With all due respect to the mediocre New York Mets and disappointing Washington Nationals, it’s starting to look more and more like the NL East Division is going to be a two-team race this season between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Thus, every game the two play against one another is important and they have a three-game set in Atlanta this weekend. The Braves will be series line betting favorites and opened as -127 chalk for Friday.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The Phillies got worse last week and the Braves better. That’s because Philadelphia lost center fielder and leadoff man Andrew McCutchen to a season-ending torn ACL suffered on a rundown play – McCutchen wouldn’t have been hurt if teammate Jean Segura had run out a batted ball. McCutchen was the 2013 NL MVP with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s not that player any longer but was hitting a solid .256 with 10 homers, 29 RBI and a National-League leading 43 walks when he went down.
The good news is the Phillies had recently traded for outfielder Jay Bruce from Seattle, but they still might be in the market for one because of the uncertain status of Odubel Herrera. He’s on administrative leave by MLB because of an alleged domestic violence incident so it’s not clear if he will play again this year or if the Phillies even want him back. The Phillies have money to spend to go trade for whomever they want.
New Hampshire’s sports bettors are but a governor’s signature away from joining the burgeoning ranks of US states with legal wagering markets.
On Thursday, the New Hampshire House of Representatives approved HB480, which will allow the state to offer both land-based and mobile wagering for the first time. The bill was originally approved by the House in March but was tweaked by the state Senate in May, requiring the House to concur with the Senate’s changes.
Concur they did, and now the onus is on Gov. Chris Sununu to sign the bill into law. Sununu has already indicated his support for using some of that sweet, sweet betting cash to plug holes in the state budget, so he’s expected to sign HB480 into law sometime next month.
Once Sununu signs on the dotted line, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission (NHLC), which oversees gambling in the casino-free state, will establish a Division of Sports Wagering to oversee betting activity. The NHLC will then select a maximum of five mobile and up to 10 retail betting operators, with the expectation that legal wagering will be up and running by early 2020.
All the hype around baseball early this week will be on the Subway Series between the New York Mets and Yankees as well as the Freeway Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels. Those are the two biggest media markets in the United States, so the TV networks like ESPN will fawn over them.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
However, there’s only one realistic World Series preview early this week, and that’s Milwaukee Brewers at Houston Astros. They open a two-game set at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, and the Astros will be betting favorites in each game – Houston opened at -150 on the moneyline for Tuesday night’s matchup. Because it’s only a two-game set, there will be no series line because there could obviously be a tie.
Both these teams lost in their respective League Championship Series in 2018, with Milwaukee falling in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston dropping out in five to the Boston Red Sox. The Astros, a former National League team, won their first-ever title the year before. The Brewers have yet to win a title and only have reached one World Series, back in 1982.
One of many clichés in Major League Baseball is that you aren’t supposed to even look at the standings until Memorial Day in the United States, which was Monday. That’s the first “official” checkpoint of each season.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Good news for Philadelphia Phillies fans: Your team has a good chance of playing postseason baseball for the first time since 2011, which was the end of that excellent club’s five-year playoff run that included one World Series title. That’s because the Phillies lead the NL East and around 60 percent of teams that lead their division on Memorial Day have made the postseason since MLB added the first wild-card spot in each league in 1995. Of course, there are now two wild-card spots.
Being in the same tough NL Central Division with the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, a wild-card spot might be the only path to the playoffs for the St. Louis Cardinals. They open a three-game series in Philadelphia on Tuesday night and then these clubs are done playing this regular season. The Phillies opened as -130 betting favorites for Tuesday’s game.
The longest drought of winning the World Series in Major League Baseball belongs to the snake-bitten Cleveland Indians, whose last title was in 1948. The Tribe were oh-so close to ending that in 2016 as they took a 3-1 lead on the Chicago Cubs in the Fall Classic but lost an epic Game 7 at home as the Cubs ended an even longer championship drought.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Cleveland opened this season as a heavy favorite to win a fourth straight AL Central title, but even reaching the postseason could be a challenge now that ace pitcher Corey Kluber is out indefinitely. He suffered a broken right (pitching) forearm last week when he took a line drive off it on a batted ball (estimated at 102 mph) by the Marlins’ Brian Anderson.
True, Kluber was struggling this year with a 2-3 record and 5.80 ERA, but he’s a two-time Cy Young winner and leads all American League pitchers in wins over the past five seasons. It’s the last thing the Indians need because they already are without fellow starting pitcher Mike Clevinger until perhaps July with a back injury, and the team isn’t hitting a lick. The Indians are built to win with their pitching. They are now +2000 to win the World Series.
Pete Rose was once considered to be one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball (MLB) and a shoe-in for the National Baseball Hall of Fame (NBHoF). Everything changed in an instant when he was found guilty of gambling on baseball games in 1989 and banned from baseball. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court overturning a federal law preventing sports gambling in May 2018, baseball’s all-time hit leader is no closer to finding a spot in the Hall and, in fact, his chances appear to be dwindling.
A recent poll conducted by Seton Hall Sports found that 52% of Americans believe MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred should remove the ineligibility ban to give Rose a shot at being inducted into the NBHoF. While the number is still relatively high, its 4% lower than it was when the same poll was conducted two years ago, demonstrating a reduction in support of the removal of the ban.
The NBHoF is not an MLB body. It is a separate, non-profit entity, but its rules prevent any player from being selected if he is on the MLB’s ineligible list.
Rose has been petitioning the MLB to be reinstated several times. However, Manfred has denied the requests and stated in 2015, “It is not part of my authority to make any determination concerning Mr. Rose’s eligibility as a candidate.”
Did you know that it’s federal law that any game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees be shown on national television in the United States? OK, that’s not actually true but it sure seems as if every one between the bitter AL East rivals is on national TV. Makes sense as they are the two most popular franchises in the sport, and it’s baseball’s best rivalry.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The Red Sox and Yankees meet for the first time this season in a two-game series at Yankee Stadium starting Tuesday night. And, yep, both are nationally televised with Tuesday’s on the MLB Network and Wednesday’s on ESPN.
Both expected powerhouses are underachieving thus far. The Yankees have a bit of an excuse as they have been hammered by injuries. Ace Luis Severino might be out until the All-Star break, and starters Miguel Andujar, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton, Troy Tulowitzki and Didi Gregorius are all on the injured list. Andujar might miss the season, while Gregorius isn’t expected back until the All-Star break.
The boys of summer are back, and with a new Major League Baseball (MLB) season comes a summer of betting on the games. Now, happily coinciding with the first few games of the season, a 34-year-old betting ban has been dropped.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the Nevada Gaming Commission has repealed its August 1985 prohibition against sports books allowing bets on Nevada baseball games. Operators can now, if they wish to, allow bets on games played in the state.
This goes against the wishes of the MLB, who petitioned that spring training games held in the state should be disallowed. Sandra Morgan, the current chairwoman of the Control Board, disallowed that request.
The reasoning for dropping the ban was simple enough. Operators take bets on games from all over the country, it doesn’t make much sense to disallow wagers that are geographically local. Commission Chairman Tony Alamo explained:
A few games might already in the bag, but the Major League Baseball (MLB) season really kicks off March 28 with a full slate of games. Before we get the season started, let’s take a look at some futures odds for who’s going to win, care of Oddsshark.com.
In the National League (NL) East, It’s a close race for the division champion between the newly stacked Philadelphia Phillies (12/5) and always disappointing Washington Nationals (12/5). The division could be up for grabs though, as the Braves (3/1) and Mets (11/4) will also have a decent shot. Don’t bet on the Marlins (66/1) though unless you like to live dangerously.
The NL Central looks like it will be a three-way battle between the Cubs (33/20), the Brewers (11/5) and the Cardinals (11/5). Cincinnati (16/1) doesn’t look like a threat, and the Pirates return to their familiar place in miserable failure (16/1).
The NL West, on the surface, looks like a lock for the pennant winning Dodgers (1/2), but don’t count out the Padres (14/1) who have added some top talent and have a strong young roster reminiscent of the 1994 Montreal Expos. Colorado (13/4) has a balanced club with a strong pitching staff, so they pose a real threat as well. The San Francisco Giants (14/1) never look promising on an odd year, and Arizona (12/1) looks a lot worse than last year too, so maybe not worth looking at.
NAB Show is introducing the “Esports Experience,” a new exhibit floor destination located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The interactive area features exhibits, a theater and educational programming that showcase the latest online gaming trends and content delivery technologies. The 2019 NAB Show will be held April 6-11, with exhibits April 8-11.
Starting with the 2019 season, the deal, which encompasses media and gaming rights at both international and domestic levels, propels MLB content into a new era.
Across international markets outside of the U.S., Sportradar will have exclusive distribution rights for official MLB real time game statistics, as collected at every ballpark via the league’s proprietary technology and stat operators, to both media companies and regulated sports betting operators. It also will have exclusive rights to distribute live industry standard audio-visual game feeds to gaming operators outside the U.S. in territories where sports betting is legal.
Credit: Flickr/Sam Churchill
In the U.S., Sportradar will have the same exclusive rights for official real time statistics distribution to media entities in their coverage of Major League Baseball. Sportradar will also serve as the official supplier of MLB’s real time betting data feed in the U.S. where distribution to regulated sports betting operators will be on a non-exclusive basis through Sportradar and additional authorized distributors.
The combination of MLB’s highest quality official data and statistics and state-of-the-art live collection methods with Sportradar’s world-class technology backbone and extensive distribution network will deliver a significant competitive edge to sportsbooks when it comes to in-game betting and liability management.
In addition, with unique access to MLB’s Statcast data, among other statistics, Sportradar will collaborate with MLB to develop and distribute exciting new products to further engage fans and drive additional interest in the sport.
Alongside the commercial partnership, MLB will incorporate Sportradar’s Integrity Services into its existing game integrity protection measures. Sportradar will be monitoring and analyzing every MLB game via its award-winning fraud detection system and providing the MLB with educational components, as well as access to its intelligence and investigations services.
“A high-quality, reliable, and fast official data feed is the building block to creating engaging gaming products for MLB fans,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB Executive Vice President, Gaming & New Business Ventures. “Sportradar, a proven industry leader in data distribution, is perfectly positioned to help MLB deliver an exceptional Official MLB betting feed. We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership will unlock as the sports betting landscape continues to unfold in the U.S.”
“We are truly excited to be working with Major League Baseball as its official global data partner,” said Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar. “This is not only a tremendous opportunity for Sportradar, but ultimately it opens up new doors for MLB fans who have historically shown a proclivity for sophisticated data. We look forward to utilizing our vast global experience as the global leader in the data, AV, and integrity spaces to give fans and partners an unmatched experience.”
Pete Rose might have won a few more bets if he had the same access to data that sports bettors have today. Rubbing more salt in Charlie Hustle’s wounds, Sportradar has announced a new multi-year agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) to provide real time game statistics to media companies and regulated sports betting operators.
The deal also extends Sportradar’s rights to provide audio and visual feeds of games to sports wagering operators.
In exchange for these rights, Sportradar is committing to provide Integrity Services to the MLB. They will monitor games for potential match fixing, and act as an investigation service if anything seems amiss.
“We look forward to utilising our vast global experience as the global leader in the data, AV, and integrity spaces to give fans and partners an unmatched experience,” said Carsten Koerl, CEO of Sportradar.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is beginning to get into full swing. Training camps are active and spring training games have begun over the course of the past week. Always a hit with sports gamblers as they look to start the season strong, MLB would prefer that wagers not be allowed on training games and reached out to Nevada to see if the state’s sportsbooks would play along. The answer should be obvious.
MLB sent a letter to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), asking it to take spring training games out of the sports gambling lineup. It argued that players typically don’t “perform at maximum effort on every single play,” which could “carry heightened integrity risks.” It added that the expansion of sports gambling across the country, following the demise of PASPA last year, has also opened the door to other “integrity risks” surrounding the games.
The league further explained, “Spring Training games are exhibition contests in which the primary focus of Clubs and players is to prepare for the coming season rather than to win games or perform at maximum effort on every single play. These games are not conducive to betting and carry heightened integrity risks, and states should not permit bookmakers to offer bets on them. Limited and historically in-person betting on Spring Training in one state did not pose nearly the same integrity risks that widespread betting on Spring Training in multiple states will pose.”
The NGCB probably thought about the request for all of two seconds (half of which was filled with laughter) before sending the league its response. It replied, “Based on our history and experience in regulating sports wagering, we are not inclined to prohibit our licensed sports books from taking wagers on MLB Spring Training games. We have a common goal to combat sports bribery and maintain the integrity of your sport, and are available to discuss ways we can work together in this effort.”
If someone were making a list of the marquee franchises in Major League Baseball in terms of history, success and worldwide popularity, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers would have to be right at the top and perhaps only behind the New York Yankees.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Yet, the Red Sox and Dodgers franchises have met in the World Series just once: In 1916, the Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins in five games. That Boston team had a pretty good player by the name of Babe Ruth. He was primarily a pitcher then.
Just 102 years later, the Red Sox and Dodgers will meet again in the Fall Classic starting Tuesday with Boston a -165 favorite to win its ninth championship and first since 2013. Los Angeles (+135) came up one game short of a title last year against the Houston Astros and hasn’t won it all since 1988 – the Kirk Gibson World Series against the Oakland A’s.
Many professional sports leagues have argued that they deserve to receive a cut of all sports wagers as a form of “integrity fee” to ensure that gambling doesn’t ruin the sport. This idea has been scoffed at by many and casinos are no exception. During this week’s G2E (Global Gaming Expo) trade show in Las Vegas, a panel was held to discuss the hot-button topic of sportsbooks and sports leagues, with Major League Baseball (MLB) once again defending its position that the integrity fee is justified.
No one was as vocal as Kenny Gersh, MLB’s Executive VP of Gaming. He told casino executives that a small fee – 0.25% – is virtually a royalty that casinos should be willing to pay for making money off sports. He basically said it wouldn’t be fair not to charge the fee.
Gersh elaborated, “The state is going to designate these three, four, five very specific licensed entities: You guys get the right to make money from sports betting. From a fairness perspective we think, if you are going to designate someone to be able to make money off of what at the end of the day is our sport and our events because if the Yankees weren’t playing the Red Sox last night, you are not betting on the Yankees and the Red Sox … we think we should be involved in that.”
Gersh’s view of the situation was blasted by the American Gaming Association’s senior VP of public affairs, Sara Slane. She said, “I mean, look, you want a cut of the revenue without any of the risk that’s associated with it. That’s why we have to go through the regulatory process. We invest billions of dollars in buildings, in our licenses that cost us millions of dollars to go through. You want us to take that risk, pay you and then you are going to benefit on the back end as well … What you guys are proposing is not financially viable.”
You can say two things for sure are true about Major League Baseball on September 1: Rosters expand and it’s the official start of the stretch run to the postseason. Thus, now is a great time to check out the updated World Series odds at sportsbooks.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
One quick aside about the rosters expanding: Expect most MLB games to take even longer than usual the rest of the way. That’s because managers can essentially use relievers, pinch-runners or pinch-hitters at will. It is a chance for fans of lousy teams to see potential young impact players ahead of next season. Some top prospects, though, will stay in the minors for service time/financial reasons.
The Boston Red Sox are the +333 favorites to win their fourth World Series since 2004 – before that, they hadn’t won a Fall Classic since 1918. The Sox should be favored because the have the best record in baseball, and thus home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, plus a top AL Cy Young candidate in Chris Sale and top AL MVP leader in J.D. Martinez.
How ridiculously good is the American League at the top in 2018? And how ridiculously bad is the AL at the bottom? Well, the latter is a story for another day.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Never in MLB history has one league had three 100-win teams in a single season, but the Junior Circuit has three on pace to top triple digits this year: the Boston Red Sox (106 victories), Houston Astros (103) and New York Yankees (102).
Shoot, there could be a fourth in the AL as the Seattle Mariners had been on pace for 100 victories but fell off slightly right before the All-Star break. There have never been four teams overall in MLB history to win 100 games in a single season.
The New York Yankees have the best winning percentage in baseball as of this writing, so it’s no surprise that the Bombers are +500 favorites to win their first World Series title since 2009. Yet, the Yankees might not even win their own division – the Boston Red Sox are right there in the AL East – and they also clearly have some issues in the rotation.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The team recently lost young left-hander Jordan Montgomery, the No. 5 starter, to season-ending Tommy John surgery. Then, No. 2 starter Masahiro Tanaka injured both hamstrings running the bases – another argument for the NL adding the designated hitter as it happened during an interleague game – and will miss about a month.
As it was, the Yankees had questions in the rotation behind ace and All-Star Luis Severino. It’s all but a lock that New York will trade for a frontline starting pitcher, perhaps Texas’ Cole Hamels, as it has the need, the money and the prospects to do so. Now that we are into mid-June, trade talks should start heading up, with the non-waiver trade deadline July 31.
Major League Baseball (MLB) has forbid its teams and their broadcast partners from accepting advertising from sports betting companies.
On Wednesday, New Jersey news outlet ROI-NJ reported on a June 8 memo that MLB’s deputy commissioner and chief legal officer Dan Halem sent to television and radio rights holders, reminding them that “they are presently not permitted to accept” advertising from sports betting operators.
Halem added that MLB clubs “may not at this time enter into any relationship with a pure sports book, or with a casino with a sports book to the extent that the arrangement involves sports betting.” Halem clarified that this week’s owners’ meeting would address how to develop “appropriate policies in this very complicated area.”
The memo appears to be in reaction to an advertising purchase by Dennis Drazin, head of the company that runs New Jersey racetrack Monmouth Park, which is scheduled to take the Garden State’s first legal sports wager at 10:30am on Thursday.
A former New York Yankee player and manager came to the New York state capitol on behalf of Major League Baseball on Wednesday to advocate for a new state law regulating betting on sports.Legislation, New York, Gambling, Sports Betting, Sports, MLB
What has happened to the Arizona Diamondbacks? They tied an MLB record with nine straight series wins to open the season, becoming the first National League team since the 1907 Chicago Cubs to accomplish that; the record-setting 2001 Seattle Mariners did it in the American League.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Following a 12-inning victory at the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 8, the Diamondbacks still hadn’t lost a series. They had the best record in the National League easily at 24-11 and led the NL West by 3.5 games. However, Arizona has won just one game since then and has coughed up the division lead to the Colorado Rockies.
Still, the Diamondbacks remain the +130 favorites to win the NL West, although those odds are much different from a few weeks ago. The Snakes’ slump has brought the five-time defending champion Dodgers (+300) very much back into play to win the West again. They were nine games back on May 8. The Rockies are +333 to win the West for the first time ever.
