“For Bettor or Worse.”
Intentionally quirky spelling aside, it’s a mantra John Jastremski lives by when it relates to his own forays into the world of sports betting – no matter the pick, no matter the result, he’s on it for better (spelled this way this time) or worse.
And now, for a half-hour every weekday, JJ can bring his passion for sports betting, as well as the enthusiasm he brings to JJ After Dark (or any timeslot he rolls in), to the WFAN airwaves thanks to “Odds On Sports,” which debuted August 18 and will air from 6-6:30 Monday through Friday.
“Sports betting has always been a passion of mine,” JJ told WFAN.com minutes before the maiden broadcast. “It’s something I’ve always found a way to incorporate on the air, and I’m very excited and happy about the fact that I’ll be able to share my enthusiasm and passion for sports betting with the audience five nights a week in its own space.”
“Odds on Sports” is presented by DraftKings Sportsbook, so most of the lines and wagers JJ references in the show will come from that outlet, and in addition to focus on the local numbers, he’s going to search high and low for values across the sports world – even if they come at the suggestions of callers.
“We’ll throw some picks at people for sure, but it’ll be a lot of going over the lines, and touching on all the locals,” JJ said. “With two playoffs (NBA and NHL) going on, I can get into that in-depth, too. Add in some guess to give insight and look and trends, and away we go!”
Away indeed he went on Tuesday, opening the first program with a nod to the trend he is starting to set at WFAN, alongside the new “Pick of the Day” segment on the Moose & Maggie Show middays.
“Let’s roll baby – it’s time for the debut of Odds on Sports!” JJ crowed at the top of the maiden broadcast. “You can tell – there is a little bit of extra pep in my step, because this is a show concept that, in many ways, is years in the making. I am just so fired up that now, for a half-hour day in and day out, we can talk some lines and make some picks, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.”
And then, after is 30 seconds of gratitude, JJ launched into the meat of what you’ll hear 30 minutes a day as sports betting gets its proverbial 15 minutes of fame on WFAN.
“It’s pretty remarkable; I noticed this yesterday on the overnight show, but between MLB, the NBA, and the NHL, you only had one underdog find a way to cover a number. Uno,” he said. “Fast forward 24 hours, and you have the Milwaukee Bucks losing outright as a heavy favorite against the Orlando Magic. If you can get decent odds and value on Milwaukee – I would say under 400 for the series – I would be all over that, because Milwaukee is not losing a best-of-seven series to the Orlando Magic. So, if the books are going to overreact after one game, pounce on the Bucks for the remainder of the series.”
After some talk about the Mets and Yankees and a look at the NBA playoffs, RADIO.COM Sports insider Ross Tucker joined the show for “Tuck’s Takes,” a daily segment where Tucker and JJ will discuss some NFL futures to pay off on what Jastremski said will be “a heavy football focus” on the show.
On Day 1 it was all about Big Blue, discussing Joe Judge’s early returns, but of course, Tuck’s first Take was about how he feels that in this wacky world, consistency and continuity will be the key to early success on the gridiron and in the books or on the fantasy field.
“I don’t like a lot of rookies this year for fantasy football or prop bets, and I don’t even love a lot of teams that have new QBs – I’m nervous about, like, a Bridgewater in Carolina, and moving around,” Tucker said. “I guess that’s in favor, if we’re gonna talk G-Men, of the Eagles, because Washington, the Cowboys, and the Giants all have new head coaches and coaching staffs.”
“I like your picks – I want piggyback on the Islanders and throw in there a first period under 1 ½,” the caller said. “The whole trend of this series is that games have started slow, and all the goals have come in the second and third period.”
See, even the callers get a chance to give tips on “Odds on Sports!” In this case, neither Charles’ advice nor JJ’s pick paid off (the Isles led 2-0 after one but lost 3-2), but hey, that’s why it’s not a game of skill!
Either way, just another day at the office, or at least the start of one, for JJ, who is regularly heard on WFAN just before the sun rises each day, and now is on the airwaves just before it sets, too. Check out the maiden voyage of “Odds on Sports” below!
Follow JJ and Ross Tucker on Twitter: @john_jastremski and @RossTuckerNFL
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