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Before the start of the 2008 Major League Baseball season the Tampa Bay Rays were a 200-1 long shot to win the World Series, according to Las Vegas sports book Director Jay Kornegay.

Now, because of the losses, the Las Vegas sports books endured due to the Rays’ improbable season run. They encouraged people to bet on the Phillies by giving them better odds with more chances to win money.

If the Rays were to win the World Series by beating the Philadelphia Phillies, Las Vegas sports books would owe huge payouts to those few lucky individuals who picked the Rays before the beginning of the season.

Oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants said the few gamblers who predicted the Rays to win the World Series took the long-shot odds early in the season before the Rays showed their true colors.

These few gamblers put the sports bookies in such a bind with the Rays being favored to win, that they adjusted the lines on the World Series. 

Adjusting the lines was a desperate attempt by the sports bookies and casinos to encourage gamblers to invest in the Phillies instead of the Rays.

It is an attempt to try to keep some of the money they would owe to the Rays’ bettors if they were to win the World Series.
Last week, Las Vegas sports bookies were Boston Red Sox fans, hoping and praying the Red Sox could once again overcome a huge American League Championship Series deficit.

The Red Sox nearly pulled off another remarkable comeback after being down 3-1 in the series, but fell to the Rays in game 7, giving the Rays the American League Pennant and a spot in the World Series, making all sports bookies’ worst nightmares come true.

The sports bookies now must hope the Phillies can defeat the Rays, which would be their only chance to salvage any money that has not already been lost.

Though this may be a nightmare for sports bookies, it’s not the first time it has ever happened.

Sports books lost millions in 1991 when the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins faced off in the World Series. Both teams were the worst in their divisions the year before making the odds in 1991 a long shot at best for both. The Twins won the title in seven games, proving sports betting is truly just rolling the dice.

The Rays have created a little déjà vu for sports bookies, but this time the bookies are doing everything in their power to win back their money.

The Rays are favored to win the series at minus $1.35, meaning that a gambler would only win $1 if they were to bet $1.35. The Phillies, who are not favored, are at plus $1.15, meaning that a $1 bet would become $1.15 if the Phillies won the title.

The Rays were heavy underdogs at the beginning of the year because of the strength of their division with New York Yankees and the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, who were the favorites to win the World Series again this year.

TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist

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