CC Sabathia just threw the first pitch of the 2011 MLB season — a strike right up the gut to Austin Jackson.

The Detroit Tigers are in New York to take on the Yankees in the season opener. Baseball is back, and for those of us that like to spice things up by putting a few bucks on the game, things are going to be different this year. There’s a new weapon to add to the arsenal, a weapon that is unlike anything you’ve ever used before. It’s called WiseStats db, and starting today, it’s available for you to try out.

What does it do, exactly?

Let’s come back to this season opener between the Tigers and Yankees. If you wanted to put a few bucks on this game, how would you decide which team to bet on?

One increasingly popular way to try and predict the winner is to look at how a team performs in a specific game situation — what we call a “Scenario” on WiseStats db. By looking at different scenarios that are ‘in-play’ for a game, you can use WiseStats db to see how a team has historically performed in those scenarios.

For example, today’s season opener is being played in New York, so the Yankees are the home team. That is an example of a scenario for the Yankees — how have they historically performed against the Tigers when playing at home? WiseStats db allows you to answer that question.

With the easy-to-use interface, you can define your Scenario — if you click the thumbnail to enlarge, you can see that we’ve set things up to see how the Yankees have done at home against the Tigers since 2007.

Once you have finished defining the Scenario, WiseStats db will look for historical games between the Yankees and Tigers where the Yankees played at home. For every Scenario, WiseStats db tells you:

• The number of times it’s happened: in this example, we can see that there have been 14 games where this scenario has been ‘in play’ since 2007.
• Your team’s win-loss record in that Scenario: of those 14 games, the Yankees have won 9 times, representing a 64.29% win rate.
• Money won/lost: using the actual odds from each of those 14 games, WiseStats db shows you how much money you would have won/lost by betting on the Yankees every time (using $100 unit sizes).
• Return on Investment (ROI): based on how much money the Scenario has won/lost, WiseStats db will show you the ROI, which is a measure of profitability for the Scenario.

WiseStats db returns these results for your Scenario in a matter of seconds.

If the Scenario has a profitable ROI – as this example does – then you may infer that historical outcomes suggest that the Yankees will win against the Tigers today. And with that information, you can bet on the Yankees with confidence knowing that they have performed well in this scenario in the past!

The best part of WiseStats db, though?

Follow scenarios!

As you uncover profitable scenarios, you can choose to ‘follow’ them. WiseStats db will look every day at all of the scenarios you follow to see if any of them are “in play” for upcoming games. If they are, WiseStats db will send you an email alert to let you know! This saves you time and headaches trying to manually figure out whether the scenarios you follow are in play. Instead, use the information in the alerts and go straight to placing your bet!

And that is WiseStats db. Use it to find profitable game scenarios for teams you like. Follow as many scenarios as you like. Get alerts when they’re in play. Place your bet with confidence.

WiseStats db is now available for you to try out, but you have to request access for the time being! Don’t worry, if you ask, we’ll give it to you =).

For now, though, let’s see if WiseStats db is right about the Yankees winning at home today against the Tigers. Play ball!

Yesterday, we talked about the ‘5W’s of WiseStats db‘ to address the who/where/what/when/why/how. Today’s post is an elaboration of the who — as in, who is this product for?

In yesterday’s post, we alluded to the fact that the people that will find WiseStats db most compelling are those that like to bet on sporting events. We’ve talked to countless numbers of sports fans – specifically, those that place bets – and we’ve heard some common themes:

• there is no easy way to see how a team has done in the past under customizable game conditions
• it’s difficult to test different theories against actual results
• for those that like to follow betting “systems”, there is no way to curate a list of specific systems and receive alerts when the systems are “in play”

Why shouldn’t there be an easy way to do all this? Well, it’s a ridiculously difficult technical problem to solve to actually build a system that can do all this. But imagine for a second that somebody could actually figure it out. What would it look like? How would it work? How do you take something so complex and make it easy to use?

Somebody did figure it out, and it looks like this (click to enlarge):

Meet WiseStats db, which makes it easy to see how a team has done under customizable game conditions (what WiseStats db calls “Scenarios”).

It also allows you to test theories that draw on actual historical events that meet the conditions of your theory. Better yet, it provides you with the hard numbers to understand how good your theory is! There. Another problem solved.

And finally, our personal favorite: create a list of your systems by “following” them. WiseStats db will automatically look at every upcoming game to see if any of the scenarios you follow are ‘in play’. When one becomes in play, WiseStats db will send you an email before the game starts, leaving you time to go place your bet on the most profitable ones!

That is the use case for the inaugural version of WiseStats db. It’s for sports bettors that want new and interesting ways to drive confidence with betting decisions. If you’ve read this far, we’re pretty sure that’s you.

Come meet WiseStats db.

Yesterday I proclaimed this to be “The Week of WiseStats db” as Bet Smart Media gears up for the start of the 2011 MLB season this Thursday, which also happens to be the day we launch WiseStats db in closed beta. WiseStats db has been baking in the oven for 3 months, and we’re pumped to finally show sports fans like you what this innovative statistics engine is all about and why it will become a key weapon in your arsenal!

What?
WiseStats db is a probability engine that allows you determine how likely your favorite sports team is to win any given game. It does this by looking at different conditions that exist in an upcoming game that your team is playing, and then evaluating how well your team has performed historically under the same game conditions. It is based on the fundamental principle that says past performance is the best indicator of future performance. If your team wins 82% of the time when they play on the road on a 2-game winning streak, then all else remaining equal, your team should win 82% of future games that are played under the same conditions.

Who?
Well, since WiseStats db is a probability engine that helps you determine how likely your favorite team is to win any given game, the people that will find it most useful are people that are trying to pick the winners. Put it this way – our company is called “Bet Smart” for a reason! WiseStats db was developed for people that bet on sports… if this is you, then you have to try WiseStats db. We guarantee that it’s unlike any tool you’ve ever used to help make betting decisions!

Why?
You probably haven’t used a horse-drawn carriage to get around town since the invention of the combustible engine. So why are you using raw statistics published in the newspaper to make betting decisions when there is innovative technology like WiseStats db available to do the analysis for you? It’s 2011, and it’s time that you had a tool to make decisions supported by actual historical outcomes! WiseStats db is leading the ‘Sports Statistics 2.0′ revolution.

Where?
WiseStats db will be live at www.wisestatsdb.com. It will be launching in closed beta, which means that you need an invitation to check it out. Want an invitation? Don’t be shy! Just send us an email to request one at: invites@betsmartmedia.com. No skill-testing question required!

When?
WiseStats db launches in closed beta this Thursday, March 31. To begin with, you will be able to use WiseStats db to evaluate teams and games in Major League Baseball. Throughout 2011, we will add support for new leagues as new seasons begin, with a focus on North America to start: MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA Football, and NCAA Basketball. And yes, we’re already looking at expanding our reach outside of North American leagues with the addition of soccer (errr, football)!

How?
Like the letter ‘y’ is to English vowels, we’ve snuck in ‘how’ to the 5 W’s, as in: “How does WiseStats db work?”

1. Define: With the easy-to-use interface, define your team’s game conditions to create a “game scenario”. WiseStats db will find all of the historical games your team has played in the that game scenario (back to 2005).

2. Review: Not only will WiseStats db show you all the historical games your team has played in the game scenario, but it will automatically show you what your team’s win-loss record is for the games played, and calculate the amount of money you would have won/lost by betting the same amount of money on each game using the actual odds for each historical game! WiseStats db is the easiest way to find out how profitable different scenarios are.

3. Follow! Uncovered a profitable game scenario? Great! But what do you do with that information? With a single click, you can ‘follow’ game scenarios, and every time your team has an upcoming game where the conditions are present, WiseStats db will send you an email alert before the game starts so you can place your bet! NOWHERE ON THE INTERNET is anything this powerful available.

WiseStats db is an homage to Bet Smart Media’s mission to democratize the way people access and use sports statistics to help make decisions. We’re not interested in being just another provider of sports statistics. Instead, we’re here to shake things up and turn the world of sports statistics on its head — bet on that!

- Jesse

It is a big week ahead for us. So much so, I’m up at 12:30am Sunday night getting prepared for the madness that’s about to ensue.

What madness, exactly? How about the fact that I only have 18 hours left to read as many articles as I can before my 2011 MLB fantasy draft! It’s the 4th year we’ve ran this league with the same guys — about 7 core, with 3 usually-rotating spots. This year, due overwhelming demand, we’ve opened the book up to make it a 12-team league. But I’m digressing!

The real reason this week is so big for Bet Smart Media because we are launching WiseStats db, the product whose vision has always been the company’s raison d’être. I’ve always wondered why, with the thousands of sports-themed websites out there, there was no way to “ask” about how a team performs under certain conditions. Sure, there are tons of places to get news, scores, and stats, but that content delivery model mistakenly assumes one thing: that the published content is valued equally by every sports fan.

It’s not.

Despite the fact that it’s 2011 and the Internet and its underlying technology has evolved drastically over the past 10 years, sports seems to have been left behind. ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, and the countless other sports-themed properties out there all do a great job providing content, but there’s been little innovation in the way they let you consume the content. It’s all static, and is not flexible.

That’s where Bet Smart Media comes in. Our whole existence is predicated on innovating on this static model. In an online world that is now defined by user generated content, why did sports get left behind? The technology is available (though complicated, as I’ve noted), and WiseStats db will be the engine that will lead the transformation from what we call “Sports Statistics 1.0″ to a more dynamic, interactive, and personalized user experience. You know, the things that you’ve come to expect from modern day web services!

WiseStats db lets you look at how your favorite team performs under game conditions that you define. It acknowledges that you probably have different opinions and perspectives than other sports fans, and it further recognizes that sports statistics are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. WiseStats db places you – the sports fan – squarely in the driver’s seat when it comes to how statistics are used to inform decisions.

WiseStats db launches this Thursday, March 31 to coincide with MLB Opening Day 2011. In the lead-up to this momentous day, we’ll be talking here each day this week to get you better acquainted with WiseStats db. Here’s the schedule:

• Tuesday – The 5 W’s of WiseStats db
• Wednesday – What Makes WiseStats db Innovative: The Use Case
• Thursday – Introducing WiseStats db!
• Friday – How WiseStats db Can Help YOUR Sports-themed Property

This product is truly innovative, and we promise that you’ve never seen anything like it before. If you’re a sports fan that uses statistics to try and pick the winners, then do yourself a favor and get to know WiseStats db in the coming days and weeks.

Make sure you’re up to speed by following Bet Smart Media on Twitter, liking Bet Smart Media on Facebook, and subscribe to the Bet Smart Media RSS feed.

See you again tomorrow, and wish me luck in my fantasy draft Monday night! Who knows — maybe this time next year I’ll be using WiseStats db to do research for my fantasy league .

- Jesse

The Bulls are on the road tonight in Orlando, and most sportsbooks have the Magic listed as small moneyline favorites around -130 (what is a moneyline?). To help support a decision about whether Orlando is a good bet tonight at home, let’s look at this “in play” situation:

When Orlando has played as a home favorite in the last 4 years after a game against a division opponent that went “under”, they are 13-1, a 92.9% win rate.

What makes this situation “in play”?

• Orlando is playing at home tonight, and as mentioned, are a small favorite based on the odds
• The Magic’s last game was last night against the Miami Heat, a fellow Southeast division team
• The total in that game was set at 197.5 points, and with a final score of 99-96, there were only 195 points scored, resulting in the “under” (what is the over/under?)

The Magic have found themselves in this situation 14 times in the past 4 years, winning a remarkable 92.9% of the time! WiseStats db lets you “follow” the situations that you like the most, and when one of the situations you follow is in play, you’ll be notified automatically. This saves you a ton of time, allowing you to go straight to your favorite sportsbook to place your bet!

Sounds pretty good, huh? WiseStats db will be launching on March 31 for the opening day of the 2011 MLB season. Be sure to help us spread the word and tell you friends about WiseStats db by sending them this link to subscribe to these emails:

http://db.wisestats.com/

- WiseStats db

Tonight in the NHL, the Florida Panthers are in Canada’s capital city – Ottawa – to take on the Senators. It is very much a “pick ‘em” matchup, with most sportsbooks posting odds that do not favor one team over the other. But if you want to place a bet on the game, who do you pick? While the odds suggest that the game is a coin flip, you can actually make an intelligent decision by looking at how each team has performed in similar game situations.

Here’s an example from tonight’s game:

When Ottawa has played at home after winning their previous game as a road underdog against a divisional opponent in the past 2 years, they are 10-2, an 83.3% win rate.

Let’s break this down to see why it is “in play”:

• Ottawa is playing at home tonight
• The Senators’ last game was on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a fellow Northeast Division team
• In that game, the Senators played in Toronto, and were listed as +165 underdogs at most sportsbooks

The Bulls have found themselves in this situation 12 times in the past two years, winning an impressive 83.3% of the time!

WiseStats db lets you build and then “follow” the situations that you like the most. When one of the situations you follow is in play, you’ll be notified automatically. This saves you a ton of time, allowing you to go straight to your favorite sportsbook to place your bet!

Please help us spread the word and tell you friends about WiseStats db by sending them this link to subscribe to these emails: http://db.wisestats.com/

One way is to use WiseStats db to look at how each team in the contest has performed in the past in situations that are found in the matchup. Knowing that one team has historically performed well under a certain set of game conditions can help give you confidence about your decision to bet on a game that otherwise appears to be a coin flip.

Let’s look at one situation that is “in play” tonight in the Spurs/Bulls game:

When Chicago has played at home after one day of rest and they allowed 95 points or less in their previous game in the past 2 years, they are 19-3, an 86.4% win rate.

Let’s break this down to see why it is “in play”:

• Chicago is playing at home tonight
• The Bulls last played on Tuesday, giving them one day of rest between then and tonight’s game against the Spurs
• In that game on Tuesday, Chicago beat Charlotte 106-94, allowing less than 95 points

The Bulls have found themselves in this situation 22 times in the past two years, and have done extremely well by winning 19 of the 22 times! WiseStats db lets you “follow” the situations that you like the most, and when one of the situations you follow is in play, you’ll be notified automatically. This saves you a ton of time, allowing you to go straight to your favorite sportsbook to place your bet!

