Falcon Points
3 ways to still get your gamble on while we have no sports
Apr 15, 2020, 6:55 am
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Yes, things seem bleak right now, especially in the sports world. But you can still get your gambling fix. It is limited right now, but here are three things you can bet on right now:
1) Horse racing
Several tracks are still conducting racing without fans. Oaklawn Park, Gulfstream, Tampa Bay Downs and Los Alamitos and Remington Park are all racing on the weekends. Tracks such as Will Rodgers Downs and Fonner Park race during the week. The pools have been large, leading to some nice payoffs. You can learn more about horse racing with the audio book Acing Racing 2016. You can pick up past performances, picks and info at Daily Racing Form. You can play in Texas at betusracing,com (use promo code The Blitz). Horse racing offers a variety of low-risk, high reward wagers. Think of it as having many different prop bets on a given race.
2) Form an online poker club
We have done this through pokerstars.net. We have a free league, and are also doing a charity tournament on Saturdays. You can play there, or set up your own home game with your friends and exchange money through Venmo or PayPal. Unfortunately pay poker sites are still not legal in most states, but by creating your own, you can work around this. There are several other sites you can use as well.
3) There are other things to bet on
Some sites now allow you to bet on the weather. Mybookie.ag is allowing wagering on Madden and NBA 2K simulations as well as whatever sports are going on in the world. While not ideal, at least you have some ways to play. You can also bet on the result of the elections, and of the NFL Draft.
Who knows when we will have familiar things to bet on again. But there are at least some options, especially if you are going to be stuck at home for a while.
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Starting pitching sounds like the top trade deadline priority for the Astros. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada joined the club's flagship station on Tuesday and shared his thoughts on some pressing issues facing his team.
Espada said both Kyle Tucker and Justin Verlander are making progress and feeling good. But did not reveal a timetable for when we should expect them to return to game action.
What really stood out in the interview was Espada's concern with the amount of innings his starters have been asked to throw this season. Ronel Blanco has already pitched 114.2 innings, and his velocity is down a tick over his last several starts.
“The health of our players is something I'm aware [of]…it keeps me up at night,” said Espada.
The Astros skipper also spoke about the need for a six-man rotation during a long stretch of games in August. He expects some reinforcements to arrive as the current Houston starters like Blanco and Brown near their innings pitched thresholds.
“I know Dana [Brown] and his staff are doing their due diligence to try to get us some help,” said Espada.
Houston's manager is not only focused on keeping his players healthy this season, but also for the long haul.
When asked about the trade deadline specifically, Espada says he's in conversations with Astros GM Dana Brown daily. Not only do they want to find good players, but they also want to find people that will be a “good fit” for the clubhouse.
Based on Espada's comments, it seems like the club knows full well about the challenges that lie ahead. They need players that will fit their championship culture, and that can take some pressure off their starting pitchers.
Another bat wouldn't hurt either…