In today's Betting Life Newsletter, presented by FantasyLife+:
A Special World Series: Kids kicking piles of leaves through the crisp, pumpkin spice-scented Autumn breeze can only mean one thing—the World Series is here. Ahh, the Fall Classic, the culmination of our national pastime, a salute to the indelible American spirit, and a true test of fortitude through teamwork.
For me, Dodgers versus Yankees in the World Series is deeply personal—transcending baseball, evoking thoughts of home, history, tradition, and cherished family members long gone. The deep-rooted love we all feel for our team and the game of baseball itself seemingly spans an eternity. And just for a second sometimes, if I really quiet my mind, I swear I'll hear the two sides arguing in the kitchen over Phil Rizzuto (or later Kiner’s Korner) on the TV—before returning back into memories, woven into the fabric of a multi-generational tapestry.
On Friday, the league’s two most storied franchises clash for the 11th time in World Series history, spanning an incredible 82 years. New York firmly owns the overall series edge 8-3, but if we’re going by current geographical location alone, don’t be fooled—they’re locked at two (a 6-1 head start for the Bombers between 1941-1956 before the Trolley Dodgers moved out west represents the difference). And it’s that one Brooklyn win I’d like to transport you back to for a bit and share my favorite baseball legend.
It’s October, 1955. The place?—Bensonhurst. The blue-collar Bums stole the borough’s heart, toiling for ten years as a sub-.500 team before finally appearing in a World Series—only to win four of the next seven pennants (1947-1953), yet still not take home the crown.
Something ALWAYS seemed to go predictably wrong. I remember hearing beleaguered stories through slumped shoulders about the ‘51 Dodger squad being cheated by the Giants—if only they had evidence (this was eventually incontrovertibly proven decades later). But Brooklynites knew 1955 was going to be different— Don Newcombe won 20 games, Duke Snider led the league in RBI and Roy Campanella secured his third MVP in five years.
Hopes dashed early down two games to none, the Boys Of Summer bounced back to win three in a row. Anywhere in the Borough of Kings, you could cut the electricity in the air with a knife. Of course, Game 6 ended before it could start when the Yanks pounced on Karl Spooner for five in the first inning—setting the stage for the most consequential game in New York, and perhaps MLB history.
Like so many determinative moments in life, everyone involved remembers precisely where they were when the fate of the city would be decided. While most know New York’s Johnny Podres threw a complete game shutout (his second of the series), many don’t know about “the omen”. And so the story goes …
Flash Forward to 2024, The Dodgers Are The Favorite …
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- A Special World Series, Part II
- NFL Week 8 Preview
A Special World Series, Part II 💘⚾️
Don’t be confused about just how big a deal this World Series was to everyone.
So you can imagine the frustration when my aunt was sent to the store toward the close of the second inning while still scoreless. As a quick aside to highlight the dedication of the fandom here, she was really something. A diehard Dodger fan who eventually shelved watching baseball altogether for four years out of betrayal after they left, until the Mets creation in 1962—all out of pure hatred for the Yankees.
Ready to put blinders on and hustle through her errand, she steps outside only to realize something profound. First, there was no missing the game, for that would be impossible. Remember, only half of households owned TVs at the time, and the rest listened to Mel Allen on the radio (how about that?). So just walking up the street meant every other home had the radio blaring with its own divided huddled mass incessantly pacing around it. Then, it really hits home—the joined experience of a gathered community on a razor’s edge, simultaneously experiencing the joy of victory and agony of defeat. Well, the connectivity didn’t last (it never does), snapping her back to reality when the Yanks mounted a two-out rally in the third.
Now at the store, slowed to a standstill, every pitch breeding anticipation of the highest order. Brooklyn faithful feared Johnny Podres was losing it in the third when the 23-year-old walked Phil Rizzuto before giving up a single to Billy Martin, needing to get Gil McDougald to escape. The count goes full … and McDougald singles! The vaunted Yankees strike again. Time slows as defeated merchants and vendors alike writhe in united disgust. Another hole notched in the loser belt, right?
Not this time … Hustling to third on the grounder bound for outfield grass, Rizzuto is struck by the batted ball, causing an automatic third out!
You must remember the passion legitimately extended to the players at the time, as Carl Erskine described to the New York Times in 2010, “The World Series was different from the season; the level of intensity was different. Against the Yankees, it was a zone above intense competition. This was classic baseball. And in all those Series, there was always some strange play that the Yankees made and we didn’t that turned the game.”
But like I said, not this time …
That store, and everyone like it, fell silent in disbelief. As she turned about face to race for home, a new feeling arose—the Bums could win. They would win. It was an omen.
Silence immediately grew to borough-wide ecstasy when Gil Hodges singled in Roy Campanella the very next half-inning to give the Dodgers a lead they would never relinquish—and the rest, as they say, was history.
I hope you enjoyed this little break from the numbers and the money for a little perspective on what the game can offer us internally, and connect us to our friends, community, and the people we love.
And now you want me to bet on this? Talk about an emotional investment.
I'll have a full betting preview for the 2024 World Series in tomorrow's newsletter. Scroll down for your regular NFL advice, and enjoy a night of reminiscing before we fast forward back to 2024 trying to win money on our phones.
THE BEST VALUE ON WORLD SERIES PROPS
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The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of sports betting nerds:
⛳️ Fore! Best bets for the 2024 Zozo Championship.
🕊️ The Dodgers will have their own Angel in the Outfield for the World Series. A legend passes.
🏀 The first full slate of NBA action is here … betting edges to exploit.
📊 Movers and Shakers entering Week 9. Updated College Football Power Rankings.
🤣 The NBA is officially back when we get Josh Hart content. His jokes are in mid-season form.
👀 Early Game 1 betting trends for the World Series … the public loves the over.
Total Recall: NFL Week 8 Preview
As always, Wednesday marks square one to set our foundation for the NFL week ahead. The best place to start the grind comes directly from the books themselves. Remember, the house can’t help but tip its hand by posting live team totals.
For whatever reason, totals can be hard to wrangle in one spot. So in my never-ending quest to make this newsletter an irreplaceable part of your daily routine, I charted all of this weekend’s baseline (-110) NFL team totals. Allow me to do some dirty work and highlight the outliers so you won’t have to.
Then to commemorate the 120th MLB World Series, I pivot from the usual for a piece that mixes history plus sentiment and a little out of the ordinary. But hey, variety’s the spice of life, right?
We’ll be back tomorrow with a conventional World Series breakdown once rotations are announced, including some series props to keep it interesting for the big market haters.
Quick Thoughts: The first thing I notice has to be the Giants bringing up the rear, a full point lower than the field. Scoring 10 points in two weeks will do that, I guess. Pittsburgh’s defense commands respect, there’s no doubt but Daniel Jones is the only Week 1 starter left among the teams projecting TTs below 20. If Big Blue can’t get to O13.5 at (-125), it’s time for a change regardless of competition.
Then up top, it’s a matter of momentum to back the best. Yes, the Lions dropped 120 points in three weeks but also hadn’t scored 26 or more in any game prior—and will be missing deep threat Jameson Williams against a tough Titans defense. I share similar worries for the Ravens against the Browns, except Baltimore may not need to push for a fourth TD against a roster half-composed of backups.
You can also use our NFL Game Betting Model to identify the biggest edges on game totals, spreads, and moneylines!
