THE WINDOW: Sports Betting Podcast

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  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Window is a sports betting podcast hosted and produced by experienced betting analyst, Matt Russell. Matt dives deep into the NFL, NCAA sports, and the NHL, as well as March Madness, NBA Playoffs and Golf’s major championships. With extensive experience in the sports betting content space, Matt’s also a 2-time cash winner in the Las Vegas Supercontest, who believes in responsible gaming as a form of recreation. He celebrates and commiserates betting results with good humor. Join him and various guests here each week, and follow him on X: @mrussauthentic

  1. 1D AGO

    CROSSING STREAMS (2.17.26): The shift from football to college hoops, and some Winter Olympics chatter

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) has an assortment of topics as part of the transition from NFL to College Basketball season, with the Winter Olympics diverting attention for a couple weeks.  As we put a wrap on the NFL season, the Sam Darnold story is more about organizations, and while the Patriots-Seahawks matchup was a surprise from where we all stood last summer, it’s those types of organizations that make for good long-shot bets, opposed to say, the Jets. Then Matt touches on the NFL Awards, with Myles Garrett and Tetairoa McMillan bringing home awards, and how we found those bets in two different ways.  Matt then transitions to the College Basketball season, further describing some of the values in “The Quicks” and going through a handful of teams that he’s adding to his national title futures portfolio and why? Including a breakdown of Michigan’s current odds and whether you should add them if you missed out back in April.  Maybe you missed it? Super Bowl LX Preview (Part I): The side, total, and MVP for Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl LX Preview (Part II): Player props for Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl LX Review Podcast College basketball betting: Intro to “The Quicks” College basketball betting: “The Quicks” for Monday, February 16th College basketball betting: “The Quicks” for Tuesday, February 17th THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast: April 8, 2025 Clip on Michigan bet to win the 2026 National Championship: NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker Lastly, Matt discusses the first week-plus of the Winter Olympics, and Canada’s overall results, and what to expect in the knock-out stage of the women’s and men’s ice hockey. It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 13m

  2. FEB 9

    GHOSTS E’LX’ORCISED (2.9.26): Sam Darnold and the Seahawks win Super Bowl LX, but THE WINDOW Panes do just fine anyway

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) is joined by friend of THE WINDOW, Sheldon Alexander (@ShelAlexander) to look back at Super Bowl LX between the Seahawks and Patriots.  The Seahawks win the championship convincingly, but Matt and Sheldon dig in to what did and didn’t happen in a “boring” first half and why some plays quietly went Sam Darnold’s way, and why Kenneth Walker cashed MVP tickets for THE WINDOW Panes because of what he did in that first half.  Then the boys discuss Bad Bunny’s halftime show — despite neither being fans of the artist, they respect the art. Maybe you missed it: Super Bowl LX Preview (Part I): The side, total, and MVP for Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl LX Preview (Part II): Player props for Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl Preview Podcast College basketball betting: Intro to “The Quicks” College basketball betting: “The Quicks” for Saturday, February 7th College basketball betting: “The Quicks” for Sunday, February 8th College basketball betting: “The Quicks” for Monday, February 9th NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker Then Matt and Sheldon dig into the second half, where the props really started to heat up, including a +6 unit/3-bet winner on one play with the Mac Hollins touchdown. Plus, why no singular defensive player could really make a case for MVP, especially because of a ruling on the game-sealing defensive touchdown.  The guys put a wrap on the year by wondering what matchup would have made for a better Super Bowl, and how little it takes for things to swing in an NFL that season consistently came down to one play.  Lastly, Matt began “The Quicks” on Saturday, with an epic 81-game micro-betting card for college basketball, so he caps off the pod by looking back at the first big weekend for hoops betting and examples of what can be learned by paying closer attention thanks to a small bet on so many games.  It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 13m

  3. FEB 3

    SUPER BOWL LX BREAKDOWN (2.3.26): Plus, “The Quicks” are coming in college basketball

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) opens the show by discussing Part 1 of THE WINDOW’s Super Bowl betting preview, discussing why he’s landed on one side after sitting down to put the handicap together and where he stands on the total. Then Matt goes behind the paywall for a look at the Super Bowl MVP markets, detailing what his process is for evaluating the value on the players listed there.  Maybe You Missed It?: Super Bowl LX Preview: Seahawks-Patriots AFC Championship Preview: Patriots-Broncos NFC Championship Preview: Rams-Seahawks NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker For the second part of the podcast, Matt discusses the upcoming segment of the betting season at THE WINDOW, “The Quicks” in college basketball — a high-volume method to get us ready for March Madness that starts on Saturday.  Lastly, Matt looks forward to the Winter Olympics in Italy, and why he doesn’t bet the events, as it’s a rare chance to be a fan again.  It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 12m

  4. JAN 27

    BURIED IN SNOW AND BAD TAKES (1.27.26): Dissecting what the real issues were in the AFC and NFC Championship Games

