Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Sports Betting Champ Exposed

John Morrison, a.k.a. “The Sports Betting Champ”, is a Cornell graduate with a degree in Statistics (as his website will tell you, time and time again), but his specialty appears to be in marketing. His website, http://www.sportsbettingchamp.com/, has generated more buzz in the sports betting community over the past few years than any other handicapping site out there.

He boldly claims an historic winning percentage of 97% and a weekly income of $50,000. You would think this guy would have better things to do with his time than try to sell you lifetime picks for $200, considering he claims an annual betting income of $2,600,000.

You would be wrong.

John Morrison would like you to believe he is the patron saint of sports gambling, willing to lead you to the promised land of guaranteed winners and six-figure betting income. It certainly seems as though that’s the case.

What other reason would a multi-millionaire have for sharing his gambling secrets with the masses, risking both his reputation and his ability to place bets by going public with a system that sports a supposed near-perfect record and is “guaranteed” to make you rich?

Surely the money he makes off selling his betting system is peanuts compared to the millions he rakes in annually from the sportsbooks, right? Right?

Wrong again.


For the full article, click here.

Please post any insights or comments.

Thanks to those that contributed their thoughts and experiences.

18 comments:

  1. I disagree with your review. SportsBettingChamp can indeed take a lot of risk to win a 3-game series, but as sharp sports bettors we need to look out for long-term profits, and the system has stood the test of time. Morrison's NBA system has produced 70 straight wins this basketball season, and even if it does go on a losing run, all bettors should still be up high on profits for the season. Even though the main concern is the amount of risk involved at times, it's still a very good system overall.

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  2. Thanks your comments Savon. While we don't feel that the reward meets the risk involved in his system, it's interesting to hear your point of view. Do you keep records of your own success while following his system? We would be curious to hear how you've done.

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  3. I purchased Mr. Morrison's system in November 2008. For some reason, all of these negative review blogs did not show up when I did my research so I enthusiastically purchased the system with high hopes.

    I am a huge fan of "statistical based" wagering and have developed two highly successful systems for betting on MLB. (Sorry, not for sale!) and was very interested in the statistical aspect of Mr. Morrison's system. As an amateur statistics lover, I can tell you that over time, the numbers NEVER lie! The question was… are the numbers legit?

    Before I wagered my first real dollar on the system, I back tested it utilizing the most recent 7 years of NBA results. While my results didn’t exactly match Mr. Morrison’s claims, they were good enough to make the risk worth the reward.

    I found the NBA system very easy to understand and implement- There are only three (3) parameters to determine if a bet is on and most of the work can be done the very day the schedule is released for the upcoming season. (For the NBA System) Note that one of the parameters has to do with injuries so in some circumstances you have to wait until pretty close to game time to actually decide whether or not to wager.

    From a money management stand point, I modified the system a little and decided not to use the "C" bet when it finally came up for the first time in February as it was too large and too risky to my bank roll. That said, I did make one “C” wager this year on the Charlotte / Sacramento game February 25, 2009- But that was SO obvious it would have been crazy not to take the risk. (It won!)

    In any event, the results for the 2008/2009 NBA season to date (March 13, 2009----Note there are Five more potential series left to bet on this year) are as follows:

    If you placed ONLY the "A" wagers to win $100 you would be up roughly $1,700 for the season.

    If you placed only the "A" and "B" wagers to win $100 you would be up roughly $4,696 for the season.

    If you followed the system to the letter placing all three wagers, "A", "B" and "C" to win $100 you would be up $6,500. (That's 65 winning series in a row).

    Also note that if you don’t like the idea of buying points, you could have made straight wagers within the system and be up around $1,700 for the season as well.

    THE BAD STUFF:

    I have yet to figure out exactly how Mr. Morrison calculates his win/loss ratio. It is based on winning 1 game out of a 3 game series, but even with that, the number of wins he claims is more than the number of series on which the system called for wagers.

    1. After last night's win with Cleveland over Phoenix in a "B" game, Mr. Morrison is claiming to be 71-0 for the season and for the life of me I cannot figure out where he gets those numbers. (I've bet on every single series and have only 65 wins for the year) Even so, I'm up big time for the season. I cannot figure out either why he would feel the need to inflate 65-0 for the year.

    2. There have been two occasions this year when series clearly met the parameters of the system and were not called by the e-mail alert. I e-mailed Mr. Morrison to ask why and never received an answer. In both cases the games were winners.

