How Sports Betting Can Help You Beat The Heat

Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors

Jun 16, 2022

I don't know about y'all, but in my neck of the woods, it has been scorching hot. Yesterday, with the heat index, it felt like it was 108 outside, and it's supposed to get even hotter this weekend. Yuck!

But there is a bright side to this nasty heat. It’s a great excuse to stay in (with the AC) and watch every NBA/NHL/USFL/MLB/CWS game this weekend (and the US Open, too)!

If you’ve got a little money on a few different things (like I do), we’re talking must-see-TV. By a few things, I mean quite a few things. There is a lot on deck this weekend:

Game 6 of the NBA Finals (tonight).
The US Open got underway this morning.
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals is Saturday.
The USFL regular season wraps up this weekend.
College World Series action kicks off in Omaha on Friday.
There's almost always an MLB game on.

So many games, so many betting opportunities, so little time!

NBA Finals: The End is Near

It may not happen tonight, but by the end of the weekend, the 2021-22 NBA season will have come to an end. Momentum is with the Golden State Warriors after winning Games 4 and 5.

But if Boston can shutdown Steph from behind the arc and hold serve at home, Game 7 will be Sunday night in San Francisco. Of course, the Celtics need to play better on the offensive end of the court than they did in Game 5.

For more on the NBA Finals and some of the many betting markets, check out these articles at GamingToday.com:

NBA Finals MVP Odds: Does Andrew Wiggins Have Value?

The talk has been all about Steph Curry winning NBA Finals MVP for the first time, and the odds at sportsbooks favor Golden State's superstar. If he has a stellar night tonight and the Warriors close out the series, he will get named Finals MVP. But what if they lose tonight? What if Steph gets shut down from three-point range again?

What if he is not the hero of Game 6 or a decisive Game 7?

If Boston pulls out wins in Games 6 and 7, whoever leads the way in those games will be named MVP. Based on the first five games, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, or Jaylen Brown are in the running for the Celtics. But if Golden State wins (either in 6 or 7), the expectation will be that Curry wins.

However, I would not be shocked to see Andrew Wiggins walk away with the award.

He's a longshot, of course, with +1400 odds at DraftKings. According to those odds, Wiggins has a 6.67% chance; at -320, Steph has a 76.19 % chance. Steph has had a better +/- in nearly every game. Game 4 is the only outlier (when he scored 43 points and Wiggins had 17).

Should Wiggins have a better performance tonight or in Game 7, Curry might miss out on winning NBA Finals MVP once again. It's a big 'might,' but Steph lost out to a role player once before.

Stanley Cup Finals: It's Going To Be An Exciting Series

You don't have to know much about hockey to appreciate how awesome Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals was. It was an ultra-competitive game by two excellent teams that refused to give up. In the end, Colorado took the 4-3 win in overtime to take the early lead in the series.

Game 2 is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver. Once again, Kris Johnson has you covered.

Game 2 Lines

US Open: No Tiger, No Problem

For at least the next few days, all will be right in the world of professional golf, as the best players in the world descend on The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, for the 122nd US Open. Tiger is not playing, but there is no shortage of superstars hitting the links.

Players have been on the course since 7:18 a.m. ET. Since the tournament is in progress, some markets have already closed. However, betting opportunities will present themselves throughout the weekend.

If you'd like a little insight into the US Open and how to bet on it, check out these articles at GamingToday.com:

Elsewhere In The Wide World Of Sports Betting…

Looking for something else to bet on this weekend? We've got you covered with articles on several of the top sporting events taking place in the days/weeks ahead:

Serena Williams is back! One of the most recognizable faces in tennis returns to the court at Wimbledon when the tournament gets underway later this month.
Tennessee got knocked off during the Super Regional round, so we have a new/old favorite to win the College World Series.
More interested in the World Series than the College World Series? We've got you covered on the latest developments for the Fall Classic.
Not ready to stop betting on the NBA? Tony Mejia has you dialed into the upcoming NBA Draft.
If you are like me and can never get enough of the NFL, check out my article on NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds.

This Week On The Sports Betting Legal Landscape…

Many states have tapped into legal sports betting to generate revenue, but it is still a work in progress for others. It looks like Maryland is ready to get the process rolling for mobile sports betting; applicants can start the licensing process Friday. North Carolina is moving closer to legal online sports betting with the latest version of SB 688.

But for South Carolina, it may come down to who wins the governor race this year. Rebecca Hanchett analyzes the Palmetto State's chance at legal sports betting as it relates to the governor race.

In other legal developments…

Louisiana sportsbooks face limits concerning promotional play tax deductions.
Sports betting was made legal in Ohio last December but the delay toward launch has cost the state millions.
Who will be first — Massachusetts or California?

Sportsbook Promotions: June 16, 2022

The following are some of the promotions sportsbooks are running that could come in handy this weekend:

Caesars: Risk Free SGP. Opt-in and place a $10+ Same Game Parlay with minimum odds of +400 on the Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors. If you lose, receive a free bet equal to 100% of your stake, up to $25.
Caesars: US Open Insurance. Place a $10+ straight, pregame wager on the "Tournament Winner" market of the US Open. If you lose, but your golfer finishes in the Top 10, receive a free bet equal to 100% of your stake, up to $25.
BetMGM: MLB, NBA, and NHL Parlay Insurance. Place a one-game parlay and get your stake back (up to $25) if you win every leg but one (terms and conditions apply).
DraftKings: New users. Bet $5 on the NBA Finals and get $150 in free bets instantly.

Bettors may also want to get in on a contest FanDuel is running related to SGP and the NBA Finals:

FanDuel: Place $5+ SGP Wagers on any NBA Finals Game(s) and if you have a winning bet with the longest odds, get $30K in Free Bets. Plus, earn Free Bets if you don't win but finish in the Top 100.

Must-Read Articles At GamingToday.com

Our goal is not just to present you with the odds for the next game and give betting advice. No, we want to keep you informed on everything about the US sports betting industry. That includes legal developments (see above), technology, finance, etc.

So, instead of my 'Beginner's Beat' segment this week, I want to spotlight some of the great articles our talented writers have been producing:

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.

This week I'd like to leave you with these words from humorist R.E. Shey:

“Depend on the rabbit's foot, if you will but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.”

Good luck beating the heat (and the point spread) this weekend, my friends. Oh, and if you are wondering how sports betting can help you beat the heat, if you are inside watching the game, you’re not outside, right?

Until Next Week,

Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer