Meet Joe Osborne, Our Senior Betting Analyst
Joe Osborne
Senior Betting Analyst
15+ Years ExperienceJoe is an industry veteran who loves the entertainment aspect of the sports betting industry. His opinions are always backed by data and he enjoys digging into the numbers and coming up with interesting nuggets to share with sports bettors.
Joe takes a high-energy and fun approach to covering his favorite sports which include the NFL, MLB, UFC, NBA and NHL, and there’s no bet type he loves more than an NFL six-point teaser. Joe is the host of our daily sports betting program, Before You Bet, while he also leads our weekly UFC show, P4P Picks, and our 'Covers on the Ground' series where he's covered many UFC, NFL and NBA games in person. A monthly highlight for Joe is conducting interviews with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre ahead of every UFC PPV.
Outside of his work at Covers, Joe has appeared on many top media brands including ESPN Radio, Mad Dog Sports Radio, VSIN, TSN, and SportsNet. He always recommends not reading too much into narratives when placing your bets as those factors are already cooked into the lines set by oddsmakers.
What makes Joe Osborne an expert?
Joe got his start in the sports betting industry in 2015. After starting in a content management role, he developed and passion and talent for content creation which inspired him to become a full-time sports betting analyst. Over the span of his career in the industry, Joe has built a large online following and has made countless appearances on high-profile media outlets, further establishing himself as a trusted voice in the sports betting community.
Experience
Covers.com
- Senior Sports Analyst
- July 2023 - Present
Education
Joe attended Nova Scotia Community College where he first graduated with a diploma in Broadcast Journalism with a goal to turn his passion for sports media into a career. He followed that up with an advanced diploma in public relations which amplified his writing and planning skills.
Nova Scotia Community College
- Broadcast Journalism
- Public Relations
10+ years in sports betting
Joe has been a trusted voice in the industry for over a decade.
Cross-platform experience
While Joe got his start as primarily a writer, he's also an experienced podcaster and video presenter.
Sports betting authority
Many top sports media brands trust Joe as a regular guest on their programs.
Passion for writing
It's just not sports, as Joe has also self-published two novels.
Hoe does Joe stay up to date?
Joe stays up to date with all the hottest betting trends and standout statistics.
TeamRankings
TeamRankings is a comprehensive sports analytics website that provides data-driven stats, trends, and tools.
UFC Stats
UFCStats.com is the official source for detailed statistics, fight histories, and performance metrics for all UFC athletes and events.
Covers
Covers is an industry leader in sports betting information, offering expert analysis, odds, trends, and insights across all major sports.
Q&A with Joe
What are your favorite sports to handicap and watch?
Football and Football. Specifically the NFL. I love the routine of an NFL season with checkpoints for the primetime games and Sundays. From a handicapping perspective, it's nice to have a little bit more time compared to daily leagues like the NBA and MLB.
What are the most important features for a sportsbook to offer?
An easy to use interface, especially in their mobile app, and a lot of variety for prop bets.
What's the best sports event you attended live?
UFC 300 in Las Vegas. The roof almost blew off the T-Mobile Arena when Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje. Cowboys vs. Eagles is Philly is a close runner up.
What's a weird sports take that you have?
Eating at professional sports games sucks. It's overpriced, messy, and often uncomfortable. Just eat before the game!
If you're betting on baseball, make sure taking a peak at our MLB weather page as part of your daily routine. Wild winds can play a big factor in the way lines are set.
Joe's areas of expertise
Joe specializes in betting trends and outlier statistics.
NFL betting
Joe has been covering the NFL from a betting perspective since 2015. Prior to this, he was a self-described "fantasy football nerd'".
Betting trends
Joe has a passion for patterns, but never recommends placing bets solely off betting trends.
Joe's Memories
💪 Big Wins
There's nothing like making a futures bet prior to a season, watching it play out in your favor, then cashing a big ticket at the end of the season. This was the case for me when I hit my first big futures ticket in 2017 when I picked the Astros to win the World Series at +1400 odds.
🤬 Bad beat?
Super random one, but I discovered bad beats sting more in person. When attending a Suns vs. Sixers game in Philadelphia in 2023, I had a 1st quarter spread bet on the Suns. The bets was looking strong all quarter. With the seconds winding down, all that was needs was for the Sixers not to hit a three. Guess what they did at the buzzer... Yup.
Joe's Articles
It's not just Joe doing the research
Eric Rosales
Betting Analyst
Eric has been involved in sports media in many different capacities since graduating from journalism school in 1999, back when getting your own column in a newspaper was still considered a thing. He doubled down and graduated from broadcast journalism school five years later, which led to a move to Toronto and a career with The Sports Network (TSN). From behind-the-scenes production work, he moved into the digital realm, where he had his own hoops column (At the Buzzer), while regularly live streaming and chatting with fans during broadcasts as the character known as LeBlog James. He was also a key contributor to TSN and CTVs Olympic programming during the 2012 London Games. Eric eventually found his way into the sports betting field in 2016 and has been a mainstay ever since. He was tagged on Twitter as a Top 10 NBA sharp during the 2021 season and has been interviewed about basketball and his handicapping process on shows from Vancouver to India. Eric is now a jack-of-all-sports at Covers, where his predictions span the alphabet soup: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1, WNBA, Euro, and Copa. When making picks, he focuses on finding value first and foremost, and ensuring readers have all the information they need to make an informed choice.
Read More
Jon Metler
Betting Analyst
Having played, coached, and officiated basketball, Jon naturally turned his focus to the NBA when he entered the sports betting world. With over 15 years of experience, he specializes in spreads, moneylines, and player propsalways chasing value through sharp market analysis. A firm believer in analytics, Jon trusts the numbers to guide his bets. He monitors NBA betting markets 365 days a year and uses 10+ sportsbooks to find the best prices. If there are NBA games on, Jons up early, caffeinated, and already placing his favorite bets.
Read More
Kyle LaRusic
Betting Analyst
Kyle LaRusic joined Covers in 2020 with a Holland College diploma in Journalism and a Mount Saint Vincent Degree in Public Relations. Stints at Amherst News and the Cape Breton Post helped sharpen his skills in a newsroom setting, while working for MSVU and Dalhousies athletic departments landed Kyle in his comfort zone. Kyle has been an avid bettor for over five years, starting with just one Sports Interaction account before discovering both the beauty and importance of price shopping. bet365 and Pinnacle are his go to books, but accounts at 10+ sportsbooks give him an array of options. Rusty will bet on anything under the sun as long as theres value and good reasoning behind it, but NHL and NFL are his two favorite leagues to watch and wager on especially with friends. Kyles biggest tip for any bettor is simple: gamble responsibly. Only bet what youre willing to lose and make sure to install a proper bankroll method to keep track of your ROI. If youre still dwelling on the amount you lost the next day, its time to decrease your spending.
Read More