    3. There were also two occasions upon which the parameters (Injury filter) called for the system to take a pass on the series and Mr. Morrison called it anyway. When I e-mailed the second time he did respond with an answer. Both series won by the way.

    4. Don't expect much customer service. If you e-mail Mr. Morrison with a simple question that can be answered yes or no (Or similar) you might get a response. Anything more complicated than that and you can forget it. I've e-mailed him six or seven times with simple questions since November and have had three responses.

    5. I would also recommend against using his recommended Sports Book- Bet Us. They're a fine book with great people, but the line on the Morrison picks is always a point or two against you as compared to other books. I think that has to do with the large amount of action they get from his subscribers moving the numbers a little more than the other books. There are about five other sports books online that will accommodate the system AND give you a better line by 1 or 2 points per game. I use all five books for this system and only rarely is the Bet Us line as good as or better than the other four.

    As for WHY he sells the system when he makes so much money- Most Sports Books give you the option of taking a cut of the wagers your referrals place with them… I’m guessing this is a pretty good chunk of change for him each week!

    I'm not really sure why so many people think this system is a scam. If you use your own good judgment and manage your money instead of following blindly, I know for a fact the NBA system can be profitable.

    MLB: I've back tested the MLB system using five years of data and have found it too is pretty profitable. My research tells me that if you make sure you pay attention to the parameters (There are four parameters to determine a bet for this one) and check that "pitcher" box when you make the bet you'll come out WAY ahead- we'll see- this will be the first season I've used the system.

    Good luck to you all.

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  4. That's almost an article in itself! Very interesting analysis and results. It seems that if you use his system as a basis but use your own common sense and discretion it can be profitable.

    I still don't agree with your assessment that his system has been profitable on its own. I have read many testimonials and heard from many people who have been burned by picking up his system at a bad time.

    I think the main point remains - if you have a very large bankroll, you can probably win in his system. The question remains, is the risk worth the reward?

    Also, why does Mr. Morrison spend so much energy trying to manipulate search results in his own favor? To me, that more than anything makes system seem like a scam. In addition, his main page "smells" like a scam with the abundant YouTube videos (which many say he pays his members to produce) and over usage of exclamation points and bold font.

    You seem unbiased and not a shill for his service, so I very much appreciate your point of view, it is as informative as it is surprising.

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  5. Sorry to inundate your blog- I've got some free time today and this whole scam idea has stimulated my interest since I can't see purpose in the methods. It seems that people either absolutely love this guy or are looking for the first opportunity to flog him in public!

    I'm looking forward to reading your article to find out why you think the system is a scam.

    No doubt you're right about the possibility of the system in and of itself being unprofitable for the NBA. (MLB to be determined- I'll try to keep you posted along the way in real time with MUCH shorter posts) If you follow the system to the letter you definitely increase Fate's influence on your bank roll as you are sometimes betting on HUGE underdogs to cover ridiculous point spreads. (But in his defense it's worked so far in 2008/2009)

    A piece of advice is to avoid the temptation of increasing your wager significantly after you win a few. No doubt a late season loss at a higher risk amount will eat up a whole season of lower wagers.

    I would imagine this very thing is another reason for animosity toward the system. I'm guessing some people get a false sense of security after a number of wins and start betting much larger than they should based on their bank roll. I must admit I was actually tempted to do this after ten wins in a row to open the NBA season. (I like to use a limit of .5% to 2.5% of my bank roll depending on the situation)

    One losing series (If you go to the "C" bet each time) accounts for roughly 14 times the amount you would have won on your original wager if I did the math correctly. That's a big hole to climb from if you lose. (That's why I have skipped those "C" bets). Not to mention from a risk management stand point it's not too smart.

    However, if you believe the percentages Mr. Morrison offers up:

    "A" bets are better than 90% winners (I seem to recall he publishes 93% for the "A" bets);

    "B" bets are slightly better at around 94% if memory serves;

    "C" bets are the highest percentage of all although he has never revealed this percentage that I have been able to find- he simply regularly states they're the highest percentage winners of all.

