2 min read • July 10, 2025
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On a special episode of the Even Money Podcast, Ross Tucker sat down with our very own Pro Football Doc and Sports Injury Central (SIC) founder Dr. David Chao to unpack the growing impact of health analytics on NFL betting.
From NFL sidelines to sportsbook strategy, Dr. Chao shared how injury mismatches—measured through the proprietary SIC Health Score rating system—are giving bettors a data-driven edge.
Dr. Chao, formerly the Chargers’ team doctor, transitioned into media and betting analysis by applying his sideline expertise to in-game injuries.
“I’m the medical Mike Pereira,” Chao joked. “He explains officiating; I explain injuries.”
His real-time insights—initially shared via Twitter at his wife’s urging—laid the foundation for Sports Injury Central.
SIC has outperformed betting lines over 55% against the spread when identifying injury mismatches—without making traditional handicapping picks.
“At Sports Central across five years, and we have a documented winning over 55% against the spread on the closing line spread when picking the advantages based on injuries“ Chao said.
Each player is graded out of 100 (like a Madden score), adjusted for current health. These SIC Health Scores roll up into:
Position group scores
Matchup scores (Player and Team)
Team scores
An 8+ point differential between teams’ health scores is considered actionable—regardless of the Vegas line.
“It’s not always public injuries like quarterbacks. It’s cluster injuries on the O-line or defense that drive hidden value.”
SIC targets 5–6 games per NFL week, sometimes avoiding obvious news but leaning into underreported issues.
“We’re strongest when the market is slow to react—when the line hasn’t caught up to the real injury impact.”
SIC offers both:
SIC Data: SIC Player Edge (coming for 2025 NFL season), Full visual game previews (Field Views), Player and Team SIC Health Scores, Matchup data and exclusive insights.
SIC Picks: Curated bets based on the SIC advanced algorithms and betting models.
“The data is what guys like Steve Fezzik and Billy Walters use,” Chao noted. “The picks are for bettors who want plug-and-play insights.”
“This is a must-have edge if you’re serious about betting. Health isn’t just part of the story—it’s the difference between winning and losing.”
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INSIDER INJURY KNOWLEDGE FROM FORMER PRO SPORTS TEAM DOCTORS TO GIVE YOU A WINNING EDGE IN SPORTS BETTING!
SIC PICKS are powered by the proven SIC Score algorithms from our exclusive panel of former Pro Sports Team doctors to give you a sports betting edge. Each day our team of doctors analyze the players and teams and share their expert insights to help you make informed bets on the biggest unknown to sportsbooks and sports bettors - player health and injuries! LEARN MORE HERE
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