Each week, our “What’s on Tap” series previews the week ahead in the world of sports betting. Come here for a summary of upcoming financial happenings, legislative and regulatory meetings, industry conferences, top games scheduled for the week, and much more. Also, check out our weekly review “Get a Grip” for a look back at last week’s notable news.
Monday, Oct. 17
Yankees face Guardians in ALDS elimination game
New York ace Gerrit Cole struck out eight over seven innings on Sunday night, leading the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. With the win, the Yankees forced a decisive Game 5 in the American League Division Series. Jameson Taillon will take the mound in the Bronx for the home team against Aaron Civale of the Guardians. The Yankees are -156 moneyline favorites at FanDuel to defeat Cleveland (+132).
The winner will face the Houston Astros on Wednesday in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. The Astros, who defeated the Mariners 1-0 in 18 innings on Saturday night to advance to the ALCS, have made the World Series in three of the last five years.
World Series futures odds (FanDuel)
- Astros: +140
- Padres: +320
- Phillies: +340
- Yankees: +500
- Guardians: +1300
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Curry and Warriors lift NBA title banner
On the eve of the NBA regular season, the Golden State Warriors inked Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole to long-term extensions, shelling out nearly $260 million on the four-year deals. Both will be pivotal in Golden State’s bid for a repeat. At DraftKings, the Warriors (+600) are co-favorites with the Clippers and Celtics to win the 2023 NBA Championship.
Steph Curry and the Warriors will host the Lakers in the second game of Tuesday’s season-opening doubleheader, following a matchup between the Celtics and 76ers in Boston. Curry, who set the NBA record last season for career 3-point field goals, is the overwhelming favorite to lead the league in threes made. He has odds of -175 at DraftKings to lead the NBA in the category, far ahead of Damian Lillard, the second choice at +800. Despite only appearing in 64 games last season, Curry finished with 285 threes, 23 more than runner-up Buddy Hield.
The regular season begins amid reports that DraftKings is nearing a massive deal with ESPN to land the network’s sports betting branding rights. An analyst from Oppenheimer & Co. believes that a deal could be reached by or around Tuesday night’s opener. TNT will host Tuesday’s doubleheader, the only two games on the NBA schedule. On Wednesday night, ESPN will air a doubleheader featuring Knicks-Grizzlies and Suns-Mavericks.
Following last week's Bloomberg report, Oppenheimer analysts suggested that an #ESPN-$DKNG deal "could be made before or around the start of the NBA season." The #NBA season starts on Tues. https://t.co/97LC9KkuTC
— Matt Rybaltowski (@MattRybaltowski) October 14, 2022
Upstart Phils and Padres meet in Game 1 of NLCS
At the start of the MLB playoffs, few expected the Padres or Phillies — the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively, in the National League — to make it to the World Series. The Phillies had odds of 35/1, the worst of all 12 teams to make the postseason. With odds of 28/1, the Padres were also viewed as longshots. But one of the two will represent the NL in the World Series, after the Phillies eliminated the Braves on Saturday and the Padres rallied to stun the Dodgers.
The @Padres closed as a +190 underdog at Caesars Sportsbook to win the series.
It's the 2nd-biggest betting upset in a playoff series over the last 10 seasons. The Nationals were +195 to beat the Astros in the 2019 World Series.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 16, 2022
The Phillies snuck into the playoffs with 87 wins, earning the final NL wild card spot. Before this year, only four teams in MLB history made the LCS with as few regular season wins as the Phillies. The Padres, meanwhile, had odds of +190 to advance past the 111-win Dodgers, the second highest of any team to win a playoff series over the last decade.
Ahead of Tuesday’s Game 1, the Padres are -120 favorites at PointsBet to defeat the Phillies (+100) in the NLCS. Philadelphia last made the World Series in 2009, while San Diego has not been to the Fall Classic since 1998. The Padres have never won the World Series.
Thursday, Oct. 20
Underdog licensing hearing in Colorado
After disclosing a $35 million Series B funding round in July, fantasy sports company Underdog Sports is poised to launch sports betting operations in at least two states next year. Underdog will move closer to going live in Colorado if the company receives licensure at Thursday’s hearing. Among licensing considerations on Thursday’s agenda, the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (LGCC) will review Underdog Sports’ First Temporary Internet Operator License.
The Colorado LGCC will also consider temporary vendor licenses for BetMakers, PropSwap, and Amazon Web Services at Thursday’s monthly meeting. BetMakers, an Australian-headquartered company, is the exclusive provider of fixed-odds horse racing for Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The Aussie company is looking to expand to several additional states in 2023.
Saturday, Oct. 22
Unbeaten Syracuse confronts tall task vs. Clemson
Syracuse upended N.C. State 24-9 on Saturday to move to 6-0 for the first time since 1987. The No. 14 Orange will travel to South Carolina to face No. 5 Clemson in a battle of the final two unbeaten teams in the ACC. The Tigers are favored by 13 at Caesars Sportsbook, where the total is 51.5 points.
Following Alabama’s stunning loss to Tennessee, Ole Miss stands as the lone undefeated team in the SEC West. The Rebels now control their own destiny for a berth in the SEC Championship. No. 7 Ole Miss travels to Baton Rogue to face LSU, where the Rebels are a 1.5-point favorite. After a wild celebration at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night, No. 3 Tennessee needs to replace a goalpost for Saturday’s game against UT-Martin. The Vols now have odds of 20/1 to win the national title.
Neyland Stadium goal post taken to the Tennessee River after the Vols defeat Alabama. https://t.co/cSqxsKdGB8
— Vols Wire (@VolsWire) October 16, 2022
Out west, No. 9 UCLA will also look to stay unbeaten in a Pac-12 showdown against No. 10 Oregon. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has emerged as a potential Conference Player of the Year candidate. Through six games, he has tossed 15 touchdowns to just two interceptions. The Ducks are favored by 6; the total is a whopping 70.5.
UCLA is one of eight unbeatens left in FBS, including No. 8 TCU, the last unbeaten team in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs outlasted Oklahoma State on Saturday, 43-40 in double overtime. TCU will face another tough test in Week 8 against No. 17 Kansas State. TCU is a 5-point favorite; the total is 59 points.
Sunday, Oct. 23
Verstappen favored in U.S. Grand Prix
While Max Verstappen has already wrapped up the 2022 Formula One championship, the Red Bull driver is not taking off the final four races of the season. With a win in Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Verstappen would capture his 13th race of the season, tying Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for the most wins in a single season.
Verstappen has odds of -200 to prevail in Austin, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez, at +400 and +800, respectively. At WynnBET, bettors can wager on the driver who will finish the season second behind Verstappen. Leclerc has odds of -227 to achieve the feat, just ahead of Perez at +160. The top five is rounded out by George Russell (66/1), Carlos Sainz Jr. (100/1), and Lewis Hamilton (150/1).
Giants look for improbable 6-1 start
Despite a point differential of only +14 through six games, the New York Giants improved to 5-1 in Week 6 with a 24-20 comeback win over the Ravens. With the Giants coming off a 4-13 season in 2021, BetMGM set their 2022 win total at 7.5 in the preseason, meaning the Giants need to win just three of their final 11 games to hit the over. Brian Daboll’s team plays Jacksonville on Sunday and is a 3-point underdog at BetRivers.
Three other teams — the Eagles, Vikings, and Bills — have opened the season at 5-1 or better. All three are off with bye weeks in Week 7.
The 49ers will host the Chiefs on Sunday in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, with both teams coming off defeats in Week 6. The injury-riddled Niners lost two starters in a 28-14 loss to the Falcons: cornerback Charvarius Ward (groin) and offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (calf). The Niners were already without edge rusher Nick Bosa (groin), corner Emmanuel Moseley (knee), and safety Jimmie Ward (hand). Kansas City is a 3-point favorite at Unibet; the total is 47 points.
Key injuries heading into Week 7 of the NFL season:
- Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said after Sunday’s loss to the Eagles that he expects to play in Week 7 against the Lions. Prescott told the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that his thumb felt “fantastic” while throwing in Sunday’s pregame warmups. The line could fluctuate throughout the week depending on Prescott’s official availability against Detroit.
- Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater replaced Skylar Thompson in Sunday’s loss against the Vikings after Thompson suffered a thumb injury. Prior to the game, the Dolphins announced that both Bridgewater and Tua Tagovailoa had emerged out of the NFL’s concussion protocol. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did not address Tagovailoa’s status for a Week 7 primetime matchup against the Steelers in his postgame press conference. The Dolphins are 7-point favorites at SI Sportsbook.
- Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown left Sunday’s loss against the Seahawks with a foot injury. Brown, who was seen in a walking boot on Sunday night, told reporters afterward that his initial X-rays were negative. The Cardinals hope to be able to line Brown up alongside Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Thursday against the Saints, as Hopkins makes his return after a six-game suspension. Arizona is a 2-point favorite at SuperBook Sports; the total is 45 points.
