Place Your Bets on the 2021 Diamondbacks

Time once again to enter the SnakePit Casino - still wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, of course - and bravely chance your arms on the outcome of this 2021 season for the D-backs. Last season, 18 bettors ended up coming out on top overall, by a total of just over 3,200 SnakePit dollars - the second year in a row for the punters to win. Will this yea go as well? Here’s where we find out, as we welcome you to our 10th or so annual betting frenzy. For those who need a refresher, let me top up your glass...

How it works

I’m bankrolling each of you with S$1,500 in SnakePit Dollars [actual value 0.00000000000001 cents], which you can divide up and wager on the lines as you think fit. I’ll accept entries up until the first pitch on Opening Day.

In an “over/under” bet, a sports book will set a number, and bettors can choose on which side of that number the actual result will fall. The most common such is the total points in an NFL game, but it can be run on just about any sporting statistic. If you win, you get double your money [actually, it’s typically a shade less than double, the difference being the house edge, but we’ll just say double for our purposes here]. If you lose... Well, I trust I need not draw you a picture, but it involves a vice and Joe Pesci, if my recollection of Casino is correct.

To place a bet, you simply put your lines and amount wagered on each, in the comments below. For ease of my inputting them into the spreadsheet, entry lines should be in the form:

• Diamondbacks - Wins, S$300, OVER

which means you are betting Arizona will win more than the specified number. However, so you don’t just throw it all on one bet, you can bet no more than S$500 on any single wager, so you’ve got to have at least three lines. You can have more, of course, by betting less than the limit. All player lines are transferable, so if anyone is traded, the line goes with them. Only regular season games are counted too, so if the D-backs make the post-season, those contests will not be included. You, at the back - stop sniggering!

Here are the wagers available this season, courtesy of BetOnline (www.BetOnline.ag, They are quite hitter heavy, in part because of the closer uncertainty, and in part because I had to take out the Zac Gallen lines. :( See, now I’ve made myself all sad... Note that if fewer than 162 games are played for COVID reasons, I’ll pro-rate the player numbers to 162.

• Diamondbacks Wins - 75.5
• Ketel Marte BA - .287
• Ketel Marte HR’s - 21.5
• Ketel Marte RBI’s - 76.5
• Eduardo Escobar HR’s - 22.5
• Eduardo Escobar RBI’s - 79.5
• Christian Walker HR’s - 23.5
• Christian Walker RBI’s - 74.5
• Nick Ahmed HR’s - 17
• Nick Ahmed RBI’s - 68.5
• Kole Calhoun HR’s - 22.5
• Kole Calhoun RBI’s - 62.5
• Carson Kelly HR’s - 16.5
• Madison Bumgarner Wins - 8
• Madison Bumgarner Strikeouts - 132.5

Updates will be roughly monthly through the season so we can see the rise and fall of fortunes, until a final reckoning at some point after the campaign is over.