Betting on Pro Wrestling Advice and Tips with Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
If you are an avid sports bettor that is always on the lookout for new and exciting things to wager on, you might want to frequently check Doc’s Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza’s blog, Straight Bet Talk. He is not only one of the best handicappers in the nation for all the major sports, but Raphael is willing to use his expertise to offer selections for events that very few others in the field would even attempt to handicap.
When Doc’s recently found out that he was offering picks for various Pay Per View pro wrestling events, we just had to dig deeper into things to give our readers a glimpse into the ins and outs of betting on such a unique event. The timing for this week’s Q&A is perfect with the upcoming WWE Hell in a Cell event on tap for this Sunday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Doc’s Sports : The biggest question has to be how do the oddsmakers even set the betting odds for pro wrestling events if the outcome has supposedly already been scripted?
RE: Many pro wrestling matchups in local house shows are scripted well in advance of the actual bout, but when it comes to the premier PPV events, the wrestlers will not find out about the planned outcome until minutes before they enter the ring. You have to remember that pro wrestling organizations such as the WWE are multi-million operations with sole goal of making money on their wrestlers and these PPV events. Things are always kept tight, and outcomes are never leaked to the betting public.
The sportsbooks main purpose in setting moneyline odds for the major pro wrestling events is to create as much two-way action as possible. If a certain wrestler is perceived to be a heavy favorite, the books will set a prohibitively high moneyline, and there have been many times where that heavy favorite gets upset. The other thing that the books will do is place betting limits on each individual match to limit their exposure.
Doc’s Sports: Once you do have the betting odds for an upcoming pro wrestling event, could you give us some further insight into how you actually go about handicapping the individual matches?
RE: To handicap pro wrestling you have to think like a promoter not like a fan. There are a number of storylines surrounding all the major pro wrestlers, so a promoter is going to script an outcome that has the best chance to make the most money over the long haul. If it makes sense to keep a bitter rivalry going, then I will pick my winner based on the outcome that will fuel the biggest fire with a huge pro wrestling fan base.
I like to think of pro wrestling as having a ‘soap opera effect’ where one major PPV event builds on another to keep this fan base completely engaged at all times.
Doc’s Sports: Seeing how you can bet on almost anything in Las Vegas, can you give us a few of the sportsbooks in town that regularly offer betting odds on pro wrestling as well as any online books that may post odds for these types of events?
RE : Unless it is something really big like a WrestleMania Event, the Las Vegas books will normally refrain from posting odds for pro wrestling events. There are just too many issues with placing money limits on wagers when it comes to dealing their high rollers. Not to mention, the Nevada Gaming Commission is not too keen on books going after this kind of action.
Get free sports picks for every league and nearly every matchup on Doc’s free picks page.
Doc’s Sports : Given the unique nature of wagering on pro wrestling in general, can you give us an idea of just how much action will these sportsbooks generate on this Sunday’s WWE Hell in a Cell?
RE : Since the books normally put betting limits on events such as this, the total amount wagered will be impacted. However, the overwhelming popularity of the WWE will generate quite a bit of action across the board given it huge fan base. The main reason for posting odds is really geared towards customer service. Most books do not want to run the risk of giving an existing customer a reason to look elsewhere to wager on these PPV events.
Be sure to check Straight Bet Talk this weekend for Raphael’s picks for this Sunday’s WWE Hell in the Cell. Earlier this year he posted eight picks for this year’s WWE SummerSlam, and he went a perfect 8-0.
Click here to visit Raphael Esparza’s Insider’s Page at Doc’s Sports for more information on his amazingly-profitable sports handicapping picks. Also, get $60 worth of Esparza’s member’s picks absolutely free – no obligation, no sales people – you don’t even have to enter credit card information. You can use this $60 credit for any sport Esparza handicaps. Click here for $60 worth of free picks from Raphael Esparza . Also be sure to follow him on Twitter @VSIDocsports.
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