There's No Crying In Basketball, Baseball, or Betting
Fans can be brutal towards professional athletes at times. Take the warm welcome Kyrie Irving got from Boston Celtics fans at TD Garden during Game One of the Nets-Celtics first-round series. Is it okay for fans to treat players that way? Of course, not. But as upsetting as such treatment may be, guys like Kyrie need to rise above the rabble and be better.
The same holds for sports bettors. Losing is upsetting, but you risk losing out on other opportunities if you wallow in the anguish a loss can create. At this time of year, opportunity is the one thing the sports betting world has in surplus.
From the NBA Playoffs to the MLB season, the USFL, the Kentucky Derby, and more, the sports betting world is chock full of opportunities. Let's talk about a few of them.
NBA Playoffs: First Round
This is an awesome time of the year for NBA fans and bettors. Every game means something, and as the playoffs progress, the games will only get better as the best teams continue to play. From a bettor’s perspective, there are so many markets that it's hard not to find at least one to like.
Do you like to bet on the outcome of games? Or maybe who will win a series? Score the most points in a series? I've got you covered for the Nets-Celtics series. But as the playoffs progress, you can find content at Gaming Today about player props, championship odds, and more.
Since those are ever-evolving markets, check back on GamingToday.com for coverage on markets for upcoming games.
And The First Pick In The 2022 NFL Draft Is…
The day that college football players have been working for their entire lives is almost here. I'm talking about the 2022 NFL Draft (from April 28-30). All the hard work will soon pay off with a chance of a lifetime to make millions of dollars to play a game. It's a beautiful thing, right?
Thanks to the wide range of betting markets at most legal sportsbooks across the country, it's a chance for sports bettors to make a few bucks. We've got several posts at GamingToday.com exploring some of the many markets, from who will draft Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis to the first round college props and so much more.
Since I'll be writing some of them, I can say we will have a few more coming ahead of the first round next Thursday.
What every GM claims…
It’s Almost Time For The Run For The Roses!
First, allow me to apologize for not even mentioning this event the last couple of weeks. In my defense, I probably let it slip my mind for one reason: I don't know a darn thing about horse racing. My knowledge of horse racing stops at mint juleps and crazy hats (if you can call that knowledge).
Luckily, we have people at GamingToday.com who know more about it than I do. Check out Kris Johnson's piece on the Kentucky Derby.
It is probably a good idea not to bet like I do when it comes to the Derby. All I do is go for the horse with the best name. I'm torn between CyberKnife at +2000 and Tiz The Bomb, also at +2000 (odds via Circa).
I have no idea how fast those horses are. I just like the names.
It's Go Time For The USFL!
It was hard not to notice the distinct lack of fans in the stands for the USFL games last weekend. But the league is probably not too concerned with ticket sales and more concerned about retaining viewers.
To that end, the games need to get better. They were not bad. Some of them were entertaining. But there was a fair amount of not-so-good football as well. But now that we've seen these guys in action, the betting lines will reflect how well the teams play.
Here are the betting lines for Week Two with my picks for each game:
Panthers vs. Generals, Friday @ 8 PM ET
The Panthers played better in the second half last week, but it looked like any other Jeff Fisher-coached team to me. While the Generals did lose their Week One game, the offense moved the ball better than anyone; had their kicker done his job, they would have gotten a win..
Since the moneyline on the Generals is -125 (DraftKings), take the spread (-1) at -115.
Maulers vs. Stars, Saturday @ Noon ET
Neither team was impressive in their Week One game. However, while the Stars did not do a lot right, they did more than the Maulers. From what I saw last week, I can understand why oddsmakers have made the Stars seven-point favorites (-305 moneyline). But the risk on both of these teams is not worth the reward, in my mind.
I would, however, take the ‘under’ in this one. DraftKings has the total set at 35 (-110).
Stallions vs. Gamblers, Saturday @ 7 PM ET
This could be the best game of the week. The Stallions figured out how to move the ball in the second half last week; if the offense can work that well against the Gamblers, they might run away with this one early. However, while the Gamblers' defense was on the field for nearly 37 minutes last week, it held the Panthers scoreless in the first half and only allowed 12 points.
I'm from Texas, so I am a little biased when it comes to teams from the Lone Star State. Houston is a three-point dog in this one (+130 moneyline). But I like taking the ‘under’ on the total, 40.5 points (at BetMGM), more than trying to pick a winner.
Breakers vs. Bandits, Sunday @ 3 PM ET
Jordan Ta'amu and Todd Haley appeared to be a good fit in Tampa Bay. The Bandits' offense looked solid against a poor Maulers team last week, but will get tested against a decent New Orleans defense this week. But the key to the game may come down to whether the Bandits' defense can slow down a Breakers’ run game that gained 171 yards last week.
I am a Ta'amu fan, so I am leaning towards the Bandits. Since the moneyline is -145, I'm going with the point spread, -2.5 at -110.
Use my picks at your own discretion, but don't bother to send me hate mail if I'm wrong. Feel free to share the windfall if I'm right, though.
This Week On The Sports Betting Legal Landscape…
It looks like the great state of Maine could soon join the ranks and legalize sports betting. Our Mary Shaffrey covered the Maine House and Senate passing legislation. But passing legislation is only part of the battle. Lawmakers now need to find funding for the bill before sending it to the Governor for approval.
In other news, there appears to be some hope for sports betting in California. Voters could see as many as three California sports betting referendums on the November ballot but will see at least one. You can read more about the potential future of sports betting in California here.
Sadly, it appears that sports bettors in Oklahoma will have to wait another year for legal sports betting in the Sooner State. While the House Budget Committee voted in support of HB 3008, the House failed to take a floor vote on the bill by the March 24 deadline.
Rebecca Hanchett covered the news for us in a post earlier in the week.
Sportsbook Promotions: April 21, 2022
The following are my favorite promotions (for new and existing customers) that I found at sportsbooks this week:
Caesars: Long-Ball Same-Game-Parlay Bonus—place an MLB SGP, and if you win, you'll get a $50 free bet.
FanDuel: No Sweat Same Game Parlay (SGP)-- Place a 3+ Leg SGP or SGP+ on an NBA Playoff game, and if your bet loses, get a refund in free bets (max $20).
DraftKings: New Users: Get $150 in Free Bets Instantly (expires 05/01/2022)-- Place a wager of $5 or more on the NBA and Get $150 in Free Bets Instantly, Guaranteed!
BetMGM: NBA Playoffs Overtime Insurance—place a moneyline wager on an NBA playoff game, and if your team loses in overtime, you'll get your stake back in free bets, max $25.
With any promotion offer you see at a sportsbook, be sure to read the terms and conditions first. Few things are more upsetting than seeing a bonus disappear from your account because you didn't meet the conditions in time.
Coming Up On Our Sports Betting Calendar….
Since the NBA playoffs and MLB season are ongoing events, I will not list them here every week. But I will note specific events for the MLB season and each round of the playoffs. If you want to get an early start on college football, win totals are up for SEC teams.
Otherwise, these are some events in the wide world of sports we'll be covering in the near future:
The Kentucky Derby (May 7).
The NHL postseason (May 2).
The NFL Draft (April 28-30).
UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje (May 7).
PGA Championship (May 19-22).
The Canadian Football League starts its new season in June, with preseason games beginning late May.
Week 3 of the USFL season.
Beginner's Beat: Authenticity
"Authenticity, for me, boils down to trust," Anika Howard, President, and CEO of MPI, said. "People need to trust the brand. They need to trust the platform and trust the experience and trust that it's fair."
A common concern for many new bettors is trust. Can they trust this faceless sportsbook brand they see on their computer or mobile device?
It's a tricky question to answer. Rather than give you an answer, I suggest that every person even remotely considering getting involved in online betting read Chris Gerlacher's article (where the above quote came from): How Sports Bettors Can Identify An Authentic Sports Betting Site.
That does it for this 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 had a few quotes I was thinking of using to close the newsletter out with this week, but I think I'll go with wide receiver Amari Cooper talking about his new team, the Cleveland Browns:
Till next time,
Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer