PGA Tour, LIV Merger Takes Center Stage

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

Jun 08, 2023

With the NBA and NHL in the thick of their championship series, you may think that pro basketball or hockey would be the focus of the sports world this week. But that’s not the case. No, that distinction belongs to pro golf.

That’s because of the unexpected (or expected, depending on whom you ask) merger of the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour this week.

It’s unexpected because how could two entities that have been at each other’s throats for the last 18 months agree to coexist? But you could say it should have been expected because that’s what rival sports leagues do. They eventually realize they are better together than apart.

Hey, it’s happened before, i.e., the AFL-NFL merger that led to the modern-day NFL.

So, what does this mean for sports bettors? It will probably take time to see the impact, but some analysts think golf betting markets could expand, there may be an uptick in handle, and it will be easier for bettors to handicap golfers (it was hard to evaluate LIV players since they often compete on easier courses with no ShotLink data).

The fallout from this merger will be an interesting story to follow as it unfolds. But we have more things to talk about this week. So, let’s get right to it. It's time to talk about the week in sports betting!

NBA Finals

After Miami’s win in Game 2, it looked like there may be a chance for the Heat to put up a good fight. After how Game 3 played out, I’m no longer too confident about that. But it’s possible. I mean the Heat never should have made it this far, but here they are.

The Warriors last year became the 13th team ever to come back from a 2-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals, but the sixth in the last 12 years.

The first step toward Miami making an unlikely comeback comes Friday night with Game 4. Like we have throughout the playoffs, we’ll have coverage of several different betting markets related to the game and the series as tip-off approaches.

So, before you place your bets, keep your eyes on GamingToday.com to see what we have posted. For now, you can see the latest NBA Championship odds here and the betting lines for Game 4 here (Denver is a 3.5-point favorite as of Thursday afternoon).

Stanley Cup Final

Time is running out for the Panthers to make a move in the Stanley Cup Final with the Golden Knights holding a 2-0 lead heading into tonight’s Game 3. Vegas is outscoring Florida 12-4 through two games (5-2 in Game 1, 7-2 in Game 2). Will tonight’s contest be another blowout, or does Florida win one on their home ice?

If Marty McFly was around, I’d ask him the answer, but since he isn’t, I’ll read what our writers have to say about tonight’s game:

Live Game 3 Lines

Belmont Stakes

Kentucky Derby winner Mage was beaten by National Treasure in the Preakness, so there’s no Triple Crown hopeful this year. But the Belmont Stakes, set for Saturday, is shaping up to be the best betting race of the three, and horse racing fans are looking forward to the return of potential superstar Forte.

“The betting should be distributed pretty good to ensure we won’t have a real short price,” Paul Zilm, horse racing oddsmaker at Circa Sports in Las Vegas, told Gaming Today’s Kris Johnson. “I think the top three of Forte, Tapit Trice, and Angel of Empire are solid, and when the Preakness winner is the fourth choice on the morning line, I think that’s a great sign we should have a good betting race.”

Also, Alicia Hughes breaks down the entire nine-horse field right here.

And while NYRA called off today’s card at Belmont Park due to the smokey air in New York, it looks like things will clear up soon and Saturday’s weather will be just fine.

Lionel Messi is US-Bound!

Global soccer superstar Lionel Messi has signed on to play with Inter Miami in MLS, and the betting market has taken notice, Gaming Today’s Victor Araiza reports.

As rumors of Messi’s move swirled, bets started coming in on BetMGM, and Inter Miami’s odds to win the MLS Cup have tightened from 200-1 at the start of the week all the way to 20-1.

“Lots of bets have been coming through,” BetMGM trader Seamus Magee told us.

At the Westgate SuperBook, oddsmaker Jeff Sherman moved Miami’s futures price to 16-1 based on speculation that Messi’s former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez will join him in Miami.

Also in the world of soccer, there’s a little thing called the Champions League Final on Saturday in Istanbul, where Manchester City is a large favorite over Italian side Inter Milan.

Read our reports: Inter Miami odds on the move | Champions League Final odds

Elsewhere In The Wide World Of Sports Betting…

Beyond the major stories around the NBA, NHL, golf, and soccer, there are plenty of other wagering options this weekend, and we have them covered for your reading pleasure.

Other events of interest this weekend include: USFL Week 9 (Saturday and Sunday), MLB, WNBA, and the RBC Canadian Open.

Today’s MLB Betting Slate

This Week on the Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…

Congrats to our friends in the Tar Heel State, as sports betting is on its way to North Carolina!

Lawmakers have approved a sports betting bill, and the only thing bettors need now is for Gov. Roy Cooper to sign it into law, which he is expected to do.

As Brant James writes, the state’s pro sports franchises and facilities are on board with legal betting, as they stand to reap the benefits.

In other industry news, Barstool Sports was on the hot seat with Massachusetts regulators on Wednesday defending their ‘Can’t Lose Parlay’ promotion. Barstool’s defense: Any reasonable person would know there is risk involved.

Okay. Fine. But regulators have been taking sportsbooks to task over their marketing is worded, particularly the use of “risk-free” language.

And we’re not sure the regulators appreciated the humor, but as Rebecca Hanchett reports, Captain Crunch was a point of discussion during Wednesday’s hearing.

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If Rory McIlroy had his way with the PGA/LIV merger…

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