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) opens the show by looking back at the NFL’s Conference Championship Sunday starting with the AFC title game. Sean Payton’s taking flak for going for it on fourth down in a situation that you would go for it 100% of the time. So, why aren’t we hearing about Mike Vrabel’s decision to go for it in the same situation later in the game?  Matt lists the real reasons why the Broncos lost, and why they all kind of add up to a suitable reaction of “Meh, that just sucks.” In the same way that our lone prop loss came on Evan Engram over 2.5 reception — a bet that died with the blizzard that hit Denver.  The snowstorm was a key player in the AFC Championship, so it would be nice if we knew more about how much each team knew about the forecast, and their work-around for it. Then Matt looks at the NFC title game, wondering if Rams-Seahawks was the de facto “Super Bowl.” We could use another look at the Cooper Kupp spot late in the game, but Sean Payton needs to be ready to fire on a potential challenge there, as, for a second week in a row, he missed a late-game coaching decision that could have helped the Rams win the game.  Plus, why a “close” game can sometimes come down to four points, off a play in the third quarter, and why over and a teaser leg was always the only option for betting the NFC Championship. MAYBE YOU MISSED IT? AFC Championship Preview: Patriots-Broncos NFC Championship Preview: Rams-Seahawks CFP National Championship Preview: Miami-Indiana NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 12m

  5. JAN 20

    RED HAIR’ING (1.20.26): A Crimson and Cream natty puts us in the black after an epic Indiana win, why don’t people know what a catch is, and the rest of the divisional round

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) opens the show by looking back at Monday’s National Championship game between Miami and Indiana, and why the game actually “made sense.” The Hurricanes (+8.5) gets home along with a trio of player props, and a highly-profitable anytime touchdown portfolio that included Fernando Mendoza’s iconic, post-Heisman moment. Plus, how Matt was able to move past an annoying Sunday in the NFL with a middle shot in the game.  Matt takes a step back from the Hoosiers’ championship season, and breaks down what their one true advantage was this season, and why it’s akin to many other modern-day college football champions and success stories.  Then it’s time to look at the Divisional Round games in the NFL. If the game-handicaps were good enough to go 11-2 in the player props, why couldn’t the final scores add up to the same type of results on sides and totals?  Maybe you missed it? AFC Divisional Preview: Bills-Broncos AFC Divisional Preview: Texans-Patriots NFC Divisional Preview: 49ers-Seahawks NFC Divisional Preview: Rams-Bears CFP National Championship Preview: Miami-Indiana NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker The Broncos win, but it didn’t FEEL right, as Josh Allen is finally the one to blame after a long history of close playoff losses finally cost Sean McDermott his job. Who’s not to blame? The referees, as they accurately officiated the allegedly-controversial calls. However, many viewers still don’t understand how the rules work (much to Joe Burrow’s chagrin).  The Under gets toppled 10 seconds into the 49ers-Seahawks game, and an otherwise accurate handicap of the Seattle blowout goes awry. CJ Stroud is somehow even worse on Sunday than he was on Monday, and yet, the Texans are a couple plays (one you might not be thinking of) away from covering anyway. Plus, “the Caleb Williams play” has another new meaning. Why it could have never come to that for the Rams (-3.5), and much more.  It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 9m

  6. JAN 13

    WHAT IF… (1.13.25): Looking back at Wild Card Weekend through the lens of a key play that could have made all the difference

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) opens the show by looking back at Wild Card Weekend. The Rams-Panthers game looked to be the game of the day, as Carolina showed that, yet again, you can’t go against the valuable side in NFL betting, but at least we know what that looks like. A miss on the total was made up for with a trio of anytime touchdown winners, including Bryce Young (+800) and Jalen Coker (+350).  Somehow, that wasn’t the game of the day as Packers-Bears was an instant classic, as Chicago stormed back to take advantage of just enough of Green Bay’s mistakes. Matt looks back at the betting lines for all three matchups this season, and laments Colston Loveland doing EVERYthing but score a touchdown.  Sunday wasn’t quite exciting, and profit was left on the table. The Jaguars couldn’t muster a “B+” effort, and Josh Allen stormed through the open door, as, Matt explains, Jacksonville kinda choked away a chance to go deep.  How did the 49ers win??? Matt goes down the checklist of a game-handicap that SHOULD have given Philadelphia a win, until it was asked of Jalen Hurts to throw the Eagles into the next round.  The Chargers looked lost on offense, but what if they had made one play down by the goal line early on Sunday night’s defensive slog with the Patriots?  Plus, Matt wonders what happened with CJ Stroud, as the Texans bailed out their quarterback in a suffocating effort that potentially ends Aaron Rodgers career.  Maybe you missed it? NFL Wild Card: Rams-Panthers betting preview NFL Wild Card: Packers-Bears betting preview NFL Wild Card: Bills-Jaguars betting preview NFL Wild Card: 49ers-Eagles betting preview NFL Wild Card: Chargers-Patriots betting preview NFL Wild Card: Texans-Steelers betting preview The College Football Playoff Semi-Final Betting Preview NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker Finally, Matt looks back at the College Football Playoff semi-final games.  Miami survives Ole Miss, why we were cheering for the Rebels for all but one play, and why pass interference can’t ever be called on the last play of the game.  Indiana cruises to cash tickets with ease, but a pair of tough losses on props disappoint.  Also, what if the 12-team College Football Playoff is just a vehicle to make sure we give the top-4 teams a second chance to contend? Matt lists the four teams that actually had a chance to win the whole thing.  It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 6m

  7. JAN 5

    A LOT TO UNPACK (1.5.25): The one about the airing of the grievances, as part of a wrap on the 2025 NFL regular season

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) opens the show by telling the story of his run into, and out of, the money in the 2025 Circa Million Contest. How “bad beats” in games like Ravens-Bills, Rams-Eagles, Buccaneers-Texans, Packers-Bears, Panthers-Buccaneers, and Saints-Falcons, re-framed what the bar was for bad luck in a season that left Matt one game shy of his third cash in a Las Vegas NFL against-the-spread contest. Matt finished T-16th out of 1400+ contestants in the 2014 Las Vegas Supercontest, and 33rd out of 2500+ in the 2019 Supercontest. Then Matt goes through every game in Week 18, detailing whether the Panes were right or wrong on the handicap, and how everything played out relative to season-long futures bets or third-straight win on the RUMP, and a cumulative 23+ units won on that gambit in the season’s final weeks. Maybe you missed it? College Football Bowls: First Look College Football Bowl betting previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 The College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Betting Preview NFL Week 18: The “Real” Games NFL Week 18: The “Fake” Games Sunday Night Football betting preview: Ravens-Steelers NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker Matt discusses the concept of luck on both a micro- and macro-level, managing a betting portfolio over the course of THE WINDOW’s “betting calendar,” using new information and responsible betting practices to safely profit from good positions over the course of the season. Plus, Matt gives out the final, context-free records for the season: 97-86-4 against the spread 12-10-1 on game totals 9-8 on teasers Lastly, it’s a quick look back at a profitable 17-14-2 Bowl season in College Football, but why the CFP quarterfinals saw beating the line move go 1-1, a well-earned loss on Alabama, and why wondering what the hell Kirby Smart was doing in an uncharacteristic second half for he and Georgia in the second half against instant-star Trinidad Chambliss. It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 12m

  8. 12/30/2025

    BREAKING BAD BEATS (12.30.25): Losing it in New Mexico and finding the right answers late in Week 17 of the NFL

    In this week’s episode of THE WINDOW: Sports betting podcast, Matt Russell (@mrussauthentic) opens the show by looking back a week loaded with gut-punch bad beats in College Football, as a trio of betting catastrophes colored the Bowl-betting experience, and why commiserating on an historically brutal beat in the New Mexico Bowl is the best way to move past shocking disappointment.  Then it’s a look back at a wild Week 17 in the NFL. One that started with a promising upset of the Lions by the Vikings, and finished with an unnecessarily dramatic narrow escape from disaster by the Falcons on the Monday Night Football regular-season finale. In-between we saw the Chargers botch a chance at the AFC West (and the Broncos cash at +300 for the division!), the Ravens readily admit they don’t know what they’re doing until it was (almost?) a week too late, the Titans blow a cover in collegiate fashion, the Colts come so close, and Josh Allen’s case for MVP almost got revived, as Matt breaks down how small the margins are for some long shot awards bets. Maybe you missed it? College Football Bowls: First Look College Football Bowl betting previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 The College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Betting Preview The Christmas Football Betting Spectacular NFL Week 17 “Sunday Best” Monday Night Football betting preview: Rams-Falcons NHL Daily Moneyline Market Tracker Finally, Matt sweats over the 49ers narrow victory over the Bears, and the Falcons almost blowing it against the Rams. Two results that setup Week 18 nicely.  Plus, Matt looks at how it all affects the awards and stat leaders markets, with some suggestions on how to approach hedging and “middle” opportunities for next weekend’s games. It’s time to head to THE WINDOW, let’s go!

    1h 12m
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The Window is a sports betting podcast hosted and produced by experienced betting analyst, Matt Russell. Matt dives deep into the NFL, NCAA sports, and the NHL, as well as March Madness, NBA Playoffs and Golf’s major championships. With extensive experience in the sports betting content space, Matt’s also a 2-time cash winner in the Las Vegas Supercontest, who believes in responsible gaming as a form of recreation. He celebrates and commiserates betting results with good humor. Join him and various guests here each week, and follow him on X: @mrussauthentic

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