NFL preseason, College Football, MLB News & Las Vegas Royalty Jay Kornegay (Wise Kracks Ep. 57)

Wise Kracks is back with another episode #57 presented by your co-hosts Bill Krackomberger and Jon Orlando. It’s a jam packed show this week. There’s plenty to talk about with the first week of NFL and the return of a very special guest to Wise Kracks. But first there’s time to catch up with what’s going on in the world of our two co-hosts. Bill is excited to hear that the Red Rock casino in Vegas has installed sports betting terminals, while Jon has been dipping his toes into betting on steeplechase horse racing. Jon’s also planning some big baseball parlays, a play which as a professional bettor, Krack is not impressed with.

Betting on MLB

The first stop on today’s agenda is MLB. The guys discuss the advisability of betting on favorites, and Bill explains how much of a premium you end up playing just for picking a popular team. Speaking of betting, Vegas is back baby. At least, according to the guys at Wise Kracks. The city is filling up with people again, and the casinos and sports books are packed like the pandemic never happened.

It’s football season with the NFL preseason getting underway, and Bill has been playing around with some very interesting information. As pointed out to him by a fellow pro, the lines on totals bets on all the preseason games are around 5 points lower than just about ever before. Preseason games are notoriously volatile for betting – which does mean that you can find value while the sportsbooks adjust. Bill has lots of thoughts on preseason betting, and preseason in general, and he’s on top form today.

Vegas Legend Jay Kornegay

Wise Kracks has now been going so long that we’ve developed a healthy network of friends of the show. There’s no one that deserves that title more than Jay Kornegay, head of Westgate Sportsbook, and Jay is back on the show today for his third appearance on Wise Kracks. 

Jay has been in the sports betting business since the 80s, and he’s got loads of insight into how the game has changed over the years. Jay was looking for his niche in the industry when he became an early advocate of prop bets, eventually becoming the first book to offer a full menu of props on the Super Bowl. The runaway success and ripple effects of Jay’s work with props has basically changed the industry.

Jon is curious as to why Bill and Jay have such a good relationship, when Krack is basically trying (and often succeeding) to beat the book every week. Jay explains the symbiotic relationship between a sportsbook and the sharp bettors, and how as long as there is mutual respect and honesty between the pair, there is no reason for bad blood. Jay also touches on the supposed “decline” of Vegas, the latest sports betting contests running, and a look ahead to upcoming seasons. 

All of that and much more on this week’s episode of Wise Kracks.