Teeing it up for Augusta
Sports betting news and information for bettors by bettors ...
When American novelist Harry Leon Wilson wrote, “Golf has too much walking to be a good game, and just enough game to spoil a good walk,” it was not hard to understand what he meant.
Golf courses are often beautiful, pleasant walking places; Augusta National certainly is. But if you have a terrible game, it can be a frustrating walk (a good walk spoiled).
As unpleasant as a good walk spoiled may be, a bet spoiled (i.e., lost) can be worse — which is why we have covered many aspects of Masters betting for your reading (and wagering) pleasure this week. More on that in a moment…
Pick One: Best Masters Betting Promos
Now, I know what some of you are thinking — the GTP usually comes out on Thursday. But with the Masters getting underway tomorrow morning, it seemed like a good idea to push the newsletter out a day early.
That way, it can be of greater use to you fine folks, our readers.
I’ll talk about other sports and the excellent sports betting content by our writers this week, too. But enough banter. It’s time to discuss the latest and greatest in sports betting!
2023 Masters
Golf is a fascinating sport from a betting perspective.
Like other sports, the stars are favored to win, and there is an excellent chance that one of them will. In 2020, Dustin Johnson had +800 odds heading into the tournament and went on to win. Last year, Scottie Scheffler’s odds were higher at +1600, but he entered the tournament as the third betting choice.
No one will fault you for betting on favorites this week. But don’t overlook players with longer odds just because they are less likely to win. Hideki Matsuyama had +6000 odds before Round One last year. Patrick Reed was +4000 in 2018, and Danny Willett cashed at +5000 in 2016.
So, who should you bet on this week? I have no clue. But maybe our Masters content can help you make that decision for yourself. Here’s a sampling:
Masters Betting Report: Sharps Fade LIV Players, Public All Over Tiger Woods
Masters Predictions & Best Bets: Not the Week to Fade Favorites
Tiger Woods Masters Odds & Props: How to Bet the Five-Time Champ in 2023
Long odds make you nervous? I understand. But if you sign up with the right sportsbook, you can protect that bet; more on that in a moment…
Are You Ready for the NBA’s Second Season?
The NBA postseason is almost here, and while the Eastern Conference teams are locked in, that is not the case in the West, where the seeding and teams are still in flux.
Oklahoma City holds the No. 10 seed, the final spot in the play-in tournament. But Dallas is only a half-game back, and Utah is just 1.5 back. The top four appear to be set, but No. 5-9 is far from it, with just two games separating Golden State (No. 5) and Minnesota (No. 9).
So, these last few regular season games are as close to ‘must-win’ as you can get, and you can find the betting lines for those games on our NBA odds page.
As for the NBA MVP, Joel Embiid has become a heavy favorite to win; putting up 52 points on the Boston Celtics last night certainly helps his case. But if Nikola Jokic ends the season averaging a triple-double, he’ll have a solid case to win his third in a row.
Time is running out to bet on NBA MVP odds, but if you want to, you can find the latest on our dedicated NBA MVP page.
But at this point, you’re probably a little more interested in betting on who will the NBA Championship this year. Will KD and the Suns gel in time? Can Boston find its groove again? Are the Bucks and Giannis too tough to beat?
Only time will tell, but if you think you know the answers, you may want to get your bets in...
Elsewhere In The Wide World Of Sports Betting…
The Masters is fun to bet on, and so is the NBA, but if they aren’t for you, maybe one of these sports will tickle your betting bone:
March Madness Odds 2024: UConn Opens as Favorite but Consider These Longshots, Value Picks
World Series Odds (Go Astros!)
Stanley Cup Odds (the playoffs are almost here…)
I’ll post my weekly preview of the XFL games and champ odds soon, and possibly the USFL championship odds (yes, more spring football).
This Week on the Sports Betting Legal/Business Landscape…
It wasn’t a good season to bet on the Kentucky Wildcats to win the national championship. But expectations are high for the team next season, and it looks like fans in Kentucky may be able to bet on the home team, well, from home. A bill was passed on the last day of the legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear the next day.
Details will get ironed out in the days and weeks ahead, but we know one thing already. Licensing and regulation will be under the purview of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, and Rebecca Hanchett explains here what that means.
News also came out of the Lone Star State this week, but it’s not exactly promising. While two bills made it through the Texas House Committee — one to approve mobile sports betting, the other brick-and-mortar establishments–legalization faces an uphill battle to get both or either to the Governor’s desk since the Republican-led Senate has been opposed to sports betting.
Sportsbook Promotions: Apr. 5, 2023
Before you bet on the Masters, if there is a sportsbook or two in your state, you have not joined, this would be a good time to do so. Several sportsbooks offer a welcome bonus that will protect your first bet up to a given dollar amount.
So, if you do not already have an account with one of these sportsbooks, this week may be a good time to join:
FanDuel: Register for a new account using our exclusive FanDuel promo code link and claim a ‘No Sweat, First Bet’ of up to $1,000.
BetMGM: When new bettors register with BetMGM using our promo code “TODAY”, they can claim a first bet of up to $1,000. If they lose their first bet, BetMGM will credit their account with Bonus Bets equal to the stake up to $1,000.
Caesars: Register for a new account using our exclusive promo code “TODAYFULL”, and if new bettors lose their first wager, Caesars will credit their account with a Bonus Bet equal to their stake up to $1,250.
BetRivers: Place your first real money wager on any sports offering, no minimum odds! If your first wager loses, receive a Bonus Bet equal to your stake up to $500 (max $100 in NY)! Be sure to use our promo code “TODAYRIV” when you sign up!
PointsBet: Get five-second chance bets when you sign up with PointsBet – your first bet (up to $100) each day for the first five days, and if that bet doesn’t cash, you’ll receive your stake back in bonus bets.
Terms and conditions apply with every sportsbook promotion.
Beginner’s Beat: One Strategy for Using Welcome Bonuses
When I first started signing up at different sportsbooks, I didn’t know much about bonuses and how to make the most of them. Consequently, I failed to make use of some of them.
Sometimes, the bonus was a second-chance bet, which gave me my stake back if I lost. I balked at the idea because I knew I would never bet more than $50. But I wasn’t looking at the big picture.
The high dollar amounts (i.e., $1,000, $1,500, etc.) are great, especially if you intend to bet $1,000 on one market. But what if you don’t? Where’s the value in that kind of promo for you? I would not have had an answer for you last week, but after looking into the Masters this week, I do.
Longshots often win the Masters, but since they often lose, do you want to risk your hard-earned money on one?
Since 2000, only five winners had odds under +1000, and two of those occurrences were courtesy of Tiger Woods in his prime. Twelve winners had odds north of +2000, and four had +10000 odds or longer.
A $50 pre-tournament bet on Hideki Matsuyama (+6000) last year would have won you $3000. But was anyone talking about him possibly winning the Masters? No!
So, betting even $50 on him would have felt like you were giving your money away. But if you signed up with the right book, and it was your first bet, had he lost, you would have gotten your stake back in bonus bets.
Now, you can't just cash out the bonus bets after you get them and walk away; you must use them within a given timeframe or lose them. What you are getting is a second chance with your money. You might still lose it, but you got the opportunity to roll the dice on a long shot, worry-free.
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.
Oh, and one housekeeping item before we let you go: There will be no newsletter this week as we decompress on a company retreat.
To close out the GTP this week, I’d like to share this crazy golf trick shot video:
I don't think we’ll see that one at the Masters this week.
Bet wisely, my friends.
Until Next Week,
Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer