Tim Lavalli

Tim Lavalli, PhD, is an expert in sports psychology whose research has focussed on the mental aspects of competitive games. He helped co-author (with Amy Calistri) poker pro Mike Matusow's autobiography, Check-Raising the Devil. His coverage area for OG is broad, but he can't help but pay special attention to the Big Ten.

Cleveland Browns: Is It Over-Hype or Overreaction to Week 1 Loss?

Cleveland Browns: Is It Over-Hype or Overreaction to Week 1 Loss?

The Cleveland Browns got a lot of offseason coverage. The words Super Bowl contender were even spoken before the season started. But, on Sunday, reality came crashing down on the Browns who suffered a 43-13 shellacking at the hands of the Tennessee Titans. So were the Browns over-hyped or is […]

Iowa takes on Iowa State in a big rivalry game.

Big Ten Football: Week 3 Features the Battle of Iowa

Big Ten Football it entering its final week of non-conference tune-ups. In a traditional September rivalry, that means Iowa travels to Ames to take on Iowa State. Both teams are 2-0 and were ranked last week, but State struggled in an overtime win against Northern Iowa and fell out of […]

Jaguar quarterback out 10 weeks with broken collarbone.

Do Week 1 NFL Scores Tell Us Anything About the Season Ahead?

What can a savvy bettor take away from this week’s NFL games? Just how much stock and cash should we put into Week 1 results, and how much can be written off as opening day jitters? What’s the impact of working out a new offensive scheme, or losing your starting […]

Clemson takes on first test of the season against Texas A&M.

Top-Ranked Clemson Faces Early Season Test Against #12 Texas A&M

The #1 ranked Clemson Tigers have back-to-back games starting Saturday that will determine whether they’re ready to defend their College Football Playoff title. This week’s opponent, Texas A&M, appears ready to step back into the elite ranks, but can they do it against the mighty #1. Clemson has earned a […]

Iowa voters will caucus on February 3, 2020.
OG Voting America

Presidential Odds in Iowa the First Hurdle for Democrats

The voters in Iowa will come out on Feb. 3 in the first 2020 presidential selection voter caucus. The lesser candidates will need to survive until then or fold their political tents and go home. But the odds in Iowa don’t always reflect the national polls. Right now in Iowa […]

Going to a swim or just out for lunch?

Long Odds in Florida: Hurricanes, Alligators, and Sharks

Florida may dodged the worst of Hurricane Dorian, but the Sunshine State still deals with a lot of Mother’s Natures dangers. What are the odds that living or visiting in Florida might mean a Dorothy-like ride in a hurricane or a playful nip from an alligator or Jaws? Sharks Forget […]

Notre Dame (#8): Fighting Irish Have a Potential Championship Schedule

After a sloppy opening game win over Louisville (35-17), Notre Dame can look forward to a tough schedule that might get them back to the College Football Playoff. Last year the Irish went 12-0 in the regular season before getting crushed by Clemson (30-3) in the Cotton Bowl playoff semifinal. […]

Alabama football scheduling is undergoing some changes that affect the betting odds. (Image: youtube.com)

Power Five Conferences Toughen Up Long-Term Schedules

College football’s Power Five conferences are changing the way they schedule games. Some of the biggest programs are leading the way in embracing a new scheduling philosophy. The main thrust is for the Power Five conferences to play each other more often and to layoff the soft Division I & […]

Three more states open to sports betting.

Legal Sports Betting Kicks Off in Indiana, Iowa, and Oregon (but not Montana)

Three more states have entered the legal sports betting arena. Beating the clock to the opening of the NFL season were Oregon, Iowa, and Indiana. While some states open their new sports betting facilities with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, others just start printing out the betting tickets. In Indiana, Gov. Eric […]

Sports betting is coming, and several states are in a rush to get operations up and running before the 2019 NFL season opens. (Image: Mandalay Bay)

New Legal Sports Betting States Scramble to Open Ahead of NFL Kickoff

Never has there been so much anticipation for the start of an NFL season — with at least three, maybe four states scrambling to get their new sportsbooks (or sports betting apps and kiosks) operational and ready to take wagers on opening day. Five states that recently legalized sports gambling […]

New logos introduced for the 2020 XFL teams.

XFL Reveals Eight New Teams, with New Logos and Home Stadiums

The rebooted XFL has announced team names and logos for the relaunch on the league in February 2020. Eight teams will take the field one week after the next Super Bowl. What’s in a Name? All eight XFL teams are currently centrally owned and managed on the corporate level from […]

Can New Technology Rescue Major League Baseball’s Shrinking Audience?

Can New Technology Rescue Major League Baseball’s Shrinking Audience?

Major League Baseball is going all-in on technology. And all the tech advancements are aimed directly at the shrinking MLB fan base. Improvements are pointed at speeding up the game, making play less subject to human (umpire) error but overall playing to the new younger wired generations. Baseball has always […]

The NBA has decided the teams to watch this year, and have included the New Orleans Pelicans high on the list -- presumably due to new kid on the block Zion Williamson. (Image: Interbasket.net)

NBA 2019-20 TV Schedule: Who Gets the National Exposure, and Why?

There’s been a lot of scrutiny over the NBA national television schedule released last week. From the reporting that followed, basketball fans might think number one draft pick and super rookie Zion Williamson will be on every channel every night. But a closer look tells a slightly different story about […]