No Football Clichés in this Newsletter

Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...

Aug 24, 2023

With the start of the college football season this Saturday and Week 1 of the NFL season a couple of weeks away, there is a phrase that media types, fans, and bettors utter way too much. You guys know what I'm talking about … the one in that Hank Williams Jr. song they once played before Monday Night Football games.

But I'm not going to say it.

Why not? Because you guys already know that the season is upon us. If you are reading this newsletter, it goes without saying that you are probably ready.

So, rather than kick off this newsletter with that tired, old cliché, I'm going to think outside the box, grab the bull by the horns, and do something else. After all, there are plenty more fish in the sea, and we have to take it one newsletter at a time, right?

Or I could get right to it because we've got our plate full of things to discuss today. So … it's time to talk about the week in sports betting!

College Football Week 0

If you want to bet on some NFL action this weekend, you can. It is the preseason's final week, and sportsbooks have lines posted for each game. But if you'd rather watch and bet on football games teams are trying to win, the 2023 college football season gets underway on Saturday!

The schedule has only seven games, including a pair of ranked teams in action (No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 6 USC). But the Fighting Irish and Trojans are massive favorites, so don't count on either game being competitive.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't bet on them, of course. Our team takes a look at both of those games and a couple of others:

Our college football odds page has lines for all the games throughout the season. If you are like me and a big fan of futures, you'll want to check out these pages:

College Football Championship Odds
Heisman Trophy Odds
Conference Championships: SEC odds, Big 10 odds, Pac 12 odds, ACC odds, Big 12 odds

Next Up, the NFL

Preseason is neither exciting nor competitive, but it is football, so we are glad to have it when it arrives. But we will not miss it when it's over. For those interested in betting on one more preseason game, Bob Christ previews tonight's Colts vs. Eagles game.

But if you'd rather start looking to Week 1, Kris Johnson breaks down the entire slate:

NFL Week 1 Odds: Chiefs & Bills Favored in Big Season Openers

You can find odds for upcoming NFL games throughout the season on our NFL odds page.

If you are into betting on futures, we've also got your bases covered there. Our Super Bowl odds and NFL MVP odds pages track both markets all season long. If you like betting on NFL awards, we've got you covered there, too

Elsewhere in the Wide World of Sports Betting

Football takes center stage, but it’s not the only game in town. The baseball season rolls on, there is almost always a soccer game on somewhere, the UFC tends to stay active throughout the year, and so much more.

Here's some of the non-football content our team has produced this week:

This Week on the Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…

Kentucky took a big step toward the launch of its sports betting market this week when the state’s Horse Racing Commission unanimously approved temporary sports betting licenses for nine sportsbooks and seven horse racetracks. Betting opens at retail on Thursday, Sept. 7 and online Sept. 28.

Gov. Beshear will place the first bet.

Bettors can start pre-registering for accounts beginning on August 28.

Fanatics was a late addition to the slate but was approved along with the rest. Kentucky becomes Fanatics’ fifth state, and the company gains access to additional states once its acquisition of PointsBet is finalized.

Meanwhile, FanDuel is looking to better engage with NFL bettors this season with the launch of a new feature, FanDuel Explore:

Emma Carlin from Gaming Today explains:

FanDuel Explore is a new extension of the FanDuel Sportsbook app that allows users of all experience levels to view simplified betting narratives, popular bets, live games, and betting tutorials. Users will find 'Who will win this game?' and 'How many points will get scored?' prompts that allow for a seamless betting experience that makes complex betting markets easier to understand.

Sportsbook Promotions: Aug. 24, 2023

With the start of football season, it's a great time to join a new sportsbook or two (especially if you plan on line shopping). So, for today, I want to highlight five of my favorite welcome bonuses:

bet365: Bet $1 & get $200 in bonus bets, whether your bet wins or loses.
FanDuel: Bet $5+, Get $200 in Bonus Bets and $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket.
DraftKings: Place a bet of $5+ and get $200 in Bonus Bets instantly.
Caesars: Make your first deposit and Bet $50 to Get $250 (five $50 bets a week for five weeks)!
PointsBet: Up to $1000 in second chance bets! Place a bet of up to $100 a day for ten days, and receive your stake back up to $100 if you lose the bet.

Terms and conditions apply. Check out our promo page for the best sign-up offers sportsbook apps have to offer.

Need Help Betting?

The wide world of sports betting can be confusing at times. How confusing? The answer to that varies from one person to the next. But when you find out, it’s probably because you are in the midst of placing a bet and suddenly find you are not sure what to do next.

If you find the correct answer — no harm, no foul. But if you don't, you risk losing money because of a mistake and not because you bet on the wrong player or team.

So, you may not think you need a refresher, but it can't hurt to brush up on a few things. If you have any questions, hopefully, one of these links can help you out:

I am not saying these links will have every answer, but they can help. If you have a question you can't find the answer to, you can email me, and I'll try to find it. I can't make any promises, but for you guys — I'll try.

How do you feel after reading this week’s edition of the GTP, Ben?

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