User:Marclawrence

Profile: Marc began handicapping professionally in 1975. He developed a love for the profession as a student in high school where he met his wife, Colleen, and has been happily married since. He has one son, Marc Jr. Both Marc Jr. and Colleen work in the business with him.

Age: 50-12 (or as Rod Stewart would say, "Forever Young")

Over The Years: Marc is the owner of PREFERRED PICKS PUBLICATIONS, and is the publisher of PLAYBOOK and the PLAYBOOK.COM website. He publishes the PLAYBOOK Football Preview magazine and the weekly PLAYBOOK newsletter. He hosted the Marc Lawrence AGAINST THE SPREAD RADIO SHOW, heard live on 24 stations nationwide, and the Marc Lawrence AGAINST THE SPRRAD television show, viewed on cable television networks in major markets from 1995-2007. Today he hosts the Marc Lawrence AGAINST THE SPREAD football show, which is currently podcast during the football season on PLAYBOOK.COM. Marc originated the 'Guarantee' concept on '900'-line selections, and also launched the 'Pay After You Win' model for selections on the Internet.

Achievements in handicapping: Marc has won more documented Top 10 Handicapping Achievement Awards than anyone in the nation (400-plus). More recent accomplishments include winning the 2008 Playbook Football Wise Guys Contest and the No.1 ranking in NFL Win Percentage in 2008 (by SPORTS WATCH in Las Vegas), Playbook Football Wise Guys Contest Best Bet Champion in 2007, No.1 ranking NFL Win Percentage (by SPORTS MONITOR in Oklahoma City) in 2006, and No. 1 ranking in College Football in 2005 (by SPORTS MONITOR in Oklahoma). He won the prestigious STARDUST INVITATIONAL FOOTBALL CONTEST in 2005. In addition, he was named HANDICAPPER OF THE YEAR in 2005 by FOOTBALL NEWS. Marc reached the semifinals of the 2006 $100,000 LEROYS MONEY TALKS CONTEST and the quarterfinals of the 2007 $100,000 LEROYS MONEY TALKS CONTEST. He also managed to establish a personal best 16-game win streak in MLB prior to the 2011 All-Star break.

Style of handicapping: Marc has 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. He relies heavily on a powerful database that allows him 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, he has come to rely on similar results created by this technical 'cause and effect'. Applying these findings to statistical and fundamental matchups 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. Marc also firmly believes that a fatal mistake made by falling 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. His 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. He likes those kinds of odds. Hence, Marc lives 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.

Favorite Handicapping Tip: Look to avoid high priced favorites, especially those with weak defenses. In the same regard, look to avoid playing losing teams that are favored against winning opponents because losing teams find ways to lose, while winning teams find ways to win. And always remember to bet with your head, not over it, and good luck as always.

Closing Thought: 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 Marc. Because of his desire to continually be the very best handicapper he can be, he continues to burn the midnight oil while working 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. He has learned over the years that the harder he works, the luckier he gets... and he's a real lucky guy.