig deep with Steve to learn the lessons in his book, and draw parallels between mentally coaching yourself to outcomes and the sometimes nauseating pursuit of sports betting success.  As Steve writes, “real toughness is experiencing discomfort or distress, leaning in, paying attention, and creating space to take thoughtful action. It’s navigating discomfort to make the best decision you can.”  #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our exhaustive division-by-division NFL betting previews begins at the top of the map, as Action Network's Chad Millman and Simon Hunter welcome back their colleague Chris Raybon to discuss the AFC and NFC North. Are the Ravens a team to fade at current prices? Are the Steelers a team ready to surprise? And is a new coach just the answer the Minnesota Vikings have been waiting for? All this and so much more, plus a clip from America's most treasured film: Con Air. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actual NFL games return this week with the 2022 season kickoff Hall of Fame Game, a sloppy preseason spectacle only a gambler could love. The annual rite of summer is the perfect time for Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter to bring on Chris Raybon, an expert in NFL player projections and betting NFL preseason games. Chris is also the co-host of the Fantasy Flex podcast, where he and Action's Director of Predictive Analytics Sean Koerner have developed some of the most accurate NFL player projections in the world. Today our trio goes through what every fan needs to know before wagering on the preseason, plus the best 2022 player props to lock in now before the season starts. Is it time to fade Baker Mayfield? #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the top gambling movies of all-time? A friend of the podcast returns to help us decide.  Michael Lasker is a true Hollywood insider, a top talent manager at Mosaic in Los Angeles and was recently named one of the 40 Most Powerful People in Comedy by the Hollywood Reporter. Most importantly, he's a huge film buff and legitimate Oscars savant.  Along with Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter, they discuss their best and worst gambling films of all time, along with who they believe best depicted the reality of betting. Plus, Lasker sheds some light on the more obscure 1992 film Diggstown, a boxing movie that still holds up. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest Jimmy Traina has spent over 20 years as a writer/producer at SI.com, becoming one of the most widely-respected names in sports media today. Both his daily column Traina Thoughts and his weekly Sports Illustrated Media Podcast episodes are mandatory consumption for those eager to understand the evolving landscape of sports media.  Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter pepper Jimmy with questions about the ManningCast, the impact of sports betting on modern sports broadcasting, and more. But first, the longtime bettor makes his stance as fervently "pro-gambling" crystal clear. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not everyday we're joined by a four-time champion, but today we're lucky enough to welcome "The All-American" Chris Weidman, former UFC middleweight titleholder. Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter, along with UFC betting expert Sean Zerillo, hit Chris with questions about his comeback status from a devastating leg break last year, his abilities as a MMA bettor, his acting career on "Kevin Can Wait" and so much more. Plus, Chad is once again forced to confront the greatness of Nassau County, this time via an athlete's superior resting heart rate. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former NFL quarterback Jordan Palmer has become the go-to QB coach for prospective NFL starters, utilizing the knowledge he gained during his professional career to establish the elite training camp QB Summit, where his recent trainees have included Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Trevor Lawrence, among many others. Palmer provides fascinating answers to Action hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter about players like Derek Carr and Russell Wilson, offers insight into why so many teams whiff at developing the position, and what it's like to be the greatest quarterback in the history of the UTEP Miners. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the greatest New York Giants of all-time, friend of the podcast Tiki Barber joins Action Network hosts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter to talk about about Russell Wilson, the value of teamwork, his reality show athletic prowess, a new partnership with Knights of Degen and so much more. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baker Mayfield is now a Carolina Panther, and NFL questions have been streaming in for Action Network Chief Content Officer Chad Millman and his pro gambler co-host Simon Hunter. So together they wade through questions about the Panthers prospects in the NFC South, MVP longshots, Patrick Mahomes as a poker player, the worst stadium name in the NFL and so much more. #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.