Vying for Vegas
NFL playoffs begin with 49ers, Ravens favored, Bills back in favor; Bookies Battle regular season champion Duane Colucci lays out the playoffs
AP Photos; Brant James illustration
If there’s one thing we know about the NFL this season, it’s that we don’t know as much as we thought. (Or, the players keep screwing it up).
Neither are likely to change in the playoffs.
The Chiefs are a little scary right now - in a bad way - but playing in Siberian temperatures against the Dolphins is advantageous.
Can you trust the Lions at any point, anywhere?
You loved the Bills. You hated the Bills. You have a serious crush on the Bills again despite all those times they made you say sad words. But seriously, Pittsburgh, easy …. yeah?
And what if the Cowboys gack out a home loss to Green Bay? Is Dan Quinn work-shopping that Seattle interview? If the Cowboys are one increment of DVOA worse than expected, those super-rational Cowboys fans will assume so, and all the ESPN chat shows will argue about it for weeks. Granted, it will be hilarious.
Editors Note: But if it fills Aaron Rodgers’ air time, let’s have that.
In the most volatile of NFL seasons, indulge in, enjoy, and exploit this NFL playoffs tournament to the extent of your intellect.
And because The Playbook is here for you, always … here’s a special present …
Let’s Listen to Someone Smart
Gaming Today Zoomed up Rampart Casino oddsmaker and 2023-24 Bookies Battle champion Duane Colucci for all the intel on the opening week of the NFL playoffs through to the Super Bowl.
Watch this video.
But if you like your advice from the electric-powered experts, read below.
Super Bowl 58 Will Mark Major Boost in Casual Sports Bettors Utilizing ChatGPT, AI, Says Microsoft Exec
Jon Flynn, the director of sports at Microsoft, predicts casual sports bettors will turn to our future robot overlords in greater numbers than ever to inform their bets on “The Big Game.”
Flynn has some fascinating insights about where gambling and artificial intelligence are going. Honestly, I would have never thought Microsoft would be as entrenched in the endeavor as it is currently.
The hook: Cloud services like Microsoft Azure allow bettors and sportsbooks to make fast and accurate computations (that we can overthink and ruin) without a warehouse full of computers.
I hope you listen to this and find it as fascinating as I did. Flynn does a great job of bringing the tech and sports stuff together.
Rollin’ on Outta Here
How does Nick Saban’s surprise retirement affect how you bet Alabama this offseason and into that Aug. 31 opener with Western Kentucky?
Micro-Betting, Mega-Boom
Simplebet, the self-described “global leader in micro betting products,” handled more than $5 million of such wagers from partners, including bet365, DraftKings, Caesars, and Hard Rock Bet, during the CFP national championship game.
That marked a $1 million increase from the 2022 edition.
Other micro-nuggets:
The CFP semifinal games each surpassed $3.5 million in overall handle.
Each semifinal elicited more than 110,000 bets.
Simplebet’s college football handle increased by $180 million this season.
This was a 115% increase from the 2022-23 season.
Coach Odds
For the first time in the collective memory of all the gambling people I asked, a legal sportsbook has offered odds on a coach’s next job.
That would be DraftKings and Jim Harbaugh, respectively. Many jurisdictions forbid betting on things with pre-determined outcomes - like awards shows and ball coach hiring. So DraftKings noted that only bettors in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ontario, Oregon, West Virginia, and Wyoming were the only eligible markets.
Opening odds pegged the Chargers as the heavy favorite, but The Playbook loves “Not the head coach of an NFL team” at +700.
DraftKings also has a Bill Belichick next-team market, with the Chargers also the favorite.
Belichick Line Movement at DraftKings:
Chargers: +200 to +250
Patriots: +300 to +275
Not the coach of an NFL team: +700 to +400
Titans: +1800 to +800
Commanders: +600 to +650
Harbaugh Line Movement at DraftKings:
Chargers: +125 to +150
Not the coach of an NFL team: +700 to +350
Commanders: +700 to +600
Panthers: +650 to +800
Any other NFL team: +2500 to +1000
Titans: +3000 to +3500
Patriots: +1600 to +1800
New York Minute
DraftKings shared some of its most bet markets from two years of legal sports betting in New York. Yankees? No stunner. Real Madrid? Savvy. And look at those AL East rival Orioles making friends.
Most Bet Teams Since Launch (Total Bets)
Yankees
Mets
Dodgers
Astros
Braves
Most Bet Players Since Launch (Total Bets)
Josh Allen
Aaron Judge
Pete Alonso
Shohei Ohtani
Stefon Diggs
Biggest Moneymakers Since Launch
UConn (MCBB)
Denver Nuggets
Baltimore Orioles
Real Madrid
Michigan (CFB)
Wide Gronk
FanDuel is returning the Gronk “Kick of Destiny” for the Super Bowl.
While The Playbook is loathe to provide too much oxygen to this publicity stunt, especially since it was kind of lame last year, it’s going to be in your face for a while. So, build up your tolerance.
Vermont
Mobile and retail sports betting went live at midnight in Vermont. DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel are the options.
This GIF pun would have been absolutely hilarious if we were talking about New Hampshire (as in “Live Free” orrrrrr ….) but Vermont is a neighbor, at least.
Yippee-Ki-Yay.
A Question for You …
Odds ….
…. and Enders
BetMGM has partnered with Charlotte Motor Speedway to gain market access in North Carolina. Mobile and retail sports betting is expected to debut there early in 2024.
Missouri loves company, wants some as a sports betting state
DraftKings is about to launch a horse racing app in Illinois
Another fantasy sports bill has been filed in Florida
By Brant James, Gaming Today Senior Writer
Call 1-800-GAMBLER if you have a gambling problem. 21+: All content herein is intended for audiences 21+.
