Analyze This: Bettors Go Big on Texas
by Bovada Sportsbook Staff | September 14, 2012
With almost every top team going through pre-playoff drama, players chose to mess with Texas.
Amidst all of the hoopla in the American League East and Central, the mishandling of the pitch count in Washington and the continued free fall of the Houston Astros, the Texas Rangers (85-58) have quietly been going about their business. Considering they have Josh Hamilton, a player with a history of substance abuse, it’s amazing things have been so quiet.
But in a tumultuous MLB betting season the Rangers may be the most reliable bet in the Bovada Sportsbook next to the Nationals. And with the always bad Kansas City Royals (65-78) on the schedule players were quick to jump on the odds. Two games in the Rangers at Royals series topped our top five bets this week.
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Bettors dove in starting with Game 2 (on Sept. 4). We offered the Rangers as runline favorites on the road at EVEN and 94 percent didn’t hold back, another 93 percent took the -157 moneyline. Matt Harrison (16-9, 3.36 ERA) was on the mound for Texas, looking to rebound after giving up seven runs to the Tampa Bay Rays in his previous start. Things looked solid until the 3rd; once the Royals were able to get on the scoreboard Harrison was rattled, giving up five runs (three earned) in 4.2 innings of work. The Texas bats were no help, allowing Jeremy Guthrie (7-12, 5.06 ERA) to shut them down after giving up two runs early, he led the Royals to a 6-3 final.
We expected reluctance after that unexpected final,
One series that surprisingly didn’t earn more action was the New York Yankees at the Baltimore Orioles. Having MLB odds on the Yankees versus a divisional rival is like having ex-President Bill Clinton speak at a Democratic Convention. But only one game squeaked our top five wagers.
Bettors chose CC Sabathia and the Yankees in Game 3 of the series on September 8. Seventy-nine percent took the Yankees as runline road favorites, another 83 percent bet the -161 runline.
The game was intense, as both squads have been going back-and-forth as AL East leaders. Only the Bovada Sportsbook and a small percentage of bettors left the game happy.
The Orioles lost outfielder Nick Markakis after a Sabathia pitch broke his left thumb, he’ll be out for six weeks. And the Yankees were irate on how the game ended, Mark Teixeira was called out at first base at the end of a double play despite safely sliding into first. Baltimore squeaked by with the 5-4 win, but lost its leadoff hitter.
As the regular season winds down we’ll see if bettors gravitate even more to teams who are jockeying for playoff position.
Place your bets down the stretch. Bet on MLB odds at Bovada.
