3…2…1…Happy New Year! Start Placing Bets, Ohio!

Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...

Dec 29, 2022

May all your lost bets be forgot and never brought to mind? May all your lost bets be forgot-- or at least your first bet if you lose and your sportsbook of choice offered a bonus bet, no sweat first bet, or first bet insurance as a welcome bonus.

Yeah, I'm not going to try to butcher another holiday classic and turn it into a newsletter. Anyway…

As I alluded to in the title, sports betting is launching in Ohio on New Year's Day; it will be too late to bet on the Buckeyes to beat Georgia. But the NFL will have a full slate of action on New Year's Day since it is a Sunday. If fans want to bet on a local team, the Browns play the Commanders on Sunday, and the Bengals host the Bills on MNF.

Click for Best Sportsbook Promos

Not sure if you want to back the Browns or if the Bengals can take the Bills? Many sportsbooks offer a protected first bet, i.e., PointsBet's two-second chance bets, BetMGM's first bet insurance, etc. So, go ahead, Ohio—get in on the action on New Year's Day.

If the Chick-fil-A Bowl goes long, PointsBet will be ready for Buckeye fans to get in on the action.

But play it smart and take advantage of the generous welcome offers Ohio sportsbooks are advertising.

Well, it's a great time to bet on sports. So, let's talk about some of your options.

How To Start Betting in Ohio on Jan. 1

College Football's Bowl Season

The CFP semifinal games are on Saturday, starting with TCU and Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl and with Ohio State facing Georgia in the Chick-fil-a Bowl following that one. If the favorites win, we'll have Michigan facing off against Georgia in the title game.

I love underdogs, so I hope TCU can beat Michigan. But I do not see the Horned Frogs defense slowing down the Wolverines offense. TCU's best hope is for Max Duggan to throw some bombs early on and get the Horned Frogs out to an early lead.

If TCU can force Michigan to throw the ball to keep up, the Horned Frogs will have the advantage. But that may be asking too much of TCU.

As for the Ohio State-Georgia matchup, I think the Buckeyes are overrated. Yes, their offense has been one of the most explosive in college football this season. But who have they played—and beat? I'm not impressed by teams that run up the score against lesser opponents.

For odds on some of the other bowl games, be sure to check out our College Football Odds page. We've also got an in-depth preview of the Orange Bowl available.

Bet on CFP National Championship

2022 NFL Season: Week 17

Several teams have locked up playoff spots, but a handful of teams are still fighting for a wildcard berth. Technically, the Titans are one of those teams, but it does not sound like they will put up much of a fight on TNF versus the Dallas Cowboys. According to reports, several players will not be suiting out.

It's not hard to understand why. Tonight's game does not impact Tennessee's playoff hopes. Whether they make it in depends on if they can beat the Jaguars next week.

Cowboys vs. Titans Odds, Injuries, Prediction: Betting Line Has Flipped Dramatically

For more on Week 17 action, check out these articles:

Elsewhere In The Wide World Of Sports Betting…

I can't lie to you guys—we are operating on somewhat of a skeleton crew during the holidays, so we have not covered as much as we usually do. However, you can still find the odds for upcoming games and championship odds for several sports on our dedicated pages:

This Week On The Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…

Ohio is front and center this week on the legal/business landscape with sports betting going live in the Buckeye State on New Year's Day at 12:01 a.m. ET. Our writers have done a great job the last couple of weeks covering the various prelaunch welcome offers sportsbooks have been offering. We'll certainly have coverage of the post-launch welcome offers as well.

If you are in Ohio and thinking about betting, take advantage of these welcome offers. But be sure you check out the terms and conditions attached to them.

Pick an Ohio Sportsbook Promo

In other legal/business news…

Did you know that Kansas had created a special fund to try to lure the Chiefs away from Missouri? Should fans in Kansas City be worried? Rebecca Hanchett answers that question in an article posted to GamingToday.com this week.

Sportsbook Promotions: Dec. 29, 2022.

The following sportsbook promos could come in handy this weekend:

DraftKings: New Customers: Win $150 In Free Bets! -- Bet at least $5 on any moneyline and win $150 in free bets if your bet wins!
BetRivers: Bowl Season Bet & Get-- Place a pre-match wager of $25 or more on any NCAAF Bowl Game and receive a $10 Free Bet to be used for a live, in-game wager!
BetMGM: First Touchdown Scorer Insurance-- Wager on the first player to score a touchdown in any pro football game each weekend during the season. If your pick isn't the first player to break the plane, you'll get your stake back in Free Bets.

Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer

Playin' with Parlays

I've covered a lot of college football parlays and same-game parlays this season and would like to take this chance to review a few for this weekend.

This week, I am featuring odds from FanDuel, but you should always compare the odds at other top sports betting apps:

CFP Semifinal Parlay

Max Duggan Over 234.5 passing yards -114
Ohio State-Georgia Under 62.5 points -114
Parlay Odds: +252

For TCU to win, Duggan must get the passing game on track from the start. If he does, look for him to have a 300+ yard day. If he doesn't, he may still have a 300+ yard day while trying to play catch up during garbage time. Either way, he ends the game with a respectable yardage total—and over 234.5 yards.

Georgia has averaged 39.2 ppg this season, while Ohio State has averaged 44.5 ppg. But both teams have solid defenses that will keep the opposing offense from going crazy. We'll see some points in this game, but not more than 62.5.

CFP Semifinal Same-Game Parlay—Fiesta Bowl

Max Duggan Over 234.5 passing yards -114
Donovan Edwards Over 123.5 -114
Under 56.5 points +118
Same Game Parlay Odds: +1008

For TCU to win, Max Duggan needs to have a big day. But even if the Horned Frogs do not, he'll wrack up enough yardage in garbage time to finish with more than 234.5 yards. Michigan will probably do like they have done all season—run, run, and run some more.

Expecting Donovan Edwards to clear 123.5 yards is asking a lot, but the TCU run defense is weak.

As for the score, if TCU is going to win, they'll need to turn the game into a shootout. But I do not think that will happen. Michigan will control the clock with the run game, keeping the score down.

New Year's Six Parlay: Featuring the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Sugar Bowl

Cotton Bowl: USC, -1.5 -114
Rose Bowl: Utah, -2.5 -106
Sugar Bowl: Alabama, -6.5 -110
Parlay odds: +596

Tulane has had an admirable season, but they are not on the same level as the Trojans; USC will win this game by at least a touchdown. Penn State has a solid defense and a good, veteran quarterback. But Cameron Rising is a more dynamic player and has better tools to work with than Sean Clifford.

As for the Sugar Bowl, hanging with a solid TCU team is one thing, but beating Alabama is another. Nick Saban will want to end the season on a high note with a blowout win—and he'll get it.

That's it for this edition of the Gaming Today Playbook. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much or more as I enjoyed writing it. If you have any questions or want to request a topic to get covered in a future newsletter, you can reach me via email at travis.pulver@catenamedia.com or via Twitter at @FatManWriting.

To close out the GTP this week, I want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year. May all your bets be winners, and may your spouse never find out about the ones that aren't.

Bet wisely, my friends, and have a great weekend!

Until Next Week,

Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer