Josh Appelbaum
Josh is originally from a small town in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. He was born and raised a die-hard Boston sports fan. His fondest sports memory growing up was watching the Red Sox break the curse in 2004 and celebrating the victory with his father, who taught him everything he knows about sports.
Josh graduated from the University of Vermont in 2009 with a Bachelor's Degree in English and concentration in Sports Journalism. Josh wrote for the school newspaper, the Vermont Cynic, and was the UVM men's hockey reporter for United States College Hockey Online. In 2009, Josh traveled with the team to Washington D.C. for the Frozen Four. It was one of the most improbable underdog runs in Vermont school history.
After graduating, Josh moved to Boston at the height of the Great Recession. He toiled in restaurants and kept a blog called "Boston's Headband." In 2011, Josh earned his big break when he was hired as an entry level Sports Information Specialist at Sports Insights, a leading sports betting analytics company on the North Shore of Boston. Here, Josh learned the betting industry inside and out, slowly rising from a customer service representative to a writer, manager and Betting Hangout host. He created a niche by being a data-driven contrarian sports bettor.
In February of 2019, Josh's first book "The Everything Guide to Sports Betting" with Simon and Schuster was released. He joined VSiN as a Sports Betting Reporter in August of 2019.
In his words...
"I never planned on working in the sports betting industry. I got lucky and stumbled into it. I started betting on sports with my friends in college. Early on, I was a public bettor making all the rookie mistakes I now know to avoid. I rarely won, but I fell in love with the sweat. I love having action on a game and rooting for my bet to win. The adrenaline rush is unparalleled."
"I've now been in the industry for nearly a decade. I've learned a lot along the way. Most importantly: betting is hard but it's not impossible. You can win if you put in the work and bet with your head, not your heart. The key is finding the sweet spot where you can bet against the public, bet with the sharps and place yourself on the side of the house. And always, always get the best number."
"When I'm not betting on sports, I enjoy hanging out with friends and family, being in nature, going to concerts and spending time with my girlfriend, Elise. I also enjoy following politics and current events. I'm a sucker for mobster movies and my all-time favorite show is the Sopranos."
Favorite quote:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena..." -Theodore Roosevelt
Explore where to watch and listen to Josh on The Everything Guide to Sports Betting