Jeevan Jeyaratnam on Player Markets, Pricing, & Goal Scorer Odds

In this episode, I’m joined by Jeevan Jeyaratnam, Chief Betting Officer at Abelson Info—an industry leader in player market pricing and home to the settlement feeds behind many of today’s major betting markets.

Jeev shares insights from two decades in the betting world, including the evolution of player-focused markets like anytime goal scorers, shots, cards, and more. With Abelson pricing over 17,000 football matches annually, Jeev offers an expert deep dive into the nuts and bolts of compiling odds, managing data accuracy, and servicing leading firms like Flutter, Entain, William Hill, and Betway.

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get 150 days, commission free with them via this link. 

Key topics include:

• How Abelson provides player market odds for 150+ global football competitions
• The rise of markets like shots on target, fouls committed, and goalkeeper saves
• The art of pricing in-play player markets—and why team news timing is critical
• Examples of edge cases bettors can exploit (e.g. players in unusual positions, suspension tactics)
• What happened when Henrikh Mkhitaryan was mispriced... and cost a bookmaker big
• The role of feedback loops and how Abelson collaborates with major operators
• What’s next: Jeev reveals details about Abelson’s upcoming Bet Builder product launch

(00:00) Intro & Jeevan’s Role
(02:00) Career Beginnings & Super Soccer Origins
(05:30) Rise of Goal Scorer Market
(08:30) Abelson’s Reach & Bookmaker Clients
(11:30) Custom Pricing & Bookmaker Strategies
(13:30) Data Collection and the Human Edge
(15:30) Adding New Markets & Role of Modelling
(18:30) Player Expectancies & Real-World Examples
(21:30) In-Play Pricing Adjustments
(24:30) Value in Pre-Match Windows
(27:30) The Penalty Taker Dilemma
(30:30) Goal Scorer Profiles & Outliers
(34:30) Pricing Successes and Mistakes
(38:30) Player Markets vs. Match Odds
(43:00) Punters & Perceptions
(47:00) Bet Builders & Market Evolution
(51:00) Brazilian Booking Loophole
(54:30) What’s Next at Abelson

It’s a fascinating episode for bettors interested in the mechanics behind player props and the value spots to target in today's dynamic markets.