Indians reward bettors during dominant run over Tigers
There’s no such thing as a lock in sports betting. But the Cleveland Indians are putting that theory to the test against the Detroit Tigers.
Cleveland has won 20 straight games over Detroit and can match the Major League Baseball record for longest winning streak by one team over another (23) if it sweeps the Tigers in their weekend series that starts Friday at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
“I’m sure they’ll be betting them like crazy for the 21st win,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said.
The Baltimore Orioles set the record in 1970 when they won their 23rd consecutive game over the Kansas City Royals.
“Had you predicted that in Game 1 (of the Indians’ streak), you’d be a rich man,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said. “These streaks always end. The worm always turns. It’s just a matter of when.”
The Indians opened as -170 favorites over the Tigers in Friday’s series opener. Adam Plutko starts for Cleveland (15-9) and Michael Fulmer for Detroit (9-14), which has lost nine straight after a 9-5 start.
The Indians are +105 on the run line (-1½), which they have covered at an incredible clip during their dominant run over the Tigers.
Cleveland is 18-2 on the run line (-1½) during its 20-game win streak over Detroit and is riding a 41-12 streak on the run line in its past 53 meetings with the Tigers, going 45-8 straight up.
“It’s definitely something we look at, and it’s baked into the line,” Sunset Station sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “Not only historic streaks but just the streakiness of what goes on on a day-to-day basis. That’s true of baseball more than any other sport.”
The New York Yankees are riding an 18-game win streak over the Orioles, going 16-2 on the run line. They’re scheduled to start a four-game series Sept. 4.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.