It's a Great Time To Bet on Basketball!
Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...
Fall belongs to football, summer belongs to baseball, but spring — that's basketball's season. Not only is the NBA season heating up, but the college basketball regular season is wrapping up, and it’s becoming tourney time.
First, it's the various conference tournaments across the country. Then it’s all about March Madness.
So, yes, it is a great time to bet on basketball with March Madness fast approaching. But there is more to the Wide World of Sports Betting right now than hoops.
Baseball's preseason is underway, the NFL Draft is coming up, the NHL season rolls on, and the long-awaited return of the MMA GOAT, Jon "Bones" Jones happens Saturday night.
So, without further ado, let's get to it. Let's talk about sports betting!
Ball Don't Lie
With all the player movement at the trade deadline this year, the home stretch of the NBA regular season will be must-see-tv. We got a taste of what the new-look Phoenix Suns will look like with Kevin Durant making his debut with the team last night, a 105-91 win in Charlotte.
Meanwhile, as good a pairing as Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic looked on paper, it hasn't panned out yet.
But they've got time.
So many storylines will play out in the weeks ahead, which will make betting on the games even more fun.
Tonight’ schedule is highlighted by Clippers vs. Warriors in the late window on TNT. Check out Jim Robinson's preview here:
Also, for the latest futures odds from across the sports betting marketplace, visit our NBA Championship odds page.
As for college hoops, you can keep up with the latest March Madness odds here and find the odds for upcoming games on our dedicated College Basketball Odds page. You can check out Cyrus Eshaghoff's latest NCAA Tournament update here:
As I said last week, we will ramp up our coverage of college hoops for March Madness soon!
UFC 285: Guess Who's Back?
Even folks who are not UFC fans have probably heard this news — Jon "Bones" Jones, the GOAT, is returning to the Octagon this weekend in the main event at UFC 285. The man has been out of action for three years and is getting a title fight in his return.
That should tell you how highly regarded he is in UFC circles (or at least by Dana White). If you want to bet on Jones’ bout or one of the other fights on the UFC 285 card, then you should check out our UFC 285 preview by Gage Miskimen:
Three years is a long layoff, and this Ciryl Gane guy is no joke. It should be a great fight!
Elsewhere In The Wide World Of Sports Betting…
You always have options in the Wide World of Sports Betting, but at this time of year, it becomes quite evident.
Here is a taste of what we have covered for you this week:
Fountain of Youth Stakes Odds & Picks: Bet This Boxed Exacta in Kentucky Derby Prep Race
NFL Draft 2023 Odds: Bryce Young Favored To Go No. 1, Jalen Carter Drops Down Betting Board
Super Bowl Odds 2024: Take A Flyer On The Commanders (seriously)
2023 Women's World Cup Odds: USWNT Favored To Win Third Consecutive Title
2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds: Two Win Bets & Prop Picks for PGA Tour Event
The golf tournament is already underway, but the information from Bill Bowman can still be of value for those of you who like to get golf live.
This Week On The Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…
Mobile sports betting is set to launch in Massachusetts in one week! On Friday, March 10, sportsbooks will open their apps in the Commonwealth.
Massachusetts has a tough act to follow. Ohio, which opened its sports betting market on New Year’s Day, had a huge opening month. How huge? Try over $1 billion in handle, a number not many states have ever reached.
Ohio is also setting the tone by cracking down on some of the language sportsbooks use in marketing, and other states may be following suit. As Rebecca Hanchett reported, New York is looking at taking similar measures.
From Rebecca’s report:
The New York State Gaming Commission voted unanimously Monday to adopt a proposed rule banning the state's nine mobile sportsbook operators from promoting any bet that requires a bettor to risk their own money as "free, cost-free, or free of risk”.
In other news:
Fanatics To Open First Mobile Sports Betting App in Tennessee
Illegal Offshore Gambling Sites Infiltrating College Newspapers
Sportsbook Promotions: March 2, 2023
The following promotions could come in handy this weekend:
BetRivers: NBA SGP Bet & Get! Place three or More NBA SGPs of $10+ Every Week and get a $10 NBA Free Bet!
DraftKings: New Customers, bet $5+ on any pre-game moneyline and win $150!
Caesars: 25% Daily College Basketball Parlay Token. Wednesday 3/1 - Wednesday 3/8: Opt-in for a daily 25% Profit Boost Token to use on a College Basketball Parlay! Get one token each day, Wednesday 3/1-Wednesday 3/8!
FanDuel: Place a 3+ Leg, $1+ SGP, or SGP+ on NBA TNT Game(s) on 3/2 and get a bonus in bonus bets if your bet loses. One Eligible Wager per person. SGP+ Eligible if all legs on Eligible Gam
Terms and conditions will apply with every sportsbook promotion. Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer.
Beginner's Beat: Don't Get Greedy
I have touched on this subject in the past, but after last weekend's XFL games, I wanted to bring it up again. For the second week in a row, my picks went 2-2, but last week I should have gone 3-1. I was confident that the Brahmas would defeat the Guardians (which they did, 30-12). But I wanted to win a little more, so rather than betting the spread (-3 at -120), I went with the Under (37.5 at -110).
Sure enough, the Guardians got a touchdown in garbage time, and there went my Under bet.
Getting the win is what matters in sports betting. Do we all want to win more? Of course, we do. But had I won my bet on the Under, a $100 wager would have paid out about seven dollars more. Is a shot at seven bucks worth losing $100? There is no need to answer that question; we all know the answer.
Newsletter is over, Jon. How does that make you feel?
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 thought I’d share this clip posted by our friends at @PointsBetUSA of an honest moment during an MLB preseason game:
Bet wisely, my friends.
Until Next Week,
Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer