Mid-June a time for many sports bettors to cool down until Labor Day

With Summer officially approaching many sacred traditions are in order.  The end of school, heading to camp, picnics and perhaps a Summer love.  All great, but why does it seem such a drag for the U.S. sports bettor?  With respect to the World Cup, we face a giant hole in the calendar until the first NCAA football game around Labor Day and the anticipated NFL opener between the Eagles and Falcons. 

The NBA playoffs were beyond predictable except for those waiting to cash their annuity on Golden State.  The NHL offered tremendous wagering excitement.  It was a national story involving the incredible Golden Knights and their 300-1 to 500-1 future book pursuit to win the Stanley Cup.  Overlooked were the Washington Capitals value.  By no means a favorite, the Caps were 15-1 to make the NHL Finals and approximately 30-1 to win the Cup at most preferred offshore sportsbooks at the start of the playoffs.

Even thoroughbred racing’s Justify rewarded excitement last week by capturing the Triple Crown and lucky bettors caught good returns with exactas and trifectas backing runner-up Gronkowski.  Overall, betting excitement was in the air the first two weeks of June following up a great NFL season and the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Is it me, or does this week feel like a cloud of boredom hits and will stay in the forecast for a while?

Baseball Doesn’t Pinch Hit

I love baseball, but even Major League Baseball knows it’s their 'off-season' by scheduling most of its inter-league games in June.  Inter-League games are difficult to handicap with so many unfamiliar matchups plus the designated hitter rule affecting play.  Imagine if this situation occurred in the NFL.  Say the Bengals played the Cowboys in Dallas but there were two time-outs per half and no five-yard penalties by specific NFC rules.  It wouldn’t make any sense.  And neither does having different rules for the American and National Leagues. 

It may not be by coincidence, many of the top sportsbooks including Bovada, BetOnline and Diamond Sports have seen a steady increase in first 5-inning baseball betting.  I believe it’s because waiting nine innings or more has become just too intolerably boring to receive a wagering result.  That or by wagering only five innings you can get to watch your favorite TV shows by 9:00 or 10:00 PM.  Perhaps an excellent study question to consider for the future. 

World Cup to the Rescue

Thankfully, this year we have the FIFA World Cup to somewhat spark the long sports wagering lull. BELOW are the future odds to win it all courtesy of BetOnline:

Brazil       +400

Germany  +500

France      +650

Spain        +650

Argentina +900

Belgium  +1100

England  +1800

Portugal +2500

Uruguay +2500

Croatia    +3300

Colombia +4000

Russia     +5000

Poland     +6600

Denmark +10000

Mexico    +10000

Peru        +10000

Senegal  +12500

Serbia     +12500

Switzerland +12500

Sweden   +15000

Egypt      +20000

Iceland   +20000

Nigeria   +20000

Japan      +25000

Morocco +25000

Australia +50000

Costa Rica +50000

Iran          +50000

South Korea +50000

Panama    +75000

Saudi Arabia +75000

Tunisia     +75000

No expert handicapping advice here except to inform you the World Cup is very similar to the NBA Championship involving embracing favorites.  Like tabbing the Warriors or Rockets, look for one of the top five nations to rule the world.  The odds of Panama or Australia pulling off a shocker are far greater than what’s being offered at any major sportsbook.

My greatest challenge is understanding when a World Cup game officially ends. With those penalty minutes and bizarre clock, I can’t tell when the game is over until the announcer informs me and the players start celebrating on the field. And I can’t be the only one with this dilemma.  Do the players face the same problem? Much tougher than J.R. Smith ever faced. 

Good Timing for the Birth of U.S. Legalized Sports Wagering

Like any business, all sportsbooks would like to maintain a constant monetizing flow throughout the year. That would be the optimal situation to attain. Nevada has experienced a slowdown in this June 15th-September 1st period for several years. The launch of legal sports wagering in Delaware and New Jersey is well-timed to iron out the kinks in their system before the crunch of activity in September. 

While new accounts and customers are introduced, and betting customs are cultivated, both states are hitting the slowest time of the year.  Mutuel clerks must be trained, marketing plans formulated and an overall plan fitting their current business model, whether it be a racetrack or casino format.  The summer lull is actually a blessing in disguise, starting in mid-June vs. the peak September roll-out for the NFL and NCAA football season with the beginning of the NBA and NHL not that far behind. 

Select Spots to Keep Wagering Interest

Besides the World Cup, there are a few areas of interest before September, but overall the ride is shut down for a while.  They of course include the PGA’s U.S. Open this weekend followed by the British Open in July.  Don’t forget to look for Her Royal Majesty the Queen next week at Royal Ascot.  Sandwiched in-between is Wimbledon and I guess you can throw in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in mid-July.  However, let’s face it, an Alabama-LSU matchup on Saturday night in October draws a lot more betting attention. 

Maybe it is kismet for the smart bettor to lay back for a few months.  View the NFL and NCAA future book odds and Over-Under win totals available at most preferred books.  You won’t get the Philadelphia Eagles this year at 40-1.  A lesson learned and an excellent example of what to do with some valuable “off-season” down time.  For me it beats rooting on Iceland to win the World Cup.  Or staying up late to watch an extra inning White Sox-Pirates game.

Glenn Greene covers the games from a betting angle every week exclusively at OSGA.com. For weekly betting insights, inlcuding previews and picks from Glenn, click here.