    In any event, you are absolutely right: Given the amount of time and energy spent on marketing along with the style of the web site it does seem like a scam. I looked at the Sports Betting Champ main page again today and was kind of surprised. When I bought the system there was no photo of a Lamborghini and it wasn't quite as flashy although it did have a load of video testimonials. (The choice of which was interesting because some of the people in the videos didn't look very impressive and almost caused me to NOT buy the system)

    You should also note that the bet slip he posted from the Las Vegas Hilton DOES NOT appear to conform to the parameters of the system in that each bet must be placed by buying 3 points (to move the line in your favor) for the team on which you are wagering. It's also a little misleading (I think) because even if it was a conforming bet you don't know if that's an A, B or C level wager so the actual net winnings could be significantly less than the ticket implies.

    The thing is I just can't figure the reasoning for the exaggerated marketing. (It may not actually be exaggerated; it's just that I don't know the formula being used to come up with the numbers). I say this because my personal experience has shown me that with a few minor modifications and a dose of common sense the system actually does work extremely well.

    With that said it also has to be pointed out that while 65-0 for the 2008/2009 NBA season speaks for itself the results do not match what Mr. Morrison advertises.

    While none of us will ever likely know the answer I am curious as to why.

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  6. Tonight we had the Sacramento / Washington game.

    The online spread was Sacramento +1.5 when I placed my bets. By buying 3 as the system calls for I had Sacramento at +4.5. The final score was Sacramento 104 Washington 106.

    This gave us another win in an "A" game.

    That puts the system total at 66-0 for the year by my count.

    Depending on how the filters pan out the system recognizes four more potential series on which to wager for the year.

    The next potential series begins on the 18th featuring Indiana and Portland.

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  7. To reply to sportsinsight, yes, ultimately we have to look out for the risk vs the reward. It is indeed true that the SportsBettingChamp system requires high risk due to the series betting. However, what matters most is whether or not the reward justify that risk. I joined Morrison's program late in November of last year and have gone 61 straight wins since. I'm sure that we'll eventually lose (maybe we won't lose this NBA season as it's getting close to the end) but when we do, anyone who bets within the system should still be way up. Morrison's stats show that in the last 117 series, only 3 of them have gone to the C bet. Now I can't fully verify that since I haven't been with him for 117 series yet, but I can vouch that in this NBA season, we have only had to make the C bet 3 times out of the 72 wins. The first 56 wins were won on either the A or B bets. In my opinion and experience with the system, the reward justifies the risk for sure.

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  8. Just received an e-mail from Sports Betting Champ about last night's win- Mr. Morrison is publishing 72-0 for the season.

    CORRECTION TO MY LAST POST:

    Mr. Morrison indicates the next series starts tomorrow night, March 17th, 2009 (I posted the next series to be on the 18th)

    I didn't have this one on my spread sheet (Missed it). It appears to be the Sixers / Lakers game as that's the only game fitting the parameters I could find for that date. I'll confirm it when I receive the e-mail in the morning.

    The series on the 18th wih Indiana/Portland is still valid depending on the filters.

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  9. There are TWO Sports Betting Champ games called for tonight (Not one as I previously wrote- Even though they are both in my original notes, I somehow left both of these series off my final spread sheet)

    1. Sixers at Lakers
    2. Wizards at Jazz

    We'll be wagering on the Sixers and the Wizards by buying three points.

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  10. The Sports Betting Champ system picked up two VERY UNLIKELY wins last night. (It's amazing really!)

    The first was the Sixers at Lakers. The Sixers were +10 (+13 after we bought the points) Dogs and ended up actually winning the game 94-93.

    The second was Wizards at Jazz. Even more of an underdog at +14.5 (+17.5 after we bought the points) the Wizards ended up covering our spread with a final score of 88-103. (If you didn't buy the points you lost!)

    Tonight's game, Portland at Indiana is an "optional" bet based on an oddity in the system that occurs when two qualifying three game series meet back to back. The system dictates that in this case, the second 3 game series is optional.

    Mr. Morrison is not calling this series and I don't know his reason. He has called bets on these optional series in the past.

    I do not intend to wager on this one either but my reason is simply for risk management purposes. So far this season, the system is 100% accurate. Historically, there has been at least one loss (And as many as three) and the truth is, I've made some huge profits on the 67-0 record we've enjoyed so far and I'm running scared waiting for the hammer to drop.

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  11. Sports Betting Champ System has called a game for tonight- Pistons/Clippers.

    In his typical up beat rah rah (Tempting fate) style Mr. Morrison is pretty confident about this game.

