These Guys Are Good

Sports betting news for bettors by bettors ...

Jul 14, 2022

“These guys are good”

The PGA Tour does not use that tagline anymore, but it's still true. Whoever can abide by the new slogan, Live Under Par, this week at The Open Championship gives himself a chance to win the final major of the year.

While living under par on the Old Course at St. Andrews is easier said than done, we’re seeing players post some low first-round scores today.

Not so much for three-time Open champ Tiger Woods, though, who’ll need a big day Friday to make the cut.

Live bet The Open: Check out DraftKings’ $1,050 offer for new customers

Sportsbooks offer bettors plenty of markets for bettors looking to put money down on The Open Championship. But if golf is not your cup of tea, there’s a busy weekend ahead with MLB and UFC on ABC, as well as plenty of opportunity to get involved with some early football action.

Let's go over some of this weekend’s wagering options:

The Open Championship

Commonly known by its unofficial name the British Open, The Open Championship is the fourth and final major of the year. So, if you've been thinking about betting on golf, there is no better time than the present. You will not find a bigger selection of excellent golfers in one tournament this season.

Rory McIlroy went into the tournament as the betting favorite, and he’s off to a fine start with a 6-under 66 today. While the Northern Irishman took some action at the betting window this week, Kris Johnson reports on some other players who drew big pre-flop wagers.

For more insight into betting on The Open Championship, check out these articles:

Bill Bowman also previewed the PGA Barracuda Championship this week for those looking to bet on golf but don't see a market you like on The Open.

Both tournaments are in progress, and the markets mentioned in these articles have closed, but there’s lots of opportunity for live wagering through Sunday.

Busy Weekend for the Boys of Summer

The 2022 MLB season rolls on this weekend, with 40+ games scheduled for Friday through Sunday before the All-Star break. Check out Craig Williams' post on the best MLB prop bets for the weekend.

If you are a fan of futures like me, you'll want to read our latest World Series update. You might be surprised that the Orioles and Mariners are getting attention from bettors and bookmakers. Bob Christ also gives a good rundown on the state of each division in the piece.

For those looking for something different, the MLB Draft begins Sunday as part of the All-Star festivities in Los Angeles. Baltimore is on the clock, but who will they take? Will it be Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday, or Brooks Lee? Or could it be Termarr Johnson or Elijah Green? DraftKings has odds on who will go No. 1 and on other draft-related markets.

Today's MLB Odds

Elsewhere In the Wide World Of Sports Betting…

The Open Championship and MLB take center stage for most bettors this weekend, but they are not your only options. We covered several more this week at Gaming Today:

Baker Mayfield finally got traded by the Browns to the Carolina Panthers. Now that he has a shot at playing this season, his odds for Comeback Player of the Year improved.
Odds have changed for some games in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season since they opened in May.
Could someone go winless in the NFL this year? It’s happened before, and Mariah Janos breaks down the odds for another occurrence this year.
Are you a college football fan? Then check out Kris Johnson's win totals report and mine on the latest Heisman Trophy odds.
Does the Summer League have you pining for the 2022-23 NBA regular season? Then you may be interested in Tony Mejia's latest on 2023 NBA futures odds.
Has the offseason altered the odds for the Stanley Cup in 2023? Find out in our latest 2023 NHL futures update.
If you've held off betting on UFC events because they are often PPV, then you'll love this weekend's UFC on ABC 3. As the name implies, the main card will be broadcast on ABC starting at 2 p.m. ET; prelim fights will be on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

This Week On The Sports Betting Legal Landscape…

Despite seeing many other states reaping the revenue rewards of legal sports betting, several are still dragging their metaphorical feet. But there are some, like Maryland, that are working on it. The Old Line State took a step forward this week by giving initial approval to mobile sports betting regulations. Some progress is better than none, right?

But there will be no legal sports betting Florida until at least 2023, and Mary Shaffrey tells us why.

While you could say progress has been made regarding California sports betting since two referendum questions made it to the ballot, it will be tough to pass either without support from the Democrats. It doesn't sound like the California Dems will get behind either.

Sportsbook Promotions: July 14, 2022

The following are some promotions sportsbooks are running that could come in handy this weekend:

BetRivers: New member offer. Make your first deposit and get a free bet for each home run hit during Monday's Home Run Derby.
DraftKings: The Open Championship Daily 18. Opt in each day of The Open Championship for an 18% profit boost.
FanDuel: Celebrate ThursKs. Place a 3+ Leg, $25+ Same Game Parlay on any July 14 MLB game and get a $1 bonus in free bets for each strikeout in that game (max $25).
Caesars: The Open Championship Boost Pack. Get one 25% profit boost token and one 10% profit boost token to use on The Open Championship.

As always, with any promo, terms and conditions apply.

Pulver's Picks: Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna

I've taken up boxing for the last couple of years with hopes of someday changing the 'F' in @FatManWriting to 'Ph.' After a recent workout at Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts in Indianapolis, I asked my trainer and some real fighters to analyze an upcoming card.

There's a heavy favorite for most of the fights on the Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna card Saturday night — and there's a good reason for that. Promoters want to set their guys up to win, especially their up-and-comers like Garcia is for Golden Boy Promotions.

Garcia is working his way back after taking some time off to "manage his health and well-being." His first fight back (in April) went the distance, and he scored a unanimous decision win over Emmanuel Tagoe.

When I told them betting on such a heavy favorite is no fun to talk about (Garcia is -1200), they recommended the Over on total rounds (7.5 at -110). The consensus in the gym was this one would go the distance (+200). Fortuna is good but on the downside of his career. Garcia has the better skill set but does not go for the knockout shot.

Odds via DraftKings.

Beginner's Beat: Don't Chase Paydays

When I talk about chasing a payday, I'm referring to two scenarios. In one, you've lost more than you won over the weekend, so you put down twice as much on a Monday night game to recoup some of your losses.

Do not do this.

Could you win? Of course, but you are just as likely to compound your losses and burn through your bankroll even faster. Instead, stick to your budget. Reacting to losses by making bigger bets is a surefire way to deplete your bankroll in a heartbeat.

The other scenario involves rolling the dice on parlays. Parlays combine two or more bets into one, with the odds growing exponentially with each added leg. If you win, your payday can be massive compared to making single bets on each leg. But a parlay with +1300 odds has a just 7.14% chance of winning, and the house builds in a bigger edge when they price parlays.

This is not to say you should avoid parlays completely. They are a great way to enhance the sports betting experience. Just don't make them your primary focus. Instead, carve out a portion of your budget to use on them while betting on spreads, totals, props, futures, etc.

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.

Today, I want to leave you with a few words from a golf legend, Lee Trevino:

You don't know what pressure is until you play for five bucks with only two pucks in your pocket.

Bet wisely, my friends, and have a great weekend!

Until Next Week,

Travis Pulver, Sports Betting Writer