To wrap up #futuresSZN I will be looking at the Power 5 as a whole and making plays some some long-shot conference winners we may want to consider. Long shots are just that, but checking in under the hood we can identify a few plays that have a path to cash.
Remember these bets are not set it and forget it. When you make a future play with large odds, there may be ways to recoup some money back along the way. For instance late in the year there may be one marquee matchup that will define a conference or division winner. If you stand to win a large sum if your team wins the conference, maybe a small play on the opposite team can hedge if that’s your thing. A few things I am looking at to highlight are:
Weak division – for two division conferences, sometimes certain teams can get lucky with the schedule. Perhaps the conference is division-heavy on one side, or a team avoids the toughest pull from the opposite division. In these cases, you could make an argument for at least a conference title game appearance and then decide to manage a hedging opportunity later.
Critical home games – This is also playing on the previous concept but when a given schedule lines up with two key games and that lucky team gets them both at home… maybe it’s worth laying a wager assuming they win them both this year.
These style bets are not for the faint of heart and need some creativity to make a case, but who doesn’t love a long shot!?
