Wouldn’t it be great if there was a single wager that afforded you the opportunity to focus on every single game on the slate? There is, and we’re not talking about a multi-game parlay bet.
The Grand Salami tends to fly under the radar, but it’s also a wager that can be lots of fun. If totals are right up your alley, or if you’re the type who can get a good read on an entire docket of games, then this wager could be for you.
Even if you don’t fall into one of the above two categories, there’s a lot to love about the Grand Salami. Read on as we explain what it’s all about and how you can add it to your handicapping repertoire.
What is the Grand Salami?
The Grand Salami is a total or over/under bet taken to a whole new level. As opposed to just the number of points scored in a single contest, the Grand Salami revolves around the total amount scored for an entire slate of games.
It’s most typically offered for MLB and NHL betting. The estimated total for a day’s worth of games is posted by oddsmakers, and bettors then decide if they like the final number to be over or under that amount.
In its simplest form, it works just like a totals bet for an individual game. However, there’s a lot more to consider with the Grand Salami. Let’s take a look.
How is the Grand Salami created?
So since the Grand Salami revolves around the total runs or goals scored for a slate of games, then all you need to do is add up the totals for all games on the docket to come up with the benchmark number, right?
Not necessarily. While it’s certainly possible that oddsmakers could settle on that number for the Grand Salami, that’s often not the case. You may find a cushion involved one way or the other depending on their overall read of the day’s action.
For example, you could add up the totals for a nine-game slate of MLB games and find that it’s 72. The Grand Salami could be set there for the day, but it could just as easily be posted at 75, for example.
The same applies for the NHL. If it’s a 10-game slate and you find the totals for all of those games add up to 55, don’t be surprised if oddsmakers set the bar at 57.
Remember: Oddsmakers are essentially trying to pinpoint the total runs or goals scored for the day. While they may have the bar set in a normal range for a single game on the docket, their internal projections could actually point to that game being particularly high- or low-scoring.
How the Grand Salami works in baseball
Each of the 30 teams in MLB play a 162-game regular season schedule. As a result, there aren’t many off days, and it’s not the slightest bit uncommon to have all 30 teams in action on a single day.
For Grand Salami purposes, that means we’re talking about up to 15 games to consider. Naturally, the size of the slate will have a direct impact on the final number set by oddsmakers.
Let’s take a look at two examples, starting with what it may look like for a short slate. Here’s what the over/unders may look like for a random six-game slate.
- Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox 8.0
- Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox 8.5
- Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels 7.5
- Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves 8.0
- Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals 8.0
- San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies 9.5
If we add up all of the total for these six games, we come up with 49.5. However, remember that Colorado sportsbooks won’t necessarily be setting the bar exactly there.
They’ll add in some wiggle room and generally err toward which way the winds are blowing for the slate as a whole. In this case, there’s a game at Coors Field between the Padres and Rockies. Huge scores in the thin air of Denver aren’t uncommon.
As such, they raise the bar to 54.5 for the slate as a whole and release the following odds to the public.
- Over 54.5 (-110)
- Under 54.5 (-110)
The odds for the Grand Salami will fluctuate based on market action, but you’ll typically find them in the range of +100 to -120.
Next, let’s consider a massive 15-game slate. After we do the math on all of the totals, we come up with a grand total of 122.5. The total for the Grand Salami will likely be somewhere in this range, but not necessarily exact.
This time around, oddsmakers add in a four-run cushion and drop odds that look like this.
- Over 126.5 (-110)
- Under 126.5 (-110)
Just like with a regular totals bet, if you select the over, you’re guessing that more than 126.5 runs will be scored on the slate as a whole. Under bettors are anticipating that the number will come in lower than that.
How the Grand Salami works in hockey
The NHL’s 31 teams have a shorter regular season than MLB in terms of number of games per team. Each squad plays 82 games, and nights off are common in hockey.
When it comes to slates, that can translate into abbreviated schedules with just a handful of games, but there are days when nearly the entire league is playing.
For example purposes, let’s work through both ends of the spectrum. Here’s what the totals may look like for a night in which there are only three games on the docket.
- Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens 5.0
- New York Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins 6.0
- Edmonton Oilers at Calgary Flames 5.5
If we add that all up, we come up with a total of 16.5 goals. For Grand Salami purposes, oddsmakers could kick it up a bit based on their general feel of the slate. In this case, let’s assume they raise the bar by a goal and a half to come up with the following.
- Over 18.0 (-110)
- Under 18.0 (-110)
Just like in MLB, the general range of odds will hover around -110, so between +100 and -120 is what you’ll come across for the most part.
Next, consider a 15-game slate in which all of the totals for the day’s games add up to 82.5. Since there are so many games on the docket, oddsmakers lean toward the over and raise the total up a few ticks.
