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Last Night’s Phillies-Cubs Game was a Roller Coaster Ride for Bettors
By Bob Wankel
Published:
According to ESPN’s win probability tracker, the Cubs entered the ninth inning of last night’s game with a 98.8% likelihood of escaping a rough week at Citizens Bank Park with a win.
When Jean Segura led off the inning with a fly out to left field, that probability rose to 99.6%.
Even Bryce Harper’s own parents had packed it in for the evening:
Bryce Harper's parents didn't even stay for his walk-off grand slam 😂
(via @Cut4) pic.twitter.com/R51kFdoVD8
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) August 16, 2019
And then, well, you know the rest.
The wild walk-off win capped by Harper’s grand blast wasn’t just a roller coaster for Phillies and Cubs fans, it was also a turbulent ride for bettors who had action the game.
Check out this progression of how the moneyline market at DraftKings Sportsbook evolved throughout the night:
|
Phillies Comeback vs Cubs |
|
|
Time |
Odds to Win |
|
Opening Odds |
+128 |
|
7:45 PM |
+210 |
|
8:07 PM |
+295 |
|
8:21 PM |
+650 |
|
8:36 PM |
+1200 |
|
8:51 PM |
+1500 |
|
10:12 PM |
+500 |
|
10:16 PM |
+200 |
|
10:19 PM |
+185 |
|
Harper Walk Off Grand Slam |
|
It required an insane leap of faith to cash in on +1500 odds at 8:51 p.m. with the Phillies down 5-0, but even by the time Cubs reliever Derek Holland entered the game to face Harper, a nice +185 payout was still on the table.
I imagine the reaction of those who grabbed the Phils at any point throughout the evening probably looked something like this:
Bob Wankel covers the Phillies for Crossing Broad. He is also the Vice President of Sports Betting Content at SportRadar. On Twitter: @Bob_Wankel E-mail: b.wankel@sportradar.com