MLB betting is in full swing, albeit with curveballs being tossed along the way.
The PGA has a major championship, certain to attract betting attention.
NASCAR has a terrific two-race package on Saturday and Sunday.
West Virginia horse racing continues to unfurl diamonds to gamblers at certain times.
Let’s look at what the West Virginia sports betting crowd is taking notice of in the Mountain State this weekend.
WV sports betting fans toast the New York Yankees
No team has captured the gambling imagination like the New York Yankees. By midweek, they were on an incredible tear. They had a streak of six consecutive games of not only winning but covering the 1.5 runs margin. Twice they rallied in their final at-bats to not only triumph but also cover the runs line.
Contrarian bettors will believe it is time for a change. The Bronx Bombers have an extended road swing. They visit the elite Tampa Bay Rays for the weekend.
Top pitcher Gerrit Cole, 3-0, will probably pitch Sunday for New York. Friday’s matchup is scheduled to be James Paxton versus Blake Snell, but don’t hold MLB to it. Matchups are changing all the time.
FanDuel Sportsbook is likely to make Tampa Bay the favorite in at least one game. Keep a good eye on that. The Yankees have only been an underdog once this entire season.
Before visiting Tampa Bay, the Yankees have a midweek doubleheader at the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night. That brings one of baseball’s newest regulations into play.
The seven-inning doubleheader became reality.
All doubleheaders will have two seven-inning games. This will be a tough situation for bettors because the crucial eighth inning, in which bullpens often collapse, has been taken out of play.
Over the past week in baseball, there were several instances in which eighth-inning rallies changed the outcomes of games and the over-unders.
But baseball has no choice in implementing these measures. After a COVID-19 outbreak, both the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins lost more than an entire week of action. The only way to satisfy the 60-game, 66-day stretch required to complete this season is to pile up the doubleheaders.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, a popular team among West Virginia bettors, will gain an extra look this weekend. They host the Detroit Tigers.
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Baseball betting tip
The key to long-term winning is maximizing the hot streaks that come from your hunches. And your hunches are derived from picking up a trend on one of the teams and riding it while your instincts guide you.
Take the case of the San Francisco Giants in the middle of last week. They won a game via walk-off homer by Mike Yastrzemski against the San Diego Padres and then got on a hitting hot streak.
The Giants won a weekend series at home from the Texas Rangers and the over triumphed every time. The next time you sense this, you can ride it by not only taking the over but using the team to win in a parlay. The two-teamer will give you at least 5-2 odds back in most cases, often more.
PGA Unfurls A Major
Since its inception in 1916, the PGA Championship has evolved into one of the world’s premier sporting events. This Championship, which starts Thursday, is one of four majors in men’s professional golf, joining:
- The Masters
- US Open
- The Open
Justin Thomas is +900 at DraftKings WV Sportsbook to win the tournament. He is +225 to finish in the Top 5 and +120 to hit the Top 10. The latter bet seems like good value.
- Brooks Koepka is +1100 on the win line, +300 for Top 5 and +150 for Top 10.
- Bryson DeChambeau is +1500 to win, +400 for Top 5 and +175 to hit the Top 10.
- Jon Rahm has +1500 odds to win, +300 on the Top 5 line and +175 for the Top 10.
- Rory McIlroy stands +1500 to win +300 for the Top 5 and +175 for the Top 10.
Do you think Tiger is ready to break out?
Golfing great Tiger Woods is 33-1 to win, +650 on the Top 5 line and +335 to hit the Top 10. There is always Tigermania when he appears, so check the different hole-by-hole props along the way.
NASCAR Doubles Up
NASCAR has been blazing hot with bettors since its mid-May return. And it has two premier races set for the weekend.
First is the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday at 4 p.m. Right behind that is the Consumer Energy 400 on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Both come from the Michigan International Speedway.
The FireKeepers matchup is interesting, denoting the gaming-NASCAR partnership. FireKeepers was one of the first casinos ever to sponsor a NASCAR race when it debuted a handful of years back.
NASCAR big names? They are like throwing darts at a board. Anyone can win on any week.
Brad Keselowski prevailed last weekend and is probably the most consistent driver in the Top 10 since the tour returned.
Other hot hitters include:
- Kevin Harvick
- Denny Hamlin
- Joey Logano
- Chase Elliott
- Ryan Blaney
- Martin Truex Jr.
BetMGM WV Sportsbook will usually list the possible winners at odds of greater than 5-1. Check it to find values close to the time of the race.
As the races get close, expect all three WV online sports betting apps to offer interesting props like three-way matchups, group racing, top manufacturers and top battles within each manufacturer (i.e. top Ford, etc).
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Mountain State Moolah and Magic: The Tracks Deliver Again
We continue a weekly salute to Mountain State horse racing, as Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Mountaineer Park are able to deliver some major returns.
WV horse racing fans can bet online on the horse betting app, TVG.
The patterns are subtly changing, but bettors can adjust to the return of smaller fields in many races. In those events, there is less risk and reward.
The exceptions are races in which there is no favorite under 3-1, or you don’t like the one that is. Those events are becoming rarer as the inventory shrinks (other tracks are opening and taking some of the horses), but they still happen.
Charles Town stepped up with its eighth race Thursday, uncorking a $2 exacta worth $507 and a $2 superfecta paying a whopping $45,396.
First, the elements were there. Maiden-claiming $5,000. Bottom of the barrel. And then a nine-horse field.
What made the payout? A lot of late money went to two horses, Liar and In Awe Again. But they both flopped. Even-money favorite Liar never even threatened.
The superfecta field included victorious A Foolish Smile at 19-1, Man of Chrome at 13-1, Unbelievable Story at 9-1 and Village Prince at 7-1. This was the signature pattern in this type of race. The public couldn’t decide who to make the favorite and the ultimate favorites ran out of the money.
