This year's sports betting calendar has been turned upside down because of the coronavirus outbreak. This also spilled over to betting horses at online racebooks such as America's Bookie.
A perfect example of this shake-up is this year's Triple Crown racing series for the top three-year old Thoroughbreds in the nation. The Kentucky Derby usually leads things off the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs as the Crown Jewel of this three-race series. That race will now be run on Sept. 5. The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course near Baltimore will be the series finale on Oct. 3.
Getting things started this Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York is the 2020 Belmont Stakes. Usually the longest race of the three at 1 1/2 miles, this year's event has been shortened to 1 1/8 miles. The official field for Saturday's main event is set at 10 entries.
The prohibitive favorite to win at 6/5 odds on the morning line is Tiz The Law. Trained by Barclay Tagg and ridden by jockey Manual Franco, the Florida Derby winner sets up as the class of the field with some notable three-year old's skipping this event altogether.
Looking at the rest of the field, I have Dr. Post (5/1) finishing second with Modernist (15/1) rounding out the winning trifecta play.
For more coverage of Belmont Park's card of Grade 1 races this Saturday, please check this week's horse betting post at Scores & Stats.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Early Belmont Stakes Betting Futures
The 2020 Triple Crown racing series for the top three-year old Thoroughbreds in the nation has been turned upside down in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The crown jewel of the series is the Kentucky Derby. That race has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5. The second leg of the series is the Preakness Stakes. Normally held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, this year's Preakness at Pimlico Race Course will be run on Oct. 3.
The final Triple Crown race is the longer Belmont Stakes which is usually contested at a length of 1 1/2 miles. This year, this race will lead things off on Saturday, June 20 at a shorter distance of 1 1/8 miles. The projected field only contains eight contenders a week ahead of post time. None the less, horse racing fans and bettors alike are looking forward to the biggest horse race of the year to date.
Whichever three-year old colt crosses the finish line first at Belmont Park next Saturday will move to the top of the betting board to win the 2020 Kentucky Derby. The Belmont Stakes' futures odds at BetOnline sportsbook point to Tiz the Law as the prohibitive favorite to win.
This New York-bred three-year old is coming off a huge victory in this year's Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Barclay Tagg, the son of Constitution has finished in the money in all five events he has run. He crossed the finish line first in four of those races. BetOnline has him listed as a -140 favorite in the eight-horse field.
The betting odds for the other seven Belmont Stakes contenders are:
Tap It To Win +500
Dr Post +700
Sole Volante +800
Modernist +1400
Basin +1600
Max Player +1600
Farmington Road +2200
The final Triple Crown race is the longer Belmont Stakes which is usually contested at a length of 1 1/2 miles. This year, this race will lead things off on Saturday, June 20 at a shorter distance of 1 1/8 miles. The projected field only contains eight contenders a week ahead of post time. None the less, horse racing fans and bettors alike are looking forward to the biggest horse race of the year to date.
Whichever three-year old colt crosses the finish line first at Belmont Park next Saturday will move to the top of the betting board to win the 2020 Kentucky Derby. The Belmont Stakes' futures odds at BetOnline sportsbook point to Tiz the Law as the prohibitive favorite to win.
This New York-bred three-year old is coming off a huge victory in this year's Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Barclay Tagg, the son of Constitution has finished in the money in all five events he has run. He crossed the finish line first in four of those races. BetOnline has him listed as a -140 favorite in the eight-horse field.
The betting odds for the other seven Belmont Stakes contenders are:
Tap It To Win +500
Dr Post +700
Sole Volante +800
Modernist +1400
Basin +1600
Max Player +1600
Farmington Road +2200
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Authentic Leads The Field in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby
The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby has always been a key prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Usually run in early April, this race was instrumental in helping to set the 20-horse field for the annual "Run for the Roses" at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.
This year's coronavirus health crisis has turned everything upside down. Key races like the Santa Anita Derby had to be rescheduled to later in the year. The 2020 Kentucky Derby will now take place on September 5. The Triple Crown racing series will start on Saturday, June 20 with the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in New York. The Preakness Stakes will be run a month after the Kentucky Derby on Oct. 3.
