The 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup is finally back in action!
After a six-week coronavirus-related layoff, the last leg of the 2021 PBA season is once again underway.
Hopefully, with pandemic cases dropping significantly in severity, the current relaxation of quarantine and lockdown mandates will last long enough for the PBA to crown its 2021 Governors’ Cup champion.
The current Governors’ Cup standings as we approach the midpoint of the opening 11-game knockout round are as follows, with all the teams you’d expect sitting above the 8-team cutoff (for now).
2022 PBA Governors’ Cup Standings
- Magnolia Hotshots: 4-0
- Meralco Bolts: 4-0
- Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters: 4-2
- NLEX Road Warriors: 4-2
- Barangay Ginebra San Miguel: 3-2
- Alaska Aces: 3-2
- San Miguel Beermen: 3-2
- Rain or Shine Elasto Painters: 3-3
- Terrafirma Dyip: 2-4
- TNT Tropang Giga: 2-4
- NorthPort Batang Pier: 0-5
- Blackwater Bossing: 0-6
Several of the legal Philippines online sportsbooks operating overseas have odds up for the next PBA games, though not every site covers the league.
However, as the PBA grows in global popularity, that’s bound to change.
International basketball betting is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after markets in sports gambling, and while PBA betting is still viewed as very localized to the Philippines in terms of interest, that interest is definitely growing.
Another area of newfound betting interest amongst Philippine punters – and punters the world over – is political/election betting.
To that end, one of the most interesting developments of late has to do with the Philippine Presidential election odds at BetOnline Sportsbook.
If you weren’t already aware, BetOnline is not only the premier Philippines-facing online sports betting site, it’s also the premier Philippines-facing online election betting site.
(You can read more about the operator – and everything it has to offer in the online casino, online sports betting, and online poker arenas – at our updated BetOnline review for 2022.)
Now, election odds are not typically available via domestic sportsbooks, and that’s true in almost every country throughout the world (with the virtual sole exception of the UK).
For example, in the Philippines, you cannot legally wager on national or international elections – or, for that matter, general political odds or current events odds of any kind – at MegaSportsWorld (MSW) venues.
Additionally, even as both brick-and-mortar and online domestic sports betting become more common in the islands, it’s unlikely that political betting is ever going to be offered at the local level.
But that’s just another reason to check out the odds at places like BetOnline. And yes, other Philippine online gambling sites also have election odds (i.e. MyBookie Sportsbook, Xbet Sportsbook, SportsBetting AG, etc.), though BetOnline has emerged as the clear leader for this particular market over the last few years.
Here’s how the BetOnline odds for the next Philippine election are shaping up:
2022 Philippine Presidential Election – Winner
- Bongbong Marcos -400
- Leni Robredo +250
- Manny Pacquiao +1200
- Isko Moreno +3500
- Bong Go +10000
- Sara Duterte-Carpio +10000
- Alan Peter Cayetano +15000
- Antonio Trillanes +15000
While this list of candidates is far from comprehensive, it does represent the frontrunners pretty well. At least, in most cases.
Naturally, Mayor Sara’s inclusion here is for the “benefit” – ha! – of international gamblers who aren’t aware that she’s not running for President but is instead running for Vice President (in alignment with Bongbong Marcos’s Presidential campaign).
If you actually live in the Philippines, of course, you won’t be tricked by the draw of her last name on the betting boards, as many non-Filipino gamblers in other countries assuredly are.
At any rate, these odds are interesting because – while Marcos is still the favorite by 650 points – his odds have fallen considerably of late.
When these odds were first posted, Marcos’ chances to be the next Philippine President were sitting at -1200. However, last month they slipped to -600, and today they’re at -400.
He’s still almost certainly going to win, but bettors who have waiting this long to put money on Marcos made the right move, as the payout is much, much better today than it was even two weeks ago.
Nevertheless, the odds could narrow even more, so be sure to check back here – and at your legal PH online sportsbook – each week as Election Day (Monday, May 9, 2022) approaches.
Source: Rappler