    He also thinks we've a great chance to go undefeated this season.

    There isn't much action for this system left for the year and it does look pretty promising, but as they say, that's why they play the games.

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  12. The Clippers let us down in our "A" bet yesterday. Now we move on to the "B" bet.

    To determine the amount we need to win in our next bet we take the amount we actually lost yesterday and add it to the amount we would have won.

    If you bet to win $100, after buying the three points, the cost to win $100 is -170 ($170) so the "B" bet looks like this:

    Amount we risked $170
    Amount we would have won $100

    Total we want to win $270

    Amount to wager
    -Multiply x 1.7 $459

    The stakes are going up and it's getting expensive.... If this bet loses the total losses on the series to date would be $629 ($170 from the "A" wager and $459 from the "B" wager) All to win $100! Do you have the nerve?????

    Good Luck!

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  13. JD, thanks for the continued posts, it's very interesting to get an insider view of the system.

    If this "B" bet loses, then I assume your next bet would be 1.7 x 559 = $950? So a "C" bet is roughly equal to wagering 10 units to win 1, meaning a seasonal record of 60-6 is really a break-even season?

    Also, what book do you use to place your wagers?

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  14. I calculate the "C" wager as follows:

    Loss on bet "A" $170
    Loss on bet "B" $459
    Series Profit......$100
    Total..................$729

    $729 x 1.7 .....$1,239 to win the original $100 profit.

    As you know, the typical cost to wager on an NBA team is -110 or a risk of $110 to win $100.

    To move the spread 3 points in your favor per the system that cost goes up to -170 (Some books charge more on some games) or a risk of $170 to win $100

    If you lose the "C" bet you lose the amounts from all three previous wagers:
    A Wager = $ 170
    B Wager = $ 459
    C Wager = $1,239

    Total Loss = $1,868 if I added correctly.

    So if you lose the cost is roughly 18 times the original intended profit, and (Just over) 10 times the original wager.

    THIS is why I choose to skip the "C" bets.

    These are big numbers and not everyone can stomach the large dollars necessary to make it work. Personally, it's not the "stomach" part that gets me, (I actually bet much larger than the example above) it's the embedded money management system I use to wager.

    In all fairness to Mr. Morrison the system success this season seems to justify the risk given the current record.

    To reiterate my personal real live experience:

    Betting to win $100 and skipping the "C" bets, the 2008/2009 season total winnings is around $5,233.

    Betting to win $100 and taking the "C" bets, the 2008/2009 season total winnings is $6,700.

    Over time, the system might make me enough of a believer to start taking the "C" bets but for now I'd rather give up the $1,500 (22%) and sleep better at night...

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  15. Yes, that is correct, but the system has never come close to that in any of the years. It's doing especially good this year.

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  16. The Clippers let us down in the "B" bet so now we're on to the "C" bet for only the third time this season.

    This is a large wager designed to win back everything we've lost so far AND the profit we would have made on our original "A" bet. (See my last post for the break down)

    If you're betting to win $100 the wager amount on the "C" bet will be over $1,200 for net winnings of $100.

    Since it's a three game series, win or lose, we're through and move on to the next series.

    We also have a new series starting tonight with an "A" bet.

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  17. As indicated earlier, there were two bets tonight-

    GAME 1: The first was a monster "C" bet on the Clippers / Celtics. After buying points the system called the Clippers at +18 (Could have been as low as +16 depending on when and where you placed your bet).

    Final score was Clippers 77 Celtics 90 for a difference of 13 points.

    This "C" wager covered the spread and won back the amounts lost on the "A" and "B" bets along with the profit making the system 68-0 for the year.

    GAME 2: The second game was Minnesota / Atlanta. We had Minnesota +14 after buying the points.

    Final score: Minn 97 Atl 109 for a difference of 12 points giving us a win on the "A" bet and a season record of 69-0.

    I think by Mr. Morrison's count, the record will probably be published at 76-0 after tonight.

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  18. Betting 12 units to win 1 is exactly the type of bet that makes this system so dangerous. Most bettors would never feel comfortable making a bet like that, and for good reason. It's one thing to trust a system; it's another to have you mortgage payment riding on one game for a measly 1 unit win.

    According to your math, a losing "C" bet equates to 18 units lost. If you run into a losing "C" bet early in the season, that can be a huge setback. If you run into 2 losing "C" bets, you may very well be broke.

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