As the opening game of the World Series edges closer, punters and betting operators are preparing for the conclusion of a dramatic and deeply engaging postseason, with a World Series that pits the Houston Astros against the Washington Nationals.
Giving an interview with InsiderSport, Oddschecker’s Pete Watt broke down betting markets for the upcoming World Series and revealed why engagement has spiked this postseason.
How do you anticipate engagement will be for the upcoming World Series?
Pete Watt: “Given that it’s the climax of the season for one of America’s four ‘major’ sports, we can expect to see a significant amount of interest from bettors. Following an increase of 18% of total bets placed on the World Series winner market during the regular season compared to last year, we could expect to see a similar rise in engagement for the Fall Classic itself.”
Astros and National are relatively well matched … what are the chances that we see a game 7 in this series?
PW: “They do indeed, despite the discrepancy on the betting market. The Nationals have already performed wonders to get this far and given how exciting their season has been, it only seems fitting that they would snatch it at the last! The best price for a seventh game is +105 and can be backed with FanDuel.”
The Yankees had a great run this year, how much does engagement benefit from their progress, given they’re one of the biggest names in MLB?
PW: “They certainly have, and I think that the 18% increase I mentioned earlier likely had something to do with the Yankees top-tier performances in 2019. Having a ‘big name’ in the latter stages of any sporting competition is likely to whet the appetite of sports bettors, whether they are Yankees fans backing their team or opposition fans desperate to profit from the fall of a colossus.”
Given the evolution of sports betting in the US, more markets are now available to punters, are there any unusual trends in the betting or specific markets that are being favored in this series?
PW: “Not particularly – however, the closeness of the matchup is more likely to influence the popularity of certain markets in my opinion. For example, a World Series with a heavy, heavy favorite would have a greater chance of producing a majority of wagers on the ‘unders’ line for number of games. With a more even contest expected this year, we are seeing more variety of bets across a plethora of markets.”
