It's a Great Weekend to Be a Fight Fan
Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...
“Boxing purists consider this one of the biggest welterweight attractions since Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns in 1981.”
I stole that line from Dave Bontempo's preview of this weekend's welterweight title fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford. It sums up perfectly why this is a fight everyone should watch, and if they’re so inclined, bet on.
This one is special, as it features two undefeated boxers competing for four major welterweight belts. If the odds are any indication, it should be a heck of a fight for boxing bettors and fans of the sweet science.
But on the fight scene, Spence vs. Crawford shares the bill Saturday night with UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, headlined by Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2. Poirier won the first match via TKO (punches) in the fourth round back in 2018. This weekend's fight should be as competitive and intense as the first.
And as big as the event in Las Vegas is for boxing fans, it seems to lack mainstream appeal.
Johnny Avello, director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, had this to say about the betting market for Spence vs. Crawford:
"This fight will do fairly well, but it will probably be less than a big UFC fight. The difference, I think, is that MMA is appealing to a younger audience, and they have an organized circuit practically every week. You get a top-level fight about once a month. Bettors are more used to it."
Factor in the ongoing Women's World Cup, the MLB season, etc., and it's a busy weekend in the wide world of sports betting. So, yeah, we have quite a few things to discuss. Let's get right to it. It's time to talk about the week in sports betting!
Women's World Cup
Fans have enjoyed some excellent (albeit low-scoring) matches in the first week of the 2023 Women's World Cup, and we are bound to see many more great ones before group play wraps up. So far, Spain and Japan are the only undefeated teams with two games in the books; several teams have yet to play a second game.
The USWNT got off to a solid start with a 3-0 win over Vietnam but played the Netherlands to a 1-1 tie last night. They take the pitch next on Wednesday, Aug. 1, against Portugal and are a heavy favorite (-410 via Caesars).
As for who will win the tournament, the USA is still the betting favorite. Let's look at the odds for the top six teams on the Caesars Women's World Cup futures board:
USWNT +250
Spain +320
Germany +550
England +600
Brazil +1300
Netherlands +1600
Major League Baseball
This could be a big weekend for baseball fans, with the trade deadline coming up on Tuesday. Contenders will look for ways to improve their rosters, while non-competitive teams get to see what they can get in exchange for a star player.
Soon-to-be free agent Shohei Ohtani has been talked about the most in the rumor mill, but it does not look like the Angels will trade their superstar. Instead, they acquired Lucas Giolito from the White Sox, giving the team another solid arm in the rotation.
But are the Angels good enough to go all the way? Their World Series odds are still pretty long (+12500 via PointsBet), and they would not make the playoffs if the postseason started today.
The Angels are in the midst of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers this afternoon, taking the first of two, 6-0.
Prop bettors may want to check out today's MLB strikeout and home run prop bets:
Elsewhere in the Wide World Of Sports Betting…
While these are the dog days of summer that mark the slowest time of the sports betting calendar, there is still plenty going on for your wagering pleasure. In addition to the Women's World Cup, UFC 291, and Spence vs. Crawford, we also have the CFL, the WNBA, auto racing, and more.
Football fans should check out the CFL. I covered all four games on the CFL Week 8 slate, starting with Friday night's contest between Hamilton and Ottawa (go Redblacks!).
There isn't much more that can be said about the NFL offseason now that training camp is underway, but there is still one superstar available in free agency: former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. His next team odds at DraftKings now favor him going to the Jets.
Kris Johnson has the latest betting information on Sunday's F1 race, the Belgian Grand Prix.
Additional weekend events include the WNBA, the final games for the Rugby Championship, and NASCAR ‘s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.
This Week on the Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…
It has been another busy week on the sports betting legal/business landscape. With retail sports betting launching in Kentucky on Sept. 7 and mobile wagering to follow on Sept. 28, Rebecca Hanchett visited with Gabe Prewitt, VP of Racing & Sports Wagering Operations at the Red Mile.
The 148-year-old harness track will open one of 14 retail sports betting locations through a partnership with Caesars, which will also operate its mobile app.
Prewitt thinks Kentucky horse racing will benefit from sports betting:
"We're going to be slammed for three weeks, then once mobile gets up, it's no different than horse racing, most people are going to bet from the convenience of their phone We still want to offer a good experience and a nice place for people to come."
Here’s a link to Rebecca’s report: Red Mile VP Sees Sports Betting as Boost for Kentucky Horse Racing.
Rebecca also examined Kentucky's minimum legal age of 18 for sports betting. It has raised questions since most states set the minimum age at 21. But state Rep. Michael Meredith justified this part of the law:
"It's consistent with all of our other gaming laws in Kentucky. Several of our HHR (historical horse racing) facilities have self-regulated to 21, but the statute says 18. You can buy lottery tickets in Kentucky at 18, too."
Read more: A Closer Look at the Minimum Age of 18 for Kentucky Sports Betting
How Sportsbooks, Industry Watchdog React to Suspicious Betting Activity
A situation developed in March that gave Tipico Sportsbook & US Integrity a reason to take a hard look at some suspicious bets placed on a CONCACAF Champions League between Austin FC and a struggling Haitian side, Violette AC.
A significant concern regarding legal sports betting has been protecting the integrity of sports events. So, when a sportsbook writes an inordinate amount of action on a massive underdog (Violette AC), who goes on to win the game 3-0, the situation warrants a closer look.
Here’s what Tipico Sportsbook Manager Sunny Gupta told Gaming Today’s Kris Johnson:
"We received 20x the amount of stake size that we normally do, so 20x the normal activity for one of these types of matches. That huge underdog ended up winning and causing huge payouts."
While this turned out to be nothing suspicious, it’s worth reading about the interaction between Tipico and US Integrity as they looked into the matter.
Read it here: How Tipico Sportsbook & US Integrity Handled Suspicious CONCACAF Bets
Sportsbook Promotions: Jul. 13, 2023
The following promotions could come in handy this weekend:
Caesars: 33% UFC Parlay Profit Boost: Thursday 7/27 – Sunday 7/30. Opt-In and get a 33% Parlay Profit Boost to use on UFC 291!
BetRivers: Women's World Cup 50% Matched Bet! Place a real money, LIVE wager of $10+ on any Women's World Cup match and receive a 50% Women's World Cup Matched Bonus Bet, up to $25.
FanDuel: When Team USA wins, so do you! Get $10 in Bonus Bets for every win on top of your guaranteed $100 Bonus when you place your first $5 bet (new customers only).
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.
Things That Made Me Go Hmmm…
Here are a few articles from Gaming Today that I have found engaging, informative, and all-around great reads.
“Artificial intelligence isn't yet ready to push its fleshy overlords out of the trading room just yet,” Brant James writes, “but AI sports betting improvements are coming on the bookmaking side at a rapid pace.
“And according to Andre Zammit, Tipico's US Sportsbook vice president, the algorithm will eventually not need humans.”
Zammit discusses with Brant what AI does, where it struggles, and how it will eventually figure out how to take into account fallible human beings
Read it here: AI Oddsmaking Is on Its Way to Sports Betting Industry, Says Tipico Executive
Chris Gerlacher contributed this week a piece entitled Wisdom of Crowds Betting Doesn't Add Up.
If you have ever placed a bet after seeing that the public was betting heavily on one side (because all those people must be betting that way for a reason, right?) and then lost that bet, you will understand where this article is coming from.
Take the time to read this article. You'll be glad you did.
GTP is done, Rocky. How does that make you feel?
That’s not nice, Rocky. Not nice at all.
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