Sports betting: U.S. women’s odds have dropped after early World Cup domination

Maybe it was the 13-0 opening win, or maybe it’s because of the household names, but the modest plays on women’s soccer have been decidedly one-way, according to some area bookies.

“We’ve seen more money bet on the U.S. to win the World Cup than the total [futures bets] on the World Series,” said Richard Schwartz, president of Rush Street Interactive, which runs the PlaySugarHouse.com sites in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Schwartz declined to specify exactly how much has been wagered, but said if the U.S. wins the World Cup, his company was looking at a “six-figure liability.”

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We had “a few thousand dollars [on the USA] before they started to win the World Cup at +325,” echoed Hal Tendler, manager of the DraftKings sportsbook at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City.

Entering Thursday, DraftKings and PlaySugarHouse dropped the U.S. to +185 to win soccer’s most prestigious championship. FanDuel was at +175. William Hill sportsbooks had the U.S. as prohibitive favorites at -140.

“The USA women draw decent action, but the rest is pretty pedestrian,” said Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill, which runs two sportsbooks in Atlantic City. “I think once we get into knockout, and the USA is playing the stronger teams, the action will pick up quite a bit.”

The United States, which already has advanced to the elimination round, figures to have its toughest test to date today against Sweden in the final game of preliminary play (3 p.m., Fox). The U.S. is ranked No. 1 by FIFA, and the Swedes are 9th.

A U.S. win or draw would clinch Group F. The Americans were -265 for today’s game in Le Havre, France. Sweden was +750, according to SugarHouse.

“Ninety percent of the bets and 95 percent of the total handle is on the United States to win," Schwartz said. “That’s the way that it is. You have to roll with the punches in this business.”

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Schwartz said a staggering 350 props and wagers have been posted for today’s game, including several on Delran native and soccer royalty Carli Lloyd. They range from traditional to (at least for novices) the sublime.

For example, Lloyd’s odds to ...

♦ Score a goal are +117. If she scores, every $100 wagered would return $117.

♦ Score the first or last goal: +335.

♦ Score two goals: +700.

♦ Score three goals: +3000.

♦ Score four goals: +16000.

♦ Score three goals, but one left-footed, one right-footed and one header: +8000. Yeah, no kidding.

Sweden, it should be noted, knocked the U.S. out of the 2016 Olympics — after which American goalie Hope Solo called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” for playing conservatively. The Fightin’ Forsbergs also beat the visiting United States in a 2017 friendly, 1-nil.

via DraftKings

USA: -265. Sweden: +750. Draw: +380.

Over 2.5 goals: -120. Under 2.5 goals: -108.

Over 4.5 goals: +510. Under 4.5 goals: -910.