- Over 85.5 (-110)
- Under 85.5 (-110)
Once you know the total for the Grand Salami, it’s a matter of handicapping the slate as a whole and determining if you think it will be a relatively low- or high-scoring schedule of games.
One note to keep in mind on the NHL: Totals for the individual games are generally pretty tight. The overall range is generally from five to six goals, but the majority of games are usually set at 5.5.
Other sporting events that could include a Grand Salami
The Grand Salami is mainly found in MLB and NHL betting, but there are other circumstances in which it can work.
An example would be a slate of Premier League soccer games in which the bar is set for total number of goals for the slate, or a card of UFC fights in which the number is set based on total rounds.
For the most part, MLB and the NHL are where to go for Grand Salami betting. However, keep your eyes open for promotional offerings in which it’s offered for other sports.
Where can you find the Grand Salami?
Wagering for the Grand Salami can be found at a number of leading retail, online and Colorado sports betting apps. For online and mobile purposes, here are three of the best spots you can check out.
All of these operators are simple to sign up for. Just click through on our exclusive links to create an account, and you’ll be entitled to an awesome sign-up bonus for doing so.
Once your account is all set up, follow the onsite instructions to download the app that goes with your device. Log in on mobile, and you’ll be set to place your bets on the go.
What’s the strategy behind the Grand Salami?
To begin with, the normal handicapping rules for totals apply. You’ll want to examine each of the individual games and get a feel for what range of scoring you might see.
Once you have a handle on that, you then have to consider the slate as a whole. Is it a day with a lot of potentially low- or high-scoring matchups or somewhere in the middle?
Going through the above process is a solid starting point for both MLB and the NHL, but you’ll then need to dig deeper and deviate your research to be more sport-specific.
For MLB, you’ll want to look at the following:
- Weather: Lots of games in warm weather forecasts could inspire higher scoring, while the opposite is true for games in colder climates.
- Starting pitching/bullpens: Are there pitching duels on tap with lots of aces, or are teams on the back end of their rotations? Which teams have been leaning on relievers a lot of late? Any bullpens that are really rested?
- Travel: Are a lot of teams scheduled to hit the road once these games wrap up? If so, they could be looking ahead.
When it comes to the NHL, you’ll be looking for things such as:
- Rest: Hockey is a physically taxing sport, so review how many squads are playing the second half of back-to-back sets.
- Goalies: Is it a night in which a lot of backups are starting or business as usual? How have the goalies been rolling as of late?
- Recent play: For each team on the slate, has it been putting goals up in bunches or struggling to find pay dirt recently?
Trying to peg the total runs or goals for an entire slate is challenging, but doing your due diligence can point you that much closer to projecting successfully.
Factors you should consider before placing the bet
As is the case for all bets, you should only be wagering on the Grand Salami when you feel confident and have a good read on the situation at hand.
If it’s a slate of games that’s filled with question marks, that may be a good time to pass. In the long run, your bankroll will thank you for making that call.
Also, it can be helpful to take an honest look at your overall results for betting on MLB and the NHL. For example, when are you finding more success — on jam-packed dates or on nights when the schedule is lighter than normal?
If you have a clear-cut answer to that question, you’ll know which nights to take a shot at the Grand Salami and when to pass quite quickly.
Last but not least, it’s wise to consider this to be a speculative wager due to the sheer number of games involved. Making the right calls for an entire slate of games is challenging.
It can be done, and the result can be quite fruitful when it happens, but there are no guarantees you’ll always be so prescient.
Read the fine print and understand terms and conditions
Specific terms and conditions may apply to Grand Salami wagers, so consult the sportsbook you’ll be playing on for the exact ins and outs.
Beyond that, there are some general rules of thumb that will result in the bet being canceled or ruled a push.
If all of the games on the schedule aren’t completed, the result would be no action. This isn’t something you would normally have to worry about in the NHL, but weather delays and cancellations are frequent enough in MLB.
Also, the Grand Salami works just like regular totals betting: if the total for the slate of games lands right on the number set by oddsmakers, the bet is a push and wagers will be refunded.
Final thoughts on the Grand Salami bet
The Grand Salami is an intriguing bet type that doesn’t get tons of attention. While it can be challenging to project out an entire slate of games, the returns can be nice when you are able to pull it off.
Taking the time to handicap a Grand Salami bet can actually improve your overall handicapping skills. You have to consider many different variables on top of the individual games, so it’ll improve your overall knowledge base in the long run.
Additionally, the entertainment factor for an entire slate of games can increase considerably with Grand Salami bets. After you’ve taken the time to effectively handicap the entire slate and have some skin in the game on the ultimate outcome of all of the contests, it’s pretty hard not to become even more engaged.