Jake Paul Fixed Fights & Horse Racing Betting w/ Paul Matties Jr.

It’s time to get locked in for episode 119 of Wise Kracks! Joining the show this week is someone who Bill says is one of the only winning horse racing bettors in the world! We also talk World Series, a sleepy NFL Week 8, another high-profile boxing match, and more. Here we go!

Your hosts Bill Krackomberger and Jon Orlando are having a great time watching the World Series between the Philidelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros. Who are the guys banking on to win? 

NFL Week 8 was a week full of unders and less-than-exciting games. What do Bill and Jon make of this?

Jake Paul and UFC great Anderson Silva took to the ring for a boxing match this past weekend. With any Paul fight, there’s plenty of skepticism floating around. Do the guys think it was fixed?

This week’s guest is Paul Matties Jr., a man who has been in the horse racing betting game for decades. He chats with the guys about how horse racing has changed since the good old days, how “computer guys” are taking over horse racing, and if he’s still beating the sport after all these years. All of this and more on this week’s Wise Kracks!

Bryce Harper on Fire at the 2022 World Series

“The World Series is actually exciting for me this year!”

Jon’s got his expectations in order. At the time of this writing, the series between the Phillies and the Astros could be on the verge of either becoming a 2-2 tie, or a 3-1 lead for the Phillies. Jon is banking on the latter, “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the Phillies will be up!” Bill agrees, “I’m rooting for the Phillies too.”

Part of the reason Jon is loving the World Series is because of Phillies star Bryce Harper. After he hit a home run in the first inning of game 3, four more followed from his team throughout the game to easily take the win. Jon can’t get enough, “That homer fired the whole team up! At one point you could see him giving someone on his team advice, and then that guy walked up and hit one too!” 

Bill’s riding the Harper train as well, “It was a giant swing game for them… with their first game at home in the series, the crowd must’ve been going crazy after that homer!”

Why Do We Still Fall for Jake Paul?

Jon is skeptical, “I’m having a tough time not thinking that was a fixed fight.” This past weekend the highly anticipated boxing match took place between Jake Paul and UFC legend Anderson Silva. 

With Paul claiming yet another victory, Bill and Jon want answers. In his skepticism, Jon thought he caught something during the fight, “Seeing that right cross from Paul, it didn’t look like it landed.” However, despite how he feels about Jake, a video he saw from another angle confirmed that it did in fact, land.

Even with that, the guys still can’t seem to shake that the fight could possibly have been fixed. Jon draws attention to Silva’s performance, “It was like Silva was going at 50 percent… he would be within striking distance and wouldn't throw a thing!” It also doesn’t help the fixed-fight accusations that Silva got knocked out in the last round. Jon puts it simply, “Come on man, it’s Anderson Silva!”

However, Jon isn’t doubting Jake’s boxing ability, “I think Jake can fight, I’m not trying to put him down.” Ultimately, Jon and Bill just want to see Paul fight an actual boxer as Jon exclaims, “Even any sparing partner for any known boxer will do!”

When all is said and done, Jon knows what Jake is always up to with his moves, “At the end of the day, he’s a marketing guy, calling out all of these UFC guys, and Dana White… it’s all for publicity.”

Before moving on, Jon has some words of enlightenment for Paul, “Fight a boxer that’s your age and let’s see you try to beat them. It’s ok to lose!” 

There’s Such a Thing as a Winning Horse Racing Bettor?

Paul Matties Jr. joins the guys on this week’s show, and Bill gives him the most effectively succinct introduction, “He’s one of the only winning horse racing bettors I know!” When Bill gives someone such high praise, you know they’re the real deal. Jon, however, takes offense to this statement, “How are you just assuming I’m not a winning horse bettor! I’m insulted!” 

Paul lives in Saratoga year-round, where he plays all the tracks from day to day, “I go every day to Saratoga, I like it for the social aspect.” Bill reminisces about a time in his life when he would go to Saratoga nearly every summer, “I lived for those days, nothing better!”

With Saratoga being a hotspot for horse racing for years, Jon wants to know if it’s still as bustling as it once was. Paul responds, “You still get the old-school crowd, but everyone mostly comes out on weekends… otherwise, it’s not too crowded.” 

With Paul growing up just north of New York, Bill and he share similar backgrounds in terms of how they both got into horse racing, “I used to bet all the time on everything, but I wasn’t good.” Despite this, he found horse racing to be a tranquil experience, “I always felt comfortable at the track.” Although he can’t completely relate to Bill’s experience of doing everything he can to get to the horse races at 13 with his “degenerate” friends, Paul still shares a mutual understanding of the magic of horse racing.

Getting into the details of horse racing, there are a lot of things that pique Bill’s interest. One thing that Bill wants clarification on is if bigger tracks are in fact harder to beat than smaller tracks. Paul confirms, “Smaller tracks are easier because getting information is easier.” With the age of the internet, it’s easier than ever to get good information, and Paul acknowledges that, “Racing’s changed, we’re in a transition… unlike the old days, there’s plenty of info readily available. The environment just keeps getting tougher and tougher.” 

To Paul, horse racing in the early 90s was the “best game to get into at the time.” Part of his reasoning is that being a serious player had lasting benefits, “You could get rebates, and you could bet multiple tracks a day… if you were watching different races, the learning curve was better.”

The world of horse racing in the 90s was also devoid of what Paul dubs “computer guys”, who he believes have changed horse racing betting drastically. “The computer guys have taken over every pool and track… they have big syndicates, calculating all the odds based on other pools and changing them at the last minute.”

Even with this change, Paul still knows people who are doing well, “There are people that can play day to day and still hold their own.” Unfortunately, there’s the other end of the spectrum as well, “People are getting wiped out that I’ve known for 30 years that aren’t part of these syndicates anymore.” With Bill already a little cold to horse racing, hearing this only secures his position, “Even more of a reason I don’t want to play horses!”

Ultimately Bill wants to know one thing; Is Paul still worthy of the title Bill has given him? Paul smiles, “Yes, I’m still beating the sport, without a doubt.” After winning last year, he’s kept his streak alive with the strategy, “bet a little, win a lot.” Not to say that good info doesn’t hurt either, but Jon has his own strategy when it comes to betting horses, “I just go off of names and numbers!”

With the Breeders’ Cup coming up this weekend, Bill fishes for some expert opinions. When asked if anything stands out, Paul answers, “A horse named Flightline.” Even with Flightline favored to win, Paul is still going to bet against it. “I just don’t buy into the hype,” explains Paul, “And to bet against the favorite is exciting to me!” 

Catch Wise Kracks Thursday on YouTube

Welcome to Wise Kracks, the place to be for betting, pop culture, tips & more. Your hosts Jon Orlando and Bill Krackomberger take a look at the NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL, and everything in between!

Each week invites a new guest to bring us into the world of sports and entertainment. Wise Kracks is here to make you a better bettor, and Bill is the man to take you to the next level. Catch a new episode of Wise Kracks when you tune into the WSN YouTube channel every Thursday!