Fútbol/Football Is Life!
Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...
Ted Lasso has ended, but aspects of the hit TV show will live on in pop culture for years to come — like the catchphrase for the ultra-positive and energetic Dani Rojas.
Fútbol is life.
It rings especially true this week as we approach the end of the Women's World Cup (fútbol) and the start of the 2023 NFL and college football seasons (because, you know, football is life).
The USWNT had a stranglehold on the World Cup title, having won the last two. But they lost to Sweden in the Round of 16, opening the door for a new champion to emerge. Will it be Spain or England?
For help betting on what should be a close match, check out Tyler Everett's preview:
As the Women's World Cup winds down, football is ramping up. The NFL is heading into Week 2 of the preseason, and we are a week away from the start of the 2023-24 college football season. Excited? I am, too. Like Dani said:
Football is life.
We have a lot to talk about this week. So, let's get right to it. It's time to talk about the week in sports betting!
NFL Preseason Week 2
Before seeing if their Women's World Cup wager wins, bettors can enjoy another 'exciting' weekend of NFL preseason 'action.' Week 2 of the NFL preseason often sees some teams play more of their starters for longer, while others continue to hold most of them out.
Yes, that does make placing bets on these games a little more challenging, but it is not impossible to make money betting on preseason games, and we are here to help:
Browns vs. Eagles Odds, Props, Predictions: Back the Road Underdog in NFL Preseason Week 2
Panthers vs. Giants Odds, Props, Predictions: How to Bet This NFL Preseason Week 2 Game
More previews are coming, so check back to our website, GamingToday.com, over the next few days. If you are a little nervous about betting on a football game that neither team cares about winning, check out our NFL preseason betting tips.
Football Futures
If you want to bet on football but prefer not to risk your money on preseason games, check out some of the futures markets for the NFL and college. We'll cover both extensively in the weeks and months ahead, but you can read our latest on several futures markets and bet on them now!
NFL bettors have plenty of options. There is the Super Bowl, of course, along with NFL MVP and even Super Bowl MVP. Yes, there are Super Bowl MVP odds before the regular season starts. Is it crazy to place a bet on someone to win that award?
Maybe a little. But this is the one time of year when even a guy like Patrick Mahomes offers a nice price.
As for college football, there is no better time than the present to bet on a national championship winner or for your favorite player to win the Heisman Trophy. We also have previews for the major conference titles at GamingToday.com.
MLB
It's starting to get real, baseball fans! With roughly 40 games to go, fringe teams are running out of time to make a move. So, you may want to think twice before taking a flyer on a long shot to win the World Series.
Besides, if you are looking for a viable dark horse, they can be found. The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the best teams in baseball this season, have the best record in the AL and the second-best record in the league, and bettors can still get them at +1100 (FanDuel), behind the Braves, Dodgers, Astros, and Rangers.
As Rodney Dangerfield would say, the Orioles get no respect. No respect at all.
If you are looking for a price in other markets, there is a chance someone not named Ronald Acuna Jr. could win the NL MVP. He's still a heavy favorite, but several guys are playing great ball in the NL this season.
As always, we have you covered with the day’s home run and strikeout props:
MLB Strikeout Props: Three Pitchers to Go Over on Thursday, Aug. 17
MLB Home Run Props: HR Picks for Pete Alonso, Riley Greene Tonight, Aug. 17
UFC 292
If you are itching to watch and bet on a good fight or two, there is no need to find Fight Club because the UFC is in Boston this weekend for UFC 292. How good is the card? A pair of title fights headline:
Bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley.
Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili defends her title against Amanda Lemos.
For a breakdown of the odds and some predictions, read Gage Miskimen's UFC 292 preview.
This Week On The Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…
It's been a busy week on the sports betting legal/ business landscape. ESPN prepares to jump into the industry, and the fallout continues from the suspension of the PlayUp sportsbook platform. But that's not all.
There have been several interesting developments, and I want to touch on four of them this week.
1) Supporters have been trying to get sports betting launched in Florida, but a recent legal development pushes back Hard Rock’s potential relaunch.
2) Fanatics Sportsbook launched in four states Wednesday (Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Tennessee). According to this report from Brant James, Fanatics has emphasized a quick and easy registration process and making users as comfortable as possible quickly.
3) North Carolina has taken a step closer to launching sports betting, inviting potential sportsbook operators to sign up for regulatory notifications.
4) Could Vermont bettors have fixed-odds horse racing available to them? Rebecca Hanchett dives in: Does Fixed-Odds Horse Race Betting Have Potential in Vermont?
Sportsbook Promotions: Aug. 17, 2023
The following promotions could come in handy this weekend:
BetRivers: NFL Preseason 50% Matched Bet! Place a real money, LIVE wager on any NFL Preseason game during the promotional period to receive a 50% Matched Bonus Bet up to $100 for VIPs and up to $25 for all other accounts.
bet365: Bet $1 & Get $200 in bonus bets, whether your bet wins or loses (for new customers only).
FanDuel: Super Win Bonus. Place a straight Preseason wager on a team to win the Super Bowl and get bonus bets for each regular season game they win!
DraftKings: Place a bet of $5+ and get $150 in Bonus Bets instantly (new customers only)!
Terms and conditions apply. Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer.
The Question Many Of You Would Love To Have An Answer To
With legal sports betting being relatively new to most of us, chances are good most of you consider yourself 'recreational' bettors. You may have won a few bets here and there. Maybe you came out ahead at the end of the NFL season last year.
Winning, of course, encourages us to bet more. But, as a recreational bettor, are you destined to lose eventually? Or can a recreational sports bettor be a long-term winner?
For the answer to that question, check out this article by our editor at GamingToday.com, Marcus DiNitto, who spoke to pro betting superstars Spanky and Captain Jack Andrews for their insight:
If it's a question you have yet to ask yourself, it's one every recreational bettor should ask.
How did you feel about the GTP this week, Dani?
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.
Bet wisely, my friends.
Until Next Week,
Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer