Bookmaker's Corner: MLB Baseball Betting: Daily Props
by Richard Gardner | Bodog Sportsbook Manager - 4/16/2010
Let’s face it – we don’t have much patience these days. If we want something, we want it now. Come to think of it, we wanted it five minutes ago. That’s just how it is in the Internet age, where it’s all about instant gratification. At Bodog’s online sportsbook, we see it every day.
Take betting on baseball. It used to be you’d bet on the winner of the game, sit back, watch the game, and find out if you won. That simply won’t cut it anymore. Too much downtime; not enough action.
Today’s baseball bettors want to bet on everything they can, and the sooner they can find out if they won, the better.
Besides, people have busy lives and nine innings can take a long time.
We offer a wide-ranging selection of MLB props at Bodog and the most popular ones by far involve betting on results that don’t require much waiting around. Which team will score first? Will there be a run scored in the first inning? Which team will score three runs first? Notice how we don’t have a prop that asks which team will score last. Maybe we’ll add that one in the playoffs when people actually make the time to watch an entire game.
It reminds me of the Super Bowl, where we book a ton of action on things like the winner of the coin toss and the over/under of the length of the national anthem. The game hasn’t even started by the time these bets are won or lost!
Look, nobody’s ever going to accuse baseball of being a fast-paced game. Don’t get me wrong, baseball can be extremely exciting at times, but it’s hardly a thrill-a-minute sport. This is another reason why betting on early-game props is so exciting. When you’re betting on which team will score first, all it takes is one swing of the bat. It’s like sudden-death overtime right at the first pitch.
Of course, it can also lead to some peculiar scenarios. For example, let’s say you bet on Team A to score the first run. In other words, you are hoping that Team A succeeds. Obviously, Team A also hopes that Team A succeeds, so your interests appear to be aligned.
But what happens if Team B puts runners on first and third with none out in the first inning? If Team B hits a grounder that’s fielded by Team A, Team A might choose to surrender the run and make the double play versus going for the out at home. After all, Team A still has an entire game left, but your game is over. (Fortunately, you also bet that there’d be a run scored in the first inning, so it’s a wash.)
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