Three, Fo, Fo? Astros Eye Perfection as World Series Begins
Three, Fo, Fo? Astros Eye Perfection as World Series Begins
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Marcus DiNitto here, pinch-hitting for Travis Pulver, who is on well-deserved break …
We are in the weeks of the calendar that sports bettors’ dreams are made of – the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL are all in action – and baseball takes center stage with the World Series underway Friday night.
Houston’s run to the Fall Classic brings back memories of “fo fo fo.” Moses Malone’s bold prediction of a perfect 76ers postseason fell a game short in 1983, and while “three fo fo” doesn’t have quite the same ring, the Astros storm into the Fall Classic off a pair of sweeps.
Going an unblemished 11-0 through three playoff series is obviously a tall order, but believers can find +850 odds at DraftKings on the Astros sweeping the Phillies.
Shop around: The best sports betting apps on the market
Gaming Today’s Dan Holmes, who has been all over these MLB Playoffs, digs into some more World Series props and offers up some serious longshots to consider.
Among them: Alex Bergman at +1300 to hit the most home runs during the fortnight, and maybe a sprinkle on Kyle Schwarber at +2500 to tally the most hits.
Let’s call the consensus World Series price Houston -185, Philadelphia +160. With Justin Verlander getting the ball, the Astros can had for -165 in Game 1, while some books offer Phillies +145 behind Aaron Nola.
Dan also examines the series price and Game 1 lines and serves up a prediction to consider.
NFL Week 8
The week’s pro football action kicks off with a bang Thursday night, as the Ravens visit the Bucs.
The point spread for this tussle has jumped the fence on multiple occasions. Look-ahead lines priced it Bucs -3, and the Westgate SuperBook hung Bucs -2 a few hours after Tampa Bay lost in Carolina 21-3 last Sunday. It didn’t take long for the number to swing in Baltimore’s direction, reaching Ravens -1.5 on some oddsboards. As we look at screens about four hours before kickoff, we’re seeing Tampa Bay back to favorite status, listed at -2 at most bet shops. Savvy shoppers can find -1.5 out there as well (hint: check FanDuel).
The Bradys have lost four of their last five games, including two in a row as double-digit favorites. The Lamars have alternated between wins and losses all season and can’t seem to hold a lead. Neither team will be short on motivation tonight, their positions in the standings precarious.
Bob Christ breaks down the game and predicts more trouble in paradise for Tampa Bay. In his props analysis, Cyrus Eshaghoff fades Tom Brady but eyes the Over on skill guys from either squad.
More from our NFL Week 8 coverage:
Dave Bontempo reports bettors are not buying Justin Fields as the Bears head to Dallas
Ken Bates offers three picks – two totals, plus a point spread
Jim Robinson follows his strategies and lands on a pair of large underdogs
Survivor Pool Carnage
The Patriots went down as 8.5-point home favorites to the Bears on Monday night. That was after the aforementioned blank the Bucs fired in Charlotte. Add in a few smaller surprises, and survivor pool contestants continue to be wiped out across the country. There are only 125 survivors out of 6,133 in the contest at the majestic Circa Sports in Las Vegas.
If you’re one of the fortunate few still hanging in there, check out Jim Robinson’s Week 8 survivor picks.
From the Books
Gaming Today’s Kris Johnson caught up recently with Chris Andrews, the bookmaking legend who runs the shop at Vegas’ South Point.
The 2022 Sports Betting Hall of Fame inductee dishes on the primary influences of his illustrious career (some of the familial), how the ’99 Rams cost him big, the Pickett vs. Trubisky debate around his beloved Steelers, and his authorial side hustle.
Check out the full Q&A here. It’s well worth the read.
Meanwhile, the bookmakers competing in Bookies Battle 2022 are righting the ship. After three straight losing weeks to start the season, consensus plays are on a four-week run of .500 or better, including two stand-out performances. Last week, consensus picks went a nifty 10-4, and are now 55-50-3 on the season. While that’s an exact break-even clip, we’re trending in the right direction.
Check out the leaderboard — topped by Kalen Carlisle (Wynn), with industry stalwarts Jason Scott (BetMGM) and Jay Rood (Bally Bet) just a game behind — right here. Picks close at 8:15 pm ET tonight, so hit that same page then to see who the oddsmakers are on this week.
Speaking of Bookies Battle, the mythical Roxy Roxborough recently shared this clip from Gaming Today of yore.
Promo Round-Up
Here’s just a sampling of offers from top sportsbooks app this week
DraftKings: 100% boost on your Same Game Parlay
FanDuel: World Series Same Game Parlay Insurance
BetMGM: All kinds of One Game Parlay odds boosts for TNF
BetRivers: Win your share of $500,000 in Free Bets by participating each week in the Same Game Parlay Contest.
Caesars: Get 25% NFL Parlay Boost on Bucs-Ravens.
Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer.
We’re signing off for now. …
Please shoot me an email at marcus.dinitto@catenamedia.com or hit me up on Twitter @MarcusDiNitto with any complaints, comments, suggestions, or other feedback on our coverage here at Gaming Today. Or just to say hello. I love to chat about sports betting.
Enjoy the games this weekend, always bet within your means, and may all your wagers be winners.
Marcus DiNitto, Senior News Editor, Gaming Today