Meet Phil Naessens, Our Betting Analyst
Phil Naessens
Betting Analyst
19+ Years ExperiencePrior to joining Covers in 2022, Phil Naessens spent 38 years as a resident tennis pro in Las Vegas, Mykonos, and Corfu, Greece. He’s the past host of the Phil Naessens Show (Armed Forces Radio), and currently hosts the Crush and Rush Tennis Podcast.
Phil is the author of the Betting 101 series (MLB, NFL, NCAAF, and Tennis) and has written for numerous publications, including Advance Local, SB Nation, FanSided, and Lenny Melnick Fantasy Sports.
His favorite sports to bet on are tennis, MLB, WNBA, Euro men’s and women’s hoops, NCAA sports, NFL, and the NBA. Phil has numerous betting accounts in the US and Europe, and his best advice is to line shop for the best value possible.
What Makes Phil Naessens an Expert?
Phil has been on an incredible journey since making his first legal bet in 1986. His experience as a tennis coach put him in front of media professionals, which led to his writing about sports betting. Here are a few of his stops before joining the Covers family:
Experience
Covers.com
- Betting Analyst
- April 2022 - Present
Advance Local
- Betting Analyst and Industry Writer
- March 2024 - April 2025
Ribacka Media
- Betting Analyst
- August 2023 - September 2024
STATS
- Betting Analyst
- June 2018 - May 2021
Q&A with Phil
You cover many sports at Covers. What is your favorite sport and why?
Tennis. I've spent my entire life in the sport, and have coached all levels my entire adulthood.
What is your favorite sports memory?
Watching Team USA win the Gold medal in men's hockey with my grandfather in 1980.
In all your coaching stops, where is your favorite place to live?
Corfu, Greece, was the best. The resort was great, and the locals were awesome!
Who is your favorite athlete of all time?
Rod Laver. He won the Grand Slam twice.
What is your favorite sporting event to bet on?
March Madness. I love watching wild upsets, and the NCAA Tournament is a great place for them.
Line shopping is one of the most important aspects of sports betting. My suggestion is to open as many accounts as possible, and then always hunt for the best price.
Phil's Areas of Expertise
Tennis
Tennis more than just a passion for Phil; it's also a profession. He's a former tennis pro and current instructor who has been around the game his entire life. Phil's court sense is especially evident in his excellent handicapping of Grand Slam events.
Basketball
Phil's love of basketball is second to only his love of tennis. He's been one of our busiest NCAAB handicappers since joining Covers.
Baseball
Watching - and dissecting - America's national pastime is one of Phil's favorite ways to spend the summer months.
Phil's memories
🚀 Big wins
I hit a 23-1 long shot betting on a horse while waiting to pick up my grandmother from bingo at the Showboat in Vegas. What makes it memorable is I wanted to bet just $10, but mistakenly handed the ticket writer $100. Pride made me roll with it and needless to say, I paid for supper that night. Horse name: No Commitment, first race, Santa Anita, October 18, 1992.
😭 Bad beat?
2013 Wimbledon First Round. I was the resident pro at the Corfu Holiday Palace in Corfu, Greece, and it was raining, so I stopped in the bar for a beverage. The bartender starts asking me about tennis matches, and little did I know he was filling out a parlay ticket. We hit 16 out of 17 and our only loss was when Rafael Nadal was upset in the first round by Steve Darcis. UGH.
Phil's Articles
It's not just Phil 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.
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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-plus sportsbooks to find the best prices. If there are NBA games on, Jons up early, caffeinated, and already placing his favorite bets.
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Ethan Diamandas
Betting Analyst
Ethan Diamandas is a Toronto-based sports writer and betting analyst with six years in the sports and gaming industry. A Carleton University journalism grad, he pairs a traditional reporting background with an analytical read on MLB betting. He covered the Toronto Blue Jays as both a beat reporter and a feature writer, which gives him a close feel for roster construction, pitching matchups, bullpen usage, and the day-to-day factors that move baseball odds. His bylines have run in Sports Illustrated, MLB.com, and Yahoo Sports. He also covers boxing and UFC, but baseball is the focus, especially player props, first-five markets, totals, and game-by-game matchup analysis. On the book side, he leans on bet365 for its deep player-prop menu and FanDuel for consistently competitive odds, with DraftKings reserved for the occasional ambitious parlay. His approach is research-first and patient. He shops lines, waits for real value, and won't force action just because there's a game on the board.
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