Sports MarketWatch
MLB Edition
8/1/2008 4:00 PM EST
By The Team at SportsInsights.com
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Sports Marketwatch – MLB Edition, where the Team at SportsInsights gives sports fans unprecedented insight into the sports marketplace. If you ever wanted to know what was really happening on the sportsbook side, you now have an all-access pass with Sports Marketwatch! Sports MarketWatch will be published weekly on Friday, normally by 5PM Eastern Time.
The staff at SportsInsights.com speaks directly with the line managers at some of the sports betting industry’s largest sportsbooks about which games the public is chasing and the Sharps are pounding. We’ll take a look at what’s in store for upcoming games.
Sports Marketplace – MLB Edition
The MLB MarketWatch continued its see-saw season, going 0-3 last weekend after a 3-0 record the previous week. We’re now in the “dog days of August” – and although some people would think that the playoff contenders step it up against the underdogs – SportsInsights’ research shows that “betting against the public” has a positive bias throughout the season.
2008 MLB Games to Watch: 11-20, 35.5%, -6.85 units
Sports MarketWatch – MLB Games to Watch
Oakland A’s + 132 over Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have struggled in the second half of the season, but the public is still pounding them at a rate of almost 3 out of every 4 bets (including teasers and parlays). Perhaps the public believes that a “Manny-less” Red Sox team will have more positive energy.
Although the Red Sox may have rid itself of a negative and distracting influence in the clubhouse, Manny’s bat will be hard to replace. Oakland is below .500 – but is only 6 games out of the wildcard slot. Oakland has also struggled recently, winning just 2 of their last 10 games – and are a solid contrarian value play.
Oakland A’s +132
Detroit Tigers +164 over Tampa Bay Rays
This game was circled by our sportsbooks contacts due to some early sharp money taking the Detroit Tigers. The public is mostly on the AL East-leading TB Rays – at a rate of almost 2 out of every 3 bets (including teasers and parlays). Even with the heavy backing of the public, the line has moved down from the opener of TB -183 to TB -173.
We’ll grab the juicy “plus odds” on the Tigers and tag along with the sharps and the smart money.
Detroit Tigers +164
Atlanta Braves +115 over Milwaukee Brewers
The public is betting on the Brewers like the NL Wild Card leading Brewers are the 1927 Yankees. Early figures have almost 85% of the bets landing on the visiting Brew-Crew. We’ll grab a little home-cooked action with the home team Atlanta Braves at plus odds.
We note that Atlanta has one of the best home records in baseball at 32-23. If they improve on the road, the Braves might get back in the playoff hunt.
Atlanta Braves +115
Games to Watch (11-20, -6.85 units)
Oakland A’s +132
Detroit Tigers +164
Atlanta Braves +115
It should be another exciting weekend in the sports marketplace. Keep Sports MarketWatch picks handy and your browser pointed to SportsInsights.com for the latest real-time updates, using our exclusive Sports Investing tools.
We’ll be back next Friday with the new edition of the Sports Marketwatch – MLB Edition.
Enjoy the games!