We’re in the final rounds of this U.S. presidential election, and it’s looking to be a big one. As President Donald Trump fights and scrapes to retain the White House, Joe Biden and his allies are doing everything they can to get him out.
With less than two weeks to go until voting ends, a debate this upcoming Thursday, and a record-breaking Twitch stream from a couple of congresswomen, there’s a lot going on. And there might be even more to come if this debate ends up being a close one. To understand what’s happening, we spoke with our sources at Bodog to see just how big a betting election this would be.
The biggest betting election ever?
According to our man at Bodog, they are seeing all-time high volume for a political event, tripling what they saw for the 2016 election. We asked them how this compares to sporting events of the recent past. “It has potential to be up there with McGregor/Mayweather,” they answered. “Betting on each state, popular vote, senate control have each taken 6 figures in bets – this only occurred by election night in 2016.”
With the odds closer at Bodog than many other books, and closer than the polls indicate they should be, our source confirmed that they are seeing disproportionate action on a Trump win. “We’ve taken 2:1 Trump money so far despite being much lower on him than the market place. As of this writing Trump is +125 with us but he’s +153 at Pinnacle and +166 at Betfair.”
With interest being so high, we asked if this was being considered as an appetizer; a tool to bring in customers who may bet on other things. “Oh for sure and I think back in 2008, or whenever we first started offering this, that’s how we treated Politics – as an exotic to convert players and not something to try and profit,” they answered. But the level of interest, and the circumstances of 2020, may have changed that thinking. “If we’re going to go through the trouble of putting this stuff up, let’s actually let people bet into it and double down on how we handicap it.”
Could election betting expand?
That made us wonder, is there a chance we might see a broader menu of political wagering options in the future, like for other countries or smaller elections? They were not very optimistic. “We’ve done Canadian elections before but there wasn’t much engagement,” they said. “This happened with the backdrop of COVID and, between March and late July. While the world is interested and consumed so many things American, our primarily US-based players aren’t that interested in much outside their borders.”
How will the election be called for wagering purposes?
Bodog is playing it a bit by ear, as it turns out. On election night, if the major networks confidently call the election one way or another, specially at the state level, Bodog will grade bets that way. But if it’s a close race, they will wait. “As much as the media will race to be the first to call it, any early settlement on our end would create massive issues,” they said. “If there’s nothing clear then we’ll wait until it is, even if that means waiting for the courts.”
Election betting tips from the bookie
Finally, we asked how they expect this election to play out for the final two weeks, and if they had any advice:
“I think we’ll continue to see Trump money right up until polls close,” they said. “As to what I think will happen? Goodness, who knows. Biden is doing well in the polls but the concept of the shy/quiet Trump voter isn’t something that I think can be completely discounted. Nate Silver has Biden 86% to win now. He only had Hillary around 71% this far out.
I think Trump will outperform his current polling but if Biden’s up 5 or more points before election day, then that’ll do it. If you believe all of that, Biden is a pretty good bet right now.”
They did caution however that there could still be an October surprise to upset the balance of everything, but that exhaustion and disapproval with Trump’s presidency might just be too much to ignore.
Who do the sportsbooks want to win?
Our sources also let us know that, just like in 2016, Bodog is looking to make some money should Biden win the presidency, as there’s just so much money on a Trump win with the book. That’s not the case with all sportsbooks, as BetOnline is hoping for a Trump win based on the action they’re seeing, and MyBookie has balanced the action just enough to be looking at a profit regardless of what happens.
AOC and Ilhan Omar are sus
Looking to help Biden and so many gamblers win their bets was Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, who took to Twitch on Tuesday night for their first ever games of Among Us. The two played as crewmates and imposters in an effort to get out the vote before election day.
The duo played with some of Twitch’s biggest streamers, routinely reminding their audience of approximately 500,000 to make sure their vote is counted for election day.
If the stream is to be believed, potential future presidential candidate AOC couldn’t lie for shit, routinely doing a terrible job as the imposter, despite a couple of fun kills:
watching @AOC play among us is the highest form of entertainment pic.twitter.com/uY5bIKHKew
— emily (@emiIyjsimmons) October 21, 2020
Ilhan Omar, on the other hand, was coldblooded.
Hands down the best part😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/LspF8v09OY
— H ✨️ (@treacherousrun) October 21, 2020
Thursday Debate Odds
Before we settle bets or even count votes, there’s the matter of this Thursday’s debate. Donald Trump and Joe Biden will go for another 90 minutes of verbal sparring, hopefully with less interruptions this time. Bodog has once again prepared some fun debate odds that you can bet on, or just follow along for fun as the two argue about the future of the United States.
What Type of Pattern will Donald Trump’s Tie Be?
| Solid | -160 |
| Striped | +200 |
| Dotted | +1000 |
| Other Geometric Pattern / Novelty | +1200 |
| Tartan, Checkers or Plaid | +1600 |
| Paisley or Floral | +2500 |
What Type of Pattern will Joe Biden’s Tie Be?
| Striped | +225 |
| Solid | +275 |
| Dotted | +325 |
| Other Geometric Pattern / Novelty | +400 |
| Tartan, Checkers or Plaid | +750 |
| Paisley or Floral | +1200 |
What Color will Donald Trump’s Tie Be?
| Red (Includes: Maroon & Burgundy) | -150 |
| Light Blue | +350 |
| Blue or Navy Blue | +400 |
| Other | +900 |
| Yellow or Gold | +1200 |
What Color Will Joe Biden’s Tie Be?
| Blue or Navy Blue | +200 |
| Light Blue | +250 |
| Red (Includes: Maroon & Burgundy) | +250 |
| Other | +600 |
| Purple | +800 |
What Will Trump Say First?
| Sleepy Joe | -275 |
| Phoney Kamala | +200 |
What Will Trump Say First?
| Fake News | -150 |
| China Virus | +115 |
What will be said First by Trump or Biden?
| Affordable Care Act | -135 |
| Pre-Existing | +105 |
Which Event Will Have A Higher Nielsen Rating?
| First Debate | -340 |
| Second Debate | +240 |
Which State Will Be Mentioned First?
| Pennsylvania | +400 |
| Arizona | +500 |
| Florida | +500 |
| Georgia | +550 |
| Michigan | +600 |
| North Carolina | +600 |
| Wisconsin | +600 |
| Minnesota | +650 |
Which Topic Will Be Debated First?
| Fighting Covid-19 | +170 |
| National Security | +325 |
| American Families | +400 |
| Race in America | +550 |
| Climate Change | +700 |
| Leadership | +725 |
Who Will Take the First Sip of Water?
| Joe Biden | -165 |
| Donald Trump | +125 |
Who Will Win the Presidential Debate Drinking Game
| Donald Trump | -125 |
| Joe Biden | -105 |
Whos Microphone Will be Muted First?
| Donald Trump | -275 |
| Joe Biden | +200 |
Will Donald Trump Mention Joe Rogan?
| Yes | +550 |
| No | -1000 |
Will Hong Kong Be Mentioned During the Debate?
| Yes | -130 |
| No | Even |
Will the First Lady and Donald Trump Share an Embrace After the Debate?
| Yes | +200 |
| No | -275 |
Will Trump or Biden Curse On-Air?
| No | -4000 |
| Yes | +1000 |
Will Either Candidate Mention “Twitter” During the Debate?
| Yes | +120 |
| No | -160 |
Will The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Be Mentioned During The Debate?
| Yes | +200 |
| No | -275 |
U.S. Presiential Election 2020 – Odds to Win
| Joe Biden | -165 |
| Donald Trump | +125 |