Sounds pretty good, huh? WiseStats db will be launching on March 31 for the opening day of the 2011 MLB season. Be sure to help us spread the word and tell you friends about WiseStats db by sending them this link to subscribe to these emails: http://db.wisestats.com/

In that example, we looked at a situation that suggested that the Philadelphia 76ers would cover the spread against the San Antonio Spurs. Not only did the 76ers cover as 3-point underdogs, but they won the game outright 77-71!

To start the new week, we’ll look at a game in the NHL tonight when the Calgary Flames travel to Colorado to take on the division-rival Avalanche.

When Calgary is a road underdog before a non-division game and after a loss as a road underdog in the past 5 years, they are 13-2, an 86.7% win rate.

This is one of the more complex game situations we’ve looked at so far using WiseStats db, so let’s break it down to better understand it:

• Calgary is playing on the road in Colorado.
• They are currently a very minor underdog at -115 in this game based on odds at most sportsbooks (how to read odds).
• Calgary’s next game is against the Dallas Stars, who are in a different division than the Flames. Thus, tonight’s game against Colorado is before a non-division game.
• Calgary lost their last game against Vancouver, so they are playing tonight after a loss.
• That last game against the Canucks was played in Vancouver, and Calgary was a huge underdog at +200, so they were a road underdog in that game.

In the 15 times that Calgary has found themselves in this situation in the past 5 years, they have won 86.7% of the time, suggesting that they might be worth a shot tonight against the Avalanche! Don’t forget, with WiseStats db, you will automatically receive an alert every morning to tell you about situations that are “in play” for the day – that’s a huge time saver for you!

WiseStats db will be launching to the public on March 31 for the opening day of the 2011 MLB season. Be sure to help us spread the word and tell you friends about WiseStats db by sending them this link to subscribe to these emails: http://db.wisestats.com/

WiseStats db is a groundbreaking system that allows sports bettors like you to pick winners with more confidence! Using our easy-to-use interface, you can “ask” our database of statistics about specific game situations to understand how your favorite teams perform under conditions that you specify.

You can then save each of those situations and let WiseStats db track their ongoing profitability. Even better, WiseStats db will send you an alert every time one of your favorite betting situations is “in play”, saving you a ton of time doing manual research. Getting these alerts allows you to go straight to your favorite sportsbook and place your bet!

Let’s look at an example betting situation that is “in play” tonight in the NBA when the San Antonio Spurs travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers. Most sportsbooks currently have Philadelphia listed as a 3-point underdog (how do point spreads work?).

When Philadelphia has played as a home underdog on a Friday after a 1-game home stand in the last 5 years, they are 10-2 against the spread, an 83.3% cover rate.

As always, let’s break the situation down to see why it is “in play”:

• Philadelphia is playing at home, and as mentioned, are currently listed as 3-point underdogs
• Today is Friday (obviously), and their last game was at home (on Wednesday against Orlando) after being on the road

Every time the 76ers have been in this situation in the last 5 years, they have covered the spread 83.3% of the time. Had you placed the same bet on the 76ers in this situation, you would be picking very profitably! You can use WiseStats db to swap out any type of stats to find situations that you want to track, and WiseStats db will let you know every time one is in play!

Sounds pretty good, huh? WiseStats db will be launching on March 31 for the opening day of the 2011 MLB season. Be sure to help us spread the word and tell you friends about WiseStats db by sending them this link to subscribe to these emails: http://db.wisestats.com/

- WiseStats db

Today, we’ll stick to the NBA and look at a situation that is in-play tonight using WiseStats db, this time for the game between the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trailblazers.

When Portland has played as the home team after 2 days off when their last game was against a non-division opponent and they scored 85 points or less, they are 16-2, an 88.9% win rate.

As always, let’s break the situation down to see why it is “in play”:

• Portland plays at home tonight against the Celtics at the Rose Garden
• They last played on Monday against Sacramento, meaning they’ve had 2 days off between then and tonight’s game
• The last game against Sacramento was a non-division game; Sacramento is in the Pacific division, whereas Portland is in the Northwest division
• In that game against Sacramento, the Trailblazers scored 81 points

Even though Portland has historically performed predictably well in this situation, they are still considered underdogs in tonight’s game. According to most sportsbooks, the Trailblazers are 4.5-point underdogs at home against the Celtics, with moneyline odds of +170. It is always difficult to justify betting on an underdog, but when WiseStats db suggests that they win 88.9% of the time in a situation that is in play, it’s worth a second look!