Interest in NBA revolves around Lebron
Abig man Deandre Ayton might have starred in the NBA draft as the No. 1 pick, but the league has upstaged its own show with the drama surrounding Lebron James.
There wasn’t much intrigue Thursday beyond seeing how long it would take before Michael Porter Jr. was chosen. He was finally chosen 14th by Denver.
We couldn’t bet the draft in Las Vegas, and it’s just as well because nobody
Giancarlo Stanton, plus $300; Mike Trout, plus $400; J.D. Martínez, plus $450; Aaron Judge, plus $700.
Stanton’s most dramatic moment as a Yankee came Wednesday when he smashed a walk-off home run against Seattle. The boos turned to cheers for Stanton, who is the home run favorite after slugging 59 a year ago. But entering the weekend, he trailed Trout 23-18.
Trout is the minus 700 favorite to win the AL MVP. Boston’s Mookie Betts and Martínez are next, both at plus 700.
The growth industry in sports betting is in-game wagering. The odds change constantly, and they can make a heavy favorite a more attractive bet.
Let’s say that a team is minus 300 because it has a huge edge with its starting pitcher. The bookies tell you that the most important factor in putting odds on a game is the starters. But in those circumstances, laying $300 to win $100 is not a way to make money. You’ll be swimming upstream after a couple of $300 losses. But with in-game, you can look for better payoffs.
Take Monday, when Houston closed at minus 300 looking for its 12th straight win and facing Tampa Bay. In that situation, the best advice we could give was to pass on the pregame and hope that the underdog scored first. And that’s exactly what the Rays did, scoring two in the top of the first. The spread dropped in-game on Houston to even money. Bettors who struck at that point were rewarded with a 5-4 win.
The point is, there are many ways to enjoy baseball outside of the daily grind. Remember, cashing tickets is what it’s all about.
Brent Musburger’s betting column appears Saturday in the Las Vegas Review-journal. His show on the
Vegas Stats & Information Network can be heard on Siriusxm 204 and livestreamed at reviewjournal.com/ vegas-stats-information-network.