Swing Batter, Batter. Swing Batter, Batter…

Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...

Nov 03, 2022

Swing, batter, batter, swing! While those may be the lyrics to a country music song made famous by Trace Adkins, it's also been the theme of the last two games of the World Series. Philly couldn't get a hit last night against the Astros, and the night before, Houston got just a few hits and struggled at the plate.

Houston fans (like myself) are hoping Philly has similar issues tonight in Game 5 (more on the World Series in a minute).

Bettors looking to take a swing at a few markets have plenty of options this weekend. Not only is there a full slate of college football action on deck, but we have the NFL, Breeders’ Cup, NBA, NHL, and remaining World Series games. Oh, and the college basketball season gets underway Monday!

Maximize your bankroll: The best bonuses sportsbooks have to offer

So many options… let's talk about a few of them!

2022 World Series

The notion of an Astros sweep to complete the postseason was quickly tossed out the window with a Philly win in Game 1. Did Houston look a lot better than the Phillies during the regular season? Of course, but the Phillies have been bringing their A+ game when it matters most and are not making it easy for Houston.

Okay, but how should you approach betting on the World Series? As a fan of the Astros, I'm a little biased, but our Dan Holmes is offering some great coverage of the Fall Classic. Read his take on Game 5 here at Gaming Today.

But if you are like me and prefer to bet on props, you may find this post by Craig Williams helpful:

World Series Game 5 Player Props & Home Run Bets: Verlander, Syndergaard Battle For Series Lead

Live World Series odds

NFL Week 9

While the Phillies are fighting for a championship tonight, sports fans in the City of Brotherly Love are not solely focused on baseball. Their Eagles look to remain the NFL's lone undefeated team when they face off against the Texans in Houston. If Philly fans want more favorable odds, the percentages certainly favor the Eagles:

On Sunday, there are fewer games than usual to choose from, with six teams on byes this week. But there are plenty of great markets and a few outstanding matchups bettors can enjoy. Need some help figuring out who to put your money on? No worries – our writers published a lot of great content this week:

NFL Week 9 Lines

Elsewhere in the Wide World of Sports Betting…

The World Series is awesome, and so is the NFL, but they are not the only games in town this weekend. The college football season is heating up now that the first CFP rankings are out. Tennessee is in the top spot, but the Vols will have a hard time holding onto it with Georgia on deck Saturday.

I'm surprised the Vols are 8-point underdogs; I can't imagine this game not being close like the Alabama game was. But for some reason, the Vols are not getting the credit they deserve. What does that mean as far as bettors are concerned?

Even if you don't think they can win outright, take Tennessee and the points.

Anyway… here's some excellent college football content our writers have produced this week:

The world championships of horse racing are also on tap Friday and Saturday from Kenneled in Kentucky. Start your handicapping here:

This Week On The Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…

It's been busy on the legal/betting landscape over the last week, with a few states getting close to launching. In-person betting is already live in Maryland. Online betting should launch by the end of the year. The DraftKings promo will undoubtedly be hard for bettors to pass up -- $200 in free bets and a shot at a $100,000 free bet. PointsBet has a pretty nice deal, too. Sign me up!

As Ohio continues to make progress, Pete Rose has landed back in the news. And people in California will be voting on a couple of propositions on Election Day that could lead to legal online betting in the Golden State. Although, it doesn’t look good for online betting.

Elsewhere on the legal/business landscape:

Sportsbook Promotions: November 3, 2022

The following sportsbook promos could come in handy this weekend:

DraftKings: Bet $5 on any moneyline, Win $200 (eight $25 free bets)
BetRivers: World Series SGP Bet and Get! Place a real-money $50 Same Game Parlay on any game of the World Series, and get a $1 free bet for every strikeout recorded in that game!
Caesars: Get a 33% NFL Parlay Boost on Eagles-Texans (or one of Sunday's games)
FanDuel: Bet $5 on NBA, and Get 3 months of NBA League Pass!

Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer.

Beginner's Beat: What the Heck is Chalk?

As you read more about sports betting online or listen to podcasts or TV shows, you will frequently hear references to 'chalk.' The conversation/article/podcast can become a bit confusing if you don't know what they are talking about. So, what are they talking about?

Chalk refers to the betting favorite, usually a heavy favorite.

I know your next question: Where did that come from in the world? Back in the day, before modern technology brought computerized screens and tickers to horse tracks, books used chalkboards to list odds for horses in upcoming races. Since bettors often tend to bet on the favorites, the odds for those horses were erased and updated frequently.

In time, that horse's name would become covered in chalk dust.

That’s it for the GTP this week, Trace.

I’m not afraid of you, cowboy. But there will be another one next week.

That's it for this edition of the Gaming Today Playbook. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much or more as I enjoyed writing it. If you have any questions or want to request a topic to get covered in a future newsletter, you can reach me via email at travis.pulver@catenamedia.com or via Twitter at @FatManWriting.

To close out the GTP this week, I want to share this gem from the PointsBet Twitter account. It doesn't have anything to do with betting, but it's funny: