Summer is officially back, with the longest day of the year on June 20. For many, the start of the season also marks the beginning of family vacations, trips to the beach and other fun times that will last through Labor Day weekend.
Those adventures won’t start until the school bell rings for the final time. Most Maryland counties celebrated their last day of school last week, but kids in Somerset County won’t end the school year until Tuesday. At BetMaryland.com, we’re filling up the Family Truckster and hitting the road while Maryland sports betting season enters its annual summer lull. We wanted to know which states were the most excited for the summer break and the results did not disappoint.
To identify the most excited state, we reviewed Google Trends data and ranked states based on their search interest scores. We reviewed searches for the term “summer” that took place between June 4 and June 11.
Rank | State | Search Interest Score |
1 | Maryland | 100 |
2 | California | 94 |
3 | Washington | 91 |
4 | Oregon | 86 |
5 | Delaware | 79 |
6 | Virginia | 77 |
7 | Hawaii | 76 |
8 | Michigan | 75 |
9 | North Carolina | 72 |
10 | Illinois | 70 |
What can you do in Maryland during the summer? According to the state’s Office of Tourism, there’s plenty available (aside from using our best Maryland sportsbook promos when you sign up, of course).
The state known for its seafood has scores of restaurants waiting to welcome diners and tourists. Head to the Maryland Crab & Oyster Trail page at VisitMaryland.com for a list of places to hit. There are other water-based adventures as the state has more than 3,000 miles of shoreline. Ocean City is a popular destination, as is the Sand Islands, part of Susquehanna State Park at the top of Chesapeake Bay.
For those who prefer fun away from the beach, Maryland is home to several great hiking trails, some of which lead to beautiful waterfalls or other breathtaking scenery. One of the most popular is Cascade Falls, in Elkridge, roughly between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Of course, you can’t have summer without baseball, and once again, Maryland’s team is right in the thick of the pennant race. The Baltimore Orioles are 45-23 as of June 14, second-best in the American League. They trail the New York Yankees by 2.5 games in the AL East, but the O’s have a firm grasp on a wild card spot.
At Caesars Maryland Sportsbook, Baltimore has the fourth-lowest odds on the World Series futures board. At +900, the Orioles have the same odds as the Atlanta Braves, whom they just beat twice in a three-game series last week. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (+300), the Yanks (+450) and the Philadelphia Phillies (+500) have shorter odds.
With the Orioles performing well, their stars are also among the favorites to win league awards. Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who won the AL Rookie of the Year last season, has odds of +475 to win the league MVP this season at DraftKings Maryland Sportsbook. He’s the third choice behind favorite Yanks slugger Aaron Judge (-105) and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (+400).
Starting pitcher Corbin Burnes, who Baltimore acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, is the second choice at FanDuel Maryland Sportsbook to win the league’s Cy Young Award. The righty is 7-2 with a 2.08 earned run average in 14 starts. With those stats, he has odds of +460 to win his second Cy Young in his seven-year career. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the favorite at +130.
You can track Baltimore Orioles playoff odds all season at BetMaryland.com.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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