Play ball!
For quite some time, sports betting enthusiasts in West Virginia have eagerly awaited the announcement of Major League Baseball’s season’s opening on Thursday.
This weekend, you can also catch other sports events such as the PGA Championship, NASCAR, and horse racing at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Mountain Park.
However, all eyes are on MLB, the esteemed sport, as it commences its 60-game schedule spanning 66 days.
Baseball betting is back!
There are several significant changes that bettors will encounter, such as the lack of spectators which diminishes the home-field advantage, as well as the implementation of unique rules for extra-innings.
Over bettors will have an advantage as each half-inning after the ninth will commence with a runner already positioned on second base.
The implementation of regional scheduling will boost rivalries, stimulate fan interest, and enable a comprehensive schedule commencing on Thursday.
At DraftKings Sportsbook WV, the New York Yankees (-141) hold the advantage as favorites in their upcoming match against the defending World Series champions, the Washington Nationals (+125).
This week, the over-under has displayed a fascinating decline, starting at 8.5 and being reduced by a whole run to 7.5.
At 7 p.m., baseball fans are in for a treat as they witness an epic showdown between two renowned strikeout masters, Gerrit Cole of the Yankees and Max Scherzer. This highly anticipated matchup not only marks the opening game but also promises to deliver must-watch baseball action.
The San Francisco Giants will be playing against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 10 p.m. The odds heavily favor the Dodgers with a -295, making it difficult to find value for a Dodgers bettor. However, an alternative bet worth considering is placing a bet on the run line of 7.5, with Johnny Cueto pitching against Clayton Kershaw. On the other hand, if you are a fan of the Giants and believe in their chances, you can go for it with odds of +250.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing as an enticing underdog, commence their season on Friday, facing off against the St. Louis Cardinals.
At DraftKings, Joe Musgrove is listed as +165, while Jack Flaherty is favored at -195 for their matchup in Pittsburgh.
MLB prop betting at WV sportsbooks
You can get in on the Thursday prop action even before the Pirates opener.
Keep in mind that placing a bet on the first player to hit a home run this season is quite tempting, especially considering that the Yankees-Nationals game marks the beginning of the year.
Should the game go without any home runs, the Dodgers and Giants would become attractive options for lucrative contracts.
The odds:
- The odds for Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are +550.
- Juan Soto +650.
- Gleyber Torres +700.
- The combined odds for Eric Thames, Gary Sanchez, and Trea Turner are +1100.
- DJ LeMahieu +1300
- Adam Eaton +1800
Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner, Howie Kendrick, and Luke Voit round out the final four of the Top 10, with odds set at 20-1.
Perhaps you should also consider strategizing. Both Cole and Scherzer are exceptionally dominant pitchers. Is it truly plausible that they will allow the first home run in the game?
In the second game, Dodgers’ players Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger have odds of +5000. Bellinger, who hit 47 home runs last year, has generous odds of 50-1. Justin Turner is +6000 or 60-1.
Due to the assumption that the Yankees-National game is bound to result in a home run, the odds are exceptionally high. However, if you enjoy a bit of trickery, Muncy, Bellinger, and Turner offer higher payouts than anticipated.
Pirates expectations are low
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Pirates’ projected win total is set at 25.5. The odds for betting over this total are -106, while the odds for betting under it are -128.
The odds of winning the NL Central are as follows: FanDuel has the Chicago Cubs and the revamped Cincinnati Reds tied at +230, while the Pittsburgh Pirates, who need to defeat four teams to claim the division title, have staggering odds of +7000. This means that the Pirates are facing a 70-1 challenge to overcome four teams.
Throughout the season, there is a wide array of entertaining league-wide prop wagers available, irrespective of the Pirates’ performance.
Take pleasure in it, simply because you relish being a baseball enthusiast.
A FanDuel sample is provided here.
If the Yankees win against the Nationals on Thursday and a total of eight or more runs are scored, their odds have been boosted to +270.
There is currently a proposition bet available for a player to achieve a batting average of .400 for the season, which offers a payout of +700. The most recent instance of this accomplishment occurred in 1941, when Ted Williams achieved a remarkable batting average of .406.
It is rare for something to occur after a gap of 79 years, and therefore, it should be valued much higher than a mere 7-1. However, considering the limited number of at-bats in a short season, the odds indicate that this outcome is not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
The odds for an individual to collect more than 105.5 strikeouts are -105 for the over and -120 for the under. This provides a betting opportunity that can be followed throughout the year, irrespective of the performance of the bettor’s favorite team.
Betting on the PGA 3M Open
The DraftKings board injected a dose of creativity by accommodating a few esteemed PGA players who have chosen to forgo participating in the upcoming 3M Open commencing on Thursday.
A new feature has been introduced where a top round from the entire tournament will be recommended on a weekly basis. Considering that players like Dustin Johnson or Tony Finau, who secured a position in the Top 10 last week, are participating, do you believe they can outperform all others in a single round? Their odds stand at 20-1, although many other players have even higher odds.
As for the tournament:
- Johnson’s odds of winning are +1200, +275 for finishing in the Top 5, and +150 for the Top 10.
- Finau’s odds are +1400 for winning, +300 for securing a spot in the Top 5, and +150 for making it to the Top 10.
- The odds for Brooks Koepka to win are set at +1400, while his odds for finishing in the Top 5 are +300 and for the Top 10 are +163.
UFC Fight Island: Can Whittaker Rebound?
Since May 9, the UFC has been the reigning force on the weekend stage. However, with the resurgence of baseball, it has faced a decline in public attention.
According to DraftKings, the main event on Saturday between Robert Whittaker and Darren Till in the middleweight category is expected to be a highly competitive match, with Whittaker listed as -120 and Till as -105.
In his most recent fight, Whittaker was defeated by current champion Israel Adesanya in October, resulting in the loss of his middleweight title.
In November, Kelvin Gastelum was defeated by Till through a split decision.
Please take note of the revised schedule for UFC Fight Island. The preliminary fights will now commence at 5 p.m., followed by the main card at 8 p.m.
A big horse betting bang
Praise be to Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, consistently delivering awe-inspiring surprises week after week.
Last week, the track yielded yet another superfecta that paid a significant amount, as some horse betting enthusiasts would describe, with figures resembling “telephone numbers.”
Last Friday’s second race rewarded a staggering $76,969 for a mere $2 superfecta bet.
If you happened to be near the 45-1 underdog, Carson’s Castle, and witnessed its victory over the 13-1 choice Got Any, the 5-2 contender Queen of Anything, and the unexpected 70-1 selection Charitable Amy in the second through fourth positions, then you definitely deserve applause. It is worth noting that Charitable Amy started as a 12-1 option but later skyrocketed to 70-1, resulting in an incredible payout.
Charles Town is overflowing with opportunities, thanks to its abundance of wide-open fields. Unlike other racetracks, where certain horses dominate with odds of 6-5 or even-money, these races at Charles Town lack clear favorites.
Now is an opportune moment to try your luck with a combination of favorites and longshots at West Virginia tracks. When the favorites are questionable, horse betting enthusiasts have a chance to win a substantial amount of money.
If the favorite has odds of 5-2 or higher, take a chance on the five-horse boxes in the 10-cent superfecta for a $12 bet. Keep your fingers crossed for the right longshots to come through.
Charles Town operates from Thursday to Sunday, while Mountaineer Park runs from Sunday to Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Related Articles