As far as Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, the field has been set with seven entries on the board. The favorite at 4/5 on the morning line is trainer Bob Baffert's Authentic. This three-year old Kentucky-bred colt is undefeated through three previous starts. The son of Into Mischief started the year with a victory in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes. He went on to win the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 7. Both of those preps were run at Santa Anita. With jockey Drayden Van Dyke aboard, Authentic will start from the No. 7 gate.
Going chalk with the favorite, my place horse in this race would be Honors AP at 9/5 followed by Shooters Shoot in the show position at 8/1 odds. If you are looking for a horse at longer odds to work into the mix, Baffert's other entry Azul Coast would be a good choice at 15/1 on the morning line.
This year's coronavirus health crisis has turned everything upside down. Key races like the Santa Anita Derby had to be rescheduled to later in the year. The 2020 Kentucky Derby will now take place on September 5. The Triple Crown racing series will start on Saturday, June 20 with the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in New York. The Preakness Stakes will be run a month after the Kentucky Derby on Oct. 3.
As far as Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, the field has been set with seven entries on the board. The favorite at 4/5 on the morning line is trainer Bob Baffert's Authentic. This three-year old Kentucky-bred colt is undefeated through three previous starts. The son of Into Mischief started the year with a victory in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes. He went on to win the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 7. Both of those preps were run at Santa Anita. With jockey Drayden Van Dyke aboard, Authentic will start from the No. 7 gate.
Going chalk with the favorite, my place horse in this race would be Honors AP at 9/5 followed by Shooters Shoot in the show position at 8/1 odds. If you are looking for a horse at longer odds to work into the mix, Baffert's other entry Azul Coast would be a good choice at 15/1 on the morning line.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
NASCAR's Cup Series Heads to Bristol With Kyle Busch Favored to Win
NASCAR's Cup Series is back in a big way after running four events at Darlington and Charlotte over the past two weeks. This Sunday, the series heads to Bristol Speedway for the Supermarket Heroes 500.
Some of the sport's biggest names have made their way to the Winners Circle during this four-race run including former Cup Series champions' Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. The hottest driver right now is Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Chevrolet. He blew a chance to win the Coca-Cola 600 a week ago but rebounded with a victory at Charlotte this past Thursday.
Two other drivers to watch this Sunday are Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. They are the only two Cup Series drivers with a pair of point race wins this season.
Betting on the race at America's Bookie as a top-rated online sportsbook for NASCAR action, Kyle Busch tops the list as a +350 favorite. The No. 18 Toyota has finished inside the Top 5 in four of eight events this season but the team is still looking for their first point race victory.
This could be the week this team gets that first win with Busch boasting an impressive track record at Sunday's racing venue. Over the course of his Cup Series career which started back in 2005, he has posted eight victories at Bristol including his win in this event last season. His average finishing position at the short track oval is a pedestrian 13.4 but Busch has also won three of his last five Cup Series races here.
The betting odds for the top five drivers are:
1) Kyle Busch +350
2) Martin Truex Jr. +650
3) Kevin Harvick +750
4) Joey Logano +750
5) Chase Elliott +800
I am going chalk with Busch but there is quite a bit of value in Elliott coming off Thursday's win. He would make a good Top 3 bet as well as any head-to-head matchups at plus money.
Some of the sport's biggest names have made their way to the Winners Circle during this four-race run including former Cup Series champions' Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. The hottest driver right now is Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Chevrolet. He blew a chance to win the Coca-Cola 600 a week ago but rebounded with a victory at Charlotte this past Thursday.
Two other drivers to watch this Sunday are Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. They are the only two Cup Series drivers with a pair of point race wins this season.
Betting on the race at America's Bookie as a top-rated online sportsbook for NASCAR action, Kyle Busch tops the list as a +350 favorite. The No. 18 Toyota has finished inside the Top 5 in four of eight events this season but the team is still looking for their first point race victory.
This could be the week this team gets that first win with Busch boasting an impressive track record at Sunday's racing venue. Over the course of his Cup Series career which started back in 2005, he has posted eight victories at Bristol including his win in this event last season. His average finishing position at the short track oval is a pedestrian 13.4 but Busch has also won three of his last five Cup Series races here.
The betting odds for the top five drivers are:
1) Kyle Busch +350
2) Martin Truex Jr. +650
3) Kevin Harvick +750
4) Joey Logano +750
5) Chase Elliott +800
I am going chalk with Busch but there is quite a bit of value in Elliott coming off Thursday's win. He would make a good Top 3 bet as well as any head-to-head matchups at plus money.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Are The Cowboys Overvalued by Oddsmakers?
America's Team has been getting the benefit of the doubt for a number of years. The Dallas Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl title since 1995. Since that point, they have failed to advance past the Divisional Round of the playoffs in 10 trips to the postseason over the span of the past 24 NFL seasons. Yet, the Cowboys remain one of the most popular sports franchise in the nation.
Team owner Jerry Jones finally parted ways with Jason Garrett as the head coach of Dallas after a 10-year run. Former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy takes over the reins heading into the 2020 season and once again expectations are running high in Big D. They will open the season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams as 2.5-point favorites on the opening line out of Las Vegas.
Dallas is a slight +110 favorite to win the NFC East over the Philadelphia Eagles (+115). The Cowboys' odds to win the 2020 NFC Championship at America's Bookie online sportsbook are set at +1000 which is fourth on the list after San Francisco, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. Moving to the NFL futures odds to win Super Bowl LV, they are sixth on that list at +2000.
The Cowboys' projected win total is 9.5 with the odds favoring the OVER at -155. Since 2010, they have won at least 10 games a grand total of three times. The odds they make the playoffs are set at -200 coming off an 8-8 record last season. McCarthy had a fairly successful run in Green Bay but the bar is raise a bit too high heading into his first season at the helm.
The overall popularity of the team has more to do with those lofty odds than its actual chance to make good on any of those bets. Most sports bettors are creatures of habit by nature. They tend to bet their money on what they want to happen as opposed to relying on stats, facts and past betting trends. All the sportsbooks know this and they set the betting odds accordingly.
At this point in the offseason given the additions and losses to the Cowboys' overall roster, they set themselves as a great team to fade when Week 1 rolls around against the Rams. The UNDER on 9.5 wins at +125 is a value play and I love the plus money at +170 odds to miss the playoffs. Just because you want something to happen does not mean it will.
Can The Dallas Cowboys Live Up To The Sportsbook Betting Hype?
Team owner Jerry Jones finally parted ways with Jason Garrett as the head coach of Dallas after a 10-year run. Former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy takes over the reins heading into the 2020 season and once again expectations are running high in Big D. They will open the season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams as 2.5-point favorites on the opening line out of Las Vegas.
Dallas is a slight +110 favorite to win the NFC East over the Philadelphia Eagles (+115). The Cowboys' odds to win the 2020 NFC Championship at America's Bookie online sportsbook are set at +1000 which is fourth on the list after San Francisco, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. Moving to the NFL futures odds to win Super Bowl LV, they are sixth on that list at +2000.
The Cowboys' projected win total is 9.5 with the odds favoring the OVER at -155. Since 2010, they have won at least 10 games a grand total of three times. The odds they make the playoffs are set at -200 coming off an 8-8 record last season. McCarthy had a fairly successful run in Green Bay but the bar is raise a bit too high heading into his first season at the helm.
The overall popularity of the team has more to do with those lofty odds than its actual chance to make good on any of those bets. Most sports bettors are creatures of habit by nature. They tend to bet their money on what they want to happen as opposed to relying on stats, facts and past betting trends. All the sportsbooks know this and they set the betting odds accordingly.
At this point in the offseason given the additions and losses to the Cowboys' overall roster, they set themselves as a great team to fade when Week 1 rolls around against the Rams. The UNDER on 9.5 wins at +125 is a value play and I love the plus money at +170 odds to miss the playoffs. Just because you want something to happen does not mean it will.
Can The Dallas Cowboys Live Up To The Sportsbook Betting Hype?
Saturday, May 16, 2020
NASCAR's Cup Series Return to Betting Action at Darlington
NASCAR's last Cup Series race was on March 8 at Ism Raceway in Phoenix with Joey Logano winning his second point race of the season. Kevin Harvick took second and Kyle Busch rounded out the Top 3. Flash forward more than two months later and the series is gearing up for a restart this Sunday at Darlington Raceway.
Driving the signature No. 18 Toyota, Busch has been opened as a +550 favorite to win the Real Heroes 400. The reining Cup Series champ is looking for his first victory this season with four point races in the book. Denny Hamlin is a +650 second-favorite followed by Harvick at +700.
One of the best ways to bet on any NASCAR Cup Series race at an online sportsbook such as America's Bookie is head-to-head matchups. The driver you bet on does not have to win or even finish in the Top 10. They just have finish in a higher position than the driver they are pitted against in the final running order.
Here are my three 'best bet' picks for this Sunday's top matchups:
Take Kevin Harvick (+145) over Kyle Busch (-115)
Take Chase Elliott (-110) over Martin Truex Jr. (-120)
Take Jimmie Johnson (-115) over Kurt Busch (-115)
Driving the signature No. 18 Toyota, Busch has been opened as a +550 favorite to win the Real Heroes 400. The reining Cup Series champ is looking for his first victory this season with four point races in the book. Denny Hamlin is a +650 second-favorite followed by Harvick at +700.
One of the best ways to bet on any NASCAR Cup Series race at an online sportsbook such as America's Bookie is head-to-head matchups. The driver you bet on does not have to win or even finish in the Top 10. They just have finish in a higher position than the driver they are pitted against in the final running order.
Here are my three 'best bet' picks for this Sunday's top matchups:
Take Kevin Harvick (+145) over Kyle Busch (-115)
Take Chase Elliott (-110) over Martin Truex Jr. (-120)
Take Jimmie Johnson (-115) over Kurt Busch (-115)
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Going Chalk in Both Arkansas Derby Divisions
When it comes to horse racing, the first Saturday in May is all about Churchill Downs and the running of the Kentucky Derby. With the world turned upside down these days, the biggest betting race of the year had to be moved to the first Saturday in September because of the coronavirus. Fortunately, Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas is helping to fill that huge void with the running of two divisions of this year's $1 million Arkansas Derby.
The Grade 1 Arkansas Derby is usually run in early April as the last big prep race ahead of the Kentucky Derby. This year it was pushed back to May 2 as part of a full card at Oaklawn. Interest in this race from the best trainers in the game pushed the entry list to 22 three-year old thoroughbreds. To accommodate that many entries, the race was divided into two divisions with 11 contenders in each run.
Since that point, two horses from each division have been scratched to reduce the field to nine for each race. In Division 1, famed trainer Bob Baffert's Charlatan is a 1/1 favorite on the morning line. Todd Pletcher's Gouverneur Morris is second on the list at 9/2 odds. The rest of the field has a few interesting choices. However, this presents the perfect opportunity to go chalk with an exacta play.
Baffert will be going for the sweep in the next division with Nadal as a the 5/2 favorite. This would be my pick as well after this Kentucky-bred colt won the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in March. Wells Bayou will start from the No. 9 post as a 7/2 second-favorite but my second choice is Storm The Court at 6/1 odds.
Arkansas Derby Division 1
Win: Charlatan
Place: Gouverneur Morris
Show: Shooter's Shoot
Arkansas Derby Division 2
Win: Nadal
Place: Storm The Court
Show: Wells Bayou
LINK: Triple Play at Oaklawn Park, Highlighted By 2020 Arkansas Derby
The Grade 1 Arkansas Derby is usually run in early April as the last big prep race ahead of the Kentucky Derby. This year it was pushed back to May 2 as part of a full card at Oaklawn. Interest in this race from the best trainers in the game pushed the entry list to 22 three-year old thoroughbreds. To accommodate that many entries, the race was divided into two divisions with 11 contenders in each run.
Since that point, two horses from each division have been scratched to reduce the field to nine for each race. In Division 1, famed trainer Bob Baffert's Charlatan is a 1/1 favorite on the morning line. Todd Pletcher's Gouverneur Morris is second on the list at 9/2 odds. The rest of the field has a few interesting choices. However, this presents the perfect opportunity to go chalk with an exacta play.
Baffert will be going for the sweep in the next division with Nadal as a the 5/2 favorite. This would be my pick as well after this Kentucky-bred colt won the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in March. Wells Bayou will start from the No. 9 post as a 7/2 second-favorite but my second choice is Storm The Court at 6/1 odds.
Arkansas Derby Division 1
Win: Charlatan
Place: Gouverneur Morris
Show: Shooter's Shoot
Arkansas Derby Division 2
Win: Nadal
Place: Storm The Court
Show: Wells Bayou
LINK: Triple Play at Oaklawn Park, Highlighted By 2020 Arkansas Derby
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