Ever in your favor

Last September’s NFL contest between the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets proved to be mostly a snoozefest throughout the game, to the point that when the Browns scored a TD to go up by 13 with 2:02 left in the game, you almost had to consider bailing on it to see if there was another, better game on. Well, I almost had to bail to see.

Almost.

Two minutes (and two seconds) later, the improbable Jets had improbably beaten the impossible Browns 31-30, and anyone still watching the game was left shaking their heads. When the Browns had scored their last touchdown, Next Gen stats placed the Jets odds of winning the game at 0.3%, a record comeback in the era of keeping such stats. One wonders what kind of odds a person might have gotten in betting on the Jets at that juncture of the game. I’ll bet it would have been a hell of a payout. A few sites speculate the return on a 20 dollar bet might have been north of six figures. But what are the odds?

If you’re an odds player, and much of the DNVR crowd actively pays attention to such things, there are some long shots and… short shots? Surer things? There are some long shots and better bets on the Denver sports horizon this season, so there ought to be something that appeals to you, no matter how risk-averse your purse.

If long shots are more your cup of tea, then the news that came out today about the Colorado Rockies is something that ought to get you a little excited, as Colorado is one of the longest shots in baseball. If you want to place a bet on the Rockies to simply win the NL West, you could win three grand on a 20 dollar bet, with the Rox a +15000 dog for the Division. Should you want to bet a really long long shot, Those same Rockies are somewhere between a +20000 and +30000 bet to take the whole thing, third worst in baseball. But if you’re right, that 20 could make your life 6k happier.

If you’re more a middle-of-the-pack type of a bettor, then some form of football/futbol at a mile high is more up your alley. The Colorado Rapids come into the 2023 season just under the middle of the pack, tied with four other MLS teams for the 18-best odds at the Anschutz Trophy this season, coming off a 2022 season that was the definition of middling at 11-13-10. The “Burgundy Boys” will be attempting a climb back up the charts this year, but have several issues to address along the way. The Rapids +4000 odds at the title make them a little less reckless a bet than their crosstown cousins above.

The Denver Broncos sit even more squarely dead center in their competitive pack, with most books placing them anywhere between +3000-4500 possibilities, good for 15th out of the 32 team field. With a better placement in their overall field than the Rapids above, you might stand a chance at squeezing out a sweet win if you can find someone offering that +4500 and the Broncos catch fire.

Meanwhile, something is going very right over at the Pepsi Center, home of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Mammoth. That means great things if you’re a KSE fan or just prefer your sports indoors, but slimmer margins if you were hoping to score something big. If you’re a gambler who like a surer thing, then the denizens of Chopper Circle are right up your alley. The Avs, Nugs, and… Mams? Eh, the Avs, Nugs, and Mammoth are respectively a +700, +700, and +750 bet for each of their leagues, good for second, second, and third best odds across each of their leagues. Something in the water in those locker rooms, I guess.

Spring is about to be springing, and with it a fair few chances to take a chance on your favorite, no matter how high or low that risk. Whether you like those odds low or high, here’s hoping they turn out in your favor.