Floats, C-Notes, Gravy Boats
Thanksgiving feast an appetizer for NFL Week 12; Bengals fraudsters?
We see you there.
And we’re with you in spirit.
Right there, between the handoff of the green bean casserole and the grab of the oyster stuffing. Nodding at your uncle without making eye contact.
Sneaking a look at that Lions-Packers score on your phone because the turkey took longer than expected not to be raw.
You’ll soon be in that lounger, feigning excitement over Cowboys-Commanders and hoping the beer and the rolls haven’t put you under by the time the 49ers and Seahawks kick.
Maybe your sweat on the games will beat back the gravy sweats.
And then there’s a Black Friday game. And then there’s Ohio State-Michigan on Saturday. Hell, you’ll watch North Carolina-NC State, too.
“Sam LaPorta, First TD scorer” at +950.
Take that and pass the potatoes.
Your uncle nods back knowingly.
Photos: AP; Brant James illustration
Who Dey Think Dey Are?
Some folks were very cross with the Bengals last week. It all started when QB Joe Burrow was videoed by the team’s social media troop striding off the team plane before a Thursday night game in Baltimore wearing what we’ll describe as a thingy on his right throwing wrist.
When the Bengals deleted the post, social media went full-berserker, rightfully asking what that thingy was and why Burrow had no injury designation if it was actually a thing.
By game time, X seemed to coalesce around the notion it was an iPad thingy.
Then Burrow apparently tore a ligament in that right wrist during the game, ending his season and prompting outlets like Pro Football Talk to consider the gambling implications and whether the Bengals had committed fraud.
Barstool ringleader Dave Portnoy meowed his anger on X, claiming he’d bet $100,000 on the Bengals and was preparing a class action suit because he’d been duped. (Most just snickered at that. No one can relate, Stool Presidente).
When Burrow later admitted that the thingy was a compression sleeve, everyone got mad again.
This is not a new thing. We direct you to Ben Roethlisberger’s elbow in 2019 and LeBron James’ broken hand in 2018. (The Steelers got hammered for it).
This begs the question …
… which begs the follow-up question:
Dey Ain’t Makin’ da Playoffs, Are Dey?
That’s what many of you are saying right now, one “Bengals Playoffs No” bet at a time.
At Fanatics Sportsbook:
The Bengals moved from -115 to miss the postseason before TNF to -700.
At FanDuel:
The Bengals moved from +118 to miss before the injury to -900 on Wednesday. Interestingly, though, there’s been more volume on Cincinnati making the playoffs than missing since the injury, with the Yes/Make line currently at +570.
The odds were -900 to fail at DraftKings. By contrast, “Will Aaron Rodgers Play Again This Season” was +180 there.
What About the Bills? They Suck, Too
A blowout of the Jets on Sunday took the edge off the loss to the Broncos.
At Fanatics Sportsbook:
The Bills moved from -230 to miss on Sunday morning to -210.
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance
Following up on our discussion of the spike in C.J. Stroud MVP betting, CBS had an interesting set of tidbits during the Seahawks-Rams debacle on Sunday.
Two I found fascinating:
Jim Brown is the only rookie to win the award, in a pre-merger-NFL, circa 1957.
The last rookie quarterback to get an MVP vote was Dan Marino in 1983.
That’s a good week for ESPN Bet. So many bets upcoming over pumpkin pie.
What Happened in Vegas
AP Photo
Locals, was the Formula One race as bad an experience as you expected? Please chime in if you’ve joined any of those class-action suits.
That said, casinos are way onboard now.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was the greatest sports betting race ever at several sportsbooks. As in retail sportsbooks.
“The Las Vegas Grand Prix was the most bet F1 event in BetMGM’s history. The sportsbook took 3X the number of bets on the race than any previous contest.” – Seamus Magee, Trading Manager, BetMGM
Odds …
… and in the Super Bowl, too
NCAAM In Depth: Battle 4 Atlantis | ESPN Events Invitational
…. and Enders
Chiefs tight end Justin Watson was +3000 as “First TD Scorer” for MNF at DraftKings. Anyone who hit that probably didn’t care about him dropping the next 50 balls thrown at him.
Attention North Carolinians: Much to our surprise, the Charlotte Hornets signed someone besides DraftKings as their official sports betting partner. Even with minority owner (and former majority owner) Michael Jordan on the DraftKings board, they went with bet365.
And while we have your attention in North Carolina, the launch of legal sports betting there looks more like a summer thing than a New Year’s thing.
Online casino is available now in West Virginia through the Fanatics sportsbook app.
Floridians: West Flagler Associates asked the US Supreme Court for a deadline extension until Feb. 9 to file a request to take up its Florida sports betting fight. Translation: your Hard Rock Bet app will work for quite a while.
Floridians, specifically Tampa Bay people: (First off, hola, neighbor) Seminole Hard Rock is having a pool party with The Chainsmokers at 11 a.m., Dec. 10 in conjunction with the launch of the retail sportsbook, craps, and roulette tables. Let that tidbit inform your plans accordingly.
Here’s Giving Thanks …
… to all of you for subscribing.
If you have a long journey home once the food coma subsides, travel uneventfully.
By Brant James, Gaming Today Senior Writer
Happy Thanksgiving to all the staff at Gaming Today Playbook... Best of luck to everyone today and this weekend!! May all your wagers be winners! Go Bucks!
Updated odds for college and pro