Category Archives: MLB

Rays vs. Twins MLB betting preview

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Anyone for a Tampa Bay Rays-Minnesota Twins ALDS or ALCS? Could happen, although the various networks that televise Major League Baseball’s playoffs would hate that with two small-market, rather anonymous teams. The Rays and Twins open a three-game series at Target Field on Tuesday. Minnesota will be the series betting favorite, and opened as -120 chalk for Tuesday’s contest at sportsbooks.

It’s too early to say any team is a “lock” anything in MLB, but the Twins would have to suffer a mega-collapse to not win the AL Central Division for the first time since 2010. Minnesota is easily the biggest surprise in baseball under first-year manger Rocco Baldelli, who has to be the leading AL Manager of the Year candidate. After finishing 23rd in the majors last year in home runs, the Twins are first in 2019 with 147 and on a potential record pace. Just not sure they have the pitching to really be taken seriously as pennant contenders.

Tampa Bay led the AL East for much of the season but has fallen off a bit. It still leads the AL Wild-Card race. It’s a credit to this team’s front office that the Rays annually overachieve because they have the worst stadium situation in the four major American pro sports leagues, draw no fans and have the lowest payroll in the majors.

Wrigley Field could get its own sportsbook

According to a report by ESPN, the iconic Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs, in Chicago, Illinois could be getting its own sportsbook. At least, that might be a plan set in motion by the Cubs, provided they can get approval from Major League Baseball (MLB) for the venue. The sportsbook would see a physical location in the stadium, as well as betting kiosks in strategic places on the perimeter.

Sports gambling hasn’t yet been legalized in Illinois, but it most likely won’t be too much longer before the go-ahead is given. A bill drafted by the Senate, Senate Bill 690 (SB 690), has already been approved by legislators and now only needs the signature of Governor J.B. Pritzker to be converted into law. Pritzker will reportedly sign the bill this week.

In preparation for legalization, the Cubs, and other sports organizations in the state, have been getting ready to launch sportsbooks. However, the Cubs will only admit to being in early discussions about the possibility without acknowledging that it has official plans in place.

Even if the Cubs, or any other MLB franchise in the country, wanted to put a sportsbook at its stadium, there is still one last hurdle to jump. The league has to agree to allow the teams to offer sports gambling, and it has yet to do so. An MLB spokesperson told ESPN, “We will work with our clubs to explore the opportunities presented by the rapidly evolving sports betting landscape in a socially responsible manner.”

White Sox vs. Cubs MLB betting preview

Major League Baseball‘s interleague series between the New York Yankees and Mets is called the Subway Series. Easy to remember. When the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers play, it’s called the Freeway Series. Makes sense.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

When the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs play each year … well, the names have varied. There have been titles like the Red Line Series, the Windy City Showdown, North-South Showdown, City Series, Crosstown Cup, Crosstown Series and Crosstown Showdown.

Nowadays, it’s generally referred to as the Crosstown Classic, and the South Side White Sox open a two-game set on the North Side of Chicago at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. The teams play two at Guaranteed Rate Field, eight miles south of Wrigley, to close the first half of the season.

Philadelphia vs. Atlanta MLB betting preview

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 legislature okays mobile, retail sports betting

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.

Milwaukee vs. Houston MLB betting preview

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.

Cardinals vs. Phillies series betting preview

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.

World Series odds update: May betting futures

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’s chances of entering baseball Hall of Fame falling every day

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.”

Rival Yankees, Red Sox in pick’em on Tuesday MLB odds

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.

Nevada repeals local baseball wagering ban

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:

Baseball Odds Primer: MLB divisional odds

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 To Feature New ‘Esports Experience’

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.”

MLB signs deal with Sportradar to ensure integrity

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.

MLB asks Nevada not to accept spring training bets, state says no

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.”

Red Sox favorites vs. Dodgers on 2018 World Series Prices

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.