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OAKLAND PARK, Fla (Gambling911.com) - Nicaragua comes into their Little League World Series match against Panama as a -400 favorite while South Korea is a massive -7500 favorite vs. Czech Republic. BetOnline for the first time ever is offering player prop bets as well as odds for each of this year's matches.
Nicaragua has already played in Williamsport, defeating the Caribbean representative from the Dominican Republic 2-1 on Wednesday.
That advanced Nicaragua into Friday's winners-bracket matchup against Panama. Nicaragua enters Friday 8-0 overall between regional and LLWS competition.
Nicaragua has a particularly interesting pitching-heavy roster. Giovany Urroz Chavez is listed as a pitcher/outfielder, and Little League's roster also includes his brother Jonathan Urroz Chavez, who can pitch and play SS/2B.
Panama as a country has traditionally been competitive in Williamsport: prior to this tournament, Panama had made 13 LLWS appearances, with a runner-up finish among its best results.
Friday will be Panama's first game of this LLWS. Panama pays out $284 for every $100 bet should they be victorious.
Outside of a few prop bets (if available), South Korea is priced too high to bet at -7500.
West Seoul went a perfect 6-0 in Asia-Pacific qualifying, and some of the scores were ridiculous:
South Korea 14-0 Saudi Arabia
South Korea 10-0 New Zealand
South Korea 12-0 Northern Mariana Islands
South Korea 14-0 Indonesia
South Korea 10-0 Philippines
South Korea 3-1 Chinese Taipei — championship
That's 63 runs scored and only three allowed over six games. Ji Hwan Hong is probably the most interesting player. Hong is a pitcher/shortstop, 5-foot-7, and already made an impact in Williamsport. He had a big offensive performance in Korea's 7-0 victory over Canada Wednesday.
For the Czech Republic (South Czech Republic LL), one name worth knowing is David Caha.
An upset by Czech Republic pays out $1253.
Betting on this year's Little League World Series is not without controversy.
The Little League World Series issued the following statement to Gambling911.com:
"Little League International stands by its statement first issued last year that there is no place for betting on Little League games and players or any youth sports competition. Little League is a trusted place where children are learning the fundamentals of the games and all the important life lessons that come with having fun, celebrating teamwork, and playing with integrity, and no one should be exploiting the success and failures of children playing the game they love for their own personal gain."
"We're not here to say whether gambling on 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds is right or wrong, that's up for you to decide (and possibly write about), we're just delivering the information," BetOnline Brand Manager Dave Mason tells Gambling911.com.
Little League World Series Futures Odds to Win
U.S. Bracket Champion
California 1/1
Texas 6/1
New Jersey 6/1
Alabama 8/1
Iowa 12/1
Massachusetts 12/1
Ohio 12/1
Washington 12/1
Nevada 14/1
Pennsylvania 18/1
International Bracket Champion
South Korea 1/2
Dominican Republic 4/1
Japan
Mexico 8/1
Nicaragua 10/1
Curacao 16/1
Panama 25/1
Canada 33/1
Czechia
Australia
Thursday, August 20
12pm ET
Australia +500
Mexico -850
2pm ET
Ohio -130
Nevada +100
4pm ET
Curacao +340
Japan -500
6pm ET
California -270
Iowa +200
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
