Databases

[TheLink]

How many cappers here keep a database?
If so what sports? What stats do you key on?
How much time do you put into it?
Do you have a way to upload the information?

Have been thinking about starting one just not sure I am committed to the upkeep it takes.

Romo if you don't feel this is right spot for this thread feel free to move it.

[IrishTim]

Originally Posted by TheLink

How many cappers here keep a database?
If so what sports? What stats do you key on?
How much time do you put into it?
Do you have a way to upload the information?

Have been thinking about starting one just not sure I am committed to the upkeep it takes.

Romo if you don't feel this is right spot for this thread feel free to move it.

I keep one in pretty much every sport, some better than others. My best are probably WNBA and MLB. It takes some computer programming skills to put them together and update them, but someone good at coding (I'm not) can do it fairly quickly. Of course it depends on how detailed you want them to be.

Unfortunately, Cappersmall doesn't have PMs but you can find me at some of the other forums (Rx, EOG, OGD, SBR, EB, BT, RTP) and send me a private message if you want to talk more about them. I can send you some examples perhaps.

[Romanowski]

this absolutely belongs in this section link

I wish we had more programming, tools, type talk to be honest

[dave nz]

I keep an extensive database on two sports....netball and rugby union. The specific leagues are Rugby union : S14, ANZ Cup. Netball : ANZ Championship.
I have not missed watching a single game in these leagues for about 4 years. Usually live, but sometimes catch replays.

What I do is, while watching the games make notes all the way throughout the games.
Notes are everything from certain players performance, weaknesses, strengths.
Team style of play in certain situations for example better suited to an up tempo style during day games. Notes on officials. I also place a huge emphasis will doing the notes on how I think the team and player defence is shaping up, Bookmakers on these sports like the media and public are more focused on offence.
At the end of each game I give the team an overall rating to the decimal point (the rating is consistant on a week to week basis).

If I lived in America I would be doing something similar, I wouldn't do it on the mainstreet sports, think WNBA would be one I would do.
Some sports and leagues are high maintanance, the netball and rugby I do only operate 3 days a week and there are not many teams, which is part of the beauty.

[dave nz]

Good thread Idea BTW

[dkp]

I'm in Dave's camp on this one. It isn't the numbers in the database it's how you analyze them and can relate them to the outcome of the game.

What drives me crazy are things like this from another site:

* Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.
* Celtics are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 NBA Championship games.
* Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.
* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. win.
* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as an underdog.
* Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog.
* Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Celtics are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Celtics are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
* Celtics are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
* Celtics are 37-17 ATS in their last 54 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5.
* Celtics are 9-20 ATS in their last 29 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Celtics are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a SU win of more than 10 points.
* Celtics are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 vs. Western Conference.
* Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
* Celtics are 1-10-1 ATS in their last 12 vs. NBA Pacific.

So, which one of these is the deciding factor? And what about the trends for the Lakers? Where do they fit in? Why is the ATS number for underdogs in here at 5.0 to 10.5? Why isn't it 4.0 to 8.0? or 4.5 to 7.5? And who was injured or didn't play in how many of these games?

I'm not discounting databases and numbers but, like everything, they need to be used in moderation.

[ParrotHead]

Anybody taking notes during NFL seasons during the games? What database program do you guys use for your databases and some examples of items to keep in them? Been thinking about doing this for a long time, just have no good idea on where to start here?

[dave nz]

Why the NFL PH? there a plenty of other lower profile sports where you could get more of an advantage on the bookies. For example WNBA, LPGA / Senior golf, Arena, softball, college baseball.

[ParrotHead]

I guess Arena would work. I can only usually find one game a week though, and that on Fridays on the NFL network. I sometimes see the WNBA on, but thats about a game or two a week

[dave nz]

Yeah thats the problem, you need to be able to get most/all the games somehow

[Romanowski]

the smaller the market, the less effecient thus more edges over #s books hang

as for the dataset, it has to be as complete and detailed as possible, in order to extract and query the most valuable info

good stuff guys

there are programs out there that will scrape the data you want from the net, then loading into a simple db program like MS Access is fine

when you extract the data you want, it should go into MS Excell

[ParrotHead]

Excel I am familiar with, Access I hate

[TheLink]

Romo just curious why the extracted data should go into Excel? Is this because you build a line of the extracted data to compare to the market?

Have always felt Access more powerful tool to use so surprised dump it back into Excel.

Parrot once you figure Access out pretty simple tool to use. Reporting can be tedious but basic data dumping and querries easy to use.

[TheLink]

Originally Posted by dave nz

I keep an extensive database on two sports....netball and rugby union.

What I do is, while watching the games make notes all the way throughout the games.
Notes are everything from certain players performance, weaknesses, strengths.

I agree on the mainstream sports which is why I think I haven't tackled a database.

You state you keep notes on all the games for those two sports. So do you keep any quanititative data in your database or just cap purely of the notes and observations?

[TheLink]

Originally Posted by IrishTim

I keep one in pretty much every sport, some better than others. My best are probably WNBA and MLB. It takes some computer programming skills to put them together and update them, but someone good at coding (I'm not) can do it fairly quickly. Of course it depends on how detailed you want them to be.

Unfortunately, Cappersmall doesn't have PMs. I can send you some examples perhaps.

I will pm Jack my email if you want to contact me that way. I am to lazy to join any of the other sites.