NFL Hands Down Suspensions for Gambling
Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...
The NFL is in the news today, but not because anyone has been traded or retired. No, it's because of gambling.
Earlier today, the league announced it is suspending several players for betting on NFL games, including Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Colts and free agent Demetrius Taylor. These suspensions are all indefinite but at least through the 2023 season.
Also, Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere has received a six-game punishment for betting on other sports while at team facilities.
Rodgers’ violation appears to be serious. According to an ESPN report, a $1,000 prop bet on his teammate’s rushing yards total was among the wagers he placed. The bet won.
As news of the players’ behavior was surfacing, the league announced plans to reinforce its gambling policy to its athletes. Rookies must attend "education sessions," and officials will visit team facilities to clarify what players can and can't do.
Gambling Rules for Pro Athletes
The NFL’s gambling rules for players seem cut and dry: Do not bet on the NFL, and do not place bets when inside team facilities, for example.
Brant James has more on the rules pro athletes across several sports must follow. His report is well worth a read:
Major League Soccer is among the sports making strides toward ensuring its players know what’s up. The league has partnered with EPIC Risk Management and Entain Foundation U.S. to educate players on the risks involved with gambling.
Fanatics Set to Acquire PointsBet After All
Fanatics made waves in May when news broke that the sports apparel company-turned-sportsbook operator was buying PointsBet for $150 million. But then DraftKings threw a wrench into the plan when it placed a higher bid of $195 million.
Not willing to concede defeat, Fanatics upped its offer to $225 million. DraftKings has since decided to withdraw its bid.
But was forcing Fanatics’ hand to increase its bid DraftKings’ plan all along?
Here’s Brant with more on this development:
Major League Baseball
As a fan, I enjoy a good baseball game. Why? Because games are not as fast-paced as other sports, which makes them easy to follow and enjoy while playing with your kids or talking with your buddies, significant other, etc. As a bettor, I appreciate baseball because of the many betting opportunities.
There's the 162-game regular season, of course, where you rarely go a day without a game to bet on. Then, there are all the prop bets attached to those games. For example:
Then there are my favorite betting markets, the futures. I'm talking about the odds for the World Series, NL Cy Young, AL Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and more.
Soccer
It's a great time to be a soccer fan and an even better time to bet on the 'Beautiful Game.' The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is about a month away, so it is time for fans to get their bets on who will win the tournament. Who's the betting favorite, you ask? It's the USA, winners of the last two World Cups (2015 and 2019).
But is betting on the favorite worth it? Emma Carlin goes over the odds and more in this article:
If you are looking for something that will pay out a bit sooner, then check out Victor Araiza's preview of tonight's CONCACAF Gold Cup match between Haiti and Mexico:
Elsewhere In The Wide World Of Sports Betting…
If you find that variety is the spice of life, then you'll love this section of the GTP this week. Why? Because we've covered quite a few different sports this week:
If you didn't get your bet in before the Rocket Mortgage got underway this morning, the latest stop on the LIV Tour gets started Friday morning at the Real Club Valderrama in Spain. Of course, you can always bet the PGA Tour live, too.
Do you miss the NBA? If so, consider betting on the latest WNBA championship odds.
Fight fans can bet on and enjoy some MMA action with UFC Fight Night set for Saturday in Las Vegas.
Do you find yourself missing football? Well, the college season gets underway in late August, but bettors can put their money down on College Football Playoff odds now.
Other events bettors may be interested in include Wimbledon (the main draw begins Monday), the USFL Championship game (my preview will be posted soon), and NASCAR’s inaugural Chicago Street Race on Sunday.
Sportsbook Promotions: June 29, 2023
The following promotions could come in handy this weekend:
Caesars: Parlay The K's: Thursday 6/29. Opt-in and wager $10+ on a 3+ leg parlay or super parlay on the Total Pitching Strikeouts market for MLB games to get a $10 Bonus Bet!
BetRivers: Daily Tennis Parlay Insurance. Place a 4+ leg tennis parlay and get a 50% matched Bonus Bet, up to $25, if your parlay loses!
FanDuel: Let Freedom Ding. Place a Pre-Live, Straight, $25+ "To Hit a Home Run" Wager on any 7/4 MLB Game and get a $5 bonus in bonus bets for each H.R. hit by both teams in the game (max $25 per game)
DraftKings: Place a bet of $5+ and get $150 in Bonus Bets instantly!
Terms and conditions apply. Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer.
Fun With Futures: Make/Miss NFL Playoffs Odds
I am a big fan of betting on futures and want to point out one market that intrigues me. I took notice of it while reading this article by Kris Johnson:
One bet that caught my eye: the Denver Broncos to make the playoffs at +200 odds at BetMGM (a better price than FanDuel’s +184). Yes, the Broncos stunk last season, and the AFC is very competitive. But the defense was a top-ten unit (No. 7 in total yards allowed). The offense was dreadful, ranking dead last in points (16.9 PPG).
If Sean Payton can fix whatever broke in Russell Wilson, the offense will improve dramatically. Should that happen, the defense will play better, too, since it isn't on the field so much, and the Broncos can win more games.
Enough to make the playoffs? Last season saw 13 games decided by one score for Denver. So, yeah, it's possible. At 2-to-1 odds, this wager has value.
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