Fans can use ‘karma bets’ to add spice to MLB postseason

Added on Oct 09, 2010 by Ted Sillanpaa in

MLB

They’re “karma bets,” based solely on what a fan feels or believes to be true — and, it turns out that they make the games a lot more interesting.

The only thing fans who aren’t versed in the art of wagering need to know is that they should only engage in “karma bets” only when they know a fair amount about the games and players on whom they’re betting.

Well, OK, you can bet a couple bucks just to keep a game interesting. It’s no different than betting the neighbor a six-pack of beer on an NFL Sunday.

The “karma bets” are paying off, and making the Major League Baseball division series more entertaining, for this particular baseball writer.

If you’re into wagering serious cash, read the work of the guys who know the art of wagering … know how to play the odds. Seriously.

Find the column that appears on this site daily and study it. Then, go ahead and wager

If you’re looking for a reason to cash in on what you know about your favorite team or trying to add a little spice to the Rays-Rangers ALDS — check the lines and consider some “karma bets” for whatever you consider small money.

Having covered the Giants all season long, my gut led me to a nice little profit on a tiny wager Friday night.

Matt Cain has pitched very well all season. He’s a power pitcher. The Braves’ offense has struggled. The over-under on Cain strikeouts was 5 1/2 — and I figured he’s always good for 6 or 7.

Cha-ching!

By Saturday, interest was waning in the Rays-Rangers ALDS. I’d taken a bit of a stand here on the belief that the Rays would benefit from the fire starting pitcher Matt Garza would bring to what has been a lifeless Tampa Bay team trailing 2-0 in the series.

Knowing I’d be watching the game on TV, I put a couple bucks on the Rays — solely because I wanted to put my money where my mouth was on Garza.

Remember, I’m talking about a $5 bet, a $2 wager. OK? I didn’t risk much when I decided that Rangers’ strikeout leader Colby Lewis wouldn’t last long enough to go over 6 1/2 strikeouts. But, he didn’t and I cashed in what was a win of, oh, $2.

Sometimes, it’s as simple as betting the moneyline — and ignoring the runs a team gives or gets.

Everybody has an idea of which team they think will win an division series game, right? When I’m as close to certain as I can get, I’ll bet the moneyline — nobody gets runs, nobody gives runs.

You might be surprised how sweet the buzz can be when the Yankees beat the Twins and you cash in $1.20 on a $1 bet.

Going back to having covered the Giants all season, there was no way that I could avoid taking them with the moneyline with Tim Lincecum on the mound.

Bingo! A $3 wager and little bit more than that in winnings.

And, yeah, I took the over on Lincecum’s strikeout total because he’s a strikeout pitcher and the Braves strikeout a lot.

By the time Lincecum had fanned 10, I’d started wishing they paid off on the number of strikeouts over the total that a pitcher rings up.

The player prop bets allow fans — who really just want to be even more involved with their favorite players– to make whatever those players do even more special.

Without any rooting interest in the Twins-Yankees series, I still put a couple bucks on Minnesota’s Dennard Span’s runs, hits and RBIs exceeding the runs, hits and RBIs that New York’s Derek Jeter would get in Game 3.

I like Spann’s game. Jeters’s on he downill side of his career. That was the entire thought process. (If I was betting $200 on the prop, I’d have done some research.)

My little wager makes every Spann at-bat and every Jeter plate appearance must-watch TV.

On Friday night before the Giants=Braves Game 2, I noticed the prop opportunity to choose which player would hit the first home run in the game. Here’s where what I know about the Giants led to a better than slightly educated guess.

Pat Burrell, literally, ignited the Giants all summer with the long ball. He’s only hitting .250, but he has been good for a home run in a big situation fairly consistently.

Burrell hadn’t hit a clutch home run in awhile.

Any home run he hit in Game 2 would be a big home run for a run-deprived Giants team.

And, taking Burrell to hit the first homer of the game came with 12-1 odds.
Burrell’s first-inning jack off of Tommy Hanson made for a nice, little profit on a very conservative wager. Any wager that is then multiplied by 12 and returned to my account is a nice profit.

There are few bigger highs a fan can experience than having a team he’s invested in do something big … and have that something result in cash money in the fan’s pocket.

It’s not necessary to bet big to get the big rush from cashing in. If you’re not betting big, you can go with your gut and just use what you know as a fan.

“Karma bets.”

Bet on instincts alone and let the universe decide.

Cha-ching … again!

Rays beat the Rangers. I bet the moneyline — because I trusted Garza and because the law of averages favored Tampa Bay not being swept in three straight.

I could’ve taken the Rays +1 1/2 runs at better odds and cashed in even a little more. When you’re wagering $2, who cares?