MLB Betting Recap: Looking at the top bets for the Week of June 17
by Bovada Sportsbook Staff | June 22, 2012
Interleague play has pushed bettors into betting heavily on the American League, as four of the top five wagers this week are on AL squads.
The team with the heaviest action was the Texas Rangers. The Rangers boast the league’s best record, and were riding a five-game winning streak before entering their June 20 contest with the San Diego Padres. With hot Japanese import Yu Darvish (9-4, 3.45 ERA) on the mound, bettors went nuts on the -190 moneyline, putting down 97 percent of the action on Texas, and put down another 90 percent on the -1.5 (-120) runline. The Rangers came through, beating the Padres 4-2, and putting their interleague winning streak to six. The only place bettors failed to cash in was versus the total, 82 percent of bettors took OVER 7 at -125.
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With the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs competing in their annual “Crosstown Classic”, bettors chose to trust their money with the South side. A whopping 98 percent bet on the White Sox -1.5 runline, damning proof that they had no faith in the bottom feeding Cubs. At -210, bettors shied away from the moneyline, only 78 percent went yard on the Sox. Unfortunately, bettors found out the hard way to never count out an underdog in a rivalry game. Cubs starter Travis Wood allowed only one run in six innings out-dueling Jake Peavy, who pitched nine innings before giving up the late game-winning run. 82 percent of bettors also took OVER 9 at -125 and didn’t come close getting the results they wanted. It’s OK to hedge American League when interleague play kicks, but buyers should beware when crosstown bragging rights are on the line.
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Heavy betting was also on the New York Yankees versus the Atlanta Braves on June 18. New York had a 10-game winning streak going into the game, including a three-game sweep of the surprising Washington Nationals. 89 percent went on the -1.5 (-115) runline, while 75 percent bet the -210 moneyline with CC Sabathia on the mound, and the 2007 Cy Young winner came through. Sabathia was dominant, striking out 10 and giving up two runs on seven hits, helping the Yanks to a 6-2 win. It looks like bettors cashed in on the Yankees streak just in time, as the Yankees lost the next two games versus Atlanta. Another Subway Series is on the horizon, as the Yankees face the Mets in a three-game set next.
In the week’s most surprising betting action, players bet heavy on the St. Louis Cardinals at the Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals and Tigers are both playing .500 ball, but Kyle Lohse was on the mound for St. Louis, and with a 6-2 record and 2.85 ERA they trusted him to keep Detroit’s bats at bay versus an inexperienced Jacob Turner. 85 percent went to the Cards with the -1.5 runline, as the odds in came in at +140, and 66 percent went on the moneyline at -112. Unfortunately, Cards reliever Vic Marte blew his only save chance of the season, allowing a run and earning the 2-1 loss. The good news is that 51 percent of bettors cashed in on the Under, as oddsmakers opened the total at 10.
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