Wiz’s 2014 MLB Plays: Brewers, Braves and A’s

I am posting this from beautiful downtown Las Vegas where I am stranded due to the bridge fire that closed highway 15 for the last 24 hours. I was in town to make this year’s MLB futures wagers. My picks are the Tigers and A’s in the American league and the Brewers and Braves in the National league. I had to toss Detroit because they are the +280 favorites all over town. I was able to get 100 units each down on Oakland at 5 ½ to 1 to win the pennant and 12/1 to win the World Series. Clearly the Bengals are the best team in the AL especially after the Athletics have lost two starters to Tommy John surgery but it is a long season and the A’s figure to be around in October. In the National League I wagered 100 units on the Brewers at 10/ odds to win the pennant and 20/1 to win the World Series. These most generous odds came compliments of our old friends at The Stratosphere the same place where we made last year’s score on the Red Sox. Maybe that is a good omen. My final wager was made at the LVH (Old Hilton) on the Atlanta Braves to win the pennant at 7/1 and to win the World Series at 14/1. The last two wagers were both for 100 units each. I know the Braves have lost seven in a row but I am even more worried about their growing injury list. There you have my 600 unit MLB futures investment. Below I have posted updates on both our NBA and NHL wagers.

NBA                                                                                                                                                     We are still alive on our 100 unit wager on the Spurs at 8/1 to win the NBA Championship but I have added a twist to our 12/1 100 unit wager on the Pacers. Yesterday afternoon I purchased another 100 unit ticket on the Wizards to defeat the Pacers in this round. After watching game one last night I feel very good about my decision. My thought process was this: The Pacers have looked awful for two months and the younger faster Wizards have been coming on. If I am right and I win 155 units (Wager is 100/155) then my net profit of 55 units puts me at risk for losing only 45 units this season in the NBA should the Spurs fail to go all the way. On the other hand if Tim Duncan and company can reverse last year’s fortunes I have a shot at a net NBA profit of 845 units.

Of course if the Pacers prevail in this round only to lose later on I have exposed myself to a 300 unit loss. I rarely make this kind of move but just feel that Indiana looks like a team wanting to go home.

NHL                                                                                                                                                                      I I thought my 60 unit NHL investment was a total loss when the Kings fell behind 3 games to none in the first round. I had already lost 20 units each on the Islanders and Maple Leafs who failed to make the playoffs. Well by now we all know the Kings roared back winning four in a row and our now up 2-0 on the Ducks after winning the first two games ON THE ROAD. Our 20 unit ticket on LA at 10/1 odds is looking more promising and the Kings have won six in a row. Hopefully they can stay on this roll and advance to round three.

Thanks for logging on and good luck to you all.

Addendum to MLB plays: While having my afternoon Starbucks on Fremont Street yesterday I got the urge to play the Tigers to win the World Series at 7/1. They were one of my two AL choices but had no value at +280 to win the pennant. I wagered 100 units on them at the Union Plaza. I will call this one my bridge bet (One I would not have made had it not been for the California bridge fire that forced me to stay another day). This brings my total MLB investment to 700 units.