Opinion on heart and wagering

[TruthBTold]

Around this time of the year, I only bet on teams that have a reason to play for.
The logic is simple- as human beings, the majority of us are lazy, including pro athletes. If your pay check is the same week by week, and your team has nothing to play for, it is only human nature for you to take a break between games (and to ensure longevity in the league). And when I say "taking breaks", it can mean a variety of things- not running bases as hard, not focusing on hitting as much, partying more when off the field, etc. Do any of you take this into your betting as the season winds down? I think this is a big factor.
The only exception I can think of is someone who is playing for a new contract, and a minor leaguer who is recently promoted to play out the season. What's your take?
d1g1t

 

[Huckel]

i take a lot more stock in lines and dont bet on teams that have the potential to throw in the flag if they get down early

 

[homedawg]

i tend to disagree. baseball is a much tougher game to play under pressure, and if you are playing for something at this time of year you have to assume there is some sort of pressure. baseball is an easier game to play when you play loose and free. i'll tell you one thing once the lines start to creep up to -300 or so the dog will be the one + units when its all said and done.

 

[TruthBTold]

i take a lot more stock in lines and dont bet on teams that have the potential to throw in the flag if they get down early

Ya as bettors we should definitely watch out for potential "white flag" teams.
:cripwalk:

 

[TruthBTold]

i tend to disagree. baseball is a much tougher game to play under pressure, and if you are playing for something at this time of year you have to assume there is some sort of pressure. baseball is an easier game to play when you play loose and free. i'll tell you one thing once the lines start to creep up to -300 or so the dog will be the one + units when its all said and done.

I will be watching those lines closely when they get to -300 and see if it's true.

 

[TruthBTold]

i tend to disagree. baseball is a much tougher game to play under pressure, and if you are playing for something at this time of year you have to assume there is some sort of pressure. baseball is an easier game to play when you play loose and free. i'll tell you one thing once the lines start to creep up to -300 or so the dog will be the one + units when its all said and done.

Homedawg-

It's true athletes play their best when they are relaxed. I can see how some teams would buckle under pressure, like Mets last year.
But my point is, would you still play games like tonights Reds at Pittsburgh? To me there's no point for either team to win. I am not saying the ENTIRE squad(s) will slack off, but I can see a few of them (especially vets) simply not giving a f$ck knowing the paycheck coming at the end of the week will be the same. Is there still a safety net for games like this? I avoid games like this. Should I not?
d1g1t

 

[homedawg]

Homedawg-

It's true athletes play their best when they are relaxed. I can see how some teams would buckle under pressure, like Mets last year.
But my point is, would you still play games like tonights Reds at Pittsburgh? To me there's no point for either team to win. I am not saying the ENTIRE squad(s) will slack off, but I can see a few of them (especially vets) simply not giving a f$ck knowing the paycheck coming at the end of the week will be the same. Is there still a safety net for games like this? I avoid games like this. Should I not?
d1g1t

again i tend to disagree. a lot of these players are playing for a spot on next yrs squad and the ones who aren't numbers mean everything in baseball. the players get paid based on their numbers so i don't think there going to go out and give a lackluster effort. plus i was an athlete and played college sports no matter the score of the game, or the type of season your having once you put that uniform on and take the court or field or whatver it is you are you are playing to win. the competitive nature of an athlete is what got them to where they are today. no matter the circumstance i would say 99% of all athletes are giving 110%

 

[prodigy]

the difference between maximum/minimum effort in baseball is far less than the differences in sports like football and basketball. what does that mean? it means that in basketball, teams who are out of contention tend to really get lazy on defense. they play a far more run and gun kind of game. in football, defenses tend to get gashed against the run because theyre getting beat at the line of scrimmage. receivers give up on routes. they dont run as hard if theyre not getting the ball. its a trickle down thing. with baseball, its a far more segmented game. as a hitter, its pretty easy to give maximum effort 4 times a night at the plate ... regardless of if youre in contention/out of contention. theres really no way to 'give up' at the plate. as fielders, there is no way to be 'physically' overmatched by your opponent. there is no 'aggression' in baseball. all in all, id be very leery of out of contention dogs in college football and pro football. same with hoops. they are a 50/50 shot to mail it in on a given night. but in baseball? its usually pretty consistent. dogs might lose, but its not because they are just waving the flag.

 

[TruthBTold]

the difference between maximum/minimum effort in baseball is far less than the differences in sports like football and basketball. what does that mean? it means that in basketball, teams who are out of contention tend to really get lazy on defense. they play a far more run and gun kind of game. in football, defenses tend to get gashed against the run because theyre getting beat at the line of scrimmage. receivers give up on routes. they dont run as hard if theyre not getting the ball. its a trickle down thing. with baseball, its a far more segmented game. as a hitter, its pretty easy to give maximum effort 4 times a night at the plate ... regardless of if youre in contention/out of contention. theres really no way to 'give up' at the plate. as fielders, there is no way to be 'physically' overmatched by your opponent. there is no 'aggression' in baseball. all in all, id be very leery of out of contention dogs in college football and pro football. same with hoops. they are a 50/50 shot to mail it in on a given night. but in baseball? its usually pretty consistent. dogs might lose, but its not because they are just waving the flag.

Makes great sense. Will pay close attention to the dogs and how the lines reflect them the rest of the season.