Gone (or soon will be) But Not Forgotten

Sports betting news and information, for bettors by bettors

Aug 11, 2022

Saying 'goodbye' is rarely an easy thing to do, but is often a necessity. For example, we needed to say goodbye to PASPA for the US sports betting industry to grow. We had to say goodbye to the offseason to move a step closer to the 2022 NFL season. Soon, we'll also have to say goodbye to training camp and preseason games.

Luckily, sports betting is something people in many states will never have to say goodbye to because even if a sport is not in-season, you can always bet on futures markets (my favorite).

Bet the NFL: See what Caesars has to offer

Hopefully, we will never have to say goodbye to this newsletter — but that's enough about goodbyes.

There's plenty to talk about with the NFL Preseason getting underway, college football around the corner, the MLB regular season, and so much more.

So, let's say goodbye to this intro and dive into what's happening in the wide world of sports betting!

NFL Preseason: Week 1

The NFL Preseason kicked off last week with the Hall of Fame Game, and it gets rolling this week with all 32 teams taking the field. It may seem crazy to bet on preseason games since teams will not be playing their stars, and even if they do, those guys will not see the field for long.

But it is not crazy to bet on preseason games — you just need to adhere to the right NFL preseason betting strategy and do your homework:

See if the head coach has told the media whether starters are playing and for how long.
First-year head coaches often feel like they have something to prove.
Perennial losers like to put their best foot forward in the preseason (when other teams are not).
Some coaches care about winning preseason games, some do not.

The Baltimore Ravens take a 20-preseason game-winning streak (17-2-1 ATS) into tonight's game against the Tennessee Titans. On the other hand, the Titans have not put much stock in winning preseason games under Mike Vrabel (4-7).

Check out my Thursday Night NFL Preseason preview for more on tonight's preseason action.

We'll also have coverage for the games scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But if you are not feeling the preseason and want to know more about other football markets, check out these articles:

Don't Forget About Baseball!

While the NFL season is getting ready to go, the MLB season is starting to wind down. Most division races appear to be foregone conclusions, but the AL and NL Central are still up for grabs. Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt are in control of their respective MLB MVP races.

Julio Rodriguez is in control of the AL Rookie Of the Year race, but the NL Rookie race is still a tight contest between two Braves players.

As for the World Series, the Dodgers remain on top of the oddsboard, followed by the Yankees, Astros, and Mets. The Padres' odds got a boost following their blockbuster trade at the deadline, but San Diego has lost five of its last seven. While the Braves have a few guys in contention for hardware and have been playing well for the last couple of months, they are off to a bad start in August (4-5).

Today's MLB lines

Elsewhere In The Wide World Of Sports Betting…

While many bettors are focused on the NFL, college football, and MLB, there is a lot more going on:

MMA fans and bettors have a lot to look forward to with Bellator 284 Friday night, UFC San Diego on Saturday, and UFC 278 next Saturday (August 20) in Salt Lake City.

Bill Bowman has golf bettors covered for the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Can the Avs repeat as Stanley Cup champs? According to their odds, that is a distinct possibility.

If you are interested in the business side of the industry:

This Week On The Sports Betting Legal Landscape…

Last week, we found out that Massachusetts will be launching legal sports betting relatively soon. Kansas will soon be joining the party as well. Governor Kelly signed a bill into law legalizing sports betting in May, and regulators are trying to get things going in time for the NFL season.

Even before sports betting goes live in the Sunflower State, bettors have some excellent welcome bonuses to take advantage of. FanDuel Kansas is offering up to $1,100 in bonuses, and DraftKings Kansas is going all out to attract bettors. Not only is DraftKings offering its standard welcome bonus, but one lucky Kansas bettor will win a $100,000 free bet!

That’s right, $100,000! (better pick a winner).

Sportsbook Promotions: August 11, 2022.

I do not talk about PointsBet here much because it does not run as many promotions as many sportsbooks. However, it has a great one going on right now.

PointsBet has a Power Hour from 1-2 p.m. ET in the days leading up to the NFL season. Tuesday and Wednesday, I got a $5 free bet deposited into my account (that I needed to use that day). For Thursday’s power hour, the book is offering boosted odds for the Super Bowl 57 winner. Buffalo is listed at most sportsbooks with +600 or +650 odds to win Super Bowl 57; during PointsBet's Power Hour, +750.

PointsBet is doing something different every day from 1-2 pm ET leading up to the start of the season.

Other promotions of interest for the week ahead include:

BetRivers: Win Total Wednesday. Each Wednesday, place a $25+ wager on any NFL or NCAAF team's season win total for a free $10 bet!
DraftKings: New users, Bet $5+ on any soccer match and get $100 in free bets, win or lose!
FanDuel: $5 Field of Dingers. Place a 3+ Leg, $25+ Same Game Parlay on the MLB Field of Dreams Game featuring the Cubs and Reds, and get $5 in free bets for each HR in that game (max $25).

As with every sportsbook promotion, terms and conditions apply.

Beginners Beat: Read The Fine Print

Welcome bonuses give sports bettors a great reason to open accounts with several sportsbooks. Who wants to turn down free money, right? That's why I have accounts with a handful of different books in Indiana. However, I made one critical mistake when I opened a couple of them:

I did not read the fine print.

My failure to check out the fine print (i.e., terms and conditions) caused me to miss the deadline books set for new users to use any free bets awarded via their welcome bonus. Since I missed it, I lost the free bets awarded when I claimed the bonus.

I enjoy betting on sports, but I like it even more when I can risk-free bets. So, when I realized my mistake, you better believe I was kicking myself. Don't make the same mistake I made. Read the fine print/terms and conditions for any and every promo you claim.

Shop around: Check out bonuses sportsbooks are offering

We know, Tom. We know.

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.

No quote to close the GTP out this week. Instead, I'd like to give everyone a reason to LOL (I know I did):