The Boys Of Summer Are Back ... And So Is Tiger Woods
It is truly a beautiful day in the sports betting world, ladies and gentlemen! The Masters teed off this morning at Augusta, featuring the return of the man, the myth, the legend — Tiger Woods. It’s the first tournament for Tiger time since his February 2021 car crash, much to the delight of bettors.
According to reports, sportsbooks are seeing a lot of action on Tiger despite his long layoff and spotty performance in recent years.
And Tiger is in the hunt after posting a 1-under 71 in the first round Thursday, three shots behind the leader.
But while Tiger and The Masters are in the spotlight this weekend, they are not the only game in town. Baseball is back! The NBA Playoffs are about to get underway. A lot is going on in the wide world of sports betting.
So, let's talk about a few of these things….
Baseball is Back, Baby!
Is there a better season for sports bettors than MLB? You have 30 teams playing 162 games in roughly six months. That's 2,430 games to bet on — and that's just the regular season. There are also batter and pitcher props for each game, division titles, leaders in statistical categories (i.e., home runs, etc.), win totals, playoff hopes, season-long player props, milestones, and various awards to wager on. There are almost too many betting opportunities (is there such a thing?) to count.
Will it be another banner year for the Dodgers? Are the Yankees finally going to get back on top in the AL? How about the Red Sox? Could the White Sox contend? Is someone going to knock Shohei Ohtani off the AL MVP pedestal? Which rookies are going to show the most promise?
All these questions will all be answered eventually. But if you think you know the answers now, you could be in for a heck of a payday with the right bets. We'll be covering many of the markets here at Gaming Today in the day and weeks ahead as the 2022 MLB season unfolds.
Ready for NBA Playoffs?
The NBA's regular-season finishes up this weekend with the play-in tournament to follow next week, from April 12-15. The first round of the playoffs starts the next day. But the end of the regular season does not just mean the start of the playoffs. It also means markets for NBA awards will be closing soon.
Cyrus Eshaghoff took a look this week at the battle for the NBA MVP. It looks like the race is down to three: defending MVP Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. I have to agree with Cyrus; I think it is Jokic's to lose at this point, no matter how much Embiid whines.
I'll talk more about the NBA Playoffs next week, and we’ll be posting plenty of postseason-related content in the weeks to come.
First Player Selected in the NFL Draft Will Be…
Michigan's Aiden Hutchinson is the favorite to be the first player drafted later this month in Las Vegas, listed at -250 at BetMGM, but support has been growing for Georgia's Travon Walker (+350, PointsBet). I think you will be better off putting your money on Mr. Walker to be the No. 2 pick (+300, PointsBet).
But that's just my opinion. Here are two of my favorite NFL Draft markets:
First Quarterback Selected: Desmond Ridder
Most NFL observers are thinking Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis, but I like Desmond Ridder. He has a solid track record, he's an incredible athlete, and his odds make for a nice payday if I'm right (+3000, FanDuel).
First Running Back Selected: Brian Robinson Jr.
It is unlikely a running back gets taken in the first round this year (under .5 at FanDuel is -182). Once you get past the first round, it is less about taking the best available player and more about fit and personal preference. There is something about Alabama running backs that teams seem to like, and Brian Robinson Jr. is offered for a fat +10,000 at BetMGM.
The payout would be nice, but those odds give him a .99 percent chance of being the first back off the board.
This Week On The Sports Betting Legal Landscape…
This week's big news on the legal landscape comes courtesy of our friends in the Great White North, specifically in Ontario. Sports betting has been legal in Canada (sort of), just much more limited than what we have seen in the U.S.; bettors were allowed to bet only on parlays through provincial lotteries. Not anymore!
As of this past Monday, single-game betting is allowed with regulated online sportsbooks, and some of the most popular brands in the U.S. are expanding into Canada. BetMGM, Caesars, and BetRivers are just a few of the sportsbooks that have gone live in Ontario this week.
If you are in Ontario and want to know more about all these new sportsbooks available to you, we are here for you. Cole Rush gives a good rundown on the best sports betting apps and welcome bonuses. Curious about the differences between Proline and the new apps? Jim Robinson has you covered.
In other legal news…
Rebecca Hanchett reported on Missouri's professional sports teams throwing their support behind a bill to legalize sports betting that includes an eight percent tax on revenue.
It does not look like sports betting will be coming to Georgia anytime soon. A bill made it through the House this year but never made it to the floor in the Senate. Lawmakers will now have to start over next year.
Sportsbook Promotions: April 7, 2022
It will be too late to take advantage of many of the MLB Opening Day promos at DraftKings or some of The Masters' promos at Caesars by the time you read this. So, I will focus on the ones you can use. However, the window is going to close soon on some of these:
Caesars: Masters Bet and Get. Place a bet by Friday on a golfer to win The Masters and get a free bet to use on The Masters.
Caesars: MLB Futures Bet and Get. Place a $50 bet on a team to win the 2022 World Series and receive four $10 free bets (expires on Saturday)
DraftKings, select your sign-up offer. This one is intriguing. Sign up by Sunday, deposit at least $5 into your account, and choose which promo you want to take advantage of.
MLB: Bet a minimum of $5 by Sunday on any moneyline and receive eight $25 free bets.
UFC: Place a minimum $5 bet on any UFC 273 moneyline by Saturday and receive four $25 free bets.
PointsBet: Lead by two, you win. This is for soccer fans, specifically the Premier League. If your team is up by two goals during the game, with PointsBet's Early Payout Bonus, you can cash out your winnings (up to $50) before the game ends.
Be sure you pay attention to the terms and conditions for each. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you have a free bet only to find out it expired yesterday.
Coming Up On Our Sports Betting Calendar…
A vast array of markets will open up soon when the NBA Playoffs get underway. Baseball bettors will have more than enough to keep them occupied now that the 2022 season has begun. But there is more upcoming on the sports betting agenda:
The USFL gets underway April 16.
The NFL Draft starts on April 28 and runs through the 30th. I'll be writing more on that for Gaming Today in the weeks to come.
If you already haven't, it may be time to think about your Stanley Cup picks. The NHL postseason begins in May.
The UFC and Bellator both have events scheduled in April.
The Canadian Football League kicks off its preseason in late May.
Boxing: Tyson Fury vs. Dylan White on April 23
Beginners' Beat: Understanding Terms and Conditions
Many of you are probably like me when I first got into sports betting. Placing a bet is not hard, but there are a lot of nuances and details that are easy to miss.
For example, I missed out on the welcome bonus a couple of times when I started because I did not read the fine print, i.e., the terms and conditions. I did not realize my free bet would expire if I did not use it within a specific time frame. Sure enough, it did, and I lost out.
However, expiration dates are not the only thing to be concerned about regarding the terms and conditions. You also want to be aware of any play-through requirements. A play-through requirement, or rollover, refers to how much you need to bet before withdrawing the bonus money.
For example, the welcome bonus at BetRivers is a 100 percent deposit match, up to $250. But before you can withdraw the bonus money, you have to place bets equal to the amount of your deposit. When I opened my BetRivers account, I deposited $100 and had to bet $100 before I could withdraw the bonus money.
That's a wrap on the latest edition of the Gaming Today Playbook. I hope you enjoyed reading it and found it informative. 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.
I'll leave you with some wise words from Roy' Tin Cup' McAvoy's caddie, Romeo Posar:
“Look, boss, I only got one rule. And that's never bet money that you don't have on a dog race with an ex-girlfriend who happens to be a stripper.”
Till Next Week,
Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer