A PLETHORA OF WAGERING OPTIONS IN OCTOBER
If you like to wager on sports, or perhaps you have clients who like to wager on sports, the month of October offers more wagering options than at any other time of the year. Some sports are just getting started and some are winding down to the nitty-gritty playoffs.
For bookmakers everywhere, this is their high season year after year. The principal reason for that is the All-American sport of Football featuring both the NFL and NCAA action.
There is an ongoing discussion among Football Fans over whether the best action is found on the professional playing field of the National Football League, or on the spirit infused college campuses across the nation when, the as yet unpaid, student athletes vie for conference and national championships and bring in billions of dollars in revenue to their respective schools.
Some lean toward the professionalism of the NFL, while others thrive on the spirit generated in the NCAA football games. Whichever you choose, the good news is that you can wager on either or both. You can even include them in a parlay and bettors far and wide are inspired to place multiple bets each weekend that NCAA & NFL football is in action on their TVs.
For example: There is a huge game in the SEC this Saturday when the AP #7 Florida Gators travel to Baton Rouge to take on AP #5 LSU in Tiger Stadium on Saturday evening. Both teams are undefeated going into the contest and anyone who watched Florida topple Auburn last week might wonder at the +13.5 points being given to the Gators against LSU. Obviously the Tigers are good, but that’s a lot of points. Expect bettors to jump on it.
Even mighty AP #1 Alabama is only giving +17 points to AP #24Texas A&M playing at Kyle Field in front of a boisterous pro Aggie crowd while the AP #2 Clemson Tigers will be hosting a so far luckless Florida State team as 27 point favorites.
Out West the NCAA action will center on the confrontation when still undefeated AP #6 Oklahoma goes down to visit the Texas Longhorns, whose only loss was to LSU early in the season. The AP #11 Longhorns will be 11 point home dogs against the Sooners.
In the NFL the New England Patriots are still undefeated, what else is new? Of course the Pats are favorites, once again, to win Super Bowl LIV. On the other hand, after all the hoopla about the Cleveland Browns this year, they appear to be a flop with quarterback Baker Mayfield at the helm.
Worse yet, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets are all still winless. The Redskins just fired long time head coach Jay Gruden in an effort to improve while the sooner the Jets get rid of Greg ‘effect the head’ Williams, the sooner that team can start to heal.
On the pleasant surprise side, if you are from Louisiana at least, we have Teddy Bridgewater who heard his name chanted and echoed through the Superdome in New Orleans after an outstanding stand-in performance against Tampa Bay in which he threw 4 touchdown passes. TD Teddy!
The Chiefs Patrick Mahomes continues to impress at home even in defeat throwing for 321 yards and one touchdown against a stubborn Colts defense which only gave up one 2nd quarter touchdown to one of the most potent offensives in the NFL. The final score on 19-13 was 23.5 points under the predicted 55.5 and Indianapolis won the game as 11 point dogs. Go figure!
Opening night of the National Hockey League’s new season got underway with a bang in St. Louis when the Washington Capitals took the defending Stanley Cup Champions into overtime and came away with a 3-2 win to kick off the season. If you can keep up with that little fast moving puck, wagering on NHL action can be fun and exciting.
Then of course we have post season major league baseball. This is the greatest time of the year for Americans’ favorite pastime and one of the most popular times of the year to wager on baseball. Once the playoffs are underway, it’s anybody’s race, regardless of their previous records.
The favorite Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in a one game winner-take-all game with the Washington Nationals on Wednesday to try and continue their dream season. Meanwhile the St. Louis Cardinals are battling it out with the Atlanta Braves to determine who will move on to the NLDS and take on the winner of the Dodgers vs. Nationals series.
Many would like to see a World Series featuring the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees have already punched their ticket to the ALDS game against either the Houston Astros or the feisty Tampa Bay Rays.
Still on the wagering board we have some good PGA Golf matches featuring the Houston Open and the big annual NASCAR blowout at Talladega down in Alabama plus the NBA is just getting started as well and we always have 24/7 Soccer matches to wager on.
October surely is the best time of the year for bookmakers everywhere!
