Tim Trushel’s Handicapping Experience and Achievements:

Tim Trushel originally moved to Las Vegas in 1993 to count cards and play blackjack professionally, but he quickly realized his true calling was sports handicapping.  Capitalizing on his keen eye for value and realizing his forte was sports betting, Tim Trushel became a professional handicapper in 1993, established Sports Memo, Inc. and became a fixture on sports-talk radio in Las Vegas.

As one of the nation’s most respected handicapping personalities, Tim Trushel has accumulated numerous No. 1 rankings at the Sports Monitor in Oklahoma City in the NFL, NCAA football, NCAA basketball and MLB.  Tim Trushel’s other notable handicapping achievements include winning the Ultimate Handicapping Challenge, winning the Sunset Station Handicapping Invitational and a third-place finish in the prestigious Hilton Superbook Handicapping Contest. 

Seeking out new and innovative opportunities to reach a targeted audience has established Sports Memo’s CEO Tim Trushel as a leader in the sports-gaming industry.  Hosting the first and only nationally syndicated daily all sports-gaming radio show is evidence of how Tim Trushel’s forward thinking has allowed him to break out of the traditional boundaries in which the sports-handicapping industry had formerly been constrained.   Tim Trushel is also responsible for being the host of the longest-running, year-round, all-sports gaming show in Las Vegas and maintaining the fastest growing website on the market.

Tim Trushel’s Top Pick of Sports to Handicap:

Tim Trushel’s top pick for sports to handicap is college football.  In Tim Trushel’s own words:

“Like everything, experience and practice go a long way in making one an expert; this is especially true when it comes to handicapping sports.  I have worked very hard and feel like my college football work is as strong as any in the sports-betting industry.  I haven’t always won in the NCAA, but over the past couple of seasons, I have significantly altered my approach and have found a few key indicators that should produce results for a long time to come."  

The results speak for themselves with six straight winning seasons going 271-218 (55%) from 2004-2009, including a 63-46 mark in 2009 with +17.6 units in the bank.

Tim Trushel’s Blogs:

Tim Trushel is most passionate when it comes to blogging on baseball.  In the sports-betting industry, the summer is a little less eventful and gives handicappers a chance to relax a bit and be more of a “fan” than the more strenuous football season allows.

“Baseball is such a cerebral game that it lends itself to plenty of interesting topics.  Blogging on baseball also allows me to reclaim a small portion of the 'fan' that I was as a kid when I collected baseball cards and played from little league through high school.”

Tim Trushel’s Favorite Sports Writers: 

Tim Trushel cites Bill James, Bill Simmons and Peter Gammons as revolutionary sports writers.  “All three of these writers have changed the way sports are covered today.  Their influence is so great that few people realize how sports were previously covered.”

Tim Trushel’s Picks for Sharp Announcers:

When it comes to sharp sports announcers, Tim Trushel singles out Steve Stone and Brent Musberger.  

When it comes to baseball, Steve Stone is in a league of his own as the most knowledgeable announcer in the game, bar none. Tim Trushel has been able to apply Stone’s insights from the broadcasts to his baseball handicapping.  

Brent Musberger understands the importance of the pointspread and incorporates it more into his football and basketball broadcasts than any other announcer.  Plus, he treats every game like it’s the national championship and for Tim Trushel, his enthusiasm is a huge positive.

Tim Trushel’s Handicapping System:

Tim Trushel looks for value in non-traditional places, which translates into a successful handicapping formula and profitable payouts for Tim’s clients.   For example, a key factor Tim Trushel incorporates when it comes to handicapping baseball totals is umpire data.  Since it is not overwhelmingly considered in the marketplace, the edge in certain games can be tremendous. 

Tim Trushel has also developed some strong formulas using accurate rushing numbers in college football.

Tim Trushel Reliving The Good ‘Ole Days:

In his own words, Tim Trushel recalls his favorite sports-betting memory:

“A group of us were out at a local watering hole watching one of the first games of the 2001 college football season; Oklahoma was a -20.5 favorite against North Carolina .  Handicapper Shaun Hess, who always takes the most ball-busting, took the underdog.  Most of the rest of the group had no action on the game.  The Tar Heels, under new head coach John Bunting, trailed 17-0 before collecting a first down.  The game-time temperature was near 100 degrees and North Carolina quickly wilted, entering the fourth quarter trailing 41-14.  The Tar Heels were held to 94 yards through three quarters until UNC inserted backup quarterback Darian Durant in the final quarter.  He threw two touchdown passes, ultimately leading the Tar Heels to a back-door cover.  Even more drama ensued as Oklahoma had an opportunity to get the covering score but opted to kneel on the ball.  North Carolina escaped with the spread cover.  As we were leaving the bar, Shaun Hess raised his arms in victory and yelled, ‘Never in doubt!’  To this day whenever a game is a lucky cover or has an unbelievable ending, I yell out, ‘Never in Doubt!’ and think of Shaun Hess and that game.”

Tim Trushel’s Game-Day Ritual:

If you have ever met Tim Trushel, you know that like all of the Sports Memo Handicappers, Tim is constantly working, especially during football season.  Tim Trushel’s game-day ritual is no different.

In Tim’s own words, his game-day ritual consists of, “Work, work and more work.”   The football season usually finds Tim Trushel in front of a computer and in his media studio on Saturday and Sunday watching games and working to find more opportunities with late moves and halftime numbers.

When Bad Things Happen To Good People-Tim Trushel’s Worst Beat:

It’s hard to call winning $25,000 a bad beat, but finishing 3rd in the 2001 Hilton Superbook Handicapping Contest was just that for Tim Trushel.   

“Tim Trushel Wins $25,000 and misses $150,000 by just ONE game,” is the headline that runs through Tim Trushel’s head when he remembers the 2001 Hilton Superbook Handicapping Contest.

Tim Trushel narrowly missed winning the $150,000 first place prize in the 2001 Las Vegas Hilton Superbook Handicapping Contest.  Two hundred and twenty-five handicappers paid a $1500 entry fee to get into the biggest and most prestigious handicapping contest in the nation.  The format was simple; each entrant was required to pick five NFL games against the spread each week.  During the course of the season, Tim Trushel was consistently in the top-10 of the field with his sharp NFL picks.

Using Tampa Bay -3 against Philadelphia in the Sunday night game of the final week of the contest, Tim Trushel looked poised to pocket the $150K with Tampa Bay leading 13-3 with more than two minutes remaining in the game.  Unfortunately, third-string Philadelphia quarterback A.J. Feeley directed two touchdown drives and converted several fourth-down plays in those final two minutes that resulted in the improbable come-from-behind victory.  The incredible comeback cost Tim Trushel the prestigious contest victory and more than $125,000.  Still, the third-place finish in the contest was a fantastic cap to a tremendous season for Tim Trushel.

Tim Trushel’s Vote For Sports Analyst Who Should Be Voted Off The Island :

On any play-by-play event, Chris Berman is just terrible.  Other notably bad sportscasters include Digger Phelps and Dick Vitale.  “Neither has said anything substantive this century in covering college basketball for ESPN.  Their coverage is terrible.  They don’t cover or watch any schools outside of the Big Ten, Big East or the ACC, and Phelps only knows marquee players.”

Tim Trushel on Streaks:

"As a handicapper, I always try to stay away from getting too high or too low, but instead focus on keeping an even keel.  It’s a mistake to ever think you have a sport or a situation beat.  Things change and handicapping must be ever evolving to be successful.  I made a lot of mistakes and went through a couple of ugly seasons thinking I knew way more than I did.”