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!
The Team at SportsInsights.com