10 Great and Must Watch Sports Handicapping Documentaries

What are some good sports handicapping documentaries available to see now?

I will admit that I have grown into a person who would rather enjoy a good movie at home than venture out to the theater.  Yes, of course, I have been to the cinema and have seen various plays as well.  However, would I have gone to see Rent or Les Miserables had I not been heavily influenced by my female companion?  Call me unworldly, but the answer is a probably not.  Okay, fine, definitely not.  Had it not been for my wife, I’d say that me being seen at a play or musical would be about a plus 10,000 as a money line bet.  The sportsbooks would probably not even offer this as an option.

As for movies I enjoy, well, I have been heavily engrossed into westerns as of late.  Also, I absolutely love documentaries.  Netflix seems to have some really good ones out there currently about crime, alien encounters and whatever else.

Below are my top picks for really solid sports handicapping documentaries.  Not in any particular order.

The Fantasy Sports Gamble – By: Frontline: Season 34, Episode 3

Initially aired in 2016 and available on YouTube, this documentary investigates online sports betting and emphasizes the emergence of fantasy sports.  The Fantasy Sports Gamble examines precisely how a loophole in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 enabled fantasy sports to develop into a multi-billion dollar industry.

The run time for this documentary is a little less than an hour long.  Below is the full documentary available on YouTube.

The Truth Is:  A Documentary Of Sports Betting in Las Vegas – By: Christian Pina

Some professional handicappers decide to make money wagering on their own handicapping skills and picks.  Others will promote their picks to the public for a fee.  Many more, will prosper by doing a combination of both.

The run time for this documentary is under an hour long, and you can find it on YouTube.  Quite honestly, the documentary has an aura of a phony interview with a pre-planned response to every question asked.  I would not be surprised if someone told me the interviewer was actually a computer generated voice.  It is, however, fairly interesting and much of what is discussed does have merit.

For me, it was definitely worth watching.  Below is the full movie available on YouTube.

30 for 30: The Legend of Jimmy the Greek

I do remember watching Jimmy the Greek on Television when I was much younger.  James George Snyder, also known as Jimmy the Greek, was a sports commentator and Las Vegas bookmaker.  He spent 12 years as a regular contributor to The NFL Today predicting outcomes to the week’s football matchups.  Given the ongoing records of many of the commentators making predictions today, I remember him being fairly good at it.

Jimmy The Greek was fired after making comments about African American athletes, claiming many were bred to be exceptional athletes during slavery.

Whether you believe his comments were insensitive and extremely racist, or you believe they were simply off the cuff comments, with no intent, and subject to the wrath of public scrutiny, you have to be interested in this documentary.

Life On the Line – By:  Isaac Feder

From 2013, Life on the Line documents the story of Teddy Covers, Erin Rynning, John Netto, Jay Kornegay, Ted Sevransky, Steve Fezzik and others who are engaged in the community of sports handicapping.  The movie dives into sports gambling in Las Vegas and concentrates on the NFL Super Bowl.

The documentary is under an hour long.  Below is a preview to the documentary.

The Best of It – By: Scott Pearson Eberly

From 2016, this documentary touches upon the darker side of sports handicapping, as it follows a number of professional sports gamblers who make their living from only handicapping sporting events.  This documentary presents the darker side of the sports gambling genre and dives into the consequences that a professional handicapper may need to deal with.  Remember, do not get carried away and always stick with a solid handicapping and money management plan such as The Kelly Criterion or a flat betting approach. Below is a preview of the documentary.

Now Place Your Bets: The History of Sports Betting in America – By: James Bernardo

Created in 2017, Place Your Bets is a documentary that details the rise of sports wagering in Las Vegas and how it has become a multi-billion dollar industry.  The documentary features many comprehensive interviews and video footage that supply us with more of an understanding to the sports betting world of Las Vegas.  Below is a trailer of the movie.

Documentary about Sports Betting – By: James Layode

Ready to explore the world of sports betting outside of Las Vegas or even the United States?  This Documentary about Sports Betting is set in Nigeria.  This documentary dives into wagering on sports via a mathematical approach, explores the largest betting provider in Nigeria (UBC 365), and also explores the need for more regulations.  Below is the documentary as seen on YouTube.

Money Talks – Sports Handicapping Reality TV Show

Money Talks is a very interesting, reality show type documentary that follows the everyday life of a handicapper and broker of sports handicapping picks named Steve Stevens.  You can see many episodes on YouTube, originally appearing on CNBC.

There has been many questions about this “documentary series” since it was released in 2014.  Many have claimed Steve Stevens in a fraud, further claiming the character is fictitious and unheard of in Las Vegas.  You can see that article here.

I for one always liked shows like Storage Wars and Hardcore Pawn whether they were fictitious or not.  I also like this one.  As a matter of fact, I decided to watch a couple of episodes again last night on YouTube.  Below is a link to the pilot episode.

FRONTLINE with Jessica Savitch

I was always intrigued by the Mafia, watching various YouTube interviews with well-known members of organized crime and also mafia style movies.  This 1983 documentary explores organized crime and their connection (if any) to sports, match fixing and sports wagering.  It is a decent documentary that is well worth checking out.  Below video is from YouTube.

60 Minutes Sports Betting: Billy Walters

This 2011 interview is with Billy Walters who was one of the most prominent names in sports handicapping at the time.  In this documentary, Billy Walters opens up the curtain to a glimpse of his life – his daily life, his home, and his lucrative gambling operation.  Below is the interview provided by YouTube.

Conclusion

Above is a short list of ten sports handicapping documentaries that I think you may enjoy as much as I had.  There are also many others around that are worth checking out.  Like I mentioned above I can watch sports handicapping documentaries, as well as other documentaries, like a man on a mission.  Just throw me a slice of pizza and a glass of milk and I will be just fine.  Just try not to be overly influenced by any of the movies – always stick with your plan.  Be well.

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