Gambling Guide

Bookie Busters: Quarantine and cash

Soccer balls
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Limited menu guys, play smart. This is where I'll be sticking my money

New Plays

3/27

EKENASSJONS VS MYRESJÖ/VETLANDA FK Over 5 1U


QVIDING FIF VS IK ODDEVOLD Over 3.5 1U


ENHORNA IF VS SÖDERTÄLJE FK Over 2 FH

3U game over 5 3U


Parlay

ENHORNA IF VS SÖDERTÄLJE FK Over 2 FH

EKENASSJONS VS MYRESJÖ/VETLANDA FK Over 5 1U

3/22   

Oaklawn Park - Race 1

#2 WPS


Exacta BOX 1$ 1,2,3

3/21 MAX BOMB

Game is 3/22 1:30 AM CST

Hong Kong FA TAI PO VS R& F Over 3.5 5U MAX BOMB

Previous Plays


over 3 5U MAX BOMB

908

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS @ PHOENIX SUNS 2nd half over 113.5 3U MAX

850

MILWAUKEE BUCKS @ LOS ANGELES LAKERS Over 228 3U MAX

756 CST

EASTERN KENTUCKY @ BELMONT Belmont 2nd half -5.5 2U

748 CST

Lakers ML 3U MAX

650 CST

UTAH JAZZ @ BOSTON CELTICS First Q under 54 2u

648

Davidson -4 3U MAX

529

Belmont -13 2U

527

Belmont -13 2U

450 cST

GARDNER WEBB @ WINTHROP Over 149 3U MAX

449

BOISE STATE @ SAN DIEGO STATE (#5) SD ST -5 Fh 2U

-9 3U MAX

3/6 324 CST

VMI @ SAMFORD FH over 72.5 3U MAX

551

HOUSTON (#21) @ CONNECTICUTHouston -2 3U

226 CST

BOISE STATE @ UNLV Over 143 3U MAX

Previous Plays

MONTREAL IMPACT VS DEPORTIVO SAPRISSA‬

‪FH over 1 risk 3U ‬
‪Game over 3 2U‬

631 cst

‪GEORGIA @ SOUTH CAROLINA ‬

‪2nd half over 83 2U‬

550 CST

SAMFORD @ WESTERN CAROLINA

FH over 76 3U

game over 161 2U

Central Florida at Connecticut FH under 63 1U

Chattanooga at VMI Over 144 3U MAX

255 HT UPDATE

LYON VS JUVENTUSOver 2 for game 5U MAX BOMB

150 CST

CHAMPS LEAGUE

REAL MADRID VS MANCHESTER CITY

FH over 1 5U MAX

Game over 2.5 5U MAX BOMB

550 CST

TEXAS TECH @ OKLAHOMA

FH under 64 3U

Game under 138 2U

For any questions or comments reach me @Jerryboknowz Twitter.

Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Josh Jordan on ESPN 97.5. We're on every Sunday from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling. Also, be sure to follow us @Moneyline975 on Twitter.

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Hard to argue with the results. Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images.

As we barrel toward Opening Day which is now less than four weeks away, so far it’s been largely a case of no news is good news at Astros’ spring training. Meaning no major injuries to key players, no controversies brewing. There are numerous question marks that can’t truly be answered until we get into the games that count, such as how will Jose Altuve fare as a left fielder. The most exciting thing to happen over the first week of Grapefruit League games would probably be the two-home run game from top prospect Cam Smith, he of the Kyle Tucker trade. Both came off minor league caliber pitchers, but so what. Smith turned 22 years old last Saturday, the ideal is that he forces his way to the big leagues by the end of this season.

A strong majority of players who go on to greatness in Major League Baseball get to the big leagues before they turn 23. I spoke to this with Astros-specific perspective this week during an episode of our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. The ten greatest offensive players in franchise history as measured by Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement metric are: Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Jose Altuve, Lance Berkman, Cesar Cedeno, Jimmy Wynn, Jose Cruz, Alex Bregman, Joe Morgan, and Bob Watson. Eight of those ten debuted in the majors at 22 years old or younger. Cedeno was 19! Morgan and Watson were 20. Wynn and Altuve were 21. Biggio, Bagwell, and Bregman were 22. That leaves Cruz and Berkman as the exceptions. “Cheo” debuted with the Cardinals and didn’t get to the Astros’ organization until he was 27. Berkman arrived at 23. He should have been up sooner but was backlogged in 1998 behind a fabulous outfield of Moises Alou, Carl Everett, and Derek Bell, with youngster Richard Hidalgo as the top reserve, while first base was manned by Bagwell in the heart of his prime.

The point is, special talents should be fast-tracked and/or fast-track themselves to the Major Leagues. There are numerous exceptions (team mistakes, late bloomers), but a very high percentage of eventual big stars get to The Show at a young age. Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout entered at 19. Ronald Acuna Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Jose Ramirez did so at 20. Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Mookie Betts, and Yordan Alvarez were 21. Not all tear it up immediately the way Yordan did upon his promotion in 2019, but rare tools and talents merit accelerated opportunity. The focus here is on hitters, but this isn’t a bad spot to note that among the four greatest pitchers ever to hurl for the Astros, only Randy Johnson was older than 22 when he started (25 as a notoriously raw and wild Montreal Expo). Nolan Ryan was a 19-year-old New York Met, Roger Clemens a 21-year-old Boston Red Sox, and Justin Verlander a 22-year-old Detroit Tiger.

This is not predicting mega-stardom or a plaque in Cooperstown for Cam Smith, but if the Astros have such a player in what is presently a lousy farm system overall, the odds overwhelmingly favor Smith being that guy. He should be ticketed for double-A Corpus Christi to start this season after having had just 96 at bats in single-A and 19 at AA in the Cubs’ system after being drafted last July. Should Smith excel with the Hooks, it’s not preposterous to see him getting to the Astros over the summer, especially given the shaky state of the big club’s outfield going into the 2025 campaign. Plenty of players have skipped over AAA. While Smith was drafted as a third baseman, unless the Astros grow offensively desperate enough to move Isaac Paredes to second base, Smith’s fastest path to Daikin Park right now might lead to right field. Coming off a relentlessly bad 2024, it’s make-or-break time for Chas McCormick. Chas is making three-point-four million dollars this season and turns 30 in April. If he is not a heckuva lot better this year, there is no way the Astros are bringing him back at an even bigger salary number in 2026.

Jacob Melton is another outfield prospect, but he’s already 24 years old and has yet to show any sort of elite hitting traits in the minors. Melton looms as a cheaper replacement for Jake Meyers in center.

Those who will ultimately be great only have time siphoned from their careers when not brought up as soon as reasonable. Of course there is risk of unfulfilled potential or straight up bust status. If early failure crushes a player, he wasn’t headed for greatness anyway.

On the upswing

Closing aside: a pinging endorsement for the Astros’ Annual College Classic Friday through Sunday. The reigning national champion Tennessee Volunteers and runner-up Texas A&M Aggies head the field. Rice, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, and Arizona fill out what is always an excellent six-team event. With gorgeous weather forecast through the weekend the roof should be open throughout. RIGHT?

The countdown to Opening Day is on. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!


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